After the single-player race and Satono Diamond's race, Miracle Fantasy and Smart Falcon, the fourth runners, took to the field.
"Hello, my name is Smart Falcon. I'm the cute Umadol; you can call me Falco☆!" Smart Falcon introduced herself to Miracle Fantasy.
"Ah! Hello, I'm Miracle Fantasy."
Miracle Fantasy thought to herself, "How can Smart Falcon not feel embarrassed about calling herself cute?"
After observing Smart Falcon up close, she did understand some things.
For example, Smart Falcon really didn't control her aura.
She suddenly remembered hearing someone say yesterday that Abyss's Lilian was so frightened by Smart Falcon that she couldn't even stand up, sitting on the ground wailing uncontrollably.
This clearly showed that Smart Falcon controlled her aura.
Furthermore, Smart Falcon is an Umamusume from the advanced department...
"More powerful than McQueen and Teio, no domain, imposing presence, ruthless methods, a member of the TCB..."
Miracle Fantasy grew increasingly alarmed. Smart Falcon's attributes perfectly matched the Umamusume Obey Your Master had mentioned—the one who had sent Golden Crown Eagle to the hospital.
While Obey Your Master, Symboli Rudolf, and Maruzensky were all speculating about the identity of "Ogura" from last night,
Miracle Fantasy, standing on the field, felt as if she had suddenly discovered an incredible secret.
"This Smart Falcon—is she the Umamusume who sent Golden Crown Eagle to the hospital?!"
"According to Obey Your Master, last night that Umamusume had a huge advantage, but deliberately braked before the finish line, waiting for Golden Crown Eagle to pass before overtaking her with momentum..."
"Then Golden Crown Eagle was so frightened that she lost her will to fight."
Miracle Fantasy recalled Obey Your Master's description of the mysterious Umamusume's actions in last night's race and felt increasingly convinced of the opponent's ruthless and terrifying methods.
"What if this Smart Falcon really is that Umamusume from last night... If I get ahead of her, doesn't that mean she'll overtake me from behind?"
Their leg is only 1300 meters, a very short distance.
Although Lily established an advantage in the second leg, the third leg is only 1000 meters, so even if a solo runner is incredibly fast, it's difficult to create a gap large enough for her to complete the fifth leg handover before Smart Falcon even starts.
Her pace is far weaker than Golden Crown Eagle's; they're not even in the same league.
Miracle Fantasy never thought she could maintain a lead against the Umamusume pace chaser from last night.
Being caught up is practically a foregone conclusion.
"No, we can't make such a hasty judgment."
Miracle Fantasy suddenly felt that equating Smart Falcon so easily with the Umamusume who had defeated Golden Crown Eagle was far too hasty.
She had to confirm again.
"Um… I wanted to ask, do you know anything about last night…?"
"Last night…? Oh, you mean when Golden Crown Eagle was taken to the hospital? What happened?" Smart Falcon looked at Miracle Fantasy with a puzzled expression.
"!!!" Miracle Fantasy was startled; Smart Falcon really did know.
"Obey Your Master said that besides that person, Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky were also present from Tracen Academy last night."
"The latter two would never have publicized the fact that their own academy's Umamusume had run themselves ragged trying to find an overseas Umamusume."
"Therefore, the only person who knows about this can be the mysterious Umamusume herself."
"Or rather, it was the Umamusume who competed against Golden Crown Eagle who revealed Golden Crown Eagle's hospitalization!"
Miracle Fantasy's heart sank at this moment.
She still clung to a last shred of hope and slowly asked.
"Then do you know why she was suddenly taken to the hospital?"
Upon hearing this, Smart Falcon recalled what Sakura Baimu had said to her in the activity room earlier and replied with a smile.
"It's because of an Umamusume who is both handsome and beautiful, bursting with a sense of justice, and incomparably strong!"
Miracle Fantasy, hearing Smart Falcon's words, suddenly felt relieved.
"It can't be her; how could anyone describe themselves like that..."
Miracle Fantasy, having barely caught her breath, realized something was wrong again.
"Wait, this Smart Falcon just described herself like that too! She said she was a cute Umadol!!"
"Others wouldn't praise themselves like that, but this Smart Falcon does!"
"Then she wasn't describing someone else, but indirectly praising herself through self-praise!!"
Miracle Fantasy was utterly astonished; this was the first time she had encountered such a shameless Umamusume.
"If you did it yourself, you did it yourself. You knew perfectly well, yet you acted all mysterious, spouting all that about being both handsome and beautiful, and bursting with a sense of justice?!"
Just as Miracle Fantasy had mentally equated Smart Falcon with the mysterious Umamusume from last night, she suddenly heard Smart Falcon's cute voice beside her.
"Miss Miracle Fantasy, are you and Golden Crown Eagle on good terms?"
Miracle Fantasy shuddered at the question, seeing Smart Falcon lean forward slightly, her face close to hers with a beaming smile.
Suddenly, cold sweat broke out on Miracle Fantasy's forehead.
Looking at Smart Falcon's innocent, cute, and smiling face, she was certain that this Smart Falcon was an ultimate schemer, a wolf in sheep's clothing!
Despite the sweltering summer heat, Miracle Fantasy felt a chill run down her spine, and her legs trembled slightly.
"No... I'm not! I don't know her, not at all! We're not even on the same team."
"Eh, is that so? That's a shame..."
Smart Falcon said regretfully. Although she also disliked Golden Crown Eagle,
the thought of Golden Crown Eagle being injured in a foreign land, without any teammates, did seem quite pitiful.
When Smart Falcon first heard Miracle Fantasy ask her about Golden Crown Eagle, she assumed Miracle Fantasy was Golden Crown Eagle's friend.
"A... shame?!"
"This Smart Falcon is definitely trying to get me!"
Miracle Fantasy, watching the single-player getting closer and closer, felt like she was about to lose her balance.
"Wh...what should I do? Maybe I shouldn't let her overtake me? I just asked her so many questions about Golden Crown Eagle; what if she doesn't believe me and attacks me too..."
--
"The single-player reached the top of the steep slope first and handed the relay to Miracle Fantasy."
"Ah!!! What happened! After receiving the relay, Miracle Fantasy suddenly fell down!"