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

France, on the other hand, brought back its renowned family members who had been slacking off for months, forming a commentary team with a host appointed by the domestic authorities.

England, on the other hand, invited Galileo, a world-renowned racehorse.

Preparations are in full swing, and the eyes of the world are focused on the racecourse in Paris, France, at the Longchamp Racecourse, eagerly awaiting the start of the competition.

In this atmosphere, the much-anticipated October 15th finally arrived.

--------

The Arc de Triomphe viewing was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., but Paris was already filled with elements related to the competition from 6 a.m.

Posters of the 18 competitors in this race were plastered everywhere today, from shops and residential areas to the racecourse area.

And it wasn't just full-body posters used for promotion; supporters also spontaneously created and hung various highlights of their past competitions on different buildings.

The moment Zoe crossed the finish line at the Longchamp Mills race; Stardust Illusion's domineering image of pointing one finger to the sky at the Deauville race; Justice's moment of winning the American Triple Crown; Seastar's victory in the English race with a raised fist...

French supporters and tourists from other countries passing by took photos with their phones, capturing this rare spectacle.

If a census were conducted on Paris today, it would be found that the population has increased by millions!

Many spectators, even those who couldn't get tickets to the Arc de Triomphe, wanted to gather here to get closer to this epic battle.

The roads leading to the competition venue were closed off by the authorities well in advance to prevent traffic problems for the athletes on their way to the venue.

In a moving car, the favorites to win the race, Stardust Illusion and Crimson Toyama, were riding to today's racecourse—the Longchamp Racecourse, the oldest racecourse in France.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the racetrack, the car was quickly intercepted, and a swarm of reporters rushed over, seemingly hoping to extract more news material from Stardust Illusion.

This time, however, the car did not open the windows, but instead drove straight into the racecourse through a special passageway.

No one knew that besides Stardust Illusion and Scarlet Toyama, there was also a girl named Oguri Hat who had just arrived in France that day, specifically for Stardust Illusion.

“In the blink of an eye, Stardust, you’re already standing on this stage.”

Today, Oguri Hat once again donned her signature winning outfit, perfectly showcasing her agile figure.

She had already retired and had put the outfit away.

However, this time, in order to cheer on Stardust Illusion, Oguri Hat specially recalled the scene when Stardust Illusion looked at his outfit with longing eyes, so he simply put on the final outfit again and rushed here on the day of the Stardust Tournament.

Looking at the girl who was both a teacher and a friend, Stardust Illusion's eyes also revealed a hint of excitement.

Her feelings for Oguri Hat were also very complicated, including respect for this senior's abilities.

And there is also the yearning to become like her, step by step, towards the strongest.

In particular, Stardust Phantom has always kept in mind the kindness shown to her, especially since the other party and trainer Rokuhei Ginjiro were her benefactors who led her into the world of horse racing.

"Didn't Grandpa Liu Ping come today?" Stardust Illusion asked with some regret.

"Ah, he had also bought a plane ticket to go with me, but before boarding, he suddenly developed something called... something called high blood pressure? So the airport wouldn't let him board."

Oguri Hat explained, then took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him: "He asked me to give this to you."

"..."

Stardust Illusion looked down at the 90% off coupon in his hand. The discount was so large that it was clearly one of those internally circulated vouchers used as employee benefits, typical of Japan.

Its origin is also familiar; it comes from a yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant called "Horaiken" near the Nakakyo Racecourse in Nagoya, Japan.

After losing her debut battle in Stardust Illusion, she seized the opportunity to ask Rokuhei Ginjiro and Oguri Hat for help with her running training.

At that time, Stardust Illusion was struggling financially because they had no income and their sister's illness required money.

To avoid affecting her training, she shamelessly ate lunch and dinner with Oguri Hat every day, thus saving on food expenses.

During those days, the place that Grandpa Liuping took her and Xiaoli Mao to most often was this barbecue restaurant, Baolaixuan.

It's fair to say that this barbecue restaurant deserves a great deal of credit for my current appetite, which is comparable to that of a competitive eater.

More importantly, this shop embodies her initial dedication and beliefs as a racehorse girl.

"Does Grandpa Liu Ping mean that after I win the Arc de Triomphe and return to China, he'll invite me to Baolaixuan for barbecue to celebrate again?"

"He wanted to remind me in this way that even when I'm standing on the world's highest stage, I should never forget my original aspiration and be a pure and focused female racehorse, just like when I begged you for help with everything I had, right?"

Stardust Illusion sighed at the grandfatherly trainer, then looked up at Oguri Hat and asked.

However, she was greeted by Little Chestnut Hat's innocent yet slightly surprised gaze:

"Huh? No... It's just that before he was taken away by the airport doctor, he struggled to find his wallet and body for a long time and realized that this was the only gift he could give to you."

"...Haha, you're right. Then I'll treat you to barbecue later, as a way of returning the favor."

Stardust Illusion awkwardly handed the voucher to Toyama Scarlet, pretending that the analysis she had just given wasn't her doing.

“But Little Chestnut Hat, why did you only arrive today? If you had come earlier, Grandpa Rokuhei wouldn’t have missed it.”

"I hadn't planned to come," Little Chestnut Hat replied honestly, without any attempt to hide anything.

"Fujimasa told me that it wouldn't be good if I didn't come to see you, and that you might need my support, so I was urged to come."

"Such an important event, and you weren't even planning to come!" Stardust Illusion exclaimed in shock.

The news that she would be attending the Arc de Triomphe this year caused a sensation throughout Japan.

If we were to rate the influence on an international scale, out of a possible 100 points, how many points would this year's Arc de Triomphe Award get?

60 points? 70 points? At most, it probably won't exceed 80 points.

However, if we only consider the level of discussion within Japan, it would be no less than 300 points!

However, Oguri Hat said that she hadn't planned to come at all, and it was only after being urged by Fujimasa that she reluctantly came to cheer her on...

(Could it be that Oguri Hat didn't actually consider himself a true friend?)

Thinking of this, even Stardust Illusion couldn't help but show a somewhat aggrieved expression on its face.

After all, in her heart, Oguri Hat always held a special place.

Her running techniques: Miracle Runner of the Holy Night, and the drive to victory, have accompanied Stardust Illusion since her debut.

And her godlike running figure at the Arima Memorial was something she could never forget.

"Why didn't you want to come, Little Chestnut Hat? You and Stardust must be very close, right?"

Having been quiet for a long time, Toyama Hikari seemed to notice the change in Stardust Illusion's emotions and took the initiative to steer the conversation forward.

"Because I think Stardust is bound to win."

Oguri Hat spoke casually, as if Stardust Illusion could easily win an OP-level match.

Even the Stardust Illusion, which had just been feeling down, was stunned for a moment before reacting, blankly uttering a single syllable: "Eh...?"

At this point, Little Chestnut Hat slightly raised her eyes and looked at the stardust illusion in front of her.

Those grey-blue eyes revealed boundless determination and trust.

"Because I trained with you for so long, I was able to understand what kind of opponent you, Stardust, truly are."

"Your running, your determination, your fighting spirit, and your talent that is second to none..."

“Stardust, I’ve always believed in you and that you could reach the pinnacle of Uma Musume, which is why I made you the so-called ‘Oguri Hat 2.0’ at that retirement ceremony.”

"Because you are destined to become that one, to become the strongest, surpassing me, Inari, Tamamo Cross, Shikigami, and even Rudolf Symbol, surpassing all Uma Musume Girls."

“You have the potential, the determination, and more importantly... you have never lost sight of your goals.”

At this point, Oguri Hat paused, then suddenly raised her hand and removed the headband made of four gold prism-shaped ornaments from her forehead.

"I wanted you to be the next Oguri Hat because even in my career, I had many regrets... so as a friend, I wanted to ask you to do something for me."

"That is to carry my regrets, make up for them step by step, and ascend to the peak called the strongest in a flawless manner!"

"I'm giving this to you today..."

The Stardust Illusion was completely stunned and had no idea what Oguri Hat meant.

Having spent so much time with this girl, this was the first time she had ever heard Oguri Hat so frankly express her views on her.

Stardust Illusion never expected that it would receive such high praise from Oguri Hat.

In her view, having someone inherit the title of "Oguri Hat 2nd Generation" was actually her asking her to use that title to make up for the regrets that Oguri Hat had never achieved in the past.

Stardust Illusion knew what Oguri Hat's regrets referred to.

Central United won all the matches, the Japanese derby, and the classic treble...

And of course, there's the stage I'm about to step onto today: the Arc de Triomphe in France.

Stardust Illusion sat there, letting Little Chestnut Hat gently place her hair ornament on her forehead and then secure it.

Only then did she realize what was happening, and hurriedly said, "I..."

"Okay, I'm not very good at talking, so that's enough for now."

Oguri waved his hand, then smiled and continued, "After you finish this match, remember to invite me to a celebration party."

"Yes...I definitely will!"

Stardust Illusion reached out and gently stroked the hair ornament on her forehead.

It seems that because it has been worn by Oguri for several years, it is no longer as new as it used to be, and you could even say that the surface is a bit rough.

However, Stardust Illusion knew that this was a very important gift for Little Chestnut Hat.

It was a debut gift given to her by Oguri Hat's mother when she was still in Kasamatsu.

Little Chestnut Hat has always regarded it as a very precious treasure, and she doesn't care as much about the final outfit.

It needs careful daily care to prevent damage or discoloration.

But now you've given it to me...?

Stardust Illusion clenched her fist silently; she knew perfectly well what that meant.

Oguri Hat was absolutely confident that she could win this Arc de Triomphe Award, which is why she wanted me to wear this headdress during the competition so that I could seize my own spotlight.

By then, she had made up for her regrets through me.

"Although we still have plenty of time, to prevent any unforeseen problems, we should probably get off the bus and head to the players' rest area."

Although Hikari Toyama didn't really want to interrupt their conversation, she glanced at her watch and had no choice but to speak up.

After all, a certain amount of time must be reserved in the plan to prepare for possible special circumstances.

"Then I'll stop here. I'll be watching you from the stands during the match, Stardust."