Unlike the frenzied enthusiasm when her name was first mentioned, the moment Symboli Rudolf, clad in her majestic winning outfit which looked like a custom military uniform, appeared in the flesh, the racecourse instantly went silent.
The Emperor, through her mere presence, had already suppressed everyone with her leaking Aura.
All the Uma Musume even unconsciously lowered their heads and averted their gazes, showing immense respect and fear to this Emperor.
"So... this is Rudolf, eh? I thought she'd forgotten that she was an Uma Musume after sitting in that office for so long. Seems like she didn't forget after all."
In the stands, next to Wada, an unknown Uma Musume suddenly spoke, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
As the group all looked over, they found that the person speaking was an exceptionally handsome Uma Musume with long brown hair and white highlights in the middle, who had arrived there at some unknown point in time.
The other party seemed to notice Wada's gaze behind the visor and gave a friendly, but somehow arrogant smile, saying:
"Yo, Team Miracle. If I'm not mistaken, this is T.M. Opera O's Trainer, Wada Ryuji, right?"
"Your outfit is very intriguing, quite innovative I must say. But if this is your strategy, it'll be far from enough to defeat the Emperor."
"You are…"
But before Wada could even try and remember this somewhat familiar figure, Tokai Teio, who was beside Imanami, recognized her and immediately exclaimed in surprise:
"Ah, Big Sis Sirius! Why are you here?"
"Ooo~ Teio, you're here too. Well, I suppose that's normal. I heard you joined this team a while ago and haven't had a chance to visit."
The Uma Musume referred to by Tokai Teio as "Sirius" also greeted Tokai Teio with a relatively gentle attitude.
She then turned back to Wada and said with a faint smile:
"Nice to meet you all. I am Sirius Symboli. Perhaps you've heard my name from those at the Student Council or Teio."
"Sirius Symboli...? It is a pleasure to meet you."
Sirius Symboli was a name that both the Uma Musume and the three Trainers had, of course, heard of.
Although their level of understanding might differ, there was no doubt that if anyone present claimed to understand Symboli Rudolf, Sirius Symboli might be even more qualified than Tokai Teio.
"Well, since you know little me, then you should also know who you are challenging, right?"
Sirius nodded, then continued looking towards the stage.
Her eyes from the very beginning had been fixed on T.M. Opera O, who, despite feeling the full brunt of the Emperor's majesty, had neither bowed nor lowered her head.
At this moment, she was the only Uma Musume in the entire venue who had not yielded to Symboli Rudolf.
"It's truly surprising… If it were a couple of years ago, I would've never imagined a seemingly unremarkable Uma Musume like her could be as unafraid of Rudolf as I am."
"But now that the facts are laid bare before me to see, I have no choice but to believe it."
"However, merely unafraid isn't enough. Mr. C.B.… she also wasn't afraid of the Emperor, but she ultimately still fell short to Rudolf."
"It's a pity that I've only recently returned. Otherwise, if I could have given you two some specialized training, perhaps your success rate in challenging Rudolf would have been even higher."
Sirius's tone carried a hint of regret, and then she turned back to Wada, saying with a smile:
"But just for daring to challenge the Emperor, well done, I have high hopes for you, Trainer Wada."
"Although you may not necessarily defeat her, just seeing that fellow excitedly come out of her office to meet your challenge alone means this era deservedly belongs to you two."
As she spoke, Sirius Symboli even gave Wada a thumbs-up, her tone full of praise for Wada.
Then, with a hint of regret, she added:
"Really, if you had been around a few years earlier, I would've made a daring fellow like yourself my puppy. Then, the outcome of my match against her might've not have been so regrettable."
"…I believe T.M. Opera O will win. Although I may be a mediocre Trainer, I believe she will win… even if it fills me with shame that I can't do anything."
Wada didn't know how to respond to Sirius's comment of making him her 'puppy' whatever that meant.
However, although Sirius didn't say it directly, it was clear that she wasn't very optimistic about T.M. Opera O's chances.
Wada could hear the unspoken meaning in Sirius's words, and even as an observer, Wada knew that T.M. Opera O was at a heavy disadvantage when facing against Symboli Rudolf.
In Wada's view, though T.M. Opera O might have surpassed her past self's peak, she still seemed to be some distance away from surpassing the Emperor.
And this feeling of knowing but being powerless made Wada unconsciously grip the railing.
He didn't know what he should do, he could only continuously pray in his heart, trusting T.M. Opera O as always…
"So strong… fitting to be called the Emperor."
On the stage, T.M. Opera O, just by looking at Symboli Rudolf, who had shed her school uniform and put on her winning outfit to once again return as an Uma Musume, felt her body trembling slightly.
It was a mix of fear and excitement, but mostly an instinctive shudder from her heart as an Uma Musume.
'Although I am the Overlord, I still feel a tingle of hesitance before the Emperor. It seems my journey is far from over. I still have higher mountains to conquer.'
'The Seven Crowns… maybe I have a new goal.'
Such thoughts came to T.M. Opera O's mind.
Just then, Symboli Rudolf had already walked directly in front of T.M. Opera O.
The Emperor, using her height advantage, looked down at T.M. Opera O with a somewhat condescending air.
But T.M. Opera O did not fear Symboli Rudolf.
She boldly raised her head, looking directly at Symboli Rudolf with a very proud attitude.
—Currently, in T.M. Opera O's eyes, as she directly faced the Emperor's Aura, Symboli Rudolf had appeared far larger in her eyes than before.
However, T.M. Opera O soon felt Symboli Rudolf's Aura recede somewhat…
In T.M. Opera O's eyes, Symboli Rudolf gradually returned to normal, still sharp, but no longer so terrifying.
"T.M. Opera O, though you have yet to reach your peak, you still managed to face me without any fear."
"In due time, you will surely surpass me."
A smile of appreciation appeared on Symboli Rudolf's face as she spoke to T.M. Opera O,
"I have come to meet your challenge with all my might, and I don't intend to intentionally lose to you."
"—But, for the sake of fairness and justice, this time, I shall limit the use of my Zone and Aura to your level. We shall have a truly fair duel on equal footing, to decide the victor." (T/N: Shen Wulong ahh girl.)
"…Is this the Emperor's pity?"
Symboli Rudolf's words made a smile appear on T.M. Opera O's face, though not one of relief.
A part of her felt insulted by Rudolf's gesture, and T.M. Opera O said with a confident smile:
"I, T.M. Opera O, now stand before the Emperor as we are about to step onto the track to determine the victor."
"This is an era-defining duel, and as the Overlord, I can't allow the Emperor to not be at her full strength due to something as insignificant as pity."
"Emperor, I am not alone, nor am I challenging you alone."
"Challenging you along with me, is the conviction of my Trainer."
"So let us meet on the track, Emperor! Let's see whether I, the Overlord, will prevail, or if you, the Emperor, will remain seated on your lofty throne, propped up by your inflated ego."
With that, T.M. Opera O elegantly performed a noble bow towards Symboli Rudolf and slowly walked off the stage.
As the two passed each other, a slight smile appeared on Symboli Rudolf's face.
"Wanting to face my prime... while you have yet to reach your own might not be a wise move, T.M. Opera O."
...
"What should I do… I'm so nervous!!!!! Is it time to enter the gates already?"
"The showdown between the Emperor and the Overlord… although I just joined to watch, I'm starting to regret coming to this Arima Kinen."
"—We're just background characters. This race is only for the two of them to duke it out."
Soon, the participants of the Arima Kinen entered their gates one after another.
T.M. Opera O and Symboli Rudolf were the first to enter their gates, their assigned gates positioned towards the middle.
It was only after these two Uma Musume had entered their gates did the other Uma Musume dare to follow suit.
The Auras of the rulers had been unabashedly clashing constantly since they stepped foot onto the turf, making the surrounding Uma Musume feel a constant sense of danger.
Even Mejiro McQueen had to desperately flatten her poised up tail to barely enter her gate without the help of staff.
Meisho Doto, as the seventh favorite, managed to secure a good starting gate, being gate number one.
Yet, she had no intention of competing for victory.
She only had one goal: to clear space as much as possible for T.M. Opera O and Symboli Rudolf to duel.
Meisho Doto had a similar idea to Air Groove, which simply goes to show the potential aftershocks of a battle between monsters like the Emperor and the Overlord.
From Uma Musume who might be pushed to try desperate measures to win, to those who got too affected by the Aura of the two, going into a frenzy and potentially hurting themselves.
This showdown would determine the future of many things, so this race could not afford any accidents.
Soon, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
It was unknown how long this period of silence lasted, but many Uma Musume, even before exiting their gates, could hear their heart beats accelerating, their breaths getting heavy, and sweat beginning to form.
CLANG!
"And the gates are open! All the Uma Musume have made a perfect start!"
"The one currently in the lead is— OH! The one in the lead is surprisingly Symboli Rudolf!"
"In fact, many Uma Musume are choosing to run as Front Runners and Pace Chasers this time! Everyone is going all out from the start!"
Yes, the battle had already begun at the very beginning.
Although most have resigned themselves to lose this race, they were Uma Musume in the very end.
Even if they might not be the strongest, even if they didn't have a chance, how could they bear to not at least try?!
Thus, countless challengers had charged forwards with renewed vigor, aiming for the "Emperor's" position.
There were no tricks like encirclements in this race, nor could there ever be.
There was only a swarm of challengers who had been ignited to usurp those at the very top!
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"I've relocated my tendons and suppressed my muscle power output. I also limited my joints' range of motion."
"?!"
T.M. Opera O looked at Symboli Rudolf in shock as she continued,
"I brought my neurotransmission speed down to the lowest setting, and shut down some of my brain's circuits."
A placid looking smirk appeared on Symboli Rudolf's face as she gazed directly into T.M. Opera O's eyes.
She truly was...
"I've come down to your level. Let's enjoy the moment."
'THE EMPEROR'
[If you don't get it, it's a Kengan Ashura reference]
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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.