"Start!"
The gates snapped open.
Two black silhouettes shot out like bullets, and Kitasan Black locked her eyes onto the girl ahead of her.
She's fast…
She already knew that. She had seen Chiba run before.
But actually racing her was different.
The pressure pouring off that girl was beyond anything Kitasan Black had expected. It pressed down on her chest, heavy enough to steal the air from her lungs.
Her presence was like a wild beast.
Her movements flowed like water.
The black-haired uma musume cut across the turf with terrifying ease.
And she's supposed to be a newbie!?
Kitasan Black refused to believe it.
This had to be some veteran using an alt account to bully beginners. Forget smurfing, she had blown the entire pond sky-high!
And yet, when Kitasan Black looked back through past races, she really couldn't remember any uma musume named "Chiba." The girl was also so tall that maybe she was simply an early bloomer.
Some uma musume were strong right from the start. Others only exploded later, after their growth kicked in.
Apparently, this girl belonged to the former group. She had already shown absurd strength before her debut.
But even then, I can't lose!
Kitasan Black kicked harder.
If they were talking about early bloomers, then her body was sturdier than any of her peers. No matter how strong the opponent, she wouldn't falter!
Keeping close behind Chiba, Kitasan Black searched for an opening.
But the more she watched, the more uncomfortable it became.
Chiba always kept a strange, delicate distance from her. She also left just enough space between herself and the inner rail that it looked passable, then impossible, then passable again.
That subtle gap made Kitasan Black's heart itch.
Finally, she couldn't hold herself back.
"AAAAAAAH!"
She accelerated at the worst possible spot.
Worse, the moment she pushed forward, fatigue slammed into her legs. This was completely different from her usual training. Without realizing it, her stamina had already hit rock bottom.
So slow… So tired…
As Kitasan Black clenched her teeth and forced herself onward, the black silhouette behind her suddenly surged.
Those swift, powerful legs lashed against the ground like whips.
At an unbelievable speed, Chiba shot past Kitasan Black's side.
She passed me!
Kitasan Black's heart jolted.
But she no longer had the strength to fight back. All she could do was stare blankly as that uma musume pulled away.
One length.
Two lengths.
Three lengths.
Four lengths…
By the time Chiba crossed the finish line, the gap had widened to six full lengths.
"Finish!"
Trainer Nase's voice rang out from the finish line. She recorded the result in her notebook.
Today was a mock debut race.
The opponents were Kitasan Black and Chiba.
And that brilliant child had suffered a crushing defeat.
Panting hard, Kitasan Black crossed the line and slowed to a stop. She looked toward the black-haired uma musume strolling along the track, her eyes filled with complicated emotion.
I couldn't find a single chance…
Kitasan Black didn't think she was some peerless genius.
Even so, she had never imagined the gap would be this huge.
Not long ago, she had proudly declared that she would beat Chiba.
And then, in their very first mock race, she had been rubbed into the dirt.
This is so embarrassing!
Kitasan Black struck her trembling knees with her fists and bit her lip without thinking.
"Kitasan."
Hearing her trainer's voice, Kitasan Black walked over.
"What was that acceleration just now?" Trainer Nase asked. "You should have accelerated from farther back."
"Yes…"
"You couldn't hold back?"
"…Yeah."
"Failed." Trainer Nase's tone was flat. "Next, we'll need to test your patience. Head back for now."
Kitasan Black's tail drooped as she left.
Fujiwara Chiya walked up to Trainer Nase.
"Fumino, aren't you being a little too harsh on that kid?"
"Call me Trainer. Do you even remember what your current position is?"
"…Fine. Trainer."
Fujiwara Chiya cleared his throat and explained, "Just now, I used some fairly advanced guiding techniques. Kitasan Black couldn't react in time. Her rhythm got dragged off course, she wasted stamina, and I pinned her in the most uncomfortable position possible. So her loss was understandable."
"If that's the case, why did you show that kind of technique against an undeubuted uma musume? Were you trying to crush her confidence on purpose?"
"No. I thought it would help her realize the gap between herself and others, then make her train harder. Confidence becomes sturdier after being broken and picked back up over and over again. Uma musume grow stronger through repeated setbacks too."
"Then you'll be responsible for picking that child's confidence back up."
Trainer Nase shut her notebook with a snap.
"Next test, run properly. No race tricks. It's too early for those kids."
"It isn't too early. The more familiar they are with it, the better it'll be for actual races."
"Why are you being stubborn? Are you the trainer here, or am I?"
Trainer Nase flicked him on the forehead.
"Our training philosophies are different. I have my own way of teaching. Don't interfere with training. If you really want to help Kitasan, then use your identity as an uma musume. You two are classmates now anyway, right? Say whatever you want as her classmate."
"Ah… You're right. Sorry."
Fujiwara Chiya had accidentally started nitpicking someone else's training.
"Also, fix your tone."
"What's wrong with my tone?"
"You're an uma musume right now, aren't you? Then talk like one. Stop sounding like you're lecturing people all the time. Other students would feel weird hearing that."
"But this is how I normally talk…"
"That's why I'm telling you to change it. Don't forget. Right now, you're not Chiya. You're Chiba, a new student who just enrolled at Tracen. You need to blend in."
"Blend in?"
"Exactly. Make your voice a little cuter. Try calling me Trainer."
"Trainer."
"Nope. A real uma musume wouldn't say it that stiffly. How did Shirayuki do it back then? Don't tell me you suddenly forgot just because it's your own body now. Come on. Call me Fumino-oneechan."
"…"
"If you don't, go run one hundred laps around the track until you can't stand."
"You're abusing your authority way too naturally!"
"Not my problem. Hurry up and say it."
Under Trainer Nase's tyranny, Fujiwara Chiya coughed a few times. Then, using Shirayuki's old tone, he said weakly,
"Fumino-nee…"
"Hehe… Ahahaha!"
Trainer Nase clutched her stomach and burst out laughing.
"A warrior may be killed, but never humiliated!"
"Keep that attitude when you interact with the other uma musume. Don't think of yourself as a trainer. Think of yourself as an uma musume. Got it?"
"You just want to humiliate me!"
"Then stop being my uma musume and go back to your own team."
"Humiliate away. I'll say it!"
"At least you know what's good for you."
Trainer Nase gave a satisfied little snort.
Here, he only had to suffer humiliation.
If he went back, he would have to abandon his dignity entirely.
Fujiwara Chiya still knew which was worse.
While the two of them were talking, Shirayuki stood not far away with Duramente, watching the track.
"What do you think?" Shirayuki asked.
"She is terrifying," Duramente said, her gaze serious. "Both her acceleration timing and her movement guidance were flawless. I once received similar race education from my grandparents. She was even more perfect than the sample footage I studied. She is an extremely outstanding uma musume. A truly formidable opponent."
"I see, I see…"
Shirayuki scratched her head and chuckled.
For some reason, hearing someone praise Chiya felt even better than being praised herself.
She badly wanted to say, Amazing, right? That's me.
Or maybe, That's my man.
In the end, Shirayuki held herself back.
After coughing a few times, she asked, "Do you have confidence you can beat her, Duramente?"
"I will give everything I have."
"I'll teach you everything I know."
"Empress…"
Duramente looked at the white-haired girl beside her.
"I feel a little jealous of Trainer now."
"What are you jealous of him for?"
"For having a wife like you, Empress."
"…Shouldn't you be jealous of me for having a husband like Chiya?"
"Is… that how it works?"
"You're jealous of the wrong person."
Duramente pinched her chin in thought.
"He is my excellent husband. My excellent lover."
Shirayuki also pinched her chin and began praising herself nonstop.
She didn't know why, but whenever she praised Chiya, a powerful happiness welled up inside her. It felt like something worth being proud of.
Chiya felt the same way whenever he praised Shirayuki.
But praising his own male body didn't make him feel that way.
Either way, this kind of boasting had already become one of Shirayuki's hobbies.
"He's gentle and strong. He's the ideal I hold in my heart. No one could ever surpass him."
"…I see."
Duramente had already gotten used to this trainer-wife pair showering each other with affection every single day.
Being their uma musume was great in every other way. The training content was excellent, and having the Empress as a sparring partner was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege.
The only problem was that her eyes were constantly being flash-banged.
"All right, let's head back."
Shirayuki looked at the black figure on the track.
"If you want to surpass that person, you won't get anywhere without working hard."