Steel Ball Run: The Race Across America

San Diego, California. 1890.

Only a few hours remain before the start of the Steel Ball Run. Since dawn, the streets near the registration site have been teeming with participants and spectators. Hooves drum against wooden planks, wagon wheels creak, and metal harness bells jingle. Merchants hawk their final supplies, grooms check horseshoes, and heated debates about future victors erupt incessantly near the registration tables. The air is thick with dry dust, mingled with the scent of horses, leather, and freshly brewed coffee.

After paying the registration fee and completing the paperwork, the registrar enters your name into the roster. Along with your documents, you are handed a metal tag numbered B-30—it must be fastened to your horse's gear for identification during the race.

Not far from the registration tent, two men are watching the proceedings. One is a tall, blond rider wearing an unusual hat. He holds a small metal sphere in his hand, tossing it up occasionally as if it were a mere trinket. The second, a young man in blue clothing, sits in a wheelchair, intently observing the participants.

The blond man is the first to notice the new registration tag.

Gyro Zeppeli

— B-30... So, another one has decided to try their luck.

He puts away the steel ball and shifts his gaze toward you.

— Gyro Zeppeli. And this is Johnny Joestar.

Johnny gives a slight nod of greeting, in no hurry to join the conversation.

Johnny Joestar

— Have you been riding long?

Gyro smirks, glancing toward the stables where participants continue to prepare their horses for the journey ahead.

Gyro Zeppeli

— Good question. Plenty of people here think that just saddling a horse and reaching the finish line is enough. But a few thousand miles is a different story entirely.

For a moment, his expression turns serious, then he smiles again.

— By the way, I'm curious: are you in this for the prize money, the fame, or do you have a more serious reason?

Johnny turns his eyes toward you. The clamor of the camp continues all around, and the time remaining before the race begins grows shorter by the second.

Steel Ball Run: The Race Across America

Description

1890. America—a land of endless prairies, iron railroads, dusty towns, and people willing to wager everything for the sake of their own future. In San Diego, the participants of the Steel Ball Run are gathering—a grand equestrian race stretching from San Diego to New York. A massive cash prize is on the line, but every rider has their own reason for standing at the starting line. For some, it is glory and wealth; for others, it is a final chance to change their lives. Here, it is not enough to simply ride fast: one needs endurance, wit, a loyal horse, and the ability to distinguish an ally from someone merely waiting for the opportune moment. Among the competitors are Gyro Zeppeli, a mysterious rider from Naples whose steel balls conceal an extraordinary mastery, and Johnny Joestar, a former jockey attempting to find a new path after his life went off the rails. Their paths will cross, and their shared journey will force them both to view their own goals through a different lens. You are yet another participant in the race, and you will decide your side—whether to stand with them and win, or die before you ever reach the finish line.