When Dyna returned to Tracen Academy to find Wada and resume training, she just happened to run into the academy's annual freshman entrance ceremony.
Usually, with her soft, gentle demeanor, mixed into a crowd of horse girls all dressed in different outfits, Dyna even got mistaken for a new student by some of the upperclassmen helping with orientation.
If she hadn't shown her special pass, Mejiro Dober, Daitaku Helios, and those terrifyingly outgoing gyaru-like upperclassmen would probably have dragged her off, registered her as a student on the spot, and assigned her a dorm room.
Only after escaping the tide of freshmen did Dyna finally let out a breath, wiping away sweat that wasn't really there. It looked like the academy was going to stay busy for the next few days.
"How strange... The pamphlet clearly says it's this way, so why do I keep ending up back here?"
A reddish-brown-haired horse girl in a black plaid top and knee-length skirt frowned at the promotional booklet Tracen had handed out earlier. But judging by the way she gripped the paper so hard it looked like her fingers might punch right through it, she definitely didn't look like someone easy to provoke.
Perhaps because she spotted Dyna, who didn't look lost in the slightest within the academy grounds, the girl set down the suitcase she had been dragging, shut the pamphlet, and walked straight over.
"Excuse me, Senior Glittering Dyna. Could you tell me how to get to the freshman registration area? This pamphlet is supposed to be the newest edition, but it seems the academy changed the registration location at the last minute."
"Huh? Me...? Senior?" Dyna froze for a second at being addressed that way.
But looking at the girl's consistently proud expression, the black ear covers on both ears, and the crown-shaped red-heart ornament clipped over the root of her left ear, Dyna could more or less guess who she was.
"Yes." The girl answered briefly, but there was unmistakable expectation in her eyes.
Dyna scratched her cheek and replied, "Actually, I'm an outside user too. The horse girls in uniform back by the gate are the real upperclassmen here."
"Ah... So Senior Glittering Dyna isn't actually a Tracen student?" The girl seemed to be learning that for the first time, and her eyes filled with surprise.
As if realizing it was rude to ask so much without introducing herself, she quickly added, "And my name is Noblewoman. I'm very sorry for speaking to you so abruptly."
For Noblewoman, daily life mostly consisted of self-directed training and time in the gym. She only checked her phone occasionally, usually when there was a major race to watch. So she only knew that Glittering Dyna was strong, and had simply assumed she was a Tracen student.
She hadn't expected to meet her in person on the very day of enrollment, much less learn from Dyna's own mouth that she wasn't a student. Noblewoman's heart was beating a little faster now. Although Glittering Dyna had chosen the Classic Triple Crown route, the two of them both wore left-ear accessories. That kind of spirit—charging straight at the strong—was exactly what Noblewoman admired.
"It's fine. If you don't mind the trouble, you can come with me. Trainer Wada definitely knows where the registration area is."
Dyna figured that under normal circumstances, a horse girl she'd only just met wouldn't want to drag a suitcase all the way to the training room with her, then head from there to registration, and only afterward to the dorms.
But if the one accompanying you happened to be a wildly popular star horse girl who shared the same ideals as you, then for Noblewoman, that didn't sound troublesome at all.
Dyna had already prepared herself for the girl to politely decline, at which point she would probably recommend one of the horse girls still working near the gate instead—
But Noblewoman lowered herself in an elegant bow.
"Then I'll trouble you, Senior Glittering Dyna."
The motion was graceful and precise, clearly the product of countless repetitions drilled into her as part of her upbringing.
Dyna's brain promptly stopped working.
Still, at this point there was nothing for it but to bring Noblewoman along to find Wada. And maybe, just maybe, Wada might even be able to recruit another horse girl out of this.
After all, Noblewoman was undeniably strong. In Dyna's memory, despite being a filly, her physical build wasn't much worse than any colt's. Sometimes it even seemed better. So current-day Trainer Wada should probably be able to handle training her.
"Is Trainer Wada your contracted trainer, Senior Glittering Dyna?"
On the way, Noblewoman dragged her suitcase behind her as she casually asked about Dyna.
Dyna shook her head at once. "There's no formal paper contract or anything. Oguri Cap introduced me to him, so she kind of acted as a middleman. If you really want to put it into words, then Wada feels more like he's running a private tutoring program outside the academy."
"I see... But that means Senior Glittering Dyna obtained permission to use the academy's training facilities?"
"Yep. President Rudolf did try to recruit me into Tracen Academy back then, but I turned her down. I had my own life. Running wasn't everything to me. At the time, that little shop of mine outside the academy felt more like where I belonged. But after 3.11, my thinking changed a bit. At the very least, I need to keep running. I'm carrying something way too heavy on my shoulders now."
Walking ahead, Dyna wore a faint smile that Noblewoman couldn't see.
After hearing all that, Noblewoman had already pieced together a framework of Dyna's character in her mind.
A horse girl who cared about the expectations of others.
A horse girl like that might be weak under ordinary circumstances. But only when she had nothing weighing on her. As long as she still carried the wishes of others on her shoulders, then on the track, that type of horse girl would explode with tremendous power.
"What an interesting opponent..."
That was Noblewoman's verdict in her heart.
Given Glittering Dyna's current momentum, she would almost certainly finish the year undefeated. Which meant that next year, she probably wouldn't stay focused only on domestic races.
There was one race where Noblewoman could probably meet Glittering Dyna head-on one day—
The Japan Cup.
By the time they reached Wada's training room, Dyna ignored Noblewoman's attempts to stop her and grabbed hold of the suitcase handle herself.
She tried lifting it one-handed with complete confidence.
It didn't move.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
By the time Dyna was red in the face, it took both hands and all her strength just to get the wheels a few centimeters off the ground before she lost her grip and the suitcase slammed back down with a heavy crash, leaving visible wheel marks on the floor.
"Senior Glittering Dyna, I already told you... It's custom-made," Noblewoman said, walking up and lifting the suitcase one-handed as she continued up the steps with ease. "It's durable, and it doubles as training equipment when I'm out and about."
Trailing behind her, Dyna felt like the whole world had gone mad.
But then she remembered that this was Noblewoman—the horse girl who could apparently compress iron balls barehanded—and immediately accepted it.
After all, how many monstrous horse girls like that could there really be at Tracen Academy? At the very least, most of the students were probably normal, right?
"Good morning, Miss Opera O, Miss Kirei, and Mr. Wada."
Dyna pushed the door open. This training room was practically never locked, and since she'd come here so many times, she no longer hesitated.
Inside, Wada was bent over his desk reading some kind of materials. Opera O was sprawled across the sofa holding her phone high overhead, doing who-knew-what. Kirei, meanwhile, was on the side making rice balls.
"Good morning, Miss Dyna—huh?"
Kirei reacted first, but the moment she saw the horse girl behind Dyna, a horse girl practically radiating the word strong, her old-lady brain short-circuited for a moment.
Where exactly had Dyna gone and picked up this horse girl?
When Wada looked up, he nearly tipped himself backward in his chair. One glance was enough to tell him there was something unusual about Noblewoman's power.
"This is Noblewoman. She's a new student I ran into. She couldn't find the registration area, so she ended up following me here. I'll probably have to trouble you all to help her find registration later."
Dyna smiled lightly, then gave Wada a conspicuous wink from the front.
Unfortunately, Wada was still too stunned to process it.
Kirei stopped what she was doing and nodded. "All right. I'll take her. Welcome, Miss Noblewoman. I'm Kirei."
"Wha?" Opera O sat upright. The instant she saw Noblewoman, her fur practically stood on end. Seeing a horse girl who looked this full of raw power was honestly terrifying. Opera O had to admit that in all her years, she had never seen one quite like Noblewoman.
There was a beauty to the strength radiating from her whole body.
Opera O had no doubt Noblewoman could punch her to death.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Noblewoman, one of this year's new Tracen students. I look forward to being under your care."
Perhaps trying to ease the strange atmosphere, Noblewoman bowed. But because she was still dragging her suitcase with one hand, it tipped over without anyone reacting in time.
Dyna noticed it, of course.
But she also knew with certainty that if she tried to catch it, the suitcase would take her down with it.
Bang.
The suitcase hit the floor hard.
When Dyna opened her eyes again, she saw the suitcase embedded in the tiles. Cracks were spreading across the floor from the impact like a spiderweb.
Very clearly, this training room was going to need a new floor.
"I'm very sorry..." Noblewoman pulled the suitcase back out of the ground and set it against the wall before bowing again. "I'll cover the repair costs."
Originally, she had been planning to use the atmosphere in the room to directly settle on Wada as her trainer. But now she felt unbearably awkward.
To Noblewoman, if she was going to defeat the powerful horse girl she had marked as her rival, then the difference between them had to be as small as possible in every aspect.
"Ahem, it's fine, it's fine. Things like this are actually pretty common at Tracen Academy. No need to apologize."
Wada hurried to soothe her, though inwardly he was still shocked by what she could casually carry around with her.
If at all possible, he absolutely had to recruit Noblewoman...
"Something like this is... common?" Noblewoman repeated, her eyes shining a little.
Beside her, Dyna pressed a hand over her face and stared at Wada.
Mr. Wada, please stop saying weird things!
You're going to turn Noblewoman into something very strange here!
She's exactly the kind of horse girl who would hear that and immediately assume the academy is full of monsters worth fighting!
So Tracen Academy really did hide all sorts of terrifying powerhouses without advertising them?
Noblewoman admitted she was intrigued. Dyna under Wada, and all these supposed hidden monsters scattered through the academy—her blood was already beginning to boil.
Her fingers unconsciously clenched, and the force of her grip made her knuckles crack loudly enough to make everyone in the room pale.
In a small voice, Wada asked Opera O and Kirei, "Did I say something wrong?"
"I think you just set Miss Noblewoman's fighting spirit on fire. She probably really likes 'crossing hands' with strong horse girls...?" Kirei offered.
Opera O, on the other hand, suddenly raised her voice. "Strong, beautiful, and brimming with fighting spirit! Wada, my loyal retainer, this horse girl is a once-in-a-lifetime treasure!"
At that, Noblewoman's attention shifted toward her.
"Clap."
That was the sound of Dyna's palm landing squarely over her own face.
Wada's team really was a complete circus.
And yes, Dyna included herself in that assessment.
Still, somehow, it was always these circus troupes that managed to create miracles.
Noblewoman blinked at Opera O, then looked directly at Wada.
"Then Trainer Wada, are you saying I'll be able to meet many horse girls like me at Tracen Academy?"
"Uh... probably?" Wada answered weakly.
"And that I'll be able to cross paths with them and defeat them?"
"Perhaps...?" Even Kirei couldn't think of many horse girls who could match Noblewoman in raw strength.
"In that case, could Mr. Wada become my trainer?"
"Hah?!" Opera O actually shrieked this time.
Noblewoman blinked. "...Would that be a problem?"
Inside the training room, chaos erupted.
Meanwhile, Dyna quietly slipped over to Wada's desk, because choosing trainers really had nothing to do with her. She had no idea why Noblewoman had suddenly fallen for Wada at first sight, but since that was happening, Dyna might as well focus on her own business.
"Hm, where's my training plan... Ah, here."
She found it in the usual place. The page was dense with strength-training notes, enough to make her dizzy. But the moment she thought about the extra weight she'd gained, determination surged right back up.
Wada, meanwhile, desperately wanted to sign Noblewoman, but was equally worried his own ability wouldn't be enough and that he might end up ruining her future. So he kept trying to persuade her to think it over properly.
But Noblewoman had already made up her mind.
If she was going to defeat Glittering Dyna, doing it from within the same team would be the true and proper way.
"I've decided. It'll be Trainer Wada. That way I can train together with Senior Glittering Dyna and face her on the same stage in the future, right?"
As she said this, Noblewoman's gaze turned blazing hot as it landed on Dyna at the desk.
She liked this kind of horse girl best.
Brilliant and dazzling, the kind of horse girl no one could look away from.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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