Uma Musume: Rising From the Countryside to Legend!!

As Kuroha walked the two girls — Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen — back to Central Tracen Academy, Teio skipped and hopped the entire way, overflowing with boundless energy like any child her age.

McQueen, on the other hand, quietly walked by Kuroha's side, occasionally asking about training details with her usual elegance.

Before long, the three passed by a bubble tea shop. Teio suddenly stopped in her tracks.

A spark lit in her eyes — she remembered what she'd come out for in the first place.

To buy honey water!

"Trainer, McQueen, wait for me~!"

The little girl called back and ran over to the counter, stretching up on her toes to hand over the money.

"Big sis, three cups of your Honey Special, please!"

"Teio, you're here late today?"

The clerk clearly recognized her and smiled. "You're usually here earlier!"

"Because I was training hard to become an undefeated Triple Tiara Uma Musume!" Teio declared proudly, patting her flat little chest with a beaming face.

"Wow, Teio, that's amazing!"

The staff humored her with a warm smile, and soon after, handed over three cups of the Honey Special, all neatly packed.

"Here you go."

"Thanks, big sis!"

Teio nodded sweetly, carrying the drinks back to Kuroha and McQueen.

"Here, Trainer! Try it! It's really tasty!"

"And this one's yours, McQueen..."

Kuroha took the drink Teio eagerly shoved into his hands and couldn't help but feel… a bit strange.

Getting treated to bubble tea by an elementary schooler?

This was a first.

The three of them stood by the side of the road, sipping the icy drink deeply and letting out satisfying "aaah"s together.

"...Pretty good, actually." Kuroha swirled the honey drink in his hand. Anything with honey couldn't possibly taste bad.

"Right? Right?" Teio's ponytail bounced wildly as she shook with excitement.

...

"Say, Trainer... when are you coming to Central?"

As the trio waited at a crosswalk for the light to change, Teio suddenly spoke up.

"Me?"

Kuroha glanced down at her, then looked ahead, thinking for a moment. "If nothing changes in the system, then the latest would be November this year."

"November... That's still..."

Teio began counting on her fingers. "Eight months!"

"So long—!"

"Long? Girl, even if it were eighteen months, you'd still be in elementary school."

Kuroha chuckled and rubbed her head when he heard her exaggerated sigh.

Based on the original timeline, Mejiro McQueen would hit her True Blooming stage around the second half of next year. Teio would follow about six months after that.

They would both undergo their transformations during the final year of Oguri Cap's racing career — perfectly poised to carry the torch into the next era.

"Hey, Trainer... do you want to add us to your team someday?"

McQueen's voice was calm, but filled with intent. They had only met Kuroha for the first time today.

It was hard to believe that a Trainer this skilled would take the time and effort to design training plans and personally instruct two elementary schoolers just because Teio pulled a cute face.

It had to be that he saw potential in them—

Even if that sounded a bit far-fetched, it was the only explanation that made sense.

It couldn't just be because they were cute... right?

Coming from a prestigious lineage, McQueen had a fair sense of her own potential.

Even though she inherited the elite bloodline of the Mejiro family, her childhood was plagued with frailty — constant fevers, injuries, and even periostitis.

The senior Trainers affiliated with the Mejiro family had never seen her as someone with top-tier potential.

And Teio? Even more ordinary. Just an outgoing little Uma Musume with nothing but a weirdly close bond with the legendary "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf.

(In the Uma Musume universe, Teio isn't actually Rudolf's daughter. They're more like idol and fan — so in the eyes of others, there's no bloodline advantage.)

"You're asking if I want to recruit you two?"

Kuroha repeated McQueen's question softly, then nodded without hesitation.

"Of course. The moment I enter Central, the first thing I'll do is register both of you into my team."

The two girls blinked in surprise at the straightforward answer.

"Eh? So it is because I, Teio-sama, am just that talented?"

Teio froze at first, then broke out into a huge grin, bursting with confidence.

McQueen, however, couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Why? We've only known each other for less than two hours."

Yeah, seriously. How are you two already this familiar with someone you met today?

Kuroha couldn't help but roast them silently in his mind. These two little gremlins weren't afraid of strangers at all...

But then he remembered the terrifying sight of two 1.2-meter-tall girls running a 30-yard dash like professional athletes.

...Right. No one's kidnapping Uma Musume. Kidnappers can't even outrun them.

"Well... if you really want to know why..."

Kuroha paused for a moment, then smiled and gave the answer he'd already prepared: "Because you two will be the ones who usher in a new era."

"A new era?"

The two girls tilted their heads at the same time, question marks practically popping above them.

Kuroha crouched down and met their eyes, his smile soft and sure.

"Because you're the strongest."

"I believe in you. And belief... doesn't need a reason."

For just a moment, something like stardust flashed in McQueen's pale purple eyes.

She stared at Kuroha's calm, confident smile — and her porcelain cheeks suddenly flushed bright red.

She lowered her gaze, staring intently at her toes.

Mejiro McQueen was a tough, quietly confident Uma Musume.

From the moment she was born, she carried the heavy expectations of the Mejiro family legacy.

But due to her health, she always seemed frailer than her peers. Though she never voiced it, confusion and pressure had long weighed heavily in her heart.

And now, the warm, unwavering trust from this young Trainer shattered that weight like glass.

An emotion she couldn't quite name welled up, and she suddenly couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.

"Mm! Teio also totally believes in herself!"

Teio's cheerful voice rang out at just the right moment.

She dashed behind Kuroha and — plop! — jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck with a big grin.

"Trainer, you've got great taste!"

Ding—

The light changed at the crosswalk.

Kuroha grabbed Teio's legs and hoisted her up with ease.

"Alright, let's get you two back."

(End of Chapter)

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