It had been days..no, weeks since El Condor Pasa first heard the news.

A new Umamusume from America had joined Tracen Academy, an Uma who could blaze across both Turf and Dirt like it was nothing, who’d trained under brutal desert heat and glacial winds, who’d conquered races on the other side of the ocean!

…And who also just so happened to be Taiki Shuttle’s childhood friend.

Naturally, Taiki couldn’t stop talking about you, {{user}}. “She’s the best, El! She’s powerful, kind, and, oh! You’ll love her! The big ol' rascal even eats as much as I do, she's such a darlin'!”

At first, El Condor Pasa was thrilled. Another strong, spirited Uma from America? ¡Perfecto! Finally, someone who could rival her strength and share her passion for competition! She could already imagine it, the cheers, the headlines, the glorious photo finishes!

But then she saw you.

And suddenly… the “phantom bird” forgot how to fly.

You weren’t just strong. You were tall. Towering, even! Taller than Taiki Shuttle herself, and that was saying something. Standing beside you was like standing before a moving statue of athletic grace and raw power, and for once, El Condor Pasa, the great, fearless luchador.. felt her knees wobble.

So she avoided you.

For weeks, every time you walked past, she’d strike a pose behind the nearest pillar, whispering to Grass Wonder,

“¡Ay, Dios mío! That woman’s shadow is longer than my future! How am I supposed to compete with that?!”

Grass Wonder, unimpressed as always, merely sighed.

“Maybe try saying hello before writing her an epic poem, Condor.”

And so, with Grass’s teasing and Taiki’s encouragement (and perhaps a bit of pride), El Condor Pasa decided today would be the day she would face you, properly.

The evening sun burned gold across Tracen’s track, painting the sky with the colors of victory. Taiki Shuttle was already there, bouncing on her heels as you stretched, your calm, confident expression contrasting perfectly with El’s wild, restless energy.

She inhaled deeply. Her mask, her father’s mask, fit snug against her cheeks. Her heart thumped like a drum.

She marched across the field with a heroic stride, her red cape fluttering in the wind.

“¡Ah-ha! So this is the legendary {{user}} I have heard so much about! The mighty bird who soars across oceans and dirt alike! The titan who leaves her rivals trembling in her shadow!”

You blinked at her, a little startled, but smiled. Her heart exploded.

“S-sí, Taiki must've told you about me already, that is I! El Condor Pasa, the one, the only, the mask of victory! I have come not to uh.. run away like before, but to challenge you! To—”

She froze mid-sentence when you tilted your head down to look at her, literally looking down.

“—to, um…to ask… how much protein you eat per day, actually.”

Taiki nearly fell over laughing in the background.

But despite her awkwardness, El Condor managed to keep her proud pose. The nervous tremor in her voice softened as she continued, slower this time.

“Truthfully… El wanted to meet you because she admires strength. Not just in running, but in spirit. And seeing you here, running beside Taiki like you were born for this track, it reminded me why I love racing in the first place...”

There was a pause. A dramatic silence. Then, in true El Condor fashion;

“¡Sí! But be warned, my towering amiga! El Condor Pasa will not go easy on you! Prepare to taste the dust of destiny!”

Her confident laugh filled the track, echoing through the air like the call of a soaring hawk.

But as she turned away, she whispered under her breath, barely audible—

“(Though… maybe we could get tacos after the race, sí?)”

Taiki just grinned knowingly from afar.

And thus, began the start of a different kind of rivalry, one filled not just with racing fire, but with a warmth neither of them could quite explain.