Truth be told, Tokai Teio herself didn't quite understand why she had come here.
Maybe her mind had gotten muddled from watching tapes all through the break, leading her to stand before Dream Weaver and ask a question that should have been settled long ago.
"You're strong… unbelievably strong. Before you, I could never have imagined a Uma Musume like you existing in this world."
Tokai Teio hung her head low, her voice soft, each word measured—as if afraid that her tangled emotions might trip her up.
"But!"
She suddenly lifted her gaze, her clear blue eyes fixed intently on Dream Weaver.
"Even so… I am absolutely going to win the Satsuki Sho!"
To keep everything she had lived for up to this point from losing its meaning, even knowing how overwhelmingly powerful Dream Weaver was—almost undefeatable—Tokai Teio refused to back down.
Uma Musume like them never gave up until victory or defeat was decided beyond any doubt.
Dream Weaver was caught off guard by that stubborn glint in the other's eyes.
She hadn't expected to receive a declaration of war from Tokai Teio today.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but another scene abruptly flashed through her mind.
After the Hopeful Stakes, Sakura Yamato had mentioned her more than once.
Before, Dream Weaver hadn't thought much of it, but after what happened on New Year's Day, she couldn't help overthinking it.
There were already plenty of Uma Musume who liked her; she really didn't want to add another soul to that already intense battlefield.
So, even if it might just be her own ego talking, Dream Weaver no longer dared to encourage her rivals the way she used to.
She had to choose her words carefully now.
Faced with Tokai Teio's challenge, Dream Weaver simply nodded and replied in a polite, amiable tone.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next. Let's meet again at the Satsuki Sho, then."
After speaking, she even added a friendly smile for good measure.
That should do it—polite, kind, perfectly acceptable coming from a rival.
At the very least, it shouldn't lead to any misunderstandings.
Or so Dream Weaver thought. Contrary to her expectations, Tokai Teio didn't seem to pick up on any kindness in her words at all.
Instead, Tokai Teio clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and growled in a voice that was nearly a snarl.
"Dream Weaver… are you really that arrogant?"
Arro…gant?
It took Dream Weaver a couple of seconds to process the word. She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
"Was there something wrong with what I said?"
Having just learned her lesson from Sakura Yamato and the New Year's incident, Dream Weaver didn't press further as she might have before. Instead, she kept a polite distance and replied gently.
But that so-called appropriate distance came across as sheer arrogance to Tokai Teio.
After she had spoken words that were practically a declaration of war, Dream Weaver could still look at her so calmly, responding with a friendly yet detached smile and reply.
What Dream Weaver saw as keeping a respectful space felt to Tokai Teio like looking down on her from a mountaintop.
Her worries, her resolve, her declaration—made even when she knew the life she'd built could come crashing down—all seemed like just another ordinary conversation to Dream Weaver.
And she was even looking forward to her performance? As if to say that no matter what, Dream Weaver could defeat anyone.
Tokai Teio knew Dream Weaver spoke the truth, knew she had the strength to back up that arrogance. But that didn't mean she had to accept it.
Right now, more than ever, she was desperate to win the Satsuki Sho.
Not just to prove herself to the fans who loved her, or to Symboli Rudolf… but more importantly, to prove one thing to this arrogant Dream Weaver.
She, Tokai Teio, was absolutely not an opponent Dream Weaver could face with such ease!
Without another word to Dream Weaver, she turned and walked away.
From then on, Tokai Teio would push herself even harder.
The triple pressure from her fans, Symboli Rudolf, and Dream Weaver didn't break her—it only made her crave victory more fiercely.
Dream Weaver watched her retreating figure. Though she couldn't hear Tokai Teio's thoughts, she could guess a little from the other's expression and actions.
"Did I say something wrong…?"
Facing the opponent from her very first debut race—that indelible white crescent that had lingered in her mind for so long—Dream Weaver actually didn't want her relationship with Tokai Teio to turn so tense.
But what was done was done. Problems born on the track should be settled on the track.
Right now, Tokai Teio wouldn't listen to anything she had to say. Only by winning the Satsuki Sho could she make Teio hear her out.
Watching the other disappear around the corner, Dream Weaver quietly added Tokai Teio's name to her mental list of those who needed saving.
This wasn't the first time Dream Weaver had done something like this.
Whether it was bringing hope to everyone in the dorm through victory, encouraging Sakura Yamato after the Hopeful Stakes, or even further back—in script after script, world after world—she had saved one Uma Musume after another.
After what happened on New Year's Day, Dream Weaver had originally intended to stop adding names to that list.
But seeing Tokai Teio's anger now, seemingly because of her, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
What Dream Weaver didn't realize was that her behavior perfectly matched the judgment Tokai Teio had just passed on her.
She took it for granted that she would win every race.
With her attributes, the abilities honed through countless battles on the track, it never once crossed her mind that she might lose to anyone.
Whether it was Tokai Teio or some "Tokai Dragon King," even if the one declaring war had been Symboli Rudolf herself, Dream Weaver had absolute confidence she could defeat them. And even when it came to saving Tokai Teio, she was completely sure of herself.
It was precisely this confidence that came across as arrogance in Tokai Teio's eyes.
But even if she realized this at some point in the future, Dream Weaver wouldn't change a thing.
Because she did have that kind of strength, and she could do exactly that.
She would win every race, bring happiness and hope to everyone who loved her.
If people called that arrogance… well, let them.
Watching the corner where Tokai Teio had vanished, Dream Weaver felt little disturbance in her heart.
This was just a small episode in her daily life.
The biggest impact it would have was that, after winning the Satsuki Sho, she'd offer Tokai Teio a few more words of comfort and encouragement.
As long as Teio didn't end up liking her for some inexplicable reason like that group of other Uma Musume, Dream Weaver was happy to save any lost soul she encountered.
She shook her head, tucked the matter away, and headed to the cafeteria as planned for a meal before afternoon training.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.