[Fanfic] Umamusume: My Number One, Daiwa Scarlet! [Part 13]

Title: Umamusume: My Number One, Daiwa Scarlet!
Genre: Sports, rom-com, slice of life

Previous: Chapter 12

==Chapter 13: Daiwa Scarlet vs. Sweep Tosho!==

Daiwa Scarlet stretched her arms and legs, her eyes filled with quiet determination as she took her stance on the track. Beside her, Sweep Tosho stood completely still, arms crossed over her chest. Meanwhile, outside the railing, members of both Team Emerald and Team Icarus—along with Tazuna Hayakawa—watched the tension unfold.

"That girl," Tazuna muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Sometimes I really wonder what goes on inside her head. I already informed her trainer about the situation, but... it seems he's already agreed to her transfer."

"In other words, he gave up," Vodka grunted, leaning her arms heavy over the rail. Then, without warning, she cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered across the turf. "YO, SCARLET! I'M ROOTING FOR YOU ON THIS ONE!"

Scarlet blinked, caught completely off guard.

"YES!" Daitaku Helios and Mejiro Palmer chimed in unison, waving wildly. "SHOW THAT PIPSQUEAK WHO'S THE REAL NUMBER ONE IN TEAM EMERALD, FR FR!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK, YOU INSOLENT MORTALS?!" Sweep barked back, spinning on her heel to glare at them. "ONE MORE WORD AND I'LL TURN YOU ALL INTO—UHH—INTO... HORSES!"

Scarlet tilted her head, staring down at Sweep with genuine confusion. "What's a horse?"

"SHUT UP!" Sweep snapped, turning her wrath back onto Scarlet. "JUST PREPARE YOURSELF, BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE POWER OF MY MAGICAL RUN!"

A few paces away, Team Emerald members—Curren Chan, Gentildonna, and Aston Machan—stood in awkward silence, completely unsure of how to react.

"Umm, girls... should we be cheering for Senpai, or—?" Curren whispered, but Gentildonna cut her off completely, pressing a single finger against Curren's lips.

"Just... watch, Curren," Gentildonna murmured smoothly, her eyes locked onto the track. "Just watch."

While Team Icarus cheered loudly from the rail, Akagi stood alongside Kondo and Cesario, quietly reviewing Sweep Tosho's profile sheet together.

"I see..." Akagi muttered, scanning her record. "Three G1 titles already; the Shuka Sho, Takarazuka Kinen, and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She has real experience. She'd be a massive asset to us, Mitsuba-san."

"Yeah," Kondo snorted, crossing his arms. "I admit, when Kawakami raced her in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup last year, that kid proved she was a formidable opponent... even if her personality is a total pain in the ass."

"Cesario-senpai!" Scarlet called out from the track. "Would you mind being our referee?"

Cesario blinked, taken aback by the sudden request. She paused for a moment before sighing softly. "Alright, alright. Trainer Noboru, do you mind if I borrow your whistle?"

"Oh, my whistle? S-sure," Akagi said, handing it over.

Cesario stepped onto the turf, approaching the two runners who were already settled into their starting stances. "Well then—just one lap, okay?"

She lifted the whistle to her lips and blew a sharp, echoing blast.

Daiwa Scarlet and Sweep Tosho exploded forward, tearing up the turf as the race began.

Scarlet seized an early lead, setting a firm pace before glancing back over her shoulder. Sweep Tosho was trailing a few lengths behind, perfectly composed.

"I see..." Scarlet thought, her mind instantly running the calculations. "She's either a Late Surger or an End Closer. She's conserving her stamina for the final stretch."

"That's a smart strategy," Akagi noted from the sidelines, watching Sweep's rhythmic stride. "Save her energy for the home stretch, silently waiting for the exact moment Scarlet's pace begins to dip."

"Well, she isn't a three-time G1 champion for nothing," Kondo added. "Most girls only compete for two or three years after enrolling here, but that girl has been running in official races since she was fourteen."

"Four years of pure experience..." Akagi murmured, a faint smile touching his lips. "If we can actually bring her into Team Emerald, then—"

On the track, Sweep's eyes flickered with a sudden, golden intensity as they hit the final curve.

"Time for a little speed spell!" Sweep muttered under her breath. She drew a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs: " Aura Celeritas, Impetus Maximus! Ventus, Cursus, EXTREMIS! Sparkle, SHINE—MAGIC SPURT!"

"Seriously," Scarlet huffed, her ears twitching as the random pseudo-Latin reached her from behind. "How am I supposed to take her seriously when she acts like a—"

Suddenly, as they hit the final 400-meter turn, Sweep's entire momentum shifted. Her stride lengthened instantly. With a sudden, terrifying burst of late-stage acceleration, Sweep closed the four-length gap in a matter of seconds.

"WHAT?!" Scarlet gasped, her eyes widening as a sudden rush of displaced air slammed into her side.

Sweep pulled right up alongside Scarlet's shoulder, her small boots pounding against the turf with shocking, explosive force. The sheer burst of raw speed defied basic pacing logic.

"WH-WHAT IS THAT KICK?!" Palmer shrieked from the sidelines. "HER FINAL ACCELERATION IS UNREAL!"

"She saved every drop of energy for the home stretch," Gentildonna noted, her eyes narrowing in genuine appreciation. "A formidable End-Closer."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, DARK WITCH!" Sweep yelled, digging her heels in as she surged half a head ahead of Scarlet.

Scarlet's teeth gritted, her competitive pride erupting like a volcano. "I AM DAIWA SCARLET! I DO NOT LOSE TO A CHUNIBYO!"

With a furious roar, Scarlet dug deep into her reserves, her twin-tails flying behind her as she forced her body into a desperate, final sprint. Inch by inch, Scarlet clawed her way back, matching Sweep stride for stride as they barreled toward the finish line together.

Chest to chest. Nose to nose. They crossed the line in a dead heat, kicking up a massive cloud of turf and dirt.

CLICK.

Cesario pressed the button on the digital stopwatch, her jaw dropping slightly as she read the display. "S-Sub-thirty-four seconds for the final three furlongs...!"

Scarlet came to a heavy stop, hands on her knees, panting violently as sweat dripped off the tip of her nose. Sweep collapsed onto her back on the grass, her witch hat falling off as she gasped for air.

"Who... WHO WON?!" Vodka yelled, leaning so far over the rail she almost fell. "Please tell me Scarlet beat that pipsqueak!"

"I got the photo finish!" Tazuna said, showing the frame on her camera screen to Akagi and the others. Akagi looked over the frame alongside Kondo. He stared at the line, then let out a soft, delighted laugh.

"By a fraction of a millimeter..." Akagi announced, pointing to the screen. "Daiwa Scarlet takes first place!"

"YES!" Scarlet cheered, throwing her fists into the air before instantly wincing from full-body fatigue. "I... I won! I told you dark magic couldn't beat real training!"

Sweep sat up on the grass, her face contorting into pure, child-like devastation. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she pointed a trembling finger at Scarlet.

"N-NO! MY MAGIC FAILED!" Sweep wailed at the top of her lungs, kicking her feet into the turf like a throwing a tantrum. "IT'S NOT FAIR! MY SPELL WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME WIN!"

Kondo walked over, dropping to one knee beside her with an encouraging, theatrical grin. "Hey now, little lady! You put up a legendary fight! The rules of the deal state that since Scarlet won, you're officially cleared to join—"

"I ACCEPT MY DEFEAT!" Sweep interrupted, sniffling loudly as she grabbed her witch hat and slammed it back onto her head. She scrambled up, marched straight up to Akagi, and shoved her crumpled registration form directly into his stomach. "Take it, Familiar! I, the great witch Sweep Tosho, hereby join Team Emerald!"

Scarlet, who had been proudly dusting off her knees, froze mid-motion. Her brain finally caught up to the terms of the duel. "If Sweep lost... she joins team Emerald."

The color completely drained from Scarlet's face. The triumphant grin vanished, replaced by an expression of sheer, existential dread. For the first time in her entire career, Daiwa Scarlet looked down at her own two legs and felt a wave of pure, unadulterated regret over winning a race.

"WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE!" Scarlet shrieked, her voice cracking as she whipped around to look at Akagi. "AKAGI! REVERSE THE DECISION! GIVE HER TO TEAM ICARUS! D-DECLARE A DISQUALIFICATION FOR ME!"

Beside Akagi, Gentildonna slowly raised a hand to cover her face, letting out a quiet, heavy sigh. Curren Chan winced, offering a weak, sympathetic laugh, while Aston Machan simply shook her head in silent pity.

"Too late, Senpai..." Curren murmured, taking a small step back from Sweep's brandished wand. "You won fair and square."

"The pact is sealed!" Sweep declared proudly, crossing her arms and turning her nose up. "You won, so I am now your official teammate! You're stuck with my magic forever, dark witch!"

"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I—" Scarlet yelled, clutching her head in frustration.

"Rules are rules, Scarlet!" Vodka wheezed from the fence, clutching her stomach so hard she was practically bent double. "You won the race! Congratulations on your new teammate!"

"VODKA, I WILL KILL YOU!" Scarlet screamedn as she lunged forward to chase Vodka down the track.

Sweep paid the chaos no mind, proudly taking her place right beside Akagi and holding her wooden wand like a stolen trophy.

"Congratulations on your new team member, Noboru!" Kondo grinned, slinging an arm around Cesario's shoulders, utterly relieved that he wouldn't have to manage a loud, magic-obsessed gremlin on Team Icarus. "I just pray you won't need therapy after this."

Akagi looked down at the crumpled registration form, then at the chaotic mess of both teams laughing, chasing each other, and arguing across the turf. He smiled warmly.

"Welcome to Team Emerald, Sweep Tosho-chan," Akagi said gently. "Let's make some magic happen."

[To Be Continued]
Next Chapter: TBA