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

"It seems there aren't any other players worth paying too much attention to in this match?"

"With such an overwhelming lead in popularity, will this match really become a one-man show for the East Sea Emperor?"

“No.” McQueen shook his head, his expression serious.

With the Meguro family's influence helping her gather intelligence, she naturally knew much more about the events on the field than Stardust Illusion.

"The runner on the ramp next to the East Sea Emperor is another athlete that everyone considers to have the strength to compete for three championships!"

"real or fake?"

Stardust Illusion looked surprised and kept scanning the group of runners, trying to find the runner McQueen had mentioned.

It's not that she doubts someone's ability to rival an emperor, but if there really is such a contestant, their popularity would certainly be high.

How could things have turned out like this, with almost everyone in the G2 arena supporting the Emperor?

"You want to ask why she's not very popular, right?"

When McQueen saw the goofy face of Stardust Illusion, he guessed what she was wondering about, so he offered to explain:

"That runner won the G1-level Hope Championship after her debut last year, and is currently the only runner in the entire Satsuki Sho reserve team with a G1 victory. Her name is—"

"—The Palace in the Sky"

(Tip: The actual record of the Sky Shrine is second in the Hope Cup. This is slightly modified to make it sound more impressive.)

"G1 level wins?"

Stardust Illusions certainly knew about the Hope Tournament, a G1 event held at the end of December.

"But McQueen, you still haven't said why the Emperor's supporters are so much more numerous than the Sky Palace?"

"First of all, the Hope Cup is the first year of the tournament, and in terms of the level of competition in Uma Musume, it is the lowest level in G1."

"Furthermore, since that victory, the Sky Palace has participated in all the competitions this year, but has not yet achieved any victories."

McQueen explained to Stardust Illusion, who had already started eating fried noodles, as if reciting a familiar story:

"And the most important point..."

At this point, she rolled her eyes at the stardust illusion that looked like a starving ghost reincarnated:

"Your battle with the Emperor of the East Sea has become the hottest topic this year, which has further boosted the popularity of the Emperor, who was already adorned with various titles and high expectations."

"After all, the audience wants to see underdogs rise to the top, to see head-to-head matches, and to see more dramatic and exciting games. As for the Air Palace's record this year, which is that they only win but do not win, their popularity has faded."

[The match begins!]

Beep—Bang!

With the host's shout and a long whistle, the gates in front of all the contestants suddenly opened.

Dust was kicked up by the chaotic footsteps, flying in the air and etching the runners' footprints onto the grass.

Hearing this with rapt attention, Stardust Illusion's mind began to tense up.

Using her extraordinary vision as a racehorse girl, she looked out onto the track, eager to see what the Emperor would show her today.

(...Her start was very smooth. In the style of an emperor, is the next step to consolidate her leading position?)

Stardust Illusion's hands clenched involuntarily.

But soon, she released her grip and her gaze sharpened:

(No, the Empress's pace is definitely not this level. If this continues, she will never reach the lead!)

As he watched the emperor gradually fall behind the ranks, Stardust Illusion couldn't help but frown.

Was it blocked by the Sky Palace?

The runner McQueen mentioned earlier was also observed by Stardust Illusion before the race.

She was tall and slender, a rather large runner, and was currently running ahead of the Emperor of the East Sea, blocking most of the gap in the Emperor's path as he tried to get ahead.

Furthermore, we are still in the early stages, and the rules do not allow for overly aggressive moves to secure a spot, so even the Emperor has been deprived of the opportunity to be pushed out directly.

What should I do now? If it were me...

Just as Stardust Illusion was secretly pondering its next move, Megaku McQueen's voice came from beside it:

"Are you worried about the emperor's positioning?"

"But...that's a superfluous thought, because the current emperor is completely different from the one before!"

Chapter 195 (plus 21.5) The Legacy of the Undefeated Three Crowns

"Well, Emperor of the East Sea?"

A voice, both frenzied and rational, rang out as someone ran ahead on the track.

The Sky Palace firmly held onto this position, keeping their biggest rival in the game, the East Sea Emperor, out of the starting position.

“Parcae and my calculations are spot on. This position is perfect and will give you absolutely no chance to break through!”

Through massive data calculations, the Sky Palace deduced the current competition strategy.

She will use this perfect positioning method to continuously deplete the East Sea Emperor's stamina, preventing her from perfectly entering the final rhythm.

Indeed, this racehorse girl named Sky Shrine looks like a villain with a volatile temper, and her temper is certainly not mild.

However, she is an absolute, even outstanding, data-driven runner.

In her view, the entire competition is the result of logical calculation and data deduction, and absolute victory obtained through calculation is her real goal.

"Wisdom can transcend the physical body."

The Sky Palace reiterated that although the emperor behind her did not respond to her even once, even if the continuous provocation caused her mindset to change slightly, it would still be a win-win situation for the Sky Palace.

"I have already calculated the outcome of your race—Eastern Sea Emperor, you will be defeated by me by a horse length on the final straight due to excessive physical exertion!"

"Rambling and rambling..."

The emperor, who was running steadily in the center, finally responded to the guy who kept talking nonsense during the game.

Her tone was largely flat, even indifferent:

"Are you really competing properly like this? Let me be honest with you, Emperor—Uma Musume isn't just about stats!"

She reminded the aerial palace ahead of her of this.

"But the competition isn't like you, where you can win with just passion!" the Sky Shrine replied confidently.

----------

"What's wrong? These two look like they're chatting during the match."

McQueen's eyes widened; he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

In this crucial race that determines the spots for the Satsuki Sho, she sees the two runners most likely to win as: the Tokai Emperor and the Sky Shrine...

They were actually chatting and even arguing on the track?!

"That Emperor! Is he always going to mess up during the competition?!"

"McQueen, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."

Stardust Illusion reassured his friend beside him, his eyes never leaving the racetrack:

"Leaving aside the question of how the Sky Palace is doing, the Emperor of the East Sea is certainly not slacking off right now."

"—Huh?"

“Look at her footwork… that way of exerting force, and the fact that she’s always positioned directly behind the Sky Palace, it’s obvious the Emperor is conserving his energy, isn’t it?”

"Given this slow pace, isn't it more likely that attracting the runners ahead with words and causing them to make a mistake?"

Upon hearing this, McQueen finally realized what was happening.

She carefully studied the current situation on the field, and her expression improved considerably:

"It seems you were right, this is indeed a tactic of emperors. How could I have forgotten..."

"Forgot what?"

Stardust Illusion casually asked a follow-up question.

"N-nothing!"

"...?"

McQueen's unexpectedly fierce rejection made Stardust Illusion turn around and glance at her.

Seeing the panic on the elegant young woman's face, she shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"Let's see how the game goes. The Emperor is doing a great job of judging distances right now, so he shouldn't have any major problems in the first half of the season."

"...Indeed, this is what the emperor has been training recently."

McQueen stroked his flat chest to calm himself down.

She actually knew why the Emperor did this—ever since watching the Stardust Illusion Yomiuri Miles race, the Emperor had been constantly consulting with the other riders on the team, hoping to get reliable advice.

With the added influence of Rudolf's symbolism and the guidance of Megumi Ryan... she has now transformed from a runner who specialized in one skill into a dual-wielding athlete proficient in both skills.

Mastering both running styles not only provides an additional option in a race, but also allows you to switch between them and leverage the advantages of both.

Plus……

McQueen recalled the times he accompanied her during training and silently apologized to Stardust Illusion in his heart.

One of these two was her close teammate, and the other was her dearest friend.

For the sake of fairness, McQueen, as the eldest daughter of the Mejiro family, absolutely cannot favor either side in this Satsuki Prize.

Revealing the content and results of the Emperor's training to Stardust Illusion in advance is a major taboo.

Fortunately, the Stardust Illusion seemed to have realized this as well, which is why it didn't pursue the matter further.

"The race is 2000m long. If he runs normally, Emperor will certainly be able to run at his best."

"However, the aerial palace has very precise control over its position, which can block the emperor's right front position for a long distance, making it almost impossible for her on the outside to cut into the inner circle."