Chapter 132: The #1 Taunting Uma Musume

The Tenno Sho of the Twinkle Series G1 races.

As its name suggests, this is a race with a long history and immense prestige.

The glamorous path of young champions that determines the strongest of a generation—the Classic races.

Another path of supremacy, the contest to decide the holder of another crown—the Tiara races.

The slightly early dream matches held in June and December—the Grand Prix races.

Alongside these, the Tenno Sho—held twice a year, in spring and autumn—also draws tremendous attention.

It is one of the Eight Great Races, the highest tier of domestic G1 competition.

Now then, the two races included under the Tenno Sho—the Tenno Sho (Spring) and Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Their defining feature is the difference in conditions.

The Tenno Sho (Spring) is the longest domestic G1 at 3200 meters, held at Kyoto Racecourse, where stamina is easily depleted. It measures the quality of a runner’s endurance over long distances.

By contrast, the Tenno Sho (Autumn) is the shortest race in the middle-distance category at 2000 meters. It does not demand as much stamina, but instead requires explosive acceleration and burst power.

In other words, these two races demand completely opposite aptitudes—completely different abilities.

One theory says the reason for this drastic difference is that, in the past, a “strong Uma Musume” was defined as someone capable of running both short and long distances.

Even if sprints and miles are considered separate disciplines, from middle-distance to long-distance—where endurance becomes a major factor—the true elite were those who could conquer them all.

…But in reality, the Satsuki Sho and Japan Derby at 2000 and 2400 meters, and the Kikuka Sho at 3000 meters, require vastly different aptitudes.

That is one reason Triple Crown Uma Musume are so rare. A middle-distance runner capable of winning the Satsuki Sho or Japan Derby often struggles in the Kikuka Sho.

As a result—though it is a rather harsh way to put it—the Kikuka Sho sometimes gets labeled a “second-chance bracket” for those who failed to win the first two… but that is beside the point.

Recently, the prevailing mindset has shifted toward “Uma Musume should simply achieve results in the division they excel in,” so versatility alone is not necessarily viewed as strength anymore.

It is not… but even so, just like the reverence for Triple Crown winners, there remains a cultural tendency to regard those who can dominate both middle and long distances as the strongest. At this point, it is practically an unspoken convention.

Well, I mean, if someone has that kind of broad strength, they are obviously powerful.

But if we go by the logic that “the wider your competitive distance range, the stronger you are,” then the strongest in this world would be Happy Meek.

She has won a G1 once at every distance—from sprint to long-distance.

…Even thinking about it again, that is ridiculous, Meek.

A full-distance G1 sweep like that is unprecedented. Honestly, I cannot imagine anyone else ever achieving it.

Every single one of her distance aptitudes is rated A. If anything, even her running styles—front-runner and stalker—are both A. The breadth and height of her aptitude are extraordinary beyond doubt.

To be honest, she is on par with Wilm… depending on how you look at it, maybe even more talented.

Well, even so, the strongest is still my Wilm…

I will prove that at the Takarazuka Kinen, anyway.

…Alright, I have drifted off topic quite a bit.

Back to the Tenno Sho.

The Tenno Sho is one of the Twinkle Series’ premier races, with a long history and high prestige.

Because the winner is presented with a ceremonial shield at the awards ceremony, winning this race is often referred to as “taking the Shield,” and many Uma Musume aim for the day they can claim that honor.

…Yes.

The Uma Musume who just spoke is no exception.

"Yes. I intend to approach this Tenno Sho as a challenger.

The honor of the Shield is the Mejiro family’s long-cherished wish. However, I cannot allow that pressure to crush me.

As a Mejiro Uma Musume—and as the racing Uma Musume Mejiro McQueen—I will face this race with sincerity."

Holding a microphone in her hand and facing numerous cameras pointed her way, Mejiro McQueen spoke with dignified confidence.

A pre-race interview with the participating Uma Musume.

With the Twinkle Series G1 races being such massive events, this kind of segment is almost guaranteed to take place beforehand.

Perhaps it truly deserves to be called a national sport—whether television, newspapers, or online articles, these features attract enormous attention.

And the two Uma Musume under my care are both already G1 titleholders.

What is more, both of them were popular enough to be the race favorites in the G1 events they entered.

Naturally, that means Wilm and Bourbon are frequently invited to interview segments like these.

In almost every case, arrangements are made with the URA before any request reaches us.

Which means that, since we belong to Tracen Academy under the URA umbrella, declining is not really an option.

For trainers, it is compulsory work handed down from above. For the Uma Musume—who are still students—it probably feels more like a class activity… or maybe a field trip.

Because of that, we have done interviews many times already.

Still, it is easy to forget because they are so reliable, but Uma Musume are still young girls. As adults, we trainers usually stand beside them—or watch from backstage.

Well, Wilm has been handling things flawlessly lately, even keeping her answers fresh, so there is no need to worry…

Bourbon might need a bit more supervision. She is not the type to smile on her own initiative, and she tends to give unintentionally blunt answers.

And so, for this Tenno Sho as well, we received an interview request.

The date was two days before the race—today.

That day, I visited the television station with Wilm.

It is a place we come to at least once a month in January, sometimes nearly ten times at most.

We are used to it by now, and Wilm did not even seem nervous. As we entered the dressing room, she simply said, "I would like to get back to training as soon as possible, so I hope today’s recording wraps up quickly."

But we were not alone.

There were two other pairs of Uma Musume and trainers there.

Naturally—the Tokai Teio team and the Mejiro McQueen team.

The three Uma Musume drawing the most attention for this Tenno Sho are:

One—undisputedly the strongest active runner, and a stayer perfectly suited for the Spring Tenno Sho—Hoshino Wilm.

Of course, my beloved horse is the strongest, so she will win this Tenno Sho too… though some experts are concerned she has never raced 3200 meters before.

Actually, having raced under those exact conditions is a major advantage. Conversely, lacking that experience is a disadvantage.

Well, she will win anyway.

Because she is my beloved horse—Hoshino Wilm. That alone is reason enough to believe.

One—the top-class active stayer, Mejiro McQueen.

Following last year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn), she enters this race hoping to fulfill her long-cherished goal. Her distance aptitude and stats match the race conditions perfectly.

Furthermore, she alone among the three has experience running last year’s Spring Tenno Sho—that is a unique advantage.

And most importantly, she shows neither arrogance nor mental instability under pressure. Both her body and mind are in peak condition.

Right now, she is an extremely stable G1 Uma Musume. A flawless star performer, you could say.

One—though she has more conditional concerns than the other two, she still stands alongside them as an elite runner—Tokai Teio.

Apparently, because of her heavy losses in the Satsuki Sho and the recent Arima Kinen, she is seen as more inconsistent compared to the steady Wilm and McQueen.

…In one sense, that assessment is correct.

Setting aside the lows—I do not know any Uma Musume whose highs are as extreme as hers.

When Teio gets serious, the stats I see and the condition data I analyze all become meaningless.

She is not stable—but when she peaks, her explosive power is terrifying… she is the kind of Uma Musume who can create miracles.

Hoshino Wilm is already considered the strongest in history, the top favorite to win.

Mejiro McQueen won last year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn), raising expectations for consecutive victories.

Tokai Teio, despite her ability, has yet to win even a graded race—let alone a G1—which makes fans dream of her defeating these powerhouses.

Because of last year’s unbelievable Arima Kinen, the buzz is not quite explosive—but even so, with three elite runners gathered, this Tenno Sho is attracting huge attention.

In overall ability, there are other strong contenders, but these three stand far above the rest.

They are even called the “HTM showdown” or the “Three Titans.”

The strongest, the most stable, or the miracle-maker.

Predictions for the Tenno Sho winner are split among these three factions—plus the long-shot hopefuls—creating complete chaos.

Naturally, fans want to hear from each of them.

And that is how this three-way joint interview was planned.

When the three met in the waiting room, they were already friends, so they started chatting cheerfully among themselves.

We trainers watched them with warm smiles while finishing some work-related discussions.

After waiting a while, staff called us to the studio, and the interview finally began.

Since this was a joint interview, there was no room on screen for the trainers.

So the three Uma Musume sat side by side on stage, while we trainers watched from backstage.

The host first directed a question to McQueen.

"Mejiro McQueen, you performed well in last year’s Tenno Sho as well, didn’t you?

You are also the only one in your second senior year among the three, so you likely have the most experience. How confident are you?"

Last year’s Tenno Sho…

The race where I provoked Sky—and may have ultimately led to her defeat.

Whenever that topic comes up, something in my chest still catches.

I never thought I had done anything wrong.

I just told Sky that I was her fan—that I was cheering for her. Those feelings were not a lie.

…All so I could prepare the strongest possible rival Wilm needed.

But… most likely, as a result of my actions, Mejiro McQueen lost the Tenno Sho.

She missed the Mejiro family’s long-cherished dream—a victory that should have been hers, that should have come true.

When I think about that, a small knot still lingers in my chest.

Yet the person herself simply shook her head lightly, as if she did not care at all.

"Last year’s Tenno Sho was certainly decided by Seiun Sky’s brilliant tactical surprise… but conversely, it means I have already experienced one truly grueling race."

"The bitterness of defeat, the hardship I endured—I will turn all of it into nourishment. This year, I will overcome my rivals… and myself."

Having wrapped up her statement beautifully, McQueen glanced toward Teio and Wilm.

Her gaze carried both hostility and anticipation, as if declaring that she would surely defeat them.

…Watching that, a thought crossed my mind.

Maybe continuing to dwell on last year’s Tenno Sho would itself be an insult to her.

She had already cast aside that defeat.

She reflected, regretted, and learned from it—and no, not just that. She had turned every experience in her life into growth.

Treating what she had made into nourishment as though it were something negative… that probably was not right.

Masa is always telling me that taking on too much guilt is a bad habit of mine…

And doing so might even end up denying the effort and growth she had built through her own strength.

I really need to change my mindset already.

Feeling guilt is fine… but I should not carry the past around in my memories any more than necessary.

After closing my eyes for just a moment in reflection, I looked at McQueen again.

As expected, Mejiro McQueen had brought herself to perfection—both mentally and physically.

Since she had skipped the G1 Osaka Hai, there was not even the slightest sign of poor condition. She was clearly pouring everything into this Tenno Sho.

From the beginning, the Mejiro family’s policy had always been to prioritize victory in the Tenno Sho above all else.

For her—a stayer who strongly identifies herself as a Mejiro Uma Musume—winning this race could truly be called a lifelong wish.

She had already won the Autumn Tenno Sho last year.

At Tokyo Racecourse in the pouring rain, she remained calm and composed, securing her first Shield.

If so, the next goal was obvious: consecutive victories in spring and autumn.

All she needed to do was demonstrate her full ability as a stayer and deliver a result so perfect no one could deny it.

A fully resolved McQueen was, of course, in peak condition even when viewed through the “App Reincarnation” lens.

In this Tenno Sho, she would almost certainly deliver an excellent performance. Probably good enough to push Wilm to the brink.

As Wilm’s rival, she was more than worthy.

…but honestly, as a trainer, it gave me a headache.

Why is it that the girls who become Wilm’s rivals are always in great condition? Normally, slumps and terrible form are not rare at all…

Well, sure—rather than hoping for other teams to falter, I should solve things by strengthening my own trainee.

Even so, every race Wilm enters ends up ridiculously high difficulty…

Maybe it is like Stand users—strong people are drawn to other strong people.

After a while, once McQueen had finished speaking, the host shifted the conversation.

"Next, I would like to ask Tokai Teio as well.

How are you feeling about the Tenno Sho?"

Teio answered without changing her expression.

"Let’s see… probably just like everyone thinks, I’m at a disadvantage compared to those two in this race.

In the Tenno Sho, I’m the lower-ranked challenger. I cannot approach it with total confidence like I did at the Osaka Hai.

But, well… yeah. I’m going to challenge them in my own way."

Oh…

That was much more modest—almost humble—than I had expected.

For Teio, who often leaned toward overconfidence, it felt unusual.

Apparently I was not the only one who thought so, because McQueen, sitting beside her, cut in.

"My, isn’t that rather timid for you, Teio?"

"It’s not timid—it’s just the truth. Whether I win or lose aside, I’m not naturally suited for long distances like those two, right?"

"Even so, I thought you were the kind to say, ‘I’ll win anyway.’"

"Hm? I never said I couldn’t win."

At that, Teio let out a sly, fearless smile.

"I’m going to win. That’s why I’m objectively analyzing the matchup.

It’s not anxiety—it’s perspective. Not weakness—just calmly recognizing that I’m at a disadvantage.

But accepting that disadvantage as a premise, and still going for victory—that’s the new ‘Tokai Teio’!"

Declaring that proudly with her chest out…

…Yeah. She was fired up too.

Honestly, hearing that self-assured Teio say “accepting that disadvantage as a premise” was completely unexpected. She felt like a different girl from when I first spoke with her last year.

Her competitive spirit—the forward-looking part of her—had not changed…

But for the sake of victory. To defeat her rivals. To achieve her true desire.

For that, whether human or Uma Musume, anyone could change themselves as much as needed.

…I need to work harder too.

To become a better trainer—and support them even better.

"Tokai Teio, thank you very much.

And finally, we would like to hear from Hoshino Wilm about the Tenno Sho."

Well, once the other two were finished, it was naturally her turn.

As always, wearing that faint public smile…

My trainee—Hoshino Wilm.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I was not worried.

Lately she had been giving stable, well-rounded answers, but back in the early Classic year… she had been pretty rough.

Apparently she never intended to pick fights, but she was the type whose arrogance as a natural powerhouse leaked out between the lines, or whose word choice would go sideways at the worst possible moment. That is just how this girl is.

That said, the mindset of “of course I will win” was now a thing of the past.

After those fierce races with Teio and Nature, she had shifted toward wanting to “have fun, passionate races with strong rivals,” and that edge had softened considerably…

Even so, now that the spotlight had turned to her, tension still ran through me.

Less as her trainer, more as a stand-in guardian—I could not help worrying she might say something strange or easily misunderstood.

I knew she was good at acting… and yet, still.

And then, right in the middle of my anxious gaze—

Hoshino Wilm took the microphone, looked straight into the camera, and flashed a grin.

"I’ll win. …Do you really need more words from Hoshino Wilm than that?"

…Whoa.

Arrogance at its absolute peak—well, something like that.

Personally, I did not think the current Hoshino Wilm would lose to Teio or McQueen either, so I understood where her confidence came from…

But even so, saying something like that in an official setting took serious nerve.

It would probably be forgiven because Hoshino Wilm’s name carried so much weight, but one wrong step and it could easily sound like she was picking a fight with every other Uma Musume and their fans.

Did her mentality somehow time-leap back to her Classic year or something? I found myself pressing a hand to my forehead—

When Wilm suddenly broke into a teasing smile.

"…That was me trying to look cool, but honestly, it’s hard to say something that bold this time.

On one side, we have the Emperor who creates miracles. On the other, the flawless leading star. Against these two…"

She paused there and glanced at Teio and McQueen beside her.

Rivals who pushed her, cornered her… and at the same time, precious friends who had taught her so much.

Looking at them, Wilm…

Smiled—brightly, joyfully, like a girl her age having the time of her life.

"If I run with these two, it’s guaranteed to be an unbelievably fun race.

Yes. I’m going to enjoy that with everything I have… and then I’ll win with everything I have. Just like everyone expects—I’ll show you that victory."

With a hand over her chest, Wilm said that with a smile.

…Though that smile was not gentle or kind.

If anything, it was more like a beast baring its fangs—fierce and predatory.

"Of course, I’m not just talking about these two. I have expectations for all seventeen of my rivals.

Teio, McQueen, everyone chasing after me—if you don’t give it your all, I might just keep running away forever, you know?"

A provocation from above—half taunt, half encouragement.

And her rivals answered it head-on.

"Fine by me! If you run, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth!"

"If Teio pursues to the ends of the earth, then I shall chase across the heavens. All to surpass your back."

Ah, honestly… really now.

This girl is still just so good at firing up other Uma Musume.

As I clutched my head backstage, the trainers of Teio and McQueen placed their hands on both my shoulders.

Those hands felt like consolation for having a difficult-tempered trainee…

Or perhaps gratitude for drawing out their girls’ fighting spirit.