"So, after the Satsuki Sho, we might have to clash with McQueen and the others? The Japanese Derby… is going to be a rough race."
The training today was more intense than any of their previous training sessions due to the quickly approaching Satsuki Sho. After knowing who their opponents were, both T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto trained with even stronger enthusiasm than before.
The two Uma Musume continuously ran multiple training exercises on the track. If Wada hadn't told them to take a break, they might have continued to train indefinitely.
Now it was already evening, and Wada was still in the team building that had just been assigned to them, making plans. With the Satsuki Sho imminent, the pressure he faced also increased, especially since after the Satsuki Sho, he would have to immediately face the combination of Mejiro McQueen and Imanami.
This Japanese Derby will be different from the one he faced before. Although Mejiro McQueen is a late-blooming Uma Musume due to her Mejiro bloodline, her Trainer this time was the old Imanami. Compared to him, he could only be considered a rookie who just started; to go up against an experienced old monster like Imanami was something he wouldn't have dared to imagine before.
And in the end, it was still Mejiro McQueen. Although she was currently nowhere near her peak, she is definitely not an opponent to be underestimated. If Wada wanted to defeat Mejiro McQueen in the Japanese Derby, he would have to make extensive preparations. (T/N: Ah yes, my Anti-McQueen technique that I haven't used since the Heian Era)
Of course, he'll have to win the Satsuki Sho first before considering anything else… "Tap, tap, tap."
"Hmm? It's already so late, who hasn't gone back?" Wada couldn't help but murmur to himself, raising his head. By this time, Ikezoe and Imanami should have already gone back.
"Ryuji? Are you in there?"
"…T.M. Opera O?"
Following Wada's reply, the door opened, and T.M. Opera O's figure slowly walked in under the lights, but she looked a little different from usual.
T.M. Opera O's attire had undergone an astonishing change. T.M. Opera O, who was originally wearing training clothes, had at some point changed into a very glamorous outfit. White clothes paired with various pink embellishments, white stockings and golden shoes on her lower body, and what was even more eye-catching, of course, was the pink and golden embellished cape on her back. (T/N: The cape is essential for Aura farming)
"…T.M. Opera O, are you going to perform in another one of your plays?" Wada was a bit stunned at the sight of T.M. Opera O being dressed like a monarch and subconsciously asked.
"Hahahaha! That was a good joke, Ryuji~ But this isn't a costume for my stage plays; it's my winning uniform for the upcoming Satsuki Sho!" T.M. Opera O responded with her usual dramatic gestures.
However, as she spoke, she didn't forget to spin around in place, seemingly to let Wada get a clear view of her full appearance, then said self-indulgently: "It was just delivered to me last night, a custom-designed winning uniform provided by Tracen Academy!"
"How is it? Ryuji, there's no need to say more; your eyes have already said it all! Feel free to praise the infinite charm of me, the Overlord!"
T.M. Opera O was very confident that her winning uniform would fit Wada's taste, and she wasn't wrong. T.M. Opera O and Wada shared similar fashion aesthetics, and Wada found T.M. Opera O's winning uniform genuinely pleasing to the eye:
"Though it's good looking... can you really run in this? Won't it hinder your performance?"
Wada was a bit confused. Though the existence of Uma Musume was practically magical in of itself and had surprised Wada and the other two Trainers several times, this was the first time Wada had seen an Uma Musume's winning uniform.
But he couldn't help but wonder, how could one effectively run in such clothing? Wouldn't it just restrict the performance of the Uma Musume wearing it? He had seen Symboli Rudolf's outfit from a picture, and although it also felt quite flashy, it didn't seem so cumbersome.
"Hahahaha! Ryuji, there's no need for you to worry. For us Uma Musume, not only do winning uniforms not cause us any discomfort, but they can also help us to perform at our absolute best!"
"If you don't believe me, how about I go run a lap on the track now? I will prove to you that the advantages of the winning uniform are absolutely beyond your imagination!"
"…Like right now? But it's so late."
Wada subconsciously glanced at his phone; it was already eleven at night. Then he looked at T.M. Opera O and asked, "By the way, where's Meisho Doto? Why isn't she here?"
"Ah, Doto seemed to have overtrained a bit this morning. She's probably fast asleep in her dorm now~"
T.M. Opera O had already gone to Meisho Doto's dorm to look for her before coming. However, Air Shakur, her roommate, had actively hinted for her to be quiet when she arrived, and then T.M. Opera O saw Meisho Doto in deep sleep from exhaustion, seemingly impossible to wake up.
Thus, T.M. Opera O came by herself. Anyway, Meisho Doto would probably be very happy to tell Wada about her winning uniform tomorrow. On the other hand, T.M. Opera O still felt that her training was still not enough compared to Meisho Doto's, so she specifically came to Wada for another training session.
Fortunately, Meisho Doto was sleeping soundly now and didn't know about this, otherwise she would definitely get a bit anxious—the anxiety of the idea that someone more talented than her was also working harder than her…
"I think your Pace Chaser running style has been improved by a significant margin. The only thing left we can do is to fix some minor bad habits, and that's not something that can be changed in a day or two."
After changing his clothes and grabbing his equipment again, Wada went to the training ground with T.M. Opera O. The training ground was empty now, and Wada said to T.M. Opera O:
"In any case, let's train your final spurt now since I usually don't let you practice it—T.M. Opera O, first run a lap on the 2000-meter track at your usual pace, and then I'll adjust where the final spurt's burst point should be based on your situation."
"No problem at all~"
T.M. Opera O didn't say another word and immediately stepped onto the training ground. And at Wada's command, T.M. Opera O took her first steps without delay, running across the track.
"…Amazing, that cape really has no effect on her running? Not only was her focus more concentrated than usual, but her running is completely unaffected by the fact that she is wearing high heels... In fact, isn't she even faster than her usual speed?"
Wada, holding a stopwatch, was truly startled by this seemingly magical piece of clothing that apparently just... exists in this world. Such a flashy outfit not only had no negative effects on how Uma Musume ran, but actually had an enhancing effect instead!
At this moment, T.M. Opera O, wearing her winning uniform, was undoubtedly stronger than her usual self. Does this world really have magic? Wada couldn't help but think so. He vaguely recalled one of the most prominent legends and religions in this world, the 'Three Goddesses,' which he had always dismissed since things like gods still felt too removed from him.
"Oh, isn't that… Meisho Doto's Trainer?"
"Hmm?"
However, in the distance, two Uma Musume figures appeared late at night. One of them seemed to have seen Wada's back and couldn't help but say to the Uma Musume beside her: "Vega, that really is Meisho Doto's Trainer! But why is he here so late?"
"…It seems like our thoughts had aligned. Our rival seems to be even more diligent than us."
The Uma Musume referred to as Vega was undoubtedly the Uma Musume Wada had listed as one of the strongest rivals in the Satsuki Sho, Admire Vega. And the blonde-haired Uma Musume beside her was the other one, Narita Top Road.
"Wait, that girl doesn't seem like Meisho Doto." Admire Vega was also quite curious about this Trainer who had taken in Meisho Doto. Although she didn't like to interact with others much, she was rather interested in Wada.
But soon, she clearly saw that the one running on the track in the dark was undoubtedly not Meisho Doto, but T.M. Opera O.
"Did T.M. Opera O seek him out for a private tutoring session?" Admire Vega said faintly, then recalled Meisho Doto's joy when she had previously shared with them that she had found a Trainer.
A subtle emotion welled up deep inside her, and she said to Narita Top Road: "Let's go meet him."
"Hehe, perfect, I also want to see what kind of person Meisho Doto's Trainer is." Narita Top Road also nodded with interest. She was very curious what type of person this Trainer was who could make Meisho Doto so happy from the moment she became his assigned Uma Musume.
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The demon of babylon disguises itself with the coat of the righteous. Narita Top Road actually getting properly introduced in the story now is a sign, an omen for what is to come.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.