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Her Tracen issued loafers clack against the ground as she walks down the halls. The walls where her long brown hair flows past are adorned with all kinds of posters meant to stir fervor and anticipation in the student body—and though she doesn’t want to admit it, it’s most certainly doing her trick on her.
She pauses on one poster, one of multiple of the G1 racers' eyes glaring with the will to resist—the intent to win. It’s a wonderful poster, so striking that she can’t tell if it was drawn or just a closeup.
She can’t help but scoff.
All this effort, and all these… resources. She has everything, and she barely applies it to herself.
Maybe… she’s being a little immature. She wasn’t a child anymore—none of them are, but is it too much to wish that she didn’t just forsake everything? These racers on these posters, at times she wishes that they were also among them.
But that’s in the past. “Luna” is gone, and all that’s left is…
“Symboli Rudolf.” She calls as she opens the large doors of the student council, and she finds the emperor… hunched over a desk and intensely writing on a paper. No response. “Tch, so engrossed in your work,” She walks over and slams her palm on the desk, “You won’t even give me the time of daywhat the hell are you drawing.”
“O-oh, Sirius! Haha, must look a mess…” Rudolf sweats as she finally addresses her childhood friend. As much as Sirius wants to keep the tension though, that god-damned drawing just breaks it entirely.
“What… is that?” Sirius asks with confusion written all over her face—objectively quite justified confusion.
“Oh, this is my new concept for the next Spring Tenno Sho poster! Given this will be BNW’s last race together, I figured a good poster showing off their final showdown would be best, would it not?” She takes the paper and proudly shows it to Sirius.
It’s from a perspective beneath the three, with the three butting heads and glaring daggers through each other—at least that’s what it’s supposed to look like. Their chins are, to put it plainly, horribly drawn from the angle it’s supposed to be drawn, and she even colored outside the lines. It looks like a child drew this…. “It looks… alright.” Sirius coughs out, contradicting her thoughts entirely. Did the Emperor really suck this much at art? Did she draft the other posters too? How the hell did the artists even decipher them to make those masterpieces? “Don’t you think this is all too much though? I mean, seriously—don’t laugh at that, that wasn’t funny.”
“Hehe… Siriusly.”
“Shut UP! Just… whatever, these posters. Don’t you think you have enough? They’re all over the academy—hell, even on billboards outside the academy.”
“I… must admit my fervor has taken hold of me,” Rudolf admits with a chuckle, “But can you blame me? This race… there’s so much to look forward to, as a spectator, who wouldn’t be?”
Spectator. That word plays back in Sirius’ head.
“Goddesses, the amount of strength on this track, it almost makes me want to get out there myself!”
Tch. So why don’t you. Use that ‘Emperor’ moniker for something, for once. Wouldn’t it kill you to just be a little selfish? Her eyes half-close in disappointment, before bringing them up again in faux-bravado—and of course Rudolf, in all her excitement, is blind. “Sure. I guess. Well, if the competition is so fierce, let me hear who’s running.”
“Hm? You don’t know? Goodness, Sirius, all these posters-”
“That I haven’t looked at. I’m no stayer on that level, why would I bat an eye at the longest G1 race?” Sirius barks as she sits down in one of the lounge chairs of the student council office. “Now, out with it. Who are these racers that swept the great ‘Emperor’ off her feet?” Sirius mockingly asks, on the surface. She might as well stoke Rudolf’s flame a bit, who knows, maybe talking about them might just bring “Luna” back out…. Maybe.
“Goodness, where to begin…. There are so many strong racers here, but of course to cut back on time, I’ll address the ones that seem to be the most popular, both in my and many people’s hearts…”
MEJIRO MCQUEEN
Four G1 Victories
Numerous G2 Victories; Notably two victories at the Hanshin Daishoten
Consistent Record; Her lowest placing being Fourth Place in the Japan Cup.
Notably a two-time Spring Tenno Sho Champion. This would be her fourth time competing, her previous attempt at a third win was thwarted by Rice Shower. The crown daughter of the esteemed Mejiro Family, known for their long distance umamusume, her greatest strength is her near bottomless supply of stamina. Her experience on this track will aid her tremendously, there is no doubt, but if she will manage to keep her composure in the face of such opposition is the greatest question that many ask.
“So… remind me why I’m watching McQueen be chased by holographs of ghosts while Tachyon follows on a segway….” Asks the perplexed Mejiro Ryan as she watches the situation unfold.
“Her biggest issue, what I saw during the relay, was that she often got scared by her false accelerations. Putting her through this would help her maintain composure during high stress situations, and hopefully won’t be as susceptible to feints anymore.”
“Right… falling for stuff like that and accelerating prematurely to not lose initiative costs stamina, so I can see why you’re doing this. But… isn’t this enough?” Ryan sighs as she tracks the lavender-haired Mejiro as she cries her way down the track and away from the holograms. “I don’t think the training will be effective if she… does that the whole time….”
“TRAINER-HERRR!! PLEASE STOP THIS AT ONCE!! I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!!!” McQueen cries as Tachyon laughs maniacally behind her.
“WELL THAT’S TOO DAMN BAD!!!” Her trainer yells in response, eliciting more cries from McQueen and sighs from Ryan.
His heart’s in a good place though, and they all know. This would be her final race, and there’s no doubt in their mind she will pull out every stop. If she wanted to win her third time, she needed to be prepared. It was a rough first, but tomorrow will be another day.
T.M. OPERA O
Known as The Centurial Overlord, among other iterations of that name
Seven G1 Victories
Numerous G2 Victories, two-time Kyoto Daishoten winner
Exuded utter dominance on the track, being one of the few umamusume who won multiple G1s back to back, others being Narita Brian, Mejiro McQueen, and myself. While coming off as arrogant and boisterous, her skills on the track can most certainly back it up, as this would be her third time at the Spring Tenno Sho, and if she were to win—her third victory.
“hnnnnnRRRAGH!” With a thunderous roar and a punch that echoes through the room, she knocks a punching bag clean off the chain. “HAAA HAHAHA! How was that, Trainer? Can you feel it? The power flowing through me like ichor?”
“It is impressive, but I’m afraid it isn’t enough.” Her trainer bluntly replies, much to her bewilderment, “Y’know, I’ve heard she manages to punch bags heavier than these off the chain like its lightwork. Granted, she does kickboxing in her free time, but still. If you want a chance against her, you have to step it up.”
“Oh! You wound me so harshly, Trainer! Are my efforts not enough for you?”
“For me, maybe. But for this race, not even close. Like it or not, she’s the principal. It isn’t every day someone manages to best the Emperor, even if it wasn't an officially sanctioned race, the shockwaves she sent were very real.”
With that and a redirection of her focus, she returns to working a new bag, with renewed vigor in her eyes.
This was new.
She had long been playing the leading role, daring others to come for her—but now the roles flipped. She was playing the role of the king trying to reclaim his throne, and it was admittedly a little embarrassing. She won’t play this role for long, she will have her spotlight back. For she is The Overlord of the Century’s End.
“RRRRRAAAAAAGH!” *WHAM*
RICE SHOWER
Two G1 Victories
1 G2 Victory
“The Black Assassin” as many call her. Known for her victories over Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro McQueen, crushing their aspirations to win the Triple Crown and become a three-time Spring Tenno Sho Champion and scattering it into the wind. This would be her second time at the Spring Tenno Sho, and with many aspirations filling the roster, many have that creeping fear lingering in the back of their minds—The Black Assassin may strike again.
“COME ON RICE! I BELIEVE IN YOU!”
“RRAAAAAAAAHHH! I WON’T LET YOU DOWN, ONEE-SAN!!!” She screams in response as she scales a comically long flight of stairs. After plenty of sweat, screaming, and pain, she finally reaches the top alongside her trainer, where she finally receives a bottle of water and some well-deserved rest.
“Good work out there, Rice. You’re doing amazing with your training so far. You’ve more than got what it takes to win.”
“Hehe, thank you so much, Onee-san!” Rice chirps in response as she gulps down a very much deserved half of her bottle.
“You always wanted to be the hero, right?” Her trainer asks, sitting down beside her on the top step as the sun paints the horizon orange. “Now’s your big chance, I think.”
“Rice can… be a hero?”
“Yeah. She’s been playing one hell of a heel. People either root for or against her, there’s no doubt about her skills ever since the relay. Sure, there are things like Hayahide finally getting her crown, Opera O’s Three time, McQueen’s Three time at last, Tickezo’s first win in a race this long, and most importantly her two timer—lots of storylines.”
“B-but won’t that mean Rice will…”
“We’re not going to focus on that. You got a story of your own—A two-time Spring Tenno Sho Champion. That’s a cool storyline in and of itself. But no matter what, I want you to remember this one thing for me, okay Rice?” Her trainer asks sincerely.
“Yes! What is it-”
“Stand your ground.” Her trainer sternly demands, pressing a finger into her chest, “Stand your ground. Even if they jeer when you win and cheer when you lose.” She brings her in for an intense hug that can only be reciprocated with tears and sniffles, “Even if the whole world turned against you. I will always be on your side.
Your big sister will always be in your corner.”
GOLD SHIP
Six G1 Victories
Four G2 Victories
Unpredictable. Chaotic. A prior winner of the Spring Tenno Sho and a holder of two crowns; The Satsuki Sho and the Kikuka Sho. This would be her fourth time at the Spring Tenno Sho, though she lost twice to Fenomeno, the Unsinkable Gold Ship sails ever forward.
The flocking of wings and rustling of leaves fill the air as the turbulent winds blow past. The quiet murmurs of flowing streams provide ample ambience, said streams turn into raging waterfalls.
Under one lies the troublemaker herself, naked, and oddly… serene. She meditates in a stereotypical yoga pose. It was odd let alone seeing her at peace, but meditating? But it was in character—so strange that even trying to be peaceful was strange. Just what could she possibly be pondering?
Suddenly, she inhales a deep breath, and opens her eyes.
“I see it all now… the Revelations of Umakind.”
Beginning with her eyes and going on to sheathe her entire body, a blinding golden light bursts forth and engulfs the surrounding area.
The next day, she would come to school wearing a kāşāya—not a soul dared to question it.
WINNING TICKET
Two G1 Victories
Two G2 Victories
The W in BNW, and the heart of the trio. Known for her stunning win at the Japanese Derby against fierce competition and being one of the rare few umamusume to win the Japan Cup in her classic year. While she has raced in the Kikuka Sho and took third place, many still speculate if she has what it takes to last on a track this long, as she usually excels at medium distance races. While the competition is most certainly fierce for her first race in a distance this long, nonetheless, I have high hopes for her.
*PHEEEEEEET*
With a blow of a whistle, onlooking umamusume watch in awe as they witness the black haired girl swim and yell across the pool at breakneck pace—the water was even vacated so she doesn't crash into them with raging intensity.
“Woah… Tickezo’s really giving it her all today, isn’t she….” An onlooker comments.
“Ha! When is she not?”
“Yeah but… going that fast with a butterfly stroke is insane….”
“Well duh, you haven’t seen the posters? This is the first time she’s ran in the Spring Tenno Sho, and she’s what I like to call a ‘medium merchant.’”
“Huh? A ‘medium merchant?’ What’s that?”
“Someone who’s really good at mediums but isn’t so hot at longs.”
“Huh? But Tickezo got 3rd in the Kikuka Sho and 5th in the Arima Kinen! She isn’t bad at longs!”
“Fair, but the Arima is a fake long anyways, it’s basically just a glorified medium.”
“Still though, don’t count Tickezo out. I really do think she has what it takes to win her first long race.”
“Never said she didn’t. She’s admittedly a long shot but if anyone has what it takes to win even with the odds stacked against her….”
*SLAP*
“TRAINER! WHAT’S MY TIME?” Tickezo shouts as she hits the wall to finish off her lap around the pool.
“Good work, Tickezo! It’s a new record!!”
“WOOO!! YEAH!!!” Tickezo shouts, jumping clean out the water and onto the poolside in celebration.
“... It’s gotta be her.” The onlooker finishes as she departs back to her dorm.
BIWA HAYAHIDE
Two G1 Victories
Three G2 Victories
Brutal efficiency. Calculated Excellence. The B of BNW—Extremely consistent, never placing below 5th place, her calculations are more than just talk. This would be her second time racing in the Spring Tenno Sho, her first attempt saw her 2nd by 1 ¼ lengths. Never a fool, she won’t make the same mistakes twice—her calculations lead to only one solution: Victory.
“As I thought. Her acceleration truly is abnormal on corners. I suppose that can be attributed to her racing in the Tokai Stakes.” She affirms to herself as she observes her rival kick off the fourth corner into the final straight of the Diamond Stakes. Quickly, she jots her observations down into a notebook filled with bookmarks and tags.
Her trainer had left long ago, and now it was just Hayahide in a dark abandoned classroom reviewing racing tapes—meticulously picking apart everything like a picky eater. Every little quirk she jotted down—how her rival handled challenges, getting blocked, and most importantly her final sprint. She had known her final sprint was something to not be taken lightly, but now it was something that required examination. When does she usually start? How much time will Hayahide herself have to respond? Questions that all required answers.
Answers from where her Winning Equation would derive.
These racers of extraordinary strength have already set the field and fans alight with anticipation, and had it have just been them, things would have been drastically different. Popularity would have shifted, expectations perhaps lightened, and the racers themselves would likely not be pushing themselves as hard as they can to make every single second of this next month count. But on that day, a challenger declared her intentions, bared her fangs, and clamped them shut upon me.
NARITA TAISHIN
Six G1 Victories; Autumn Triple Crown Winner
Two G2 Victories
After a crushing defeat at the Kikuka Sho, she would step back from racing to recuperate, and would strike back ferociously at the Nikkei Sho, winning by a decisive 3 lengths. Shortly after, she went on to defeat Biwa Hayahide at the Spring Tenno Sho, defeating the fan favorite by 1 ¼ lengths. While she would lose to Hayahide at the following Takarazuka Kinen, placing 2nd to her at 5 lengths, she would go on to decisively win the Senior Autumn Triple Crown, and defeat Narita Brian in the Arima Kinen at the end of her senior year.
“Y’know Nase, I really gotta thank you. I would’ve never expected you to help out a rival.” Taishin’s trainer comments, sipping on his energy drink.
“They were lovers first, this is merely secondhand. And besides, she was going on and on about how she wanted to help, and she can be very convincing.” Nase replies, watching the two lovebirds run down the track. As much as she didn’t want to cave, it was nice seeing such joy on Creek’s face as she ran.
“I do have to ask though, why this? Wouldn’t it be better if we trained her stamina so she can fight for good positions?”
“You are right, it’s one thing to have the stamina to be able to constantly fight, but it’s another thing entirely to have good evasiveness and agility on the track to avoid fighting entirely or make those skirmishes brief.”
“Ahh, I get it now. With someone as aware as Creek helping her train, it’ll definitely help her get more crafty with her movement on the track.”
“Yes, after her performance at the relay, I’m quite positive people will be more wary of her, so they’ll find ways to block her from and fight her for positions that way she can be worn out.”
“So… it’d be better to train her stamina. Don’t get me wrong, she did extremely well in the Diamond Stakes—she won—and she’s won this race before, I don’t doubt she has the endurance at all.”
“I’ll put it like this: it’s better to quickly win those little fights than to have a long drawn out war of attrition.”
“Now you’re speakin’ my language. Oop, look, they're on the 3rd straight. We ought to pay attention now.” Taishin’s trainer redirects as the two trainers watch the pair closely.
Halfway through the straight, in typical end closer procedure, Taishin encroaches on Creek intending to pass, but she’s quickly blocked as Creek veers to impede. Scoffing at the attempt, Taishin veers to her left, hoping to cut and drive through, but to no avail.
She looks up and puts the pieces together, Creek’s tracking her movements through her hearing, like a radar. ‘Tch. What a pain.’ She thinks to herself. Creek isn’t like other racers, she can’t just brute force her way through and hope she’ll pass—she needs to get creative.
She needs to be quick with it but she needs to be safe, it would be bad if she were to get injured before the race, she doesn’t want another Kikuka Sho on her hands.
But how? Creek’s blocking every path, she’s too damn smart, and it’s not like she’ll tire out either…. She can’t beat Creek in a war of attrition—she’s gone left and right, all that’s left for her is to keep going forward.
“?” Taishin’s footsteps are getting closer… giving her less time to react? But if she gets too close they risk catching each other on their legs and crashing! Just what is she doing? Creek turns her head over her shoulder to get a view behind her, only to find her encroaching shadow… gone.
A gust of wind blows past, a particularly strong wind, and it commands her head back to the front, only to be suddenly facing Taishin’s rear.
‘When did she…’
“Hmph.” With a quiet grunt, she rends the earth beneath her and kicks off, leaving her trainer, Nase and Creek in shock.
To be able to rise back from such suffocating depths and crushing loss is already a feat in and of itself, but to proceed to crush your opponents and maintain consistency is a feat worthy of propelling her into the realm of legends.
“You call Creek a 'Demon Queen', yeah?” Her trainer snickers to Nase as he watches the wind in front of her break as she sprints down the final straight, Creek hot on her tail, but never hoping to surpass her. "A mere demon... never holds a candle to the devil herself."
Returning from the chasms of despair—broken and reborn, blazing forth in a sapphire inferno…
The trainers watch in awe as the compact uma victoriously wipes the sweat from her cheek, but suddenly…
“TAISHIN~! You were so amazing out there sweetie! When did you get so crafty? You sneaky girl, I didn’t even notice you!” Creek cheers as she rushes to Taishin with her arms outstretched.
“Calm down! We’re both still swea-woah!”
Suddenly, Taishin finds herself pinned to the ground, all 232 pounds of Creek on top of her as she nuzzles into and kisses her cheek!
“So good, so good! Such a good girl you are, Taishin! Oh, I love you so much!! You’re going to win for sure!!!”
“H-hey! That tickles!! Q-quit it, right now!!” The “poor” lass yelps as she reels from her beloved’s onslaught.
“Oh, I just can’t let you go! I’ve decided it—I’m going to pamper you to the fullest!!!”
“LET ME GOOOOOO!!!!” She screams to the orange sky, but alas, no one heard her cries.
A Phoenix.
.
.
.
“My…” Sirius chortles, “And here I thought I was one for the dramatics. You sure did take your sweet time with their little intros, but I can’t lie, I am interested. Especially in that Taishin.”
“Because she accomplished what you could never?” Rudolf fires, hitting its mark as a visible vein shows on Sirius’ forehead.
“Come again?” She seethes, “You talk big, but let’s see if you can put your money where your mouth is.” A challenge, one she expects to go nowhere, and be pushed off for her silly “Emperor” duties once more.
“Yes. Let’s.” Rudolf calmly accepts as she gets up from her chair and makes way for the door, leaving a surprised Sirius in her wake. “What’s that look for? You said it yourself: Enough running our mouths. Let’s run with our legs instead.”
As Sirius gets up and follows her childhood friend, she can’t help but let a smile slip.
She’s still in there somewhere, huh…