"My feet feel so heavy."
Barbatos switched to the horseshoes brought by Minamizaka. Thanks to her innate strength as an Uma Musume, walking normally wasn't too badly affected.
But once she started running, even a rookie from the lowest-level races could probably leave her in the dust.
Still, she didn't choose to refuse them, and didn't choose to take the horseshoes off.
She understood the principle of weighted training. Whether it was the training from Master Roshi's side, or Rock Lee from the Chunin Exams... they were living proof.
She couldn't achieve the same exaggerated levels as Lee, Goku, or Krillin in the comics, but if she persisted like this until the day of the relay race and then removed the horseshoes, her running speed would see a significant improvement.
She hadn't really thought of using weighted training before.
For a normal Uma Musume, weighted training couldn't really be maintained long-term, as it could cause damage to the legs. But she was different. She had [Heal].
As long as she cast Heal on herself each day, she could technically wear the weighted horseshoes all the time.
Even if she wasn't actively training, just going through her daily routine, the accumulated effect over time would still count as decent improvement.
Minamizaka, you're truly a genius trainer!
She looked at Seiun Sky beside her, who had also switched horseshoes. "How does it feel?"
"Not too bad, just makes me a bit sleepy."
"That's so you. Want to do some running practice together?"
"Mhm."
Unaccustomed to the new horseshoes, the two of them didn't run fast, instead maintaining a jogging pace akin to an ordinary human. Urara and Matikanetannhauser, along with the entire Canopus team, caught up and joined them.
They all practiced jogging together, the only difference being that the others weren't wearing weighted horseshoes.
Minamizaka watched the scene of his whole team running together, and his eyes grew uncharacteristically moist for a moment, nearly shedding tears like a proud father.
If only he could see a scene like this every day.
"It seems the atmosphere in your Canopus team is quite good."
A woman in a grey suit stood beside Minamizaka at some point. It was Toujou Hana, the trainer of Rigil.
"Yes. If only I could see them all running together on the track one day."
"Senior Tojo, you're worried about El Condor Pasa too, aren't you?"
"Not to mention Oguri Cap, even El Condor Pasa in her current state would find it very difficult against Inari One. As a trainer, it's necessary to properly support her training. Rigil will not lose."
Minamizaka nodded in agreement, simultaneously glancing towards El Condor Pasa's direction. They actually got her to come over.
This is the depth of Japan's strongest team, Rigil!
--+--
"El-chan, do you need me to do some running practice with you?"
An Uma Musume exuding mature charm, along with Grass Wonder, approached El Condor Pasa, who had just finished a lap on the dirt track.
She had been sought out by Grass Wonder. After all, Grass Wonder had a leg injury and couldn't practice with El Condor Pasa for now, while Barbatos and Seiun Sky didn't need to run on the dirt track for the upcoming relay race.
So, it was necessary to find a senior from the team to help.
"Maruzensky-senpai."
El Condor Pasa moved to Maruzensky's side. This was the senior in Rigil, the legendary Uma Musume known as a monster, the undefeated Supercar — Maruzensky!
Even though Maruzensky had never participated in a single G1 race, that was only because she couldn't during her active period. No one doubted her strength.
She was a legendary Uma Musume who predated even Oguri Cap!
"Please trouble yourself to run alongside me, Maruzensky-senpai."
Two figures sped across the dirt track.
Aside from Silence Suzuka and the injured Grass Wonder, all three of the publicly recognized strongest Uma Musume of the new generation had entered preparation mode!
--+--
On the other side.
Special Week held two tree branches she'd gotten from who-knows-where, disguising herself as a tree while observing the movements of the Heisei Top Three.
Beside her were Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, Tokai Teio, Gold Ship... almost the entire Spica team, aside from their trainer and Silence Suzuka who was preparing for her post-culture-festival race, had gathered here.
Once they found out Special Week was planning to gather intel, they all insisted on coming along to see the show and have some fun.
"That grey-haired one is Oguri Cap-senpai. The small one with twin tails is Inari One-senpai. The... very ample one is Super Creek-senpai."
Special Week identified the three members of the Heisei Top Threebased on the intel she'd learned.
Tokai Teio looked puzzled. "So who's that short one with the same hair color as Senior Oguri Cap? She looks like a junior from the elementary division."
"I know! That must be Oguri Cap-senpai's daughter."
Gold Ship analyzed calmly, arriving at a perfectly logical conclusion. Same hair color, following Oguri Cap around — definitely a mother-daughter relationship.
"Oguri Cap-senpai isn't married yet."
"That one's probably just a newly-enrolled fan of Oguri Cap-senpai," Vodka offered her own thought.
Special Week felt Vodka's idea made more sense, but, "Teio, you're with the Student Council, right? Don't you know who she is?"
"Ah, well..."
Tokai Teio fell silent. While she often showed up at the Student Council...her attention there was always entirely focused on the President. She wouldn't pay attention to other matters.
Over with Oguri Cap's group, the three were also warming up and training, dashing across grass and dirt at incredible speeds. Their sheer pace left the Spica members, who were either newly debuted or not yet debuted, utterly stunned.
At that moment, Gold Ship threw aside the two branches she was holding — dropping the act — and patted Special Week on the shoulder.
Her eyes were full of sincerity. "I have a way to ensure Barbatos-senpai and the others defeat the Heisei Top Three."
"What way?!"
Gold Ship pulled out a burlap sack from nowhere, as if by magic.
This was a fine tradition of their Spica team. You could hardly call yourself a Spica veteran if you didn't carry a burlap sack when going out.
"We just need Barbatos-senpai and the others to bag Oguri Cap-senpai before the race. That's probably the only, and most effective, way to win."
"Makes sense..."
Special Week nodded thoughtfully, then immediately realized the severity of this plan.
"No! No way! We can't do something like that!"
In the distance, Tamamo Cross, who had been watching the practice of Oguri Cap's trio, noticed the Spica members spying from afar.
"...Gathering intel? How nostalgic. I wish I could compete too."
...
Time flew by, and soon it was the day before the culture festival, the day the relay race was to begin.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.