Kitasan Black was nervous.
It wasn't that she hadn't raced before. Thanks to her grandfather and father, she'd seen plenty of big events too.
But during those times, she'd never been the focus. Attention had always fallen solely on the victors, the sparkling stage reserved for winners alone.
Right now, she still didn't feel like the center of attention.
She could see clearly—the banners, the cheering from the stands, it was all for her senpai. They were undoubtedly the true stars of this practice race.
Yet she also felt countless envious eyes glancing her way, quietly acknowledging the honor she had just standing alongside such legendary upperclassmen.
She stayed tense for only a moment longer before quickly attempting to refocus herself, recalling advice from both her grandfather and Trainer Yasui.
Her grandfather had once told her that, even after performing countless times, he would still sometimes feel inexplicably anxious.
In those moments, he would drink his favorite soda. As Grandpa explained it, one bottle was enough to steady his nerves and direct his thoughts toward the stage ahead.
Trainer Yasui had given similar advice:
"If you aim to become a miracle-level Uma Musume, keeping your original passion intact—no matter the situation—is essential."
For an Uma Musume, nothing mattered more than racing, than running itself.
So whenever anxiety or discomfort arose before a race, the best thing to do was focus clearly on the race ahead—on exactly how to run it.
Thinking about this, Kitasan pressed her lips together, quietly clenching her fists as her gaze drifted toward Special Week and the other seniors.
Noticing her expression shift, Yasui Makoto quietly nodded in approval.
Mentality was crucial during a race.
Over the past few days, Air Groove had arranged for Duramente and Kitasan to train together precisely to help Duramente manage her racing anxiety.
In this regard, Kitasan herself rarely faced problems; her bright and carefree nature naturally lent itself to maintaining a steady mindset.
He'd frequently reminded her of its importance and taught her techniques for handling tension.
Seeing her initial anxiety swiftly fading, he confirmed she'd quickly adjusted her mindset just as he'd hoped.
Satisfied, Yasui had another idea. He shifted his gaze toward Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
"Having this many spectators isn't necessarily a bad thing," he remarked, continuing the earlier conversation. "For both me and Kitasan-san, it's valuable experience."
"I'd like to talk to her about something briefly—would you two mind checking the drones?"
After rigorous inspections and support from the university division, the new drones had recently been officially approved.
Their performance was upgraded significantly, with a smaller size, improved hardware and software, and a special, pale-green coating designed specifically not to distract Uma Musume racing at high speeds.
On recommendation from the university division, Yasui had ordered three additional drones. With four drones total, footage could now be captured simultaneously from above, behind, and both sides, providing exceptionally detailed and clear recordings.
The university division had successfully tested this method earlier. Now, the upcoming race offered a perfect opportunity to verify its effectiveness in practice.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen had closely followed this drone project from the beginning. Their attendance today served three purposes: supporting Kitasan, reconnecting with their old friends, and confirming the drones' effectiveness in action.
"No problem," Teio assured confidently. "McQueen and I have reviewed the university's reports and operating manuals thoroughly. Leave it to us."
Teio pointed toward a temporary platform near the stands, equipped with tables, chairs, microphones, and other equipment.
"We'll set things up over there," she said brightly. "With so many spectators today, maybe we two student council presidents could even do some commentary!"
Thanking them gratefully, Yasui watched the pair walk toward the stands. Then, after brief consideration, he turned to Special Week and the other senpai.
"With President Teio and President McQueen handling commentary, they'll signal the start of the race. You can all head to the gates first—I have something quick to discuss with Kitasan-san."
Aside from Kitasan, the other Uma Musume present had ample racing experience, including numerous top-level graded stakes. Getting into starting gates was second nature to them.
Nodding easily, Special Week and the others waved warmly at Kitasan, heading toward the gates with nostalgic teasing.
"A race, huh… If I knew this was coming, I'd have prepared as soon as I returned—or better yet, six months earlier!"
"Daiwa, aren't you going a bit overboard? It's just a practice race…"
"So what if it's practice? If it's a race, I'm running to win! Even without preparation, I won't lose—just you wait and see!"
"Haha, Daiwa-san's competitiveness really hasn't changed…"
"Spe-chan, have you been keeping up with training lately?"
"Training? Well, I usually run a bit for errands—like making deliveries around town, or heading into the mountains. I always do those on foot!"
"Oh-ho? Seems like nobody's slacked off—great! That's the spirit! You'd better run your hearts out today, or else I, the great Gold Ship, will blow past all of you!"
As the senpai laughed and chatted their way toward the gates, Kitasan's eyes remained glued to them, sparkling with admiration and determination.
Finally, she turned back toward Yasui, curious.
"Trainer, what did you want to talk about…?"
Even as she asked, she mentally reviewed everything, trying to remember if she'd overlooked anything important.
Yasui hesitated briefly.
"Given the race strategy we planned earlier, doing this would indeed be incredibly difficult, but… Have you ever thought about beating your senpai in this practice race?"
Instantly, Kitasan's ears shot upright.
After a moment:
"Ehh—?! B-beat my senpai…?!"
She gasped, startled, quickly glancing toward the gates, then stammering:
"T-that's…"
"What's wrong?" Yasui smiled encouragingly. "Do you think it's impossible, or is there something else bothering you?"
"I-it's not about possible or impossible…"
Kitasan faltered again, scratching her head nervously.
"I don't know how to put it exactly—it's just so sudden. You never mentioned this earlier, Trainer…"
"True, it's sudden," Yasui acknowledged, "and as I said before, we already set clear training objectives for this race."
"I've also confirmed individually with Daiwa Scarlet and the others about their race strategies and tactics."
"Given all that, realistically, your chances of beating them right now…are basically zero."
"But Kitasan-san, do you remember something you said earlier?"
Kitasan blinked, confused.
"What…did I say?"
"That you'd 'like to beat your senpai at least once.' Those were roughly your exact words."
Watching surprise flash across the black-haired girl's eyes, Yasui's voice grew gently encouraging.
"I thought you might be very nervous racing against such famous senpai, but you've handled yourself extremely well."
"So, though it might be greedy of me, I'm hoping you can do even better—not just staying calm, but pushing further."
"To beat your senpai at least once—isn't this exactly that opportunity?"