Uma Musume Girl, I'll tell you about my Santa Hat special move too?

Her feelings were mixed; she felt both joy and a touch of melancholy.

Even while enjoying the cheers of the audience on the field, he also gained quite a few fans within the academy.

But standing here, she truly felt that her social attention was constantly increasing.

That's the impact of her increased value as a runner.

"The runners have begun to take the stage! First up is this runner, known as the 'Monster of the Shadows,' a rising star with many hoping he will win the classic triple crown: Narita Shirahito!"

The host announced loudly, and the runners walked one by one to the center of the stage, where they were photographed and filmed from all angles by reporters.

As the racehorse girl beside her walked onto the stage, the host finally called out her name:

"The next runner is the most popular athlete right now! He has won three consecutive races, bringing his total record to 4 wins out of 5, and has also delivered three great escapes and one great chase for the audience. He is an unpredictable and elusive overlord!"

Stepping onto the stairs, Stardust Illusion looked at the reporters raising their cameras at him with a determined gaze.

Countless flashes went off at that moment, capturing her figure.

"—Stardust Illusion has entered the arena!!!"

With her eyes slightly narrowed, Stardust Illusion paused for a few seconds, assuming a sword-wielding stance, before walking into the race of horse girls.

"Are you all excited for who's going to appear next?"

"Another unpredictable runner, like a medieval witch! Let's all call for her appearance!"

Following the host's instructions, the audience shouted in unison:

"Little witch, where did you run off to?"

"We've been waiting for you! Come out now!!!"

The host nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly stretched out his right hand toward the contestants' passage and shouted:

"The Tosho family's hope now lies with that runner who possesses the blood of Pegasus!"

"Tosho, the game-changer, come out here!"

"Who's the little witch?! I'm the great witch!!!"

The girl wearing a witch's hat leaped out, waving her cute magic wand, and stood in the center of the stage, angrily rebuking the reporter who had just spoken.

"They're here!!!"

Before she could say anything more, the reporters below had already shouted excitedly.

Immediately following were a series of clicking sounds and flashes of light. Not only were the Dongshang Reforms, which were facing the group of reporters directly, also blinded the Stardust Illusion, which was standing at the back waiting for orders.

"Yada!! Yada yada yada! No more pictures! You idiot!!!"

(Sweepy...)

Stardust Illusion watched with piercing eyes as the East Business Reformers roared on stage and the reporters below laughed heartily, seemingly oblivious to the angry outbursts.

She could clearly see the palpable fighting spirit emanating from this former teacher.

Sensing this aura, tiny whirlwinds spontaneously arose from her limbs and coiled around her.

(Are you looking forward to the upcoming battle?)

(Me too...me too, Sweepy!)

(Even if it's you, I will not be slack in the slightest... The day after tomorrow, I will defeat you completely with my strongest form!)

"—Saber, take this!"

"Normal attack magic!"

Suddenly, the voice of the Eastern Merchants' Reform approached him, accompanied by a piercing sound of wind breaking through the air.

The Stardust Illusion, who had just been distracted and hadn't even figured out what was going on, instinctively raised its specially made Flame Sword to block in front of it.

Clang!

A crisp metallic clanging sound.

Dong Shang suddenly overtook Narita Shirahito, who was standing second to last, and charged towards Stardust Illusion, swinging his wand. The wand clashed with the longsword, and the two were locked in a stalemate for a moment.

"That's it, let's shoot!"

The young girl said this triumphantly to the reporters on the field:

"I'll give you this photo as a promotional poster for the Yayoi Prize!"

The reporters below certainly didn't realize this brilliant composition of the photo. It wasn't just Stardust Illusion and East Merchant Reform that were in the perfect shot; even Narita Shirahito's face was positioned perfectly in the small blank space between them.

Click!

The quickest-moving trainee reporter, Sato, used his exceptional tracking skills to capture the scene before the female racehorses could react.

Click, click, click!

The others quickly followed suit, moving their cameras in that direction to take pictures. They managed to capture this classic "White Album" composition before Narita Shirahito completely disappeared from the camera's view.

(The atmosphere in the room has completely changed; has this guy completely taken control?)

Narita Shirahito shifted his body slightly to avoid the camera, then glanced at the unruly girl in front of him and thought to himself.

(Eastern Business Group's transformation... It's not just about competitions; they can even handle situations like this with ease...)

"Stardust Illusion, since your last victory, you have achieved a record of 4 consecutive wins and 3 consecutive wins with a hefty reward. You have not lost yet. Did you think of this when you declared war on the Emperor of the East Sea?"

Once the contestants were back in their places, a reporter quickly asked a question.

"Yes—because if I want to challenge the East Sea Emperor in the Classic Triple Crown, I have to become stronger than anyone else...which means I absolutely cannot lose to the other players!"

The stardust illusion's gaze was resolute as it extended a finger forward:

"There's one more match... Once I get through this match, I'll be able to prove that I wasn't just making empty promises!"

After he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion immediately arose below.

"She's really bold, but that's just her style," even the veteran reporter Kawashima couldn't help but remark.

"Why do you say that?" Sato, the trainee reporter who was learning from him, asked with some confusion.

"Generally speaking, although we often ask a lot of sharp questions that are difficult for the interviewees to answer in order to create a news sensation."

"But the other party will respond with a lukewarm reply, which is a common practice in our journalism..."

"However, Stardust Illusion, this overlord answered the question directly without hesitation, without considering the public pressure he would face if he lost the competition or the Satsuki Prize."

At this point, the veteran reporter Kawashima shifted his gaze slightly to another runner, Dongshang Biange, whose eyes were fixed on the stardust illusion.

"Especially... precisely because of this willful and capricious witch, they treat her and the other contestants as stepping stones that they are destined to defeat!"

"Currently, Stardust Illusion, East Business Reform, and Narita Shirohito have very similar pre-match popularity ratings. What are your thoughts on this?"

Another reporter also raised the microphone and asked a question.

"I will not let any of my supporters down... This is a promise. It is a promise I, Stardust Illusion, made to everyone!"

The Stardust Illusion suddenly stretched out its fist and made a bold statement.

Her expression was filled with determination and domineering presence, proof that she had entered a state of supreme authority.

As the Stardust Illusion now known as the "Overlord," she couldn't possibly have a second answer.

"I would like to ask the participants from Dongshang Reform: what are your goals or visions for this year's competition?"

A female reporter from Kansai TV stood up and extended the microphone toward the East Business Reform.

Upon hearing the reporter's question, Dongshang Biange turned his gaze back to the Stardust Illusion beside him, and the two exchanged a smile.

"Yayoi-sho, Satsuki-sho, Neon Derby, Kikuka-sho, and... Arima Commemorative."

Dongshang Bianhe recounted his transformation at a leisurely pace, raising a finger with each name he mentioned.

With his last five fingers spread wide, palms facing the reporters in front of him, Dongshang Reform used his other hand to adjust his hat on his head and smiled broadly:

"I will seize victory in these competitions and complete the most powerful ultimate magic in history—the [Magic of the Competition]!"

Her fingers clenched tightly, her movements mirroring those of the earlier Stardust Illusion, as she pointed her fist at the camera in front of her, her tone resolute:

"Miracles and magic do exist, and Dongshang Reform will prove it on the field! Hahahaha!"

(Yes, miracles and magic... must exist.)

The smiles of Dongshang Biancheng conveyed determination.

(Sorry, Saber... I don't have much time left to run at a leisurely pace...)

(This match is designed to completely crush you from the very beginning!)

In the Stardust Illusion's eyes, the battle aura rising from her body condensed in the air, transforming into a gigantic dragon with heterochromatic eyes and crystal wings on its back, roaring to the sky.

She was declaring war on herself.

Even if the Eastern Merchants' transformation never turned back, the awe-inspiring fighting spirit and stardust illusion were absolutely genuine.

So, what should she do?

Without a doubt, without question.

If you're declaring war on yourself, then you should respond with your full strength.

Unleash your overwhelming battle aura upon my Stardust Illusion—Eek!!!

boom!

The fighting spirit, no less powerful than that of the Eastern Merchants' Reform, erupted instantly. Stardust Illusion's legs were suddenly enveloped by the swirling whirlwind, with flashes of lightning occasionally appearing within the storm.

Seeing the heterochromatic-eyed dragon with crystal wings swing its claws to suppress it, Stardust Illusion did not flinch in the slightest.

Behind her, a roar that broke the speed of sound also came—

quack!

At this moment, the lights in the venue seemed to sense the prelude to this epic battle, flickering on and off, causing everyone present to gasp in surprise.

However, these ordinary reporters cannot see it.

The crystal-winged dragon had already collided violently with another blue-white dragon surrounded by holy light!

(Stardust Illusion)

(Eastern Business Transformation)