Chapter 78: The Final Showdown! The Arima Kinen! Part 1

As December drew to a close at Tracen Academy, the Arima Kinen and Christmas were nearly overlapping events. So, while holding a modest Christmas party, we gathered for our final strategy meeting.

"Let’s assume we’ll be marked by everyone in the Arima Kinen and plan from there," Tomio said, pushing up his party glasses as he spoke seriously. I listened while gnawing on a drumstick.

The Horse Girls racing in the Arima Kinen—especially those drawing inside posts—would undoubtedly interfere within the rules. Since the first turn came right after the start, building speed would be tricky, but I needed to accelerate using my cornering skills and somehow overtake the likes of Seiun Sky. Securing the lead early was the first hurdle.

The second hurdle came once we hit the homestretch. Even if I took the lead, the gap between me and the second-place runner likely wouldn’t be wide. If rivals like Mejiro Dober kept chipping away at my stamina, preventing me from launching a big breakaway, I’d lack the explosive finish needed to win.

That’s why I had to build at least a five-length lead before the final stretch. That was the second hurdle.

There was a lot to discuss. First, how to disperse the attention focused on me—though at this point, the marking would be so intense that countermeasures were nearly impossible. The conversation shifted more toward how much marking I could endure. But beyond that, there was one more urgent topic: a last-minute check on Grass Wonder.

Everyone was coming into the Arima Kinen with fierce determination, but Grass-chan’s approach felt different—almost unnervingly bold.

This was especially clear in her pre-race interview. While every other Horse Girl named their biggest rival, she outright declared she was marking Apollo Rainbow. That alone set off alarm bells. Lately, she’d been radiating an unapproachable aura, as if she’d resolved herself to something drastic.

There was no doubt—Grass Wonder was a threat. And the fact that no one else seemed to be marking her only made her more dangerous.

Tomio initially dismissed my concerns, but as the meeting progressed, he began reconsidering.

Most race analysts predicted this Arima Kinen would be Apollo Rainbow’s solo showcase. But the field was stacked with elite contenders—Air Groove, Machikane Fukukitaru, Mejiro Dober, Happy Meek, Seiun Sky, Mejiro Bright, and Grass Wonder. Apollo Rainbow would be forced to choose who to mark.

Would she target Mejiro Bright, the Tenno Sho (Spring) winner? Or Machikane Fukukitaru, the Kikuka Sho champion who’d regained her form? There was also Air Groove, consistently dominant, and Seiun Sky, my fierce rival from the Satsuki Sho. With Mejiro Dober, the queen of the Tiara route, and Happy Meek, the all-terrain ace, in the mix… who would spare attention for Grass Wonder, who hadn’t won in over six months and had been underperforming lately?

That was the logical conclusion. And the one who stood to benefit most from it was Grass Wonder herself.

Exactly. Grass Wonder wouldn’t—no, couldn’t—be marked by Apollo Rainbow.

Apollo Rainbow couldn’t afford to focus on Grass Wonder. If she did, she’d leave openings for other rivals—and losing because of that would be unforgivable.

Grass Wonder’s camp surely knew this.

Her raw talent was undeniable—she’d gone undefeated in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, after all. But right now, she appeared weaker than the rest. And that was what made this Arima Kinen terrifying.

I pressed my case to Tomio: Grass Wonder could turn her losses into an advantage, running freely with zero pressure. The sheer terror of an undefeated junior champion unleashed? It went without saying.

She’d already proven her stamina by winning the Aoba Sho (G2, 2400m). And her determination was on another level—I’d seen her training recently, and it was borderline demonic. Her aura practically conjured visions of an Asura.

Seiun Sky was scary, sure. But after that interview, I couldn’t take my eyes off Grass Wonder.

"...I see."

"You get it now?"

"If you’re that convinced, we’ll drop Seiun Sky and switch to marking Grass Wonder."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. If you say she’s dangerous, then she is. There are things data alone can’t tell me."

Tomio muttered between bites of cake, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The 3D model of Seiun Sky vanished from the monitor, replaced by a smaller Horse Girl.

"Luckily, I’ve got data on Grass Wonder—some from before the Derby, plus some I gathered on a whim. It’ll be a rush job compared to Seiun Sky’s profile, but leave Grass Wonder to me. Give me another hour, and it’ll be ready."

"That fast?"

"I am the trainer of a dual-classic winner."

And so, two days before the Arima Kinen, our Christmas party ended.

Compared to last year, we’d been too busy for gift exchanges.

---

After enduring a grueling series of meetings, the day of the Arima Kinen had finally arrived. Entering the racecourse early, we headed to the waiting room where my parents were supposed to be.

I have four parents who are all precious to me: the ones from my original life and Apollo Rainbow’s biological parents. When I first possessed Apollo’s body, my personality dominated entirely, but over time, our identities blended together. Now, I love both sets of parents equally.

Opening the waiting room door, I found them dressed rather formally—like parents attending a school open house. I wanted to hug them immediately, but since Tomio was there, I settled for rushing over instead.

"Dad! Mom! You didn’t get lost, did you?"

"We’re here, aren’t we? So obviously not. Though I never want to ride the subway again."

I didn’t want Tomio thinking I was clingy, so I fought to keep my tail still while talking. As Mom and I chatted, Dad and Tomio exchanged formal greetings as fellow trainers.

"Mr Momozawa, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for taking care of our daughter."

"Likewise. I’m Tomio Momozawa, her trainer."

The two bowed deeply, every bit the picture of professionalism—which, for multiple reasons, had me sweating. Tomio was reliable, but Dad? Dad was a joker who never missed a chance to tease at home. I was terrified he’d suddenly drop something like "pien" mid-conversation, like in that group chat recently.

"Thank you so much for securing us seats in the Nakayama Racecourse stands today."

"Not at all. It’s only natural for our daughter’s big moment."

Their bows grew deeper until they were practically folding in half. Then I noticed it—Dad’s hair had more white streaks. Of course… I hadn’t seen him in a year and a half. I nearly laughed remembering how he’d once cheered, "Dad’s turning roan like Mom!" But humans don’t have coat colors—it was just aging.

After a while, Dad beckoned Mom toward the door.

"Thank you again, Mr Momozawa. We’ll go watch the pre-Arima races now, so please take good care of our daughter."

"Of course. Leave the Arima Kinen to me."

"Why does Tomi—Trainer sound so confident…?"

"Apollo, do your best out there!"

"Dad’s rooting for you too~!"

And with that, the noisy duo left. Though nothing outrageous happened, I’d been on edge the whole time. Sighing in relief, I slumped into a folding chair.

"I was this close to a heart attack waiting for one of them to slip up…"

"Huh? …Never mind. Apollo, your father’s a local trainer, right?"

"Yep."

"That explains the air of authority."

Dad was a local trainer. That’s where he’d met Mom—apparently, they’d fallen in love naturally while working together. Back then, I’d thought, "Mixing work and personal affairs? Really?" But now that I had feelings for Tomio, I couldn’t judge. In fact, maybe I… No, never mind.

With another sigh, I pulled my racing uniform from my bag. Tomio, who’d been fiddling with her laptop, muttered under her breath.

"…Your mother’s stunningly beautiful."

"Eh?"

"Just an observation. No ulterior motive."

"Hmmm…"

"W-Wait, forget I said that!"

"Sure, sure."

Not that I’d deny it. Mom was gorgeous—her proportions flawless, her roan coat gleaming like a student’s despite her age. I took after her, so no wonder Dad fell for her as her trainer. The comment nagged at me a little, but with the Arima Kinen so close, I turned to music to hype myself up.

One hour until the race. Changed into our uniforms, we were called to the paddock by staff. No real nerves—just the novelty of family watching live.

In short, business as usual. Well, aside from the whole surrounded-by-rivals thing.

Entering the paddock, a strange buzz filled the air—the crowd’s reaction to the umamusume’s fervor. A roaring heat haze seemed to mirror their blazing fighting spirit. Our naturally high body temperature meant steam rose from my head, surreal given I hadn’t even run yet.

"Nervous?"

"A little… Hey, stop petting me in public!"

The playboy (Mejiro Dober) stroked my head despite the audience, glaring daggers at us. Not that I could refuse—his technique was too good.

As Uma Musume filled the paddock, the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. Even they sounded tense with excitement for the Arima Kinen.

『The day is finally here! The year-end spectacle, the Arima Kinen! Sixteen of Japan’s finest umamusume have gathered at Nakayama to answer their fans’ cheers! Let the introductions begin!』

『The autumn Grand Prix returns, stronger than ever! I haven’t slept for two days—the lineup’s that thrilling. Just watching the paddock is a treat!』

The Arima Kinen’s origins trace back to when Nakayama’s year-end highlight was the Nakayama Daishōgai (a steeplechase G1). Wanting a glamorous race rivaling the Derby, then-URA chairman Arima pioneered a fan-voted format. After his sudden passing post-inaugural race, it was renamed in his honor, cementing its place as the Twinkle Series’ grand finale.

The Arima Kinen’s prize money had recently been raised from 300 million to 400 million yen (the Japan Cup saw a similar increase)—a move widely seen as countering the lucrative purses of races like the Hong Kong International Races and Middle Eastern events like the Dubai World Cup.

Now, 16 umamusume stood gathered for this historic race.

Gate 1, Position 1: #5 Machikane Fukukitaru
Gate 1, Position 2: #8 Grass Wonder
Gate 2, Position 3: #2 Seiun Sky
Gate 2, Position 4: #3 Air Groove
Gate 3, Position 5: #9 Jewel Zircon
Gate 3, Position 6: #6 Happy Meek
Gate 4, Position 7: #16 Ribbon Finale
Gate 4, Position 8: #4 Mejiro Bright
Gate 5, Position 9: #15 Breeze Airship
Gate 5, Position 10: #13 Revival Lyric
Gate 6, Position 11: #14 Rapid Builder
Gate 6, Position 12: #10 Little Flower
Gate 7, Position 13: #1 Apollo Rainbow
Gate 7, Position 14: #7 Mejiro Dober
Gate 8, Position 15: #12 Joyeux
Gate 8, Position 16: #11 Destinate

When Oguri Cap ran her legendary final race, over 170,000 spectators flooded the stands. Today, Nakayama looked just as packed.

『The crowds here today are unbelievable! We’ve already confirmed 170,000 attendees—will the stands even hold?!』

『And here she comes—Gate 1, Position 1, #5 Machikane Fukukitaru! Listen to that roar just for her introduction!』

『With this many people, injuries are my only concern… Now, Fukukitaru hasn’t won since her Kikuka Shō victory due to injury setbacks. But her recent training times have been stellar, and her coat gleams as brightly as any rival’s. Will her explosive closing speed—the same we saw in the Kikuka Shō—ignite from this inside post?』

『Rumor has it her charms were a hit with Silence Suzuka and Apollo Rainbow too… Seems she’s thriving on and off the track.』

As Machikane Fukukitaru took the stage, her shiitake-mushroom-shaped eyes sparkled—then she flung off her red jacket, revealing a sailor-style racing uniform. Kneading an imaginary crystal between her hands, her ears and tail twitched restlessly. If this weren’t the paddock, she’d probably be chatting up anyone in sight.

"Fukukitar-chaaan! Go get ’em!!"

"You’re adorable, Fukukitaruuu!!"

Silent, she’d be a beauty—no, even her chatter was endearing—but today, Fukukitaru seemed laser-focused, scattering wordless smiles and waves.

…In terms of sheer enigma, she’s top-tier. I’d never seen her "Territory Zone", let alone raced against it.

After Fukukitaru left, Grass Wonder emerged. Her glittering lapis-blue eyes locked onto me for a split second, making me flinch—but I countered with a furrowed brow. Grass Wonder’s briefly startled expression hardened into neutrality.

『Gate 1, Position 2: Grass Wonder. #8 favourite.』

『A bit overlooked, perhaps? Her form looks excellent, yet she hasn’t won since the Aoba Sho before the Derby. But no matter the odds, victory’s goddess may still smile. Let’s hope for a strong run!』

Grass Wonder. The best inside gate, likely flying under rivals’ radar. Underrated, but among our generation, her race sense and closing speed are undeniably elite. This was her golden G1 chance.

But I wouldn’t let that happen. Her interview revealing that berserk competitive streak? That was her downfall. It gave me the opening to analyze her—to learn, through my trainer’s strategies, exactly how to suppress her.

Oblivious (or not) to my thoughts, Grass Wonder wore an eerily composed expression. She tossed her jacket aside like an afterthought, then pressed a hand to her chest, twisting her cherry-blossom lips.

—Heavy. The air around her warped. An otherworldly aura, like a transcendent being. Her sailor-style uniform clashed with the demonic weight she exuded.

…Her Territory Zone. The manifestation of her true psyche. I couldn’t grasp its full form, but its power source was right there.

Even Seiun Sky nearby didn’t radiate this intensity. The only ones who seemed to notice were me… and Mejiro Bright’s camp.

When Bright met my gaze, she gave a slight head shake. I couldn’t decipher the meaning, but her "this is trouble" vibe was clear.

Without so much as glancing my way, Grass Wonder exited the stage. Next up: Gate 2, Position 3, Seiun Sky, stepping forward with effortless grace.

『Gate 2, Number 3, Seiun Sky. Second favorite.』

『It’s the April Stakes Uma Musume making her entrance. She’s drawn a good inner gate position. Though she’s had a string of close losses in the Derby and the Kikuka-shō, can she take flight with this high popularity as the second favorite? Keep an eye on her trademark tricky running style.』

Seiun Sky was her usual self. For a G1 race, her demeanor was decent—though nowhere near as intense as during the April Stakes. She probably wasn’t thrilled about the high expectations, but there was no denying her skill wasn’t just a fluke. She wouldn’t be able to run as freely as she usually did.

…But no matter what, I had to defend the lead. I couldn’t even afford to let anyone draw even with me. My tactical sense isn’t the sharpest, so the thing I fear most is being worn down and beaten by psychological warfare. The quickest way to win is to silence them before they even get a foothold.

The countermeasure against Seiun Sky? A rocket start followed by corner acceleration. She’d resist with everything she had, but given her nature, if it came down to pure strength, I had the advantage. If I ran my usual race, she wasn’t an unbeatable opponent.

As Seiun Sky hurried off, Empress Air Groove made her entrance with heavy, deliberate footsteps.

『Gate 2, Number 4, Air Groove. Third favorite.』

『An Uma Musume with overwhelming strength and consistency. She’s finished outside the top three only once in her career—and that was during the infamous ‘camera flash incident.’ At this point, her excellence as a competitor goes without saying.』

Air Groove. A front-running, race-dominating type of Uma Musume. In some ways, she resembled Double Trigger—calculating, with a broad field of vision, meticulously analyzing information to seize control of the final stretch.

Eighteen races, seventeen top-three finishes, and that one exception was the Shūka-shō. Ridiculously strong. The kind of opponent you really don’t want to face.

Next up, Gate 3, Number 6, sixth favorite: Happy Meek.

『Gate 3, Number 6, Happy Meek. Sixth favorite.』

『She started on the dirt path in the junior grades, then bounced between the Tiara and dirt routes during the classics. After that, she appeared in regional dirt G1s, ran in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and even ended the year at Nakayama’s Grand Prix.』

Happy Meek was hard to read. We’d trained together during the junior summer camps, run side by side in workouts… but I’d never really gotten a grasp on what went on in her head. She seemed to get along well with Trainer Kirishima, often sharing tips on UmaStar and private chats.

Honestly, she was hard to evaluate. Undeniably strong, but did she have a definitive edge in this Arima Kinen? …That was the question. This field was packed with turf middle-to-long distance specialists. Happy Meek’s greatest weapon was her transcendent versatility—something that shone brightest in race selection, not necessarily in the race itself.

In other words, if she didn’t have a solid, race-defining strength—like a killer late kick or overwhelming power—it’d be tough for her to win.

Calling her a "jack-of-all-trades, master of none" might be rude, but it wasn’t far off. Still, according to Trainer Kirishima, she was a late bloomer. She still had room to grow, and this Arima Kinen was more about gaining experience.

"Winning’s great, but losing can be just as valuable." That’s what he’d said. I used to think Kirishima Aoi was unreliable, but his foresight and instincts as a trainer were top-notch.

As long as Happy Meek didn’t secure a favorable position, she wouldn’t be a problem… but if she hit the final stretch in third or fourth, she’d be unstoppable. If she got too close to me, I’d be left in the dust. That part would depend on whether Air Groove could control the pace…

『Gate 4, Number 8, Mejiro Bright. Fourth favorite.』

『Here comes the long-distance specialist. Mejiro Bright and Apollo Rainbow both have that true stayer feel. This Arima Kinen is said to favor speed-oriented Uma Musume, but will she prove otherwise?』

Mejiro Bright. A being of unfathomable depth—or maybe just even more airheaded than me. She thrived in grueling, attrition-based long-distance races but struggled in speed-heavy ones. Her late kick was the so-called "slow-burning" long spurt, making her the most likely to tenaciously chase me down in a battle of endurance.

I had to be wary of her, too. With me in the race, a late-speed duel was off the table, so I’d need a plan to neutralize her long spurt.

After a while, staff guided us to the presentation stage. I stepped up, gripped the jacket draped over my shoulders, and flung it off with a flourish, proudly revealing my pure-white racing silks.

『Gate 7, Number 13, Apollo Rainbow. The top favorite.』

『The current strongest active Uma Musume, with three straight wins in the Japanese Derby, the Kikuka-shō, and the Stayers Stakes. Every one of those victories was unforgettable—the Derby’s dual surges and dead heat, the Kikuka-shō’s overwhelming front-runner dominance, the Stayers Stakes’ near-disastrous escape… and especially the Stayers Stakes, where she crushed Europe’s strongest stayer. She’s in peak form right now. My personal pick to win.』

I’d grown used to these silks. The first time I’d slipped into this wedding dress-style outfit was December’s Hopeful Stakes, if I recalled. A chilly day like today—I remember my midriff feeling freezing.

Waving enthusiastically to the cheering fans, I flashed my brightest smile, radiating confidence. I thought about looking for my parents in the crowd but decided against it—too distracting. Besides, the sea of people made it impossible anyway.

Then, from behind me—I felt it. Thick, palpable hostility. Air Groove. Seiun Sky. Happy Meek. No, counting was pointless. Everyone’s pressure was bearing down on me. But the strongest of all was Grass Wonder’s murderous intent.

So intense it bordered on失控. When I glanced over for just a second, the chestnut-haired girl quickly masked it with a sweet smile. …As if there was any point hiding it now.

I stepped off the stage, making way for Mejiro Dober in the next gate.

"Hey, who do you think’s winning today?"

"What’s with the sudden question? I’m all in on Apollo-chan."

"After seeing the Japanese Derby, the Kikuka-shō, and the Stayers Stakes in person, I’m convinced. Apollo Rainbow’s taking this."

"Isn’t that a death flag?"

"Is it?"

As the paddock cleared, it was time to enter the main track. Passing through the tunnel, just as I was about to part ways with my trainer—

"Apollo-chan. A moment, please."

The chestnut-haired monster, Grass Wonder, called out to me.