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

"The Stardust Illusion of the Great Escape, although she often unleashes a powerful final kick at the end of the race, what will happen today? If she can't grit her teeth and get through this 400m, she will probably be eliminated before she even crosses the final straight."

"but……"

Seeing his friend suddenly launch into a long-winded explanation of the problems that had occurred that day, the man with the binoculars felt a bit overwhelmed and wanted to retort but didn't know what to say.

In his opinion, why bother with all that nonsense?

As long as she supports Stardust Illusion, she will definitely respond to him as a staunch supporter, and that's enough.

No matter what scenario or predicament they face, Stardust Illusion will definitely win the championship!

----------

[Alright, next up are the star contestants of this match, the last three racehorse girls with their popularity maxed out!!!]

As the host introduced the last three contestants, her tone involuntarily rose and became more enthusiastic. She also added extra details about the top three most popular contestants:

[First up is the third most popular girl! The magical girl who once shone brightly, the strongest runner from the Fujisaka family, rumored to possess incredible power—will she be able to give us a magical performance today?!]

[Currently, he has a 3-2 record in 5 matches, with his main achievement being second place in the G2-level Yayoi Award – Dongshang Reform player is here!]

"Transform at will, the power of magic! Magical girl Sweepy has arrived!!!"

On the field, a lovely girl wearing a witch's hat and a light purple robe with gold foil stamping flew out while shouting, and the torrential rain could not dampen her enthusiasm.

Dongshang Bianbian ran around the audience from one end to the other, waving his hands and interacting warmly with every audience member who supported him.

"Finally here, long time no see."

Inside the athletes' tunnel, watching the Dongshang Transformation team running towards the starting line amidst the heavy rain and cheers, the Emperor spoke these words without turning his head.

The sound of light footsteps came from behind her, indicating that the owner of the footsteps was in a good mood.

"Oh, is the emperor waiting for me... Ah, it seems like this past month has been very fruitful?"

The Stardust Illusion emerged from the shadows, dressed in the red decisive outfit adorned with fire dragon accessories, and looked at the emperor before him with a slight upturn of its lips.

The emperor standing there now is like a black hole, slowly and relentlessly drawing everything around him into it.

This is an anomaly that only occurs when one's sense of presence reaches its peak.

This also means that, just waiting for the competition to begin, or even before officially stepping onto the field, the East Sea Emperor is already on the verge of opening his domain.

She was like a bomb ready to explode, poised to unleash her full power at any moment to challenge herself...

She was looking forward to the day when she could run on the same track as him again.

Stardust Illusion could sense what was contained within this aura.

We cannot fail, we cannot lose any more, we absolutely must win!

They bear a heavy burden of expectations and the mission bestowed upon them by their ideals.

The Emperor of the East Sea did not inquire about the contents of the sachet, but simply stuffed it into his robes and turned away, his eyes unusually cold.

Having already failed once, her current record against Stardust Illusion is a 1-1 tie.

If we lose the derby again...

I simply cannot accept this.

So today, he has wrapped everything outside of the competition in a thick shell, and now the Emperor of the East Sea has only this one thought left:

Seize victory, grasp the brilliance.

The cheers of the audience were so loud that even the heavy rain couldn't dampen them. More than 18 people were about to compete for the sole winner.

The Emperor of the East Sea could recall the look of astonishment, even disappointment, in the eyes of the Stardust Illusion as it crossed the finish line at the end of that Satsuki Sho competition, when it gazed at its second-place finisher…

Yes, a difference of six horse lengths. If it were me, I would probably be very disappointed.

So, we must win today.

It's not as simple as just giving it your all to win... it's about burning yourself out, even if it means being shattered to pieces, to seize victory and make Stardust realize just how true a racehorse girl the East Sea Emperor really is!

(I'm sorry, Stardust. Even if you gave me that kind of amulet now... the Emperor might not be able to keep that promise.)

(This is no longer a time to worry about my legs; today will be the final battle between you and me!!!)

[Next up is second in popularity!]

Upon hearing the host's words, the emperor remained silent for a moment before stepping outside.

No matter how determined you are before the competition, it's meaningless.

The important thing is how they will compete on the field next!

Dubbed the "Rudolph II," she was hailed as a prodigy from the very beginning! This contestant captivated every fan who supported her with her elegant and graceful movements!

[You're currently ranked in the top 2 in all 5 matches. Show everyone your glory and strength as a genius!]

[Currently, I have a record of 4 wins out of 5 matches, with my main achievement being 1st place in the G2 Wakaba Championship – Tokai → Teiō!]

"The current emperor is no longer Rudolf II... He must now win this match as the Emperor of the East Sea, as himself!!!"

The lovely girl displayed an unusually aloof demeanor, waving to the cheering supporters around her as she spoke.

Then he turned away and ignored it, walking towards the sluice gate under the huge raindrops.

However, this unusually quiet demeanor seemed to reveal her determination to win to the audience, and the shouts not only did not stop, but became even more enthusiastic.

It was as if they were cheering, for today they would see the emperor display a completely different strength and performance than before.

Next up was the last person in the match.

She is also the contestant with the highest popularity and support rate.

[She has never lost a race since her debut! She has succeeded Oguri-hat as the new generation's local racehorse girl, embodying ideals and glory! A monster in its second generation, the escape queen! Every spectator who has watched her races has spared no praise in expressing their astonishment!]

Her incredible run tore through the sky, her final stride stunned the world! Even the Tokyo Mile, a G1 race, was completely conquered by this runner with a massive margin!!!

[The moment has finally arrived when he will seize the Satsuki Sho title and let his starlight shine upon future generations—an absolute overlord with 8 wins out of 9 matches since his debut, and a 7-match winning streak in this year's high-stakes tournaments, undefeated!!!]

【So, let our cheers become a salute to the Overlord, to welcome the arrival of this racehorse girl! The absolute destroyer who reigns supreme in the race, her name is—】

"Stardust Illusion!!!"

The eruption was deafening; the cheers of 18 people in the stadium simultaneously ripped through the rain like thunder.

Amidst the boisterous and enthusiastic atmosphere, a young girl leisurely walked out of the contestants' tunnel, wearing a raincoat she had somehow acquired.

She wasn't even in a hurry to run forward. Instead, she kept waving her hands and greeting the spectators on the side of the track. There wasn't a trace of the domineering aura that the host had given her during his long introduction.

It's like a random passerby who accidentally wandered into the stadium.

Facing the confused and incomprehensible gazes of everyone, Stardust Illusion walked to the gate and took off his raincoat, handing it to the staff member beside him.

The raindrops instantly soaked her, and even her short brown hair immediately clung to her face, causing water droplets to slide down her cheeks.

Feeling the atmosphere of the arena and enjoying the attention of everyone, Stardust Illusion, who had promised others before the match to take it easy, finally couldn't bear it any longer.

She turned around to look at the audience behind her, and then slowly raised her right hand.

The audience breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this familiar gesture.

The lackluster entrance of Stardust Illusion just now left the audience, who were initially drawn to her domineering presence, somewhat puzzled. Some even began to worry that the racehorse girl might be out of sorts for some reason, which was why she hadn't displayed her usual imposing aura.

Fortunately, at the last moment before stepping through the gate, she did not resort to her signature move. As a result, all her supporters secretly took a deep breath, preparing to cooperate with this tyrant in the next phase.

The absolute overlord, let us once again behold your flawless figure here—

--no.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the Stardust Illusion did not point to the sky with a single finger and make a declaration like a sun god.

This time, however, she extended two fingers.

Just like making a V sign to symbolize victory, Stardust Illusion stretched out its middle and index fingers together, its arm stretched straight up towards the sky.

Looking around with satisfaction at the fact that no one had grasped his meaning, Stardust Illusion finally spoke, easily drowning out the rain and spreading its voice throughout the entire area:

"Today marks our second title."

It wasn't a loud shout, nor was it a passionate declaration.

As if stating something perfectly natural, Stardust Illusion finished speaking in a cheerful tone, then turned and walked into the gate.

Not only the people in the audience, but even the contestants around them were completely shocked by the meaning behind those words.

They all stared in disbelief at the stardust illusion that appeared upon entering the 7th gate.

To declare that he had won his second championship, and even to announce it in a frivolous manner, is to show utter contempt for the chances of other players winning on the field.

Although many of the contestants here have some connection with Stardust Illusion, and the race girls generally have a simple mind, saying this directly puts her on the opposite side of the other contestants.

Even without any hostile intent, the contestants' faces hardened, and they even began to plot how to prove to her that this match was not hers for the taking.

However, other runners had the same idea.

"Oh? This is really... Narita Shirahito, what do you think?"

The Sky God Palace turned to look at the lone wolf at the gate beside it, seeking the other's opinion.

"Hmm... I can't sense any aura from Stardust Illusion. Does she really think she doesn't need to go all out against us?!"

Narita Shirahito's brows furrowed even more. She couldn't believe that Stardust Illusion, with whom she had fought many times, would have such a careless or even frivolous attitude.

However, when faced with such an important race, every female horse will start building up her strength and adjusting her condition before the race, preparing to perform at her best on the track.

Once such behavior is committed, one should not appear as relaxed or even lazy as one might in Stardust Illusion.

As she was pondering, the stardust illusion in her eyes even stretched lazily inside the gate, yawning and covering its mouth.

If it weren't for the constant raindrops, no one could possibly fall asleep in this state. Narita Shirahito even suspected that she was genuinely starting to feel sleepy.

What's going on? What exactly is Stardust Illusion doing?

If one were like the Emperor of the East Sea, whose every move exuded a terrifying aura that could chill anyone to the bone. Even before the match had begun, the intense heat emanating from him had already swept across the entire arena, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made everyone feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.

But at least there are clues to follow, and at most one can only marvel at her strength.

However, Narita Shirahito couldn't fathom why Stardust Illusion would adopt such a casual approach to the competition, practically wearing flip-flops and beach shorts.

"Gudong..."

He swallowed his saliva unconsciously.