BanUma 131-150 (Patreon)

Second to last drop for the "week". Was busy previously so this was delayed.

Chapter 131: Rigil's Newcomer Umamusume

After Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky left the hospital, Maruzensky suddenly spoke.

"I feel like that Golden Crown Eagle has suddenly become a bit strange. She seems very reluctant to mention Ogura."

"I don't know," Symboli Rudolf said softly. "But we got quite a bit of information this time, and overall, I'm satisfied."

"That Golden Crown Eagle said that after the first night's match, Ogura threatened her not to continue harming the Umamusume at the academy..."

Maruzensky tapped her chin, recalling what Golden Crown Eagle had just said.

"On the first night, Ogura wasn't summoned by Chairman Akikawa or Ms. Sakura. She probably sneaked over to train, like she did at Tenno Sho in the spring. Unexpectedly, she was entangled by Golden Crown Eagle."

"That's right," Symboli Rudolf nodded.

“Rudolf, how did she know on the first day that a Umamusume was injured because of that Golden Crown Eagle? To outsiders, Rice Shower's injury would seem like Rice Shower's own fault, right? There was also a newly enrolled Umamusume who was sent to the hospital that day due to emotional trauma; surely that wouldn't have been known to outsiders?”

“Could it have been Chairman Akikawa who told her? That Ogura tracksuit was probably obtained by Chairman Akikawa. If Chairman Akikawa knew a student was hospitalized, it seems quite normal for her to tell Ogura,” Symboli Rudolf analyzed.

“But she’s clearly not a Umamusume from Tracen Academy, yet she gets angry when a Tracen Academy Umamusume gets hurt,” Maruzensky chuckled. “What a kind and adorable Pony-chan!”

“Actually, I think that since Ogura has the mentality of protecting our academy’s Umamusume, she must also have a sense of belonging to Tracen Academy. Perhaps her connection with Tracen Academy is deeper than you and I imagine. You and I are probably overlooking something…”

Symboli Rudolf lowered her head and thought for a while but couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation.

“It’s so pitiful that she feels a sense of belonging to Tracen Academy, yet can’t join due to some unavoidable circumstances. Maruzen, I’m so conflicted about the reason why Ogura can’t join our Tracen Academy.”

“Why don’t you go ask Chairman Akikawa?”

“It’s better to ask her in person when Ogura comes to the academy for training again. At least we’d know what she looks like or her real name is, right?”

“That makes sense.” Maruzensky nodded.

--

The next day, Sakura Baimu went home, took a shower, and then went to the academy.

She had spent the night at the hospital and didn’t foolishly go to the academy for training again.

It wouldn’t be good if Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky caught her again.

Sakura Baimu was also quite curious about the gap between herself and the Emperor and Hotrod.

However, she still didn’t want to risk being exposed by trying.

When Sakura Baimu debuted, both of these athletes were already household names in Japan.

They weren't even from the same era; there was no comparison.

The afternoon consisted of regular practice and friendly matches.

After the TCB races yesterday and the day before, no more Pluto Academy Umamusumes challenged TCB.

They seemed to have realized that the gap between themselves and the TCB Umamusumes was too large, and had little chance of winning.

But something was strange.

It seems that the one the American Umamusumes feared most in TCB wasn't Mejiro McQueen nor Tokai Teio.

It was Smart Falcon.

Sakura Baimu, as usual, brought a few teammates to the trackside to watch the races for a while.

However, there was one difference: Smart Falcon wasn't racing today; she was there as a commentator.

The class representative, Sakura Bakushin O, announced the upcoming match in her booming voice.

"Friendly match, Pluto Academy Abyss team versus Tracen Academy's Rigil."

Upon hearing this, not only the Tracen Academy Umamusume watching but also several TCB Umamusumes began to discuss it.

After all,

Rigil was Tracen Academy's strongest team.

Whether in average or overall strength, Rigil was undoubtedly number one.

"Someone actually dares to challenge Rigil? Who is it? Grass-senpai? Condor-senpai? Or T.M. Opera O, Amazon-senpai? Could it be the president?"

Tokai Teio was incredibly excited. This was the first time in so many days that she had encountered an American Umamusume challenging Rigil.

Sakura Bakushin O announced loudly:

"Now, Abyss's Skitty and Rigil's Duramente, both Umamusumes, have entered the gates. The match is about to begin."

Hearing this, many were confused.

"Duramente, who's that? Does Rigil even have such a person?"

"Never heard of her."

Most of the Umamusumes at Tracen Academy had never heard of Duramente.

However, they vaguely guessed that this Umamusume was likely a new trainee, someone who had just joined Rigil.

"Could she be a newbie?"

"Really? Didn't the president say we're not allowed to challenge newbies? All the Umamusumes at Pluto Academy have been enrolled for over a year. How can a newbie who's only been there for three months compete?"

"If the trainer agrees, then it's fine, right?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, all curious about the first new Umamusume to accept a 1v1 challenge in so many days.

But then, Kitasan Black slowly spoke up.

"I remember, she's from the next class."

"The next class?" Tokai Teio asked, puzzled. "Doesn't that mean she's not as strong as Kita-chan and Dia-chan? Why would she dare accept the challenge?"

"I don't know, but I heard she lost her debut battle," Satono Diamond said, equally puzzled.

"Lost her debut battle?"

Sakura Baimu immediately perked up upon hearing this.

She only dared to let Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, who debuted with record-breakingly large margins, participate in team competitions like relay races.

But Tojo Hana actually let an Umamusume who lost her debut match have a 1v1 match against Pluto Academy, a well-established Umamusume group.

It's true that Umamusume can gain experience by competing against strong opponents, but the skill gap can't be too large.

Otherwise, it would simply be a blow to an Umamusume's confidence.

As Rigil's trainer, Tojo Hana naturally understood this better than Sakura Baimu.

So, her reason for continuing the race—could it be that she thinks Duramente's strength is enough to rival Abyss's Umamusume, who hasn't even debuted yet?

"Interesting," Sakura Baimu thought, finding it increasingly intriguing.

Her doubts would soon be answered.

"The 1800-meter turf mile race, the race now—"

"Start!"

--

Chapter 132: Duramente

"The race has begun. This is the first time in so many days that a newly enrolled Umamusume has accepted a challenge from Pluto Academy."

"Skitty looks very confident. She chose to lead from the very beginning, seemingly aiming to leave Duramente far behind."

"Skitty is in the lead, 6 lengths!"

"Duramente is keeping up with Skitty's pace. Is her stamina okay?"

The 1800-meter turf mile race starts abruptly between the first and second turns. Skitty quickly entered the straight.

Duramente followed closely behind Skitty. Although the gap was significant, it was quite impressive for a newly enrolled Umamusume.

"Skitty is still in the lead. She's the first to reach the steep slope, losing a bit of speed, but it's not a big problem!"

"Duramente has also reached the slope. How will she handle this steep incline?"

Sakura Bakushin O's words were barely out of her mouth when gasps of surprise erupted around the track.

They noticed that Duramente had changed her running style, switching to a very fast stride.

She climbed the steep slope without losing much speed.

"Oh! It's the 'small stride' technique!"

'As expected of an Umamusume who made it into Rigil. It seems Duramente has already mastered the essence of Daiki Shuttle's hill-climbing method despite only recently joining the team!'

'Such outstanding talent! Falco is so envious~'

There were no races on TCB today, so Smart Falcon returned to her commentary seat to take on the role of commentator.

Upon hearing Smart Falcon's adorable voice, several Umamusumes watching from Abyss, along with Miracle Fantasy and USA Durian from yesterday's BH, all twitched their eyes reflexively.

They all had PTSD about Smart Falcon.

"The short stride technique is working well. Although she looks a little rusty, Duramente has effectively reduced the speed lost on the uphill sections."

"Duramente is now about 5 lengths behind Skitty, who is leading ahead."

"Skitty is entering the third turn."

"Skitty is accelerating again; it seems she wants to widen the gap with Duramente behind her."

Just as Sakura Bakushin O had guessed.

Leading at the front, Skitty wasn't considered particularly outstanding among the exchange students from Pluto Academy.

However, she didn't believe she would lose to an Umamusume who had only been enrolled for three months and had even lost her debut match.

"Skitty, you've already pulled 7 lengths ahead of Duramente, and the gap is widening."

'For a newly enrolled Umamusume, Duramente has done remarkably well to maintain that lead in the early stages. Keep it up, don't give up!☆'

"It's all your fault for accepting the challenge. After today, I'll finally have a record of defeating Rigil, the top team from Tracen Academy," Skitty thought smugly, her pace accelerating.

"Skitty has entered the final corner and is heading towards the final straight."

"Duramente has finally started accelerating, but the gap is quite large. Can she catch up?"

"Duramente, she's fast!"

Hearing this, Skitty glanced back and saw that Duramente, who had initially been more than 7 lengths behind, had actually closed the gap considerably. She was immediately alarmed.

"Duramente, still accelerating! Now only a 5-length difference!"

"Skitty has reached the final straight. She seems a bit desperate. Can she continue accelerating?"

"The second uphill—Skitty's speed has decreased again!"

"Damn it!"

Upon reaching the final straight, Skitty wanted to accelerate again, but after the final corner, there was another uphill section, forcing her to slow down once more.

"Duramente is still using the short stride! The gap is closing!"

'It seems Skitty hasn't practiced climbing hills; her pace is noticeably slowing down.'

'On the other hand, Duramente's short stride is a huge advantage uphill.'

Smart Falcon thought smugly:

'Although it's not as good as the climbing technique Trainer-san taught McQueen and Ms. Teio.'

"Skitty has finally climbed up, but she's less than 3 lengths ahead of Duramente!"

'Duramente, can you catch up?'

'She's catching up—Duramente, right behind Skitty!'

'Skitty has sped up again! But she hasn't shaken off Duramente!'

'The last 200 meters!'

“Oh no, I accelerated too early to widen the gap. Now I can't accelerate anymore…”

Skitty looked at Duramente, who was closely following behind her, with a hint of alarm.

“Is the stamina of a new Umamusume really that good? She can still accelerate?”

“Skitty doesn't seem to be able to accelerate anymore. Duramente is still closely following behind her. Does she not intend to overtake?”

“Hey! Duramente accelerated! Duramente still has the stamina to accelerate!! She's starting to overtake from the side!”

“What’s going on? Duramente still has stamina!”

“Wow—!”

The onlookers from the Umamusume community exclaimed in unison. Skitty was already out of stamina, yet this newcomer, Umamusume Duramente, could still accelerate further.

“Falco understands!”

Smart Falcon suddenly shouted.

"Skitty used up too much energy accelerating in the early stages, and coupled with her lack of experience climbing hills, she lost a lot of speed."

"Duramente, on the other hand, has been running in Skitty's 'wake' since the climb, where wind resistance is lowest, thus conserving energy in the final stages."

"Duramente, she's so smart! She doesn't seem like a rookie Umamusume at all!"

"I see! Duramente has caught up with Skitty now!"

"Last 100 meters!"

"Can she overtake her? Is Skitty going to be defeated by an Umamusume who hasn't even won her debut?!"

This is supposed to be just an active-duty Umamusume versus a rookie Umamusume who lost her debut.

But the Umamusumes watching aren't bored at all; on the contrary, they're watching with great tension, even trying to hold their breath.

"She's overtaken! She's overtaken!"

"Duramente—"

"Crossing the finish line!"

"Duramente really won! It's a miracle!"

"Duramente, by a single length, defeated Skitty!"

As Duramente crossed the finish line, gasps of amazement echoed around the Tracen Academy track.

"Is this really the strength of a rookie Umamusume? How did she lose her debut race?!"

Such doubts resonated in the minds of countless Umamusumes.

Standing at the very back of the stands, Tojo Hana nodded in satisfaction after seeing Duramente cross the finish line.

"Duramente has a good chance of becoming the second Teio."

--

Chapter 133: Urban Sea VS Narita Brian

Duramente, a Umamusume who hadn't even won her debut match shocked many on campus by defeating Pluto Academy.

This included not only Umamusumes from Pluto Academy but also those from Tracen Academy.

Even several Umamusumes from TCB were astonished by Duramente's strength.

Sakura Baimu stood there, watching Duramente pant behind the finish line, a hint of amazement in her eyes.

"Duramente... this is an opponent Kita-chan never defeated in her entire life in my previous life."

She hadn't expected Duramente to join Rigil and possess such outstanding strength.

“If all goes well, Duramente will also be challenging for the Classic Triple Crown next year. However, I've already sent Kita-chan to challenge for the Triple Tiara, and Dia-chan will compete for the Classic Triple Crown…”

Sakura Baimu smiled inwardly. She had considered this when she initially decided to send Kitasan Black to challenge for the Triple Tiara.

While the course of history in this life will certainly not be the same as in her previous life, there are some things that happened in the previous life that still have a high probability of recurring in this life.

For example, Rice Shower's serious injury at the Takarazuka Kinen.

And Tokai Teio's fracture.

As for Mejiro McQueen's left shin band syndrome, Sakura Baimu had taken preventive measures for her when she was young. She wondered if Mejiro McQueen would still suffer from it in this life.

But even if she did, it wouldn't be a problem; Sakura Baimu had a system that could treat it.

To avoid the influence of unforeseen, mystical factors, Sakura Baimu decided it was best to have Kitasan Black avoid Duramente.

Just as Sakura Baimu was deep in thought, a red-haired Umamusume entered the venue and spoke to Air Groove.

After waiting for a while, Sakura Bakushin O exclaimed in surprise.

"Wow! Here she comes, Urban Sea from Pluto Academy, challenging Narita Brian from Rigil!"

The Umamusumes from Tracen Academy gasped again upon hearing this.

Narita Brian was Japan's third Triple Crown Umamusume.

She was also the vice president of Tracen Academy's student council, making her incredibly strong.

The American Umamusumes had previously been choosing weaker opponents, but this time they were going all out, directly challenging a legend?

"Brian-senpai definitely won't lose, she's a Triple Crown!"

Kitasan Black knew about Narita Brian, a Triple Crown Umamusume like Tokai Teio, and was therefore full of confidence in her.

"That's not necessarily true. Urban Sea is the champion of the Arc de Triomphe, the world's number one G1 tournament," Sakura Baimu said.

"Huh?! Is she that strong?" Satono Diamond exclaimed in surprise.

“Yeah…”

Sakura Baimu replied, and  then saw Narita Brian removed the twig from her mouth and slowly walked onto the track.

“Brian, don’t lose!”

Hishi Amazon shouted to Narita Brian.

--

“This time, it’s Urban Sea, the champion of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, challenging the Shadow Roll Monster, the three-time champion Narita Brian.”

“What will be the outcome of this clash between two legendary Umamusumes?”

As Sakura Baimu introduced the match, the surrounding Umamusumes became extremely focused.

This was the strongest match since the Umamusumes from Pluto Academy came to Tracen Academy.

Not only were the active-duty Umamusumes excited, but many retired Umamusumes also came to watch the challenge from the sidelines.

Pluto Academy's retired legend is challenging her predecessor's three-time champion!

The gates opened quickly, and both Narita Brian and Urban Sea burst through.

Urban Sea chose to lead early on, while Narita Brian followed closely behind.

Narita Brian is a lone-wolf type of Umamusume, rarely showing any change in expression.

She has a rather aloof personality and shows little interest in anything outside of running.

Narita Brian's formidable strength, coupled with her cool demeanor, has earned her the admiration and respect of many junior Umamusumes at the academy.

"Although Narita Brian is lagging behind Urban Sea, she hasn't shown any signs of anxiety. Truly renowned as Shadow Roll Monster."

"Trainer-san, what's Shadow Roll?" Satono Diamond turned to Sakura Baimu and asked.

"Shadow Roll is like a blindfold. It prevents Umamusumes from seeing their surroundings, allowing them to run without restraint."

"But Brian-senpai isn't wearing a blindfold."

Satono Diamond stared at Narita Brian's face on the track, seeing nothing obstructing her vision.

“Because Narita Brian doesn’t need a shield to achieve this effect. Once she’s focused on running, she can block out all her surroundings. That’s just how Narita Brian is; she’s never affected by other Umamusumes,” Sakura Baimu said.

“Amazing!” Satono Diamond exclaimed.

--

As the race neared its end, Narita Brian finally began to accelerate.

The distance between her and Urban Sea steadily decreased, and she overtook Urban Sea with 400 meters to go.

At the very moment she passed Urban Sea, a white aura appeared around Narita Brian.

Immediately afterward, an even stronger burst of acceleration caused Urban Sea, who had been nearly in the same position, to be instantly left behind by Narita Brian.

“Wow… that’s amazing, Brian-senpai. She overtook Urban Sea at a speed that didn’t even generate any airflow. That acceleration is way faster than Cattleya and the others. No wonder she’s a former Triple Crown winner.” Tokai Teio exclaimed, watching Narita Brian in the arena.

While she had previously defeated Abyss’s Cattleya, that was only after she had unleashed a speed capable of generating a visible white airflow.

Narita Brian's base speed was already significantly greater than Cattleya and the others' speed when they activated their Zones.

"Narita Brian overtook Urban Sea and unleashed further acceleration! So strong!"

Sakura Bakushin O's words had barely left her lips when Urban Sea stomped a muddy crater in the grass, then burst into an incredibly terrifying speed, chasing after Narita Brian.

Many onlookers' eyes narrowed at this sight.

Urban Sea activated her Zone, and her speed was even faster than when she raced Mejiro McQueen with Golden Crown Eagle.

Sensing Urban Sea's terrifying aura behind her, Narita Brien maintained an unchanged expression throughout, seemingly unaffected by the Zone.

In less than two seconds, Urban Sea had overtaken Narita Brian from behind.

Even so, Narita Brian remained completely expressionless.

It was as if she were running her own lap, not competing against anyone else.

"Is this the Shadow Roll Monster? She remained completely unfazed even after Urban Sea overtook her while she used the Zone."

Mejiro McQueen exclaimed, watching Narita Brian who was now lagging behind Urban Sea.

Although she couldn't discern the strength of her Zone, Urban Sea's current speed was clearly faster than Golden Crown Eagle's.

Mejiro McQueen, after her previous race against Golden Crown Eagle, was drenched in sweat and took a long time to recover after crossing the finish line.

Narita Brian, however, remained calm.

"Urban Sea, six Lengths ahead, crosses the finish line!"

As Sakura Bakushin O's voice faded, the race ended with Urban Sea's victory.

Narita Brian followed Urban Sea across the finish line, a heartbreaking defeat.

The Umamusumes from Tracen Academy sighed in disappointment, deeply saddened by Narita Brian's defeat.

Despite her loss, Narita Brian showed no sign of dejection.

She pulled out a twig, put it back in her mouth, exclaimed "Amazing!", and began walking back to her team's position.

"Huh? Brian-senpai lost just like that? Why didn't she activate her Zone? She clearly still had room to accelerate!"

Tokai Teio was utterly bewildered by Narita Brian's defeat.

Sakura Baimu, hearing this, immediately retorted with disdain to Tokai Teio:

"Do you really think everyone's body can withstand the strain of activating their Zone? Look at Rice Shower, and you'll understand why Narita Brian didn't activate her Zone."

--

Chapter 134: Is that Umamusume the TCB trainer?!

“But I see the Umamusumes from Pluto Academy using their Zones quite frequently. They can all handle it, so why couldn’t Brian?” Tokai Teio was still puzzled.

“I guess Narita Brian judged that her lowest level Zone couldn’t surpass Urban Sea, but her body couldn’t handle the higher levels, so she gave up using her Zone,” Sakura Baimu analyzed.

“Narita Brian’s over-reliance on her Zone at the Kikuka Sho (where she won three titles), Arima Kinen, and the Hanshin Grand Prix ultimately caused significant damage to her body.”

“At the Autumn Tenno Sho, despite being the most popular contender, Narita Brian only managed 12th place. After the Hanshin Grand Prix, she didn’t finish in the top three for an entire year.”

“She only managed to recover her form somewhat at the following year’s Hanshin Grand Prix, but even then, it was a hard-fought victory. Zones are undeniably powerful, but over-reliance on them can easily overwhelm the body.”

“After all, there’s almost no such thing as a Umamusume who can use her Zone without restraint; every activation of a Zone is a form of physical torture,” Sakura Baimu spoke.

“I see. Using it occasionally is fine, but using it too frequently can easily lead to injury,” Tokai Teio nodded, further emphasizing the potential side effects of Zones.

“It's still related to one's own physique. A stronger physique allows one to withstand the costs of breaking through multiple Zones,” Mejiro McQueen said softly.

Under Sakura Baimu's influence, TCB's Umamusumes didn't have such an urgent need for Zones.

....

Seeing Urban Sea's victory, Obey your Master suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

She excitedly turned to Oguri Cap and said,

“Oguri Cap, come and fight me! I haven't fought you since you broke through your Zone!”

However, as soon as she turned her head, she saw Oguri Cap's round belly.

Obey your Master's gaze then slowly moved upward, and she saw Oguri Cap still devouring a donut in her hand.

Oguri Cap swallowed what was in her mouth and spoke slowly.

"Just ate, then went for a run... not good..."

"Tsk." Obey your Master knew from Oguri Cap's expression that things were hopeless today.

She turned to Tamamo Cross and smiled,

“Tama-chan, how about a match?”

Tamamo Cross immediately looked disgusted. “Don’t call me Tama! I’m not playing, I’m retired.”

“So what if you’re retired? You can still play.”

“No.”

“Are you scared? You lost to me in the Japan Cup, got a bit chicken, huh?” Obey your Master laughed.

“Provocation won’t work. I don’t run anymore anyway; I’ve even forgotten how to use my Zone.” Tamamo Cross waved her hand, firmly refusing Obey your Master’s challenge.

Obey your Master sighed for a while, then suddenly noticed Maruzensky standing next to Symboli Rudolf in the distance.

She strode over, smiling.

“Emperor, Hotrod, either of you is welcome to have a match with me?”

Symboli Rudolf looked over. “Student council matters are too busy; I don’t have time.”

Maruzensky, however, gave Obey your Master a playful once-over before smiling.

“No interest~”

“You think I’m too weak?”

“Yeah, if you have something that can pique my interest, I might consider it~”

“......”

Obey your Master sighed for a long time. She had asked all the retired legends of Tracen Academy, but not a single one was willing to run with her.

“You guys are so boring; you all stop running after retiring. I don’t know how you, as Umamusumes, can stand this kind of boredom?”

Obey your Master complained, suddenly feeling that Tracen Academy was utterly boring.

Suddenly, at that moment, she remembered someone.

Two nights ago, the Umamusume who defeated Golden Crown Eagle.

Obey your Master, being an investigative fanatic, rarely overlooked any powerful Umamusume.

The strength displayed by "Ogura" two nights ago greatly piqued Obey your Master's interest.

So, Obey your Master quickly added Ogura to her investigation list.

However, after two nights of intense work, Obey your Master still hadn't been able to find a Umamusume who matched Sakura Baimu's reputation.

This only fueled her curiosity.

If she couldn't find out who the Umamusume was that night—the one who, despite having no Zone, had defeated Golden Crown Eagle—she felt she was becoming so inquisitive that she couldn't eat or sleep.

Remembering the incident, her curiosity was reignited, and she couldn't stay in Tracen Academy any longer.

Obey your Master immediately decided to find Golden Crown Eagle and ask her more about the Umamusume from that night.

--

Half an hour later, Obey your Master found Golden Crown Eagle in her hospital room, lying on the bed staring at the ceiling with a look of utter despair.

Looking at the bag beside Golden Crown Eagle's bed, she asked curiously.

"Oh, someone's come to visit you? You still have friends in Japan?"

"No, it was sent by the Emperor and Hotrod," Golden Crown Eagle replied.

"What do they want with you?"

"They want to ask me about the Umamusume who competed against me two nights ago."

"Hmm? Isn't that Umamusume from their academy? What do they have to ask?" Obey your Master suddenly sensed something was amiss.

"Yes, she is from their academy, but they don't know that Umamusume's true identity."

"What do you mean?" Obey your Master asked, puzzled.

"That Umamusume isn't a student, but a trainer. Although she's also at Tracen Academy, Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky don't know her identity as a Umamusume. She usually presents herself as a trainer."

"What did you say?! Who is she?! You know her identity?!"

Obey your Master was utterly shocked by Golden Crown Eagle's words.

“Hmm.”

“Neither the Emperor nor Hotrod knows; how do you know?”

“I saw her face. At first, I just thought she looked similar, and since I never saw her tail or ears when she appeared at the academy, I didn’t suspect anything.”

“But she suddenly appeared again yesterday, interrupting me as I was describing her appearance to Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf. Then I saw her eyes. I can confirm that she is the Umamusume from that night.”

“So, who is she?”

"It's that trainer from TCB, Sakura Baimu."

---

Chapter 135: Mejiro Sakura

Obey Your Master was filled with shock upon hearing Golden Crown Eagle's answer.

She had absolutely no recollection of Sakura Baimu, only knowing that she was Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's trainer.

Obey Your Master only cared about Umamusume, never about humans.

"No wonder, I never noticed her..." Obey Your Master nodded as she spoke.

"But I looked closely; she doesn't have ears on her head, and I can't see her tail..."

"Ears and tails are very easy to hide," Obey Your Master said.

When she came to Japan for the Japan Cup before, the logistics staff Umamusume Berno Light had disguised herself as a human to investigate her, but she saw through her on the spot.

"Just wear a hat to hide your ears. Then, wear a shoulder bag with a hole in it, hide your tail inside, and you can look human."

"But Sakura Baimu isn't wearing a hat or carrying a shoulder bag..."

"That means her concealment skills are better than Berno Light's, since I haven't even noticed she's an Umamusume."

Obey Your Master didn't dwell on this question, but instead pulled out her phone and started searching for “Sakura Baimu” online.

Soon, many photos of Sakura Baimu appeared on the phone screen.

Obey Your Master clicked on a photo with a relatively clear frontal view and held it up to Golden Crown Eagle.

"That's her, right?"

Golden Crown Eagle looked at Sakura Baimu's photo, and her heart skipped a beat again.

She nodded. "Change the hair to blue, and with the ears, it'll be exactly the same."

"Okay."

Obey Your Master nodded; knowing the appearance made things easier.

After returning, she directly photoshopped Sakura Baimu's hair to blue and then searched for images online.

After a long time, Obey Your Master looked at the photo of an Umamusume with shoulder-length blue hair displayed on the screen, and a smile played on her lips.

Found it.

"Let me see, the name is Mejiro Sakura... surname Mejiro? Is she from the Mejiro family? Or just a coincidence?"

Obey Your Master's eyes widened suddenly, and for a moment she even doubted her own eyes.

"How could a Mejiro Umamusume be unknown? Every Mejiro Umamusume debuts with tens of thousands of fans... I just don't recognize her at all!"

Obey Your Master muttered to herself, continuing to browse Sakura Baimu's record.

"Hmm? Debut race in Kasamatsu? She debuted in a regional race? Not in central Japan?!"

"What's with this Mejiro Sakura? Is she from a branch family? Or is it just a coincidence that she shares the same surname as the prestigious Mejiro racing family?"

A Mejiro Umamusume would never debut in a regional race. Even if not in Tokyo, it would have to be at one of the four major horse racing circuits to match the status of a Mejiro Umamusume.

This Mejiro Sakura clearly lacks popularity, and the fact that her debut match was held in a small place like Kasamatsu suggests she's from Kasamatsu, not Tokyo.

"Wow, I've discovered something incredible..."

Obey Your Master's smile widened as she read on.

"16 wins in 17 career matches, 9 by a large margin, 7 record breaks... From her debut until her defeat at the Spring Tenno Sho in April of the following year, she maintained an incredibly terrifying 16-match winning streak."

"Her last match was at the Spring Tenno Sho. Challenging the Spring Tenno Sho in her second year after debut, haha, definitely an Umamusume from the Mejiro family."

Upon seeing this, Obey Your Master was certain that Mejiro Sakura was indeed an Umamusume from the Mejiro family.

Because, looking at Mejiro Sakura's terrifying undefeated record since her debut, she was undoubtedly another Emperor.

With such a record, she didn't take advantage of her "classic" age to challenge the Classic Triple Crown tournament, a tournament an Umamusume can only attempt once in her lifetime.

Instead, she chose the Spring Tenno Sho, which is open to participants every year.

And she lost.

Only an Umamusume of the Mejiro family with their mysterious obsession with the Spring Tenno Sho could do something like this.

"Spring Tenno Sho, your ranking is... huh? Disqualified?" Obey Your Master exclaimed in surprise.

She clicked on Mejiro Sakura's last race, which showed that Sakura Baimu had been disqualified for a diagonal maneuver on the final straight and was banned for six years.

"WTF?! Disqualified? Six-year ban? Has URA gone mad? A six-year ban for a diagonal maneuver? An Umamusume's racing career is only a few years long!!"

Obey Your Master was shocked again.

When she came to Japan for the Japan Cup, she also used a diagonal maneuver, defeating Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap to win the championship.

Not only did she get away with it, but her name was permanently etched in the history of Umamusume racing.

She and Mejiro Sakura had the same experience, but the results were completely different.

Obey Your Master glanced at the dates Sakura Baimu participated in the Spring Tenno Sho, which was the same year she came to Japan for the Japan Cup.

Then her anger flared up instantly.

"This is outrageous! Is this how they treat their own country's Umamusume?"

Immediately afterward, Obey Your Master angrily searched for information about the diagonal violation, carefully reviewing the results.

"The demotion rule was only introduced in July of the same year? She was suspended in April, and the demotion rule was introduced in July, and then I came to Japan in November to participate in the Japan Cup?!"

Obey Your Master felt there was something fishy about the timing of the demotion rule's introduction, so she searched for news from that year.

The incident of Mejiro Sakura's diagonal violation seemed to have caused quite a stir in the horse racing world.

Many people believed that Mejiro Sakura's diagonal maneuver on the final straight in the Spring Tenno Sho race did not interfere with any Umamusume and should not have been punished so severely, and they hoped for more comprehensive rules.

Three months later, the demotion rule was introduced.

URA didn't admit any mistake in their punishment of Mejiro Sakura, instead proposing the new demotion rule solely as a way to improve the existing rules.

But the public wasn't stupid. Although URA didn't say it explicitly, they all knew that it was Mejiro Sakura's race that brought attention to the shortcomings in the racing rules.

Therefore, most people believed that the demotion rule was created because of Mejiro Sakura.

Obey Your Master suddenly widened her eyes.

"Did I win the Japan Cup because of her?"

--

If converted to real time, Mejiro Sakura debuted in 1987 and was banned in 1988.

---

Chapter 136: Sakura That Drove History

Obey Your Master felt inexplicably indebted to Mejiro Sakura.

She had been biding her time for so many years, all for the day she could shine on the international stage.

To hide her true strength, she deliberately maintained an unappealing record of 3 wins and 3 losses in 23 matches until she came to Japan for the Japan Cup.

Hard work pays off.

Obey Your Master successfully defeated "White Inazuma" Tamamo Cross and "The Gray-Haired Monster" Oguri Cap, two of the strongest Umamusume from two different eras, to win the Japan Cup.

Before the era of the "Heisei Three," Tamamo Cross was considered the strongest Umamusume.

Before her defeat in the Japan Cup that year, she maintained a terrifying eight-game winning streak.

After Tamamo Cross's retirement, among the newly emerging "Heisei Three," "The Gray-Haired Monster" Oguri Cap was considered the strongest representative.

Obey Your Master's victories against Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap in the Japan Cup have always been her proudest achievement.

But looking at it now...

If it weren't for Mejiro Sakura's diagonal foul in April of the same year, the URA might not have introduced the demotion rule.

Then her results in the Japan Cup would not only be nullified,

but she would also be banned from competing in Japan again.

Now, suddenly being told that her proudest victory was only achieved because of Mejiro Sakura's influence...

How could she possibly accept that?

Obey Your Master suddenly felt her worldview crumble.

It even made her feel suffocated.

"Such a terrifying record, yet I never noticed it. So it's because she was banned, and she failed her first G1 match..."

Obey Your Master muttered, then reopened the Spring Tenno Sho race that Mejiro Sakura had participated in.

"Let's see who's number one in this race... F*CK!"

Obey Your Master cursed before finishing her sentence.

The Spring Tenno Sho that April.

The champion was Tamamo Cross.

"How could I forget? It's Tamamo Cross..."

Obey Your Master had a deep impression of Tamamo Cross's performance in the Spring Tenno Sho tournament that she participated in in April of the year she retired.

Because it was on that day that

Tamamo Cross broke through her Zone.

And it was after that battle that

Tamamo Cross was given the title of "White Inazuma."

Breaking through a Zone requires several conditions.

First, one must be in deep adversity.

Second, one must realize that the goal is not to defeat others, but to defeat oneself.

In that year's Spring Tenno Sho, there was only one Umamusume whose strength could threaten Tamamo Cross.

That was Mejiro Sakura, who had only debuted a year prior.

Therefore, it is self-evident who created the adversity for Tamamo Cross at that time.

Obey Your Master felt increasingly alarmed as she read on.

Mejiro Sakura was like a thread, connecting all the strongest Umamusumes of that year.

Obey Your Master initially harbored some wishful thinking, because she believed that although she wasn't penalized thanks to Mejiro Sakura, it was an undeniable fact that she had outrun Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap and won first place.

Now, she knew that the Umamusume who helped Tamamo Cross break through her Zone was very likely Mejiro Sakura.

And if Tamamo Cross hadn't broken through her Zone, she wouldn't have become a legend.

Even if she defeated Tamamo Cross, she wouldn't have achieved such fame.

Furthermore,

Oguri Cap broke through her Zone at the end of the same year, in Tamamo Cross's retirement match at Arima Kinen.

"If Tamamo Cross hadn't mastered the Zone, they wouldn't have created 'The Gray-Haired Monster.'"

"Mejiro Sakura's influence on me and on those who followed was far greater than I imagined..."

The wheels of Umamusume racing history rolled ever onward.

And the person who propelled this "Ash-Haired Era" was undoubtedly Mejiro Sakura.

Going back indefinitely is pointless, but Mejiro Sakura's indelible role in creating the "Ash-Haired Era" is undeniable.

Obey Your Master took several deep breaths, but couldn't calm her wildly pounding heart.

No one had ever imagined that all of this would be related to a single foul.

She was probably the first person in Japan—no, the world—to discover this secret.

After waiting a while longer, Obey Your Master finally calmed down a bit, then, with her hands trembling, she clicked on the recording of the Spring Tenno Sho race that had forged "White Inazuma."

She wanted to watch and see exactly what kind of adversity Mejiro Sakura had created for Tamamo Cross that had propelled her to break through her limits.

As the race progressed into its second half, Mejiro Sakura maintained her leading advantage.

Then, at a certain moment, Tamamo Cross's speed suddenly surged on the final straight.

Amid the gasps of the spectators, she overtook Mejiro Sakura and sprinted toward the finish line.

"So that's how it is... She maintained her lead until the very end. Mejiro Sakura is really strong."

Obey Your Master was quite satisfied after seeing Tamamo Cross break through and activate her Zone to surpass Mejiro Sakura. She closed her laptop and stood up.

But suddenly, Obey Your Master realized something was wrong.

"Wait a minute, when did Mejiro Sakura foul? She was already overtaken by Tamamo Cross, so why did she move diagonally?"

Thump

A thud resounded in her heart. The scene of her competition with Tamamo Cross in the Japan Cup flashed through her mind.

Her diagonal movement in the Japan Cup.

It was because she sensed that Tamamo Cross's incredibly powerful Zone had a danger zone.

The sheer power of Tamamo Cross's Zone after activation had even terrified her, who had also activated her Zone at the time.

"If I were to enter the danger zone around Tamamo Cross, I would be mentally affected by Tamamo Cross's aura and lose my chance of winning."

Obey Your Master made this astonishing judgment in an instant, decisively choosing to take a diagonal route on the final straight.

Only after avoiding the danger zone within Tamamo Cross's Zone could she accelerate and overtake to secure victory.

Now, in this Spring Tenno Sho,

Tamamo Cross was also present.

Tamamo Cross had also activated her Zone.

If Mejiro Sakura, who was behind Tamamo Cross, wanted to win...

Thinking this, Obey Your Master rushed back to her computer, quickly replaying the race and scrolling to the end.

Then, her blue eyes, sparkling with golden stars, widened suddenly. She involuntarily covered her mouth with her hands.

Because she saw it.

Having activated her Zone, Tamamo Cross was about to cross the finish line...

She was overtaken by Mejiro Sakura from behind.

--

--

In the Umamusume universe, Tamamo Cross broke through her Zone during the Tenno Sho competition in the autumn of the same year, in a race against Oguri Cap.

However, due to the protagonist's presence, this timeline was moved forward by six months.

The person who helped Tamamo Cross break through her Zone changed from Oguri Cap to Mejiro Sakura.

---

Chapter 137: The First Umamusume to break the Zone myth

Obey Your Master watched as Mejiro Sakura crossed the finish line past Tamamo Cross on the screen, completely stunned and frozen in place.

Her mouth, eyes, and nostrils all gaped open in an "O" shape.

Her hands covered her mouth, refusing to come down.

Even after seeing the video with her own eyes, Obey Your Master still couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Both reason and emotion prevented her from accepting this fact.

That Tamamo Cross who had unlocked the Zone.

Before she and Oguri Cap appeared.

Known as the strongest Tamamo Cross.

It happened at the Spring Tenno Sho tournament that gave her the title "White Inazuma."

The tournament where she unlocked her Zone.

She was surpassed?!

Surpassed her.

And by someone who had only debuted a year prior.

Her first G1 tournament.

Not even having mastered her Zone yet.

A regular Umamusume?!

This is shocking.

Obey Your Master was utterly shocked!

Even when she learned that her friend's mother, by lineage was actually her friend's daughter, she wasn't this shocked.

First of all.

Tamamo Cross had always held one achievement:

That is, never being surpassed from behind.

Obey Your Master had always believed that she was the one who broke Tamamo Cross's record.

But today she learned the truth.

It turns out that Tamamo Cross had been surpassed from behind six months ago.

You see, a Umamusume who has activated a Zone, defeating another Zone without using the Zone is completely different from a Umamusume without a Zone defeating another Zone.

Just like the undefeated "Hotrod"—Maruzensky—never used a Zone, yet still defeated countless Umamusumes with Zones.

The enhancement a Zone provides to a Umamusume goes far beyond just the instantaneous increase in speed and momentum.

It can also help Umamusumes break through their power limitations, allowing them to continue improving.

Secondly.

Obey Your Master knows that in Umamusume racing history, the instances where ordinary Umamusumes who haven't yet mastered their Zones defeated Zone Umamusumes all happened in Japan.

The second instance was last spring at Tenno Sho, when Mejiro McQueen defeated Rice Shower.

But she never expected this.

This first instance occurred in a match during the Spring Tenno Sho tournament, featuring Mejiro Sakura, also from the Mejiro family, who earned the nickname "White Inazuma."

If Mejiro Sakura hadn't been disqualified for a diagonal movement, Tamamo Cross would have actually lost the match.

"This...how is this possible?!"

Obey Your Master suddenly roared at the top of her lungs.

The sound was so loud that the water glass on the table shook.

The strength of a Zone isn't the same for every Umamusume.

For example, Tokai Teio's roommate, Mayano Top Gun, also possesses a Zone.

However, she lost to Narita Brian, who had suffered injuries from overusing her Zone, resulting in all her matches being lost for a year.

In that Hanshin Grand Prix match, Narita Brian was clearly not yet at her peak, yet Mayano Top Gun, using her Zone, still couldn't defeat her.

Due to the varying strengths of Umamusumes, their power levels after unlocking their Zones also differed.

But Tamamo Cross was different.

Tamamo Cross was the strongest of her era.

At the time, Tamamo Cross participated in the Spring Tenno Sho with a terrifying five-game winning streak, including three consecutive big wins with heavy rewards.

Tamamo Cross, who broke through her Zone at the Spring Tenno Sho, made no secret of the fact that besides herself and Oguri Cap, since that Spring Tenno Sho, no Umamusume has surpassed Tamamo Cross's strength when she first unlocked her Zone.

But even with such a terrifying Zone, she still lost to Mejiro Sakura.

Obey Your Master thought that the first Umamusume whose Zone myth was shattered would be a rather weak one.

But unexpectedly, she turned out to be the strongest of that era.

The shock in Obey Your Master's eyes gradually faded.

Slowly...

The curve of her lips began to widen.

"Hahahaha, this is interesting! So interesting! Defeating the strongest Zone of our time, Umamusume, in just one year since her debut, hahahahahahaha!"

Obey Your Master began to burst into hysterical, maniacal laughter.

“Mejiro Sakura, Mejiro Sakura! I’ll remember that! Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, they’re all defeated opponents!”

“Mejiro Sakura, now that’s someone worth challenging!”

“Hahahahahahaha!!”

Obey Your Master laughed maniacally, feeling a surge of joy she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She was clearly the strongest Umamusume leading the Pluto Academy team this time.

Her record was just not impressive.

(5 wins out of 35)

Everyone thought she was weaker than Urban Sea and refused her challenge.

Obey Your Master no longer wanted to fight Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, or any other Umamusume.

Now, she only wanted to fight Mejiro Sakura.

“She’ll accept it, she definitely will. Because she doesn’t want her identity to be exposed, she’ll definitely accept it!”

After a burst of maniacal laughter, Obey Your Master glanced at the darkening sky and immediately decided to stake out the Tracen Academy track.

She wouldn’t give up until she caught Mejiro Sakura.

...

An hour later.

Mejiro Sakura hadn’t come.

Obey Your Master’s excitement subsided somewhat.

...

Two hours later.

Mejiro Sakura still hadn’t come.

Obey Your Master began to feel impatient.

...

Three hours later.

Mejiro Sakura still hadn’t come.

Obey Your Master had practically stripped the grass off the lawn around her.

...

Four hours...

Obey Your Master couldn’t take it anymore.

If she didn’t run with someone soon, she might go completely insane.

Obey Your Master yelled at the top of her lungs across the track:

“Emperor! Hotrod! Are you there? Come out now!”

“…”

Just when Obey Your Master thought Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky hadn’t been spying on her at all that night, a voluptuous figure with long, curly brown hair appeared at the track entrance.

“Hey, what are you yelling about in the middle of the night? How did you know I was here?”

“Hotrod!”

Obey Your Master became excited upon seeing the newcomer.

A wide grin spread across her face, and her Zone erupted instantly.

The next moment, she was in front of Maruzensky, her eyes blazing with golden flames, fixed on her face.

“Hotrod, hurry, fight me! I can't wait!”

Obey Your Master's face was very close to Maruzensky's, her explosive aura surging towards her.

However, Maruzensky merely smiled, completely unmoved.

“With your strength, you can't even entertain me~”

“Nobody has ever seen you activate your Zone. Could it be that your Zone is completely weak? Rejecting everyone's challenges to maintain your undefeated record?” Obey Your Master chuckled.

“Provocation won't work on me. Give me a reason to accept your challenge.” Maruzensky crossed her arms and smiled softly.

Upon hearing this, Obey Your Master burst into laughter again.

This afternoon, she didn't have one.

But now, she does.

"How about the identity of the Umamusume who defeated Golden Crown Eagle two days ago?"

--

--

Chapter 138: Hotrod, I want to compete with you!

Obey Your Master was very confident in the conditions she had proposed.

Since Golden Crown Eagle who had injured Tracen Academy Umamusume was now hospitalized, the reason why Maruzensky was still at Tracen Academy in the middle of the night was self-evident.

She was simply doing the same thing as herself:

Waiting for Mejiro Sakura.

Sure enough, Maruzensky's expression showed a moment of astonishment upon hearing Obey Your Master's words.

Then, her expression turned playful.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Prove it to me."

Obey Your Master smiled, took out her phone, and showed Maruzensky a photo of Mejiro Sakura from a previous match, where her face was not clearly visible.

“The Umamusume you’ve been curious about, is that her? Golden Crown Eagle has seen her face, so I found this Umamusume.”

Maruzensky took Obey Your Master's phone, looked at it for a while, and then smiled.

She handed the phone back to Obey Your Master. "You truly are an investigation maniac, Obey Your Master. No Umamusume can escape your investigation."

"Satisfied now? Come on, if you win, I'll tell you her identity."

"Deal~"

Maruzensky spoke leisurely, then pointed to her blue uniform and said with a smile.

"But not now, I didn't wear my tracksuit. Tomorrow."

"Tch."

Obey Your Master immediately withdrew her Zone, scoffed dismissively, and left the track.

--

The next day, in the afternoon.

The Umamusumes at Tracen Academy were all wondering if they would have a chance to see someone like they had the day before.

During a showdown between retired legends, a blonde, sultry-looking American Umamusume walked into the middle of the track.

She took the microphone from Air Groove, pointed directly at Team Rigil, and loudly proclaimed.

"Hotrod, I want to race you."

Last night, Maruzensky refused her challenge, citing her lack of athletic attire, which fueled Obey Your Master's anger.

She couldn't wait until tonight, so she decided to challenge Maruzensky directly in front of all the Umamusumes.

Although Maruzensky retired a long time ago, almost every Umamusume in Tracen Academy knew her name.

Her fame was practically on par with the Emperor.

Furthermore, she, along with Mr. CB and Symboli Rudolf—the three Umamusumes representing the pinnacle of Tracen Academy—were always together.

Therefore, Maruzensky's popularity within Tracen Academy was unparalleled.

The Umamusumes of Tracen Academy erupted in chaos when they heard that Maruzensky had been challenged.

Countless Umamusumes buzzed with discussion, some curious about the identity of this audacious American Umamusume.

"Maruzensky won't accept, will she? I heard she hasn't dated anyone in ages."

"Maruzensky wouldn't be interested in just anyone; the skill gap is too big."

Just as many Umamusumes were speculating that Maruzensky wouldn't accept the challenge, they heard Maruzensky, who had taken the microphone, smile and nod.

"I accept your challenge, Obey Your Master."

A resounding boom.

Now all the Umamusumes were in an uproar.

Many hadn't met Obey Your Master, but they'd heard of her.

This was the American Umamusume who had won the Japan Cup.

In the era of the two strongest Ashimo Umamusumes, she was the one who defeated them.

Obey Your Master versus Maruzensky—this was undoubtedly the strongest match in a long time.

Not only them, but even Tamamo Cross, who had retired and wasn't particularly interested in matches, became interested in this race.

"This is interesting, Obey Your Master versus Maruzensky..."

Tamamo Cross said with a smile, then turned to look at Oguri Cap behind her.

"Hey, Oguri, do you think Obey Your Master can beat Maruzensky..."

Tamamo Cross stopped mid-sentence.

Because she realized...

Oguri Cap, who was usually a voracious eater, was unusually refusing to eat anything today.

Not only that, but her delicate, snow-white face was filled with sorrow.

There were even tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Oguri! What’s wrong!” Tamamo Cross exclaimed in shock.

“The buffet restaurant I frequented closed down,” Oguri Cap said sadly. “I was a regular customer, supporting their business. Why did it still close down?!”

After saying this, Oguri Cap fell into deep sorrow again.

She showed absolutely no interest in the upcoming match between Obey Your Master and Maruzensky.

Those around Oguri Cap, upon hearing her words, all looked as if they had been struck by lightning.

Almost everyone was internally screaming at the same time:

"Tamamo Cross, hurry up and complain!!!"

Tamamo Cross didn't disappoint, shouting back:

"It's because you frequented this place that it went out of business!!!"

Something had happened before.

All the buffet restaurants around Tracen Academy put up signs saying "No Big Eaters Allowed."

These signs even featured Umamusume images—

Daiki Shuttle, Special Week, and Oguri Cap.

These restaurants were later reported, fined, and forced to remove the rule.

Unsurprisingly, after a while, these restaurants inexplicably went out of business.

Of course, there were also some buffet owners who wanted to use the fame of these three legendary Umamusumes to attract customers.

Later, they all discovered that, due to the frequent visits of big eaters, their businesses were simply not making ends meet.

Ultimately, they either changed their business strategy or all packed up and ran away.

--

After accepting Obey Your Master's challenge, Maruzensky changed into her sportswear and then went to the track.

"Turf, 2400m."

"Another Japan Cup distance, huh? Lately, most races seem to be following the Japan Cup format!"

"Now, Obey Your Master and Maruzensky have entered the gate."

"The winner of the Japan Cup faces the undefeated Hotrod. What will the final result be? Let's wait and see."

"Race—start!"

At the start of the race, Maruzensky and Obey Your Master simultaneously burst through the gate.

"As expected, being the strongest leading Umamusume, Maruzensky naturally chose to run in Front from the start."

"However, while she pulled ahead of Obey Your Master in the opening, the gap wasn't significant, and afterward it was only about two lengths."

A small number of newcomer Umamusumes who noticed Maruzensky hadn't gained a significant advantage in the opening showed deep regret.

However, most Umamusumes showed no concern whatsoever.

Symboli Rudolf looked at Maruzensky, who was running a short distance ahead of Obey Your Master in the arena, and shook her head with a smile.

"Maruzen is starting again."

--

Chapter 139: She is the TCB trainer, Sakura Baimu

If it were any other Umamusume, and they found that Maruzensky wasn't leading by such a large margin in the opening stages, they might have been dismissive, thinking that this overhyped "Hotrod" wasn't all that impressive.

But Obey Your Master was different.

Leaving aside her exceptional skill, her understanding of her opponents was unparalleled by any other Umamusume.

She thoroughly researched all her rivals before each race.

She knew their preferences, running styles, and even their mental states inside and out.

Therefore, Obey Your Master didn't become complacent because Maruzensky was only two lengths ahead.

Instead, her fighting spirit grew stronger, and her excitement was ignited.

To describe Maruzensky in one sentence, it would definitely be—

For her, racing was merely a form of entertainment.

Because her strength far surpassed that of other Umamusumes, Maruzensky always found ways to have fun during the race.

Sometimes she would create a huge gap in speed.

Other times, she would deliberately slow down, baiting the Umamusumes behind her to accelerate and overtake, then suddenly accelerate again.

This back-and-forth easily exhausted the Umamusumes racing against her.

They might even fail to finish the race.

"Is she trying to lure me in?" Obey Your Master thought to herself, deciding to stick to her own pace.

The beginning and middle of this race were unremarkable.

Maruzensky remained two lengths ahead of Obey Your Master throughout, neither widening the gap nor allowing Obey Your Master to close it.

"Maruzensky and Obey Your Master have both entered the final straight line; the battle for victory will take place here!"

"It's clear that neither of the Umamusume has unleashed their true power yet."

"Obey Your Master has accelerated!"

Everyone present saw Obey Your Master's expression suddenly become extremely excited.

The smile on her lips also suddenly became extremely deep.

And in the eyes of some other Umamusumes who had activated their Zone, Obey Your Master had used the Zone at this moment.

Obey Your Master's aura surged, and her star-like eyes instantly ignited with blazing golden flames.

Upon seeing Obey Your Master's Zone, Tamamo Cross curled her lip and clicked her tongue.

Her penultimate match before retirement was against Obey Your Master in the Japan Cup.

On the final straight, Tamamo Cross was overtaken by Obey Your Master, who had activated her Zone, and unfortunately finished second.

After so many years, seeing Obey Your Master again, her aura was no less powerful than before, but rather significantly stronger.

Tamamo Cross was quite displeased.

Obey Your Master's speed increased ridiculously after unleashing her Zone.

This lightning-fast speed startled many of the new and old students present.

"What kind of speed is that?! Is this the Obey Your Master who defeated Tamamo-senpai and Oguri-senpai?!"

"A Zone! How can her Zone be this strong?!"

Many Umamusumes were discussing among themselves, their eyes wide with shock at Obey Your Master's terrifying speed.

The difference in strength was simply too great.

The four TCB Umamusumes standing with Sakura Baimu also stared wide-eyed at the blonde figure in the arena, their faces filled with horror.

This acceleration was simply too terrifying.

And too dazzling.

"The Zone... that's too strong! Golden Crown Eagle is on a completely different level from her, even Urban Sea can't compare to her!"

Mejiro McQueen exclaimed, her surprise evident in her voice.

"Strong? Oguri is even stronger than that."

Sakura Baimu suddenly spoke up.

“Huh? Didn’t Oguri-senpai lose to this Obey Your Master?” Satono Diamond exclaimed in surprise.

“Oguri hadn’t mastered the Zone yet during the Japan Cup, so she only got third place. Tamamo Cross wasn’t any worse than Obey Your Master, but she tanked and then retired after Arima Kinen.”

“Tamamo-senpai and Oguri-senpai were already this strong back then; how amazing must they be now!”

Kitasan Black’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Obey Your Master on the track, feeling that just watching that speed was a pleasure.

It was so breathtaking.

“Oguri is definitely strong, no less than this Obey Your Master,” Sakura Baimu laughed.

"That was terrifying, Obey Your Master! What kind of speed is that?!"

"They crossed the finish line!"

Obey Your Master crossed the finish line, her Zone vanished abruptly, and she gasped for breath, her face covered in sweat.

She glanced at the scoreboard and saw her finish number displayed.

[2]

[2 Lengths]

First place was number 2.

Obey Your Master looked back at her gate, where a single number was clearly written—1.

Then, Obey Your Master abruptly turned her head and saw Maruzensky standing not far beside her, her breathing perfectly normal.

"Oh my, Maruzensky is in first place, crossing the finish line by a mere two Lengths!"

'Huh? It's Maruzen-senpai? Falco didn't even notice her...'

Like Smart Falcon, many people were drawn to Obey Your Master's sudden burst of terrifying acceleration.

Thus, they overlooked Maruzensky, who had been running ahead of her the whole time.

It wasn't until Sakura Bakushin O announced the winner that they belatedly realized.

The winner was actually Maruzensky.

“From beginning to end, even when I used my Zone, she maintained a distance of only two Lengths from me?”

“Is this Hotrod? Hahahaha, she's really amazing!!”

Obey Your Master wasn't disappointed at all; on the contrary, she was extremely excited about being able to compete with Maruzensky.

Maruzensky walked up to the ecstatic Obey Your Master with a smile and whispered in her ear.

“Now, you can tell me that Pony-chan's name~”

Obey Your Master took out her phone, found a picture of Mejiro Sakura, and showed it to Maruzensky.

“Mejiro Sakura.”

“Huh? This… she looks so familiar.”

Maruzensky's smile suddenly turned into one of surprise. She looked at Mejiro Sakura's face, feeling an overwhelming sense of familiarity, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen her before.

"It's a bit of a shame I couldn't force Hotrod to reveal your true strength, but since you're willing to compete against me, I'll still give you a few extra hints."

Obey Your Master chuckled, retrieved her phone, and pointed her thumb in a certain direction from the spectator area.

"That's TCB's trainer, Sakura Baimu."

--

Chapter 140: Don't run away, Miss Sakura

"What did you say? You—how did you know?!" Maruzensky's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this.

She was stunned by Obey Your Master's words.

She recalled the photo of Mejiro Sakura that Obey Your Master had shown her earlier, then suddenly turned to look in the direction of the TCB team.

Sakura Baimu was currently standing with her hands in her pockets, talking to Umamusumes from her team about something.

She had a faint smile on her face, and apart from her long black hair and the non-existent ears on her head, she was practically identical to Mejiro Sakura in the photo.

No, not exactly identical.

They were practically the same!

"It's her? Ms. Sakura is Mejiro Sakura... eh?"

Maruzensky started to say, then suddenly froze.

"You noticed?" Obey Your Master smiled.

“Sakura and Sakura are written differently in kanji, but they are pronounced exactly the same in Japanese.”

“Furthermore, Mejiro and Baimu are pronounced completely differently, but their kanji are reversed.”

“I see!” Maruzensky finally realized that Sakura Baimu was indeed Mejiro Sakura.

“No wonder she’s not Tracen Academy’s Umamusume, yet she gets angry when Tracen Academy’s Umamusumes get hurt…”

“No wonder, when we went to visit Golden Crown Eagle that day, Golden Crown Eagle suddenly swallowed the words she was about to say. It turns out she saw Ms. Sakura come in!”

Maruzensky found it increasingly amusing, and she gave Obey Your Master a satisfied smile.

“Thank you, Obey Your Master.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing. But I should remind you, she’s been suspended by URA, so she can’t participate in the competition.”

“Huh?!”

Maruzensky was about to turn back when she heard Obey Your Master’s words and turned back in shock.

“Wait, you said she’s suspended?! Wait… Mejiro… could it be?! Could she be the Umamusume who was suspended after her slant during the Spring Tenno Sho match against Tamamo Cross?!”

“That’s right. Besides the Mejiro family, which other prestigious Umamusume clan would have such a deep obsession with the Spring Tenno Sho?” Obey Your Master nodded.

“She’s the one who broke The Zone myth. And those who appeared later, without activating their Zone but still defeating Zone-using Umamusumes—Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio—were all trained by her…”

After a brief moment of surprise, Maruzensky’s eyes fixed intently on Sakura Baimu, who was standing in the spectator area, chatting and laughing, a deep amusement filling her eyes.

“Suddenly, I remember that afternoon when she challenged Golden Crown Eagle. Wasn't McQueen just intimidated by Golden Crown Eagle's Zone? Afterwards, Golden Crown Eagle even wanted to teach McQueen about breaking through the Zone…”

“So, the older sister came back to get revenge after seeing her younger sister being bullied…”

“That explains why she refused Rudolf's invitation and didn't want to join Tracen Academy.”

“Her current status is that of a trainer, and given her suspension, there's no need for her to study at the academy…”

Maruzensky felt all her doubts suddenly resolved.

Upon learning Sakura Baimu's identity, Maruzensky could barely contain her smile; she hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Maruzensky thanked Obey Your Master and gracefully returned to Rigil.

Symboli Rudolf saw the barely suppressed joy on Maruzensky's face, chuckled and teased.

"In such a good mood? I thought you wouldn't be happy even if you beat Obey Your Master."

"Indeed, the match itself wasn't very interesting, but the loot is."

Maruzensky smiled and nodded slightly. She decided she wouldn't tell Symboli Rudolf Sakura Baimu's secret yet.

She'd tell her after she'd had her fill of enjoying herself.

--

The matches after Maruzensky and Obey Your Master were clearly a step below the mark.

However, because the skill gap between Umamusumes in the later matches wasn't significant, the atmosphere was quite tense, much more exciting than Maruzensky's one-sided domination.

"GG, stop commentating! Go train!"

Sakura Baimu shouted at Smart Falcon on the commentary stage, causing Smart Falcon's fair face to visibly flush red again.

Smart Falcon didn't dare to argue, afraid that Sakura Baimu would continue shouting "GG" at her.

So she obediently stepped down from the commentary stage and rejoined the team to prepare for training.

"Ms. Sakura, please wait a moment."

Suddenly, a light and pleasant voice rang out, stopping Sakura Baimu.

The TCB members and several of Sakura Baimu's Umamusumes turned around and were surprised to see who it was.

"Maruzen-senpai?!"

"It's Maruzen-senpai!"

Sakura Baimu was a little confused to see this "experienced" woman coming to find her again.

She rarely interacted with Maruzensky; usually, she just stayed next to Symboli Rudolf, occasionally exchanging a few words.

To be honest, she wasn't even as familiar with Maruzensky as she was with Symboli Rudolf.

"Ms. Maruzensky, is there something you need?"

Sakura Baimu asked, somewhat puzzled, noticing that Maruzensky hadn't come with Symboli Rudolf.

Maruzensky walked directly up to Sakura Baimu, a smile playing on her lips.

"You've been hiding it well, Ogura."

"!!!"

Sakura Baimu's blue eyes widened instantly upon hearing this.

Sakura Baimu forced herself to calm down and spoke calmly.

"What are you talking about, Ms. Maruzensky?"

"Oh, you don't understand~"

Maruzensky chuckled softly, then took a few more steps forward.

She leaned forward slightly, her chest almost touching Sakura Baimu's, startling the TCB Umamusumes behind her, whose faces flushed slightly and eyes widened in confusion.

“You’re the Ogura who defeated Golden Crown Eagle that night, right?”

Maruzensky breathed softly into Sakura Baimu’s ear, enunciating each word clearly.

“Now do you understand, Me.ji.ro.Sa.ku.ra?”

Sakura Baimu felt a thunderbolt strike her mind when Maruzensky directly called her by her real name.

In an instant, she realized that Golden Crown Eagle had revealed the truth.

Her previously steady heartbeat suddenly accelerated wildly.

“Not denying it means I guessed right~”

Maruzensky chuckled again, her narrow eyes slightly narrowed.

"I'll be waiting for you on the track inside the academy tonight. Don't run away, Miss Sakura."

Maruzensky said, straightening up and blowing a kiss to Sakura Baimu.

"I'm quite interested in you, you know~~?"

Then, Maruzensky strolled away, leaving the stunned TCB Umamusumes.

--

Chapter 141: Fortune: The Extremely Unlucky!

Sakura Baimu stood frozen, watching Maruzensky's retreating figure, her mind a complete mess.

She'd been found out!!!

Everything had been discovered; even her real name was known.

While Sakura Baimu was lost in thought, the five TCB Umamusumes approached, bombarding her with questions.

"Trainer-san When did you become so close to Maruzen-senpai?" Tokai Teio asked curiously.

"Trainer-san, what did Maruzen-senpai say to you just now?" Satono Diamond asked, her eyes also filled with curiosity.

"Trainer~~~san! What's your relationship with Senior Maruzen? She just said she was very interested in you—what did she want with you?!"

Kitasan Black asked Sakura Baimu loudly, drawing out the last syllable of her voice.

"Maruzen-senpai calls our trainer 'Kura-chan'! So, it really is... right? How could our Trainer-san...?"

Smart Falcon, her face flushed, stammered as she guessed.

Everyone was curious about what Maruzensky wanted with Sakura Baimu.

They had never seen Sakura Baimu and Maruzensky interact before.

Why suddenly...?

"Alright, stop guessing. You guys go train. I have something to take care of."

Amid the jeering and wild guesses of her teammates, Sakura Baimu couldn't concentrate on what to do, so she said goodbye and left.

Leaving her teammates standing there stunned for a few seconds before resuming their wild guesses.

“…”

Mejiro McQueen remained silent, but her sharp gaze followed Sakura Baimu's retreating figure until she was gone.

--

After leaving the group, Sakura Baimu felt her heart pounding so loudly she could hear it herself.

“Damn it, Maruzensky knows, so Symboli Rudolf knows too? If word gets out about my situation on campus, I won't be able to be a trainer anymore…!”

Her identity was given to her by Akikawa Yayoi; it wasn't real at all.

Sakura Baimu had even imagined the moment her identity was exposed at school and throughout Japan.

What kind of social annihilation she would face.

Actually, none of that mattered.

Her main concern was that her fake identity would be exposed and her trainer status would be invalidated.

And another thing…

"If McQueen's grandmother finds out, will she still want me to continue training McQueen?"

The old woman was furious because of her foul in the Spring Tenno Sho, a race the Mejiro family valued highly.

To be able to personally train Mejiro McQueen later, and to avoid gossip, Sakura Baimu voluntarily left the Mejiro family in Tokyo.

She helped Mejiro McQueen win four Spring Tenno Sho races, creating the only Tenno Sho winning streak in Japanese racing history.

Logically, such merit should be enough to gain the Mejiro family head's recognition.

However, Sakura Baimu grew up in Kasamatsu and didn't know the Mejiro family head well.

What if the Mejiro family head was like those overbearing patriarchs in those "dragon king's son-in-law" novels, completely disregarding her achievements and resolutely refusing to let Mejiro McQueen continue training with her?

Sakura Baimu was at a loss.

So, Sakura Baimu decided against taking the plunge.

Training Mejiro McQueen as the human trainer "Sakura Baimu" was fine for now.

While lost in thought, Sakura Baimu suddenly spotted a small house on the Tracen Academy campus.

A sign on the house read, "Fortune Telling (No Substance)."

"You outside..."

A voice suddenly came from inside the house.

"You mean me?" Sakura Baimu asked.

"Yes, it's you. I can see you're hesitating. Come in and have your fortune told," the voice inside said.

Sakura Baimu had no better option at the moment, so she simply lifted the curtain and went inside.

Inside were two Umamusume, one of whom was the renowned Meisho Doto with her fluffy bob haircut, standing beside her.

The other was Matikanefukukitaru, sitting at the table with orange hair and starry yellow eyes.

“Oh ho ho, you’re… eh—the TCB trainer!”

Matikanefukukitaru started to say, but then jumped in surprise when she saw Sakura Baimu enter.

The carefully constructed atmosphere instantly crumbled.

Sakura Baimu found Matikanefukukitaru’s startled reaction amusing.

She sat down directly at the table with the crystal ball and said with a laugh:

“Am I that scary?”

“No, no, I’m just a little surprised,” Matikanefukukitaru said, while the renowned Meisho Doto beside her nodded repeatedly.

“Give me a fortune reading. How much?”

“I’ll give you half price!” Matikanefukukitaru said, placing her hands on the crystal ball and staring intently at the glowing ball.

“Very bad luck!”

“I knew it!”

Sakura Baimu wasn’t surprised at all. Everything was fine this morning, but somehow her identity was suddenly exposed.

It was incredibly unlucky.

“Is there a solution?”

“Yes! Your lucky charm for today is a blue rose!” Matikanefukukitaru said.

“A blue rose—are you talking about Rice Shower?”

Rice Shower’s hat had a blue rose on it.

After paying, Sakura Baimu left Matikanefukukitaru's fortune-telling hut. Wandering around for a while, she decided to go back and train her team.

"Anyway, Maruzensky deliberately avoided Teio, McQueen, and the others when she said those things. It seems the old driver also realized this matter needed to be kept secret..."

--

After training in the evening, Sakura Baimu went straight to the hospital where Rice Shower was.

After completing two hours of treatment for Rice Shower, Sakura Baimu stayed there, staring at her.

This made Rice Shower somewhat uneasy, feeling uncomfortable under Sakura Baimu's gaze.

"On... onee-sama, what's wrong? Why are you looking at Rice like that..."

"Oh, it's nothing, Rice Shower. Just do your own thing; don't worry about me." Sakura Baimu waved her hand, indicating that Rice Shower shouldn't pay attention to her.

Then, Sakura Baimu continued to stare at Rice Shower, anticipating the good fortune that Matikanefukukitaru had predicted Rice Shower would bring.

"There's no way Rice can ignore her!!!"

Rice Shower, feeling Sakura Baimu's gaze, thought to herself in terror.

What's wrong with Sakura Baimu today? When she's having an episode, she's usually very talkative and asks Rice Shower to do all sorts of things.

Today, she's just staring at her silently, which makes Rice Shower extremely anxious.

Time ticked by, dusk deepened, and Sakura Baimu's phone suddenly rang.

She picked it up and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" Sakura Baimu asked.

"Sakura-san, don't forget our promise tonight~" Maruzensky's playful tone came from the other end of the line.

"......."

Sakura Baimu hung up the phone speechlessly, then looked at Rice Shower, who was standing with her arms crossed, looking completely lost.

"It's useless! What happened to the good luck?!"

---

Chapter 142: So, do you still want to compete?

"Maruzensky, who did you call just now?"

Symboli Rudolf asked softly as Maruzensky returned with a smile.

"You'll find out soon enough~"

"Seriously, I didn't expect you to be here tonight. I felt that Oguri probably wouldn't be coming anytime soon," Symboli Rudolf said with a hint of regret.

"She will come~" Maruzensky said gently.

"It's a pity that it seems only Obey Your Master is here on the track right now." Symboli Rudolf took Maruzensky's words as consolation and didn't pay much attention.

--

A moment later, Symboli Rudolf's eyes suddenly lit up, and she called out to Maruzensky.

"She really is here! Maruzensky, look over there!"

A tall figure wearing athletic shorts and a short-sleeved hoodie walked onto the track.

Although it was evening, wearing a hood in Tokyo in July still seemed somewhat out of place.

This was probably the first time Sakura Baimu had appeared on the Tracen Academy campus without being completely covered up.

Symboli Rudolf still couldn't clearly see Sakura Baimu's face.

However, judging from the two blue horsehair flaps peeking out from under her hoodie's hood and the long blue ponytail extending from behind her waist,

it was clearly "Ogura".

Symboli Rudolf observed Sakura Baimu from afar, carefully examining her long, straight, and beautifully sculpted white legs. She nodded and commented,

"Nice muscle definition, very powerful. Clearly, she has never slacked off in her training."

After her assessment, Symboli Rudolf turned to Maruzensky, whose narrow blue eyes revealed a sly glint, and said with a smile,

"Come on, let's go say hello."

Symboli Rudolf's eyes suddenly lit up as she spoke.

She noticed that Obey Your Master had already walked toward Sakura Baimu before the two of them.

Just as Symboli Rudolf was wondering what Obey Your Master was saying to Sakura Baimu, she suddenly saw Obey Your Master extend her hand toward Sakura Baimu.

--

Sakura Baimu stood in the middle of the track, looking around, but couldn't find Maruzensky.

"Where is she? Didn't she tell me to come?"

Sakura Baimu murmured in confusion when she suddenly heard a laugh from nearby.

"You're here!"

Sakura Baimu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a blonde American Umamusume, considerably taller than herself—Obey Your Master.

"You know me?" Sakura Baimu asked.

She knew Obey Your Master, but she didn't think Obey Your Master would know her.

"From Kasamatsu, debuted the same year as Oguri Cap, suspended the following year for skewed movements—an Umamusume from the Mejiro family, Mejiro Sakura."

Obey Your Master spoke, smiling as she walked to Sakura Baimu's side.

“So you're the one who told Maruzensky about me, right? No wonder she was willing to compete against you.”

“Wow, quite perceptive. No wonder the Umamusume made that slanted judgment against Tamamo Cross's territory at the end of the Spring Tenno Sho.”

Obey Your Master chuckled. “Exactly the same as me at the Japan Cup in November of the same year.”

“It’s a pity I was banned for six years, while you became a legend,” Sakura Baimu said softly.

Now that her identity had been recognized, she decided to stop hiding it.

It was a good thing the other party hadn’t directly revealed her identity at school.

“Well, I should thank you for this. Without you, my results at the Japan Cup would probably have been nullified.”

“I don’t have that kind of influence. It just so happened that the URA added new rules in July of the same year. Don’t thank me,” Sakura Baimu chuckled gently.

"Well, I don't care; either way, the vast majority of people, myself included, believe that it was because of you that the URA implemented this demotion rule, so you've indirectly saved quite a few Umamusume yourself."

Obey Your Master, as she spoke, suddenly narrowed her eyes with a smile, and her tone abruptly changed.

"It's a pity. It seems no one except me has noticed your situation. Even those Umamusume you saved don't feel any gratitude toward you."

"I don't care about these. I know my own limitations. To say that lowering the rules was entirely because of me is truly presumptuous. Perhaps it has a tiny bit to do with me, but as long as someone benefits from it, that's enough. I don't care about gratitude."

"Interesting, interesting, you really are interesting!"

Obey Your Master's smile deepened as she listened to Sakura Baimu's words.

"I heard you got the head of the Mejiro family kicked out of the Mejiro household?"

Sakura Baimu blinked. "You know that too?"

"I investigated everything about you back then," Obey Your Master chuckled. "You must be very resentful, right? It wasn't your fault, and you even helped Mejiro McQueen win the Spring Tenno Sho Championship four times, yet you could only interact with her under a false identity."

Sakura Baimu burst out laughing. "You're wrong. I really don't care about being kicked out of the Mejiro family."

She definitely wanted to interact with Mejiro McQueen using her real identity, but the current situation clearly didn't allow it.

Even in front of this outsider, "Sakura Baimu," Mejiro McQueen was still able to maintain her self-discipline and restraint.

Things would get complicated if Mejiro McQueen found out she was Mejiro Sakura.

After all, Sakura Baimu's decision to challenge the Spring Tenno Sho was largely due to Mejiro McQueen.

Sakura Baimu knew this.

Mejiro McQueen still harbored deep resentment about her being kicked out of the Mejiro family by her grandmother.

This resentment hadn't lessened with Sakura Baimu's disappearance.

In fact, it had grown stronger with time.

As for being kicked out of the Mejiro family by the head of the family...

What a joke! She didn't grow up in the Mejiro family in Tokyo.

She grew up in Kasamatsu, a rural area in the countryside.

What Mejiro family head? What relation did she have to Mejiro Sakura besides sharing the same surname?

Rather than being kicked out of the Mejiro family's house, it would be more accurate to say that Sakura Baimu left the Tokyo Mejiro household on her own.

The main reason was to avoid affecting Mejiro McQueen, who was about to enroll and debut.

In short, it boils down to one sentence.

Aside from a few active-duty Umamusume from the Mejiro family, Sakura Baimu felt no sense of belonging to the Tokyo Mejiro family.

Obey Your Master stared at Sakura Baimu's expression and realized that Sakura Baimu didn't seem to be lying, so she continued to ask.

"So, do you still want to continue competing?"

--

Chapter 143: I Really Like You, Shall We Have a Match?

“What do you think?”

Sakura Baimu asked with a smile.

“That sounds like a pointless question.”

Obey Your Master laughed heartily, showing no embarrassment whatsoever, but rather growing even happier.

“So you really do want to compete, and you still hold a grudge about URA's suspension of you. I'm relieved.”

“I didn't say that.” Sakura Baimu shrugged again.

“Hahahaha.”

Obey Your Master let out another burst of wild laughter, then extended her hand toward Sakura Baimu.

“I really like you. Let's have a match! Ever since I found out your identity, I haven't been able to contain myself.”

“I've already beaten the two strongest from that year; only you are left.”

Sakura Baimu nodded slightly, gave Obey Your Master a high five, and then walked toward the starting point of the 2400-meter course.

She didn't even need to think; Obey Your Master was definitely going to challenge her to a 2400-meter race.

--

Meanwhile, Maruzensky, who had been wearing a sly expression, instantly changed her face when she saw Sakura Baimu preparing to race Obey Your Master.

She was the one who invited Sakura Baimu; how could Obey Your Master have stolen the spot?

Maruzensky hadn't seen an Umamusume pique her interest like this in a long time.

Tonight, for the first time in a long while, she felt the urge to race someone.

And she had successfully invited Sakura Baimu.

Now that Sakura Baimu was going to race Obey Your Master, how could she allow that?

After she finished her race, how would she have the energy for a second one?

Maruzensky was immediately unsettled.

“I’m going to run with ‘Ogura’.”

She said this, preparing to walk toward the track, but Symboli Rudolf grabbed her arm.

“Obey Your Master invited her first. Maruzensky, it’s not good for you to go up now; you might scare Ogura away,” Symboli Rudolf said softly.

'I invited her first!!'

Maruzensky stared wide-eyed at the serious-looking Symboli Rudolf beside her, shouting inwardly.

She wasn’t going to tell Symboli Rudolf that she knew Ogura’s identity yet.

At least she had to run with Sakura Baimu first.

Clearly, Symboli Rudolf was unaware of Maruzensky's thoughts, muttering to herself.

"This Obey Your Master is quite strong; she's even stronger than she was in the Japan Cup. While she's not as strong as Oguri Cap, her performance against Tamamo Cross in the Arima Kinen is no match for her."

"I'm curious to see how Ogura will fare against Obey Your Master."

Symboli Rudolf said this while glancing at Maruzensky.

She found that Maruzensky, who always wore a playful smile, was staring at her with a resentful expression.

"Wh... Maruzensky, what's wrong?"

Symboli Rudolf asked in surprise.

"Never mind, let's watch the match."

Maruzensky sighed, abandoning the idea of racing Sakura Baimu that evening.

“There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, as long as she's still at Tracen Academy.”

Maruzensky thought to herself, a smile returning to her lips.

--

On the track, Obey Your Master and Sakura Baimu stood at the starting line.

“Give it your all and have a serious match with me, okay?” Obey Your Master asked with a smile.

“We’ll see.”

“Hmph, do you think my strength isn’t enough to make you go all out?”

“No. You’re the strongest Umamusume I’ve ever encountered. I don’t even know the true level of my own strength.”

“Hahahaha, that’s quite arrogant.”

Obey Your Master held out her hand and flicked a coin into the air.

While the coin spun in the air, she spoke to Sakura Baimu.

"You don't need to worry about my aura, okay? I'm not like Golden Crown Eagle."

"I know; after all, you defeated Oguri and Tamamo."

Sakura Baimu said this, assuming a ready stance.

The coin landed, and Sakura Baimu and Obey Your Master both dashed off at lightning speed.

"It's starting!" Symboli Rudolf exclaimed excitedly as the two began to run.

Maruzensky: "......"

She should have been the one running on the track right now.

“Ogura’s leading speed this time was even faster than during the last race against Golden Crown Eagle. It was truly amazing,” Symboli Rudolf commented with a smile.

Maruzensky: “…”

She should have been the one running on the track right now!!

On the track, Obey Your Master watched Sakura Baimu leading with such incredible speed from the very beginning, her face filled with excitement.

“That’s more like it. This kind of race is more interesting. It’s completely different from racing against Maruzensky. I can sense that you don’t treat the race as mere entertainment.”

As Sakura Baimu said, she had participated in very few races.

So far, Obey Your Master was the strongest Umamusume she had ever encountered.

Therefore, for Obey Your Master, who always liked to thoroughly understand her opponents before a race, Sakura Baimu was completely unknown.

She could only be certain of one thing at this point.

That was... Sakura Baimu is very strong.

"This brings back that feeling from my early days. Facing an unknown opponent, that sense of urgency and panic is truly exhilarating!"

Obey Your Master's lips curled into a wide grin, clearly enjoying the race.

In the blink of an eye, Sakura Baimu had finished the second turn and was now heading toward the steep climb before the third turn.

At this moment, Obey Your Master was about seven lengths behind her.

Although there was a significant difference in their positions, Obey Your Master showed no anxiety.

Only an extremely pleased smile.

"She's even faster than when she raced Golden Crown Eagle last time. Can she really maintain this leading speed?"

Obey Your Master wondered, but she couldn't find a definite answer.

In that case, she had to consider the worst-case scenario.

That was a speed enough for Sakura Baimu to complete the race and still have room to accelerate.

"I can't wait any longer..."

Obey Your Master took a step forward, her speed increasing, and a faint white aura began to appear around her.

She chose to accelerate in the middle of the race.

The distance between Obey Your Master and Sakura Baimu gradually shortened, and the gap between them began to close.

Finally, Sakura Baimu reached the top of the steep slope.

Maintaining her pace, she charged straight up the slope.

Obey Your Master, following behind, also surged forward with almost no loss of speed.

"Watch me overtake you in one go,"

Obey Your Master thought to herself, chasing after Sakura Baimu.

Just as Obey Your Master was about to catch up with Sakura Baimu, she noticed a momentary pause in Sakura Baimu's steps.

A moment later, Sakura Baimu was also enveloped in a white aura.

---

Chapter 144: Can You Catch Up with Me?

“Ogura’s starting to accelerate!” Symboli Rudolf exclaimed excitedly.

“Last time, Golden Crown Eagle only forced Ogura to accelerate after activating her Zone. This time, Obey Your Master made Ogura accelerate even before activating her Zone.”

“I can do it without activating my Zone,” Maruzensky suddenly blurted out.

Symboli Rudolf: “?”

Symboli Rudolf looked at Maruzensky, whose face held an indescribable expression of regret, feeling somewhat bewildered.

Why is Maruzensky acting like Teio today?

She's like a sulking little girl.

“What’s wrong with you today? Are you so eager to run with that Ogura?”

“How boring~”

Maruzensky didn’t answer, but sighed and continued watching the match.

--

In the arena, Sakura Baimu, having begun to accelerate, once again widened the gap between herself and Obey Your Master.

Seeing this, Obey Your Master's smile deepened even further.

"Truly worthy of being the Umamusume who can overpower the Zone with sheer skill in only her second year since debut. I guess I'm no match for you."

Obey Your Master practically shouted this out with a laugh.

After saying that, she added quietly:

"Of course, that's without activating the Zone."

As soon as she finished speaking, the area beneath Obey Your Master's feet sank like a sponge.

The sunken ground instantly lowered her position by a full 20 centimeters.

At the same time, a blazing golden flame erupted from Obey Your Master's eyes.

It was more than twice as intense as Rice Shower in the Takarazuka Kinen, and even more so than Golden Crown Eagle from a few nights ago.

A golden aura, visible only to Umamusume who had activated their Zone, enveloped Obey Your Master, causing her speed to surge dramatically.

"Half a wave left."

Obey Your Master calculated the distance, her smile deepening as she watched Sakura Baimu's figure draw ever closer.

"I'm catching up!"

Obey Your Master murmured, and as the last word escaped her lips, she was already running neck and neck with Sakura Baimu.

Taking advantage of the moment she overtook Sakura Baimu, she caught a glimpse of Sakura Baimu's slightly furrowed brows in the slow passage of time.

While she felt a little disappointed at not seeing Sakura Baimu's expression of shock and panic at her imposing aura, it was clear that her aura was not something Sakura Baimu could easily withstand.

A moment later, Obey Your Master had already overtaken Sakura Baimu by more than a length.

"Overtaken! Ogura was overtaken before even reaching the final straightaway!" Symboli Rudolf spoke solemnly.

Maruzensky, witnessing this, subtly gripped her sleeves, her arms crossed over her chest.

She had already tested Obey Your Master's strength.

Indeed, very strong.

In the entire Tracen Academy, top five might be a stretch, but within the top seven was definitely achievable.

Judging from the strength of her Zone she had currently displayed, it absolutely surpassed Narita Brian and Urban Sea in their Zone states.

Such strength would be overwhelming in an active race.

Even if Sakura Baimu lost to her, Maruzensky wouldn't underestimate her.

Sakura Baimu's strength without her Zone activated is truly remarkable and worthy of respect from both her and Symboli Rudolf.

Logically, that was what Maruzensky thought.

However, emotionally, Maruzensky didn't want Sakura Baimu to lose.

As mentioned earlier, Maruzensky already knew Obey Your Master's strength.

Originally, before the match between Sakura Baimu and Obey Your Master, Maruzensky's understanding of Sakura Baimu's strength was still unclear.

Therefore, Maruzensky still harbored some anticipation for competing against Sakura Baimu.

However, if Sakura Baimu lost to Obey Your Master, Maruzensky would immediately form a judgment of Sakura Baimu's strength.

No matter what, Sakura Baimu wouldn't inspire any greater expectations than Obey Your Master.

This was the real reason Maruzensky wanted to compete against Sakura Baimu before Obey Your Master.

Because she didn't want to confirm the "unknown" she held about Sakura Baimu.

Although Maruzensky's rational mind told her that Sakura Baimu, as an Umamusume from the same era as Oguri Cap but who had only competed for a year, had vastly different competitive experience compared to Obey Your Master,

without a Zone, the possibility of trying to surpass Obey Your Master was basically zero.

But Sakura Baimu had already shattered their expectations far too many times.

Therefore, Maruzensky still held a sliver of hope for Sakura Baimu.

"She hasn't activated her aura yet... why isn't she using it?"

Maruzensky muttered to herself. Activating her aura was definitely better when she was as close to the target Umamusume as possible, especially when she was behind.

Sakura Baimu was already trailing by nearly two lengths, yet she made no further move.

This was causing Maruzensky increasing anxiety.

After the final bend lay a two-meter incline before the finish line.

This was the second major test of an Umamusume's heart.

Although Obey Your Master lost some speed on this ramp, it was negligible compared to her already significantly faster pace compared to Sakura Baimu.

Finally, Sakura Baimu stepped onto the ramp.

The moment her foot touched the incline, her momentum exploded.

In that instant, Obey Your Master felt her heart pound heavily in her chest.

It was crystal clear within her Zone.

"Obey Your Master!"

Turning around, she saw Sakura Baimu, her face also beaming with excitement, a slight smile playing on her lips.

And there, enveloping her entire body, was a soaring aura of deep blue, even more profound than the night sky.

In her Zone state, she was supposed to shield herself from all external interference.

But Sakura Baimu's aura was so powerful that even with her Zone activated, she felt a direct sense of awe.

Obey Your Master felt every hair on her body stand on end, a shiver running down her spine.

"This feeling is even more terrifying than Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross..."

Obey Your Master swallowed hard.

She felt her heart pounding faster, a surge of fighting spirit igniting within her.

Exhilaration.

Nothing but pleasure.

This was far more enjoyable than being crushed like a toy by Maruzensky.

Obey Your Master looked at Sakura Baimu, who also wore a smile, knowing that this match had ignited Sakura Baimu's competitive spirit as well.

Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

Obey Your Master's loud laughter echoed clearly through Tracen Academy in the dead of night.

"Can you catch me?"

Obey Your Master had expected Sakura Baimu to give a vague answer like "yes" or "you just wait."

But a moment later, Sakura Baimu's reply struck her like a thunderbolt.

"Ten seconds."

--

Chapter 145: Ten Seconds

"Not 'can,' not 'will,' but 'ten seconds'?"

"How could she give such a precise answer?"

Obey your Master.

She hadn't been surprised by any answer Sakura Baimu gave.

But after hearing Sakura Baimu's resolute statement of ten seconds, the shock in her heart surged like a turbulent river.

Because both Umamusumes spoke with aura, their voices clearly reached Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky's ears.

Their previously contrasting expressions now both showed deep shock upon hearing Sakura Baimu's answer.

A moment later, Maruzensky's lips curled into a smile, her shock instantly transforming into endless amusement.

Her previously regretful blue eyes now shone with a new light.

"So, the reason you didn't unleash your power when you were overtaken was because you were calculating the time..."

Sakura Baimu's answer.

It was exactly what she wanted.

"Could it be that Oguri can win?"

Symboli Rudolf's shocked expression hadn't faded.

"Obey your Master's strength seems second only to Oguri Cap and Mr. CB! Oguri can win? So confident?"

An Umamusume who hasn't even joined the academy, just by sneaking into other schools under the cover of darkness to train secretly every day, has actually reached a level surpassing Narita Brian.

What face does Tracen Academy have to invite her to join?

Aren't they just inviting her in to mislead others?

Tracen Academy has over 2,000 elite Umamusumes from all over the country.

Now, an Umamusume who doesn't belong to any academy is already approaching the top five of the academy's legendary ranks.

This kind of thing...

Symboli Rudolf finally understood in an instant why TCB's trainer, Sakura, always maintained such a hesitant and vacillating expression when faced with her invitation related to Ogura.

She had initially thought there was some unavoidable factor preventing "Ogura" from joining the academy.

But now it seemed that Ogura looked down on her, Tracen Academy!

And because Sakura Baimu was too embarrassed to speak, so she remained silent.

Maruzensky stole glances from the corner of her eye at Symboli Rudolf, who stood besides her who was utterly shocked and lost in endless suspicion. Seeing her expression, she was already overjoyed.

For her at that moment, seeing Symboli Rudolf's shock at Sakura Baimu was amplifying her pleasure many times over.

Maruzensky felt that even shocking Symboli Rudolf herself didn't bring her this much joy.

The thought that she would soon be racing alongside this Umamusume, a racer who had astonished even the "Emperor" of Japanese racing, and that she possessed a secret about Sakura Baimu that even Symboli Rudolf didn't know made Maruzensky feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and superiority about to burst forth.

She hadn't expected to feel so happy and pleased seeing Symboli Rudolf's various suspicions about Sakura Baimu's identity and the truth.

"It seems the time for Rudolf to know the truth will have to be postponed..."

Maruzensky thought silently to herself, deciding to tell Symboli Rudolf about Sakura Baimu later.

She wanted to see Symboli Rudolf's confused and embarrassed expression a little longer.

Just as Maruzensky's pleasure was spreading across her face, and her smile was almost uncontrollable, she suddenly heard Symboli Rudolf exhale deeply, then say in a low voice.

"If 'Obey your Master' really loses, then let me run with 'Ogura' next."

Maruzensky: "?"

Maruzensky's smile froze instantly.

At that moment, Maruzensky felt an urge to pluck the white hair from Symboli Rudolf's forehead.

--

"Ten."

Sakura Baimu, in the uphill, uttered a soft shout, her speed increasing rather than decreasing, accelerating again with an extremely tricky maneuver.

"Nine."

Sakura Baimu charged straight at Obey your Master, her momentum so strong that even Obey your Master, about four lengths ahead of her, began to frown.

"Eight."

Obey your Master, hearing the countdown behind her, didn't slow her pace, wanting to further increase her speed.

However, the steep incline of two meters prevented her from accelerating any further.

Even though she was already going very fast.

"Seven."

Sakura Baimu's gaze sharpened, her aura growing increasingly forceful as she drew closer to Obey your Master.

Conversely, her expression, aside from the seriousness in her brows, still held a smile at the corners of her mouth.

"Six."

Sakura Baimu called out again, taking another step closer to Obey your Master.

"Five."

Thump

Almost simultaneously with Sakura Baimu's countdown, Obey your Master felt her heart pounding in her chest once more.

She glanced back at Sakura Baimu and saw that she was still three lengths behind.

Based on her speed of only shortening by a little over two lengths in the previous five seconds, it was impossible for Sakura Baimu to overtake her in the final five seconds.

"Four!"

Sakura Baimu shouted again, her voice suddenly becoming louder, making Obey your Master's heart tremble.

"Every time she shouts, she's depleting her own aura! She's willing to exhaust herself just to shout; it's so foolish!!" Obey your Master thought to herself.

What she didn't notice was that each time Sakura Baimu's countdown, accompanying her momentum, sounded, her own aura weakened slightly.

This was a psychological attack.

The strongest effect of aura isn't on one's own speed.

It's the influence on the spirit of others.

When an Umamusume's resolve wavered, the one with the stronger aura would then take control of the race.

"Three!"

Sakura Baimu was now only two lengths behind Obey your Master.

Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, watching from the sidelines, both saw that Sakura Baimu hadn't used any aura to attack Obey your Master at all.

Instead, she was gradually destroying Obey your Master's confidence in victory with each increasingly loud countdown.

"Obey your Master, the Zone is about to dissipate..."

Symboli Rudolf spoke in a deep voice, watching Obey your Master's aura gradually weaken.

"Two!!"

Sakura Baimu was still more than a length behind Obey your Master, and it seemed her speed wasn't enough to bridge the distance.

"One!!!"

Obey your Master's heart was pounding so hard her breathing quickened. The gaze from behind, like a beast eyeing its prey, placed immense pressure on her mind.

Tension welled up like a spring, filling Obey your Master's heart.

"Zero."

The final countdown ended, and Sakura Baimu appeared beside Obey your Master.

Together, they reached the top of the hill.

At the same time, Obey your Master's eyes flickered, the golden flames within extinguished, and her Zone vanished in an instant.

--

Chapter 146: Mejiro Sakura, Join Our Pluto Academy!

Sakura Baimu's speed was rapid after unleashing her power.

But compared to Obey your Master, it was only slightly faster.

Initially, her speed wasn't enough to close the gap between them within ten seconds.

However, with each countdown from Sakura Baimu, Obey your Master's Zone and aura gradually weakened as her resolve wavered.

Simultaneously, the speed granted by her Zone also gradually decreased.

Just then, the countdown reached zero.

Obey your Master's Zone disappeared.

And the speed she lost allowed Sakura Baimu to completely close the gap in that final second.

Rather than saying Sakura Baimu caught up with Obey your Master, it's more accurate to say that Obey your Master's speed dropped.

Standing at the final 600-meter mark of the Tokyo Racecourse, the two-meter-high slope had been climbed simultaneously by both of them.

300 meters remained until the finish line.

However, the outcome of this match was already decided at this moment.

"She…she really won? She really beat Obey your Master?!" Symboli Rudolf's purple eyes widened.

Even though she had witnessed it with her own eyes.

Even though she had seen Sakura Baimu defeat Golden Crown Eagle twice before, relying on her own strength.

But when she saw it again,

Sakura Baimu had even defeated Obey your Master, the champion of that year's Japan Cup. She couldn't help but tremble.

"Most importantly, she also dispelled Obey your Master's Zone..."

Maruzensky's eyes gleamed with excitement, feeling incredibly thrilled by Sakura Baimu's result.

The match continued.

Obey your Master's Zone, which had reached the top of the hill, had vanished.

Her aura and the fire in her eyes had completely disappeared.

Those eyes that had never wavered even when facing top-tier Umamusume racers like Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.

The moment her Zone disappeared, a violent tremor began to appear.

Fear.

She didn't know how long it had been since she had felt this way.

Because when she competed in the United States, she had deliberately kept a low profile, never seeking victory.

Therefore, most of Obey your Master's matches hadn't put much pressure on her.

Now, as Sakura Baimu shattered her long-held confidence in her own strength, Obey your Master felt a deep-seated fear.

However, Obey your Master was different from Golden Crown Eagle.

She surpassed Golden Crown Eagle in both intellect and strength.

Furthermore, her personality set her apart.

Although she knew she had lost her chance of victory, her face showed little disappointment.

The fear that followed the disappearance of her Zone instantly transformed into a smile.

At this moment, her expression was even more exhilarating than when she had gained the upper hand.

"Hahahaha, so exhilarating! This run was so much fun! Even more exciting and thrilling than the last Japan Cup!"

The Zone had vanished, but a faint white aura still lingered around Obey your Master.

Her speed remained impressive, but compared to Sakura Baimu, who was unleashing her full power, she had lost the ability to compete.

Because Obey your Master gave Sakura Baimu a completely different feeling than Golden Crown Eagle.

Plus, there was the respect she felt for the the strongest racer she had ever faced in her life.

Sakura Baimu didn't let up after overtaking Obey your Master.

Instead, she maintained that deep, azure-blue momentum and crossed the finish line.

A huge difference!

This was an absolutely huge difference.

Sakura Baimu was still behind Obey your Master when she first stepped onto the final straight.

She unleashed her power on the slope and caught up with Obey your Master the moment she reached the top.

And using the final 300 meters, she built a lead of more than 10 lengths.

While it wasn't as outrageous as Sakura Baimu's previous crushing victory over Golden Crown Eagle, the large gap in skill between Sakura Baimu and Obey your Master was still evident.

Symboli Rudolf stared blankly at Sakura Baimu, who had crossed the finish line but showed no signs of fatigue.

Her heart was in turmoil.

Ogura had not only proven with her result that she could train to a level sufficient to enter the top five of Central Tracen Academy without joining the academy, but also, once again, relying on her overwhelming strength, she shattered the myths of the Zone time and time again.

"How could a person with that strength remain unknown? How could I not know who she is!"

"Not to mention in Central, she would rank among the top in the entire world."

"In any country, she would be a legend."

"But why do I have absolutely no memory of this Umamusume? What's going on? Who is she?"

Symboli Rudolf stood there, muttering a string of questions to herself.

Maruzensky, listening nearby, smiled ever more broadly, her smile growing increasingly profound.

She knew the answers to all these questions.

She and Symboli Rudolf had personally attended the Spring Tenno Sho tournament years ago.

That was the first time in Umamusume history that an ordinary Umamusume had defeated a Zone Umamusume.

Unfortunately, Mejiro Sakura was subsequently disqualified for a foul, so her victory over the Zone through sheer physical strength went largely unnoticed.

While everyone was focused on Mejiro Sakura's diagonal run on the final straight,

they naturally overlooked the first Umamusume to create this miracle.

Not only Symboli Rudolf,

but even Maruzensky.

She vaguely remembered that the first Umamusume to break the Zone's myth was from the Mejiro family.

That was all she remembered.

Maruzensky remembered vividly.

Back then, Symboli Rudolf, after witnessing Tamamo Cross activate her Zone and say, "Tamamo Cross, welcome to our side," watched helplessly as Mejiro Sakura overtook Tamamo Cross at the end and was utterly shocked.

Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf were together.

One was experiencing a surge of joy.

The other was consumed by confusion and existential doubt.

On the track, Sakura Baimu walked over to Obey your Master, who was lying face up on the grass in a "wooden" position.

Watching her chest rise and fall with her heavy breathing, and the look of utter satisfaction and joy on her face, Sakura Baimu chuckled softly.

Just as Sakura Baimu was about to say something...

Suddenly, Obey your Master sprang to her feet, beaming, and extended her hand toward her.

"Mejiro Sakura, join our Pluto Academy!"

--

Chapter 147: We Finally Meet Again, Ogura

Maruzensky was in an excellent mood.

She first turned to look at Symboli Rudolf beside her, still in a state of shock and confusion.

Then she turned to look at Sakura Baimu on the track, who had repeatedly surprised her.

Suddenly, she too began to feel a sense of anticipation for the future.

It seems that her boring life had become interesting because of Sakura Baimu's presence.

Just as Maruzensky was about to feign ignorance and offer some comfort to the somewhat bewildered Symboli Rudolf, she caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye.

Obey Your Master, who had been lying on the turf, suddenly jumped up.

Then she reached out her hand directly to Sakura Baimu.

Maruzensky didn't hear what Obey Your Master said to Sakura Baimu.

It was not hard to guess the intention behind Obey Your Master's action, given that she was also extremely satisfied with Sakura Baimu after learning her true identity.

"She wants to recruit Ogura!"

Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf said this almost simultaneously.

The two Umamusumes at the pinnacle of Tracen Academy reacted without hesitation, rushing towards the arena.

Symboli Rudolf might not have had such ulterior motives; she simply wanted to nurture talent and didn't want "Ogura" to join another academy.

But Maruzensky was different.

She knew Sakura Baimu's true situation.

She knew how Sakura Baimu had been treated in Japan.

For Sakura Baimu, who was still suspended in Japan, an invitation from America would be an enormous temptation.

Things were progressing in a positive direction, but Obey Your Master's somewhat abrupt invitation completely reversed course.

--

Meanwhile, on the turf track, Sakura Baimu stared in astonishment at Obey Your Master, who had extended the invitation.

After defeating her, Obey Your Master was now trying to poach her rival.

Sakura Baimu truly hadn't expected this move.

Obey Your Master seemed to sense Sakura Baimu's hesitation. She chuckled softly.

"You still have two years of suspension left in Japan, right? Judging from your consistent training, you clearly want to return to competition."

"I can imagine how you feel. Being suspended for six years less than a year after your debut—I can't even imagine the immense pain that must be causing you."

"If that happened to me, I probably would have gone crazy."

"How about joining Pluto Academy? Your skills are enough to rank you among the top in the academy. It's a merit-based academy; with your abilities, you'll definitely be much better off than you are now."

Sakura Baimu looked at Obey Your Master's smiling face and was quite impressed by this Umamusume's magnanimity—she showed no resentment after losing and instead generously invited her.

Although she was much more ruthless than Golden Crown Eagle, her actions were much easier to accept.

"It's not like I'm having a bad time at Tracen Academy. Thanks for the invitation, but I think I'll pass."

Sakura Baimu smiled and shook her head, politely declining Obey Your Master's suggestion.

"I didn't say you have to stay at Pluto Academy. I'm just offering a suggestion. It's really pitiful to see you training so hard but not being able to run. Even if you don't like Pluto Academy, you can go to another academy. There are many ways to compete if you want to."

"Or, if you have a fondness for Japan, you can compete abroad for now and return to Japan after your suspension ends."

Obey Your Master suggested with a smile.

"How about it? If you come to America, I'd like to make a comeback."

"If I go to America, what will happen to my trainees?" Sakura Baimu asked with a smile.

Her question wasn't sarcastic; it was simply a genuine inquiry.

Sakura Baimu could tell that Obey Your Master genuinely cared for her, so she naturally harbored no ill will toward this Umamusume.

"Uh..." Obey Your Master suddenly fell silent upon hearing this.

She had forgotten that Sakura Baimu was now a trainer.

"Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen don't need your guidance anymore, right? The remaining three trainees must have only recently joined your team, right? With their abilities, they should have a good future at Spica or Rigil, right?"

"I think you should think more about yourself. I heard you've been spending most of your income on the Umamusume in the team."

Sakura Baimu chuckled and shook her head again.

Just as she was about to refuse again, she suddenly sensed two incredibly fast figures rushing towards her.

Sakura Baimu was startled; she had been so engrossed in running that she had forgotten Maruzensky had invited her.

The person with Maruzensky, Sakura Baimu knew without a doubt, was Symboli Rudolf.

Maruzensky definitely hadn't told Symboli Rudolf about her situation, so Sakura Baimu quickly pulled her hood up, tucking her head further inside.

Then, she heard Maruzensky's slightly seductive voice.

"Obey Your Master, what are you doing? Did you invite her?"

"Oh, it's the Emperor and Hotrod, huh? So fond of spying on us on campus, huh? What I do is none of your business."

Obey Your Master showed no fear in the face of the two. She glanced at Sakura Baimu, who had become silent since their arrival, and roughly understood that Maruzensky hadn't yet told Symboli Rudolf about Sakura Baimu's identity.

"I invited Ogura to join our academy first," Symboli Rudolf said.

"So, did she agree?" Obey Your Master chuckled.

"Could it be that she accepted your invitation?" Maruzensky asked.

"Guess!"

Obey Your Master laughed heartily, put her hands behind her head, and leisurely walked away from the track.

Before leaving, she waved to Sakura Baimu:

"That was a great night. See you next time."

Obey Your Master said, then disappeared completely on the other side of the campus.

After seeing Obey Your Master leave, Symboli Rudolf looked at Sakura Baimu, who had grabbed her hat as soon as she saw them, her tone softened considerably.

"It's good to see you again, Ogura."

---

Chapter 148: Ogura in a Dilemma

Sakura Baimu listened to Symboli Rudolf's question with a sense of helplessness.

"The old driver didn't say Symboli Rudolf was coming either!!"

From what Sakura Baimu knew, Symboli Rudolf was actually a seemingly cold but warm-hearted Umamusume.

Aside from exchanging corny, cold jokes, Sakura Baimu had practically no interaction with Symboli Rudolf.

Therefore, Sakura Baimu didn't know Symboli Rudolf very well.

Sakura Baimu remembered that when Oguri Cap lost her chance to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime Japanese Derby because she hadn't registered for the Classic Triple Crown, she had pleaded with Symboli Rudolf.

But in the end, Symboli Rudolf still refused Oguri Cap's suggestion.

After Oguri Cap left Symboli Rudolf's student council president's office, Symboli Rudolf went to find the URA officials and bowed, requesting them to change the rules for the Classic Triple Crown tournament.

This clearly showed that Symboli Rudolf, though outwardly serious, was actually quite gentle.

Despite this, Sakura Baimu still didn't want more people to know her identity.

Everyone feels they have someone they can trust, but if word spreads like wildfire, wouldn't the whole school eventually know?

The fewer people who knew her identity, the better, at least until her suspension ended.

Sakura Baimu was lost in thought and didn't answer Symboli Rudolf's question immediately.

Seeing Sakura Baimu's hesitation, Symboli Rudolf spoke regretfully.

"I saw your strength today, Ogura. I realized that someone with your abilities really doesn't need to join our academy. Tracen Academy doesn't seem to have much to offer you."

"No... I didn't mean that. For some reasons, I really can't join your academy," Sakura Baimu said softly, slightly changing her tone.

"Actually, Ogura, you don't need to be so secretive. If you want to use the track at night in the future, you're welcome anytime. Not just during this campus open day, but in the future as well," Symboli Rudolf said softly.

"Thank you," Sakura Baimu said, pulling at her hat and looking flustered as she thanked her repeatedly.

Maruzensky stood to the side, watching Sakura Baimu's behavior—a departure from her usual self to avoid revealing her identity—and found her increasingly amusing.

Her eyes were practically crescent-shaped; while finding Sakura Baimu's antics endearing, she also stepped in to help her out of the predicament.

"Rudolf, there's plenty of time. No need to rush. Ogura just finished a run with Obey Your Master; she must be exhausted."

Sakura Baimu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Maruzensky's words.

Maruzensky did have some conscience, knowing to help her out.

But then, a second later, she heard Maruzensky say with a laugh:

"Rudolf, you go back first. I'll drive 'Ta-chan' and take Ogura home."

Sakura Baimu: "?"

What's this experienced driver up to?

Sakura Baimu had heard that even Ms. Junkawa couldn't stand Maruzensky's driving skills.

Previously, Maruzensky deliberately dragged Junkawa Tazuna, the chairperson's secretary, off on the last train at a bar, then drove her home.

Since then, Junkawa Tazuna had basically avoided Maruzensky whenever she saw her at the academy.

Sakura Baimu didn't know Junkawa Tazuna was also an Umamusume before; she just thought Junkawa Tazuna was too weak and didn't take her seriously.

But after discovering Junkawa Tazuna's terrifying strength, Sakura Baimu finally understood the danger of Maruzensky's driving skills.

"She's starting to harass me now that Miss Junkawa is ignoring her!"

Sakura Baimu felt a chill run down her spine and quickly refused:

"No... no need, my house is very close. I can walk home."

"It's alright, I'm going home anyway. I'll give you a ride on my way." Maruzensky smiled and walked to Sakura Baimu's side, patting her on the shoulder.

Symboli Rudolf looked at Maruzensky and Sakura Baimu and suddenly felt that Sakura Baimu didn't seem as resistant to them as last time, so she tentatively asked:

"Ogura, could you tell me why you can't join the academy? I've been struggling with this lately and I'm genuinely curious. Or, if you don't want to tell me, could you at least tell me your real name? Someone of your caliber shouldn't be so unknown. I really have high hopes for you."

Suddenly, Maruzensky whispered in Sakura Baimu's ear:

"Come with me, and you won't have to answer Rudolf's questions~"

Upon hearing this, Sakura Baimu's face, hidden beneath her hoodie's hood, instantly contorted into a look of utter disbelief.

"What's going on! Tonight it's either my identity exposed or ride this old driver's death trap, right?! Seriously, is there even a difference between these two options? One's a social death, the other's a real death, right?"

"Didn't Matikanefukukitaru say that finding some blue roses can ward off bad luck? I've spent the whole afternoon with Rice Shower. It doesn't seem to be working!!"

Sakura Baimu felt like she had no choice. Just as she was about to take advantage of the two's inattention and speed away...

Suddenly, a high-pitched, resonant voice, like that of a savior, rang out in the silent night sky.

"Gentlewomen!"

When Sakura Baimu heard that incredibly familiar voice, and those classic two words at the beginning, her tense body instantly relaxed.

It was Akikawa Yayoi.

Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, both with smirks on their faces, froze upon hearing the voice. They turned to look at the petite figure towering over them.

This scene felt strangely familiar.

The last time they caught Sakura Baimu, it was Akikawa Yayoi who had intervened.

"Ogura, I'm done. Come back with me."

Akikawa Yayoi smiled, flicked her fan, and gracefully descended the steps toward Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky.

"Chairperson."

"Chairperson Akikawa."

Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky quickly greeted Akikawa Yayoi.

Both of them looked somewhat embarrassed upon seeing Akikawa Yayoi.

They weren't leaving in the middle of the night, surrounding Sakura Baimu and asking her all sorts of questions. Akikawa Yayoi had already caught them once before.

And now, Akikawa Yayoi had caught them again.

What a coincidence!

Akikawa Yayoi smiled and walked up to Sakura Baimu, and Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky quickly made way for her.

"Luna, sky, don't mind her. Ogura is a little shy. She's only normal during matches; normally, she finds it hard to talk to strangers."

"I'm sorry, Chairman," Symboli Rudolf said.

"It's alright. You've been patrolling so late to prevent further harm to the students in the academy. It's truly commendable."

Akikawa Yayoi showed no sign of reproach. She smiled and praised Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, making the two of them feel increasingly embarrassed.

Akikawa Yayoi gently took Sakura Baimu's hand and led her outside, leaving the apologetic Symboli Rudolf and regretful Maruzensky standing there.

--

A moment later, Sakura Baimu finally heard Akikawa Yayoi's voice.

"Alright, they can't see us anymore."

Sakura Baimu finally dared to raise her head and look at Akikawa Yayoi, who was a head shorter than her, walking ahead of her.

"Thank you, Yayoi."

Sakura Baimu was incredibly grateful, knowing that Akikawa Yayoi was probably waiting at school for her to come for her run again.

If nothing happened, Akikawa Yayoi wouldn't intervene, just watching silently.

But if something did happen to her, Akikawa Yayoi would immediately step in to help.

"I just did the same thing as Luna and Ski." Akikawa Yayoi chuckled, turning to look at Sakura Baimu.

"Sakura, don't hold a grudge against them. After all, they've been waiting for you every night."

"Unfortunately, Maru-zen-san already knows my identity," Sakura Baimu said with a helpless shrug.

"Pfft—then Sakura, you're in for it." Akikawa Yayoi suddenly burst out laughing.

"Actually, even if they found out your identity, it wouldn't be a problem. They're not the kind of kids who would gossip."

"Hmm…" Sakura Baimu nodded, looking at Akikawa Yayoi in front of her.

Suddenly, Sakura Baimu's eyes lit up.

She noticed that on the right side of the white lady's hat on Akikawa Yayoi's head, there was also an embroidered blue rose.

---

Chapter 149: So you have nothing else to hold you back?

After letting Sakura Baimu stay at her office last time, Akikawa Yayoi realized that Sakura Baimu needed to go home to shower and change in the morning.

So today, Akikawa Yayoi simply drove Sakura Baimu home.

On the way, a traffic police officer on night duty was startled when he saw Akikawa Yayoi in the driver's seat.

The officer immediately pulled over and began to sternly reprimand Sakura Baimu.

"What are you doing? Letting such a young girl drive on the road—aren't you afraid of causing an accident? Don't think you can disregard traffic laws just because it's the middle of the night!"

Halfway through his reprimand, the officer looked at Sakura Baimu's incredibly young face and began to have doubts.

"Wait a minute, you're not underage, are you? Show me your driver's license."

Sakura Baimu, sitting in the passenger seat, was speechless upon hearing this.

He ignored Akikawa Yayoi's driver's license in the driver's seat and asked for her own.

Outrageous.

"Yayoi is an adult; she's the chairperson of Tracen Academy."

Sakura Baimu pointed helplessly to Akikawa Yayoi in the seat to her right.

Traffic Officer: "?"

The traffic officer looked incredulous; Akikawa Yayoi didn't look like an adult at all.

After a moment, the officer, having seen Akikawa Yayoi's driver's license, bowed repeatedly and apologized before letting Akikawa Yayoi and Sakura Baimu go.

Once the car slowly started moving again, Sakura Baimu, sitting in the passenger seat, was already beaming.

"Alright, Sakura, stop laughing. This kind of thing happens too often; I'm used to it," Akikawa Yayoi said helplessly, her face also flushed from Sakura Baimu's laughter.

“I remember you told me before that you were mistaken for a child at an amusement park once.”

“Yeah, they said children must be accompanied by an adult to enter. I didn’t have my ID with me, and after explaining for ages that I was an adult, the security guard still wouldn’t let me in,” Akikawa Yayoi said helplessly.

“So how did you finally get in?”

“I happened to run into Tannhauser, and she kindly pretended to be my older sister and helped me in.”

“Pfft—!” Sakura Baimu couldn’t hold back anymore.

--

A moment later, Sakura Baimu arrived at Akikawa Yayoi’s luxurious apartment.

After being suspended and leaving Mejiro’s house, Sakura Baimu stayed at Akikawa Yayoi’s house for a long time after they had just met.

It wasn’t until Sakura Baimu passed the trainer qualification exam, entered Tracen Academy, and started earning an income that she moved out of Akikawa Yayoi’s house.

“Actually, Sakura, you really don’t need to rent a place outside. You work during the day and run at night; you can just stay at my place. Why increase your expenses?”

Akikawa Yayoi had complained to Sakura Baimu about this for what felt like the umpteenth time. Clearly, she still harbored considerable resentment toward Sakura Baimu for insisting on moving out to avoid causing trouble for others.

“I can’t cause you trouble, Yayoi! What if someone sees a trainer like me living with the headmaster of my own academy? Besides, what if my identity is exposed later? If people see me living with you, it will cause you trouble for giving me a fake identity.”

“Trouble?” Akikawa Yayoi’s lips curled up. “I’m the headmaster of Tracen Academy; who can cause me trouble?”

“It’s not about the academy; it’s about the impact on URA.”

“URA is fine too.”

“That still won’t do, I’ll feel bad,” Sakura Baimu said, pulling a can of fish from her pocket.

When Akikawa Yayoi's cow-patterned kitten saw Sakura Baimu take out canned food again, its eyes lit up. It quickly jumped off Akikawa Yayoi's hat and began gently rubbing its head against Sakura Baimu's smooth ankles.

"Huh? Where did you get that? I didn't see your backpack," Akikawa Yayoi said, surprised.

"I just bought it from the convenience store."

"Why doesn't my canned food have the same effect?"

Akikawa Yayoi wondered, puzzled as to why her kitten always preferred the canned food Sakura Baimu offered.

"Maybe that's what you call an ingrate," Sakura Baimu said with a smile, opening the can and placing it at her feet.

After seeing the kitten pounce on the food and start eating, Sakura Baimu looked up at Akikawa Yayoi again.

“Speaking of which, I went to Fukutaru's fortune telling house today. She said my luck was terrible, but blue roses could bring me good fortune.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Akikawa Yayoi chuckled.

“Yes, I initially thought it was Rice Shower; I completely forgot about you, Yayoi.” Sakura Baimu sat on the sofa, bending down to stroke the kitten still munching on its can of food.

Akikawa Yayoi stood to the side, carefully observing Sakura Baimu stroking the kitten.

Sitting on the sofa, Sakura Baimu's long, slender legs, visible beneath her athletic shorts, appeared incredibly elegant.

Furthermore, since arriving at her home, Sakura Baimu no longer needed to conceal her identity and removed her hooded garment with two holes, revealing her naturally long, deep blue hair and slender blue horse ears.

They were exactly like the Mejiro Sakura that Akikawa Yayoi remembered from—the one who raced across the track, unmatched and invincible.

The only difference was that Sakura Baimu had grown her hair long since her suspension.

“I still prefer you the way you are,” Akikawa Yayoi suddenly said with a smile, “especially when you’re running.”

“Too bad, after today I’ll have to go back to my black-haired human form,” Sakura Baimu spoke, looking up at Akikawa Yayoi with a teasing tone.

“Speaking of which, Obey Your Master invited me to their academy today. She told me that if I go to America, I can compete directly without worrying about the ban from Japan.”

Akikawa Yayoi was startled by this and quickly asked,

“You agreed?”

“Of course not,” Sakura Baimu said softly, “I don’t have that deep longing for competition anymore, and plus, with TCB getting more and more lively now, there’s no way I could abandon it.”

“Then you have nothing else you’ll miss?”

“Yes, Berno Light, Oguri, Tama—I miss them so much.” Sakura Baimu smiled again at Akikawa Yayoi, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Akikawa Yayoi’s cheeks puffed out when she heard Sakura Baimu deliberately avoiding mentioning her.

“Fine then, Sakura! I strongly suspect now that the reason you insisted on moving out of my house back then was because you felt living with me interfered with your going out to hook up with your fillies, didn't you?”

--

Chapter 150: Has Sakura already given birth?

The next day, under the strange gazes of her TCB trainees, Sakura Baimu pushed open the door to the TCB activity room.

"Today is Pluto Academy's last day here. After they leave, it'll be busy with competitions again."

"Teiō, your next competition with McQueen is the Tenno Sho in the fall. After the Tenno Sho, McQueen will compete in the Japan Cup, and Teiō, you'll be participating in the Breeders' Cup Turf."

...

Sakura Baimu went through the schedule as usual, but after a while, she noticed that her Umamusume all had rather strange expressions.

"What's wrong? What's with those expressions?"

"We're wondering what Maruzensky-senpai wanted to talk to Trainer-san about yesterday?"

Tokai Teio spoke, propping her head up with her arm and laughing.

“It’s nothing, I’m not even close to Maruzensky.”

“Trainer-san, you’re lying! I’ve never seen Maruzensky look like that before! She’s more excited than if she’d seen a sports car!” Tokai Teio shouted again.

As soon as Tokai Teio finished speaking, everyone in the TCB activity room nodded in unison.

“Uh… actually, Maruzensky-senpai saw that Junkawa-san wasn’t riding in her car, so she wanted to invite me to ride with her,” Sakura Baimu said.

“Hmm—?”

Mejiro McQueen stroked her chin, looking at Sakura Baimu with a suspicious gaze, as if she didn’t believe her.

"She's definitely hiding something. Look at how guilty she was yesterday; it must be something very serious."

"McQueen, that's enough! Don't think I don't know. You took leave last week saying you had a stomachache and didn't come to practice, but you went to Osaka to watch baseball..."

Sakura Baimu was interrupted halfway through her sentence by Mejiro McQueen, whose expression suddenly turned terrified, as she rushed in front of her and covered her mouth.

Mejiro McQueen was secretly a passionate baseball fan, but to outsiders, baseball was actually a rather ordinary sport.

Completely inconsistent with her status as the heiress of the Mejiro family.

Therefore, Mejiro McQueen had always kept her passionate love for baseball a secret from everyone.

But...

"How did she know?!"

Mejiro McQueen felt a chill run down her spine. It was as if Sakura Baimu had eyes in the back of her head.

Like she always knowing exactly what she was thinking or doing.

"Huh—? McQueen, you went to Osaka last week? What did you do there?" Tokai Teio asked, puzzled.

"Nothing! Trainer-san was just kidding, just kidding~" Mejiro McQueen said, then gave Sakura Baimu a cold look, as if to say, "You're going to die if you tell me."

Sakura Baimu nodded. "That's right, I was just kidding about my stockings~"

"Pfft—"

"Hahahaha."

Hearing Sakura Baimu's convincing imitation of Mejiro McQueen's tone, the other Umamusumes in the room burst into laughter.

Mejiro McQueen blushed furiously, her face turning red to the roots of her neck.

Everyone's attention was diverted, and no one mentioned Sakura Baimu and Maruzensky's incident from yesterday.

Sakura Baimu, as usual, took the team to watch the match for a while.

Today, Obey Your Master once again challenged Oguri Cap.

In the end, Obey Your Master lost by a margin of 7 lengths, while the usually goofy-looking Oguri Cap, after activating her Zone and defeating Obey Your Master, showed little sign of fatigue.

“Is this Oguri-senpai’s strength? So… so strong!”

Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black stared wide-eyed at the gray-haired, aloof beauty raising her arms after the finish line, their eyes wide with astonishment.

“Of course, Oguri-senpai was the strongest Umamusume of her era. Although she lost to Obey Your Master in the Japan Cup, she’s now far stronger than in the arena,” Tokai Teio said.

“The strongest…! Was there really no one in that era who could rival Oguri-senpai?” Kitasan Black asked.

“Yes, the Heisei Three powerhouses—Inari One, Super Creek, Tamamo Cross, Obey Your Master, and Yae Muteki—all beat Oguri, but Oguri usually beat them all back later,” Sakura Baimu said.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Mejiro McQueen said calmly.

“Hmm?” Sakura Baimu smiled. “What, McQueen, do you have a problem with that?”

“There is one person who has defeated Oguri-senpai several times, but Oguri-senpai has never beaten her.”

“Several times? Who is this Umamusume? Does she even exist?” Tokai Teio asked, puzzled by Mejiro McQueen’s words.

She didn’t recall anyone having beaten Oguri Cap multiple times, yet Oguri Cap had never won against her—an unknown Umamusume.

“My sister,” Mejiro McQueen spoke casually. “When Oguri-senpai was in the lower ranks, she lost to Sakura several times, and she never won back.”

“Oh, is that the sister you mentioned, the one who challenged the Tenno Sho in her first G1?” Satono Diamond’s face lit up with excitement. “Ms. McQueen’s sister is so amazing! She never even lost to Oguri-senpai!”

“Who are you talking about, McQueen’s sister? Someone from the same generation as Oguri-senpai? Is it Ardan-senpai?” Smart Falcon asked, confused.

“No, her name is Mejiro Sakura, but she got suspended and stopped competing,” Satono Diamond explained to Smart Falcon.

“Mejiro Sakura? Falco hasn’t heard of that name before… Is she from our academy?”

“No,” Mejiro McQueen replied.

“Oh, no wonder.”

Sakura Baimu stood to the side, listening to her teammates excitedly reminiscing about her past, and suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

“I wonder what their expressions will be when they find out that the person they’re talking about is their trainer?”

Sakura Baimu thought to herself, a slight smile playing on her lips.

But just then, Mejiro McQueen turned around and saw Sakura Baimu’s expression, immediately misunderstanding.

“Hmph.”

Mejiro McQueen snorted and turned away.

The TCB trainees had already heard about Mejiro Sakura from Mejiro McQueen, but Smart Falcon joined the team later and wasn't entirely sure, so she asked another question.

"By the way, where did Miss McQueen's sister go after she was suspended?"

Sakura Baimu raised an eyebrow, drank water and wondered how Mejiro McQueen would answer.

Mejiro McQueen gave the same answer she'd given Tokai Teio.

"Maybe she went back to her hometown? Maybe she's in love, married, and has kids?"

"Pfft—" Sakura Baimu burst out, choking the water she drank.

The TCB trainees turned around in confusion, only to see Sakura Baimu coughing violently, clutching her throat.

“Hey, McQueen, can I ask you something? How old is your sister?” Sakura Baimu took a while to recover.

“I don’t know. In my memory, she’s very mature, probably much older than me.”

“You just said your sister and Oguri Cap are from the same generation, right?”

“Yeah, why?” Mejiro McQueen asked, puzzled.

“So, why do you think your sister already has children?!”

--