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

"Rather than becoming an unbeatable runner, everyone wants a strong opponent to keep challenging... But I didn't expect that even a three-time champion could no longer pose a threat to this guy."

The Noble Clan has held extremely high expectations for Stardust Illusion ever since that mock tournament, and naturally pays close attention to her matches.

Therefore, we know that Stardust Illusion's great escape was actually just a little whim of this racehorse girl, a strength she developed step by step after making her own choice.

What truly symbolizes this racehorse girl's talent is her final sprint, which seems capable of shattering limits and surpassing the speed of light.

(It seems that regardless of the outcome of this year's Arc de Triomphe competition between Zhuo Fu and her, at least one of these two, who have been lonely for so long, will make a breakthrough. At that time, combined with their physiques that have both reached the speed limit...)

The nobleman took a sip of the red wine beside him and couldn't help but think this.

—But all of this is contingent on the Stardust Illusion not being completely crushed by the immense pressure that follows.

"...I doubt it. This guy isn't even afraid of me."

--------

[Without a doubt! I see the shadows of countless past Japanese horse racing queens in this runner!]

[A seven-length difference in a French G1 race is absolute proof that Stardust Illusion stands at the pinnacle of the world!]

[Announce your meteoric rise to the world—Overlord, Stardust Illusion!!!]

Accompanied by the female commentator's enthusiastic cheers, the screen in JRA's live stream was filled with cheering comments and exclamation marks, densely covering the entire screen, making only colorful characters visible.

All the fans of Neon Horse Girls who followed the race online witnessed Stardust Mirage's resounding victory.

"Overlord!!! G1 level 7 horse body!!!"

"Strong, undeniably strong!"

"Honestly, I thought Stardust Illusion would win, but I never imagined they would win... so exhilaratingly!"

"That's absolutely right. He was already soloing before even reaching the final straight line; he's on a completely different level!"

"This dominance reminds me of the Tokyo Mile... but this is a French triple crown!!!"

"That horse that was left seven horse lengths behind, Talento, is this year's potential Triple Crown runner. Now the Japanese Triple Crown is greater than the French Triple Crown, haha!!!"

Sitting in the training ground's rest area with his small phone in hand, the Emperor of the East Sea watched the barrage of comments flash by, his face filled with satisfaction and pride.

I witnessed Stardust Illusion's three-stage final acceleration sprint, leaving J.C. High behind in one fell swoop at the final corner.

Even just looking at it through the screen, the Emperor of the East Sea could feel the immense pressure emanating from it.

Even she wasn't confident she could keep up with that sprint speed, and that's precisely the most terrifying aspect of racing against the Stardust Illusion—

She had several opportunities to accelerate, but if her opponent missed even one opportunity, it would be very difficult for them to regain the chance to win.

It can be said that, whether it was himself in the Derby back then or his current talent in the Paris Grand Prix, he has always been teetering on the edge of a precipice, facing off against the Stardust illusion from the very beginning.

(If the Emperor were also in this race, he should be running ahead of Intelligence High, and then activating Ultimate Emperor Dance the moment Stardust is activated...)

The Emperor of the East Sea repeatedly rewound the progress bar, carefully studying every second of the match, and gradually incorporated himself into the game, considering how to handle the outbreak of the Stardust Illusion.

“Stardust is getting stronger and stronger…” McQueen, sitting next to the East Sea Emperor, sighed and remarked.

For McQueen, who had just faced Stardust Illusion at the Takarazuka Memorial, she was more qualified than anyone else to say how much Stardust Illusion had improved.

Although Stardust Illusion wasn't as desperate as the Takarazuka Memorial event today, even in her normal state, McQueen could see that her stamina and strength had clearly improved to a new level.

"In that case, it will be even harder to catch up with her. When will we ever be able to..."

McQueen bit his thumbnail, realizing his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

Oh no! I accidentally blurted out what was on my mind!

The Empress is the racehorse girl who is closest to Stardust. I hope she won't think I'm implying something when I say this...!

Thinking of this, McQueen's face stiffened, and he quickly turned to look at the Emperor of the East Sea beside him:

No, that's not what I meant—

However, the emperor's imposing aura and stern expression did not materialize as she had imagined. Instead, he met her gaze with a smile.

"Hmm? I think you're right. Emperor and McQueen need to work hard, we can't let Stardust leave us behind."

"...?"

McQueen hesitated, glancing at the Empress a few more times, trying to see if she was really just putting on a show of composure.

She recalled how, whenever the Emperor talked about Stardust in the team, he would always display an extremely possessive nature and would suddenly turn sullen with a dark expression.

Moreover, it wasn't just about himself; even Stardust's close friends, like Special Zhou, had to be extremely careful, lest they cause the Emperor to misunderstand.

But now... could the emperor have suffered from heatstroke?

McQueen's probing glance aroused the East Sea Emperor's suspicion, but she remained perfectly composed, as if the McQueen before her posed no threat whatsoever: "What is it, McQueen?"

The sweet, cloying tone made McQueen realize that this was indeed the Emperor of the East Sea's usual demeanor. Could it be that the Emperor had grown up?

McQueen opened his mouth, wanting to ask the Emperor what he was thinking, but he held back the words.

What right did she have to ask the emperor's thoughts? That blockhead was completely oblivious to Megumi McQueen's delicate, girlish heart!

Never mind, I don't care.

I should focus on training and improving myself first.

If he can't even chase after Stardust's shadow, how can he talk about a future with her? Let alone the Emperor of the East Sea, he can't even get past his own conscience.

"Stardust's goal is the Arc de Triomphe Prize. If she can win that competition, it means that the Emperor will face her at the Chrysanthemum Prize—that will be the Emperor's last chance."

The Emperor of the East Sea turned his gaze back to the video in his hand, pulling the progress bar back to the beginning, watching the tall figure rushing ahead from the start, and couldn't help but recall the promise she made to him before she left.

"But no matter how strong she becomes, we won't give up, will we?"

McQueen smiled upon hearing this, regained his composure, and transformed this pressure into motivation for further training and improvement.

She is a year behind Stardust and Emperor, so she cannot participate in the three-year-old-only competition. Therefore, even if Stardust Illusion returns, she will only be able to compete against him at least in the Neon Cup or even the Arima Memorial.

For a runner like Stardust Illusion who is constantly improving, this means she will be stronger than Arc de Triomphe and Chrysanthemum Viewing Time.

Can I still defeat him...?

No, it's that I must believe I can defeat her.

If even you, the racehorse girl, start to doubt your ability to win, then the race is truly over before it even begins!

“If, I mean if…” McQueen suddenly looked up, as if to ask something, but was immediately interrupted by the Emperor’s words:

"G2 Eugene Adam Championship? The winner is Saima Musume named Meigetsu Hyakuri. I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

Caught off guard by a glimpse of another match in the similar recommendations, the Emperor clicked on the screen with some curiosity and began browsing. McQueen, standing nearby, also leaned in, glanced at it a few times, and then suddenly understood:

"Ah, this runner is also scheduled to participate in the Arc de Triomphe Appreciation. I think she was reported to be here with Stardust on the same day she went to France?"

"Oh? So this is also a participant in the Arc de Triomphe Award..."

The emperor gazed intently at the racehorse girl on the screen, who was even shorter than himself, his eyes burning with a strange intensity.

"Yes, this runner is currently affiliated with the HK Racing Association, and his main winning saddles are in New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. It's worth mentioning that this runner seems to be a junior of a Triumph at the Arc de Triomphe champion..."

"The champion of the Arc de Triomphe? Is he a strongman on par with the elite families?" The emperor was curious when he heard the words "Arc de Triomphe".

"I remember it was called... Haidu City, right? Its career victories weren't as spectacular as those of the Noble Clan; it mainly consisted of only the Arc de Triomphe Award."

"Because I happened to see another runner related to her announce today that she would also participate in the Arc de Triomphe, so I had some recollection of her."

McQueen, recalling the messages he had checked, continued slowly:

"What was the other participant's name again? I remember that runner was related to Haidu City by blood, and like Stardust, he was a Classic Year runner... Oh, I remember now."

"The runner's name inherited the surname of Hai Du City; it's Sea The Stars, or as she's known—"

"Star of Haidu."

Chapter 352 Not even for a moment did he feel sorrow for Cai Zhigao.

As Stardust Illusion walked through the runners' tunnel, the other runners, whether out of fear or repulsion, all made way for her.

But Stardust Illusion didn't care. In her opinion, these runners couldn't even pose a threat to her, so they weren't worth her time.

Following the passageway, Stardust Illusion prepared to return to the lounge to eat something and replenish his energy.

But just then, a familiar voice suddenly reached her ears from behind:

"Stardust! Wait for me, Stardust Illusion!!!"

Turning his head, Stardust Illusion saw a dark shadow chasing after him from behind, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly together.

"Congratulations, Stardust!" Cai Zhigao offered his congratulations wholeheartedly, showing no sign of resentment or sadness at his defeat.

"As expected, you're just like Zofu, born to become the strongest racehorse girl."

“…Thank you.” The Stardust Illusion paused for a moment, then replied with a somewhat helpless smile:

"Your intelligence is high, but your abilities are also quite good. There's no need to be so self-deprecating."

"..."

Cai Zhigao's smile froze. He didn't know whether Stardust Illusion was mocking him, the loser who had been left seven or eight horse lengths behind, or if she was just being blunt.

Although she wasn't very familiar with Stardust Illusion, she had spent so much time with Zhuo Yafu. Most of the time, Zhuo Yafu was quick-witted and outspoken, but occasionally she would reveal a mischievous and cunning side, leaving her speechless with just a few words.

Could it be that it belongs to the same type of stardust illusion as Zhuofu, and is also classified as naturally black?

"In short, I did lose to you this time, but I won't give up so easily. We'll have a proper match next time. Anyway, I'm used to losing to monsters like you, so this one won't make a difference."

"And I'm not bragging, but even Zhuo Fu can't say she's definitely surpassed me in terms of progress—"

Did you come here specifically to talk about this?

Because the conversation was so pointless, Stardust Illusion had to speak up and interrupt the other party's self-praise.

"Ah, let's change the subject then."

Cai Zhigao walked beside Stardust Illusion, shoulder to shoulder, towards the lounge. Neither of them could see the other's expression, and the conversation continued in this way:

"Did you plan this race in advance to completely shake me off before the final straight?"

"No, I was just running on instinct. I didn't think much about the things you're talking about."

"I see... So, you actually have expectations that I might catch up in the end?"

"..."