"Hey, Rudolf, why do you look so cold? You'll never make a good emperor with a face like that."
Sirius Symbol clapped Rudolf Symbol on the shoulder, grinning like a delighted child.
The reason was simple enough. Japan's horse girls had just crushed America's horse girls on American soil again, and this time the victory song had even been in Japanese. Sirius had never heard the song before in her life, but what did that matter?
What mattered was that they were finally ready to invite Xingyun Liuge back.
If timing had allowed, she would even have wanted to invite her to the Takarazuka Kinen.
But considering how brutal the American Triple Crown schedule already was, and the fact that Xingyun Liuge would most likely be heading to Britain for the Epsom Derby, Sirius Symbol quietly abandoned that tempting idea.
Six major races in two months? That would be absurdly over the top. Even the cruelest landlord wouldn't work a horse girl that hard.
For the sake of the girl's physical and mental health, Sirius thought it best to keep her mouth shut. Otherwise, she would become public enemy number one—and Xingyun Liuge might even start to dislike her.
If that happened, it would be a disaster.
Right now, all Sirius wanted was for Rudolf Symbol and Xingyun Liuge to have a proper talk and settle the question of where she would go next. Ideally, after the Epsom Derby, Xingyun could head straight to Central Tracen and start out as vice president of the student council.
She did not realize at all that, according to the dates, the Belmont Stakes and the Epsom Derby were held one day apart. Under normal circumstances, Xingyun Liuge could never make both. She would have to choose one.
Neither racecourse had delayed its schedule or suspended its preparations. There was no possibility of one being postponed—unless a miracle occurred.
Sirius Symbol, however, wasn't thinking that far ahead. She just wanted Xingyun Liuge at Central Tracen. After all, she had run herself ragged for this cause and burned more than a few favors. If Rudolf's invitation failed, she really might cry.
And then Rudolf Symbol said, "I don't think the time is right yet. When it comes to JRA's affairs, we still haven't done enough."
"Huh?"
Sirius froze on the spot.
The upper ranks of the JRA had effectively been replaced from top to bottom. The ones who had technically stayed on had all been pushed behind the scenes. For all practical purposes, that meant the old leadership was gone. If even that wasn't enough, then what was?
Sirius couldn't understand it. After a moment, she folded her arms and asked, "Is this because of that... ultimate darkness?"
Her expression turned serious. The smile vanished entirely from her handsome features, and even the lines of her face seemed to sharpen.
Rudolf Symbol blinked. "?"
What was "ultimate darkness" supposed to mean?
It took her a second to realize Sirius was talking about Xingyun Liuge's Domain.
At that moment, Rudolf could only think that Sirius had become terminally chuunibyou. She and that newly debuted announcer back in Japan really were cut from the same cloth.
Then again, considering that the announcer had encountered Xingyun Liuge almost as soon as he started the job, perhaps his chuunibyou was hardly surprising. People really shouldn't meet a horse girl that dazzling while they were still young and impressionable. It warped them.
"In any case," Rudolf said with a helpless smile, "I'm going to talk to Xingyun later, but I won't invite her back just yet. When it comes to the Classic Triple Crown and her overseas campaign, Central is the one that wronged her. If we can't offer enough sincerity..."
She spread her hands.
"Do you really think a Xingyun Liuge who's already made it big needs to come back to Japan?"
Actually, yes—there was one reason she might.
She could come back and utterly massacre the competition.
To put it bluntly, there was not a single horse girl in Japan who could beat her anymore. Not even Yushun, who had won the Arc and was currently based in Japan, stood much chance.
No matter how great Yushun had once been, the fact that she had already shifted to the Dream Cup circuit said everything.
If she still had the power to dominate the Flash series consistently, what reason would she have had to transfer to the Dream Cup?
And if she no longer had that kind of reliable winning strength, then she simply had no chance against Xingyun Liuge.
Unless, of course, one shifted the discussion to long-distance races, which Xingyun had yet to run.
But did Xingyun Liuge really lack the ability to handle long distances? Rudolf seriously doubted it.
Meanwhile, Xingyun Liuge had already reunited with her old classmates.
She went down the line slapping palms with them one by one. Then, when she reached Latifa at the end, she paused, stepped forward, wrapped her in a hug, and nuzzled her lightly.
That single gesture hit the princess from Dubai like a critical strike. Her whole body stiffened.
She had no idea why Xingyun Liuge had done it. Was it simply a gesture of goodwill? Or was there some deeper, more special meaning behind it?
She didn't know.
Her mind had gone completely blank.
In truth, Xingyun Liuge had not thought all that deeply about it. She had simply hugged Latifa because Latifa looked soft and seemed like she would feel especially nice to hold.
And after trying it, she discovered her judgment had been entirely correct.
So she rubbed against her once, then let go, ran a circle around the group, returned to Chihaya Yui's side, and pulled her into a tight hug.
At the moment, if one excluded Mother's Counsel and Goodbye Halo, the two people Xingyun Liuge most wanted to hug were Latifa and Chihaya Yui.
Because they were genuinely soft.
Chihaya Yui had not expected Xingyun Liuge to do something like this. For a moment she completely lost track of what to do with her hands.
And yet...
There was no way she could suppress the smile on her face. If she couldn't even keep the corners of her mouth down, then her whole smile was beyond saving.
She patted Xingyun Liuge lightly on the back, soothing her as she said, "All right, all right, Little Song. Everyone's watching."
An embarrassed flush spread over her cheeks, because Xingyun Liuge's flat little chest was pressed right up against her soft curves.
That feeling of warm pressure and compression was just a bit too easy to read into.
But she also noticed that Xingyun seemed to have grown a little taller again, and even the formerly flat plain of her chest had changed—no longer a complete board, but at least something like low rolling hills.
She really hadn't wanted to think in such tactile terms.
But Xingyun was pressed right against her. It wasn't as if she could honestly claim she felt nothing.
Lying to herself would have been ridiculous.
So Chihaya desperately looked for another topic before the heat and pounding in her chest got any worse.
"Anyway, let's hold a celebration banquet," she said. "You've successfully taken the second jewel of the American Triple Crown, Little Song. We absolutely have to celebrate properly."
Besides, this wasn't Britain, where if they wanted something decent to eat they had to cook for themselves or resign themselves to fish and chips and French food every day. America did have some local specialties worth trying.
At the mention of food, the one who should have reacted most enthusiastically was Oguri Cap. Normally, even if Oguri Shine and Kitahara Jones grabbed her from both sides, they still might not have been able to calm her down.
"...Huh?"
But today, the two of them made the same surprised sound at the same time.
Oguri Cap wasn't being especially eager at all.
What was going on? Wasn't she supposed to be the most enthusiastic one?
Was she feeling ill? Struck by the local climate?
Oguri Cap, meanwhile, simply tilted her head slowly and looked back at them with the exact same baffled expression.
"?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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