BanUma 166-187 (Patreon)

Updates will drop today, Tuesday. Though it will be spread apart throughout the day. Work suddenly piled up. Don't worry about it upsetting the schedule. I'm finishing the update for this week as well as next week while I have free time.

Chapter 166: Defeat?

Sakura Baimu once again chose to unleash her power while running in the slope, precisely when the pressure on an Umamusume's heart was at its peak.

The soaring power erupted. Although it wasn't directly aimed at Maruzensky, even without a direct confrontation, it was enough for Maruzensky to notice the terrifying pressure emanating from behind.

In that instant, tension and palpitations surged through Maruzensky's heart.

This feeling, which she hadn't experienced in a long, long time, made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

Just as Maruzensky's thoughts froze, Sakura Baimu, enveloped in a dense azure aura, suddenly appeared beside her.

"She caught up?!"

Maruzensky's eyes widened abruptly.

Forgetting about keeping pace with Sakura Baimu, she quickened her pace, and white energy swirled around her at the same moment.

Maruzensky's acceleration was terrifying; Sakura Baimu, who had initially caught up, was once again pulled behind.

She no longer had time to maintain her pace with Sakura Baimu; her focus was entirely on the race.

"This feeling... it's not inferior at all to the 'monster' Oguri Cap back then..."

Maruzensky hadn't experienced the feeling of being overtaken from behind while leading a race for a long time.

Unless she deliberately held back in the early stages of a race and chose not to lead, she rarely experienced being overtaken from behind.

Just now, in that brief moment when Sakura Baimu passed her, Maruzensky unusually felt that tension again.

This genuine feeling of tension, originating from the bottom of her heart and brought forth by her opponent, finally allowed Maruzensky to once again experience the emotions an Umamusume should feel when participating in a race.

Maruzensky's long-dormant passion was reignited. Re-experiencing the atmosphere of competition, she was incredibly excited, her expression gradually shifting from a slight smile to utter euphoria.

"Far beyond expectations! This Mejiro Sakura is this strong! Amazing, amazing!"

Maruzensky was overwhelmed with excitement; Sakura Baimu's strength far exceeded her expectations.

Her excitement didn't last long. An even stronger sense of tension and pressure washed over her again.

Thump

Another thump of her heart. Without turning around, Maruzensky could feel the chilling sensation behind her, as if she were about to be devoured by a ferocious beast.

Fear gradually spread through Maruzensky's heart, even giving her the urge to flee from this overwhelming aura.

Even her movements slowed under this terrifying pressure.

This incredibly real feeling of tension and fear filled Maruzensky with excitement.

Sakura Baimu's aura was too overwhelming. Maruzensky judged that if she didn't unleash her own aura to counter it, Sakura Baimu's aura would affect her speed.

"Although it's a bit disappointing, oh well, I'm already quite satisfied."

Sakura Baimu had already given her a surprise beyond her expectations.

Now, the race could end.

Maruzensky's smile deepened, and with her next step, a crimson aura erupted from her body.

The palpitations and fear instantly subsided, and the movements that had been slowed by Sakura Baimu's aura returned to fluidity.

There were still 200 Meters left to the finish line.

Having unleashed her aura, Maruzensky, just like her nickname, "Hotrod," charged toward the finish line with incredible speed.

Maruzensky's joy was already overflowing; she was extremely satisfied with tonight's result.

Sakura Baimu had brought back that intense, long-forgotten competitive atmosphere.

It had even forced her to unleash her full power.

This was something only a handful of people at Tracen Academy could achieve.

Only a few lengths remained to the finish line.

The race would be over in an instant.

But just then, Maruzensky suddenly heard a loud thud behind her.

Before she could react, she blinked.

She found that where her vision had been empty, a figure enveloped in a dense azure aura had suddenly appeared beside her.

"What...?"

Maruzensky's eyes widened in shock.

This scene was utterly familiar.

This last-minute overtake just before the finish line was exactly the same as the scene during Sakura Baimu's first duel with Golden Crown Eagle.

Sakura Baimu's appearance shattered Maruzensky's composure.

Instantly, the fear and panic of impending defeat gripped Maruzensky's heart.

"No time to accelerate!" Maruzensky made this judgment in an instant.

Both had already taken their first step toward the finish line, leaving no room for further acceleration.

Then she saw Sakura Baimu's foot step across the finish line a split second before hers.

Sakura Baimu, by a hair's breadth, crossed the finish line ahead of Maruzensky.

--

After crossing the finish line, the composure and calmness on Maruzensky's face were gone.

As her ample bosom heaved, Maruzensky turned in horror to look at Sakura Baimu, who was also panting slightly.

Maruzensky's panting wasn't due to fatigue from the intensity of the race.

It was because of a fleeting glimpse she had caught just before the finish line.

Seeing Sakura Baimu surge forward again, a sudden and unprecedented panic at the prospect of losing gripped her.

Although she was known as the undefeated Hotrod, her undefeated record existed only in official races.

Maruzensky had run many times with Symboli Rudolf in private, and their record was a mix of wins and losses.

But that was Symboli Rudolf!

A reigning champion Umamusume.

Besides Symboli Rudolf, this was the first time Maruzensky had experienced defeat against any other Umamusume.

Maruzensky knew Sakura Baimu was slightly stronger than Obey Your Master, yet she maintained her playful attitude toward the match.

However, her extreme overconfidence led her to misjudge Sakura Baimu's strength, allowing Sakura Baimu to seize another opportunity and overtake her just before the finish line, where she could no longer accelerate.

Exactly the same as Golden Crown Eagle!

Although Maruzensky hadn't gone all out in this match, the outcome was still decided.

The result of the match wouldn't change because she had deliberately held back.

Standing at the finish line, Maruzensky, after catching her breath for a long while, finally felt the fear in her eyes gradually subside.

However, the panic that had accumulated in her chest lingered.

“Ms. Maruzensky.”

Sakura Baimu’s voice rang out, and Maruzensky turned to look.

She saw Sakura Baimu walking toward her with a warm smile.

“As expected of Hotrod, you are indeed very strong.”

“I should be saying that. I really didn’t expect that Ms. Sakura would still have the strength to unleash her final kick. In that last moment, I didn’t react at all.”

Maruzensky shook her head, her smile returning.

“I can tell, Miss Maruzen, you weren’t planning to use your Zone at all. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”

“During a competition, the referee won’t declare me the winner just because I didn’t use my Zone.”

Sakura Baimu’s burst of power before the finish line was something Maruzensky hadn’t anticipated at all.

Maruzensky had assumed that Sakura Baimu’s two bursts of power would be her limit, so she had lowered her guard.

After all, there weren’t many people in this academy who could force her to use her Zone.

Unexpectedly, Sakura Baimu could still unleash such a fierce final kick just before crossing the finish line.

Most importantly, Maruzensky also noticed that Sakura Baimu, who was wearing a bright smile, didn’t seem to be breathing heavily.

It was as if the competition hadn’t been her full strength either.

--

--

Let’s talk about the “Phantom Triple Crown” from the previous chapter.

The term "Phantom Triple Crown" generally refers to a horse that participated in and won two Classic Triple Crown races but was unable to participate in the third race due to injury or other special circumstances.

Like Tokai Teio.

However, Fuji Kiseki never participated in any Classic Triple Crown races.

The horses that won the Classic Triple Crown in her year either lost to Fuji Kiseki or lost to horses that had previously been defeated by her.

For example, Geniein, the winner of that year's Satsuki Sho, lost to a horse that had been completely defeated by Fuji Kiseki.

Therefore, everyone believed that Fuji Kiseki was capable of winning the Triple Crown.

Thus, Fuji Kiseki is also considered a Phantom Triple Crown horse.

---

Chapter 167: Maruzensky's Relief

"Is she still holding back?!"

Maruzensky felt a pang of discomfort upon realizing this.

After this initial shock came an even stronger surge of joy.

Whether it was Sakura Baimu's repeated bursts of power in the earlier match, which made even Maruzensky feel her heart pounding, or that final burst at the finish line, each moment brought Maruzensky a wave of delight.

From the opening to the end of the middle stages, Maruzensky had already derived the expected pleasure from Sakura Baimu.

But the final stretch brought a series of unexpected surprises.

It could be said that from the moment Sakura Baimu's momentum exploded, the subsequent developments completely exceeded Maruzensky's expectations.

From that point onward, Maruzensky no longer had time to consider keeping pace with Sakura Baimu.

Her attention shifted from Sakura Baimu to the race itself.

Sakura Baimu's second burst of momentum made Maruzensky feel threatened in terms of speed for the first time, forcing her to unleash her own power.

The final sharp kick before the finish line was also the first time Maruzensky felt the race slip out of her control, and she began to panic, fearing defeat.

If, during the early and middle stages of the race, Maruzensky still treated this race as mere entertainment, then from the final stages onward, she was completely immersed in the competition.

For her, this was a novel experience she hadn't felt in a long time.

The unknown, the tension, the excitement, the adrenaline.

This mixture of feelings was what made racing so captivating.

Today, Maruzensky finally experienced it all with a new Umamusume.

“Can we go again? I know you can keep going!” Maruzensky said impatiently to Sakura Baimu.

“I can tell you still have energy left. You really surprised me, you really delighted me! Let’s race again!”

Maruzensky’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Sakura Baimu.

To Sakura Baimu, this expression was like that of a little girl excitedly discovering a new toy.

“Alright, let’s call it a day. We’ll do it next time,” Sakura Baimu waved her hand.

“No way. You think you can just run off after winning? I haven’t even gotten serious yet! Let’s keep going! There’s still plenty of time tonight!”

Maruzensky had just lost the race due to carelessness, and she couldn’t accept that result.

She couldn't wait to have another match with Sakura Baimu.

To win back what she had just lost.

Sakura Baimu, of course, understood Maruzensky's thoughts. She deliberately snorted, waved her hand, and spoke.

"It's because Miss Maruzensky didn't take the match seriously and so easily gave away her undefeated streak that I don't want to compete with you anymore."

"Eh—?!"

Maruzensky's expression froze upon hearing Sakura Baimu's words. The excitement on her face vanished instantly, leaving her stunned and speechless.

Her dazed and dejected appearance...

In Sakura Baimu's eyes, it was exactly like that of a girl about to receive her beloved doll, only to find out she had fallen one point short of her parents' expectations and missed the reward.

"Pfft—"

Maruzensky's eyes flickered at the sound of laughter, and she saw Sakura Baimu covering her mouth, desperately trying to suppress her laughter.

She suddenly realized that Sakura Baimu's words were just a joke.

"Ms. Maruzensky, do you have to be so upset? You said it yourself, I still had some leeway. Why did you take my words so seriously?"

Sakura Baimu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Maruzensky looking at her.

Realizing that she had been teased by Sakura Baimu, a faint blush instantly appeared on Maruzensky's cheeks. She feigned anger and said:

"Ms. Sakura, why are you like this? I really thought you were angry because I went easy on you!"

"Hahahaha." Sakura Baimu laughed heartily.

She picked up her backpack from the ground, took out a notebook, a timer, and weighted wristbands, and put them on.

“Let’s talk about the competition another time. I’m here today, so I’m going to train. Maruzen-san, you should go home and rest early.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Maruzensky asked, surprised.

“No.”

Sakura Baimu chuckled, pressed the timer, and dashed off.

Maruzensky stood there, watching Sakura Baimu run off, a gleam of admiration returning to her eyes.

“Mejiro Sakura, you really surprise me~”

Maruzensky felt this was the first time she had ever seen an Umamusume like Sakura Baimu.

There weren’t many Umamusumes in the academy strong enough to make her use her aura, but most of those who were, were extremely serious.

For example, Oguri Cap and Symboli Rudolf.

While Maruzensky got along well with them, their serious personalities often left her feeling like she was punching cotton—they didn't give her the feedback she wanted.

As for the younger Umamusumes whose skills were far inferior to hers, although Maruzensky was always approachable and humble in her interactions with them, they still couldn't fully open up around her.

Maruzensky always felt a distance between them.

But Sakura Baimu was different.

While Sakura Baimu's personality differed from Maruzensky's, both of them were clearly the type who enjoyed having fun.

Being with her was much easier than being with Symboli Rudolf and Oguri Cap.

Most importantly, besides Symboli Rudolf and Mr. CB, she was probably the only Umamusume with whom Maruzensky felt completely at ease, someone she could joke and tease with.

This dynamic between Sakura Baimu and Maruzensky made Maruzensky feel very comfortable.

At this moment,

Maruzensky suddenly felt fortunate.

Even after Golden Crown Eagle was taken to the hospital by Sakura Baimu, and Symboli Rudolf had stopped staking out the track, she had chosen to continue waiting for Sakura Baimu.

If she hadn't overheard someone calling out "Obey Your Master" on the track,

Maruzensky would never have known Sakura Baimu's true identity.

And naturally, she would never have met this Umamusume whose real name was Mejiro Sakura.

Her gaze followed Sakura Baimu as she sped along the track, watching her navigate the bend, climb the hill, and cross the finish line once more.

Beep

Sakura Baimu pressed the timer, then wrote the result down in her notebook. She looked up at Maruzensky and teased.

"Ms. Maruzensky seems quite calm. That puts my mind at ease. I was worried she'd come crying to me after her undefeated streak was broken."

---

Chapter 168: Rice Shower's Comeback Battle

Hearing Sakura Baimu's friendly banter again, Maruzensky felt happy and replied with a smile.

"It's not like it's the first time I've lost. I wasn't taking it seriously, so of course I don't care."

"Huh? Maruzensky-san has lost before?" Sakura Baimu asked in surprise.

"There haven't been any official matches, but in private practice, Rudolf, C.B., and I often go toe-to-toe," Maruzensky laughed. "Don't forget, Rudolf is the pinnacle of the academy, not me."

"But I heard that you, Maruzensky-san, have never taken matches seriously, and you've never used your Zone."

"That's true. We don't use Zones in private matches. And in official matches, I haven't faced Rudolf, so naturally there's no one I'd use my Zone against," Maruzensky said with a smile.

"But I remember Maruzen-san and Rudolf-san participated in the Dream Cup together, right? That time..."

"Of course I won~"

"Wow, as expected of Hotrod, your strength is terrifying." Sakura Baimu quoted a famous line from an online novel.

"I've run against Rudolf countless times in private and lost many times. Losing to you today was unexpected, but it's not a big blow."

Maruzensky chuckled, then winked at Sakura Baimu.

"But to be honest, I really panicked when you overtook me just now. Luckily, this wasn't a formal match, and I didn't really go all out."

"Oh, so if Maruzen-san had used her Zone and lost to me, would you have cried?"

Sakura Baimu suddenly narrowed her eyes and asked Maruzensky.

"Even Rudolf couldn't force me to use my Zone, Sakura-san. Are you really that confident?"

"Maruzensky-san didn't answer my question directly."

"Let me think..."

Maruzensky lightly tapped her chin with her slender fingers, glancing upward with a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, she shook her head and smiled at Sakura Baimu.

"Sorry, I really can't imagine losing when I've activated my Zone~"

Sakura Baimu smiled and gave Maruzensky a thumbs-up.

"As expected of Hotrod, that confidence isn't something everyone has."

"Sakura-san still has a good chance. I'm looking forward to you becoming the first person to force me to use my Zone~"

Maruzensky patted Sakura Baimu's shoulder encouragingly.

Then her gaze turned serious again.

"But victory will probably still be mine~"

Maruzensky's cool expression didn't last long.

Suddenly, Maruzensky let out a loud yawn.

Realizing it herself, she quickly withdrew her hand from Sakura Baimu's shoulder and covered her mouth.

"Oh dear, this is the first time I've ever been sleepy this early. Looks like tonight was really fun. I ran really well~"

"Goodnight."

Sakura Baimu whispered goodnight, then pressed the timer on her hand and ran off again.

"Young people really have a lot of energy~"

Maruzensky smiled, yawned again, and finally decided to go home and sleep.

Tonight, Maruzensky went to bed much earlier than usual.

And she fell asleep with a smile on her face, looking forward to tomorrow.

--

Time flew by again, and it was now August.

August was exceptionally busy for TCB.

Because this month, three Umamusumes from TCB were going to participate in competitions.

The first race of August was contested by Rice Shower, a newcomer to the team.

Sakura Baimu registered her for the Kitakyushu Kinen race held in early August at Kokura Racecourse in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.

This is a high-stakes G3-level race held by URA at Kokura Racecourse.

The distance is 2000 meters.

Initially, when the staff heard that Sakura Baimu was registering Rice Shower, they even suspected that she was there to cause trouble.

However, after it was confirmed that Rice Shower would be participating, the entire staff at Kokura Racecourse were incredulous.

Rice Shower was the winner of the Takarazuka Kinen and, even more so, the formidable Umamusume who had defeated the strongest active racers, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.

Unfortunately, Rice Shower suffered a comminuted fracture in an accident during the Takarazuka Kinen.

Just when everyone was lamenting the fall of this rising star, Rice Shower unexpectedly announced her comeback just over a month later!

"Even a normal fracture wouldn't heal this quickly, right? Can she really make a comeback? What if we promote her and she doesn't come to race?" a staff member at Kokura Racecourse asked a colleague next to her.

"Who knows? You can't generalize about the physical condition of different Umamusumes."

"Should we promote her, then?"

"Why not advertise it? This is Rice Shower's first race after her broken leg. She's the strongest active racer, having defeated Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio!"

The news that Rice Shower would participate in the Kitakyushu Kinen immediately shocked many people.

They were all somewhat incredulous that Rice Shower, who had suffered such a serious injury at the Takarazuka Kinen, had announced her comeback only a month later.

--

Fukuoka Prefecture is extremely far from Tokyo, so Sakura Baimu didn't choose the Shinkansen and instead opted to fly with Rice Shower to Fukuoka.

Originally, the TCB team members hadn't planned to travel to Fukuoka Prefecture with Sakura Baimu to watch the race. It was too far, and with the team's tight budget, flying all seven of them would be too extravagant.

But Sakura Baimu insisted. How could they not all go out and support Rice Shower's comeback race?

It's just money.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Mejiro McQueen, please!"

So, all the Umamusumes from TCB flew to Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Having come all this way, the Umamusumes decided to spend a day having fun after Rice Shower's race before returning to Tokyo.

The pre-race presentation began.

Rice Shower unsurprisingly received the most votes.

The audience, along with the Umamusumes who had just finished their presentations, watched Rice Shower slowly pick up her jersey after the presentation, all with expressions of astonishment.

"So, Rice Shower really did recover!"

Glimmer Express, the third most popular contestant in the race, exclaimed in surprise as she peered toward the presentation stage from the back.

"That's not necessarily true. She doesn't need to run during the presentation. I don't believe she'll recover that quickly."

Ogura Storm, the second most popular contestant, was also very concerned about Rice Shower's condition. She immediately objected after hearing Glimmer Express's words.

After speaking, she also peeked at Rice Shower, whose steps were steady, and felt a little less confident herself.

"Even if the fracture healed, it's impossible for her to return to her previous condition in a month."

--

--

Chapter 169: Kitakyushu Kinen, Let's Go!

"The weather is fine at Kokura Racecourse."

"Third in popularity for this race, Glimmer Express."

"The winner of Kokura Daishoten in February, she is competing in this race as a strong contender for victory!"

"Next up is this girl, second in popularity, Ogura Storm."

"Having achieved a five-race winning streak so far, plus a three-race winning streak in major races, can she maintain her winning streak here?"

"Finally, the absolute star of this race is indeed her!"

"The most popular contestant in this race, the winner of the Kikuka Sho and Takarazuka Kinen, Rice Shower, who defeated Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen and is hailed as the strongest active racer!"

"Although she had an accident at the Takarazuka Kinen, she attracted the most attention by announcing her comeback just over a month later!"

"How well has Rice Shower recovered? Can she regain her former strength and make a successful comeback? Let's wait and see!"

"Turf, 2000m, a tribute to Kokura."

"Now, all the racers have entered the gates."

With the commentator's voice echoing across the venue, all the racers who had entered the gates were ready to start.

Rice Shower, located in Gate 3, had Glimmer Express, the third most popular racer in the event, to her left.

She was an Umamusume local to Fukuoka and naturally very familiar with Kokura Racecourse.

"Kitakyushu Kinen is a race where the inside gate is at a disadvantage, while the middle gate is advantageous."

"Because the first and second corners are uphill, Umamusume expend more energy when cornering compared to other races."

"The inside track experiences the greatest centripetal force, so Umamusumes on the inside have to withstand greater centripetal force and the uphill effect simultaneously when cornering."

After looking at Rice Shower, Glimmer Express turned her attention to Ogura Storm in Gate 7.

"While the outer track allows for near-straight-line speeds during turns, it's longer and has uphill sections, resulting in significantly higher stamina expenditure."

"Without a doubt, my current position is the most advantageous. With the best gate in this race, victory is practically guaranteed."

Glimmer Express thought to herself, a slight smile playing on her lips as confidence filled her heart.

"Ready—"

"Start!"

As the commentator's voice faded, the gates sprang open.

"All the Umamusumes have surged forward, and their starts are all excellent!"

"Now, leading the pack is number 4, Glimmer Express."

"Glimmer Express takes the lead."

"Second place is number 5, Holy Jacket."

"Closely following is Rice Shower! Rice Shower looks fantastic, securing the chaser position early on."

"Ogura Storm is in fifth place, choosing to follow from the back."

"Go Rice!!"

"Go Rice-senpai!"

The TCB members in the stands cupped their hands around their mouths, cheering for Rice Shower on the track.

Sakura Baimu stood at the back with her hands in her pockets, watching Rice Shower and the entire Kitakyushu Kinen race.

"Trainer-san, Falco is a little worried about Rice-chan. That uphill section looks really strange."

Smart Falcon, looking at Rice Shower on the inside track, also judged that the inside lane was very unfavorable.

"Rice-chan doesn't seem to have practiced uphill running with Trainer-san, has she? Could something unexpected happen?"

"The slope at Kokura Racecourse is different from the slope at Tokyo Racecourse. Even though I taught her, it wouldn't have helped much," Sakura Baimu said.

"Well... Falco thinks Trainer-san should also talk to Rice-chan about how to run in uphills."

Sakura Baimu chuckled and spoke to Smart Falcon.

"The Kitakyushu Kinen starts with a straight of about 470 Meters, making it very easy to increase the pace early on."

"From the second half of the straight, it's uphill, and you don't reach the top until after the second bend."

"This hill has an elevation difference of 3 Meters and a climbing distance of 300 Meters, unlike any uphill section Rice Shower has ever run."

"That's why Falco said this hill is very disadvantageous for Rice." Hearing Sakura Baimu's words, Smart Falcon's cute little face showed even more worry.

"GG, your name clearly has 'Smart' in it, so why are you so silly?" Sakura Baimu said disdainfully.

Hearing Sakura Baimu's disdain again, Smart Falcon's cheeks puffed out, and her three chestnut-colored ponytails stood on end.

"I've never seen a slope like this before! Falco isn't mistaken!"

"Go check on your teammates," Sakura Baimu said dismissively.

Smart Falcon turned to look at the others nearby.

It turned out that, apart from Kitasan Black, who hadn't even noticed this side and was raising her arm to cheer loudly for Rice Shower, everyone else was there.

Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio, who had overheard her conversation with Sakura Baimu, showed no signs of worry.

Mejiro McQueen saw Smart Falcon looking over and explained softly.

"Although I've never seen this exact height and length before, this slope is almost identical to the one at Kyoto Racecourse!"

"Huh?" Smart Falcon was still somewhat puzzled.

"Rice participated in last year's Spring Tenno Sho," Tokai Teio reminded her.

"Both last year's and this year's Spring Tenno Sho were held at Kyoto Racecourse, and that race includes two 400-meter-long, 4-meter-high hills."

"That's the same hill Rice and I ran on during last year's Spring Tenno Sho. Rice Shower finished second and even broke the Spring Tenno Sho record," Mejiro McQueen laughed.

"Oh, I see☆!" Smart Falcon exclaimed in realization.

But before she could finish speaking, Sakura Baimu tapped her on the head from behind.

"You're in high school now. Why do you always need your juniors to explain these things to you? How can you be an idol if you're this clueless? And you call yourself smart?"

Sakura Baimu tapped Smart Falcon on the head each time she spoke.

"Waaah~" Smart Falcon covered her head with both hands, not daring to argue.

Just as Smart Falcon was still whimpering with her head in her hands, the audience in the arena suddenly gasped in amazement.

Sakura Baimu and the others looked down at the track and saw Rice Shower, dressed in a sports T-shirt and shorts, overtaking the second-placed Holy Jacket on the uphill section.

"As expected of the Umamusume who broke the Spring Tenno Sho record, Rice Shower climbed the hill very quickly and even overtook the second-placed Holy Jacket!"

Chapter 170: Thank You, Rice Shower

"Is this the true strength of a G1 Umamusume? Even though it's her first time competing at Kokura Racecourse, she's handling the Kitakyushu Kinen hill like she's run it countless times!"

"Even uphill, even on the inside corner, Rice Shower's speed hasn't slowed down much!"

"Rice Shower's performance after her injury is simply amazing!"

"What an excellent climb! Many Umamusumes struggle on this hill when they first come to Kokura Racecourse."

In the first place, Glimmer Expres was startled by the commentators' and narrator's praise of Rice Shower and quickly glanced behind her.

Sure enough, she saw Rice Shower, whose face was half-hidden by her long black hair, already close behind her.

"Why? This should be her first time on Kokura Racecourse!"

"Why? She wasn't affected by the uphill climb and the corners?"

Glimmer Express was quite puzzled. She instantly realized that her track advantage and home-field advantage hadn't created a significant gap between herself and Rice Shower.

"Tsk, tsk. So arrogant just because it's her home track. Once her confidence is shattered, she probably won't even be able to maintain her rhythm."

Ogura Storm, following behind, noticed the shock and wavering on Glimmer Express's face.

Seeing Glimmer Express's increasingly erratic pace, she immediately understood her situation.

"It was just a climb and a turn where I didn't lose much speed, and they're already this surprised. This race's level of popularity is so weak. I don't know how she won the Kokura Daishoten last time. If I had known, I would have signed up too. I'd be on a four-peat by now."

The Kokura Daishoten is a G3-level 1800m race held in late February at Kokura Racecourse.

"After reaching the top of the hill, there's a 300-meter downhill section. I can accelerate now."

Ogura Storm thought to herself, quickening her pace.

"Glimmer Express has passed the second turn first, with Rice Shower close behind!"

"Ogura Storm is accelerating! She's catching up from the outside! Fourth, third!"

"She's overtaken Divine Jacket and is now in third place, closing in on Rice Shower!"

"Accelerating so early?"

Glimmer Express was startled again upon hearing the commentator's voice.

Rice Shower, the most popular runner, was right behind her.

But now, Ogura Storm, the second most popular runner, had already started accelerating before the race was even halfway through.

Faced with such a formidable opponent, Glimmer Express couldn't help but feel anxious, and her pace quickened.

"Whoa! Glimmer Express is accelerating too!"

"Although the Kitakyushu Kinen is a race with a fast pace, this year's pace is much faster than usual."

"Is it really because of Ogura Storm's five-race winning streak and the presence of Rice Shower?"

"Ogura Storm is in excellent form, and her strength is formidable."

"Ogura Storm has caught up with Rice Shower."

"She has overtaken Rice Shower and is now heading toward first-place Glimmer Express!"

Glimmer Express's acceleration at the second corner drew gasps from many spectators.

Most of the spectators were drawn by Rice Shower's rapid comeback after suffering a comminuted fracture.

The remaining spectators were mostly local residents of Fukuoka Prefecture.

After witnessing Rice Shower, who had gained an advantage on the climb, being overtaken from fifth place, the attention of the spectators gradually shifted to Ogura Storm.

Meanwhile, the residents of Fukuoka Prefecture were primarily there for Glimmer Express, the local winner of the Kokura Daishoten.

They naturally knew that the Kitakyushu Kinen was a fast-paced race.

But when they saw Ogura Storm single-handedly push Glimmer Express's pace even higher, their attention also turned to this Umamusume named Ogura Storm.

"Ogura Storm, she's incredibly strong!"

"No wonder she's on a five-race winning streak, even surpassing Rice Shower!"

"Ogura Storm increased her stamina consumption in the early and middle stages by accelerating at the second corner, but because she accelerated downhill, she used less stamina than expected."

"Ogura Storm! Her timing is absolutely precise!"

"Ogura Storm! Her judgment of the situation is superb!"

The audience, listening to the commentators and announcers, watched with growing astonishment as they gazed at Ogura Storm.

This non-local Umamusume, Ogura Storm, had made such accurate judgments about the situation in her very first race at Kokura Racecourse—it was simply unbelievable.

After the downhill section, there was a flat straight of about 400 meters.

The race was past the halfway point, and the Umamusumes at the back were beginning to accelerate.

Glimmer Express was still leading.

However, due to the fast pace at the start of the Kitakyushu Kinen , coupled with the pressure from Ogura Storm, she had been forced to accelerate during the early and middle stages.

As a result, Glimmer Express was beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Her initial confidence, built on competing on home turf, was almost completely eroded.

Now, realizing her exhaustion, her already wavering spirit plummeted.

"Approaching the third turn."

"The Umamusumes behind are starting to accelerate!"

"Sacred Jacket has overtaken Rice Shower! Rice Shower has now dropped to fourth."

"Glimmer Express looks like she's struggling a lot. Is she running out of stamina?"

"Sure enough, the fast pace at the start accelerated her stamina depletion, and she's having trouble managing her energy."

"Glimmer Express has entered the third turn first."

"Ogura Storm is less than a length behind Glimmer Express at the front."

"I knew Rice Shower couldn't have recovered so quickly. Even a broken bone takes a long time to heal. She was so badly injured, yet she's only been back for a month before competing."

Hearing the commentator announce that Rice Shower had dropped to fourth, Ogura Storm felt a surge of joy.

"At first, I was actually quite dissatisfied with only getting second place in popularity. Now, it seems I really should thank you."

"Thank you for bringing me so much popularity and attention. If I win today, all the attention will probably go to me, right?"

Ogura Storm felt smug and quickened her pace again, overtaking Glimmer Express, who was in first place.

"She overtook her! Now, Ogura Storm is in first place!"

---

Chapter 171: I'll Take Full Receipt of Your Popularity

"Holy Jacket has overtaken Glimmer Express and is now in second place!"

"Glimmer Express has dropped to third, but Rice Shower doesn't seem to be accelerating."

"Go, Rice, go!!!"

"Rice-senpai, go~~~go!"

Smart Falcon and Kitasan Black stood at the front, cheering loudly for Rice Shower.

Kitasan Black was fine, simply cheering, her expression still cheerful and sunny.

But Smart Falcon was clearly very anxious.

She watched helplessly as Rice Shower climbed from third to second, then dropped to fourth, stomping her feet frantically in frustration.

Satono Diamond, Tokai Teio, and Mejiro McQueen couldn't help but chuckle at Smart Falcon's expression. The three of them huddled together, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter.

Sakura Baimu shook her head with a smile, feeling somewhat helpless.

Although Smart Falcon didn't join TCB during last spring's Tenno Sho, she did witness Rice Shower's participation in the Takarazuka Kinen.

Yet she was already this anxious even before Rice Shower had a chance to shine.

However, this couldn't be entirely blamed on Smart Falcon, since during the Takarazuka Kinen, her attention had mainly been focused on her teammates, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.

Just as Sakura Baimu was amused by Smart Falcon's adorably anxious expression, she suddenly heard her mutter to herself in a flustered tone.

"This is only a G3-level race, and the opponents are already this strong... Falco also has a G3 race this month. Can Falco win?"

"Ogura Storm and Holy Jacket are both so amazing... Can Falco really win a G1 this year? It feels like I can't even win any G3 races this month."

The entire TCB team: "???????"

Even Kitasan Black, who was cheering loudly for Rice Shower, stopped after hearing Smart Falcon's mutterings and looked at her in surprise.

Sakura Baimu was utterly astonished. How could Smart Falcon suddenly become so insecure?

She was watching Rice Shower's race, yet suddenly started feeling afraid.

Just how insecure was she?!

Sakura Baimu couldn't take it anymore and went over to Smart Falcon, giving her a good whack on the head.

After seeing the trembling Umamusume clutch her head and whimper again, she spoke helplessly.

"You fool, what's wrong with you? You haven't lost a single race since your last one against Satono Crown, have you? Why are you so insecure?"

However, Sakura Baimu's words clearly had no effect on Smart Falcon.

She was still obviously worried about her upcoming race.

"Whatever, I can't be bothered with it. You can't lose on dirt anyway," Sakura Baimu thought helplessly.

She suddenly became curious.

In Smart Falcon's upcoming race, would there be a situation where she was insecure and scared all by herself, only to suddenly take the lead and dominate the entire event?

That was an interesting thought.

--

"Approaching the final corner, Ogura Storm is currently in first place, about three lengths ahead of Holy Jacket in second."

"Holy Jacket is in second place, about two lengths ahead of Glimmer Express in third."

"Rice Shower is in fourth, about one length behind Glimmer Express, and looks ready to overtake at any moment."

"Glimmer Express looks a bit off; she seems to have reached her limit."

"The Umamusumes behind are closing in. Can Rice Shower hold onto fourth place?"

"The final corner is coming up. She's on the inside of the track, so accelerating isn't easy. If she could, she'd probably do it on the final straight."

"But judging from her lack of activity after dropping from second to fourth, she probably can't even maintain her current position."

Ogura Storm, leading from the front, was also keeping an eye on the Umamusumes behind her.

She determined that none of the Umamusumes posed a threat to her anymore.

Holy Jacket, in second place, couldn't match her speed.

"What a name, 'Rice Shower.' Such a fancy name, yet all she does is act like an assassin. First, she ruined Mihono Bourbon's Triple Crown dream, then she thwarted Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's battle for supremacy..."

"The era of the 'Black Assassin' ended with the Takarazuka Kinen. I'll take all your popularity."

Ogura Storm grinned, and as she stepped into the final corner, her speed increased once more.

Looking closely, a faint white aura was visible around Ogura Storm as she accelerated.

When acceleration creates a visible white aura, it means an Umamusume's acceleration has reached a certain level.

Although the aura created by Ogura Storm's acceleration wasn't very noticeable, the fact that it could generate such an aura clearly showed she was qualified to contend for a G1 championship.

"Ogura Storm has accelerated again! Ogura Storm, currently in first place, can still accelerate!"

"Four lengths, five lengths!"

"The gap between her and second-place Holy Jacket is widening. Is she trying to create a huge lead?"

"From her initial position, she caught up to first place in the early and middle stages, and she can still accelerate so quickly in the final stages. She's really strong, Ogura Storm!"

"The pace of the race is picking up again! Holy Jacket is accelerating too!"

"Oops, Glimmer Express has lost speed! She started losing speed as she entered the final corner!"

"Rice Shower is in fourth, but the Umamusumes behind her have already caught up, only half a head away!"

"Rice Shower has also entered the final corner! Glimmer Express has dropped to fourth! She's fallen behind Rice Shower!"

"Heh, the Umamusumes behind me are too slow. It's too late to accelerate now."

Ogura Storm thought smugly as she looked at Holy Jacket, who was about five lengths behind.

At that moment, Holy Jacket, who was in second place, had just begun to accelerate, but after only two steps, her expression suddenly froze.

It wasn't just Holy Jacket.

Glimmer Express, and all the Umamusumes trying to overtake Rice Shower from behind, felt their hearts skip a beat the instant Rice Shower passed Glimmer Express on the final straight.

Regardless of whether their expressions had been resolute, joyful, or weary, they all changed in that instant.

Their eyes trembled as they turned toward Rice Shower.

At that moment, everyone around them felt a terrifying, beastly aura emanating from Rice Shower, as if it wanted to tear them to pieces.

----

Chapter 172: Rice Shower, a Child Who Brings Happiness to Those Around Her!

"Wh-what?! What is this?!"

Holy Jacket, ranked second, felt her heart and legs tremble as she sensed the terrifying beastly aura emanating from behind her.

Even though she was still several lengths away from Rice Shower, the chilling aura behind her was impossible to ignore.

If Holy Jacket, who was still some distance from Rice Shower, felt this way, then one could only imagine how much more terrified the other Umamusumes gathered not far from Rice Shower were.

Glimmer Express's confidence crumbled the moment she realized she was losing speed.

The instant she fell behind Rice Shower coincided with the release of Rice Shower's Aura.

While Rice Shower's Aura wasn't specifically targeted at or aimed at any particular Umamusume,

the powerful mental fortitude she had cultivated through her own training meant that even Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen couldn't ignore it.

For these Umamusumes, who had only participated in a few matches or were even competing in a G3-level competition for the first time, it was as if a nightmare had descended.

In that instant, a bizarre scene unfolded at Kokura Racecourse.

Holy Jacket, who had just begun to accelerate ahead of Rice Shower, Glimmer Express, who had just been overtaken by Rice Shower, and the Umamusumes who were about to catch up with Rice Shower, froze, their expressions and movements completely still.

"Holy Jacket has started to accelerate... wait, not yet."

The commentator's words trailed off.

"Wako-dōjin, who was about to catch up with Rice Shower, has also slowed down."

"What happened? It seems they've all suddenly slowed down."

Not only did they slow down, but all the Umamusumes around Rice Shower involuntarily reached their trembling hands toward their lower backs, toward the ponytails swaying behind them as they ran.

Unable to suppress the trembling urge, their legs struggled to move forward, let alone accelerate, and even maintaining their direction instead of veering to the side became extremely difficult.

Aside from Holy Jacket, who was still some distance from Rice Shower, and Ogura Storm, who was too far away to be affected by Rice Shower at all, tears began to well up in the eyes of all the Umamusumes around Rice Shower.

The aura was simply terrifying.

But in an instant, this pressure vanished without a trace.

Of course, along with the pressure, Rice Shower's figure disappeared from beside them.

"Everyone suddenly slowed down. What happened?"

Ogura Storm, who was running in the lead, turned around upon hearing this and saw a group of Umamusumes slowing down at the entrance to the final corner.

Although she was puzzled, she felt mostly overjoyed.

This was practically a gift from heaven to make her the Grand Slam finisher!

"Although I don't know what happened, it seems I'm definitely going to become the Grand Slam finisher this time..."

Thump

Ogura Storm's smile froze on her face.

A sharp, clear heartbeat suddenly echoed in her mind, drowning out all other sounds in the venue.

At the same time, the commentator's shouts were accompanied by gasps from the audience and the rustling of clothes as people in the back seats stood up.

"Rice Shower is accelerating! Rice Shower is accelerating!"

"What speed! It's terrifying! She overtook Holy Jacket in an instant and is chasing Ogura Storm!"

"Rice Shower is here! Rice Shower is here! Rice Shower has finally unleashed her power!"

"Rice Shower is here? She just reached the final corner..."

Ogura Storm, suppressing a sudden surge of panic, forced herself to turn her head again toward the entrance to the final corner, but the words she was about to utter caught in her throat.

Because she realized that the petite black-haired figure she had just seen in the center of the crowd had vanished without a trace.

Before Ogura Storm's doubts could resurface, she suddenly felt a powerful sense of danger rise from the depths of her heart.

At that moment, an extremely dense and terrifying beastly aura emanated from her right.

"Eek—!"

Ogura Storm screamed almost simultaneously as Rice Shower appeared beside her. Before she could even turn her head, she had already reached out and grabbed the tail that had risen in fright.

This terrifying aura came and went quickly.

Ogura Storm had barely caught her tail when she felt the intense beastly aura vanish from beside her.

But along with it disappeared the faint white aura that had gathered around her due to her acceleration.

When Ogura Storm regained her senses, all she could see was the even smaller black-haired figure ahead of her.

Rice Shower was now surrounded not by a white aura, but by a dense black aura.

However, no flames ignited in Rice Shower's purple eyes, indicating that she wasn't using her Zone.

Even so, with her overwhelming aura and terrifying speed, she overtook all the Umamusumes ahead of her.

Rice Shower's sudden acceleration startled not only the Umamusumes present, the commentators in the commentary booth, and the live streamers, but also several Umamusumes from TCB.

“Trainer-san, did Rice use Zone again? She just recovered, and she used Zone again?” Smart Falcon asked in shock, quickly turning to Sakura Baimu.

“No, the speed feels off. This speed is much slower than when she was at Takarazuka Kinen…”

Mejiro McQueen's eyes were fixed on Rice Shower, who had already entered the final straight.

“The speed looks similar to McQueen's speed at the Tenno Sho in the spring. Is it the most basic level of Zone?” Tokai Teio asked. “But even the lowest level of Zone can cause damage to the body, right?”

“No, this is only Aura, not Zone,” Sakura Baimu said calmly.

Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen hadn't even mastered Aura, let alone Zone, so they naturally couldn't see the specifics of Rice Shower's speed.

“Oh, I see. Rice has become so powerful...” Mejiro McQueen, upon hearing this, suddenly realized something was amiss and frowned, turning to Sakura Baimu.

“How did you know Rice activated Zone or Aura?”

“Yeah, Trainer-san, how did you know? McQueen and I couldn't tell. How could you tell the difference between Zone and Aura?” Tokai Teio, also noticing the inconsistency, asked in confusion.

“Huh? I remember only Umamusumes who have mastered Zone can see other people's Zones, and only Umamusumes who have mastered Aura can see other people's Auras, right?” Satono Diamond tapped her chin, looking at Sakura Baimu with equal confusion.

At that moment, the gazes of all five Umamusumes of TCB were focused on Sakura Baimu.

---

Chapter 173: Blue Rose Chaser 

“Oh no, I forgot about that!”

Sakura Baimu's face remained impassive, but her heart pounded wildly.

She hadn't mastered Zone either, but she had Aura.

She could easily tell whether Rice Shower had activated Zone or was only using Aura by observing the strength of the Aura displayed on her.

Zone enhances both speed and Aura in every aspect, so Rice Shower's current state, which Sakura Baimu perceived as relatively weak Aura, couldn't possibly be the result of activating Zone.

Sakura Baimu couldn't explain her reasoning in realistic terms, so she replied expressionlessly:

“Just guessing.”

“Tch—”

Sakura Baimu's answer was met with disdain from Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Smart Falcon.

“So, it's possible that Rice has activated Zone? She's only recently recovered. Can she still use Zone?”

Smart Falcon's heart, which had just settled after Sakura Baimu's words, tightened again.

“When you don't know, you can just look at her expression. During the Takarazuka Kinen, Rice Shower's expression and complexion clearly showed that she was very weak. That's a sign that Zone was draining her life force.”

“Looking at Rice Shower this time, she doesn't show any weakness. Her face only shows determination and focus. So even if she really has activated Zone, it shouldn't put too much strain on her body right now.”

“Oh~”

Smart Falcon nodded and murmured, finally feeling somewhat relieved.

The race had now become a stage for Rice Shower to shine.

The attention that had been focused on Ogura Storm had shifted back to Rice Shower.

Rice Shower established a lead of over 10 lengths over Ogura Storm in less time than it had taken her to do so against Holy Jacket, who was in second place.

Rice Shower's pace, similar to that of Spring Tenno Sho Mejiro McQueen's, was naturally dazzling in this G3 race.

At this moment, the gap between a G1 Umamusume and the other Umamusumes was laid bare.

Rice Shower was simply too dazzling on the track, impossible to look away from.

The commentator, who had been reporting on Ogura Storm for quite some time, began excitedly reporting on Rice Shower's progress.

"Too fast! Rice Shower is incredibly fast!"

"Such a huge difference! Rice Shower has pulled far ahead of Ogura Storm!"

"200 Meters to go!"

"What kind of speed is this?! Rice Shower who unfortunately fractured her leg at the Takarazuka Kinen has achieved this speed in her comeback race just a month later!"

"Is this Rice Shower's strength? Is this the strength that defeated the 'strongest active-duty runner'?!"

Tokai Teio & Mejiro McQueen: "..."

---

On the track, Rice Shower was currently focused on the feedback coming from every part of her body.

She didn't begin focusing on her body only at the final corner.

She had been focused from the moment she entered the gate.

"Onee-sama told Rice that in this race, Rice shouldn't worry about others and should focus on the feedback from her whole body."

"Feel every muscle, every cell."

"Run at Rice's best without using Zone as much as possible."

Just as Sakura Baimu had instructed, Rice Shower wasn't concerned about winning or losing from the start.

In this race, she focused entirely on feeling her body's recovery.

Although Rice Shower discovered she could run on the day she joined TCB,

that was training, and there was still a difference between that and a real race.

"Rice's legs feel so light, her lungs are full of oxygen, and every muscle in Rice's body is brimming with power."

"She's recovered! Rice is really recovered! Rice is fully recovered!"

"Rice can feel it! Rice is stronger than before! Stronger than during the Tenno Sho in the spring!"

"Even stronger than during the Takarazuka Kinen!"

"Onee-sama didn't lie to Rice! Rice can really keep running! Rice can really keep racing! Rice is even better than before!"

"Rice Shower! Now, with a huge lead—"

"Crosses the finish line!"

Deafening cheers and applause echoed throughout Kokura Racecourse as Rice Shower crossed the finish line.

Rice Shower looked around at the cheers and applause erupting for her for the first time.

And feeling the surge of energy and the complete lack of discomfort after finishing the race...

Joy and excitement finally welled up in Rice Shower's eyes, turning into glistening tears.

After so many races, this was the first time Rice Shower had heard genuine cheers and applause from the audience.

This was also the only race in Rice Shower's career that truly brought her joy and happiness.

A fleeting moment of brilliance will ultimately be forgotten by history, and an Umamusume with only a few occasional flashes of brilliance is unlikely to be remembered with a positive image.

Regarding Rice Shower's grievous injury at the Takarazuka Kinen, where she single-handedly ended the M.T. duel:

While many were surprised, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

After all, Rice Shower had previously thwarted Mihono Bourbon's dream of a Triple Crown in a similar manner.

Rice Shower, relying on self-sacrifice, defeated two of the strongest active-duty runners before suffering a brutal end—a result befitting an assassin.

But...

"Rice Shower makes a high-profile comeback after more than a month away due to injury."

"In this Kitakyushu Kinen, she has once again demonstrated her extraordinary strength."

"Rice Shower has proven to all the spectators that her strength isn't simply the result of burning the candle at both ends or pushing her body to its limits to produce a dazzling performance."

"Rice Shower has proven herself!"

"Rice Shower is not some 'one-hit wonder' Black Assassin! She is a chaser! A true chaser!"

"Blue Rose Chaser!"

"Let's congratulate Rice Shower on her comeback and celebrate her return!"

"She overcame her injury and proved her strength to all the spectators!"

"She is the true protagonist of this Kitakyushu Kinen!"

The commentator's excited voice echoed throughout the entire Kitakyushu Kinen venue.

Many spectators, moved by the commentator's passionate words, turned their attention to Rice Shower, who was in tears and happily waving to the audience, and gave her even more enthusiastic applause.

Several TCB members, including Sakura Baimu, also happily applauded Rice Shower.

But just then, a clicking sound rang in their ears.

Click

Smart Falcon took a picture of Rice Shower, who was displaying an angelic, healing smile in the hall.

"Rice-chan is amazing! Falcon is going to send this picture to Miss Bourbon!"

Smart Falcon's excited voice caused the TCB Umamusumes and Sakura Baimu to stop clapping.

Everyone turned to look at Smart Falcon, who was intently tapping on her phone, with strange expressions.

"Um... I was just saying... is it possible that Miss Bourbon... can't use a phone?"

Chapter 174: As Expected of You

Rice Shower's Winning Live performance was a resounding success.

Since this was the first time Rice Shower had won without being mocked or ridiculed by the audience, her performance at Winning Live was a huge success.

That evening, Sakura Baimu and the TCB Umamusumes celebrated Rice Shower's successful comeback at a restaurant in Kitakyushu City.

"Although we already celebrated once when Rice Shower joined the team, this successful comeback also means that Rice Shower's fracture has fully healed, and she's perfectly capable of participating in races," Sakura Baimu spoke, raising her glass.

"Cheers!"

The Umamusumes also raised their glasses in unison.

"However, this should be the last chance before December for the whole team to travel together. After that, unless someone is participating in a G1 race, there's no need for the whole team to come; your trainer is quite poor," Sakura Baimu laughed.

"It's like you paid for this trip..." Mejiro McQueen scoffed.

"Of course! If Miss McQueen is willing to sponsor us, I wouldn't mind sending the whole team to every race."

"Dream on!"

"Actually, if Trainer-san wants everyone to come watch the races, I'm willing to pay..."

Satono Diamond suggested quietly after hearing Mejiro McQueen's refusal.

"Wow, as expected of Dia-chan. Both of you are young ladies, but she's much nicer than McQueen!" Sakura Baimu patted Satono Diamond on the head.

"Hehe..." Satono Diamond chuckled.

"Dia-chan, don't listen to her. It's not about the money. If the whole team has to come to every race, everyone's training time will be reduced. She's just teasing you," Mejiro McQueen said.

"Huh? Miss McQueen, is that so?" Satono Diamond asked in surprise.

"That's right, I know exactly what's going on with her," Mejiro McQueen murmured, her eyes filled with wariness as she looked at Sakura Baimu.

Her expression seemed to say, "Please don't corrupt these innocent and adorable juniors."

"Oh? McQueen knows me so well? What's going on?" Sakura Baimu, hearing this, squinted mischievously at Mejiro McQueen across from her, resting her chin on her hand as she asked with a smile.

Mejiro McQueen blushed at her words and quickly looked away. "Of course! We've known each other for four years. I know exactly what you're planning."

"Speaking of which..." Smart Falcon suddenly murmured, "If everyone's going to G1 races together, why December? Falco remembers, isn't there the Autumn Tenno Sho with Teio and McQueen in October?"

"You idiot, the Autumn Tenno Sho is held in Tokyo."

"Ugh!"

Smart Falcon blushed even more at Sakura Baimu's dismissive remark.

She had asked another silly question.

"The Japan Cup is also in Tokyo, so you can all go together," Sakura Baimu said.

"What do you mean, 'you all'? Aren't you coming?" Mejiro McQueen looked up and asked.

"I'm going to America with Teio."

"..." Mejiro McQueen rolled her eyes at Sakura Baimu, then suddenly fell silent.

"So, that's basically the situation. Unless we get any new members, we won't be traveling together for non-G1 races anymore."

"New members? Speaking of which, a lot of Dia-chan's classmates and I want to join TCB," Kitasan Black said.

"Kita-chan is right. Even now, classmates still come to me every now and then asking if Trainer-san has any plans to recruit more members," Satono Diamond nodded. "Is Trainer-san still planning to recruit new members for the team?"

"Yes, we're still missing a sprinter specializing in Turf. Rigil's Daiki Shuttle is just too good; she can handle both Dirt and Turf sprint races. We've already have our Dirt runner, and we're still missing one last Turf sprinter."

"Then, Trainer-san, should I go back and ask around among the classmates? I feel like, with Trainer-san's popularity among our sprinters, if she just shouts, 'TCB is recruiting sprinters,' a whole bunch of Umamusumes would be eager to join, right?" Kitasan Black laughed.

"No need. There's no rush. Even if we bring in new talent, TCB will find it difficult to compete with Rigil in a short time. Let's focus on helping you and Dia-chan achieve your goal of winning two Triple Crowns." Sakura Baimu gently shook her head.

"Besides, it would be even better if we could just invite an established Umamusume to join the team; we wouldn't need to start training from scratch."

"Mhm." Kitasan Black nodded repeatedly. "So, does Trainer-san have an Umamusume in mind right now?"

"Haha, actually, I like all Umamusumes, but right now, the one I most want to invite is Tamamo."

"Tamamo-senpai?" Tokai Teio exclaimed in surprise. "I remember she has a trainer."

"The problem isn't her trainer; it's that she's given up since her Arima Kinen with Oguri and hasn't raced at all."

"But Rice remembers Tamamo-senpai wasn't a short-distance Umamusume either," Rice Shower recalled.

"That's true. Genius has nothing to do with distance," Sakura Baimu said with a wave of her hand and a smile.

"As expected of a Trainer-san who is rumored to have harassed every single Umamusume in the academy."

Tokai Teio, upon hearing this, gave Sakura Baimu a thumbs-up.

...

Time flew by as Sakura Baimu chatted with a group of Umamusumes.

The next day, Sakura Baimu took the TCB Umamusumes to Fukuoka before flying back to Tokyo.

Two days later, Sakura Baimu brought Smart Falcon to Niigata Racecourse in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

They were there for Smart Falcon's second race since joining TCB: the Leopard Stakes.

The Leopard Stakes is an 1800m Dirt Grand Prix race held by the URA at Niigata Racecourse and classified as G3.

This wasn't Smart Falcon's first major race, but it was her first since switching to Dirt racing.

A prolonged period of poor performance had left Smart Falcon somewhat insecure about racing.

Although she had previously defeated Satono Crown in the OP-level Seaside Stakes, it was clear that Smart Falcon still felt some apprehension about competing in a G3-level major race.

"Now entering the arena, gate 8, number 14, Smart Falcon!"

Smart Falcon ranked only twelfth in popularity among all the participating Umamusumes; almost no one at Niigata Racecourse recognized her.

And so, Smart Falcon began her nervous presentation.

---

Chapter 175 Falco's Incredible Tension

This is how it is with locally held races.

Although the Leopard Stakes is a high-stakes, G3-level event, Dirt races aren't highly regarded in Japan.

Therefore, the majority of the spectators are fans who travel from all over the country specifically to support their favorite Dirt Umamusumes.

There are also some local spectators from Niigata Prefecture, but they are predominantly Dirt enthusiasts as well.

Smart Falcon's performance at the Seaside Stakes was outstanding.

However, because the Seaside Stakes is only an OP-level event, even those who enjoy Dirt races had hardly heard of Smart Falcon.

Some spectators focused on the Dirt race watched Smart Falcon's tightly pursed lips and trembling hands as she struggled to remove her tracksuit and began discussing her among themselves.

"Smart Falcon? This Umamusume looks so nervous. Is she a newcomer?"

"I don't know, but she's so cute! Let me check... she's not a newcomer. She's been around for a while, but she only participated in Turf races before and only started competing in Dirt races in July."

"No wonder I don't recognize her." The person looked enlightened. "But seeing how nervous and scared she is, she probably lacks confidence."

"I think so too. After racing for so many years, she's only won three races. She must be one of those people with very little talent."

The audience below the stage buzzed with discussion, and most of them weren't optimistic about Smart Falcon.

Although their voices weren't loud, with so many people, some of their pessimistic remarks still reached Smart Falcon's ears.

Hearing the applause coming solely from Sakura Baimu, Smart Falcon forced a smile at the audience, turned around, slowly picked up her discarded tracksuit, and walked back.

Although Sakura Baimu kept telling Smart Falcon that she was strong and not to be afraid, the thought that this was only her second race since transitioning to Dirt filled Smart Falcon with dread.

This race was completely different from those against Kitasan Black and Rice Shower.

Both Kitasan Black and Rice Shower had consistently ranked in the top two in popularity during their previous races.

Therefore, Kitasan Black and Rice Shower received a lot of attention and were targeted by other Umamusumes competing at the time.

However, Smart Falcon ranked only twelfth in popularity in this high-stakes competition, so no one targeted her, let alone paid much attention to her.

To put it bluntly, the other Umamusumes didn't consider her a threat at all.

The presentations proceeded from lowest to highest popularity, and they finally ended long after Smart Falcon's presentation.

The Umamusumes then arrived at the gates, making their final preparations.

There were 15 Umamusumes in total. Except for gate number 1, which had only one Umamusume, all the other gates had two Umamusumes.

Smart Falcon was number 14 at the outermost gate, gate 8. To her right, number 15 was the third most popular Umamusume in the competition, Plum Blossom Snow.

"Now entering the stage, the third most popular competitor, Plum Blossom Snow."

"Although this is her first time challenging a high-stakes race, her four-race winning streak undoubtedly gives her the ability to compete in such events."

Plum Blossom Snow glanced at Smart Falcon, who stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, looking terrified, before turning her attention to the other opponents.

"Now entering the stage, the second most popular competitor, Wakō Dōjin."

"Wakō Dōjin has already won two G3-level Dirt races and placed third in a G2-level Dirt race."

"With her formidable strength, she's aiming for victory once again!"

"Smart Falcon, huh? An Umamusume with terrible sportsmanship..." Wakō Dōjin, the second most popular competitor, stood to Smart Falcon's left, looking at her with a hint of disdain.

She was the kind of Umamusume who liked to investigate her opponents, similar to Obey Your Master.

Wakō Dōjin had already researched all the Umamusumes participating in the race when Niigata Racecourse announced the participants, gates, and race numbers.

She noticed that this was Smart Falcon's second race since transitioning to Dirt and that Smart Falcon had won her previous Dirt race by a large margin.

However, Wakō Dōjin didn't develop much hostility toward Smart Falcon because of this.

After all, for Smart Falcon, an Umamusume from Central Tracen Academy's advanced division, to achieve a victory in an OP-level competition wasn't particularly impressive.

In fact, it wasn't impressive at all.

Smart Falcon's almost smurfing-style behavior actually displeased Wakō Dōjin.

"An Umamusume from Central Tracen Academy, but after years of Turf racing, she hasn't achieved any notable results. At least she participated in high-stakes Turf races before; losing was one thing. But now she's participating in a local OP-level race..."

"Could it be that after achieving a huge victory in an OP-level Dirt race, she thinks she's perfect for Dirt? Her second race is already a high-stakes one. She really doesn't know how harsh reality is."

Wakō Dōjin thought to herself, her impression of Smart Falcon beside her plummeting to rock bottom.

"Finally, our number one favorite in this race, the undefeated Umamusume, Starlight Helios!"

"The absolute queen, the rising star of Dirt! Returning from America, she possesses Dirt talent no less than Daiki Shuttle and Condor!"

Starlight Helios, the most popular Umamusume in the race, stood far from Smart Falcon. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her confident expression suggesting that victory was already hers.

As Smart Falcon listened to the introductions of the popular Umamusumes, the fear on her face intensified.

"E-Everyone... you guys are so... amazing! Falco... Falco, huff... hah... huff..."

Smart Falcon trembled uncontrollably. She only managed to speak halfway through before, due to extreme nervousness and oxygen deprivation, she had to gasp for breath to calm herself.

"Trainer-san told Falco that she participated in OP-level competitions before, so her popularity is too low... If Falco doesn't win this race, she won't be able to participate in G1-level races at the end of the year. This race absolutely cannot be lost, but... Falco, phew ha"

Plum Blossom Snow & Wakō Dōjin: "......"

The two Umamusumes positioned to the left and right of Smart Falcon listened to her heavy breathing, which sounded as though she was about to faint from tension, and remained silent.

---

Chapter 176: If Sakura Is Your Trainer, Then My Trainer Is Tojo Hana

"You want to participate in a G1 at the end of the year? Did I hear that right? This is only your second race since you transitioned from Turf to Dirt, right?"

Wakō Dōjin felt either her ears were playing tricks on her, or Smart Falcon's trainer was malfunctioning.

"Huh?! How did you know?!"

Smart Falcon was startled when Wakō Dōjin suddenly spoke to her.

"You said it yourself! Saying things like not having enough popularity, trainers, and stuff..." Plum Blossom Snow said casually.

"Ah! Falco actually said it?!"

Smart Falcon's cheeks flushed red, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"..."

Looking at Smart Falcon's bewildered expression, Wakō Dōjin couldn't help but speak in a deep voice.

"Look at you. You're participating in a G3-level race, and you're so nervous you don't even know what you're saying. Do you really think you're good enough for a G1?"

"Ah—!"

Smart Falcon was startled again by Wakō Dōjin's suddenly serious tone.

She gasped, her voice dropping abruptly as she murmured,

"Trainer-san promised Falco..."

"Just empty promises, huh? I've seen plenty of trainers like that. Probably just trying to scam training funds, or their teams are too big for the Flash Series," Wakō Dōjin said softly. "By the way, who's your trainer? You're from Central, right?"

"Falco's trainer is Ms. Sakura..."

"Ms. Sakura? Which Sakura?"

"Ms. Sakura Baimu."

"Sakura Baimu?!"

Wakō Dōjin's eyes widened, her mouth involuntarily agape.

She stared in astonishment at the still-trembling Smart Falcon, quickly realizing what she meant.

"You said your trainer is... Sakura Baimu, the one who trained Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen?"

"Yes."

"You're kidding! If your trainer is Sakura Baimu, then my trainer is Tojo Hana!"

"Huh?"

Smart Falcon stared in astonishment at Wakō Dōjin's disbelieving expression, somewhat confused as to why she didn't believe her.

"That's Sakura Baimu, who trained Tokai Teio to win three titles and Mejiro McQueen to win four consecutive Spring Tenno Sho titles! If you were a new student, it would be understandable, but look at your record. Why would she even consider you?"

“Falco didn’t know at first… but Trainer-san said Falco would be a good fit for Dirt…”

“Alright, I’m not listening to your bragging,” Phantom Dust interrupted Smart Falcon.

“Falco isn’t bragging! Falco is telling the truth!”

“Heh, then why are you so unconfident about this G3? If you’re going to participate in a G1, shouldn’t a G3-level race be a breeze for you?”

“Uh… that’s because…” Smart Falcon was rendered speechless, stammering for a long time without being able to reply.

“Your bragging doesn’t even make sense. At least others can act confident, but your demeanor is completely unconvincing,” Wakō Dōjin scoffed.

“Falco…”

Smart Falcon felt incredibly wronged. Sakura Baimu was clearly her trainer, but Wakō Dōjin didn’t believe her.

But Wakō Dōjin, standing beside her, had already secured several high-reward victories, and her assertive manner was undeniable.

Smart Falcon, on the other hand, had yet to achieve a high-reward victory.

Sakura Baimu's "blind" trust in Smart Falcon was very appealing to her.

Unfortunately, Smart Falcon's long-standing inferiority complex hadn't been completely eradicated by her previous victory at the Seaside Stakes.

The opponents in this race were significantly stronger than those at the Seaside Stakes.

Especially Wakō Dōjin and the American returnee, Starlight Helios.

They possessed G2- or even G1-level skill.

This made Smart Falcon even more fearful.

Smart Falcon's expression was observed by many of the participating Umamusumes and the audience, who, while finding it amusing, also felt a touch of pity for the adorable Umamusume.

"If they're this scared, they'll probably be even more devastated if they lose. Will they just burst into tears?"

Some of the Umamusumes thought to themselves.

"The Niigata Racecourse is shrouded in gloom; all competitors have now entered the gates."

"Dirt, 1800 Meters, Leopard Stakes, the race now—"

"Starts!"

As the announcer's voice fell, the gates sprang open, and the Umamusumes surged forward.

"The race has begun; what a great start."

"Oh dear, Smart Falcon in the 14th gate seems a bit slow."

Smart Falcon's start was slightly slower due to nervousness and fear, but it was much better than her late start in the last race.

"That's it? She brags about having such a genius trainer, she can't even get a proper start."

Wakō Dōjin in the 13th gate found Smart Falcon's slow start somewhat amusing.

"The only one I need to watch out for in this race is Starlight Helios; she hasn't lost a single race so far."

"She'll probably still choose to chase, so this time I need to speed up my leading pace and prevent her from catching up. That's my only chance of winning."

Wakō Dōjin wasn't paying much attention to the third-most popular Plum Blossom Snow; instead, she had already devised a frontline strategy specifically for Starlight Helios.

"Wakō Dōjin's early pace is fast; she's already secured the lead."

"As expected, Wakō Dōjin has chosen a leading position."

"Plum Blossom Snow is second behind her, about four lengths behind Wakō Dōjin."

"Good, she's successfully secured the leading position. From now on, I'll control the pace of the race. Watch me gradually speed you up, wearing down your stamina for the final acceleration."

Wakō Dōjin thought to herself, a smile gradually spreading across her lips.

However, her expression didn't last long.

Suddenly, Wakō Dōjin and Plum Blossom Snow, who was third behind her, felt a blur before their eyes.

They saw a chestnut-haired figure dart out from the side.

In just a moment, a huge gap had been created between them.

"Huh...?"

Wakō Dōjin stared at the figure ahead, feeling utterly bewildered.

"According to my intelligence, besides myself, there shouldn't be any other Umamusume skilled in leading in this race, right? That one up ahead..."

Wakō Dōjin stopped mid-sentence, suddenly noticing the chestnut-brown twin ponytails and the pink-and-black checkered ribbons tying them.

She belatedly realized that the Umamusume rushing out ahead appears to be Smart Falcon who she had just spoken to.

However, her brain couldn't process such bizarre information for a moment.

Until...

The commentator's belated exclamation rang out.

"Right now leading the pack is Smart Falcon, number 14! It's a huge lead for Smart Falcon!"

---

Chapter 177: Falco's Great Runaway

Smart Falcon's uncanny speed left many Umamusumes and spectators stunned.

They had initially assumed Wakō Dōjin, who had been the first to grab the lead, would remain in front.

However, it was Smart Falcon, who had started slowly and had been trembling since the demonstration.

"After a slow start, Smart Falcon accelerated, overtaking all the Umamusumes ahead and forcefully taking the lead."

"Not only that, it seems she chose the runaway style!"

"Starting slowly and still taking the lead is quite a test of her stamina."

"Smart Falcon is running so fast, leaving the Umamusumes far behind. She's now more than six lengths ahead of second-place Wakō Dōjin!"

Wakō Dōjin was utterly dumbfounded.

"Is she crazy? Is Smart Falcon really crazy? She messed up the start and still wants to lead? And she's even choosing a runaway strategy; does she think she's Silence Suzuka or something?"

Wakō Dōjin's first impression of Smart Falcon's runaway style was strikingly similar to Silence Suzuka, the "escapee from another dimension."

Besides Silence Suzuka, there was also the fleeting Mejiro Palmer.

Who else would dare to use a runaway strategy in a high-stakes race?

Of course, Maruzensky isn't considered an Umamusume; that's a Hotrod.

"Silence Suzuka is a G1 Umamusume! You, an Umamusume who's never won a high-stakes race, are trying to copy Silence Suzuka's style? Are you out of your mind?"

Inconceivable.

Wakō Dōjin found it utterly absurd.

Even the worst Smart Falcon was a graduate of Central's higher education system, an elite institution.

How could she dare choose a runaway strategy in this situation?

“The runaway tactic is usually only used by Umamusumes who specialize in leading runs when racing against Umamusumes with a significant skill gap, right?”

“Umamusumes with weaker skills who choose the runaway tactic usually run out of energy halfway through and end up in last place.”

“I completely don’t understand what this Smart Falcon is thinking. Is she trying to disrupt my leading tactic when she can’t even finish?”

Wakō Dōjin was confused and somewhat angry that her leading position had been taken away.

She was certain that Smart Falcon would lose speed, so she didn’t change her pace or care about the widening gap.

"Wakō Dōjin didn't try to compete with Smart Falcon for the leading position anymore, but instead chose to maintain her own pace."

"Smart Falcon has only just reached the first corner, and she has already pulled far ahead of the Umamusumes behind her."

"This is already a runaway; the speed is incredible!"

"I'm a little worried about whether her stamina can support her until the end."

The commentator's tone was full of concern.

However, although she was doubtful, most people present didn't actually believe that Smart Falcon could maintain this pace until the end.

"Smart Falcon has picked up the pace. All the Umamusumes are accelerating."

Wakō Dōjin originally didn't intend to change her racing style because of Smart Falcon's reckless leading tactic.

But unfortunately, Smart Falcon's lead was terrifying to the Umamusumes present.

Not all Umamusumes could think as calmly as Wakō Dōjin.

The Umamusumes present had never actually encountered anyone using a runaway tactic.

This early disparity in skill spurred them to quicken their pace.

Wakō Dōjin, watching the Umamusumes behind her accelerate, felt a surge of anger.

"They're so stupid! Can't they see that Smart Falcon won't last long? Speeding up now would just completely disrupt their rhythm! We don't need to pay any attention to her at all!!"

While Wakō Dōjin thought this, the pressure from the dozen or so Umamusumes behind her forced her to increase her speed.

After all, her initial strategy against Starlight Helios only worked if she maintained the lead.

If she didn't accelerate when the other Umamusumes accelerated, she wouldn't be able to maintain that lead.

Although she was currently in second place.

"Smart Falcon has taken the lead at the second turn."

"She's already pulled ahead of the Umamusumes by more than 10 lengths; what a terrifying runaway!"

"Currently in second place is Wakō Dōjin, who looks somewhat anxious, about 3 lengths ahead of Plum Blossom Snow in third."

"Starlight Helios, currently in tenth place, seems quite calm and hasn't become agitated by the huge gap Smart Falcon has created."

The Niigata Racecourse's Dirt track is extremely flat, with the difference between the highest and lowest points being less than half a Meter.

Therefore, the Dirt track at Niigata Racecourse can be approximated as a flat surface.

Thus, the Leopard Stakes held at Niigata Racecourse are a pure contest of speed and strategy for Dirt Umamusumes.

Climbing techniques and the like are completely irrelevant to this race.

And precisely because of this, all the spectators watching the race are focused solely on the speed of the Umamusumes.

Smart Falcon's runaway might seem reckless to most.

But no one can deny its undeniable appeal.

This style of running, leaving all the Umamusumes far behind, is incredibly entertaining.

"A runaway ahead!"

"So fast! Smart Falcon is just too fast!"

"Smart Falcon has already created an unimaginable gap between herself and the Umamusumes behind her!"

"Smart Falcon, her speed hasn't slowed down at all! She can keep going!"

The commentator shouted excitedly, and the spectators in the surrounding stands were equally thrilled by Smart Falcon's running style.

The surrounding spectators were focused and passionate about Dirt racing.

They were all seasoned Dirt racing fans.

Especially veteran Dirt champions like Daiki Shuttle and Condor.

However, this was the first time they had seen an Umamusume choose a large lead or runaway style in a Dirt race.

This dramatic turnaround, reminiscent of Silence Suzuka, truly ignited the passion of many spectators.

Their eyes were glued to the undisputed leader, Smart Falcon, who was practically dominating the race.

"If Smart Falcon can lead the entire race and win, she'll be a true dark horse in Dirt!"

Everyone shared the same thought as the commentator.

However, they didn't hold out much hope.

After all, Smart Falcon was, to date, the first Umamusume to use a runaway tactic in Dirt.

---

Chapter 178: Dirt, the Rising Star, Smart Falcon

"Smart Falcon has already taken the lead at the third corner of the Dirt race, and she hasn't shown any obvious signs of slowing down!"

"What kind of skill is that?!"

The commentator's eyes were practically glued to Smart Falcon in the lead, unwilling to look away.

This was mainly because Japan hadn't produced any truly outstanding Dirt Umamusumes so far.

While Umamusumes like Oguri Cap, who had moved from regional to central Japan, had achieved good results in Dirt races, Turf races were still the most prestigious in Japan.

Since moving from Kasamatsu to central Japan, Oguri Cap hadn't participated in any Dirt races.

Therefore, the championships of major Dirt races in Japan were often dominated by Umamusume drivers who had studied or trained abroad.

The runaway performance by Smart Falcon that appeared at Niigata Racecourse today was so dazzling that even the seasoned commentator couldn't take her eyes off it.

Like many spectators, she hoped Smart Falcon could hold on a little longer while silently praying that she wouldn't lose speed noticeably.

Smart Falcon had been filled with fear before the race began.

But the moment her feet stepped onto the dirt track,

her passion for racing as a professional racer and the comfortable feel of the dirt track under her feet significantly lessened her fear.

It was very easy to run.

It was so much easier than running on turf.

Even though Smart Falcon knew Sakura Baimu's judgment was accurate and sharp, none of Sakura Baimu's hundred words of comfort before the race could compare to the peace of mind that came from actually stepping onto the Dirt track and starting to run.

Sakura Baimu's race strategy for Smart Falcon was similar to Kitasan Black's.

That is—

Don't worry about the other Umamusumes; just follow your own pace and runaway in the entire race.

Smart Falcon had witnessed Kitasan Black's debut race, seeing her, after starting late, catch up with all the Umamusumes at an astonishing speed and create a terrifying gap in performance.

At that time, Smart Falcon wasn't yet a TCB Umamusume.

However, Kitasan Black's debut race was truly memorable for her.

Smart Falcon initially had the same doubts that Kitasan Black had during her debut race.

Why didn't Sakura Baimu tell her to pay attention to the other Umamusumes?

But now, leading at a pace she could manage and hearing the commentator's excited exclamations, she suddenly understood.

"Is Falco really that strong?! Can Falco's speed really create such a big difference in high-stakes races?!"

Smart Falcon, sprinting at the front, was incredibly surprised.

Even more surprised than during her last race against Satono Crown.

"This is a high-level tournament! This is a real high-level tournament! Falco actually left them all behind! Falco has never been this dazzling!"

Smart Falcon knew that during her previous match against Pluto Academy, the American Umamusumes had for some reason thrown the race.

Therefore, she didn't have much confidence in her own abilities.

But now, hearing that those outstanding Umamusumes whose records had been highlighted by the commentator was now so easily left behind by her, she was incredibly excited.

At this moment, Smart Falcon suddenly remembered Wakō Dōjin, who had stood next to her earlier and told her that Sakura Baimu couldn't possibly be her trainer.

Her previously joyful face suddenly puffed up, showing some anger.

“Falco should have been more aggressive!”

“Starlight Helios has accelerated, overtaking Plum Blossom Snow to take third place.”

“Smart Falcon is maintaining her pace, but Wakō Dōjin in second place is showing signs of fatigue and slowing down.”

“She’s been overtaken! Starlight Helios has overtaken Wakō Dōjin!”

“Starlight Helios is still accelerating, but the gap between her and Smart Falcon in first place is too large. Can she really catch up before Smart Falcon pulls even farther ahead?”

“Smart Falcon has entered the final straight!”

If the audience felt amazed and thrilled when they saw Smart Falcon's terrifyingly large lead during her runaway performance, then seeing her maintain her speed even on the final straight was utterly terrifying.

Some speculated that Smart Falcon could only maintain her speed through the middle portion of the race.

Others thought she could only maintain it until the third corner.

The bolder ones even guessed that she could maintain it until the final corner.

But now, Smart Falcon had already covered a distance of over 1,400 meters at this terrifying pace, yet she still looked incredibly relaxed, showing no signs of the fatigue one might expect.

"What a terrifying skill! How have I never heard of this Umamusume? Could she be from overseas?"

"Me neither! I've never heard of such a powerful Dirt-leading Umamusume!!"

"Smart Falcon? Could she really be from overseas? I remember she was shaking the whole time. What's going on?!"

"No way, I remember the commentators didn't mention that she was from overseas when she came on stage."

"If she's not from overseas, how could she possibly outrun Starlight Helios from America?!"

A group of viewers who considered themselves experts on Dirt races and the skill levels of the participating Umamusumes were now in an uproar.

Although this was only a G3-level race, Smart Falcon's terrifying front-running ability was truly unprecedented.

They never imagined they would one day see an Umamusume reminiscent of Silent Suzuka appear in a Dirt race.

They also never imagined that a native Japanese Umamusume could outpace Starlight Helios, who had returned from America.

This is what a Dirt rising star looks like!!!

"In the final 200 meters, Smart Falcon still hasn't lost speed!"

"This level of skill is terrifying! Who could have imagined that she could create such a huge gap between herself and the undefeated Dirt dark horse, Starlight Helios, who returned from America?!"

"Incredible! Smart Falcon!"

"Smart Falcon, leaving everyone else in the dust!"

"Starlight Helios' undefeated record is about to be broken! And by a huge margin, an absolutely huge margin!"

"Starlight Helios' acceleration has reached its limit!"

"We are about to witness the birth of a new Dirt star!"

"Smart Falcon, now, with a huge margin—"

"Crosses the finish line!!"

As Smart Falcon crossed the finish line, countless breathless spectators at Niigata Racecourse finally erupted in cheers that nearly lifted the roof.

---

Chapter 179: This Umamusume Is So Cute

Inside Niigata Racecourse, the cheers were deafening, and the applause continued unabated.

More than five seconds after Smart Falcon crossed the finish line, Starlight Helios and the other Umamusumes finally crossed.

However, by this time, no one was paying attention to these top-ranked Umamusumes anymore.

All eyes at Niigata Racecourse were now focused on Smart Falcon, standing in the center of the arena and waving her hands to the surrounding crowd with a charming smile.

Smart Falcon crossed the finish line more than five seconds ahead of the heavily favored Starlight Helios—a terrifyingly large margin.

Of course, Smart Falcon did more than just that.

After the cheers and applause for Smart Falcon gradually subsided, people began to notice the information displayed on the scoreboard.

[New Record]

Instantly, exclamations erupted again.

"A record broken! A new record!"

"Smart Falcon broke the Leopard Stakes record by a full 3.45 seconds!"

"Broke the record set three years ago by Apple Candy from the US!"

Others break records by fractions of a second.

Smart Falcon was even more absurd, breaking records by several seconds.

Of course, the main reason was that there were simply too few outstanding Dirt Umamusumes in Japan.

And Smart Falcon's adaptability to Dirt was terrifying.

Only Sakura Baimu knew that, currently, among all the Umamusumes at Tracen Academy, probably no one's Dirt adaptability could surpass Smart Falcon's.

Mainly because what happened today was truly astonishing.

Smart Falcon delivered a massive lead on Dirt, comparable to Silent Suzuka's, and created an even more terrifying gap, making it even more astonishing than Silent Suzuka.

Just when everyone was wondering when Smart Falcon would run out of steam and lose speed,

Smart Falcon proved them wrong.

Not only did she not lose speed, but she maintained her pace for the entire race.

It wasn't at the third corner that she ran out of steam.

Nor was it at the final corner.

She didn't even slow down on the final straight.

She truly and relentlessly pulled away throughout the entire race.

The countless Dirt enthusiasts present, after cheering for Smart Falcon, immediately pulled out their phones to search for information about her.

And what they found was even more surprising.

They discovered that

this was only the third Dirt race Smart Falcon had participated in to date.

The first was Smart Falcon's debut race.

The second was the OP-level Seaside Stakes held in Hakodate a month ago.

The third was this Leopard Stakes held in Niigata Prefecture.

"This Smart Falcon didn't have any particularly impressive records before switching to Dirt races. But after switching, she's had two huge victories! That's incredible!"

"And that's not all! Look at her last Seaside Stakes race; second place went to Satono Crown! That's the prestigious Satono Clan's Umamusume, and she's back from America! So this Smart Falcon has beaten an Umamusume from America before!"

"Amazing! Umamusumes from America, or Umamusumes who have returned from America, used to dominate major Dirt races. This Smart Falcon has beaten Umamusumes from America twice! That's terrifying!"

The audience buzzed with excitement, their faces filled with surprise and delight.

Their joy wasn't just because they'd discovered another formidable rising star in Dirt racing.

Even more surprising was the emergence of a Dirt Umamusume with such terrifying speed from within Japan.

This time, this dark horse in the Dirt category had absolutely no connection to foreign countries.

She was a truly homegrown Japanese Umamusume!

More than half of the audience was instantly captivated by Smart Falcon.

The remaining audience members, after researching Smart Falcon's information and record, also fell in love with her because she was a Japanese Umamusume whose strength was comparable to that of American Umamusumes.

In addition, Smart Falcon was incredibly cute, and every gesture she made exuded an aura of endearment.

"This Umamusume is so cute I'm going to be a fan"

"I've decided, I'm a fan of hers starting today!"

Such exclamations echoed throughout the stands of Niigata Racecourse.

Meanwhile, Smart Falcon, the center of attention and the focus of countless gazes, was running toward Sakura Baimu.

Her two chestnut-brown ponytails bobbed merrily up and down with each step.

“Trainer-san?! Trainer-san?! Falco really won?! You didn’t lie to Falco?! Falco won her first major race?! Falco broke the record?!”

Smart Falcon excitedly ran to the front of Sakura Baimu’s section, her face beaming with excitement as she shared the good news.

Many people watched as Smart Falcon danced and gesticulated wildly while reporting the joyful news to her trainer, finding her utterly adorable.

Then everyone saw—

Smart Falcon, with her sweet and adorable appearance that could almost evoke everyone's protective instincts, was actually hit on the head several times by her trainer through the railing.

"How many times have I told you? I told you that you can't lose! You can't lose! Why were you so scared?! And you're late again! Kita-chan doesn't even start late anymore, so why do you still have trouble with your starts?!"

Under the stunned gazes of countless spectators, Sakura Baimu tapped Smart Falcon's head with each reprimand.

Smart Falcon didn't dare dodge, only holding her head in her hands, feeling the slight pain in her forehead while letting out a soft "whimper."

Many people were stirred by Sakura Baimu's seemingly stern actions, which evoked a strong protective instinct in them.

Even though, as outsiders, they couldn't very well interfere with a trainer disciplining her own Umamusume, they could still cast angry glances at Sakura Baimu.

At the same time, Wakō Dōjin, the second most popular runner in the race, who had shown utter disdain for Smart Falcon before the start and completely disbelieved everything she said, only managed third place.

The pace of this race was much faster than she had anticipated.

She firmly believed that it was Smart Falcon's presence that prevented her from defeating Starlight Helios.

After her heart rate gradually calmed down, Wakō Dōjin finally had time to glance at Smart Falcon.

When she saw Sakura Baimu, who was tapping Smart Falcon on the forehead, and how intimate the two seemed, she suddenly froze on the spot.

----

Chapter 180: Falco Thought She Couldn't Win~

Those focused on Dirt races might not recognize Sakura Baimu.

But how could Wakō Dōjin, who had argued with Smart Falcon about her trainer before the race, not know Sakura Baimu?

“Really... really?! Smart Falcon’s trainer is really Sakura Baimu?!”

Wakō Dōjin stood there, stunned, feeling her worldview crumble.

What Smart Falcon had just told her was true; she hadn’t lied to her?!

“Sakura Baimu really did tell her that she has a lot of talent on the Dirt track?”

“No wonder she crossed the finish line by a huge margin last time she participated in the Seaside Stakes.”

“Then why was she so scared before the race?!!!!”

Wakō Dōjin simply couldn’t understand Smart Falcon’s thoughts.

She imagined it: what if her trainer was Sakura Baimu, and Sakura Baimu had told her about her exceptional talent in Dirt?

Then she would definitely be standing tall and fearless during the race, even against an Umamusume who had returned from America.

How could Smart Falcon be like this?!

Wakō Dōjin thought about it and realized that she had been misled by Smart Falcon's fearful behavior, which was why she had made such an embarrassing statement.

So, in a fit of anger, she directly asked Smart Falcon the question that had been nagging at her:

"Smart Falcon! I'm asking you, you're clearly so strong, so why are you so afraid before the race?"

This wasn't just Wakō Dōjin's question.

It was also the shared question (harmoniously) in the minds of many Umamusumes present.

Smart Falcon's strength was outrageously powerful, terrifying.

But Smart Falcon, possessing such terrifying power, acted like a rabbit caught in a wolf's den.

Is this reasonable?

Many Umamusumes looked at Smart Falcon, who had turned her head in confusion, curious about her answer.

Then.

They saw.

The Smart Falcon who had broken the Leopard Stakes record by a full 3.45 seconds, who defeated Starlight Helios, who had returned from America and remained undefeated since, suddenly covering her mouth with both hands.

She uttered astonishment and fear, and whispered.

"Huh?! Falco thought she was going to lose~"

The other Umamusumes: "???????"

Wakō Dōjin felt her jaw almost drop.

"What? You thought you were going to lose? What do you mean? Do you think everyone can break the record by more than three seconds?!"

"What a very rich statement!!!"

The Umamusumes all had this thought.

The key was that Smart Falcon's expression was incredibly genuine, making it impossible to tell she was lying.

It was as if she really thought she was going to lose.

But...

"How could this be!!!"

Countless Umamusumes stared wide-eyed, screaming internally.

--

The race ended, and next up was the Winning Live.

As the first Umamusume to cross the finish line, Smart Falcon stood in the center of the stage, stunning the audience once again with her sweet voice and graceful dance.

"Thank you, everyone! Please call me Falco☆~"

"Thank you, everyone~?"

After the Winning Live ended, Smart Falcon gave the audience an incredibly cute look.

Smart Falcon: (??＞?＜?). ??

The audience, seeing Smart Falcon's adorable expression that she had practiced countless times, felt their hearts melt instantly.

Cries of "Falco!" rose and fell.

Some audience members who had captured Smart Falcon's cute expression stared at their phone photos, wishing they could stick their own faces into the screen for a close-up look.

This Umamusume is so cute!

--

The Seaside Stakes concluded successfully. From the end of Winning Live until her journey back to Tokyo with Sakura Baimu, Smart Falcon wore a beaming smile.

This time, Smart Falcon had completely let go of her inferiority complex and anxieties.

She began to believe that she truly had the ability to win a G1 within a year.

She also began to believe that Sakura Baimu's promise to her was truly something she could fulfill.

"Wow! Falco's race today is generating so much buzz! They're all calling Falco a 'Dirt Rising Star'!"

"Wow! Some people are even comparing Falco to Suzuka-san! Hehe... hehe! Falco can't compare to Suzuka-san..."

"Wow! Trainer-san?! Trainer-san?! Look, look! Falco's Umastagram (a social media app similar to Instagram, often shortened to Umasta) gained over 5,000 followers in just one night!"

"Trainer-san?! Falco's Umasta is almost at 10,000 followers now?!"

"Trainer-san?! Go follow Falco☆!"

"Eh—? Trainer-san doesn't use Umasta? Falco, let me help Trainer-san register one. Falco wants to be the first person Trainer-san follows?!"

On the Shinkansen back, Smart Falcon sat next to Sakura Baimu, chattering excitedly.

She took Sakura Baimu's phone, bent down, and helped Sakura Baimu register an Umasta account, then followed herself.

Smart Falcon retrieved her phone and, amidst the flood of newly followed notifications, found Sakura Baimu's account and clicked "Follow."

"Trainer-san?! Look! Falco is your first mutual follower!"

"Trainer-san, Falco announces that you are Falco's number-one mutual follower!"

Smart Falcon excitedly held up her phone screen to Sakura Baimu, then handed the phone back to her and looked down at her own phone.

"Wow! I've gained over 800 followers in such a short time! Who knows, I might actually break 10,000 followers tonight!"

"Hey, Falco should give her fans something special when she reaches 10,000 followers. How about a selfie on the Shinkansen?"

Smart Falcon had been talking non-stop next to Sakura Baimu ever since she got on the train, even though Sakura Baimu hadn't said a word. She looked incredibly happy.

But just then, Sakura Baimu finally spoke up.

"Selfies are so boring, so cliché, nothing special."

"Trainer-san is right. So, Trainer-san, do you have any suggestions? What should Falco post to make it more unique?"

"How about you post 'GG'?"

Smart Falcon: "???"

---

Chapter 181: You!!!

Just as the online buzz surrounding Rice Shower's rapid return after her fractured leg was dying down, Smart Falcon, a sudden rising star in the Dirt scene, became the new hot topic.

Topics such as "The Ultimate Escape in Dirt Races," "Japanese Umamusume Breaks Leopard Stakes Record by 3.45 Seconds," and "A Homegrown Japanese Dirt Dark Horse" generated considerable discussion, even reaching the top three trending topics that night.

Some even compared Smart Falcon to Silent Suzuka in the Dirt arena.

While the Leopard Stakes was only a G3-level race, high-level Dirt races are rare in Japan, and victories in these races are largely dominated by international competitors or returning Umamusumes.

Therefore, Smart Falcon, a Dirt star with no international background, stood out among these returning Umamusumes.

Furthermore, Smart Falcon employed a front-running style in the race, a style rarely seen even in Turf races.

This further attracted the attention of many people who don't usually watch Dirt races.

Front-running or high-speed escape styles are always eye-catching, no matter where they appear.

Most importantly, Smart Falcon didn't slow down.

After Smart Falcon, this "rising star," became a trending topic online and attracted increasing attention, the focus on Smart Falcon grew significantly.

Gradually, the focus shifted from Smart Falcon's performance in races to Smart Falcon herself.

This sweet-looking and captivating Umamusume, whose every move could charm the audience, was easy to like at first sight.

After witnessing Smart Falcon's ethereal voice and graceful dance moves during her Winning Live...

Many people were surprised.

This was Smart Falcon, who had debuted quite some time ago.

But only today had she truly come to the attention of the public.

She possessed outstanding skills in both dancing and singing.

Furthermore, Smart Falcon's adorable gesture of thanking the audience after Winning Live made her seem like a true professional idol.

Originally, on the day Smart Falcon participated in the race, everyone was discussing her impressive performance in the Leopard Stakes.

The next day, however, everyone's attention was completely drawn to Smart Falcon, the adorable Umamusume who called herself an Umadol.

Discussion posts about this cute Umadol sprouted up like mushrooms after rain overnight.

Perhaps some people don't enjoy watching horse racing.

But most people don't feel any aversion or dislike toward cute things.

Not watching Umamusume racing doesn't stop them from liking Smart Falcon for her looks, singing, and dancing.

Moreover, most Umamusumes are ordinary students focused on their studies and competitions.

While there are Umamusumes like Gold City who pursue side jobs outside of competitions and studies, they are far from the majority.

Therefore, after people were initially attracted by Smart Falcon's talent, her identity as an Umadol became another highlight.

Many people only learned about Smart Falcon after they started looking into her.

Smart Falcon had actually been involved in various idol activities for a long time.

She was even the founder of the well-known Umadol group "Fugitive SISTERS."

However, perhaps due to Smart Falcon's poor performance, most people focused on the other four leading Umamusume members who had achieved outstanding results.

In just over a day, the name "Falco" began to be associated with "cuteness" among countless Umamusume fans.

But unfortunately, there wasn't much content related to Smart Falcon online, so many people, after following Smart Falcon's performances, were looking forward to her next race and Winning Live.

The next day at noon, while eating in the Tracen Academy cafeteria, Smart Falcon casually took out her phone to check Umasta, then let out a loud "Ah!" that nearly startled Eishin Flash, who was eating with her, so much that she almost dropped her spoon.

“Falco, what’s wrong?” Eishin Flash asked.

“Falco’s Umasta account gained over 50,000 followers in one night!”

Smart Falcon covered her mouth, looking incredulous.

She held her phone up to Eishin Flash’s face.

“Flash-chan, look! Falco has 60,000 followers now!”

"Wow~, Falco's amazing!" Eishin Flash glanced at Smart Falcon's phone screen and exclaimed in amazement.

"60,000 followers! Falco wouldn't even dream of that! With that many followers, she could probably participate in the Arima Kinen!"

"Um, Falco..."

Eishin Flash was about to whisper a reminder when Sakura Baimu, who was passing by with her lunch, suddenly looked over after hearing Smart Falcon's words.

Thump

Smart Falcon got a tap on the head from behind by Sakura Baimu.

"You good-for-nothing! The Arima Kinen is a race where entry is determined by fan votes, not just by having enough popularity to qualify!"

Thump

Smart Falcon got another tap on the head from Sakura Baimu.

"Also, the popularity rankings for the race are calculated by the URA, not by your number of Umasta followers."

"Stop yelling! Stop yelling! Falco was just joking! If you keep yelling, you'll drive Falco crazy!"

Smart Falcon whimpered a few times, clutching her head, before Sakura Baimu finally stopped.

"Joking? I don't think you're joking at all."

Sakura Baimu retorted, then left with her lunch.

Eishin Flash: "......"

Smart Falcon looked at Eishin Flash with teary eyes, pleading, "Flash-chan, look at my Trainer, she's so fierce."

"Falco, I think Ms. Sakura is right. You really need to study hard..." Eishin Flash said speechlessly. "Sometimes what you say makes me wonder whether you're serious or joking."

"If you used the time you spend practicing your cute smile and poses in front of the mirror day and night, and the time you spend researching idols, you wouldn't always fail your courses, would you?"

"Falco's dream is to become a top Umadol..."

"Only when you can 'escape' from failing your courses, Falco, will you be a true Fugitive SISTERS member!"

"But..."

Smart Falcon was about to continue speaking when she saw Eishin Flash's face suddenly darken and quickly shut her mouth.

"Falco understands. Falco will study hard!"

---

Chapter 182: The Selfie Angel's Sense of Crisis

The fact that Smart Falcon was trending on social media naturally caught the attention of many Umamusume at Tracen Academy.

While Smart Falcon was happily eating and looking at her phone, on the other side of the cafeteria, an Umamusume with short grey hair, black earmuffs, and a red bow below her left ear had just finished taking a selfie.

She was elegantly eating, taking small bites, while her left hand kept swiping on her phone screen.

“#TracenCafeteria #CreamyBarbecue #CurrenChan”

The grey-haired Umamusume typed as she clicked “Post.”

The selfie had barely been posted when a notification popped up in the bottom right corner showing “99+.”

And a private chat notification also showed “99+.”

Curren Chan has over 3 million followers on Umasta.

Having recently transferred to Umasta, Curren Chan already boasts more Umasta followers than Gold City, a model from Tracen Academy known as a “once-in-a-century beauty.”

She's the ultimate selfie angel.

Curren Chan was aware of her cuteness from birth, and everything she does is aimed at showcasing it to others.

Curren Chan became famous much earlier than Smart Falcon from the High School Division.

She should be considered the first Umamusume to become famous for her cuteness on Umasta.

Today, as usual, she posted a selfie before dinner and then started reading the comments from her followers.

Meanwhile, she was thinking, “What pose should I strike for my selfie tonight?”

Her selfie post received numerous compliments from her followers.

The number of shares, likes, and comments was extremely impressive.

One of Curren Chan's favorite things to do is read the comment section of her Umasta posts.

She loves hearing her fans compliment her cuteness.

She posts at least three selfies every day, making her a fairly popular influencer on Umasta.

She might read the comment section of a single post dozens of times without getting tired of it.

However, today, Curren Chan noticed some strange comments while browsing the comment section.

“Curren is so cute today too~ Speaking of which, Falco from yesterday was quite cute too.”

“I saw it too. Falco doesn’t have many followers yet. Following her now means you’re an early fan, ww.”

“That’s an Umadol. She really looks like an idol. I looked at her for a long time yesterday.”

...

Curren Chan's keen senses, like a radar for cuteness, detected a crisis in the fans' comments.

“Falco? That name sounds familiar. Who are they talking about?”

The comment section, which used to only praise her cuteness, was now filled with other Umamusume names.

Curren Chan suddenly had a bad feeling.

She quickly clicked on Umasta's search bar to search for “Falco.”

Then she saw that the third most popular topic on Umasta's trending list was 【Cute Umadol Falco ☆】.

The second most popular topic, also related to Smart Falcon, was 【Japan's Dirt Rising Star】.

Curren Chan clicked on it and saw the recording of Smart Falcon's Winning Live performance at Niigata Racecourse last night.

The comments below the recording were overwhelmingly positive.

Some praised Smart Falcon's singing, while others praised her graceful dancing.

Most importantly, many people were also praising Smart Falcon's cuteness!

Curren Chan's sense of crisis grew stronger as she read these comments.

“It’s Smart Falcon from the High School Division! The one who was the commentator and host at the academy!”

She finally remembered who “Falco” was.

It was Smart Falcon from the High School Division.

At this moment, Curren Chan even lost her appetite.

“What’s going on? I never heard of this Falco being famous when I enrolled.”

She picked up her phone and quickly searched for “Falco.”

Immediately, she saw Smart Falcon's Umasta account, which displayed 【Falco☆】.

Curren Chan clicked on Smart Falcon's account and watched a self-introduction video that Smart Falcon had posted just last night.

The video showed Smart Falcon with chestnut-brown twin ponytails, introducing herself to the screen in a cute pose.

“I’m Smart Falcon! Please call me Falco☆!”

“My goal is to become the top Umadol!”

“Anytime, you're welcome to ask for an autograph☆!”

Although Smart Falcon only has a little over 60,000 followers, her self-introduction video, released just last night, had already garnered over 400,000 views by noon today.

“It’s only been one night, and she already has over 60,000 followers and 400,000 views. She’s even trending in the top three... Curren hasn’t even trended yet...”

Curren Chan was increasingly astonished.

It turned out Smart Falcon hadn't been famous for long; she had virtually no popularity until yesterday's competition.

But yesterday's competition catapulted Smart Falcon to fame.

This “Dirt Rising Star” trended, and Smart Falcon's previous experience as an idol finally paid off.

She began to attract more and more attention.

Curren Chan suddenly had a premonition that this sudden rise of Smart Falcon might threaten her own niche in the cuteness market.

Although she had nearly 100 times more fans than Smart Falcon, she had only recently transferred to Central Tracen Academy and hadn't officially debuted yet.

On the other hand, there was Smart Falcon.

While she hadn't had any particularly impressive achievements before, yesterday, in the niche Dirt race, she unleashed a runaway style reminiscent of Silent Suzuka.

It was absolutely captivating.

“Japanese Dirt Rising Star, Champion, G3 Record Breaker, 3.45 Seconds, Silent Suzuka-like Terrifying Runaway, Umadol...”

Curren Chan murmured these dazzling labels attached to Smart Falcon, increasingly worried that her own cuteness among fans might be eroded.

Although she didn't believe her cuteness would be defeated by Smart Falcon, once Smart Falcon showcased her exceptional legwork in the niche Dirt competition and began to attract more and more attention...

The fans' attention would definitely be drawn to Smart Falcon.

“Curren has to stand at the top of the Twinkle Series so that no one can shake her cuteness! Curren is the embodiment of cuteness! No one is cuter than Curren!”

Curren Chan reassured herself, her heart already pounding.

Just then, Curren Chan suddenly noticed Smart Falcon on the other side of the cafeteria, having just been tapped on the head by Sakura Baimu.

---

Chapter 183: The Sense of Urgency Rises Rapidly

“That’s Smart Falcon!”

Smart Falcon's chestnut-brown twin ponytails and pink-and-black ribbons were too conspicuous.

Curren recognized her at a glance.

Curren warily watched the whimpering Smart Falcon from afar. She genuinely felt that Smart Falcon's every move exuded cuteness.

As an expert in cuteness, Curren could tell at a glance.

Smart Falcon's actions weren't deliberate; they were entirely part of her natural personality.

Authentic, unpretentious.

Flawless!

Just as Curren Chan's crisis level rose two levels again, she suddenly noticed something.

Inside the cafeteria, quite a few people were also casting their gazes in Smart Falcon's direction.

Almost all the Umamusume at the table where Smart Falcon and Eishin Flash were sitting stopped what they were doing and looked in their direction.

This puzzled Curren Chan.

“Is Falcon-senpai really that popular in the academy?”

Curren Chan wondered, so she quietly got up and went to another table. Admire Vega, who was also looking toward Smart Falcon, was sitting there.

Curren Chan whispered in her ear:

“Sister, is Falcon really that popular in the academy?”

Admire Vega was Curren Chan's roommate, but she had entered the academy much earlier and was a High School Division student.

“Falcon... she only hosts events at academy functions. She’s not that popular in the academy,” Admire Vega said.

“Then why is everyone looking at her?”

“Oh, you mean that...” Admire Vega glanced at Smart Falcon again, then spoke, “It’s less about looking at her and more about everyone looking at the trainer.”

“The trainer?”

Curren Chan looked at Sakura Baimu, and after seeing Sakura Baimu’s beautiful young face, she was still a little puzzled.

“Even Tojo Hana from Rigil doesn’t get this kind of treatment when she comes to the cafeteria, right? What’s so special about that trainer?”

“She’s Teio and McQueen’s trainer, Sakura Baimu.”

“Curren has heard of that name. She’s supposedly the youngest genius trainer in the academy, right? But her fame still can’t compare to Tojo-san’s, so why does she get so much attention?”

Admire Vega paused for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“That’s because you enrolled later, Curren. Almost every Umamusume who enrolled before you was bothered by her.”

“Could it be that you were bothered by her too, Ayabe-chan?!”

“Yes. I was walking around the academy when she suddenly came up to me and asked me to go stargazing. It was so strange.”

“Doesn’t Ayabe-chan love stargazing?” Curren Chan asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, but the thing is, I don’t even know her! I don’t know how she knew I liked stargazing. It’s really weird.”

Admire Vega was also the aloof type; besides Curren Chan and TM Opera O, almost no one else dared to talk to her.

Sakura Baimu, however, was completely unfazed by Admire Vega's aloofness.

Was she simply oblivious, or had she realized Admire Vega wasn't truly cold-hearted?

Curren Chan, puzzled, returned to her seat.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Smart Falcon indeed didn't seem very popular at the academy.

As for Sakura Baimu...

Curren Chan sensed that the attention she received at the academy might not be for positive reasons, so she abandoned the idea of trying to get attention by sticking close to Sakura Baimu.

With no classes in the afternoon, Curren Chan secretly followed Smart Falcon to the TCB training area.

After witnessing Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black emerge from the TCB activity room, Curren Chan was quite surprised.

“So, Dia-chan and Kita-chan's trainer is Ms. Sakura!”

Curren Chan exclaimed in realization.

Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were arguably the two most outstanding students among the newly enrolled Umamusume.

Both of them crossed the finish line in their debut races with record-breaking margins.

Their strength was unbelievable.

Curren Chan had noticed before that many classmates wanted to join Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond's team, but they had all been turned down because the team was already full.

Curren Chan had only recently joined Tracen Academy and wasn't yet familiar with the academy's operations.

Now, learning that Smart Falcon's trainer was none other than Sakura Baimu, who had coached the undefeated three-time champion Tokai Teio and the top long-distance Umamusume, Mejiro McQueen, Curren Chan felt she might have been too complacent.

“Kita-chan and Dia-chan both crossed the finish line with record-breakingly large margins in their debut races, and after being trained by Ms. Sakura, Falcon-senpai has also reversed her dismal Turf performances, achieving large margins in her finishes...”

“It seems like Falcon-senpai might dominate the Dirt races! There aren't many Dirt Umamusume in Tracen Academy; she has virtually no competition!”

At this moment, Curren Chan suddenly felt a surge of urgency.

There are too many champions in Turf races; it's simply impossible for others to compete on equal footing with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen in middle- and long-distance events.

However, Dirt races are a different story. There are very few outstanding Dirt Umamusume to date.

With Sakura Baimu's guidance, Smart Falcon's potential is practically limitless.

Furthermore, considering Smart Falcon's years of idol activities, her singing and dancing skills are far beyond what a newly enrolled Umamusume can match.

Curren Chan could almost foresee that Smart Falcon's fame was only a matter of time.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no! Curren hasn’t even debuted yet, and Falcon-senpai is already in the top prize bracket! This is terrible, terrible, terrible!”

“Curren needs to debut quickly! Curren needs to stand at the top of the Twinkle Series! We need to let more people know how cute Curren is!”

“But if she doesn’t join a team, she can’t participate in the Twinkle Series... I heard Rigil is already full. Crown and Duramente got into Rigil...”

“But even if Curren gets into Rigil, Rigil’s active-duty Umamusume results don’t seem to compare to TCB’s at all...”

“Since Tojo-san’s Rigil is already full, then...”

Curren Chan, hiding behind the wall, muttered to herself, her gaze suddenly fixing on Sakura Baimu beside Rice Shower, who was constantly calling out “onee-sama.”

---

Chapter 184: Sprint Umamusume Delivered to Your Door

Sakura Baimu was observing Rice Shower instructing Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen on mental training at the trackside.

“The most important thing to mastering Aura is honing your mental strength. Rice, you don’t need to pity Teio and McQueen. Just do it your way!”

“Onee-sama, Rice understands!”

Rice Shower nodded, her eyes narrowing, and stood aside to direct Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen on the Dirt obstacle course with added weight.

For Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and even Umamusume like Rice Shower who were used to turf running, running on the Dirt was already torture.

Adding to that, they had to pay attention to the obstacles, and their legs, burdened with weight, became extremely clumsy, making it exponentially more awkward than their usual running.

Although the run was painful, neither Tokai Teio nor Mejiro McQueen complained.

To win their November race against the international Umamusumes and to surpass them as soon as possible, mastering Aura was of paramount importance.

Kitasan Black, Satono Diamond, and Smart Falcon were all doing their regular training.

Smart Falcon, being an Umamusume adapted to the Dirt track, was training on the Dirt track near Sakura Baimu and the others.

--

“Okay, rest! Replenish your energy!”

Sakura Baimu called out into the microphone to the four exhausted Umamusumes on the Dirt track.

When the four Umamusumes returned, Sakura Baimu, as usual, took out some green juice and handed it to them.

“Here, finish yours and continue.”

“Onee-sama… do you have any nutritional drinks? Like the one Onee-sama gave Rice the day she joined the team?” Rice Shower asked softly.

“No, we only have this right now,” Sakura Baimu said softly.

“Huh?” Rice Shower’s expression suddenly froze, her gaze toward the green juice filled with resistance and fear.

“Rice, you’ll get used to it. She only gives you nutritional drinks when she wants to please you,” Mejiro McQueen said bluntly to Rice Shower. “After that, it’ll just be green juice. She’s so stingy!”

“Hey! McQueen, what are you saying? Nutritional drinks aren’t nearly as effective as green juice, okay?”

“Don’t think I don’t know. Green juice is much cheaper than nutritional drinks. One box will last you a long time.”

“Well said, McQueen. You’re out of cupcakes today.”

“That’s too much! You get angry as soon as I hit a nerve!” Mejiro McQueen glared at Sakura Baimu.

While the Umamusumes training on the Dirt were watching Sakura Baimu and Mejiro McQueen’s daily banter with amusement, Smart Falcon suddenly noticed something.

“Trainer-san, look behind you.” Smart Falcon pointed behind Sakura Baimu.

Sakura Baimu and the other Umamusumes from TCB turned around in confusion, all noticing the gray-haired Umamusume slowly approaching from behind.

“Falcon-senpai, do you know her?” Tokai Teio asked.

“No…” Smart Falcon shook her head. “Where are Miss McQueen and Little Rice?”

“No.”

“Rice doesn’t know her either…”

Just as the four Umamusumes were wondering what this Umamusume wanted, Sakura Baimu’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Isn’t this Curren Chan!”

“Wow So Onee-chan knows Curren! Curren is so happy♪”

Curren Chan, hearing Sakura Baimu call her by name so readily, immediately showed a look of delight and flattery.

“Onee-san?”

The four Umamusumes of TCB were puzzled by Curren Chan’s address to Sakura Baimu.

Judging from the conversation between Curren Chan and Sakura Baimu, it was clear that this was Curren Chan’s first direct conversation with Sakura Baimu.

And she started by calling her Onee-chan?

“Of course I know, Umasta’s selfie angel with 3 million followers,” Sakura Baimu laughed.

“3 million followers?!” Smart Falcon was utterly stunned.

She’d been an idol for so many years, and if it weren’t for yesterday’s Leopard Stakes, her Umasta would probably have had less than 1,000 followers.

This Umamusume, who looked even younger than herself, actually had 3 million followers on Umasta?!

Just as Smart Falcon was reeling from the shock, her trainer, Sakura Baimu, turned and smiled at her.

“GG, look at this. Real idols can have 3 million followers just from selfies. Fake idols perform on the streets every day, and their popularity is pitiful.”

Smart Falcon blushed deeply at Sakura Baimu’s teasing and stammered,

“Actually, Falcon’s Fugitive SISTERS are quite popular...”

Although that popularity had nothing to do with her.

If she hadn’t met Sakura Baimu, her popularity might have remained dismal.

Meanwhile, Curren Chan, still considering how to broach the subject, heard that Sakura Baimu knew exactly how many fans she had on Umasta and how many selfies she posted there every day.

Suddenly, she began to suspect that Sakura Baimu might be a fan.

Curren Chan felt no joy at this; instead, she felt disappointed.

“Is Ms. Sakura a fan of Curren’s? If so, Curren could easily use her cuteness to get Ms. Sakura to agree to let her join the team, right?”

Curren Chan thought to herself, without any sense of joy.

Because she always believed that there was a barrier between fans and idols.

Furthermore, the relationship between idols and fans was always one of superiority and inferiority, not equality.

In Curren Chan’s mind, the relationship between a trainer and an Umamusume should be one of equality.

This shouldn’t be the kind of relationship between a fan and an idol.

“Onee-chan knows so much about Curren!” Curren Chan cupped her face in her hands, looking incredibly happy.

"Onee-chan, Curren wants to join Onee-chan’s team, is that possible~♪”

The TCB Umamusumes nearby looked at Curren Chan with some surprise.

Especially Smart Falcon.

In this brief encounter, Smart Falcon found the adorable aura of the girl named Curren Chan to be terrifyingly strong.

Moreover, and crucially, Smart Falcon felt that Curren Chan’s persona overlapped somewhat with her own.

Both followed the cute idol route.

However, Curren Chan’s fanbase was simply frightening!

“This kid is scary. Falcon has a feeling that if she joins the group, something bad will definitely happen...”

Smart Falcon couldn’t help but think this as she looked at Curren Chan’s flawless, happy expression.

While Smart Falcon was pondering these thoughts, Curren Chan was also waiting for Sakura Baimu’s reply.

“If Ms. Sakura agrees so easily, it means she’s truly a Curren fan… In that case, she might not be the right trainer for Curren…”

Curren Chan thought to herself when she saw Sakura Baimu smile and say, “Okay.”

The future top sprinter of the URA and champion of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen had actually delivered herself right to her doorstep.

---

Chapter 185: Merely Joining the Team

“As expected, she really is Curren’s fan…”

Curren Chan was deeply disappointed by Sakura Baimu’s reply, but a glimmer of hope remained. She asked Sakura Baimu.

“Then, Onee-chan, is there any kind of assessment or anything like that for Curren to join TCB?”

Curren Chan felt that if Sakura Baimu had mentioned any assessments or anything like that, she would have gladly accepted.

At least that would give her the feeling that Sakura Baimu allowed her to join because of her talent, not just because she liked her.

Unfortunately, Sakura Baimu’s answer disappointed Curren Chan once again.

“No assessment required. I agree,” Sakura Baimu said, waving her hand.

Not to mention the words displayed above Curren Chan’s head: [Curren Chan: Training Difficulty (S)].

Based on Sakura Baimu’s memories of this Umamusume’s past life, she didn’t need to assess Curren Chan at all.

Since Curren Chan was an Umamusume specializing in turf racing, her training difficulty was far lower than Tokai Teio’s or even Mejiro McQueen’s.

Similar to when Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond applied to join her team, Sakura Baimu agreed simply after learning who this Umamusume was.

However, Sakura Baimu didn’t expect that her understanding of Curren Chan would be misinterpreted as being a fan of Curren.

“Thank you, Onee-chan. Curren is so happy~?”

Curren Chan outwardly appeared very happy with Sakura Baimu’s agreement.

But inwardly, she was filled with deep disappointment.

Curren Chan knew that Sakura Baimu was an exceptional trainer and that her Umamusumes were all highly skilled.

Her classmates were all eager to join Sakura Baimu’s team.

But not a single one succeeded.

She had so easily joined a team that countless Umamusumes in her year wanted to join but couldn’t; she should have been happy.

However, Curren Chan knew...

There is a compatibility factor between an Umamusume and her trainer.

Even if a trainer has outstanding achievements, it doesn’t mean that trainer is suitable for every Umamusume.

For example, Silent Suzuka’s initial trainer was Rigil’s Tojo Hana.

However, Silent Suzuka later left Rigil and joined Spica, achieving excellent results.

This shows that Spica’s trainer, Okino, was a better fit for Silent Suzuka than Tojo Hana, who trained two Triple Crown-winning Umamusumes.

Rigil requires an evaluation before joining the team.

However, Sakura Baimu accepted her without any evaluation or conditions.

This result is certainly not something Curren Chan can be happy about.

“Curren will join the team first and qualify for the Twinkle Series. But, let’s not make a trainer contract with Ms. Sakura…”

Curren Chan appeared incredibly happy, but inwardly she already felt she and her trainer, Sakura Baimu, were incompatible.

She still hoped to be recognized by her trainer based on her skill, rather than being so easily selected for the team simply because the trainer was a fan or because of her cuteness.

While Sakura Baimu’s easy acceptance of Curren Chan’s request surprised the TCB Umamusumes slightly, they weren’t overly astonished.

After all, they still trusted Sakura Baimu’s judgment; there were no auditions when Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond joined the team either.

Furthermore, Sakura Baimu promised the two of them three championships.

“So many new Umamusumes wanted to join before, and she didn’t agree to any of them. This Curren Chan just called her ‘Onee-san,’ and she agreed?”

Mejiro McQueen frowned, particularly concerned about this.

She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head.

No matter how strange Sakura Baimu was, her abilities as a trainer were undeniable.

Besides, the Umamusumes she harassed weren’t limited to those who looked petite; they covered the entire Tracen Academy.

But just then, Mejiro McQueen suddenly remembered that Rice Shower always called Sakura Baimu “Onee-sama.”

“No matter what, she couldn’t possibly be a siscon,” Mejiro McQueen shook her head, banishing all those strange thoughts from her mind.

“Trainer-san really agreed!”

Smart Falcon suddenly felt a surge of crisis.

This Curren Chan, who exuded a sense of danger in every way, appears to have easily used her cuteness to make her trainer fall for her.

“...”

Rice Shower didn’t have so many thoughts, but her left eye remained fixed on Curren Chan, who kept calling Sakura Baimu “Onee-san,” and she felt a little uneasy.

“Onee-chan, I have a request. Could you help Curren register for the nearest debut competition? It’s a short-distance Dirt race in Tokyo.”

Curren Chan crossed her arms, looking adorably pleading as she spoke to Sakura Baimu.

“You’re running on Dirt?” Sakura Baimu asked. “Why not Turf?”

“Curren’s running on Dirt~”

Curren Chan glanced at Smart Falcon, who was standing behind Sakura Baimu, and replied casually.

“Okay, at the fastest, a week will do.” Sakura Baimu gave Curren Chan an OK sign.

Even for a Dirt race, a week would be more than enough time for Curren Chan to win her debut competition.

Sakura Baimu knew perfectly well that Curren Chan had achieved an exceptionally brilliant result in the 1200-Meter Dirt race at her school.

“Thank you~”

Curren Chan replied happily, but a sense of disappointment crept into her heart once more.

Sakura Baimu was far too agreeable.

It was almost unbelievable.

Not only did she agree to let her join TCB without any conditions, but she even agreed to the debut competition without asking any questions.

“If she truly agrees to Curren’s various requests so easily simply because she’s a fan or likes her appearance, then this shouldn’t be the relationship between a trainer and an Umamusume.”

“The contract between a trainer and an Umamusume has a sacred meaning; it should never be settled so easily.”

“She doesn’t care about dreams, physique, or running style. She just unilaterally agrees to all of Curren’s demands… She really can’t be Curren’s trainer like this.”

Curren Chan thought to herself, her happy expression unchanged.

“Then I’ll leave it to Onee-chan? Curren has some things to do, so I’ll head back first”

After saying this, Curren Chan “happily” waved to Sakura Baimu and slipped away.

The TCB Umamusumes: “???”

The four Umamusumes present were all bewildered.

Why did Curren Chan’s joining the team feel so strange?

It felt like something was missing.

Although Curren Chan looked very happy, the Umamusumes present all noticed that her joining this time was completely different from when Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond joined.

It was far too casual.

It was as casual as buying a drink from a vending machine.

“Trainer-san, what’s wrong with you? Did she really just seduce you with ‘Onee-chan’?” Mejiro McQueen asked, annoyed.

“How could that be? Normally, I should ask her about her goals and then touch her legs to test their quality,” Sakura Baimu said, watching Curren Chan leave.

"But her mood seemed to drop the moment I agreed to let her join the team. She’s probably disappointed in me.”

“Huh? That girl was disappointed in Onee-sama? How did Onee-sama figure it out?” Rice Shower asked, surprised.

“She just said she wanted to ‘join the team,’ but she didn’t say I should be her trainer. She probably just wants to join to debut in the Twinkle Series. It’s a bit of a shame, but you can’t force these things.”

“So you’re just being kind by letting her join, but she won’t train with you? You can accept that?” Mejiro McQueen asked.

“That’s impossible,” Sakura Baimu laughed. “However, we should prioritize respecting her personal wishes. If she doesn’t want me to be her trainer, that’s fine too.”

--

By the way, in reality, Curren Chan’s debut competition was on Dirt, but it was held at Hanshin.

----

Chapter 186: Curren Chan's Debut Contest

Having left TCB, Curren kept thinking about what had just happened.

TCB's trainer, Sakura Baimu, was far too agreeable, which made Curren suspicious of her, and therefore she didn't propose having Sakura Baimu as her trainer.

Curren Chan was the type of Umamusume who was very independent.

Having gradually made her mark online since she was three years old, she was well-versed in the online world.

In fact, her personality was much more mature than that of other Umamusumes her age.

Curren Chan knew what she needed.

For her, what she needed most right now was to qualify for the Twinkle Series.

As for a trainer, it was absolutely impossible to casually enter into a trainer contract with someone.

"If I really train with Ms. Sakura, will she really train me the way she treats her Umamusumes?" Curren Chan had some doubts.

“It’s okay, Curren is very smart. Even without a trainer, she’ll definitely be fine for her debut race.”

---

The next day, Curren Chan went to TCB to confirm her debut race with Sakura Baimu.

Sakura Baimu had already registered Curren Chan for her debut race next week at Tokyo Racecourse, the Dirt 1400m race.

“Curren, do you want to come train with us? Teio, McQueen, and the others are training on Dirt these days. You can have GG mentor you; she’s the strongest Dirt Umamusume.” Sakura Baimu mentioned.

“Eh hehe~?” Smart Falcon blushed a little when she heard Sakura Baimu say that.

“Thank you, Onee-chan But Curren won't trouble Falcon-senpai. Curren can train on her own”

Curren Chan politely declined Sakura Baimu's suggestion that Smart Falcon train with her.

Of course, Sakura Baimu didn't show any doubt or dissatisfaction toward Curren Chan.

“Okay, Curren, do what you think is best.”

Regarding the training matter, both Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan tacitly avoided saying anything that would make either of them feel awkward.

Sakura Baimu realized that Curren Chan only wanted to join the team and didn't intend to have her train her, so she didn't force Curren Chan to come for training.

Curren Chan herself didn't plan to train with Sakura Baimu, but she didn't say so in front of the other members and embarrass Sakura Baimu; she simply made an excuse to leave.

Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan, who had some misunderstandings between them, tacitly reached an agreement on this matter.

A week passed quickly, and soon came Curren Chan's debut race in the 1400 Meter Dirt at Tokyo Racecourse.

Although Curren Chan hadn't been training with TCB during this time, the TCB Umamusumes still came to Tokyo Racecourse together to watch Curren Chan's race.

"Trainer-san, do you think Curren-chan can win?" Satono Diamond asked Sakura Baimu after watching Curren Chan go backstage to prepare.

“Who knows?”

“Curren ran an exceptional time for a newcomer on the Dirt 1200m track at the academy, ranking first among all freshmen,” Kitasan Black recalled. “So I think she should be fine, right?”

“That only proves she’s a talented sprinter, but Turf is definitely more suitable for her,” Sakura Baimu said. “I don’t quite understand why she insisted on Dirt, but simulations at the academy are different from official competitions.”

“So what running style did Trainer-san have Curren Chan choose today?” Satono Diamond asked.

“No, I didn’t even test her leg physiology. How would I know what running style suits her?”

“Huh? What’s going on?” Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were both puzzled.

“Curren Chan just wants to join the team, but it seems she doesn’t intend to have Trainer-san as her trainer,” Mejiro McQueen said casually.

"Is that even possible?" Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were both somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

---

The presentation segment soon followed.

Curren Chan, who has 3 million followers on Umasta, unsurprisingly became the most popular contestant at the event.

"Now entering, the star everyone's been waiting for, Gate 1, Number 1, Curren Chan!"

Amid the thunderous cheers from the audience, Curren Chan smiled and walked onto the stage, then casually tossed her tracksuit aside.

At the same time, she squinted her eyes and flashed a V-sign in front of her face.

She looked incredibly charming and adorable.

Curren Chan had already announced on Umasta that she would be participating in the debut competition.

Today, a huge number of fans came to support her.

The enthusiasm for this debut even had a hint of the 50,000-person popularity showdown between Pace Satono Diamond and Leukerbad.

After the presentation, the Umamusumes headed toward the track.

"Now entering the stage, the third most popular runner in the race, White Shadow."

"Next up, the second most popular runner, Moonwalker."

"Finally, the undisputed number one most popular runner, Umasta's absolute star, Umamusume Curren Chan!"

"Gate 1, Track 1, can she, the number one most popular runner, successfully take first place?"

Curren Chan's reason for choosing the Dirt track was actually quite simple.

After seeing Smart Falcon's performance on Dirt, some fans were actually discussing this adorable Dirt rising star in her Umasta comment section.

Therefore, Curren Chan wanted to prove to her fans that she could also achieve good results on Dirt.

Although Curren Chan felt that running on Dirt wasn't as smooth as on Turf, she had previously achieved first place in the 1200-meter Dirt track of Tracen Academy's freshman mock race.

Therefore, Curren Chan was very confident about her debut competition.

This was completely different from Smart Falcon's performance at the Leopard Stakes.

After seeing Curren Chan's confident demeanor at her debut competition, Smart Falcon instinctively assumed that Sakura Baimu would belittle her, saying things like, "Look at your junior. They're not nervous at all. What are you so nervous and afraid of?"

However, after waiting for a long time, Smart Falcon still didn't hear Sakura Baimu speak.

Puzzled, Smart Falcon turned to look at Sakura Baimu.

Sakura Baimu was staring intently at Curren Chan on the Zone, her lips pressed tightly together, devoid of any smile.

This was a stark contrast to her usual warm and friendly expression.

Smart Falcon was startled; it was the first time she'd seen Sakura Baimu with this expression.

While it wasn't as intensely negative as when she'd witnessed Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's defeat and Rice Shower's injury at the Takarazuka Kinen,

it was clear that her Trainer wasn't in a good mood.

---

Chapter 187: This Is a Competition, Not a Simulation

"The Tokyo Racecourse is bathed in sunshine, and all the runners have entered the gates."

"Which Umamusume will make her debut today? Let's wait and see!"

"Tokyo, 1400 Meter, Debut."

"Now—"

"Start!"

The gates opened, and all the Umamusumes surged forward.

"Curren Chan, a good start, choosing to lead the pack."

"Second in line is White Shadow, two Lengths behind Curren Chan."

"Closely following is Saint Laurent, about half a Length behind White Shadow."

"Curren! Go for it—!"

"Go, Curren! You're the cutest—!"

Many of Curren Chan's fans were in the stands, cheering loudly for her as she raced in the lead.

Listening to the shouts of the Umamusumes around her, Smart Falcon couldn't help but sigh:

"Curren's really popular~ I wonder when I'll have so many people cheering for Falcon?"

"Three million is nothing. Who knows, you might have three trillion fans in the future," Sakura Baimu suddenly blurted out.

Smart Falcon: "???"

Smart Falcon had no idea what nonsense Sakura Baimu was spouting again.

This wasn't the way to comfort her. How many people are there on Earth? Where would three trillion fans come from?

---

The 1400 Meter Dirt track has a small uphill section after the first 200 Meters.

If this were the same spot on Turf, it would be a very steep incline.

But on the Dirt track, it's much gentler.

It's fine to treat it almost like flat ground.

"Curren Chan has already entered the third turn first, and she's pulled ahead of the second-place White Shadow by about three Lengths."

The pace of the short race is extremely tight, and Tokyo Racecourse's Dirt track is entirely downhill for the first 600 meters, with only about 100 meters uphill.

This results in a very fast-paced race.

Curren Chan has showcased her amazing leg strength on the short track.

Although she hasn't trained with Sakura Baimu, the precocious Curren Chan already knows her strengths and advantages.

Therefore, she has been practicing specifically for the short track.

"Now entering the final turn, Curren Chan is still leading!"

"As expected of the most popular Umamusume, Curren Chan possesses strength that rivals her popularity."

"The Umamusumes behind are gradually accelerating, and Curren Chan still leads the second-place White Shadow by about four Lengths."

Even though the Umamusumes behind are starting to accelerate, the gap between Curren Chan and the second-place Umamusume is widening.

Among all the new Umamusumes in Tracen Academy, she boasts the best 1200-meter Dirt sprint time, and winning this 1400-meter Dirt debut seems like a sure thing.

"Curren Chan is the first to step onto the final straight!"

Smart Falcon gazed at the short-haired gray figure on the track, her eyes filled with amazement.

“Curren’s amazing! She’s so much faster than when Falco debuted!”

“It’s not a problem. Your races are mile races; hers are sprints. It’s normal for her to be faster.”

Sakura Baimu replied to Smart Falcon, then placed her hand on Smart Falcon’s head. “Don’t underestimate yourself. You’re very good; you just kept choosing the wrong track.”

“Mmm…”

Smart Falcon felt the weight on her head and nodded obediently.

“When Falco debuted, Trainer-san wasn’t a trainer at Tracen Academy yet. I didn’t expect Trainer-san to know so much about Falco back then.”

Smart Falcon felt a small surge of emotion, increasingly grateful to have met a trainer like Sakura Baimu.

Smart Falcon felt that Sakura Baimu was unusually easy to talk to today, quite different from her usual self.

Logically, Sakura Baimu should have been tapping her on the head, reminding her with something like, "How can you compare a mile race to a sprint?"

Smart Falcon didn't know what was going on, but didn't dare ask and simply continued watching the race.

Meanwhile, she was also puzzled by Curren Chan joining the team but not coming to practice with them.

She couldn't understand what Curren Chan was unhappy about with Sakura Baimu.

Meanwhile, on the track, Curren Chan listened to the commentator's announcements and glanced back.

She saw the white blur behind her was still some distance away; the gap hadn't narrowed significantly.

So she relaxed.

"As expected, Curren is the cutest in short-distance races; no one can take Curren's victory!"

Curren Chan's face was adorned with a smile as lovely as a lily.

Running in the lead, she wanted to present her most adorable side to all her fans.

Five hundred meters to go until the finish line.

Curren Chan reached the uphill slope standing before the finish line at Tokyo Racecourse.

Curren Chan wasn't afraid of the steep slope.

But the moment she stepped onto it, her cute little face suddenly changed color.

Her purple eyes narrowed abruptly, and she felt a heavy pressure in her chest and lungs.

"What's going on? Curren has run up this hill so many times in the academy. She's never had a problem before..."

The pressure in her chest and lungs caused Curren Chan's speed to slow down noticeably.

Her once-proud speed vanished without a trace.

"Ah! Curren Chan has slowed down! She slowed down on the final uphill before the finish line!"

"A serious slowdown! She looks terrible! Can Curren Chan recover? Another Umamusume is catching up too!"

"Saint Laurent has overtaken White Shadow and is in second place!"

"Saint Laurent and White Shadow have also reached the uphill before the finish line, and their speeds are also affected."

"But the gap between Saint Laurent and Curren Chan continues to narrow!"

"Was it because she ran too fast at the beginning and lost speed badly uphill?"

"400 meters to go!"

"Can Curren Chan hold on to first place?"

"What happened? How could Curren lose speed so badly?! Tracen Academy is a replica of Tokyo Racecourse! Even a Central Umamusume shouldn't make such a serious mistake in a Tokyo race, right?"

Smart Falcon looked at Curren Chan, feeling very strange.

"Is it a problem with track adaptability? I remember Trainer-san saying that Curren is suited for turf racing."

"It shouldn't be a track problem. Curren Chan previously achieved first place in the 1200-meter distance on Tracen Academy's Dirt track," Satono Diamond said.

"What's going on? I was already in first place in the simulation..." Smart Falcon wondered.

"Because this is a competition, not a simulation," Sakura Baimu suddenly said.