Kyoto Racecourse, 2000 meters, Satsuki Sho.
The first leg of the classic three crowns, known as the Satsuki Sho where only the fastest Uma Musume can win, has always been a highly anticipated race.
Although it was drizzling, the stands were still bustling with people, lively and boisterous.
People waited here... Sitting in the Student Council's exclusive VIP box, the Student Council members quietly watched the contestants ascend the presentation stage one by one.
Throughout the year, there are always a few races that the Student Council never misses, and coincidentally, the Satsuki Sho is one of them.
Moreover, one of the participants in this race is a new member of the Student Council.
For the Student Council, which has a high threshold, a newcomer is a rare occurrence. Furthermore, this newcomer is beautiful and capable. Both emotionally and rationally, the Student Council members should show their support.
So, it was a rare occasion that all members of the Student Council were present.
"This Legend is so weak, she's only the fourth favorite."
Senmei Representative crossed her legs, teasingly watching Legend's appearance.
"If it weren't for you, Little Senmei, Legend would be the first favorite."
You should be ashamed! Ashamed!
Maruzensky grumbled with half-closed eyes.
...Well, nobody wanted that to happen. How was I supposed to know Legend would get sick just from getting rained on? Look at her usual training state; who would have thought she was a weak girl who could get sick from a little rain?"
Senmei Representative guiltily averted her gaze.
"Alright, stop fooling around, the race is about to start." Rudolf interrupted their banter.
"President, how is Legend's condition recently?" Air Groove asked Rudolf with some concern.
As a rare good child who wouldn't let her mood drop, Air Groove was always very concerned. After all, ever since Legend joined the Student Council, she could finally arrange rest days for herself.
"Relax, relax! With Legend's strength, a mere Classic-grade race is a massacre, alright!"
Maruzensky casually comforted Air Groove.
"That's not necessarily true. Uma Musume races are never short of miracles where the weak defeat the strong. Moreover, this is the Satsuki Sho, the Triple Crown's **." Narita Brian chimed in, "And Legend's condition seems a bit off?"
Everyone immediately looked at Legend on the field, only to see her on stage, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.
...What is she doing? This is the Satsuki Sho! What kind of behavior is this!"
Sister Maruzensky was a bit angry. The race was about to start, and she still looked distracted. What did she take the race for?!
"Sister Maruzensky, calm down. Legend is not that kind of child; she knows what she's doing."
Narita Brian comforted Maruzensky, and from her attitude, it seemed she had sensed something.
Rudolf and Senmei Representative exchanged glances. As fellow Triple Crown Uma Musume, they keenly sensed that something was amiss.
"Did you notice anything, Brian?" Rudolf asked decisively.
"Ah, although it's not very obvious due to the distance, I did [hear] it, that [rhythm]." Narita Brian gritted her teeth, somewhat unwilling, "Talent, sometimes, is truly despair-inducing."
...Senmei and Rudolf remained silent.
"What are they talking about?" Maruzensky was a bit confused.
...How could I know something you don't?" Although at the top of the Student Council's food chain, Air Groove, who was always at the bottom of the Student Council's power ranking, said with a slumped face... Gold Legend closed her eyes slightly, breathing quietly, listening to the [drumbeat] of her heart.
On the night of her birthday, she had a dream.
She no longer remembered the content of the dream, but she knew it was a gentle, beautiful dream.
Because someone had given her a blessing.
May you find your dreams and your home.
Dreams and home... Legend curved her lips. What a gentle deity.
"Yes, I have always been grateful for her compassion and gentleness."
A strange yet familiar voice. Familiar because the voice was no different from her own, strange because the tone and manner were vastly different from hers.
"Isn't she more elegant than you?"
Nonsense! I, Gold Legend, am the most elegant one!
Gold Legend opened her eyes, seeing not the green grass, but golden floor tiles.
Gold Legend looked around, golden railings enclosing the place.
This was a giant birdcage.
"Sigh, come on, there's a race now. Why did you pull me in at this time?" Gold Legend sighed helplessly, turned around, and saw the figure that resembled her but was not quite her.
She wore a long cyan dress, sitting upright on a chair, with a huge canvas in front of her.
She quietly held a paintbrush, sketching something.
"It's alright, this is the subconscious. Even if you stay here all day, only a moment will have passed outside." She stopped her movements and turned, "Hello, Gold Legend. I suppose that guy has already mentioned me to you. I am the personality representing the superego. You can call me Yu."
...Why is it a loli?" Legend was silent for a moment, then complained.
...I'm not sure, maybe it's a subconscious distinction? After all, you see, the the id aspect of gold legend, oh, that guy Hua, is an older sister type."
Yu tilted her head and said earnestly, "Don't you like it this way?"
"No! This is good, this is very good!" Legend declared that lolis are the best. "Alright, since you've called me in, let's get started quickly!"
"Start what?" Yu asked curiously.
"Eh? Didn't that guy Hua say that when you woke up, it meant we were complete?"
"That's right."
"Then aren't you going to do something quickly? I remember the memories before I woke up were with you, right? Like giving me the memories, then naturally having a flashback, a burst of awakening, and then unlocking new abilities and cheats?"
"You've read too many novels, haven't you?" A hint of speechlessness appeared on Yu's cute face.
"Huh? Isn't that customary?" Legend retorted.
"First, I need to clarify one thing: my awakening is not the beginning of 'completion,' but the end." Yu turned and sat back in her chair, picking up her paintbrush and resuming her painting, "Secondly, as for memories, they have long since been returned to you."
"Eh?"
"Memories are always ambiguous; they won't surface unless you think about them, but they are indeed there. Haven't you noticed that you've become more and more accustomed to the identity of Gold Legend?"
...I thought I just got used to it."
It's both habit and adaptation. As early as your first entry into your spiritual world, you were already gradually reclaiming your memories.
...
Then, regarding the idealistic power-up cheats and such, they can indeed exist, but that depends on you, not me."
...
"Finally, stop running away. It's ugly." Yu stopped her brush, stood up, and stepped aside to show Legend the painting.
On the canvas, an ordinary man lay on the grass with a gentle smile, as if enjoying the sunlight.
...Was I really like this before?"
Legend, of course, knew what was on the canvas—it was herself. Her former self.
"I can barely remember what I used to look like." Legend smiled, a bitter smile.
"Truly a mundane and mediocre fellow."
She looked at her former self in the painting, her tone complex.
"What's past is past; it's time to move forward." Yu's words were calm and firm.
...You're really strict. Shouldn't you comfort me a little?"
"If you need comfort, that guy Hua would probably be very willing to let you lean on her. Unfortunately, I don't have a warm bosom to offer you."
"Right, after all, she's a loli."
Legend habitually made a bad joke, then refocused her gaze on the painting in front of her.
"Indeed, there's no going back."
With a light sigh, Legend gently pushed, and the painting, along with its easel, fell to the ground.
It was just a canvas, yet it shattered like glass the moment it fell, scattering into pieces.
Along with this giant birdcage, it turned into scattered fragments.
Reflected in those scattered fragments were memories of the past, some of Legend, some of Legend.
But these were all Gold Legend's.
"Oh, congratulations, congratulations! From now on, the sea is wide for fish to leap, and the sky is high for birds to fly!"
Hua's energetic voice rang out. She clapped her hands and bounced over.
"What should I say at this moment? 'Congratulations' feels too cliché!"
"From a universally rational perspective, you should say, 'Rejoice!'"
Yu pulled out a book from somewhere and struck a celebratory pose.
...You two." A touch of sadness vanished completely because of the two playful figures in front of her.
"Alright! Your mission here is complete, so get out and race! Don't disturb me and Little Yu cuddling here!"
Hua clapped her hands, dismissively indicating that Legend could leave.
...She turned her gaze to Yu.
"Have a good journey."
...Alright then.
In the end, I was wrong to trust you.
Go then! Hmph!
...Opening my eyes again, I saw the clear blue sky.
It was the same scenery as before, yet at this moment, for some reason, it felt incredibly beautiful.
When your mind and body catch up to your abilities, that is what is called [Awakening].
In a daze, I heard such a voice.
The horn signaling the imminent start of the race had already sounded.
Gold Legend stretched languidly, her body emitting a series of crisp cracks.
"Yosh! Here I go!"
At this moment, Legend stood upon the earth!
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