After Oguri Cap stepped onto the track, the comntator's next call surprised many. Instead of announcing Tamamo Cross from Gate 11, the voice bood:
"Gate 12, Hawaii Coral!"
Shuta An imdiately understood the intention behind the unusual order.
"Since this is Tamamo Cross's retirent race," he said, "they're letting her appear last on purpose."
"That's actually very thoughtful of the URA Association," Berno Light added with a satisfied nod.
"Whatever the reason, it's fine by ," Shuta An replied casually. "Today, I just want to enjoy the Christmas gift known as 'Arima Kinen Victory.'"
Only then did Berno Light suddenly realize the date. "Oh—right, it's Christmas! I completely forgot! I've been so focused on helping Oguri study shoes and horseshoes for Nakayama's Slope Road that I didn't do any Christmas decorating at all—"
"No matter what Oguri's results are today, we'll all go to a nearby restaurant afterward and eat a good al with her," Shuta An said. "Whether it becos a Christmas party, a celebration, or a consolation dinner—it doesn't matter."
And at that very mont, Tamamo Cross stepped onto the track as the final entrant.
"Although she didn't win the Japan Cup, she previously achieved three consecutive G1 wins! The undefeated queen of spring—'White Lightning' Tamamo Cross—now enters! Today's Arima Kinen marks her retirent race from the Twinkle Series! Can she once again prove herself to be 'Japan's Strongest'?!"
The comntator's voice trembled with excitent.
But Tamamo Cross herself was composed, hands clasped together, her right thumb rhythmically rubbing the base of her left. The deafening cheers of Nakayama Racecourse did not reach her—her mind was elsewhere. On her way from the waiting room, she had been stopped by Symboli Rudolf.
"Is sothing the matter, Kaichou-san?" Tamamo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Shouldn't you be in the box seats upstairs?"
"I ca down because I wanted to speak with you," Symboli Rudolf answered calmly. "There's still ti before registration. Will you hear out?"
"Please speak." They weren't particularly close, so Tamamo's tone remained neutral.
"Before last year, I had never heard your na," Symboli Rudolf began, eyes sharp yet even. "But when you began winning major races consecutively at year's end, you caught my attention. To be honest, before the Spring Tenno Sho, I didn't think you would necessarily win. I understand well how vast the gap is between a major-race winner and a true G1 champion."
"But you won beautifully—and displayed overwhelming strength again in the Takarazuka Kinen." She paused. "Logically, URA should have devoted more publicity resources to you. But Oguri Cap's two crown victory in France sparked internal debate. When asked for my opinion, I remained neutral. In the end, URA chose to heavily promote Oguri Cap as compensation for being shut out of the Classic series."
"I know." Tamamo Cross remained placid, unshaken. "But Oguri is my friend. I have no problem with it."
"I had planned to propose increased publicity focusing on your rivalry with Oguri next year—" Rudolf sighed softly. "I didn't expect you to retire this year. I'm genuinely sorry that you never received the spotlight you deserved."
"It's fine." Tamamo closed her eyes. "My friendship with Oguri has nothing to do with publicity. If Miss Emperor feels guilty, there's no need."
"I heard Miss Rudolf once tried to recruit Oguri to Central," Tamamo continued with a small grin. "She probably wouldn't gone anyway, but I'll believe you planted the seed. Thanks to that, I got to have an intense three-match series with her. For that, I should be thanking you."
"…" Rudolf fell silent before speaking again. "Tamamo Cross, have you ever considered joining the Student Council?"
"Oh?" Tamamo raised an eyebrow with interest. "We can talk about that if I lose."
"Not if you win?" Rudolf asked, surprised.
"I don't think I'll lose." Tamamo's lips curved in confidence as she strode past the Emperor, heading toward the registration desk.
But once she stood upon the turf of Nakayama Racecourse, eyes closed, she quietly absorbed the pressure radiating from her rivals. A faint tremor ran through her chest.
"Oguri's montum—it's no weaker than before the Japan Cup. Dicta Striker's fighting spirit is blazing. And Super Creek—her aura is subdued, yet beneath it, I feel a storm waiting to erupt."
She exhaled—and smiled.
"Excellent. Every one of my opponents is in peak condition." White Lightning opened her eyes, fierceness flashing within them. "By defeating all of you here—I'll once again prove that I am Japan's Strongest!"
Elsewhere in the stands, the year's Satsuki Sho winner, Yaeno Muteki, sat beside the Derby champion Sakura Chiyono O, last year's two-crown Uma Musu Sakura Star O, and jiro Ardan of the jiro family. The four had gathered to witness the final "Grand Prix" of the year.
"It's such a sha Star O nee-san and I can't participate" Sakura Chiyono O grumbled, pressing her hands against her thighs with regret.
"There's no helping it—we need to recover from our injuries," Sakura Star O replied more cheerfully. "Chiyono O, you still have next year."
"What's done is done," Yaeno Muteki said firmly. "Rest well now, and when next year cos, prove yourselves again on the track. That's our duty."
"That's right" jiro Ardan whispered, lightly touching her legs. "I have to prove myself."
Compared to the three G1 winners beside her, jiro Ardan was the most desperate for glory. Second in the Derby—that had been the closest she ever ca to a G1.
But it didn't change the truth. She was not yet a G1 Uma Musu. And that left her with a heavy, lingering regret.
As the band's pre-race bugle call echoed across the course, thirteen Uma Musus stepped forward one after another to enter the starting gates. Following the rule that odd-numbered stalls loaded first, Tamamo Cross was scheduled to go in before Oguri Cap. Just as the White Lightning lifted her foot toward the gate, a voice called out behind her—
"Is this really the end?" Oguri Cap's gaze lingered on Tamamo Cross's back. "I didn't expect it to co so soon."
"That's why you're so annoying, Oguri!" Tamamo Cross didn't bother turning around. "Didn't I tell you already? This is my retirent race."
Inside the gate, her hands clenched into tight fists—hidden behind the tal fra where Oguri Cap couldn't see.
"There's nothing left to discuss!" Tamamo Cross finally glanced back, her sharp eyes eting her friend's. "This is my last Twinkle Series race. I'm going to beat Oguri right here to prove that I'm Japan's Strongest in the middle–long distances! I won't even leave Oguri a chance for revenge!"
"That history won't repeat," Oguri Cap shot back, her eyes unwavering. "I defeated Tama in the Japan Cup. This ti will be no different! I'll show Tama that I've surpassed her—I'll make her admit it!"
"Fine then," Tamamo Cross arched an eyebrow provocatively. "Show Oguri's determination on the dream stage of Nakayama 2500—a distance Oguri's never conquered before."
Her stall locked into place. The next mont, it was Oguri Cap's turn to step forward into hers. As she took her position to Tamamo Cross's right, Oguri Cap sensed an intense pressure rising around her.
"Tama—Dicta Striker—Super Creek?"
She quickly identified the sources.
"So they're like —contenders who must win." Oguri Cap's eyes narrowed. "The final stage is going to be good."
"December 25th—Christmas! The final and most important dream stage of the year!" The comntator's voice bood across Nakayama. "A middle-to-long-distance turf clash between thirteen-star Uma Musus! Arima Kinen, start!"
With a thunderous crack, the gates flew open. Every runner sprang out cleanly and powerfully—at least, that should have been the case.
"Dicta Striker has stumbled! She's holding her forehead—did she hit the gate?" The comntator imdiately spotted the abnormality.
But this was Arima Kinen. Even if Dicta Striker was a star, one mistake at the start wasn't enough to pull everyone's attention away.
"Road Royal takes the lead again, with Running Free close behind!" The comntator shifted to the unfolding formation.
(In the Ani, Running Free should be Long Live Free)
Before Arima Kinen, Road Royal had skipped the Japan Cup and instead raced in the G2 2500-ter Copa Republica Argentina,where she proved she could dominate from start to finish at that distance.
"If I can open a three-length gap at the final turn, I can hold it to the end!" Road Royal had calculated this with her Trainer. Her confidence was absolute.
"If I succeed, the Arima Kinen title will be mine! Forget three-way showdowns or four-way showdowns—the headline will be The Rise of a New Escape-Type Legend!"
Free Runner had initially wanted to seize the lead, but the mory of the Japan Cup held her back. In the end, she settled right behind Road Royal, conserving stamina with the wind-break.
anwhile, Oguri Cap, starting from an outer stall, did not drop to the back like Tamamo Cross. Instead, she surged forward, using the positional disadvantage to press the inner horses inward—trapping several front-runners in tight "box seats."
It was a tactic Shuta An had taught her—a lesson pulled from his dreams of the Japan Cup. Oguri Cap had absorbed it instantly, throwing several competitors' plans into disarray.
At the rear, Tamamo Cross frowned. "So the lead group is completely boxed in by Oguri—within such a narrow range."
For her, this was neither fortunate nor unfortunate. Everything depended on whether she could seize the mont the leading group's "boxes" were finally broken open. But for Dicta Striker, it was undeniably good news.
"The Arima Kinen is my test against long-distance limitations. Thanks to Nakayama's layout, I can minimize my turning losses and attempt this 2500-ter challenge. And now Oguri has boxed in the entire leading group. The first turn is sharp and downhill. Those guys will have to slow down."
A faint smile curved her lips—until her left vision suddenly blurred.
She instinctively wiped her face. "Blood?" She stared at her fingers, stunned, only snapping back to focus just before drifting too wide.
"Was I bleeding?" The surprise was brief; she forced herself to refocus. "No matter—what's important now is resetting my rhythm! Everything else can wait. I didn't prepare all this ti just to be held back by a minor injury!"
She clenched her teeth, adjusted her stride and cadence, and continued maintaining second-to-last place. By the ti Dicta Striker had regained stability, all thirteen Uma Musus—except her and Tamamo Cross—had already surged onto the straight beside the main grandstand.
Ahead of them lood Nakayama Racecourse's infamous obstacle: The Slope Road.
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