Having trained real horses, why are we now training racehorse girls after time-traveling?

But instead of wallowing in self-pity, it's better to face it head-on. Since the road ahead is full of thorns, let her bloom brightly and beautifully!

As long as she can keep running, she will keep running, relying solely on her willpower, without using her talent—and she has come this far!

"Without my talent, I might just become an ordinary racehorse girl."

"But even though I'm just an ordinary person who no longer relies on talent, I've still made it this far. Doesn't that mean that even without such talent, the pinnacle of this world isn't that far from me?"

As the Emperor of the East Sea thought this, she couldn't help but raise her head. The streets were filled with news about the Japanese derby. The image of the Emperor of the East Sea, who had lost the Satsuki Sho, was still printed on a huge poster. She was still the favorite to win the next championship. The last Satsuki Sho was the Emperor's long-awaited return to using her imperial dance steps.

On the other side of the poster, the Emperor of the East Sea stared intently at the poster featuring the image of the golden ship, his small face still displaying high spirits, and said, word by word:

"Last time, even without my [aura], I still forced you to use your full strength. It seems that apart from your legs being a bit stronger than mine, you don't have anything particularly remarkable about you."

"This time, I have the [momentum] too! Even without the Emperor's Dance Steps—I will definitely beat you!"

Chapter 510: Japanese Derby, Domain, Invalid!

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the highly anticipated Japanese Derby! Tokyo Racecourse! We are about to provide commentary on the most anticipated of the classic Triple Crowns: the Japanese Derby!"

"And this time, we have two favorites to win the championship! One is the Golden Ship, who defeated the Tokai Teio in the last Satsuki Sho! I wonder if she can still have a brilliant performance in this Japanese derby?!"

"And the other one, needless to say, although he narrowly lost to the Golden Ship in the last Satsuki Sho, and his dream of an undefeated triple crown was shattered, he still regrouped and participated in the Japanese Derby. This time, he is also the undisputed number one in popularity, the Tokai Emperor!"

Despite their defeat in the Satsuki Sho, they've secured the top spot in popularity at the Japanese Derby! This time, everyone is anticipating the transformation of the Tokai Emperor!

"...As popular as ever, Your Majesty."

In the stands, all members of the Jinlang team were present for this Japanese derby, but this time, only they were there. Ikezoe was busy with matters concerning the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix expedition and was therefore somewhat unable to leave. Wada was busy with the upcoming academy plans with the Good Opera, seemingly discussing some important matters with the chairman.

The fact that Tokai Teio is the most popular in this Japanese derby is indeed somewhat unexpected. After all, Tokai Teio had lost once in the Satsuki Sho, yet everyone has placed such high expectations on her again. If Teio were to fall again in this Japanese derby, the blow to her would only be greater.

"This time, the Golden Ship seems to be in surprisingly good form." McQueen was well aware of the difficulty of this Japanese derby. She didn't know that Jin Lang had told the Emperor that the Golden Ship might tank in the Japanese derby. At least in McQueen's eyes, this Japanese derby was actually very challenging for the Emperor.

First of all, apart from the Golden Ship, the other racehorse girls are also quite strong. The overall quality of the racehorse girls in this Japanese derby is obviously much higher than that of the Satsuki Sho racehorse girls, and each of them can be considered a threat.

Moreover, Golden Ship is in excellent condition. At least according to McQueen's judgment, she doesn't think Golden Ship will hold back in this Japanese derby. Furthermore, based on the situation Golden Ship revealed early on, her [Domain] has already awakened due to the resolution of her inner conflict, and her current strength will only be even greater.

Although the Empress has also awakened her [Aura], if she doesn't use her "Emperor's Dance Steps"... the gap will likely widen even further. Moreover, they don't yet know what the Golden Ship's domain ability is... If it's a domain that's extremely disadvantageous to the Empress, it will probably be very difficult for her.

"Trainer...do you think the Emperor can win this time?"

"...To be honest, I don't know either." Jin Lang, who was originally confident that the Golden Ship would tank in this Japanese derby, began to question his judgment after seeing the Golden Ship's unexpectedly high spirits in today's match. Now, he can't say for sure who will win this Japanese derby.

"But at least, whether it's the Imperial or the Golden Ship, they've given it their all in the competition. I just hope... the Imperial..."

“…Yes.” As soon as Jin Lang finished speaking, McQueen already understood the meaning and silently nodded in agreement.

They all hoped that the Empress's leg would be fine after this Japanese derby. Although Jinlang had reminded the Empress in advance not to use her "Emperor's Dance Steps" unless necessary, they were still very worried about her condition.

Meanwhile, Rudolf and Miyu stood together, nervously watching the arena. Miyu was still unaware of the hidden danger in Emperor's leg, but the atmosphere within the team made her feel tense. She vaguely sensed that everyone was paying close attention to Emperor's performance this time.

"My dear Emperor... please make sure you are safe and sound."

"Your Majesty..." Rudolf was also very nervous and conflicted at this moment. She hoped that His Majesty could turn the tide through this Japanese derby, but she was also conflicted because the scale of this Japanese derby did not seem like something His Majesty could easily win.

Without the Emperor's Dance, the Emperor cannot even see the dawn of victory—but if he does use it… Rudolf has a very ominous premonition.

……

Meanwhile, after the popular stage ended, the East Sea Emperor and the Golden Ship walked side by side with high spirits towards the outside world. They were about to face the Japanese derby together, and their serious expressions showed no sign of them holding back.

However, this time, the East Sea Emperor's final battle outfit was different—she changed into the "Phoenix" final battle outfit that Jin Lang had given her. Wearing this outfit, the emperor gave people a completely different feeling, a feeling of high morale and unwavering determination.

As the two women walked forward step by step, the golden ship, which had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up without warning:

"Your Majesty... If possible, we'd better not come in first in this Japanese derby."

"Huh? Why?"

"...Although this might seem a bit strange to you, in my memory, horse girls who win the Japanese derby don't seem to have a good ending. Maybe it's because they use up all their luck in trying to win this race, but at least for me, it's better not to win the Japanese derby."

Golden Ship's expression was exceptionally solemn. She slowly stopped and looked at the Emperor of the East Sea. Although there was a significant height difference between the two women, their gazes at each other conveyed an aura that was in no way inferior to the other's. Golden Ship also spoke seriously:

"Perhaps it's not too late to turn back, Your Majesty. At worst, we can just not win this match."

"—I'm sorry, Golden Boat-san."

However, the emperor was not annoyed at all upon hearing this. Instead, she smiled with joy. She seemed to have sensed the golden ship's concern for her, but as the emperor said, she had already transformed.

She already knew her fate, and she was aware of her hidden dangers. She was going to face them head-on, and she was prepared for it.

"Your Majesty, I have not given up on my path! I am ready to face all the bleak realities!"

"Perhaps you know a lot, including many things we don't, but precisely because of this, you'll miss out on many opportunities."

"That's why you're afraid, because you know the inevitable outcome—but I'm not afraid!"

Meeting the slightly changed color in the eyes of the golden ship, the Emperor of the East Sea revealed a fearless expression. In an instant, he seemed to return to the same spirited, self-assured Emperor of the East Sea, and spoke to the golden ship, word by word:

"I already know there are obstacles ahead! Unknown obstacles! But if I am afraid to move forward because of this, then I am not the Emperor of the East Sea!"

The emperor was already aware of her hidden dangers, but she didn't dwell on the matter for long. She understood that all she could do was try her best to avoid them—but if that wasn't possible, then she might as well shine brightly like everyone else!

Having said that, the emperor took steps forward, leaving the golden ship behind him. After a long while, he let out a long sigh...

……

"The Emperor of the East Sea and the Golden Ship have both entered the arena! They both look incredibly spirited! This time, they're sure to bring us a fantastic match!"

"Really... that Emperor actually doesn't listen to what I, Lord Golden Ship, have to say."

"The Japanese derby is a match that won't bring good luck to Uma Musume. It looks like I, the Golden Ship, will have to shoulder the burden all by myself."

With that said, the golden ship cooperated very well this time and entered the lock. From the moment it entered the lock, the golden ship held its breath and made its decision.

"—Never mind, anyway, this Golden Ship Lord has always been very lucky, so I'll just have to suffer this time myself."

"Let me use my [domain] to defeat the emperor, I just hope the emperor won't blame me—huh?"

However, just as the Golden Ship was about to activate her [domain] and go all out in this Japanese derby, she suddenly discovered that her [domain] was no longer obeying her commands and was not responding at all.

Undeterred, the Golden Ship tried again. However, as time passed, the [domain] still showed no signs of taking effect, much to the Golden Ship's astonishment.

"Seriously?! Does the compatibility really have to be this high?!"

"Dangdang!"

"Oh no—a huge accident has occurred! The Golden Ship is late! And it's an epic delay! All the other racehorse girls have already gone far ahead!"

Chapter 511: The Two Who Resemble Parents

"How could this be—it was a complete and utter domination! This time, the East Sea Emperor won without any suspense, with its unstoppable momentum! It didn't even use its signature 'Emperor's Dance' this time, and it still managed to pull away from the second-place racehorse girl by a huge margin!"

"Golden Ship, who should have been a favorite to win the championship this time, unexpectedly came in last place, suffering a crushing defeat in sixteenth place. This is quite different from her performance at the Satsuki Sho. It seems that Golden Ship's performance this time is really unexpectedly bad."

The result of this Japanese derby was truly unexpected. Everyone, including Imanami Wada and others, thought that this match would be an extremely brutal one. The Japanese derby is the most prestigious of the classic Triple Crowns. The racehorses that participated this time may not be as strong as the Kikuka Sho, but they are still the most talented racehorses in Japan that year. It can be said that each of them has the strength and foundation to win the Triple Crown.

Unfortunately, their opponent was the East Sea Emperor. After so much supervision and training from Jinlang, and with almost everyone in the Miracle Team giving guidance to the East Sea Emperor, the current Emperor is not even in the same league as the contemporary Uma Musume.

Enjoying the best educational resources, and being personally taught by what can be said to be the strongest group of racehorse girls in Japan every year, as well as being personally taught by Rudolf, the "Emperor", and with her "Imperial Dance", which is even more advantageous than a large group of talented racehorse girls in regular races, even though it is prohibited, the speed of progress of the Empress in this year is not on the same level as other racehorse girls.

It can be said that apart from Golden Ship, the other racehorse girls are almost impossible to threaten the Emperor. Everyone in the Miracle Team is well aware of this, especially since they also know that the effect of Golden Ship's newly awakened [Domain] is still unclear. For the Emperor, Golden Ship, with its 100% compatibility with [Aura], does not have an advantage. Now that it has [Domain], the Emperor will only be more passive.

In particular, the Golden Ship showed no intention of holding back, and its energy and spirits showed no signs of being exhausted or out of sorts. This made the Miracle Team members even more convinced that this Emperor's match would be extremely difficult.

However, no one expected that the Golden Ship would make such a huge mistake this time. It couldn't even use its [Domain], and its mentality was greatly affected, which directly led to a tragic delay and caused it to lose all its advantages.

Unable to unleash its [Domain], coupled with the tragic delay in its release, even with the 100% compatibility of the Golden Ship, it was completely useless. The distance between itself and the other racehorse girls had widened too much, all the good positions had been taken, and the Great Outer Path Raid was extremely exhausting. Even if it managed to break through, it was feared that it would not be able to catch up with the Emperor.

The emperor now possesses an aura of power. Even before he had this ability, he could hold his own against her 100% compatible aura, and catching up to her wouldn't pose much of a threat to him.

So, after a while, the golden ship knew that victory was already out of reach when it was only halfway there, and simply gave up.

This led to the current situation. In the Japanese derby, the Tokai Emperor, who had narrowly lost to the Golden Ship in the Satsuki Sho, was unstoppable. He didn't even need to use the "Emperor's Dance" to dominate the field, leaving the second-placed Saima Musume by an insurmountable margin, while the Golden Ship lost in last place.

It has to be said that the performance of the East Sea Emperor in this match gave a strong boost of confidence to the fans who were worried that the East Sea Emperor might lose to the Golden Ship again!

In the final straight of this Japanese derby, when everyone saw the leading Tokai Teio, the entire stadium erupted in cheers! The gap between Tokai Teio and the racehorse behind it widened rapidly! Finally, when the commentator shouted "Big difference!", the pent-up enthusiasm of the crowd exploded!

Even as the Emperor of the East Sea crossed the finish line in a daze, before he could even process what was happening, the entire audience was chanting the word "Emperor".

"Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!" XN

"Ha ha……"

"I... won?"

The Emperor of the East Sea was still somewhat bewildered, but the cheers from the crowd told him that this was no joke. In the end, the emperor's bewilderment turned into joy!

She raised her fist high and held up one finger—announcing that this was her first GI victory!

The emperor's actions naturally drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience, and from then on, the emperor of the East Sea finally possessed a rare honor—"Dorby Horse Girl".

Although this honor cannot compare to the two Triple Crown racehorses in the team, after all, Tokai Teiko's dream of an undefeated Triple Crown has been shattered, the honor of Derby racehorse girl is still a title that can only be obtained by a few in the entire Japanese racehorse girl. The current Teiko has at least proven that she can be the Teiko in the GI race.

However, behind the emperor, the last golden ship stared worriedly at the emperor's exposed legs, its eyes filled with sorrow and unease.

And it wasn't just the Golden Ship; even though the Empress hadn't used her "Emperor's Dance" in the stands, the worries of Jinlang, Rudolf, and the others hadn't dissipated at all after the end of this Japanese derby, especially after the East Sea Emperor had pulled away by a large margin.

"Mr. Jinlang, the Empress..."

"At least for now, the Emperor seems to be fine, so we can relax a bit." Although he said that, Jin Lang was still very nervous. The only thing that could comfort him was that the Emperor seemed to be completely unharmed.

Jin Lang knew very well that in the original world, the East Sea Emperor's first fracture occurred after the Japanese derby. Therefore, Jin Lang was extremely nervous this time. Whether he could change the Emperor's fate depended on this moment, and he really dared not be careless.

"After the winners' stage, let's take the emperor for a thorough inspection."

"Um...Mi Yu thinks that Emperor seems to be fine?"

However, just as Jinlang, Rudolf, and the others were filled with worry, Mi Yu, unaware of the truth, cautiously raised her little hand and couldn't help but ask:

"If there's really something wrong with the Empress's leg, shouldn't she be the first to notice? We're all so far away, we probably wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with her, right?"

"..."

However, Mi Yu's cautious words drew unconscious stares from Jin Lang, McQueen, and Rudolph. Feeling their intense gazes, Mi Yu trembled, immediately withdrawing her small hand and saying timidly:

"Yes, I'm sorry, Mi Yu misspoke..."

"—No, Mi Yu, you're right, perhaps we're just too concerned."

Upon hearing this, Jin Lang shook his head. Indeed, no matter how skilled Jin Lang was, he couldn't possibly tell from such a distance whether the emperor's leg had any hidden problems. Worrying about this now was indeed a bit too hasty.

However, Mi Yu's words reminded Jin Lang that he was also someone who could feel bones. He could find out whether the emperor had any fractures by feeling them when they got to the rest room.