"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hakodate Racecourse! The GIII Hakodate Junior Stakes, which is 1200 meters on turf, is about to begin."
"Though the heavy rain a couple of days ago was quite bad, it seems like the weather has turned for the better as the track condition today is considered sunny and firm. It seems like we'll be able to see the Uma Musume perform at their full strength!"
"Alright, let's get to, THE POPULARITY RANKINGS!!!"
The GIII Hakodate Junior Stakes in July was Curren Chan's starting point. It was the stage Ikezoe had chosen for her Debut Race since she became his trainee. As Ikezoe had absolute confidence in Curren Chan's dominance in short-distance races, he believed that a GIII-level race would be an appropriate place to start her career.
Moreover, Curren Chan would undoubtedly be the most popular one in the race. With a strong base of four million fans even before her debut, Curren Chan had basically become an idol Uma Musume. Technically, Curren Chan's fan count would allow her to directly run in GI races like the Triple Tiara if she wanted to.
Of course, popularity does not always equate to strength, but Curren Chan's strength in sprint races is undeniable, which made Ikezoe completely unconcerned about her. What really concerned Ikezoe was another Uma Musume who was also participating in the race... Orfevre.
"Should I really have allowed Orfevre to go? She already looked so tired when we got into the car today..." Ikezoe couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis. When he saw Orfevre's state earlier this morning, it was incredibly clear that she wasn't doing well at all. She had dark circles under her eyes and a hoarse voice, clearly not fully recovered from her reckless actions that day.
Ikezoe had originally intended to have Orfevre withdraw, but she was simply too persistent.
"I had promised Curren Chan to race her there. Although we don't dislike each other that much anymore, a promise is a promise and must be kept."
"There's no need for you to worry so much, you worrywart. I won't push myself. 1200 meters is basically a stroll for me anyways. I won't flop over and collapse from something this minor."
Despite her resolute declaration that she would be fine, her hoarse voice, combined with a body that was clearly ridden with exhaustion to the point where her eyes could barely stay open, worried Ikezoe to the point his hair was starting to fall off from the stress. Suddenly, Ikezoe felt as if he was like some kind of overprotective mother, getting a headache from dealing with the problem child and then finding solace from the obedient one...
"Next up, coming in as the seventh most popular is... Orfevre!"
After a few names, the commentator finally announced Orfevre's name. As Orfevre started to walk on stage, the commentator immediately gave background information on her:
"Orfevre's dominant victory in her Debut Race has made people call her the 'Golden Tyrant.' However, she has had a streak of losses, with the last one being a GIII race two months ago. Can she get her second wind this time?"
"Oh—but Orfevre seems to be in a... poor condition? Uh... wait a second... hey, is she really okay? Did the staff confirm she's fit to run?"
Orfevre's fatigue was evident to everyone from how labored each of her steps seemed. Though she was indeed no longer sick, she still looked incredibly exhausted, with her unstable state giving off a feeling of danger to the Uma Musume present.
"What's wrong with her..."
"So scary... her eyes are mortifying..."
"I better get away from her; she gives off a feeling like she might bite me at any time" (T/N: Shinko Windy moment)
After her appearance, the unsettling atmosphere that Orfevre gave off immediately made her the focus of all the Uma Musume present. Whether it was her terrifying appearance or the Aura around her, it made these GIII-level Uma Musume tremble with fear. Occasionally, a few who made eye contact with Orfevre were startled by her dead gaze (A/N: Which was actually just the eyes of someone who hadn't slept well), some even turning pale with fright.
"Golden Tyrant, huh..." At this moment, these Uma Musume finally realized why Orfevre was given that title. Although they weren't sure of her strength, just that oozing unease that was constantly pouring out of her alone made everyone incredibly alert.
"Orfevre... feels like a completely different person."
Curren Chan, who was still waiting for her obvious first-place popularity placement, also noticed Orfevre's unusual state. A glimmer of surprise flashed in her eyes as she felt the dangerous feeling Orfevre was emitting and felt that some of her conjectures seemed to be confirmed.
Orfevre's potential... perhaps... this is how it can be unleashed?
Then let's do it. The last resort. A rare look of joy appeared on Curren Chan's face, but she quickly suppressed it again.
"Next up is the undisputed most popular Uma Musume in this race, IT IS—CURREN CHAN! She has set her sights on a GIII-level race to be her Debut Race, which goes to show her confidence in winning this race. We hope she can deliver an exciting race that matches her fan count!"
"...So Sky, why did you call me here to watch this sprint GIII race?"
Meanwhile, on one side of the stands, stood an eye-catching Uma Musume who was leaning on the railings. Her face was gentle and elegant, her physique tall and dignified, and she exuded a heroic and somewhat intangible feeling as if she was the wind.
If Symboli Rudolf were present, this Uma Musume would undoubtedly be more recognizable—or rather, their reunion alone would already excite many people. It was, of course, Mr. C.B., the Student Council President of Central Tracen Academy's Branch School. One of the few existing Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume, and Symboli Rudolf's strongest rival when she was still active.
Her presence at such a low-graded race was certainly unusual. As the Student Council President of an entire school, she was laden with responsibilities and official duties that were on par with Symboli Rudolf. Even with her desire for freedom, she shouldn't be here. However, the reason she was here was because she couldn't refuse the request of her beloved disciple, Seiun Sky, who insisted that her teacher watch an Uma Musume named "Orfevre" run.
"Because it's really important, Teacher! After all, she is the strongest rival recognized by your very own disciple!" Seiun Sky stood beside Mr. C.B. She wasn't participating this time, but she had managed to win her second Debut Race, officially becoming an Uma Musume. "I might encounter her again in the future, Teacher! So can you pleaseee help me observe her tactics?"
"Yes, yes, Orfevre, right? Rudolf has also mentioned her name a couple of times before." Mr. C.B., doting on her personal disciple, nodded and looked towards the racecourse. The Uma Musume had already begun their warm-up and were starting to enter their gates.
"Actually, I've paid attention to her for quite a while now after she beat you. Her talent is truly immense, but the door to that talent seemed to have closed after her Debut Race. It's truly a pity. Even then, her performance in her Debut Race can only be described as a mess. She relied entirely on her physique and explosive power to dominate everyone else through a sheer stat gap. It's a different kind of strong unlike you, who's mainly a skill-based Uma Musume."
"Once your skills improve, the disadvantage of an Uma Musume who relies on pure brute strength will quickly become apparent. If you ask me, if that Debut Race had been 200 meters longer, you probably would have won that day."
As Mr. C.B. said this, she finally saw Orfevre stepping onto the stage and smiled slightly, saying: "It seems like I'll have to change my assessment... it seems like there's something different about her. Did she not get enough sleep? Well, doesn't seem like a completely negative thing considering that shut door seems to be opening slightly now."
"Then let's see, Seiun Sky. Since you consider her your strongest rival, let's see how much she has improved after these past few months."
"Mhm, that's right, but I will definitely defeat her!"
Seiun Sky was clearly full of confidence in herself. During this time, she had been closely following Orfevre's progress, even watching Orfevre's two losing races live. This was the girl she considered to be her strongest rival; she couldn't afford to underestimate her opponent like last time!
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Orfevre is just the average Uma that I train in Trackblazer.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.