BanUma 206-225 (Patreon)

Finally.

Chapter 206: Join the Classic Triple Crown, Kita-chan

Sakura Baimu waited until Kitasan Black finished her Winning Live performance before finally seeing her, looking dejected and hunched over as she slowly walked towards her.

Kitasan Black's usually energetic, high-perched black ears drooped listlessly.

This was a rare sight for the cheerful and straightforward Umamusume.

"Trainer-san..."

Kitasan Black looked up at Sakura Baimu and whispered.

"If it were the usual Kita-chan, she would probably be shouting 'Trainer~~~san' in a high-pitched voice with boundless energy..."

Sakura Baimu thought to herself, looking at Kitasan Black, who was completely lost in a profound atmosphere of dejection, and gently pulled her into her arms.

“Trainer-san…I’m so heartbroken…I want to win back…I really want to win back!”

“I wanted to be like Teiō, an undefeated Triple Crown Umamusume…but I lost before I even participated in the Triple Crown tournament…”

Kitasan Black, held in Sakura Baimu’s arms, suddenly choked up.

She wasn’t an Umamusume who never cried; it’s just that most of the time, Kitasan Black was optimistic, cheerful, and full of energy.

Now that her dream was shattered, even someone as strong as Kitasan Black shed tears of resentment.

“Kita-chan’s Winning Live was excellent. You didn’t let your emotions show to the audience; you were incredibly strong.”

Sakura Baimu gently wiped away Kitasan Black’s tears, speaking in an unusually gentle tone.

“Next time, I won’t lose. Trainer-san, I promise you… I really won’t lose!”

“Okay.”

--

That very night, Sakura Baimu returned to Tokyo with Kitasan Black.

Kitasan Black’s emotions came and went quickly.

By the time she and Sakura Baimu boarded the Shinkansen, Kitasan Black had already recovered from her deep sadness and depression.

“As expected of Kita-chan, she doesn’t get defeated easily and cheered up so quickly,” Sakura Baimu said with a smile.

“Yes, because when Ms. Teiō lost to Ms. McQueen, she quickly bounced back. I want to be like Ms. Teiō, so I can't stay discouraged!”

“Kita-chan is really strong,” Sakura Baimu praised with a smile.

“Yes!” Kitasan Black nodded emphatically.

Seeing Kitasan Black's mood improve, Sakura Baimu thought for a moment and decided to talk to her about it.

“Kita-chan, I want to discuss something with you.”

“Yes, Trainer-san, go ahead.” Kitasan Black looked over.

“I think we should have you participate in the Classic Triple Crown race next year. Dia-chan can participate in the Triple Tiara race instead.”

“Why is that?” Kitasan Black was somewhat surprised to hear this. “I’ve already participated in so many mile races, and Trainer-san, you also said that Dia-chan isn’t really suited for mile races.”

“Kita-chan lost today, so you must be very upset, right?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Kita-chan, you said you wanted to win back, and I hope you can win back too.”

“Trainer-san, you mean…?” Kitasan Black was very quick-witted and immediately understood. “Will Duramente also be participating in the Classic Triple Crown next year?”

“That should be right. Rigil’s team leader, Ms. Tojo, told me that her team’s newcomers, Satono Crown and Duramente, will also be participating in the Classic Triple Crown and Triple Tiara next year.”

“But how does Trainer-san know that Duramente will definitely participate in the Classic Triple Crown?” Kitasan Black wondered.

“She will definitely participate in the Classic Triple Crown. I’m confident.” Sakura Baimu said confidently.

How did she know?

That's because in her previous life, Duramente participated in the Classic Triple Crown tournament at the same time as Kitasan Black.

Then, in the Classic Triple Crown tournament, she defeated Kitasan Black twice in the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby.

Since Tojo Hana had already said that Duramente would participate in the Triple Crown tournament, it would almost certainly be the Classic Triple Crown tournament.

Kitasan Black listened to Sakura Baimu's words without doubt and continued:

"If that's really the case, then I want to participate in the Classic Triple Crown tournament too. I want to beat her and become a Triple Crown Umamusume like Teiō!"

"Okay!"

Sakura Baimu smiled and nodded at Kitasan Black's determined look.

"Actually, I also think Duramente will participate in the Classic Triple Crown tournament rather than the Triple Tiara tournament," Kitasan Black suddenly said.

“Hmm? How did Kita-chan know?”

“Because both Dia-chan and Crown are Umamusumes of the Satono Clan. Since Trainer-san was planning to have Dia-chan participate in the Classic Triple Crown, I think Dia-chan’s father will probably have Crown participate in the Triple Tiara.”

Kitasan Black was speaking when she suddenly realized something and looked at Sakura Baimu with some shock.

“Wait! Trainer-san! If I participate in the Classic Triple Crown, doesn’t that mean Dia-chan will run into Crown?”

“There’s nothing that can be done about it.” Sakura Baimu smiled and shrugged.

“Having Dia-chan and Crown meet in the Triple Tiara, isn’t that a bit…” Kitasan Black suddenly started to worry about Satono Diamond.

The thought of the sisters meeting in a Triple Crown event was cruel.

“But if you run into Dia-chan, the outcome will be the same; you'll still have to defeat Dia-chan’s sister yourself.”

“That way, at least Dia-chan won’t feel awkward meeting Crown…” Kitasan Black said.

“These things happen, don’t they? Look at McQueen; she ran into Sakura Baimu, and they’re sisters too. They didn’t become enemies over a single race.”

“That makes sense.” Kitasan Black nodded, accepting Sakura Baimu’s assessment.

“Should I talk to Dia-chan about this tonight? I’m worried that if her father finds out, he’ll force Satono Diamond to switch to the Classic Triple Crown race.”

Kitasan Black felt a headache coming on just thinking about Satono Diamond’s father.

“You can rest assured about that,” Sakura Baimu smiled. “First of all, Ms. Tojo wouldn’t change her mind because of Dia-chan’s father. His experience in horse racing is far less than Ms. Tojo’s, who trained two Triple Crown Umamusumes.”

“Secondly, I reckon that if Dia-chan’s father found out about this, he’d be more likely to forbid Dia-chan from racing in the Triple Tiara instead of going to Ms. Tojo.”

“Then what do we do?!” Kitasan Black exclaimed in alarm.

“Don’t worry. If you and I can think of that, Dia-chan certainly can too. I reckon that even if you tell Dia-chan about this, she won’t tell her father,” Sakura Baimu said with a smile.

--

Chapter 207: The Debate for the Strongest Active Umamusume

That evening, Kitasan Black returned to her dorm.

When she gently pushed open the door, she found Satono Diamond still awake.

As soon as Satono Diamond saw Kitasan Black, she rushed over, her face full of worry.

“Kita-chan, you’re finally back!”

Satono Diamond had watched Kitasan Black’s race and saw her defeated by Duramente.

“Um… Kitasan-chan, are you alright…?”

“I’m fine, Dia-chan. Although I’m still very upset, I’m okay now.” Kitasan Black smiled at Satono Diamond.

“If Kitasan-chan trains hard, she’ll definitely surpass Duramente! Our Trainer-san’s training methods are much more effective than those of other teams; the longer they train, the wider the gap will become!”

“I think so too, Dia-chan.” Kitasan Black nodded with a smile.

“Kita-chan, I was so worried tonight. I was so concerned that you wouldn't be able to pull yourself together because of this race, but seeing you like this, I'm relieved.”

Satono Diamond placed her hand on her chest and let out a soft sigh of relief.

She had known Kitasan Black for a long time, and Kitasan Black wasn't the type to hide her negative emotions and lie to her.

Satono Diamond knew that Kitasan Black's dream was to become an undefeated Triple Crown Umamusume like Tokai Teio.

Now, before even participating in the Triple Crown tournament, she had already lost the chance to become an undefeated Triple Crown Umamusume.

So Satono Diamond had been worried all night, constantly thinking about how to comfort Kitasan Black.

“Looking at Kitasan Black, she doesn't need my comfort anymore... As expected of Kita-chan, she recovers so quickly.”

Satono Diamond thought happily, finally feeling relieved.

“Dia-chan, I want to discuss something with you,” Kitasan Black suddenly spoke.

“Hmm, I’m listening~”

“That Rigil’s Duramente, she was the first person to beat me. I want to win back, to take back today’s defeat!”

“That’s right, Kita-chan! We have to win!” Satono Diamond nodded in agreement.

“Trainer-san told me that Duramente will probably be competing in the Classic Triple Crown next year…”

Upon hearing Kitasan Black say this, Satono Diamond instantly understood the meaning behind her words.

She placed her hands directly on Kitasan Black’s shoulders, her golden eyes filled with unwavering determination.

“Kita-chan, then you can compete in the Classic Triple Crown next year. I’ll compete in the Triple Tiara.”

“I’m sorry, Dia-chan…”

Looking at Satono Diamond’s earnest yet gentle expression, Kitasan Black suddenly felt a pang of guilt and looked away.

“No, no.” Satono Diamond shook her head with a smile. “Why apologize?”

“Because of me, your plans suddenly changed, Dia-chan…”

“Kita-chan, have you forgotten? Before we joined TCB, our initial plan was for you to challenge the Classic Triple Crown.”

“Because I know that your dream, Kita-chan, is to become a Triple Crown Umamusume like Ms. Teiō, while I want to become a powerful long-distance Umamusume like Ms. McQueen. Therefore, the Classic Triple Crown should have been your challenge.”

“Besides, my goals are completely different from yours, Kita-chan. I carry the dream of the Satono Clan, and I want to break the curse of the Satono Clan having no G1 Umamusume. So, as long as I can win a G1 race, I will be very satisfied.”

“As for the Triple Crown, that's not my primary goal,” Satono Diamond smiled at Kitasan Black. “Besides, Ms. McQueen didn't participate in the Classic Triple Crown either, and she still became the strongest active Umamusume, didn't she?”

Hearing Satono Diamond's words, Kitasan Black immediately turned her gaze back and placed her hands on Satono Diamond's shoulders.

"Teiō is the strongest!"

"The strongest is McQueen!"

"Teiō!!"

"Ms. McQueen!!"

Just as Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black were arguing again about whether Tokai Teio or Mejiro McQueen was the strongest, their dormitory door was suddenly banged on.

The voice of their dormitory head, Fuji Kiseki, came from outside.

"Still up so late?"

"Eh!"

Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were startled and quickly shut their mouths.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Fuji Kiseki asked.

"Please come in, Ms. Fuji," they answered in unison.

As soon as they finished speaking, they saw Fuji Kiseki, with her neat and stylish short hair, walk in with a flashlight.

“Little ones, you're making so much noise so late. You've been back for a while already, why aren't you asleep yet?” Fuji Kiseki asked with a smile.

“I'm going to sleep, I'm going to sleep.”

Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond both repeated, almost avoiding Fuji Kiseki's eyes.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes for a cute Pony-chan.”

Fuji Kiseki smiled and nodded, then quietly opened the door and left Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond's room.

“Oh, right.”

Just as the door was about to close, Fuji Kiseki suddenly poked her head back in.

“Isn't Rice Shower the strongest active Umamusume?”

--

The next day.

The TCB Umamusumes breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the still-energetic Kitasan Black.

The Umamusumes gathered around, offering Kitasan Black various expressions of concern.

"Kita-chan, don't be discouraged! You can do it! I believe in you!"

Tokai Teio patted Kitasan Black on the shoulder, giving her a thumbs-up with one eye narrowed.

"Kita-chan... Rice has lost many times too, but it's okay. As long as you keep going, you'll definitely achieve your dream."

Rice Shower also quietly cheered for Kitasan Black from the side.

Kitasan Black felt incredibly happy seeing the concern from her teammates around her.

She raised her little fist. "Leave it to me~~~ I'll train even harder than before!"

Seeing Kitasan Black's optimistic and positive attitude, everyone felt relieved.

Just then, Sakura Baimu pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a thick stack of papers.

"Trainer-san!"

Satono Diamond called out quickly when she saw Sakura Baimu enter.

"Dia-chan, what's wrong?"

"Next year's Classic Triple Crown—let Kita-chan participate! I'll challenge for the Triple Tiara!" Satono Diamond said firmly.

"That's what I wanted to talk about."

Sakura Baimu said, placing the thick stack of papers on the table.

“I’ve revised the training and race plans for Dia-chan and Kita-chan.”

Kitasan Black’s eyes suddenly lit up as she noticed Sakura Baimu was still wearing the clothes she had worn with her to Niigata Prefecture yesterday.

“Trainer-san, did you not even go home last night and rush to finish this guide?”

---

Chapter 208 Onee-chan Must Keep a Close Eye on Curren♪

"In short, I bear a large part of the blame for Kita-chan's defeat this time."

Sakura Baimu suddenly bowed deeply to the Umamusumes in the room, leaving them utterly astonished.

Of course, the most surprised among them was Kitasan Black.

She didn't understand why Sakura Baimu was apologizing when she herself had made a mistake in the race.

After bowing, Sakura Baimu looked up at Kitasan Black.

"Kita-chan, I know what you want to say. However, your defeat this time wasn't actually due to insufficient training, but rather because I never expected you to lose in a G3-level race due to inadequate tactical planning."

Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's competitive careers had actually been relatively smooth.

Sakura Baimu believed that part of the reason might be that, in Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio's year, there were no Rigil Umamusumes to compete with them.

"I underestimated Duramente's strength, thinking it was just a G3-level race that you could easily win with your superior finishing speed. I was a bit naive."

"As your trainer, I'm really sorry I couldn't prepare you adequately."

"It's okay, it's okay, Trainer-san. I'm not blaming you!" Kitasan Black spoke quickly, her face filled with anxiety.

"Also, I'm grateful to Dia-chan for changing next year's race schedule. I've already revised your race and training plans with Kita-chan."

"All the TCB races in August are over. There are four TCB races next month. Although it's summer vacation now, I hope you won't slack off in your training."

"Okay!" all the Umamusumes answered in unison.

--

The scene shifts, and it is now September.

As summer vacation ended, the Umamusumes gradually returned to school.

During this time, Kitasan Black trained even harder because of her previous failure at the Niigata Junior Stakes.

The other TCB Umamusumes, inspired by Kitasan Black, also voluntarily increased their training volume.

Although it was summer vacation, the TCB Umamusumes felt a sense of urgency and couldn't afford to slack off.

Therefore, they all devoted more time to training.

School was closed during summer vacation, giving them more time to train.

Today was the first day of the second semester at Tracen Academy.

However, the TCB Umamusumes had been coming to school every day during the summer break to train with Sakura Baimu, so there was no awkwardness between them, and everything was the same as usual.

After the morning classes, they saw Sakura Baimu, who looked exactly the same as always.

"September has begun. I'm very sorry to have taken away your vacation this year. But this time next year, we should all be having a beach training camp together."

"Yay~!"

The TCB Umamusumes cheered upon hearing this news.

"We've gotten a bit off-topic. There are four races in September. The first one is Curren's race, the Kikyo Stakes held at Hanshin Racecourse."

"Curren, whether you can participate in a major event this year depends on your performance."

"Onee-chan, Curren understands. Curren will do her best~" Curren Chan said with a smile to Sakura Baimu.

Curren Chan had been itching to compete for a long time.

She always felt that among the Umamusumes on the entire team, her record was the worst.

Not to mention top-tier active Umamusumes like Tokai Teio and Rice Shower.

The records of her contemporaries, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, were undoubtedly much better than hers.

Although Satono Diamond had only participated in one debut race so far, her debut performance was far more impressive than Kitasan Black's.

Curren Chan didn't dare underestimate this princess-like Umamusume.

As for Kitasan Black, although she had lost a race before, that had been a G3 race!

Kitasan Black lost to Rigil's Duramente, unfortunately finishing second.

But this result was still very strong.

As for the last one, the Umamusume that Curren Chan felt most threatened by, Smart Falcon...

In Curren Chan's eyes, she was a classic example of someone who had been building up her strength for a long time.

And she was the kind of person who stood out from the crowd.

She displayed unparalleled talent in dirt races and had virtually no rivals.

Her popularity grew rapidly.

Furthermore, Curren Chan felt that Smart Falcon's persona overlapped with her own, both following a cute idol route.

Therefore, Curren Chan was eager to shine in her own right.

And not have her own fans completely captivated by this rising dirt star, Smart Falcon.

During the summer break, Sakura Baimu prepared a new training plan for Curren Chan.

Although Curren Chan participated in short-distance races, the methods for climbing the steep hill before the finish line at Hanshin Racecourse were universal.

Therefore, the Takarazuka Kinen strategy that Sakura Baimu had previously prepared for Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen came in handy.

Inside was Takarazuka Kinen's guide to steep climbs, listing a series of climbing techniques personally tested by Pace Sakura Baimu.

"Sure enough, Ms. Teio and the others were right; there's another genius Umamusume behind Onee-chan."

This was Curren Chan's first thought after seeing the climbing guide Sakura Baimu had prepared for her.

She had already accepted Sakura Baimu as her trainer, and therefore Curren Chan felt she needed to understand Sakura Baimu comprehensively.

The identity of the Umamusume Sakura Baimu was hiding filled Curren Chan with immense curiosity.

Of course, the most important thing was the race.

Skipping the essentials wouldn't do.

Curren Chan also practiced the new climbing techniques very diligently.

These techniques were the same ones that including Kitasan Black, had practiced.

They could reduce speed loss on steep slopes.

More importantly, they reduced the stress on the heart.

For the newly enrolled Umamusume students with slightly weaker physical abilities, this reduction in cardiac stress was undoubtedly the most important thing.

They hadn't reached the level of Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio, who could rely on their strong physiques to withstand pressure just to perfect their speed in every detail.

--

Time flew by again, and soon it was time for Curren Chan to participate in the Kikyo Stakes.

In the morning, Sakura Baimu took Curren Chan, whose little face was filled with excitement, to Hanshin Racecourse in Hyogo Prefecture.

On the Shinkansen, Curren Chan suddenly leaned in close, resting her head on Sakura Baimu's shoulder.

Then, with a helpless expression on Sakura Baimu's face, she took another selfie.

She then posted it on Umasta.

【#WithCurrensTrainer #KikyoStakes #Onee-chan #CuteCurrenChan】

Throughout the journey, Curren Chan happily took selfies, showing no signs of nervousness about the upcoming race.

"Onee-chan, look! The fans are all saying Onee-chan is so pretty~"

Curren Chan had no intention of moving away from Sakura Baimu, her little head still gently resting on her shoulder.

Taking advantage of holding the phone up to Sakura Baimu, she squeezed herself even closer, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Wow, Curren's fans are even asking Curren for Onee-chan's Umasta account! Seriously, Onee-chan is stealing Curren's fans~?"

Curren Chan looked up at Sakura Baimu with a slight expression of displeasure.

"By the way, does Onee-chan follow Curren's Umasta?"

"No, not really."

"Seriously, how can Onee-chan not follow Curren? Onee-chan has to keep a close eye on Curren! Onee-chan, here, give the phone to Curren."

Sakura Baimu smiled helplessly and handed the phone to Curren Chan.

Curren Chan glanced at Sakura Baimu's Umasta profile and was immediately startled to find it was entirely filled with Smart Falcon's posts.

She quickly checked Sakura Baimu's following list, her purple eyes narrowing sharply.

Curren Chan discovered that Sakura Baimu's Umasta only followed Smart Falcon.

--

Chapter 209: Senpai Hasn't Figured Out What's So Cute About Curren Yet~

"Huh? What's going on? Why does Onee-chan only follow Falco-senpai?"

Sakura Baimu's Umasta account only followed Smart Falcon, which was something she couldn't help but wonder about.

When Curren Chan first met Sakura Baimu, Sakura Baimu recognized her immediately.

And Sakura Baimu also knew that she was Umasta's selfie angel and had over 3 million followers on Umasta.

"Onee-chan knows so much about Curren, so why doesn't she follow Curren?"

At first, Curren Chan thought Sakura Baimu was the type who didn't like following others.

So she didn't think much of Sakura Baimu not following her.

Curren Chan could tell that although Smart Falcon was also an outgoing person, she was clearly the shy type when dealing with Sakura Baimu.

Although she joined the group later than Smart Falcon, her relationship with Sakura Baimu was significantly closer.

Now, after seeing Sakura Baimu's Umasta, Curren Chan discovered that Sakura Baimu was only following Smart Falcon.

This filled Curren Chan with a sense of frustration.

"I need to get Onee-chan to follow me,"

Curren Chan thought.

Thinking this, she handed the phone back to Sakura Baimu.

"Followed?" Sakura Baimu asked.

"No~" Curren Chan shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Curren can tell Onee-chan wasn't initially interested in following Curren, so let's just forget about it~"

Curren Chan's tone held a slight regret, but she didn't show it too obviously.

Of course, this was enough for Sakura Baimu to notice.

Sakura Baimu picked up her phone and glanced at her Umasta, instantly understanding what was going on.

She didn't usually use Umasta at all; the only person she followed was at first Smart Falcon, whom she had followed after the Leopard Stakes using her own phone.

It was basically the same situation as Curren Chan now.

It was quite amusing that Curren Chan was jealous because she only followed Smart Falcon.

"Okay, okay, I've followed Curren too," Sakura Baimu said with a smile.

"Wow, Onee-chan followed Curren! Curren must be so happy!" Curren Chan exclaimed happily.

"..."

Sakura Baimu was somewhat speechless. Although Curren Chan's acting was amazing, making it hard to tell whether she was being genuine, her reaction was actually quite obvious.

"Curren, you can be a little more normal when you're with me. I know what kind of person you are."

"Huh—? Curren doesn't understand what Onee-chan is talking about. Curren is genuinely happy to be noticed by Onee-chan~"

Curren Chan tapped her lower lip with her fingertip, a hint of confusion in her purple eyes.

"Alright, whatever makes you happy."

Sakura Baimu chuckled softly, turning her gaze back to the window.

--

A moment later.

Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan arrived at Hanshin Racecourse in Hyogo Prefecture.

After greeting Sakura Baimu, Curren Chan went backstage to prepare.

Hanshin Racecourse is one of Japan's four major racecourses.

Although today's race was only an OP-level race, the number of spectators was still significantly higher than at other venues.

The pre-race presentation began.

As expected, Curren Chan secured first place with an overwhelming popularity advantage.

The audience's enthusiasm upon seeing Curren Chan on stage was more than double that for the Umamusume who came in second.

She truly exuded the aura of an Umamusume star.

The other Umamusume contestants were visibly surprised by this.

Unlike the other Umamusume contestants, who presented themselves with seriousness and deliberation,

Curren Chan stepped onto the stage smiling and waving, then playfully flung off her tracksuit.

She leaned slightly forward, squinted one eye, and made a V-sign beside it.

She looked incredibly charming and adorable.

Many of Curren Chan's die-hard fans in the audience felt their hearts melt upon seeing her like this.

"Curren is so cute today!"

"Go, Curren!"

The cheers and encouragement rose and fell, surprising the Umamusume contestants backstage.

"Wow, this Umamusume seems to have a built-in filter. She's almost too dazzling!"

Starry Sky Melody, the third most popular contestant, peeked at Curren Chan on stage from behind and exclaimed in admiration.

"Is she a celebrity? Or from some prestigious Umamusume family? I don't think I've ever heard of her."

"Not from a prestigious family, just an internet celebrity. Curren, the selfie angel of Umasta," Aisha's Choice, the second most popular contestant, said casually.

"You know her?"

"Yeah, she got 3 million followers just from posting selfies on Umasta."

"Wow, that's great I wish I had that many fans too" Starry Sky Melody exclaimed. "But isn't it a bit strange that she's turned this competition into an idol fan event? It doesn't seem like her fans are here to watch the competition."

"After all, she doesn't have so many fans because of her talent, but because of her cuteness. Although she hasn't been in the industry for long, she was already famous at the age of three."

"Eh—I'm so envious~"

The Umamusumes behind her listened to Aisha's Choice's introduction and sighed enviously.

"Actually, this is quite good. If we can beat her, we can probably absorb some of her popularity, right? After all, for Umamusumes, the most attention-grabbing thing is still the competition," Aisha's Choice said.

--

The presentation ended, and Curren Chan smiled and returned backstage.

She walked through the intense gazes directed at her with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the envy and jealousy in their eyes.

"Hey, Curren Chan."

Starry Sky Melody called out to Curren Chan.

After seeing the puzzled look in Curren Chan's eyes, she continued:

"This is a competition, not your fan club."

"Curren knows that," Curren Chan nodded with a smile. "The fans who come to see Curren are really enthusiastic~"

"You'd better stop with that fake attitude of yours; it's really unpleasant to watch. I don't know if you'll still be able to smile if you lose the race."

Starry Sky Melody's words were utterly blunt.

"Huh?"

Curren Chan's face showed a momentary look of surprise, then she resumed her usual smiling demeanor.

She crossed her hands behind her back and walked up to the unfriendly Starry Sky Melody with a beaming smile.

Curren Chan looked up slightly, meeting the much taller Starry Sky Melody's face with an incredibly cute smile, and said sweetly:

"Looks like Starry Sky-senpai hasn't quite grasped Curren's charm yet~"

---

Chapter 210: The Kikyo Championship, Beginning

"The weather at Hanshin Racecourse is beautiful, and all the competitors have entered the gates."

"Which Umamusume will win today?"

"The third most popular competitor in this round is Starry Sky Melody."

"With such an excellent record, is she a little unhappy with this assessment?"

As the commentator said, Starry Sky Melody was indeed very unhappy with only getting third place in popularity this time.

"I'm the only one who won the big race, and I can't believe I only got third place in popularity..."

Starry Sky Melody stood inside the gates, gazing at Curren Chan, who was standing in front of her with a slightly upturned smile and a cute expression.

She had the best performance of the entire round, yet she was pushed down to third place in popularity by an Umamusume who had debuted less than a month ago and only knew how to take selfies, in an OP-level competition.

This matter made Starry Sky Melody very uncomfortable.

"Second in popularity, Aisha's Choice, an Umamusume and a formidable opponent aiming for victory."

"Can she achieve her fourth consecutive win today?"

Aisha's Choice didn't share Starry Sky Melody's excessive jealousy of Curren Chan.

However, it would be a lie to say she didn't envy Curren Chan's popularity, which was comparable to that of prestigious Umamusumes.

Her attention was focused on both Starry Sky Melody and Curren Chan.

She was also recalling the information she had gathered about these two opponents.

"Curren Chan, not a debut winner, and a social media influencer who's only been around for less than a month..."

"Her previous two matches were decent, but they were both Dirt races. Why is she switching to Turf now?"

"Regardless, Curren Chan has too little experience and isn't a significant threat."

"Starry Sky Melody, the previous champion of the G3-level CBC prize-winning tournament, is the competitor I need to watch most."

...

"Finally, the star of the show, and there's no one else but her!"

"The number one favorite in this race is Curren Chan!"

As the commentator introduced her, many of Curren Chan's fans in the venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Inside the gates, Curren Chan, hearing the cheers of her fans, smiled and waved to the stands.

She looked every bit the part of an idol walking the red carpet and greeting fans.

Her face showed no sign of nervousness for the upcoming race.

Starry Sky Melody, standing next to her, felt a pang of jealousy.

"Turf 1400 meters, Kikyo Stakes."

"Ready—"

"Go!"

The gates opened, and the Umamusumes surged out.

"Everyone, the Umamusumes had a very good start."

The commentator remarked.

Although this was only an OP-level race,

Hanshin Racecourse is one of Japan's four major racecourses.

Therefore, even in an OP-level race, the overall quality of the Umamusumes was higher than in similar local races.

A poor start wasn't just a problem for rookie Umamusumes.

However, it was clear that none of the Umamusumes in this Kikyo Stakes made any significant mistakes at the start.

"Leading the pack is the race's number one favorite, Curren Chan."

"Like her popularity suggests, she's chosen to run at the very front of all the Umamusumes."

"In second place is King of White Feathers, about three Lengths behind Curren Chan."

"Closely following is Starry Sky Melody, who has chosen an early pace and is not to be underestimated."

"The pace of each Umamusume is gradually increasing."

The 1400-meter Kikyo Stakes was approaching the second turn.

After the first 200 meters, the entire 1000-meter section is downhill until the steep climb 200 meters from the finish line.

Therefore, the pace of the Kikyo Stakes is significantly faster than that of other short-distance races.

"Curren Chan is very fast, gradually widening the gap from the other leading Umamusumes."

"She's about to enter the third turn, with King of White Feathers about five Lengths behind her."

"Starry Sky Melody, in third place, remains closely behind King of White Feathers."

"Aisha's Choice, the second most popular runner, is in fifth place."

"The Kikyo Stakes never have many entries; this time, only seven Umamusumes are participating."

“The Umamusume with the highest win rate in the Kikyo Championship is the one leading the pack, followed by my chosen strategy.”

“Because there aren’t many Umamusumes registered, the leaders can’t form a strong line to prevent those behind from overtaking.”

“My lane is on the outside, which will cost me some distance on the turns, but if I want to overtake, they can’t defend against me.”

Aisha’s Choice ran at a steady pace, showing no anxiety despite being third from last.

“Curren Chan entered the third turn first, followed by King of White Feathers, and then Starry Sky Melody.”

“Curren Chan is very fast at the start.”

“Running this fast at the start, isn’t she worried about running out of energy?”

Starry Sky Melody couldn’t help but think this as she looked at Curren Chan leading the pack.

Just as Starry Sky Melody was feeling disdain for Curren Chan's speed, her expression suddenly froze.

A sudden smile appeared on her face.

Because she noticed.

Curren Chan, who was leading the pack, suddenly accelerated again halfway through the third turn.

"Curren Chan accelerated again halfway through the third turn!"

"That speed is incredible! Is her stamina okay?"

'Is she trying to widen the gap as quickly as possible on the downhill?'

The commentator analyzed softly, watching Curren Chan's sudden acceleration.

Although the Kikyo Stakes is downhill from the 200-meter mark to the 1200-meter mark,

the gradient of this downhill section is not constant.

From the starting point to the 600-meter mark, there is a very gentle downhill slope.

Because the slope isn't particularly steep, Umamusumes could treat this downhill section as normal flat ground.

However, from the 600-meter mark, halfway through the third turn,

the slope of the track changes abruptly.

An Umamusume running at a normal pace might find herself unintentionally accelerating at this point.

An average Umamusume might struggle to control her speed, completely disrupting her rhythm on this downhill section and causing her to go too fast.

And this was exactly what happened to Curren Chan, according to Starry Sky Melody.

"Idiot, you ran too fast at the beginning, lost control of your speed, and then just sprinted off when the slope changed?"

"Sprinting at that speed on the third turn, let's see how you get over the steep slope before the finish line."

--

--

Chapter 211: The Reckless Curren Chan

Hanshin Racecourse is a paperclip-shaped track.

Large outer loops enclose smaller inner loops.

The choice of track varies depending on the race.

The Kikyo Championship uses the inner loops.

Curren Chan's acceleration at the third corner was indeed somewhat strange, leading many to mistakenly believe she hadn't adapted to the change in track gradient and had suddenly lost control of her speed.

However, in reality, Curren Chan's speed at that moment didn't significantly impact her stamina.

Only the TCB members knew that Curren Chan was actually an Umamusume adaptable to Turf.

While the reason Curren Chan chose a Dirt race for her debut remains unknown to anyone but herself, she achieved a significant victory on the Dirt track.

She broke the Tracen Academy freshman 1200-Meter Dirt record.

What terrifying power would she display when placed on a Turf track?

Moreover, Curren Chan had undergone over a month of Spartan-style training with Sakura Baimu at the TCB.

Her physical attributes had improved rapidly.

It wasn't surprising that she could maintain such speed on this downhill section.

Sakura Baimu knew this.

However, the Umamusumes racing alongside Curren Chan, the commentators, the live broadcasters, and the spectators were unaware of it.

"Curren Chan's speed is still very fast, showing no signs of adjustment."

"Is she moving too fast to adjust, or is it..."

"Did she deliberately accelerate during the change in gradient at the third turn?!"

At this moment, the Umamusumes who had already fallen far behind Curren Chan belatedly realized the problem.

Although everyone realized that Curren Chan had deliberately accelerated rather than having her rhythm disrupted by the sudden change in gradient,

their assessment of Curren Chan's current condition was once again flawed.

"The race isn't even halfway through, and she's already running this fast? Does she really not know how terrifying the steep climb at Hanshin Racecourse is?"

Starry Sky Melody couldn't suppress a smile.

"The steep climb at Tokyo Racecourse, known as the 'heart killer,' is a straight section of nearly 200 meters with an elevation gain of 2 meters."

“But the steep climb before the finish line at Hanshin Racecourse involves ascending a 2-meter elevation gain in a straight section of only 100 meters.”

“The pressure on the hearts of Umamusumes on that climb is far more terrifying than the steep slopes at Tokyo Racecourse!”

“The remaining energy in the final stages will directly translate into the pressure on their hearts during the climb. If Curren Chan maintains this pace to ascend the steep slope, the immense pressure on her heart will be enough to prevent her from completing the final 200 meters!”

Not only Starry Sky Melody, but even Aisha's Choice shared the same thought.

“Too reckless,” Aisha's Choice shook her head and thought to herself.

"Curren Chan is maintaining her speed as she enters the final corner!"

"The Umamusumes behind her are also starting to accelerate!"

'The downhill sections of Hanshin Racecourse are the most competitive sections for Umamusumes.'

"Curren Chan is fast, really fast!"

"Having accelerated from the third corner, she's effortlessly clearing the fourth!"

"Curren Chan has already pulled far ahead of Starry Sky Melody in second place."

"Curren Chan has exited the final corner and is on the final straight!"

If Curren Chan's sudden acceleration on the third corner had surprised the audience,

then her maintaining that speed on the final straight without showing any sign of slowing down

left the audience utterly stunned.

Of course, this stunned silence wasn't due to amazement at Curren Chan's stamina or speed.

Instead, it stemmed from concern over Curren Chan's relentless pace and her seemingly dwindling stamina.

"Curren's already pulled ahead by quite a bit. Why isn't she conserving her energy for the steep climb before the finish line?" a Curren Chan fan asked her friend.

"This... is Curren planning to slow down only before the final steep climb?" her friend said uncertainly.

"If she slows down before the steep climb, will she have enough energy left? From the middle of the third turn to the steep climb before the finish line is a full 600 meters! Who can sprint that long?"

"Curren has mastered climbing techniques. Maybe she's not under that much pressure?"

"The gradients are all different. The Dirt uphill at Tokyo Racecourse isn't suitable for Hanshin Racecourse!"

"Curren! You're running too fast! Conserve your energy!!"

An anxious fan shouted a warning to Curren Chan from the stands.

Curren Chan's reckless running style was even more frightening than during her debut race.

Fans clearly remembered the pained expression on Curren Chan's face when she stepped onto the Dirt ramp at Tokyo Racecourse during her debut race.

It was heartbreaking to watch.

Fans didn't want to see that again.

But clearly, Curren Chan didn't change her running style because of the fans' shouts.

"Curren Chan, 400 Meters to go!"

"Starry Sky Melody is accelerating too! She's closing the gap to Curren Chan so quickly!"

"Aisha's Choice has moved from fifth to third, overtaking King of White Feathers. Can she overtake Starry Sky Melody?"

"Curren Chan, she's too fast!"

The Kikyo Stakes' fast pace at the start meant that the Umamusumes didn't have much energy left for acceleration on the final straight.

Umamusumes who had studied the racetrack knew to conserve energy for the steep climb before the finish line.

Overtaking on the steep climb is almost impossible unless the leading Umamusume experiences a significant slowdown.

Therefore, gaining an advantage on the final straight becomes crucial.

Aisha's Choice and Starry Sky Melody, ranked second and third in popularity, were both focused on each other.

Whether Aisha's Choice could overtake on the final straight, and whether Starry Sky Melody could hold onto second place, would directly determine the final rankings.

As for Curren Chan...

Both Starry Sky Melody and Aisha's Choice agreed:

Her running style would put her at a significant disadvantage on steep slopes.

"Curren Chan, 300 meters to go!"

"She's approaching the steep slope 200 meters before the finish line!"

"Wait!"

A fan who had been analyzing Curren Chan's performance suddenly turned pale. Seeing that Curren Chan wasn't slowing down at all, she suddenly realized a terrifying possibility.

"Could Curren be planning to sprint up the steep slope at this speed?"

---

Chapter 212: Curren Chan's Graceful Steps

The fans surrounding Curren Chan paled in shock upon hearing the man's exclamation.

"How is this possible? Didn't we just analyze it? She should either slow down before the steep slope, or she should slow down beforehand to conserve energy. Curren didn't slow down beforehand, so she must have slowed down before the steep slope, right?"

"That's right, no matter what, going uphill at this speed is too..."

The fan's final "outrageous" was abruptly cut off.

"The last two hundred meters! Curren Chan has reached the steep slope before the finish line!"

"Curren Chan, her speed hasn't slowed down at all!"

Everyone saw that, while they were talking, Curren Chan was already standing at the foot of Takarazuka Kinen's steep slope.

And her pace hadn't slowed down in the slightest.

At this moment, the outcome was obvious.

They were all wrong; Curren Chan really was preparing to rush up the steep slope at this speed.

In an instant, many of Curren Chan's fans at the scene closed their eyes.

Or they looked away.

The speed Curren Chan displayed on the downhill section halfway through the third turn was truly astonishing compared to the other Umamusume runners.

Most people believed that this was the speed Curren Chan could achieve only after accelerating at full throttle.

Curren Chan's fans had witnessed the speeds she ran in her debut race and even in her unsuccessful debut race.

They simply couldn't compare to the speed she was currently displaying.

Therefore, most people believed that if Curren Chan were to climb the steep hill at this speed,

her heart would be under unimaginable pressure.

They had already witnessed Curren Chan's ascent of the steep hill at Tokyo Racecourse a month ago.

They didn't want to see that pained and uncomfortable expression on Curren Chan's cute little face again.

"The steep climb at Takarazuka Kinen is even steeper than the heart-stopping climb at Tokyo Racecourse. Even climbing at a normal pace when you're nearly exhausted after the race puts immense pressure on your heart."

"Curren Chan is practically committing suicide by accelerating uphill."

Starry Sky Melody and Aisha's Choice, who were almost neck and neck, were initially focused entirely on each other.

But both women, upon hearing the announcer say that Curren Chan had reached the steep slope before the finish line, immediately turned their attention back to the grey-haired, black-eared Umamusume ahead.

Aisha's Choice frowned, while Starry Sky Melody was almost laughing out loud with excitement.

At that moment, half the audience averted their gaze, unable to bear watching any longer.

The remaining half held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on Curren Chan at the front.

Curren Chan's right foot, stepping onto the slope, showed nothing unusual, nothing remarkable.

Then, without hesitation, her left foot stepped directly onto the grassy slope.

But this step was incredibly light, as light as a Latin dancer gracefully dancing.

Just as the audience was about to notice Curren Chan's expression, they saw her right foot once again step onto the grassy area atop the steep slope with the same light, quick steps.

The frequency of her strides was so fast that many didn't even have time to react.

"Curren Chan changed her stride! Curren Chan changed her climbing stride!"

The broadcaster's sudden, high-pitched voice jolted many of the still-stunned audience members back to reality.

And those fans who couldn't bear to see Curren Chan's heart pounding with pain as she climbed the slope.

Even before turning around, their faces were filled with astonishment.

Too fast.

Curren Chan's stride changed too quickly.

Many didn't even have time to react.

Too smooth.

Curren Chan was like a precisely programmed machine.

She was running normally until her right foot touched the steep slope.

But as her light, graceful left foot stepped onto the slope, her entire demeanor shifted in an instant.

Curren Chan's stride frequency instantly more than doubled.

Her previously heavy strides became as light and agile as a dragonfly skimming the water.

"What...what just happened? Why did Curren suddenly..."

A fan who had only turned back to watch the match after hearing the commentator's shout asked the person next to him in shock.

He now had only one thought:

Regret.

Utter regret!

Why did he look away?

Wasn't he completely missing the moment Curren Chan changed her stride?

What he hadn't expected was that his friend next to him, who had been watching the entire match, mechanically turned his head little by little toward him, his face and eyes filled with shock.

"I didn't see it either! That change was so fast!"

"..."

"..."

He and his friend fell silent at the same time.

Unlike Curren Chan's previous, unsuccessful debut race.

This time, those fans and spectators who hadn't believed she could conquer the steep hill...

After seeing her change of pace...

There were no usual cheers and applause.

Instead, they all stared wide-eyed, unblinkingly at Curren Chan, a confident smile on her lips, sprinting rapidly toward the top of the hill at a low angle.

Curren Chan's speed up the hill was so unexpected, and her change of pace so smooth.

As a result, few people cared about the speed Curren Chan lost while climbing.

Instead, their attention was completely drawn to her stunning, novel running form.

Even if someone had guessed that Curren Chan might not slow down to climb the hill...

No one could have predicted that Curren Chan could switch her strides so smoothly.

And as if her heart felt no pressure whatsoever, she surged toward the top of the hill.

Gradually.

People began to recover from their initial shock.

Then.

They realized a new problem.

"Wait... how long has Curren maintained this speed?"

"She started accelerating at 600 meters and has maintained that speed for a full 650 meters halfway down the steep slope!!!" someone exclaimed.

"How could an Umamusume maintain a sprint for that long? Unless..."

The person didn't finish their sentence, but everyone understood the implication.

Unless Curren Chan's acceleration halfway down the third turn wasn't her full-speed burst at all.

From the moment she started accelerating, within half a wave's distance, she had already established a significant speed advantage over Starry Sky Melody, a CBC winner who had previously won a major race.

For Curren Chan, there was still plenty of room for maneuver.

--

Chapter 213: Curren Chan's Unrivaled Advance

Starry Sky Melody's smile froze the moment she saw Curren Chan begin her ascent so smoothly.

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth slightly agape, seemingly left open, betrayed the turmoil churning within her.

"She's already done over 600 Meters! She used incredible speed from the third turn... no! From the very beginning, she's been pushing herself to the very top of the final steep climb!"

"How can she still have the energy to climb?!"

"How can she still have the flexibility to change her climbing style?!"

Starry Sky Melody screamed internally.

Those questions, however numerous, did nothing to dispel her doubts.

Starry Sky Melody couldn't understand.

In truth, all her questions could be explained in one sentence.

That is—

Compared to her and all the other competitors present, Curren Chan was simply far superior.

Starry Sky Melody's rational mind told her that this was the only reasonable explanation.

But deep down, she simply couldn't accept it.

She couldn't accept that she, the only one in the entire competition to have won a major prize, was an Umamusume.

She couldn't even catch up to an Umamusume, a social media influencer famous for her selfies!

"With this kind of skill, how could she fail in the debut competition?"

"This is only her first competition after her successful debut; how could I not even catch up?"

"If I've been beaten by someone like an Umamusume, then... what's the point of winning this big prize round?"

In an instant.

Starry Sky Melody was gripped by deep self-doubt.

Her sudden change in mindset was directly reflected in her movements.

Aisha's Choice, who was originally second in popularity, could only maintain a tie with Starry Sky Melody despite her best efforts.

But the moment Starry Sky Melody's confidence crumbled and she began to doubt herself,

Aisha's Choice instantly overtook her.

"Aisha's Choice has overtaken Starry Sky Melody and is in second place!"

'Starry Sky Melody seems strange; is she out of energy?'

'Aisha's Choice has also reached the steep slope.'

The commentator and announcer reported the status of Aisha's Choice and Starry Sky Melody.

However, their voices did not reach Aisha's Choice, who was in second place.

Even...

Aisha's Choice hadn't even noticed that she had overtaken Starry Sky Melody.

Because...

At this moment, Aisha's Choice was also bewildered by Curren Chan's uphill pace.

"This Curren Chan, didn't she run the Dirt track in her previous two debut races?"

"How could she possibly maintain this speed on the Turf track?"

"Can her stamina support her sprinting over 600 meters at this speed without stalling?"

Aisha's Choice was puzzled.

She had already researched Curren Chan before the race.

She knew that Curren Chan had won her previous, undefeated debut race with a record-breaking performance.

Logically, Curren Chan should be adapted to Dirt racing.

Even if Curren Chan could run on Turf, she shouldn't be stronger than she was on Dirt.

Curren Chan's current performance has completely overturned Aisha's Choice's assessment.

"An Umamusume who can adapt so well to both Turf and Dirt...that's a Legend..."

Aisha's Choice's impression was that only three Umamusumes possessed such adaptability to both Turf and Dirt.

"The Gray-Haired 'Monster'"—Oguri Cap.

Japan's fastest sprinter—Daiki Shuttle.

And El Condor Pasa, one of the golden generation, who has never fallen out of the top two, domestically or internationally.

These three Umamusumes are all Legends.

"Could it be that I've encountered a future Legend in an OP-level race?"

Aisha's Choice couldn't help but wonder.

"Look at how adaptable Curren Chan is to both Turf and Dirt races."

"She's a total copy of Daiki Shuttle!"

The problem is, Daiki Shuttle isn't a pure-blooded Japanese Umamusume.

She's of Japanese-American descent, born in Kentucky, USA, so it's not surprising that she can adapt to both Dirt and Turf.

This Curren Chan, however, doesn't look like she has any American genes at all.

But she does have the shadow of Daiki Shuttle.

"Wait, something's not right! Did Daiki Shuttle have this speed when she first debuted? I don't think Daiki Shuttle could match her speed, could she?"

Aisha's Choice was once again lost in thought.

Suddenly.

A heavy pressure slammed into Aisha's Choice's heart, the intense pain snapping her back to reality.

She had completely forgotten to slow down when she stepped onto the steep slope!

Aisha's Choice's speed dropped abruptly, her legs feeling incredibly heavy.

"Oh dear! Aisha's Choice looks like she's in a lot of pain; she couldn't get into position before the steep climb!"

"Aisha's Choice has lost a lot of speed!"

"Starry Sky Melody is right behind her on the steep climb; she doesn't seem to have found her rhythm either!"

"King of White Feathers is about to reach the steep climb!"

"Curren Chan is still in the lead!"

"Both Umamusumes behind Curren Chan have suffered serious speed loss on the steep climb!"

"What's going on?!"

This scene on the track is truly bizarre. The most popular runner, Curren Chan, is leading the entire race at an exaggerated speed and smoothly ascending the steep climb without much impact.

Meanwhile, the Umamusumes who were second and third most popular behind her seemed to have lost their minds and made serious mistakes on the steep slope.

"I feel like the two Umamusumes behind Curren have taken on all the pressure and pain Curren had to endure in this competition."

Suddenly, someone said something, which was immediately met with a chorus of agreement.

"Hmm, hmm."

Today's match is strange.

Just as the audience was still wondering what had happened between Aisha's Choice and Starry Sky Melody, they were pulled back to reality by the commentator's loud voice.

"Curren Chan has reached the top of the hill!"

"One hundred Meters left!"

"Such excellent climbing pace and speed."

"Curren Chan, her strength is extraordinary!"

"Curren Chan, her pace hasn't slowed down at all! No one can catch up with her anymore!"

"Curren Chan, now, with a huge lead—"

"Crosses the finish line!!"

As the commentator's shout announcing the finish rang out, the audience, after a long silence, erupted in cheers and applause.

"Curren Chan, the future dark horse of sprint racing, is leaving everyone else in the dust with her unparalleled speed!"

"She broke the Kikyo Championship record, improving it by 1.22 seconds!"

"Let's give a round of applause to today's winner."

--

Actually, the strange states of the opponents' Umamusumes in the book are easy to understand if you imagine them being hit by a red skill.

---

Chapter 214: So, Senpai, Do You Now Understand What Makes Curren So Adorable?

The competition concluded successfully.

Curren Chan won the Kikyo Stakes with a record-breaking first-place finish.

However, Aisha's Choice, who came in second in popularity, and Starry Sky Melody, who came in third, both suffered unexpected defeats.

Aisha's Choice finished third, while Starry Sky Melody only managed fourth.

The second-place finisher was King of White Feathers, who came in fifth in popularity.

Due to the small number of participants in the Kikyo Championship, the Umamusume, aside from the first-place finisher, received limited attention.

Curren Chan stood beyond the finish line, listening to the enthusiastic cheers of the surrounding spectators and fans, breathing heavily.

“Curren won… Curren won again.”

“Curren’s performance is even better than last time. Her strength is even greater.”

Curren Chan thought to herself, then turned to look toward the stands, in the direction of her trainer, Sakura Baimu.

There, she saw that Sakura Baimu was also watching her.

After seeing Curren Chan looking at her, Sakura Baimu smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

Curren Chan was overjoyed to receive Sakura Baimu’s praise.

“Curren can clearly feel that her strength has improved rapidly… If Curren hadn’t joined TCB and hadn’t become Onee-chan’s Umamusume, it would have been impossible for her to achieve such results…”

Curren Chan was excited and incredibly grateful that she had joined TCB and had Sakura Baimu as her trainer.

“If I hadn’t noticed the discussions among fans about Falco-senpai, Curren wouldn’t have paid any attention to her.”

“If I hadn’t paid attention to Falco-senpai, Curren wouldn’t have noticed Onee-chan and wouldn’t have joined TCB.”

Just as Curren Chan was feeling fortunate about everything that had happened during this time, she suddenly realized something.

Her becoming an Umamusume under Sakura Baimu didn’t seem to have much to do with her own choices.

More importantly, it was thanks to her trainer, Sakura Baimu.

“If Onee-chan hadn’t given Curren that strategy guide after her debut race failure…”

“Curren probably wouldn’t have realized Onee-chan’s true situation and would have missed out on a trainer like Onee-chan, who had such excellent chemistry with her.”

Curren Chan initially had a preconceived notion about Sakura Baimu.

Therefore, she didn’t accept Sakura Baimu as her trainer at first.

Normally, as an Umamusume, Curren Chan’s relationship with Sakura Baimu as a trainer should have ended there.

Curren Chan wanted to use Sakura Baimu’s team to qualify for the Twinkle Series.

But she didn’t want Sakura Baimu as her trainer.

The problem ultimately lay with Curren Chan herself.

“Thanks to Onee-chan’s extra care for Curren, who didn’t accept her at the time, Curren was able to understand her misunderstandings about Onee-chan and ultimately become Onee-chan’s Umamusume.”

Thinking back on this, Curren Chan felt not relief but lingering fear.

She had a fantastic start.

In Tracen Academy’s freshman mock competition, she broke the freshman record for Dirt 1200 Meters.

Then, without any further assessment, she directly entered TCB, a place many of Curren Chan’s fellow Umamusume longed for but couldn’t get into.

But Curren Chan herself ruined this perfect start.

Not only did she give up the opportunity to train with Sakura Baimu, but she also lost her debut race.

However, what should have been a tragic ending was pulled back onto the proper path by Sakura Baimu’s intervention.

Curren Chan still found the whole thing unreal, almost surreal, whenever she thought about it now.

She was terrified that she would wake up and find it had all been a dream.

The real ending would have been that, after losing her debut race, she received no help from Sakura Baimu.

This kind of nightmare had haunted Curren Chan’s dreams several times.

Almost every time, Curren Chan would wake from a nightmare, grab her phone, and open her Umasta.

Only after seeing the photo of herself with her arm around Sakura Baimu’s neck would her wildly pounding heart gradually calm down.

Curren Chan stared at Sakura Baimu in the audience, a warm feeling welling up inside her.

Just like when she won her debut race, she happily ran toward the audience, posing for photos with fans.

“Everyone, don’t forget to add ‘#CurrenChan’ when you post your status~?”

---

Winning Live ended successfully.

Although there were only seven Umamusume competing, with the presence of Curren Chan, an Umamusume with immense popularity, the Winning Live, an OP-level competition, had a fairly high turnout.

Fans who originally liked and followed Curren Chan because of her cuteness were pleasantly surprised to find...

Their long-time favorite, Curren Chan, delivered an amazing performance, showcasing her incredible talent in the competition.

It was double the joy!

The fans were ecstatic, and even the casual spectators were thoroughly entertained by Curren Chan’s spectacular performance.

After Winning Live, the Umamusume returned to the Hanshin Racecourse dressing room to change.

The top three finishers got to stand in the center, and their dressing room was different from that of the lower-ranked Umamusume.

Curren Chan took a selfie while still in her stage costume.

[#Winning #RecordBreaking #StageCostume #CuteCurrenChan]

She quickly changed and went to another dressing room reserved for the fourth-place and lower-ranked Umamusume, where she waited for Starry Sky Melody to emerge.

“Starry Sky-senpai~!”

Curren Chan called out sweetly, startling Starry Sky Melody, who had been somewhat dazed. She quickly looked over.

Upon realizing that the person calling her was Curren Chan, Starry Sky Melody felt a surge of panic but feigned confidence and asked.

“You... what’s wrong?”

“Senpai, before Curren started the competition, you said that Curren’s attitude made you very uncomfortable~”

Curren Chan’s expression remained charming and adorable. Although her expression revealed no flaws, her words, clearly incongruous with her demeanor, suddenly created a sense of unease in Starry Sky Melody.

“Yes... yes, so what?” Starry Sky Melody found her heart racing inexplicably and her anxiety growing stronger.

“So, Curren wants to let you know how cute she is, senpai~?”

Curren Chan smiled sweetly and walked toward Starry Sky Melody step by step.

Starry Sky Melody watched Curren Chan approach with a smile, feeling extremely resistant but not daring to look away.

She could only watch helplessly as Curren Chan slowly broke through her psychological defenses, bringing her cute little face close to hers.

Then, Starry Sky Melody saw Curren Chan’s smiling eyes open slightly.

At the same time, she heard Curren Chan’s sweet voice ring out again.

“So, do you understand how cute Curren is now, senpai~?”

---

Chapter 215: Maruzensky’s Attempt to Pretend to Be Young Is Beyond Saving

Sakura Baimu picked up Curren Chan, who came running toward her with cheerful little steps after Winning Live, and after having dinner with her, they prepared to return to Tokyo.

“Onee-chan, we’ve finally come to Kansai. How about taking Curren to Nara and Kyoto? We can go back tomorrow night, okay? (tears welling up)”

Hearing that Sakura Baimu was taking her back to Tokyo so soon, Curren Chan immediately looked pleadingly at her, tugging at Sakura Baimu’s arm and wanting to stay longer.

“Next time. Our team has too many races in September, three besides Curren’s, so we don’t have time to waste,” Sakura Baimu said with a smile.

“Eh—what a pity Curren finally got a chance to go out alone with Onee-chan”

Curren Chan didn’t continue to complain. After venting her disappointment for a moment, she obediently boarded the Shinkansen back to Tokyo with Sakura Baimu.

The whole way, Curren Chan happily looked at her phone, showing no sign of displeasure at Sakura Baimu’s refusal to stay in Kansai with her.

Sakura Baimu glanced at Curren Chan beside her, sensing that her mood was unusually high, much better than before.

“Curren, you seem to be in a really good mood today,” Sakura Baimu said.

“Yeah, Curren won the race. I’m so happy~” Curren Chan smiled sweetly.

“I have a feeling it’s not just that?”

“Hehe, Onee-chan is really perceptive~” Curren Chan said, holding her phone up to Sakura Baimu. “Onee-chan, look! Curren has gained so many more followers!”

“Wow, that’s great.” Sakura Baimu took Curren Chan’s phone and casually browsed her follower list.

Curren Chan naturally leaned her head against Sakura Baimu’s left cheek, looking at her Umasta together with her.

Curren Chan’s Umasta indeed had a large number of new followers.

As Sakura Baimu looked through them, her eyes suddenly lit up when she noticed a name—

Starry Sky Melody.

“This... I remember she was the Umamusume who was third most popular in the competition just now?” Sakura Baimu thought to herself.

She hadn’t expected Curren Chan to be noticed by a competitor after the race.

This was quite rare.

Curren Chan, leaning against Sakura Baimu, noticed a momentary pause in Sakura Baimu’s hand as she scrolled.

She slightly raised her head, looked at Sakura Baimu’s cool face, and asked softly.

“Onee-chan, is there a problem?”

“This Starry Sky Melody—I remember she seemed to have a problem with you before the race, Curren. She actually followed you afterward?”

Sakura Baimu, of course, was unaware of the minor friction that had occurred between Curren Chan and Starry Sky Melody after the presentation segment.

However, watching from the stands, Sakura Baimu had noticed Starry Sky Melody’s dissatisfaction and jealousy toward Curren Chan while she stood inside the gates before the race.

Logically, if Starry Sky Melody had lost the race, she shouldn’t have been so inclined to pay attention to Curren Chan.

“Oh, Starry Sky-senpai~” Curren Chan chuckled. “Senpai didn’t understand Curren’s charm before the race.”

“So after the race, Curren had a little ‘discussion’ with senpai, helping her understand Curren’s charm too~?”

“Then Curren’s charm is truly great,” Sakura Baimu laughed.

“Hehe, I didn’t expect Onee-chan to be so attentive to Curren. She even noticed Hoshizora-senpai’s dissatisfaction with Curren before the race. It seems Onee-chan really is keeping a close eye on Curren~”

“Definitely.” Sakura Baimu replied with a smile, suddenly feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and glanced at it.

The sender was Maruzensky.

The message read:

“Ugh! Junkawa-san refused my invitation to go to the bar again. Even though I told her I wouldn’t keep her out until the last train, she still refused I saw my junior win the race. As expected of Sakura-san, so awesome! You’ll be back in Tokyo tonight, right? I’ll be waiting for you at our usual spot”

Sakura Baimu’s lips twitched slightly as she looked at the text message from Maruzensky.

The Showa energy was too strong!!!

After discovering the message was from Maruzensky, Sakura Baimu immediately avoided letting Curren Chan see her phone screen.

She was afraid Maruzensky might send something that could easily reveal her identity.

Fortunately, while the message reminded Sakura Baimu of things from over a decade ago, it didn’t contain anything too inappropriate.

So, without trying to hide it from Curren Chan, she replied to Maruzensky.

“We’ll see. It’ll be late by the time we get back to Tokyo.”

Maruzensky immediately replied:

“What time do you arrive in Tokyo? I’ll drive over to pick you up~ (Great, great!)”

“No need. I’ll contact Ms. Maruzensky after I drop Curren off.”

“Awesome.”

Sakura Baimu’s eye twitched involuntarily as she looked at the message before putting her phone back into her pocket.

“Wow, awesome, great... great?”

Curren Chan murmured, repeating the text message Maruzensky had just sent, her face full of confusion.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t use those words,” Sakura Baimu replied awkwardly. “Maruzensky-san is probably trying as hard as possible to make herself look trendy.”

“Speaking of which, many classmates used to come to Curren to learn how to show their cute side. Curren can basically teach anyone, but when it comes to Maruzensky-senpai, Curren finds her unable to unleash her cuteness power no matter what she does~”

Curren Chan’s mood inexplicably dipped as she spoke, as though she had suddenly begun to doubt her own abilities.

“Curren, don’t blame yourself. This one is hopeless when it comes to acting young,” Sakura Baimu said.

As expected of Maruzensky, known as the “Showa JK.” Even the incredibly cute Curren Chan was helpless.

“But Curren actually admires Maruzensky a lot. She’s a true superstar, a beautiful and talented senpai!”

“Indeed, Maruzensky is probably the most popular Umamusume in the academy, even more popular than the Emperor.” Sakura Baimu nodded.

Maruzensky was the most approachable of all the top Umamusume in the academy.

Her straightforward, cheerful, and gentle personality made her the ultimate Onee-san admired by countless junior Umamusume.

Apart from sometimes speaking a bit out of touch with the times, she truly deserved to be called a perfect Umamusume.

“Speaking of which, Curren really didn’t expect Onee-chan to be so close to Maruzen-senpai~”

Chapter 216: The Pleasant Hotrod

Hearing Curren Chan's words and seeing the slightly envious expression on her face, Sakura Baimu felt an urge to cover her face.

"I didn't really intend to get this close to her..."

Sakura Baimu couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Having Maruzensky discover her true identity was Sakura Baimu's biggest regret this year.

Although Maruzensky hadn't done anything too strange so far.

But what if one day, this "Hotrod" who was always looking for fun got bored and started doing something weird?

As Sakura Baimu thought about it, she remembered the culprit who had exposed her—Golden Crown Eagle.

Sakura Baimu hadn't expected that Golden Crown Eagle, this American Umamusume, would recognize her.

Even though she had warned her once.

But unexpectedly, Obey Your Master had actually uncovered her identity.

"Umamusume truly lives up to her reputation as the 'Investigation Maniac'; her execution ability far surpasses everyone else's."

"I have to make McQueen teach that Golden Crown Eagle a lesson at the Japan Cup, otherwise I'll just feel inexplicably annoyed," Sakura Baimu thought to herself again.

"Onee-chan? Are you alright?"

Curren Chan noticed Sakura Baimu's silence. She sensed that her mood had dropped and asked with concern.

"I'm fine, I just remembered something else," Sakura Baimu replied casually.

"Could it be that the Umamusume who helped Curren and her teammates create the strategy guide is Maruzensky-senpai?" Curren Chan thought, somewhat puzzled.

Maruzensky certainly qualified as an all-around Umamusume.

She could handle races of almost any distance, and her adaptability to turf and dirt was also excellent; her skill level was very high.

Furthermore, Maruzensky's invitation to meet Sakura Baimu at their "usual spot" late at night clearly indicated a close relationship between them.

Because Maruzensky was Rigil's Umamusume, it wasn't convenient for her to show excessive closeness to Sakura Baimu, a TCB trainer, during the day, so the two rarely interacted during daylight hours.

"Speaking of which, Maruzensky had already retired by the time Onee-chan entered Tracen Academy, right? How did they meet? What is it about Onee-chan that appealed to Maruzen-senpai?"

"I heard Onee-chan and Oguri-senpai are also very close. How did Onee-chan and Oguri-senpai meet?"

Unexpectedly, Curren Chan realized that although she considered herself knowledgeable about Sakura Baimu, upon closer reflection, her understanding of Sakura Baimu wasn't actually any better than that of the other TCB Umamusume.

She needed to understand Sakura Baimu better—

This thought arose in Curren Chan's mind.

“By the way, Onee-chan, you don’t mind Curren calling you Onee-chan, do you?” Curren Chan asked.

“I don’t mind. Rice always calls me ‘onee-sama,’ right?” Sakura Baimu laughed.

Who could resist a younger sister?

“Then Curren is relieved~”

Curren Chan’s use of “Onee-chan” for Sakura Baimu was distinct from the other members’ use of “Trainer-san.”

This wasn’t just a habitual, affectionate way Curren Chan addressed older women; it was also a way of distinguishing herself from the others.

"Speaking of which, if Onee-chan likes this nickname, you could just have everyone else on the team call you 'Onee-chan' too~"

"Hiss—" Sakura Baimu gasped at Curren Chan's startling words. "Curren, you must be joking. How could I, as a trainer, do something like that?"

"But Curren feels that everyone on Onee-chan's team really likes Onee-chan~ I guess everyone except Miss McQueen would agree to this request, right?"

"Curren, are you trying to break my defenses?"

"Huh?"

---

Time flew by during Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan's conversation.

In the blink of an eye, Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan arrived in Tokyo.

After forcibly handing over Curren Chan, who clearly didn't want to return to the dormitory, to Fuji Kiseki, Sakura Baimu got up and went to the bar where she had met Maruzensky before.

"Sakura-chan You're finally here! I've been waiting so long~"

As soon as Sakura Baimu entered the bar, she heard Maruzensky's alluring, slightly drunken voice.

Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw Maruzensky sprawled on the bar counter, waving lazily at her.

"Hey, Maruzensky-san, your way of addressing me is getting more and more dangerous. Who adds 'chan' after someone's surname?"

Sakura Baimu quickly went to Maruzensky's side and whispered to the swaying, fox-like Maruzensky sprawled across the bar counter.

Sakura Baimu's real name was indeed Sakura, but now "Sakura" was her surname.

Maruzensky's way of addressing her always made Sakura Baimu's heart race.

Of course, this wasn't a sign of attraction, but rather a heart attack.

"Pfft—"

Seeing the panicked look on Sakura Baimu's face, Maruzensky felt a surge of pleasure instantly fill the void left by Tazuna's rejection.

When Sakura Baimu wasn't speaking, she exuded a quiet, elegant, and refined air.

Especially in this dimly lit bar, with the dark neon lights illuminating her fair, luminous face, as if drawn with a fountain pen, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene like something out of a movie.

The thought that Sakura Baimu's serene image could be instantly shattered by a simple form of address filled Maruzensky with immense pleasure.

In fact, teasing Symboli Rudolf was a similar situation for Maruzensky.

While this Umamusume, who reigned supreme in Japan, usually appeared incredibly imposing, Maruzensky, who knew her well, knew that Symboli Rudolf wasn't as difficult to get along with as she seemed.

Maruzensky's favorite thing to do was to delve into the hearts of those with deceptive outward appearances.

And then watch them instantly shatter their image because of a single word or action of hers.

This always filled her with immense pleasure and satisfaction.

Besides Symboli Rudolf and Mr. CB, Sakura Baimu was now among her close friends.

How could Maruzensky not be happy about this?

"Sorry, Miss Sakura, I'm drunk," Maruzensky spoke lazily to Sakura Baimu after laughing.

"Don't try to fool me, I saw your Lamborghini parked outside."

---

Chapter 217: McQueen, Dia-chan Has Already Surpassed You by Far

“It’s no fun if I get caught~”

Maruzensky propped herself up on her elbows and turned to look at the bartender behind the counter.

“A ‘Blue Fairy’ for this pretty lady.”

“No, please don’t order me anything alcoholic. I might have something to do tonight.” Sakura Baimu desperately suppressed an urge to smile at Maruzensky’s form of address.

“This one’s not very strong~”

“Never mind, never mind.” Sakura Baimu waved her hand, then looked at the bartender behind the counter and pointed to the glass in front of Maruzensky. “Give me the same one as Ms. Maruzensky.”

“Okay.” The bartender agreed, and a moment later, he prepared the drink and placed it in front of Sakura Baimu.

Sakura Baimu took a small sip through the straw, then looked at Maruzensky.

“Ms. Maruzensky, what’s your mentality behind drinking a non-alcoholic beverage yourself and then ordering an alcoholic one for someone else?”

“Oh dear, I have to make sure you get home safely, so I can't drink.”

“So, Ms. Maruzensky, did you call me over today for something special? TCB has been really busy lately, with lots of races.”

“Nothing special, just bored.” Maruzensky said casually. “By the way, how's McQueen and Teio's training going? Have they mastered Aura yet?”

“No.”

“Ms. Sakura doesn't seem worried at all.”

“Two more months. Plenty of time,” Sakura Baimu chuckled. “Once they master Aura, McQueen and Teio’s abilities will improve dramatically.”

“Speaking of which, you said last time that if you felt their abilities weren’t up to par, you would personally ‘teach them a lesson,’ right?” Maruzensky asked curiously. “Could you let me know when you’re going to ‘teach’ them? I’d love to watch.”

“We’ll see,” Sakura Baimu said softly. “It’s much easier for Aura to improve than to improve their Zone. As long as their mental strength is strong enough, Aura should be able to grow very quickly.”

“Actually, the same principle applies to Zones,” Maruzensky chuckled, covering her mouth. “If your raw strength is strong enough, you can directly unlock a very high-level Zone, just like Oguri and Tama.”

“In fact, improving mental strength is sometimes more difficult than mastering a Zone. After all, you can unlock a Zone as long as you meet the ‘conditions.’ But mental strength isn’t something you can improve as easily as physical training,” Maruzensky said.

"Anyway, I don't have a Zone, so I don't know the specifics," Sakura Baimu said casually, taking another sip of her drink.

"So, when does Miss Sakura plan to break through to a Zone? I'm really looking forward to a race with Miss Sakura in her Zone state~"

Maruzensky touched her cheek, looking longing and expectant.

"With such formidable raw power, Miss Sakura, what level of strength will you reach if you break through to a Zone?"

"I've given up hope of ever mastering a Zone. After all, as a trainer, I know too much."

The more detailed your knowledge of Zones, the harder it is to break through.

On the contrary, an Umamusume whose understanding of Zones is like a blank sheet of paper is the most likely to break through.

"Leaving aside whether I can even encounter 'adversity' again, even the desire to 'prove myself' has been completely worn away since my suspension," Sakura Baimu said softly.

"Besides, I have no desire or need for a Zone. I don't think I'll ever encounter an opponent stronger than Obey Your Master."

"Honestly, while Obey Your Master's strength is enough to sweep through active-duty racers, even among the retired Umamusume, it's difficult for her to break into the top five at Tracen Academy,"

Maruzensky teased, then winked at Sakura Baimu.

"Who knows, I might even create 'adversity' for you, Miss Sakura~"

"So, Miss 'Hotrod' is planning a comeback?" Sakura Baimu asked with a smile.

“No, not at all. The Twinkle Series has long since lost its appeal to me.”

Maruzensky shook her head slightly, then looked at Sakura Baimu with a playful expression.

“However, if an Umamusume whose strength can impress me were to appear, perhaps I would consider it.”

“Even Ms. Maruzensky, who lost to me before, has no intention of returning. What's the point of the Twinkle Series?” Sakura Baimu teased Maruzensky. “Suddenly, I don’t want to return either. What should I do?”

Hearing Sakura Baimu tease her about being defeated due to underestimating her opponent, a faint pink blush appeared on Maruzensky's beautiful face.

“Oh dear, Ms. Sakura, why are you still bringing this up? It was my mistake that time~ When are we going to run another race? This time, nothing like that will happen.”

“No, I’m busy with TCB lately. No free time.”

Sakura Baimu smirked; she knew exactly how to handle this experienced driver's mindset.

“How could you say that!!!”

Maruzensky’s voice immediately filled with resentment upon hearing this.

...

Soon, after finishing her drink, Sakura Baimu said goodbye to the reluctant Maruzensky.

And firmly refused her offer to take her home.

After Sakura Baimu left, Maruzensky leaned on the steering wheel, watching Sakura Baimu’s receding figure, a slight upward curve on her lips.

“Ms. Sakura, you’ve been busy these past few days, so I won’t contact you. But once you’re free, you won’t be able to refuse. You only ran with me once, and I know you didn’t give it your all, so don’t think I’ll let you off the hook!”

“Anyway, you’re the only Umamusume besides Symboli Rudolf who has ever beaten me.”

---

The following afternoon, Sakura Baimu met her teammates in the activity room.

“The next runner is Dia-chan. It’s been so long; it’s finally Dia-chan’s turn again!” Sakura Baimu said with a smile.

"Dia-chan switched to running in the Triple Tiara, so this time she’s registered for the mile race.”

“Leave it to me, Trainer-san.”

Satono Diamond patted her chest confidently.

“By the way, how’s that ‘In Mind and Body’ training you did with Spica during Special Week going? Let me take a look in a bit.”

Satono Diamond nodded slightly and walked to the outside lane of the track with the TCB group. She then stood at the starting line for the 1600 Meter race, getting into her starting position.

“Go!” Sakura Baimu waved her flag, and Satono Diamond dashed off from the starting line.

Sakura Baimu quickly walked over to the group of Umamusume waiting at the finish line to welcome Satono Diamond.

Satono Diamond was very fast. Despite only participating in one debut race, her speed was in no way inferior to Kitasan Black, who had competed in three races.

As expected of the young lady of the Satono Clan, her running style was elegant without sacrificing speed.

At this moment, Satono Diamond was already beginning to resemble Mejiro McQueen.

“Dia-chan has been working hard to be like you, and it seems to be paying off,” Sakura Baimu said with a gentle smile, standing beside Mejiro McQueen.

“That’s right. After all, Dia-chan said she wanted to become an Umamusume like me.”

Mejiro McQueen looked at Satono Diamond running on the track and nodded with a gentle smile.

Upon hearing this, Sakura Baimu glanced twice at Mejiro McQueen's chest, then looked at Satono Diamond's shapely figure on the track and chuckled as she remarked:

"Isn't this completely different? Dia-chan has already surpassed you by a huge margin."

"Wait! What do you mean by that?!"

Mejiro McQueen naturally noticed Sakura Baimu's gaze, and her fair face instantly flushed crimson.

"It's nothing."

Sakura Baimu chuckled softly.

"I'm just curious. Everyone in the Mejiro family is developing quite well, so why is it that only you have fallen behind?"

Mejiro McQueen: "??????"

--

Chapter 218: Satono Diamond's Second Battle

Just as Sakura Baimu was nearly bursting with laughter at the sight of Mejiro McQueen, whose face flushed red with embarrassment at her antics, Rice Shower's voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"Onee-sama, Dia-chan's almost here!"

"Alright, McQueen, stop fooling around. You're interrupting Dia-chan's simulation run," Sakura Baimu spoke, quickly walking to the side of the finish line.

"Am I the one fooling around???"

Mejiro McQueen felt a wave of dizziness from Sakura Baimu's words.

"How can there a trainer like you?! So immature. You doesn't act like a trainer at all!"

Mejiro McQueen thought angrily, feeling that working under Sakura Baimu would drive her crazy sooner or later.

Watching Satono Diamond climb the heart-stopping hill before the finish line, Sakura Baimu analyzed softly.

"Speed is good, endurance is good too. In Body and Mind demands a lot of stamina in the final stages. If you don't have enough stamina, even if you use In Body and Mind, you'll lose speed."

"In Body and Mind is a level faster than Homestretch Haste's acceleration. Judging from Dia-chan's condition in the final stages, she should have had enough stamina to use In Body and Mind."

"The last thing left is whether Dia-chan has actually learned this skill from Special Week."

Although Sakura Baimu said this, she actually knew in her heart that, with Satono Diamond's current strength, mastering In Body and Mind was basically impossible.

"By the way, Onee-chan," Curren Chan suddenly asked, "just how much stronger is In Body and Mind compared to Homestretch Haste?"

She knew Homestretch Haste.

It's the acceleration an Umamusume unleashes near the finish line.

However, she had never heard of this so-called "In Body and Mind."

"The acceleration of 'In Body and Mind' is at least 2.3 times that of Homestretch Haste, far surpassing it."

"2.3 times? That's incredible!!"

Kitasan Black, Curren Chan, and Smart Falcon all gasped in surprise.

Then, Sakura Baimu delivered a karate chop to Smart Falcon's head.

"Special Week is your junior! GG, what's wrong with you? Didn't you see Special Week's matches at the Japan Cup?"

"Waaah, Falco forgot..." Smart Falcon clutched her head, whimpering again.

"Here it comes!" Tokai Teio alerted, quickly drawing everyone's attention.

200 meters to go.

Satono Diamond's expression was incredibly determined and focused; her body dipped slightly after each step.

After a very brief pause, she suddenly sped up, increasing her speed considerably.

"Wow!!"

Kitasan Black watched with astonishment, clearly amazed by Satono Diamond's final burst of speed.

However, Sakura Baimu's face didn't show much excitement.

Crossing the finish line!

Satono Diamond crossed the finish line, and Kitasan Black quickly handed her a towel.

Satono Diamond took the towel, wiped the sweat from her neck and face, and looked at Sakura Baimu, asking:

"Trainer-san, how was the acceleration?"

Satono Diamond, panting, looked at Sakura Baimu and asked.

"The acceleration in the final stretch was alright, but the increase wasn't huge, not quite at the 'In Body and Mind' level... but you've mastered Homestretch Haste, so overall it's pretty good."

Sakura Baimu was somewhat speechless.

She had been wanting to hear Special Week say "Agemasen!" to her.

But unfortunately, Special Week was too good-natured, and Sakura Baimu had never gotten her wish.

Now that Sakura Baimu had given up and taken Satono Diamond to Special Week to learn In Body and Mind, it turned out that Satono Diamond had only learned Homestretch Haste from Special Week, not In Body and Mind.

At that moment, an image inexplicably flashed through Sakura Baimu's mind: Special Week's fierce expression, mouth agape, yelling "Agemasen!" at her.

"You wouldn't give me In Body and Mind, so you threw a Homestretch Haste at me instead?"

Sakura Baimu mentally grumbled, then walked over to Satono Diamond, who was looking rather downcast because of her evaluation, and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Don't be sad, Dia-chan. Mastering a new skill isn't something that happens overnight. Since you said you wanted a powerful Homestretch Haste, then In Body and Mind is the direction you should strive for. Special Week didn't have this skill at the Junior level. You've mastered Homestretch Haste so quickly, which is already quite talented."

Satono Diamond nodded gently as she listened to Sakura Baimu's words.

"Before the Bounty Race, it was rare to encounter an Umamusume who could unleash a Homestretch Haste at the finish line. But now you've learned it; consider it a secret weapon to help you turn the tide when you're at a disadvantage."

"I understand, Trainer-san." Satono Diamond nodded again, her composure completely restored.

"Alright, Dia-chan's simulation run is over. You all go train."

Sakura Baimu said to the Umamusumes, then personally began instructing Satono Diamond's training.

Rice Shower had a race this month, so she hadn't been coaching Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's mental training lately.

Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio, under Rice Shower's guidance, had already mastered the mental training process.

It was simply a matter of repeatedly performing various awkward exercises in the most uncomfortable environments.

This was to improve their mental fortitude.

Curren Chan had just finished a race, so Sakura Baimu hadn't been coaching her lately.

She felt a little lonely, but there was nothing she could do but train alone.

"Curren used to train like this, but now that Onee-chan isn't coaching her, she feels a bit lonely..."

Curren Chan's enthusiasm may have dipped a level after Sakura Baimu went to coach Satono Diamond, but the highly self-disciplined girl didn't slack off in her training.

--

Time passed again amidst the training of the TCB Umamusumes, and two days later, Satono Diamond's race arrived.

It was the 1800-meter turf race held at Hanshin Racecourse, the Nojigiku Sho.

The "50,000-person popularity showdown" between Satono Diamond and Leukerbad was arguably the most anticipated debut race in Japan in recent years.

Ultimately, Satono Diamond of the Satono Clan emerged victorious.

This time, Satono Diamond was competing at Hanshin Racecourse.

Similar to Curren Chan's previous race, she again secured the top spot in popularity with an overwhelmingly large lead.

And clearly, the number of participants at Hanshin Racecourse this time was even greater than when Curren Chan competed last time.

The actions of Umamusumes from prestigious racing families like the Satono and Mejiro clans always attract the attention of the entire horse racing world.

Today, Satono Diamond, an unpolished diamond that was gradually beginning to shine, would compete in her second race here.

--

---

Chapter 219: Nojigiku Sho Begins!

Nojigiku Sho's field was relatively small, with only eight Umamusumes competing.

However, Satono Diamond's fame was immense.

Even a week before Nojigiku Sho's gate and field information were released, many had already decided to watch Satono Diamond's second race.

For countless horse racing enthusiasts,

witnessing the rise of an Umamusume from her debut would be something to boast about.

And Satono Diamond of the Satono Clan, this diamond that was gradually beginning to shine, was already highly anticipated and favored by many.

The presentation ended.

Satono Diamond, with nearly ten times the popularity of second-place Triumphal Bell Tolls, won first place in audience popularity.

With over 20,000 fans by her debut, she had even surpassed many established Umamusumes.

"On the sunny Hanshin Racecourse, all the competitors have now entered the gates."

"Third in popularity for this race: Shin-Nichi Meiko, an Umamusume who has achieved a three-race winning streak since her debut."

"Second in popularity: Triumphal Bell Tolls, a strong contender for victory."

"Finally, the Satono Clan's dazzling diamond, the true protagonist who defeated Leukerbad in her debut race, Satono Diamond!"

"Having only participated in one race, her strength is not to be underestimated."

"Will Satono Diamond achieve results commensurate with her popularity? Let's wait and see!"

After the pre-race introductions, Satono Diamond once again received enthusiastic cheers and encouragement from the audience.

All the spectators who came for Satono Diamond had witnessed her amazing runaway in her debut race.

This kind of early-race strategy, relying on sheer strength to dictate the pace of the entire race, always gets the audience's blood pumping.

"I wonder if Satono Diamond will choose the runaway strategy again today? Her debut match last time was truly spectacular."

"I'd love to see it too. I hope she can use the runaway strategy in this match."

"But Satono Diamond is too famous. I'm afraid her other opponents already know about her runaway tactic. If they know about it, it won't be as effective."

"But this is just an OP-level race!"

"The Satono Clan's reputation is enough to make all their competitors wary."

Amid the discussion among Satono Diamond's fans, the race was about to begin.

"Hanshin Racecourse, 1800 meters, Nojigiku Sho."

"Race, now—"

"Start!"

The race began, the gates opened, and the Umamusumes surged out.

This 1800-meter mile race, held at Hanshin Racecourse, started at the same location as Curren Chan's 1400-meter Kikyo Championship.

However, Nojigiku Sho ran on the outer course.

The Kikyo Championship ran on the inner course.

Compared to the inner course, the outer course was much farther from the starting line, with a full 665-meter straightaway.

Therefore, for Nojigiku Sho, the positions of the Umamusumes on the track had virtually no impact on the opening stages.

"A good start. Which Umamusume is in first place?"

"It's Shin-Nichi Meiko on track 5."

"She's chosen the same leading strategy as in her previous three races."

"Closely following is Satono Diamond, about two lengths behind Shin-Nichi Meiko."

"In third place is Dazzling Kabuki on track 7, about three lengths behind Satono Diamond."

"Triumphal Bell Tolls is in last place, the only Umamusume to choose a chasing strategy."

Unlike the Kikyo Stakes, Nojigiku Sho is a slower-paced race.

The Umamusume with the highest win rate is still in the front position, followed by those who have chosen a following strategy.

The pursuit tactic doesn't have a high success rate in this race.

Therefore, the Umamusume with white hair and blue eyes and a seemingly introverted personality stands out remarkably.

Despite being the second most popular runner, she chose this unusual running style.

No one in the arena underestimated her because of this.

"Leading at the front is Shin-Nichi Meiko. She hasn't created a significant gap with Satono Diamond behind her in the early stages."

"Satono Diamond looks unhurried, brimming with confidence in victory."

"Shin-Nichi Meiko is about to enter the third turn!"

"I watched your debut race. You used a runaway strategy to push the leading Umamusume's speed, thus accelerating the pace of the entire race and causing the leading Umamusume to lose stamina and slow down."

"Even if you're close enough, I'll maintain my own pace. Don't try to force me to speed up."

Asuka thought to herself, feeling no pressure despite Satono Diamond's presence not far behind.

However, clearly...

Satono Diamond wasn't frustrated by her inability to push Shin-Nichi Meiko's pace either.

She maintained a two-length gap with Asuka, her stride very steady.

"If the runaway strategy doesn't work, I'll just run normally," Satono Diamond thought.

"The early stages of this race aren't very competitive. Shin-Nichi Meiko has already entered the third turn."

"Satono Diamond remains in second place, maintaining a two-length gap behind Shin-Nichi Meiko."

"Behind Satono Diamond is still Dazzling Kabuki, with the same three-length gap as before."

The race remained relatively stable until the Umamusumes entered the third turn.

"The rhythm is good. Satono Diamond hasn't affected my rhythm, so the race is still under my control."

Shin-Nichi Meiko thought to herself, feeling quite confident about the pace of this race.

The spectators in the stands noticed the race was dragging.

"As expected, Shin-Nichi Meiko knows Satono Diamond's tactics!"

Satono Diamond's fans were shocked.

It seemed they wouldn't be able to see Satono Diamond use her runaway strategy this time.

But at that very moment, Dazzling Kabuki, positioned behind Satono Diamond, was unable to tolerate Shin-Nichi Meiko and Satono Diamond's seemingly sluggish pace any longer.

So she decided to take advantage of the moment, utilizing her outside-lane advantage to accelerate and overtake.

"Dazzling Kabuki has sped up! She's overtaken Satono Diamond! She's now only one length behind Shin-Nichi Meiko in first place, and the gap is closing!"

"Idiot!!"

Hearing the commentator's voice and seeing the Umamusume's figure in her peripheral vision, Shin-Nichi Meiko couldn't help but curse inwardly.

She judged that Satono Diamond wasn't a suitable leading Umamusume, so as long as she maintained her pace, Satono Diamond wouldn't accelerate to overtake before the final stretch.

The incredibly impressive runaway strategy Satono Diamond used in her debut race was a tactic where Satono Diamond, as the leading Umamusume, used her speed to force the leading Umamusume to move faster.

Shin-Nichi Meiko believed that her unwavering running rhythm would effectively counter Satono Diamond's runaway strategy.

"But what if Dazzling Kabuki overtakes me and seizes the leading position?"

"Then I'll lose control of the race's pace."

"But I can't speed up now."

"If my speed wasn't initially pushed faster by Satono Diamond, but instead by Dazzling Kabuki, that would be too strange. Wouldn't that be exactly what Satono Diamond wants?"

Shin-Nichi Meiko's face showed a hint of frustration, and she frantically prayed in her heart that Dazzling Kabuki, who was about to seize the lead, wouldn't let Satono Diamond's speed affect her own rhythm.

"Dazzling Kabuki overtook Shin-Nichi Meiko from the outside of the track and is currently in first place."

"She's still accelerating and has already built a three-length lead over Shin-Nichi Meiko in second place."

"Satono Diamond has also accelerated! She overtook Shin-Nichi Meiko and is now in second place!"

Since the leading Umamusume changed from Shin-Nichi Meiko to Dazzling Kabuki, Satono Diamond had made her move.

And Satono Diamond's fans, seeing Satono Diamond with her brown princess braids overtake Shin-Nichi Meiko for second place, were filled with immense joy and anticipation.

"Here it comes. Satono Diamond is going to use her runaway strategy against Dazzling Kabuki!"

--

Chapter 220: Pressing Closer

The 1800-meter Nojigiku Sho race, run on the outer track, differs from the Kikyo Stakes race, which is run on the inner track (1400 meters), resulting in different gradients.

The 1400-meter course at Hanshin Racecourse is almost entirely downhill, with a steep climb just 200 meters before the finish line; the overall pace is fast.

The 1800-meter race, run on the outer track with its winding curves, maintains a relatively stable gradient until about 600 meters before the finish line, halfway through the fourth turn.

Therefore, the Umamusumes maintained a normal and balanced pace and stamina.

Dazzling Kabuki chose to accelerate midway through the third turn.

For an Umamusume who had started a front runner position, this acceleration was somewhat premature.

But clearly, for Dazzling Kabuki, the opening pace was being dragged down too much by Shin-Nichi Meiko.

After easily overtaking Satono Diamond and Shin-Nichi Meiko, she successfully seized the leading position.

"I don't understand why the leading pace is so slow. Shin-Nichi Meiko is being pushed so hard by Satono Diamond, an Umamusume who's already behind her. Doesn't she feel any urgency?"

Dazzling Kabuki thought to herself, finding Shin-Nichi Meiko's running style, despite being the third most popular Umamusume, rather strange.

"My pace is just right. It was too slow before."

Dazzling Kabuki muttered to herself as she heard the commentator announce that she was already three Lengths ahead of Shin-Nichi Meiko.

But then, Dazzling Kabuki heard that Satono Diamond had also started to accelerate.

She glanced sideways and saw the highly sought-after young lady from a prestigious family following behind with a smile.

"Is she also planning to overtake me on the bend?"

Dazzling Kabuki was slightly surprised to see Satono Diamond close the gap from five Lengths behind her to less than three.

As an Umamusume skilled at leading races, she naturally understood the mindset of an Umamusume who wanted to overtake the leader during the middle stages.

Leading Umamusumes need to accelerate in the early stages and widen the gap with those behind them during the middle stages.

This means they cannot conserve as much stamina for acceleration in the final stages as other Umamusumes.

Leading Umamusumes rely on stamina and speed in the early stages, but on resilience and perseverance in the later stages.

Leading Umamusumes generally enter a period of fatigue in the final stages, creating opportunities for trailing Umamusumes to overtake them.

Leading Umamusumes do not need to overtake anyone in the middle stages.

Unless, of course, the trailing Umamusume believes that the leader's pace is truly too slow, even hindering her own rhythm.

"This Satono Diamond still has plenty of stamina; I can't let her overtake me!"

Dazzling Kabuki thought to herself and quickened her pace once more.

Once a leading Umamusume is overtaken by a trailing Umamusume in the middle stages, it becomes very difficult to catch up in the final stages.

"Dazzling Kabuki accelerated again after Satono Diamond closed in!"

"She widened the gap with Satono Diamond."

"Dazzling Kabuki entered the fourth turn first."

"Satono Diamond also accelerated, closing the gap again."

'The pace of this race is picking up.'

The commentator only hinted at it.

Her words were few, and the Umamusumes, caught up in the moment, probably did not have time to ponder the meaning of her casual remark.

However, the spectators in the surrounding stands already understood the commentator's meaning.

“Nojigiku Sho is run on the outer track, so the initial course gradient is relatively gentle. The most intense competition begins on the downhill section 600 Meters before the finish line.”

“In this race, Dazzling Kabuki and Satono Diamond started accelerating from the middle of the third turn, about 1000 Meters from the finish line. They accelerated a full 300 Meters earlier than usual!”

“Dazzling Kabuki secured the leading position, and Satono Diamond accelerated to keep up, forcing her to speed up again. Satono Diamond's runaway lead is finally back!!”

Satono Diamond's fans were incredibly excited.

They were not disappointed that Satono Diamond had not caught up to the leading Dazzling Kabuki.

On the contrary, they grew increasingly excited as they watched Dazzling Kabuki gradually accelerate on the track.

"The pace of the race is gradually being taken over by Satono Diamond!"

"I wonder how many Umamusumes will lose speed today?"

"As expected of the Satomi family's young lady, her pressure is truly extraordinary!!"

The spectators in the stands were incredibly excited.

Meanwhile, on the track, Dazzling Kabuki, who was relentlessly pursued by Satono Diamond, grew increasingly anxious.

"Is she really that close? Why can't I shake her off??"

She increased her speed a little more.

Fortunately, this time Satono Diamond wasn't able to close the gap again.

This brought Dazzling Kabuki a slight sense of relief.

Although she had not watched Satono Diamond's debut race, she had heard of the Satono Clan.

Satono Diamond was the most popular and renowned of the three active Umamusumes in the Satono Clan.

Dazzling Kabuki did not dare underestimate Satono Diamond's strength.

Fortunately, she was finally able to maintain a distance from Satono Diamond behind her.

Dazzling Kabuki did not realize that her speed had increased significantly compared to the beginning.

Because the moment Satono Diamond stopped approaching her was precisely halfway through the fourth turn, when she entered the downhill section.

The sudden change in gradient caused Dazzling Kabuki's speed to increase again.

But because it was downhill, this section was relatively energy-efficient, so she did not pay much attention.

Even she herself did not notice.

Even though she was only halfway through the fourth turn and already on the downhill section, her breathing was much more rapid than when she had first entered the fourth turn 200 meters earlier.

"Dazzling Kabuki has entered the downhill section, and her speed has increased again!"

"Satono Diamond is two lengths behind her; the gap hasn't changed much."

At this moment, Triumphal Bell Tolls, who was running at the very back of the pack and was the only one using a chasing style, suddenly quickened her pace the moment she heard the commentator announce that Dazzling Kabuki had entered the downhill section.

While the commentator was introducing the previous Umamusume runners, she suddenly overtook the Umamusume who was in seventh place.

The white-haired Umamusume's figure successfully attracted everyone's attention.

"Triumphal Bell Tolls is accelerating too! She started accelerating at the fourth turn!"

"She overtook Mikage Reiji in sixth place!"

"Triumphal Bell Tolls' speed is still increasing!"

---

Chapter 221: How Can She Still Accelerate?!

The Umamusumes gradually entered the downhill section, and their overall speed increased further.

Most Umamusumes chose to accelerate downhill.

Triumphal Bell Tolls, who opted for a chasing strategy, overtook the two Umamusumes ahead of her and continued to close in on the fifth-place Umamusume.

"Triumphal Bell Tolls has further increased her speed; she's now in fifth place!"

"Dazzling Kabuki remains in first place, followed by Satono Diamond, who is two Lengths behind her."

"And about four Lengths behind Satono Diamond is Shin-Nichi Meiko; her speed has increased slightly on the downhill section, but she hasn't further closed the gap with Satono Diamond."

'We've entered the most competitive area!'

Sudden changes in gradient can easily cause Umamusumes to misjudge their own speed.

Downhill tracks do indeed conserve more energy than flat tracks.

However, if the speed is too high, the energy saved by the change in gradient might not be enough to offset the energy consumed by acceleration.

Furthermore, because of the downhill slope, Umamusumes might mistakenly believe their current speed is not a burden, ultimately leading to problems with energy management.

Dazzling Kabuki was in this situation.

Satono Diamond's aggressive pressure at the start of the third turn forced her to accelerate twice.

Plus, she had already accelerated once while overtaking Shin-Nichi Meiko.

Now, on the downhill track, her speed was abnormally high.

But with just a slight turn of her head, she could spot Satono Diamond behind her, with her brown princess braid and a crescent-shaped smile on her lips.

Satono Diamond's face showed no sign of anxiety or burden.

Instead, her serene and elegant smile clearly revealed that her current speed was completely effortless.

"No problem... she's still two lengths behind me... she hasn't caught up."

"This speed is just right to maintain the distance... I'll keep it like this until the final straight... saving energy for the steep climb..."

Dazzling Kabuki's thoughts became fragmented with her rapid breathing.

Because she was overly focused on Satono Diamond behind her, she was also affected by Satono Diamond's calm and composed demeanor.

The downhill course, coupled with Satono Diamond consistently trailing her by two Lengths and the commentator's announcements of her unwavering lead, completely misled Dazzling Kabuki.

This caused her to be utterly unaware that her rhythm had been severely compromised.

"Dazzling Kabuki has reached the final straight!"

"Close behind her is Satono Diamond."

"Triumphal Bell Tolls has moved up to fourth."

"Shin-Nichi Meiko is also accelerating!"

"400 meters left!"

"Only 400 meters left... I need to... accelerate!"

"I must widen the gap again before... the steep climb... otherwise..."

"I can't... win..."

Dazzling Kabuki's heavy breathing was like a bellows.

Reaching the final straight, with only 400 meters left to the finish line, she realized she needed to accelerate.

Her expression hardened, and she channeled her strength into her legs, preparing to accelerate.

"Huh? What's going on? Why... can't I... keep going?"

Her legs felt like lead, heavy and unresponsive. Although she was still running at a decent pace, her speed was not increasing at all.

Finally.

The burning pressure in her lungs, the stinging sensation in her throat, and her increasingly labored breathing made Dazzling Kabuki realize.

"I'm out of stamina?!"

This thought flashed through her mind almost instantly as her pupils constricted and her face turned deathly pale.

At that moment, an overwhelming panic gripped Dazzling Kabuki.

Looking at the steep slope 200 meters ahead, higher than her entire body, overwhelming despair washed over her.

Dazzling Kabuki was not weak.

The speed she used when she overtook Shin-Nichi Meiko at the third turn was enough to sustain her through the 1800-meter race and up the steep hill.

The first step might have been difficult, but overtaking Shin-Nichi Meiko was definitely not a problem.

But now...

Dazzling Kabuki realized.

This steep hill, only 2 meters high, stood before her like an insurmountable mountain blocking her path to the finish line.

It made her feel powerless and hopeless.

Dazzling Kabuki glanced sideways at Satono Diamond, who remained two Lengths behind her.

She noticed that Satono Diamond had already run 1400 meters.

Even at a pace that had put her five Lengths ahead of Shin-Nichi Meiko, leaving Dazzling Kabuki nearly exhausted, her expression remained warm and serene.

Her golden eyes remained as clear as azure water.

The curve of her lips remained as perfect as a crescent moon.

At this moment, Dazzling Kabuki completely understood Satono Diamond's tactics.

"She never intended to overtake me at all???"

"She just wanted to maintain her distance from me, forcing me to speed up."

"And then, without me even realizing it, exhaust my stamina before I could even finish the race???"

"What kind of young lady is she? She's a devil!!!"

Satono Diamond's expression, which would appear serene, elegant, and approachable to anyone, was, in Dazzling Kabuki's mind at this moment, terrifyingly devilish.

The exhaustion, coupled with the despair in her heart, finally shattered Dazzling Kabuki's confidence in winning.

Her right foot suddenly buckled after taking the first step, causing her to stumble and nearly fall.

Dazzling Kabuki quickly regained her balance, but her speed plummeted in an instant.

In less than a second, the figure with the brown princess braid appeared beside her, running parallel to her on the track.

"Ara~"

Satono Diamond looked at Dazzling Kabuki with concern and exclaimed.

At the same time, after stepping past Dazzling Kabuki, Satono Diamond suddenly accelerated, much to the astonishment of Dazzling Kabuki and the countless Umamusumes behind her.

"How can she accelerate?!?!"

Shin-Nichi Meiko, who was about to catch up to Dazzling Kabuki and Satono Diamond, practically screamed those words in her mind.

She could understand why Satono Diamond had the stamina to accelerate at the end of the race when she had been suppressing her.

However, since Dazzling Kabuki had seized the leading position and Satono Diamond had successfully implemented her runaway strategy, it meant Dazzling Kabuki had been forced to lead at Satono Diamond's pace for half the race!

So how could Satono Diamond possibly have any stamina left to accelerate at that moment?

However, Shin-Nichi Meiko seems to have forgotten Satono Diamond's previous battle with Leukerbad.

The same situation applied.

Chapter 222: The Incredibly Powerful Satono Diamond

The runaway strategy demands a high level of skill from the runner.

It's impressive for a newcomer to the Umamusume world like Satono Diamond could execute this tactic.

Most of the audience had already witnessed it once before, so they weren't overly surprised.

However, the fact that Satono Diamond could accelerate after running at this speed for half the race was truly astonishing.

Even though it was the second time they'd seen it.

Satono Diamond's runaway strategy that was different from Daiwa Scarlet's, still shocked many spectators.

"Satono Diamond accelerated! Satono Diamond accelerated with 400 meters left to the finish line!"

"After using the runaway strategy to force Dazzling Kabuki to a standstill, Satono Diamond accelerated again!"

'Such excellent stamina, but she doesn't have much room left to accelerate.'

Only 200 meters remained on the steep slope before the finish line.

Although Satono Diamond began to accelerate, the distance she could create behind the Umamusumes was extremely limited.

The Runaway strategy meant that once the first Umamusume gained the lead, the gap she could widen wouldn't be very large.

In fact, if a significant difference in speed could be created, it largely depended not on the speed of the runaway Umamusume, but on how much the opponents slowed down.

Shin-Nichi Meiko felt she had enough stamina, and seeing Satono Diamond accelerate, she further increased her speed.

"No matter what, she only has one burst of acceleration left! She should slow down on the steep incline."

"If I don't catch up now, it'll be difficult on the steep incline."

Shin-Nichi Meiko made this judgment and desperately increased her speed.

"Shin-Nichi Meiko is accelerating, reducing the gap that Satono Diamond has widened."

"Triumphal Bell Tolls has also caught up to third place, and her acceleration continues."

'This Umamusume has amazing stamina; she's already accelerated for 500 meters.'

"No way, even with my acceleration, I can't close the gap with Satono Diamond?!"

Shin-Nichi Meiko felt that what she was seeing was almost unreal.

"Is this the speed an Umamusume who led for half the race should have?"

"This is only her second race since her debut, right? I've won three in a row; how can the skill gap be so huge?"

Shin-Nichi Meiko really couldn't understand it. She had conserved almost all her energy, so why couldn't she even close the gap with Satono Diamond in the final stages?

"Satono Diamond shouldn't be this strong. The only explanation is that she's also squeezing out every last bit of energy. She'll probably suffer on the steep climb..."

Shin-Nichi Meiko comforted herself.

"Last 200 meters!"

"Satono Diamond has taken the lead on the steep climb, and there's already a gap of more than 9 lengths between her and Shin-Nichi Meiko."

"Satono Diamond changed her climbing posture! Huh?"

The commentator exclaimed in surprise, then suddenly froze.

Not only she, but the live streamer also froze at the same time.

The Satono Diamond fans present were all somewhat confused, wondering what was wrong with the commentator and the live streamer.

“What's wrong with the live streamer? Isn't it normal for Satono Diamond to change her stride while climbing hills?”

“I don't know. Look, some people seem to be amazed by Satono Diamond's climbing style.”

“An Umamusume under Ms. Sakura's command is practically never at a disadvantage on hills, right?”

“Haha, these guys are so naive.”

The Satono Diamond fans were buzzing with discussion, assuming that the stunned expressions of some audience members and the commentator meant they were speechless with amazement at Satono Diamond's impressive climbing style.

“That climbing style... it feels like I've seen it before...”

A local resident of Hyogo Prefecture murmured, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"At the Kikyo Stakes the other day, wasn't that gray-haired Umamusume using the same climbing style?"

"Indeed, it's similar..."

"Similar? It's exactly the same! Look at that powerful stride before the steep climb, then the next step is as light as a feather! I watched the video over twenty times that day; the transitions were so smooth, it was a feast for the eyes."

"They're all Umamusumes from Central. Do they all use the same climbing style?"

Many people don't pay attention to the team behind an Umamusume or information about her trainers.

Naturally, they were unaware that both Satono Diamond and Curren Chan were trained by Sakura Baimu.

However, this incredibly familiar climbing technique astonished the audience, commentators, and broadcasters who had been amazed by Curren Chan just two days earlier.

Shin-Nichi Meiko had assumed that Satono Diamond's speed, which she couldn't keep up with despite accelerating, meant she was exhausting herself and would suffer greatly on the final steep climb.

But Satono Diamond's almost seamless switching of running form nearly caused her brain to freeze.

"Wh... what? How can she run this fast on the steep climb of Hanshin Racecourse?"

Given Satono Diamond's current ability, she would definitely lose a significant amount of speed to minimize the stress on her heart.

But having mastered climbing techniques, even with the reduced speed, she was still considerably faster than the Umamusumes who were brute-forcing their way up the steep climb.

Not to mention, Satono Diamond was already faster than them.

Satono Diamond's climbing steps were incredibly smooth and elegant, perfectly complementing her hip-length brown princess braids, making her look like a princess from a stage play.

This spectacular scene drew cheers from many spectators, their eyes filled with amazement.

"Truly worthy of being an Umamusume of the Satono Clan! She's incredibly strong!"

"So strong, so strong. I feel like we're about to have another Mejiro McQueen!"

"It's such a pity the Mejiro family didn't have any new members this year... otherwise, I'd really like to see the Satono Clan face off against the Mejiro family! The Leuker Clan has already lost; I'm curious to see how the Mejiro family fares."

The audience was abuzz with discussion, all marveling at the extraordinary skill Satono Diamond displayed in the competition.

"Shin-Nichi Meiko has arrived at the steep slope, followed closely by Triumphal Bell Tolls."

As the announcer's voice rang out, Shin-Nichi Meiko stepped onto the slope.

But at that moment, she suddenly felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow to the chest.

An immense pressure surged through her heart and lungs, causing her to feel dizzy.

"Ah! Shin-Nichi Meiko's speed has dropped drastically!"

'Looks like she didn't adjust her condition before the slope.'

"What's going on? I should have conserved my energy for the slope! Why am I feeling so unwell??"

Shin-Nichi Meiko's eyes widened instantly, a deep sense of bewilderment welling up inside her.

---

Chapter 223: Another Double Crushing Strike

Shin-Nichi Meiko believed she had a thorough understanding of Satono Diamond's tactics and shouldn't have been affected.

However, the immense pressure she felt on the steep slope was far greater than she had anticipated.

This plunged her mind into deep confusion and self-doubt.

Meanwhile, Sakura Baimu standing in the spectator area watched Shin-Nichi Meiko's face contort after stepping onto the slope. A slight smile played on her lips.

"The one most affected by the Runaway strategy is the leading Umamusume, which is quite obvious. But don't forget, the pace of the leading Umamusume can affect the entire race."

"This Umamusume wasn't initially affected by Dia-chan's runaway strategy when she was leading, which shows she was familiar with Dia-chan's tactics."

"When she was overtaken by Dazzling Kabuki, she realized that Dazzling Kabuki would be affected by Satono Diamond's runaway strategy."

"But because she wasn't in the leading position, she lowered her guard against Dia-chan, ignored the impact of the leading Umamusume's acceleration on the overall race, and unconsciously let herself be carried along by the increased speed."

“While Shin-Nichi Meiko’s stamina expenditure wasn’t as extreme as Dazzling Kabuki’s, the unconscious loss of energy was enough to put extraordinary pressure on her on the steep slope.”

Sakura Baimu didn’t underestimate Shin-Nichi Meiko because of her mistake.

On the contrary, she admired Meiko’s strategy for countering Satono Diamond’s runaway run.

Unfortunately, thinking she had seen through Satono Diamond’s tactics, she was actually blinded by her own perspective.

Sakura Baimu’s plans for Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black were completely different.

Satono Diamond’s focus was mainly on training, with fewer but more selective races.

Kitasan Black, on the other hand, was an Umamusume with overflowing energy and excellent health, so Sakura Baimu gave her more than twice as many races as other Umamusumes.

“If Dia-chan could participate in a major prize race immediately after her debut, I would have signed her up for a G3 race directly. Her participation in an OP-level race does seem a bit like smurfing.”

Sakura Baimu's gaze was fixed on the racecourse, very satisfied with Satono Diamond's performance in this mile race, which wasn't really her specialty.

--

The focus shifted back to the race.

"Shin-Nichi Meiko is greatly affected by the steep slope; she's trying her best to adjust her pace."

"Now, Satono Diamond has completely pulled ahead of her."

"Satono Diamond's climbing speed is much greater than Shin-Nichi Meiko's."

"Triumphal Bell Tolls has also lost a lot of speed on the steep slope, but she seems to still have energy!"

"Shin-Nichi Meiko is about to be overtaken by Triumphal Bell Tolls!"

"Overtaken!"

"Mikage Reiji and the other Umamusumes have also lost speed to varying degrees; they all look very uncomfortable."

'They didn't quite notice the fast pace that Satono Diamond had set for them.'

In the arena, almost everyone except Triumphal Bell Tolls was affected.

All the Umamusumes exhibited extremely intense reactions when they stepped onto the steep slope.

Clearly, none of them had anticipated the immense pressure this steep slope would exert on them.

"I knew it would be like this again! Satono Diamond's runaway speed boosted almost every Umamusume's pace."

"Look at them, they all seem completely bewildered by the pressure from the steep slope, not quite understanding what's happening!"

"Satono Diamond has once again delivered a crushing victory through both strategy and strength!"

"I feel like the Satono Clan's curse of not producing a G1 Umamusume is about to be broken by Satono Diamond!"

"Definitely! Satono Diamond will definitely become a G1 Umamusume!"

Just as Satono Diamond's fans were excitedly discussing this, Satono Diamond finally reached the top of the hill.

Her light steps suddenly regained their original solidity and steadiness the moment she stepped onto the summit.

Her previously slightly bent body straightened up again.

"Satono Diamond has reached the top of the hill first! 100 meters to go!"

"Fast pace, excellent climbing technique, another Umamusume surpassing her peers has emerged!"

"Triumphal Bell Tolls is in second place, but the gap between her and Satono Diamond is incalculable!"

"No one has a chance to catch Satono Diamond anymore!"

"50 meters to go!"

"Satono Diamond, her pace hasn't slowed at all!"

"Satono Diamond, now, with a huge lead—"

"Crosses the finish line!!!"

"Congratulations to Satono Diamond for once again giving us a spectacular runaway victory!"

"Incredible! Satono Diamond has successfully broken the Nojigiku Sho record!"

Triumphal Bell Tolls crossed the finish line more than 3 seconds after Satono Diamond.

Meanwhile, Hanshin Racecourse was already filled with applause.

Satono Diamond, who had crossed the finish line, didn't stop. Instead, she smiled gently and waved gracefully to the spectators.

Her face was also filled with joy.

For an Umamusume race participant, nothing brings more joy than achieving a good result in a competition.

Satono Diamond jogged to the stands closest to Sakura Baimu, her beautiful face beaming with happiness.

"Trainer-san, I won!"

"Dia-chan is amazing! She adapted to the mile race so quickly. Her talent is truly exceptional!"

Sakura Baimu reached over the railing and gently patted Satono Diamond's head.

Satono Diamond closed her eyes, gladly accepting Sakura Baimu's encouragement.

Now the center of attention, Satono Diamond was completely captivated by Sakura Baimu's encouragement. This scene was naturally witnessed by countless people.

Satono Diamond's fans, however, were relatively calm.

Even if they didn't recognize Sakura Baimu, they immediately guessed that she must be Satono Diamond's trainer.

Those local Umamusume racing enthusiasts from Hyogo Prefecture who didn't recognize Satono Diamond were all taken aback upon seeing Sakura Baimu.

"Wait... that trainer... I think I saw her a couple of days ago..."

"Isn't she the trainer of Curren Chan, the one who won the Kikyo Stakes a couple of days ago?"

"No wonder, I knew Satono Diamond's climbing style looked familiar. It's the same trainer. Oh, that makes sense."

"This is unbelievable! Usually, you only see Umamusumes that can conquer steep climbs in bounty races. I can't believe I've seen two this week, both OP-level, and both trained by the same trainer."

"I have to check who this trainer is... Ah!!!"

The person looked at their phone and suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

"Her name is Sakura Baimu."

"Who's that?"

"The trainer who trained Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen!"

----

Chapter 224: Sakura Baimu, Continuing Her Illness...

Sakura Baimu and Satono Diamond returned to Tokyo.

The following afternoon, Satono Diamond received encouragement and congratulations from her teammates.

“Dia-chan, you're amazing!”

“Dia-chan is awesome~”

Listening to her teammates' congratulations, Satono Diamond felt happy but also slightly shy.

“Didn’t everyone already congratulate me last night?”

“That’s different! Last night was just online. You really need to congratulate someone in person after winning the match!”

“That’s right, Rice thinks so too.”

While the Umamusumes chatted, they still hadn’t seen Sakura Baimu.

“By the way, where’s Trainer-san? She usually arrives pretty early…” Kitasan Black wondered. “And Teiō-san didn’t come either.”

“Ms. McQueen should know, right?” Satono Diamond looked at Mejiro McQueen.

“Teiō was called away by Trainer-san after dinner, and I don’t know what she went to do.”

“Onee-sama told Rice she went to Canopus,” Rice Shower whispered.

“Hmm? What’s the point of going to Canopus?” Everyone looked over at Rice Shower.

Of course, Curren Chan’s focus was slightly different from the others.

“Why did Onee-chan only tell Rice-senpai?”

“Onee-sama said she was applying for a simulation battle for Kita-chan… for stress training,” Rice Shower said.

“Stress training?” Everyone was puzzled.

--

Meanwhile, Sakura Baimu had already finalized the simulation race application with Canopus trainer Minamisaka.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Minamisaka. If you ever need my help again, please don't hesitate to ask. You've really been a great help.”

Sakura Baimu thanked Minamisaka.

After saying that, she turned to the four Canopus members inside, who had been staring at her intently with menacing gazes ever since she entered, radiating pressure. She smiled and waved her hand.

“Oh dear, what kind of look is that? I'm not going to kidnap you and sell you.”

“I have a feeling you’re capable of doing something like that,” Nice Nature said in a low voice, staring intently at Sakura Baimu.

“Natie, please, please~”

Sakura Baimu leaned down in front of Nice Nature, rubbing her hands together in a pleading manner.

Nice Nature felt a little embarrassed seeing Sakura Baimu adopt such a humble posture in her request.

She turned her head away, looking to the side.

"If you promise not to say anything strange to me anymore, I’ll agree.”

“Look at what you’re saying. When have I ever wronged you?” Sakura Baimu changed the subject.

Upon hearing Sakura Baimu's words, Teiō, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but stare at her.

“Haven't you tormented me enough?!”

Nice Nature was utterly astonished by Sakura Baimu's words.

"Last time in front of the president, you told so many weird, lame jokes!”

“Hmm? I remember you really liked Symboli Rudolf's lame jokes?” Sakura Baimu asked, puzzled.

“That’s only if I wasn’t the target of those jokes!!!”

Nice Nature exclaimed loudly, slowly walking to Sakura Baimu's side, as if preparing to leave with her.

“Hehe, Natie always seems to like playing pranks on people, but she's actually quite nice inside~”

Sakura Baimu chuckled softly and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Sakura Baimu turned to look at Makitane Tannhauser, who wore a blue-and-white baseball cap tilted at an angle, her right ear peeking out. She had a slightly goofy yet undeniably cute appearance.

“Mambo is cute today too~ Let’s take the Chairwoman out together sometime.”

“Okay!”

Makitane Tannhauser nodded repeatedly.

Although Sakura Baimu sometimes had her moments of weirdness, Akikawa Yayoi always gave her a very warm feeling.

If she could take the Chairwoman out, she would be happy to dress up as Akikawa Yayoi’s Onee-chan.

After receiving Makitane Tannhauser’s nod of agreement, Sakura Baimu opened the door to leave when she suddenly heard the high-pitched sound of a firecracker again.

“Tokai Teiō’s trainer! I want to go with you too! I want to race with Teiō!”

“Uh…”

Sakura Baimu froze, turning to look at Minamisaka, only to see him shaking his head helplessly.

It seems he was also quite exasperated with Twin Turbo.

“Tokai Teiō! Let’s have a showdown!”

Twin Turbo, with long, dark-blue twin tails, put one hand on her hip and pointed at Tokai Teiō.

“A showdown…” Ikuno Dictus muttered.

“Uh, you can come if you want. But Teiō can’t run with you. How about I switch with Rice Shower?” Sakura Baimu asked.

“Rice Shower? She beat Teiō’s strongest active-duty Umamusume template! If Turbo beats her, wouldn’t she be the strongest active-duty Umamusume?!”

Twin Turbo suddenly became excited, nodding her little head vigorously.

“We have to compete! We have to compete! Turbo has to compete!”

Tokai Teiō was speechless upon hearing Twin Turbo’s words.

She rolled her eyes again.

“Three-wheeled vehicle, you can’t beat Rice.”

“It’s Twin Turbo!! Twin Turbo!! Teiō, you’re going too far! Two Turbos is one thing, but now you’ve even got the number wrong!!” Twin Turbo shouted angrily.

“I don’t care, I’ll win!”

“Alright, let’s do it together.”

Sakura Baimu smiled helplessly. Twin Turbo was still very cute, and she couldn’t bear to refuse an Umamusume’s invitation.

Hearing Sakura Baimu's agreement, Twin Turbo happily ran towards her.

But she had only run halfway when she suddenly heard Sakura Baimu shout.

"Stop!”

Twin Turbo braked abruptly. Her heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one purple, were filled with confusion like a Pokémon that had lost its battle power.

“Wh...what's wrong?”

Sakura Baimu stepped to Twin Turbo's side, gently placing her hands on Twin Turbo's shoulders and turning her towards a full-length mirror beside her.

The mirror was very tall; at only 146 cm tall, Twin Turbo looked like a small child standing next to Sakura Baimu.

“What...what are you going to do to Turbo?”

Twin Turbo watched as Sakura Baimu gently pushed her in front of the mirror, then glanced back at Sakura Baimu's upturned lips. A bad premonition rose in her heart.

Not only her, but everyone in the room, including Canopus's trainer Minamisaka, Tokai Teiō, and Makitane Tannhauser, was completely bewildered by Sakura Baimu's actions.

They didn't understand what Sakura Baimu was doing.

However, they all unanimously agreed on one thing—

Sakura Baimu was about to have another episode!

Sakura Baimu pointed to Twin Turbo in the mirror.

“Now, there are two Twin Turbos.”

“Yes...yes, what’s wrong?”

“Summon Gigantic Spright!!!”

---

Chapter 225: Stress Resilience Training

Sakura Baimu returned to the TCB activity room with Nice Nature, Twin Turbo, and Tokai Teiō from Canopus.

“Let me introduce you. This is the Nice Turbo team. I invited them from Canopus to participate in a simulation battle with Kita-chan and Rice Shower today.”

Of course, most of the veteran students already knew each other, but Sakura Baimu mainly wanted to introduce them to Kitasan Black, Satono Diamond, and Curren Chan, the three new students at Umamusume.

Sakura Baimu's words earned her eye-rolls from Twin Turbo and Tokai Teiō.

Nice Nature, on the other hand, sighed and thought to herself, “I really can't trust Sakura Baimu.”

“Wait! She didn't promise me she wouldn't torment me anymore...?!”

Nice Nature's expression froze instantly.

“Don't listen to her. This is Twin Turbo and Nice Nature,” Mejiro McQueen quickly stepped forward to introduce them.

“Nice to meet you.”

Nice Nature gave a slight bow, showcasing her “Nice Nature” demeanor.

“Rice Shower! Race against Turbo! Turbo wants to do a simulated run with you!” Twin Turbo grinned, pointing at Rice Shower.

“Huh? Why Rice...?”

“Anyway, she wants to race against Rice, and I invited Miss Natie to do stress training with Kita-chan,” Sakura Baimu said.

“What does stress training mean?” Kitasan Black asked, somewhat puzzled.

In her memory, Nice Nature was an Umamusume and a classmate of Silent Suzuka.

And in April, she beat two BMW runners at the Spring Tenno Sho, securing third place.

Extremely strong!

No matter what, she probably couldn't outrun her now.

“Kita-chan, just run like you normally would. You’ll see how it goes during the race.”

Sakura Baimu said, then walked over to Nice Nature, who had her arms crossed, and whispered in her ear:

“Miss Natie, the main purpose of this simulation run is to improve Kita-chan's resilience under pressure. The competition is secondary. You know what I mean.”

Nice Nature's strength wasn't her speed.

It was her ability to disrupt other Umamusumes during a race.

What everyone called “stalling skills.”

“This is the first time I've been asked to do something like this. It feels so strange.”

While quite mischievous in real life and always enjoying playing pranks and tormenting others, Nice Nature still felt a little uncomfortable hearing Sakura Baimu ask her to do something naughty.

“Please, I have some good stuff I got from the Chairwoman. I'll give it to you after the race.”

“Give it to me now. I don't trust you,” Nice Nature said.

Sakura Baimu, resigned, pulled out two vouchers for the kind of deluxe buffet restaurant she'd given to Special Week and placed them in Nice Nature's hand.

“Anyway, just try your best to distract Kita-chan. The goal isn't to win, okay?”

Nice Nature looked at the meal vouchers in her hand, slightly surprised.

She hadn't expected Sakura Baimu to actually prepare a thank-you gift for her.

“Okay, I understand.”

“Hehe, thanks.”

Sakura Baimu chuckled and stood up.

“Since Twin Turbo and Rice are running too, let's all run together. Rice Shower, listen up, no ‘Aura.’ Kita-chan, no matter what, you have to finish the race.”

“Understood!” Kitasan Black and Rice Shower nodded together.

“What about Turbo?”

“Just use your jet.”

--

“Kita-chan and Rice's next races are both at Nakayama Racecourse, and they're both middle-distance races.”

“So, this time we're racing the 2000-meter middle-distance race.”

Sakura Baimu, holding a flag, shouted to the Umamusumes standing at the starting line.

“I'll count down three times, and the race starts when the countdown ends.”

The four Umamusumes nodded and got into their starting positions.

“Alright—”

“Natie third, competition second, friendship first, go!”

Sakura Baimu lowered the flag and shouted, and the three Umamusumes besides Nice Nature surged forward.

“I knew it!!!!”

Nice Nature paused for half a second before reacting, yelling and quickly catching up.

Although she was late, it wasn't a big deal.

Twin Turbo and Kitasan Black were both skilled leaders, while Rice Shower was also a leader.

Nice Nature, however, was a chaser, trailing behind the rest of the team.

This time, Nice Nature was the pressure-setter, her goal being to put pressure on Kita-chan, not to win.

“Going for it! Turbo Engine—Full Throttle☆!!”

Twin Turbo yelled excitedly, and then, to the astonishment of Kitasan Black and Rice Shower, she surged forward.

She had barely started, yet she had already left everyone far behind.

“This...is this speed for a sprint race?”

Curren Chan stared at the blue-haired, twin-tailed Umamusume charging ahead, her voice filled with surprise.

“Is Twin Turbo really that good? Daring to lead at this speed in a medium-distance race!”

“Turbo...well, Falco won't say anything, Curren. Just see for yourself.”

Smart Falcon, as the captain of the Fugitive SISTERS, knew all the Umamusumes in the academy well, especially those skilled in leading.

When she first saw Twin Turbo, she was also amazed by the power of Twin Turbo's turbo engine.

Unfortunately, the turbo engine was running low on fuel...

The first half of the race wasn't particularly remarkable.

The blue-haired Twin Turbo, with her turbo engine firing wildly, quickly left the rest of the Umamusumes far behind.

Sakura Baimu estimated that Twin Turbo was more than 20 lengths ahead.

Kitasan Black, in second place, had a decent pace, but Twin Turbo had managed to pull ahead.

She remembered Sakura Baimu's advice and focused on her own race.

Rice Shower was about three lengths behind Kitasan Black, running at a steady pace with no sign of anxiety.

Nice Nature, with her reddish-brown twin tails, was about four lengths behind Rice Shower, running without much pressure.

As the race entered its middle stages, Twin Turbo climbed the hill and entered the third corner.

The turbo engine began to lose power, and her speed gradually decreased.

Fortunately, she still had some stamina left, so she didn't experience a “backflow.”

Kitasan Black and Rice Shower also entered the third corner after Twin Turbo.

“When exactly will Trainer-san's pressure arrive?”

Kitasan Black wondered.

Looking at Twin Turbo getting closer and closer, she felt she didn't need to accelerate; maintaining a speed of about half a wave would allow her to regain the leading position.

“Only five lengths left. I'll catch up soon...” Kitasan Black thought to herself and strode forward.

“Pony-chan, you're running a little too fast~?”

Suddenly, Kitasan Black heard a mystifying murmur in her ear.

A sudden flutter rose in her heart.

--

--

Natie's three golden Red skills: Mystifying Murmur, All-Seeing Eyes, and Dominator.