Offside Trap turned to look at the runners behind her.
Little Star—whose reaction had first made her realize what many European racing fans thought of Terizumi Shinji—was now gasping for breath. If Strange Gleam hadn't been supporting her from the side, she might already have collapsed to the ground.
There was no frustration on Little Star's face. On the contrary, the moment she noticed Offside Trap looking back, a flicker of delight lit up her eyes. This was the horse girl she admired—the one who had just displayed overwhelming power even in the Eclipse Stakes, using a race that left the rest of the field hopelessly behind to prove that she truly was the strongest middle-distance horse girl of this era.
Standing beside her, Strange Gleam naturally saw that expression.
She could only sigh inwardly.
Her friend was really too much—too deep in it, and far too self-indulgent.
Offside Trap's gaze had already turned cool toward her, yet Little Star still admired her strength with complete sincerity.
Of course, Strange Gleam acknowledged that Offside Trap was an extraordinarily outstanding horse girl.
But she also believed that one day, sooner or later, she herself would become the new world number one.
Still, before that day came...
Strange Gleam lifted her eyes toward the stands.
She saw the man standing in the very front row.
She wasn't entertaining any thoughts of becoming his horse girl.
What she had truly come to understand was just how much of a difference an exceptional trainer could make to a horse girl.
Taking a quiet breath, Strange Gleam helped Little Star forward until they stood before Offside Trap, then lowered her head slightly.
"Congratulations, senpai."
Offside Trap gave a small nod.
Her response was distant now, a touch colder than before. But under Little Star's watchful gaze, she still chose to say one thing.
"He's the finest trainer there is," she said. "In the entire world. Don't doubt that."
Little Star's face went blank with confusion, but Offside Trap didn't care whether she understood or not. She turned and headed toward Terizumi Shinji.
In the post-race interview, she already knew exactly what she wanted to say.
And before that, she had no intention of telling Shinji in advance.
This was her own decision, made on the spot.
She didn't actually know what kind of attitude he would take toward it—but she had to make her own stance clear.
"Wait!"
Crocodile Red came hurrying over just as Offside Trap reached Shinji's side.
Shinji had quietly translated what Offside Trap had just said, and Offside Trap listened intently even amid the deafening roar from the stands.
That was simply the kind of horse girl she was.
No matter how loud the noise, no matter how huge the crowd, she could always spot Terizumi Shinji at first glance.
And among all the voices, his was the one she would hear first.
Turning to Crocodile Red, Offside Trap saw that the other girl had lost the fierce determination she'd worn before the race.
The gap had simply been too large.
Especially on a course built so heavily around pure finishing speed, this race had shaken Crocodile Red's faith in her own late kick for the first time.
"What did you do?" Crocodile Red asked.
She was the kind of horse girl who truly wanted to improve. So even though the runner in front of her was the very same Offside Trap who had just beaten her—and a foreign horse girl whose language she couldn't even understand—she still wanted to ask. She still wanted to learn.
Crocodile Red spoke with her hands as much as her voice, earnestness plain on her face.
Seeing that, Offside Trap's expression eased a little.
Crocodile Red was clearly the type to accept defeat when defeat was deserved, and then go back and work on herself. That sincerity didn't repel Offside Trap.
"Train harder," she said.
Just four simple words.
Yet Crocodile Red's face only grew more bewildered.
The truth was, she already worked very hard. But the gulf between her and Offside Trap clearly wasn't something that could be erased through ordinary effort alone.
The effects of Vassal Lord had already turned Offside Trap into a being that ordinary horse girls could no longer surpass through hard work alone.
A trace of unwillingness flashed through Crocodile Red—but she also understood that pressing any further would be rude.
So she could only leave with that confusion and frustration still unresolved, heading off toward the underground passage.
Offside Trap leaned over and whispered the whole exchange into Shinji's ear.
Then, glancing at the very front of the stands, she saw a group of Japanese fans—people who must have flown all the way here just to see the Eclipse Stakes in person—waving banners with wild excitement, shouting themselves hoarse.
Back when she had first gone abroad, no one had dared imagine this.
No one would have thought that one day, a Japanese horse girl would be able to win a race like this in Britain with such overwhelming authority.
It was not a stolen victory.
Not luck.
Not some fluke produced by a favorable setup.
It was domination.
It was enough to make even those who had doubted Japan's place on the world stage begin to believe.
The applause crashed down in waves.
Shinji stood there, watching Offside Trap bathed in the feverish cheers of the crowd. The corners of his mouth lifted, just a little.
Offside Trap noticed.
And smiled back.
Her smile was bright, but the emotion in her eyes was something fiercer.
This wasn't just joy from winning.
This wasn't just relief.
It was satisfaction.
Because she had finally gotten what she wanted.
Not merely another victory.
But the chance to prove, in the clearest way possible, before everyone watching—
that Terizumi Shinji was worthy of standing here with her.
That the man behind her was not some lucky trainer who had stumbled into success.
That he was, quite simply, the best.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 210)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Completed)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Completed)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed)
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 240
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 160
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 125
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 180
My Harem Is Indescribable 110
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 115
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 120
Still playing traditional Honk 105
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120
What Should I Do After Switchi 70
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 140
Checking In in Demon Slayer 100
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 115
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 95
MYGO Beauties 80
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 100
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 135
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 70
The Uma Musume Who Became 75
I'm Definitely Not the King of 130
After Maxing Out Every Class 135
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 120
I, the Elden Sword Saint 70
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 65
No One Knows Pokémon Better 65
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 65
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 105
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 120
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 80
Honkai: The Fire Devil 115
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/70
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 85
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 80
At age 8, she co-starred with 80
Honkai: Schicksal Media 81
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 70
Chainsaw Man, but I'm Aatrox 60
Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 45
Morgan Shirou's Journey in Dan 43
DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 70
Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried! 36
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