Shuta called Symboli Rudolf.
Naturally, his hope was that Miss Rudolf—the "Emperor" herself—might spare some time to serve as a training partner for Oguri Cap. The request sounded audacious, even presumptuous, yet precedent existed. With that thin justification in mind, the young man still made the call.
Naturally, Symboli Rudolf refused. Her reasoning was impeccable and impossible to refute.
"If I assist Miss Oguri Cap with special training for the Arima Kinen," she said calmly, "the very next day, reporters will publish headlines claiming I'm showing favoritism. If Shuta-kun believes that won't be an issue, then I personally have no objections."
Shuta An fell silent.
Oguri Cap was already shouldering immense pressure on her own. Adding unnecessary external scrutiny—especially one that might implicate the Emperor—would only weigh heavier on her heart.
In the end, he chose restraint.
However, his original goal merely required a slight adjustment.
Thus, before hanging up, Symboli Rudolf gave him a different promise. She would send over an Uma Musume strong enough to serve as Oguri Cap's training partner.
—
"I wonder who Miss Rudolf will send~" Shuta An muttered after ending the call.
"Someone from the Student Council? Surely not Tokai Teio… If it really is Teio, I'll have to send her straight back. Training with Oguri would be far too intense for her right now."
—
The next morning, while Shuta An was in the middle of breakfast, the doorbell rang.
He hurried to open it.
Standing outside was a familiar figure—white lab coat, lively eyes, and an irrepressible grin.
"Yaa~ Shuta-kun. Long time no see." Agnes Tachyon waved cheerfully.
"Why is it you?" Shuta An frowned openly, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "If I remember correctly, Miss Agnes Tachyon hasn't debuted in the Twinkle Series yet, right?"
"Correct!" Agnes Tachyon puffed out her chest proudly. "And it'll still be a while before that happens. But I'm not here to run today."
She leaned forward slightly, eyes glittering.
"I'm here to test my brand-new invention on Oguri Cap."
"New invention?" Shuta An shut the door without hesitation. "No. Absolutely not. We have no intention of becoming Miss Agnes Tachyon's experimental subjects."
Of course, in the end, he still let her in. Mainly because Oguri Cap—upon hearing the words "new invention"—had displayed an unmistakable curiosity.
Agnes Tachyon's suitcase wasn't very large. Shuta An glanced at it, judged that it probably didn't contain anything resembling a corpse, and reluctantly relaxed a fraction.
Even so, when it came to Agnes Tachyon, he believed no amount of caution was excessive.
She noticed his wariness immediately, yet as always paid it no mind. Today, at least, she had no intention of doing anything reckless to Oguri Cap. Still, as she adjusted the equipment inside the gym, a quiet thought crossed her mind.
"Shuta-kun's protectiveness toward Oguri Cap is really obvious…far beyond the usual relationship between a Trainer and an Uma Musume."
—
Half an hour later, Agnes Tachyon handed Oguri Cap a pair of glasses and headphones and guided her onto the treadmill.
"This equipment simulates a scenario where you're being chased," she explained, snapping her fingers lightly. "I've tested it on one of my classmates before. The feedback was excellent."
Shuta An considered it briefly. In essence, it was still just a treadmill—there was no realistic way it could injure Oguri Cap.
"Alright," he said. "Oguri, give it a try."
The machine started.
At first, Oguri Cap jogged steadily, her rhythm calm and composed. Then, about a minute later—
"Ah!"
She let out a sharp scream and suddenly accelerated. Her speed surged violently. If not for the treadmill being a specialized model designed for Uma Musume, she would have been flung off instantly.
The acceleration showed no signs of slowing. Shuta An judged the timing and decisively called out.
"Stop it!"
The machine powered down.
"What happened?" he demanded, turning toward Agnes Tachyon.
"It would be better for Miss Oguri Cap to explain herself," Agnes Tachyon replied with a smile that looked, for once, slightly stiff.
Shuta An turned.
Oguri Cap had already removed the glasses and headphones. She stepped off the treadmill, breathing heavily, one hand pressed against her chest.
"That scared me to death…" she muttered, her voice still shaken.
Then she explained.
"Someone behind me shouted 'robbery'… and then fired a gun. It didn't hit me, but I felt the wind of the bullet brush past my cheek. It was too real. Even though I knew it wasn't real, I was still terrified."
"Ah." Agnes Tachyon froze. "I think I may have miscalibrated it."
"Huh?" Shuta An slowly turned his head. His gaze locked onto the white lab coat. "Miss Agnes Tachyon?"
"I-I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "That gunfight perspective was meant for someone else. I'll recalibrate it right away!"
With a whoosh, she sprang up like a green onion yanked from dry soil and rushed back to the machine.
—
After adjustments were complete, Oguri Cap resumed training. This time, everything proceeded smoothly. An hour later, she stepped down from the treadmill, eyes shining with satisfaction.
"It felt like Miss Secretariat was chasing me from behind the whole time."
"Why use her as an example?" Shuta An asked reflexively.
"Because the mode prepared for Oguri Cap already includes Miss Secretariat's data," Agnes Tachyon replied smugly, chin raised. "I had the research institute at West Coast Tracen Academy collect it. Dr. Grace and I collaborate often, so I called in a small favor. Ho ho."
Shuta An's eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is excellent," he said at last. "Let's keep it here."
"Oh no, you can't." Agnes Tachyon refused without hesitation. "It's not a finished product yet. It needs continuous iteration. Dr. Grace and I will continue joint research on it."
She paused, then added, "Leaving it here temporarily to help Oguri Cap train is fine. But I can't just give it to you."
"Alright." At the mention of Dr. Grace, Shuta An knew pressing further was pointless. He nodded and accepted the terms.
—
After seeing Agnes Tachyon off, and while Oguri Cap and Berno Light went out for a walk, Shuta An quietly returned to the gym. He put on the glasses and headphones himself. The moment he started running, a familiar presence surged behind him.
"It really does feel like Secretariat." A chill ran down his spine. "How did she even manage this…?!"
He stopped almost immediately. Racing against Secretariat—even a simulated one—was not something an ordinary human should attempt.
Removing the equipment, Shuta An left the gym without another word.
"Even if I asked about the technical details, I probably wouldn't understand them anyway," he muttered softly.
"I should focus on studying the opponents for the Arima Kinen."
On December 20th, the Arima Kinen draw ceremony was held at its usual venue. Naturally, every member of Team Sadalsuud was required to attend.
The day before the ceremony, Oguri Cap received a newly tailored racing uniform sent by the URA Association. The moment she put it on, it was obvious she liked it very much. Shuta An reached out and rubbed the collar between his fingers. His brows lifted slightly in surprise.
"It's fleece-lined on the inside," he remarked. "I was worried earlier that Oguri might feel cold wearing this on Arima Kinen day."
"Of course not." Oguri Cap tugged at the collar herself, answering without hesitation. "I wouldn't feel cold even without the fleece."
"That won't do." Shuta An reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. "Ruining your health for the sake of 'dignity' is not something I'll ever encourage."
"But everyone else does it—" Oguri Cap turned her head slightly, her voice soft.
"That's everyone else." Shuta An took a few steps away, then turned back to face her. "Oguri is different to me."
He took her hand and asked, "How many sets of this uniform did the URA send?"
"Quite a lot—I haven't counted carefully, but there should be more than six sets?" Oguri Cap's gaze drifted aside. For some reason, she felt a faint sense of unease.
"Then wear this one tonight," Shuta An leaned in closer and lowered his voice.
Oguri Cap froze. Her face flushed red, and her body trembled faintly.
"I mean—for the draw ceremony banquet," Shuta An immediately realized the ambiguity and hastily corrected himself.
"I know," Oguri Cap pouted, turning her head away again. There was a trace of dissatisfaction in her tone.
"She's really hard to read," Shuta An muttered inwardly.
—
That evening, Team Sadalsuud—three people in total—arrived at the draw ceremony venue with only five minutes remaining before it began.
"This time we're right on time," Shuta An said quietly after the attendant led them to their seats. He glanced around before speaking to Oguri Cap and Berno Light. "Last time, we arrived too early."
"Yeah," Berno Light nodded. "The venue was empty for so long back then—it made me feel uncomfortable all over. This timing feels much better."
"I just hope Oguri gets a good gate again this year," Shuta An said, looking down at his hands.
He had his reasons. The rules for this year's draw differed from last year's.
This time, Symboli Rudolf would first draw the name of the Uma Musume. Then, that Uma Musume's Trainer would select a hollow ball marked with a letter. Inside the ball would be the gate number assigned to that horse.
"Every year the URA Association comes up with something fancy," Berno Light shook her head lightly. "They really put in the effort."
"Well, the Arima Kinen draw ceremony is broadcast live," Shuta An shrugged. "If it's the same routine every year, ratings won't hold."
Oguri Cap stared quietly at the drawing apparatus on the stage, saying nothing.
Among the Trainers participating in this year's Arima Kinen, only Nase Fumino had any prior interaction with Shuta An. As a result, he didn't strike up conversations this time and simply remained seated during the final few minutes.
From a distance, Nase Fumino noticed Team Sadalsuud—but she had no intention of approaching them. Super Creek now regarded Oguri Cap as her greatest rival. If her Trainer were to casually chat with Oguri Cap's team, Super Creek might misunderstand.
For the sake of the Uma Musume she was responsible for, Nase Fumino chose to pretend she hadn't seen them at all.
—
Soon, the draw ceremony officially began.
As expected, the host was still Symboli Rudolf. Until she stepped down as Student Council President of Central Tracen Academy, there would be no change.
The "Emperor" stood calmly on the stage, smiling faintly as she swept her gaze across the audience.
"The 34th Arima Kinen draw ceremony," she announced, "now begins."
Without delay, the ceremony moved into a review of last year's race. The giant screen behind her lit up, replaying footage of the previous Arima Kinen.
Oguri Cap lifted her head, watching her own figure appear on the screen.
"It's already been a year" Berno Light murmured. "Time really flies."
———
"'Oguri Cap! Tamamo Cross! Oguri Cap! Tamamo Cross! Tamamo Cross, who had pulled ahead by half a length, has been caught by Oguri Cap again! Oguri's speed looks even greater now—she's pulling away!'"
"'She's done it! Even the 2500-meter long-distance turf race she had never challenged before is no obstacle at all! So what if she hasn't raced at Nakayama before?! The French Two Crowns Uma Musume proves with her results why we say—the strong remain strong!'"
When the finish was shown, many Uma Musume in the audience turned their gaze toward the gray-haired girl sitting calmly in her seat.
"Last year's champion…and this year's Japan Cup winner too." Inari One stared at Oguri Cap's back, silently steeling herself. "There's no doubt—she's the opponent I must defeat."
"The Arima Kinen's final straight is much shorter than the Japan Cup's," she reminded herself. "I have to move earlier. I can't repeat the same mistake."
—
While Inari One was still lost in thought, the draw segment had already begun. The very first name drawn was Oguri Cap.
Shuta An stood and took the microphone from the attendant.
"Trainer," Symboli Rudolf asked with a smile, "which ball will you choose?"
"There's no 'O,' so I'll choose 'C,'" Shuta An replied smoothly. "For Oguri Cap."
"Very well."
Symboli Rudolf lifted the hollow ball marked with the letter C, opened it, removed the slip inside, and unfolded it for the audience to see.
Printed clearly on the paper was the number 1.
Gate number 1.
"Do you have anything to say about this result?" Symboli Rudolf asked, following procedure.
"The innermost lane—" Shuta An frowned for a brief moment, then quickly forced a smile. "Gate number 1 is a good gate. I believe Oguri will also take first place in the Arima Kinen."
After sitting down, he let out a quiet sigh.
"Why did it have to be gate number 1?"
In truth, this was the one draw he had hoped to avoid. Whether a Senko-runner or a horse running mid-pack, starting from the innermost gate carried a high risk of being boxed in.
The danger was simply too great.