"Zone?" Seiun Sky's head suddenly snapped up, something clicking in her mind. Enlightenment dawned across her face. "What's that?"
King Halo's curiosity was equally piqued. Her gaze sharpened, focusing intently on Hayato.
"Well..." Hayato hesitated, his hand moving to scratch the back of his neck. He wasn't sure whether he should say anything about this.
Because Silence Suzuka had her ultimate skill, when she used it, a zone was directly replaced by her ultimate, so there were no complications. The system handled it for her, essentially.
Even if Seiun Sky and King Halo developed zones with the help of skills and ultimate abilities, they'd probably be fine at the basic level.
But if they continued refining their zones, opening them to stage two and stage three, the situation would no longer be the same. That would cross into dangerous territory.
"In principle, you all aren't at the level to be dealing with zones yet." Hayato's tone became more serious. "I don't plan to teach you how to develop them, and honestly, I couldn't teach it anyway. This depends purely on individual comprehension and experience. Additionally, zones cause significant bodily damage." Hayato paused, then turned to their gray-haired companion. "Right, Oguri?"
At the end, Hayato threw the question to Oguri Cap, who could actually use a zone.
"Mm!" Oguri Cap nodded firmly. Regarding zones, she'd learned a lot about them through painful firsthand experience when injured. Even she didn't dare open her zone too much, not anymore.
The consequences weren't worth it.
Actually, Hayato did have a method to teach them zone development. Stack their guts as Rice Shower had done, push the body past its natural limits, and then win for one race.
But that would be truly insane. A zone developed that way could only be used for one race before the body broke down completely. What would be the point of that? One moment of glory before everything fell apart?
Everything still needed to progress naturally. Not only couldn't they rush the development, but they also needed to strengthen their bodies considerably first to ensure they could withstand a zone's strain.
"Trainer, what are these 'skills' and 'Ultimate skill' you mentioned earlier?" This time, it was Oguri Cap's turn to ask, her head tilting slightly in curiosity.
"There are techniques that can improve speed or stamina temporarily. You should already know some of them, you just don't realize you're using them."
Oguri Cap's head tilted further, confusion clear on her face. "Hm?"
"For example, your uphill speed is exceptionally fast. Isn't that a method an uma musume named Belno Light helped you develop?" Hayato gestured as he explained. "That counts as one."
"Oh, I see!" Oguri Cap's ears perked up as understanding dawned. She nodded enthusiastically.
"I've been meaning to ask you, where did Belno Light go?" Speaking of Belno Light, Hayato voiced the question that had been nagging at him. "Is she still around?"
If she didn't exist in this world, that was one thing. But if Oguri Cap knew her, then there was no mistake. Such an uma musume did indeed exist.
"She went to other countries." Oguri Cap's expression softened with nostalgia. "I heard she studies."
"I see." Hayato could only sigh about Belno Light, who'd already left the racing world behind. Another what-if that would remain unanswered.
Next, Hayato began teaching Oguri Cap how to utilize the skills she'd already learned instinctively, giving her the framework to activate them consciously. Hayato also had Seiun Sky and the others pass on the skills they'd mastered over the past weeks.
Unexpectedly, skills that took the others several days to learn, Oguri Cap picked up immediately. Not only that, her execution was even faster and smoother than theirs.
King Halo stared in disbelief, her jaw working but no sound coming out at first. "Why? Why can she learn it so fast?"
To avoid completely crushing her confidence, Hayato explained patiently, "She's been racing on the track for many years. Her foundation runs deeper than yours by a considerable margin. It's perfectly normal for her to learn quickly when she has that much experience to draw from."
"I see." King Halo seemed to accept that explanation, though her ears drooped slightly in disappointment.
After learning the methods for activating skills consciously, Oguri Cap had an incredible feeling wash over her. She felt like the heat in her body wasn't dispersing as quickly anymore, like something was keeping it contained.
Her fighting spirit was no longer overflowing outward wastefully but circulating around her body according to some kind of pattern.
That afternoon, two familiar figures appeared at the training grounds.
Super Creek and Tamamo Cross had arrived.
"Oguri Cap, are you planning to get back on the racetrack?" Super Creek looked around the training grounds with some nostalgia, her gaze distant. Memories clearly playing behind her eyes.
She'd retired due to a leg injury that still hadn't fully healed, though that wasn't the main reason for her retirement. The injury was an excuse. Returning to racing wouldn't be too difficult if she genuinely wanted it.
She'd been sickly since childhood, yet somehow she'd been the best among their generation. The fragile one who'd outlasted so many stronger competitors.
After Inari One and Oguri Cap retired one after another, she'd decided to retire as well. There didn't seem to be much point in continuing alone.
Oguri Cap opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn't know what to say. If she kept training every day without racing, people would find it very strange, wouldn't they?
Oguri Cap should be eating all day, then eating some more, and eating even more after that. Lounging around, enjoying retirement. That's what a retired uma musume should be doing.
Hayato stepped in to explain. "It's not really training in the competitive sense. It's just to solve the problem of having to attend classes even after retirement. If Oguri doesn't want to train, going out to play is fine too."
"Trainer, um, I..." Oguri Cap wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the loud gurgling sound from her stomach.
"We've already retired, right? Why train at all?" Tamamo Cross's tail swished dismissively. She clearly didn't support Oguri Cap training and wanted to go play with her instead. "Do what a retired uma musume should do. Have fun."
She'd retired two years earlier than Oguri Cap and had already become thoroughly playful by nature. Racing felt like a distant memory to her now.
Oguri Cap was obviously starving, and there was no way she could focus on training in that state. With a helpless smile, Hayato waved them off and handed her some money for a big meal with Super Creek and Tamamo Cross.
"It's fine. Go with them for now. Today's training is finished anyway."
"Okay." Oguri Cap perked up instantly, the dull look in her eyes gone as if it had never been there.
Oguri Cap leaving didn't make Seiun Sky and the others stop. Rather, it fueled them to train even harder, the bitter memory of that defeat refusing to fade.
Not long after that, Air Groove appeared at the edge of the training grounds and said.
"Trainer Hayato, the President wants to see you in the Student Council room."
"Rudolf wants to see me?" Hayato raised his eyebrows. He had a bad feeling about this.
With an uneasy feeling settling in his gut, Hayato quickly made his way to the Student Council room.
Air Groove had no interest in participating in whatever conversation was about to happen. After bringing him there, she left without a word, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The Student Council room was exceptionally spacious, almost intimidatingly so.
Symboli Rudolf was already waiting on the sofa, her posture immaculate. Behind her, Maruzensky rested an elbow on the sofa's back, her chin supported by her hand, watching him with an unreadable smile that made Hayato's skin prickle.
Symboli Rudolf was the first to break the silence, one hand gesturing invitingly toward the seat across from her. "Please, sit."
After settling into the chair, Hayato tried to keep his voice casual. "What can I do for you, President?"
"Hmm…" Rudolf rested her chin on one hand and exchanged a quiet, meaningful glance with Maruzensky. Maruzensky, for her part, seemed content to simply watch, offering no comment as the curve of her smile deepened ever so slightly.
What's this old lady up to? Hayato's jaw tightened slightly.
"Let me be direct." Rudolf's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I want to know how you eliminated the burden zones placed on an Uma Musume's body. And the acceleration Silence Suzuka showed in the final straight, what exactly was that?"
Symboli Rudolf finally stopped speaking in riddles and got straight to the point, her gaze never leaving Hayato's face.
She didn't think Hayato couldn't understand what she was asking about. Based on her observations and understanding over these past weeks, she felt Hayato was unfathomably deep. Like there were layers she hadn't even begun to uncover.