Uma Musume: Become a Legendary Trainer

Chapter 172 Japanese Derby

Chapter 172 Japanese Derby (Part )

Kitahara and his group's vehicle merely passed the main road leading to the Tokyo stadium from a distance. They looked at the crowded vehicles and crowds of people from a distance, then drove into the stadium along a road lined with staff.

This is a passage exclusively for racing personnel. Whether they are racing ladies or staff, it is impossible for them to pass through the entrance like the spectators and fans.

It's already so congested from a distance, and there must be even more people at the entrance. If you enter from there, even if the security force on Kurokawa Masato's side is increased several times, it cannot be guaranteed that you can pass safely.

These security forces are designed to prevent some people who are carried away by their minds from sneaking into the special passage.

Once you enter the stadium, you won't have to worry about being frightened by the fanatical fans. The stadium is not open yet and there is no spectator inside.

Moreover, the security in the player area is sufficient to stop any unauthorized persons trying to enter. Coupled with the arrangements made by Masato Kurokawa, Oguruma and the others can wander around the entire stadium in peace.

"…It's so quiet at this moment in the stadium."

When he learned that his sister was bringing him here specially to visit the stadium, although he didn't quite understand why, Oguri Roman was very happy. He kept holding Oguri's hand and looking around curiously.

"I came here a few days ago, but it wasn't this quiet and there weren't many people there..."

"Hmm... This is also the first time I've seen a competition like this. It feels like..."

Holding his sister's hand, he walked in the empty auditorium. When they reached the position facing the stadium, Xiaolimao's ears moved, and he suddenly stopped and stared blankly at the runway.

"It's like we're the only ones left now..."

Hearing her mumbling, Beiyuan, Xiaohaiwan and Aldan were all stunned.

"Yeah, it's a very special feeling, but..."

Looking at the track, the breath of the small bay became long, "Thinking that in the afternoon, we will stand there and run, competing for the title of the best horse girl of this generation, it feels..."

"I can't help but go up and run." She chuckled.

"There will be time to warm up, don't be so impatient, Little Bay."

There was a smile on his face, but Aldan's eyes were looking at the runway just like Oguruma and Xiaohaiwan.

"Don't be so anxious..." she murmured again.

For a moment, in tacit understanding, the three horse girls all stared at the track of the Tokyo racecourse and fell into silence.

At this time, Oguri Roman became curious.

"Sister, if you are competing in the afternoon, will you wait there during the morning, noon, and before the competition starts?"

As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and pointed in the direction of the contestants' preparation room.

“…Oh, that’s not the case.”

Hearing his sister's question, Oguruma quickly came back to his senses, turned around and smiled, "Before our competition begins, there will be other horse girls' competitions, which will start around ten in the morning."

"It will be our turn after the other games are over. We should have another game after that."

"Specific events..."

After thinking for a while, she still couldn't figure out how many games there were today, so she couldn't help but look to Kitahara for help.

"12 games. There are 12 games in Tokyo today."

With a smile, Kitahara walked over and touched Oguri Roman's head, then looked at the runway just like Oguri and the others.

"The opening time of the Tokyo Games is 9 a.m. By the time the audience enters the venue and the staff and players are ready, it will be almost 10 a.m. The first game will probably start at that time."

"One match lasts 2 to 3 minutes, including the debut, introduction, gate entry, match, and winner presentation. The whole process takes about 20 minutes."

“The most important part, the match introduction and winner presentation, will be longer and will take about an hour.”

"That is to say, there will be a maximum of six games in the morning, and the same in the afternoon."

"Then the Winning Live will start at 8pm sharp, and the horse girls from every race today will appear on the stage."

She withdrew her gaze and looked down at Oguri Roman. Kitahara smiled and touched her head again.

"Generally speaking, the most important match of the day will be scheduled for the 11th match, and the time is basically fixed at 15:40."

"Today, it's your sister and her friends' Japanese derby."

Hearing this, Oguri Roman nodded blankly and suddenly asked.

"So...what are the other competitions like?"

After hesitating for a moment, she said again, "Those games...are not important?"

Kitahara was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked up at Oguruma, Xiaohaiwan and Aldan, and found that they were also a little surprised.

"Well...it should be important."

After thinking for a while, Oguruma looked back at the track and said, "I think that we are all horse girls who have given our all to stand on the track. No race is unimportant."

“…That’s not the case, Oguri.”

Almost at the moment when Xiao Limao finished speaking, Super Xiaowan shook his head with a complicated look, "Competitions and games are different."

Although Mejiro Aldan didn't say anything, the action of turning her head with the same complicated look seemed to indicate that she agreed with Xiao Wan's words.

“…Eh? Then…what on earth is this…?”

Oguri Roman was confused. She looked at Oguri Mao and found that her sister also looked confused. She couldn't help but look at Kitahara, "Uncle Kitahara, what about those other competitions...?"

"Although you will learn it in the next class, but..."

With a silent sigh, Kitahara looked directly into Oguri Roman's eyes and said in a deep voice:
"…Is it important or not? Just listen. I'll tell you about the other matches today besides the Japan Derby."

“All other competitions can be called ‘conditional competitions’. As the name suggests, you can only participate if you meet the entry standards.”

"Unlike the entry requirements for the Japanese Derby, these 'conditional races' do not require you to win any preliminary matches to participate."

"On the contrary, it is precisely because they failed to win the game that they can participate...or in other words, they must participate in order to continue the game."

Without hiding anything, he went straight to talking about other competitions.

"For example, the first game is called the 'Classic Year Without Winning Game', which means that we will participate in this game if we fail to win a single game in the second year of the whole process."

"The second one is called the 'Classic Year 1 Win' race, which means the contestant has only won one victory so far this year."

"After that, there are 'Classic Year 2 Wins', 'Old Horse Year No Wins', 'Old Horse Year 1 Win', 'Old Horse Year 2 Wins', and a race with a limit of 'less than a certain number' of fans."

"That is to say, what Little Bay said is correct."

Suddenly, he changed the subject, stroked the bangs on Roman Oguri's forehead, looked into the distance, and overlooked the entire stadium.

“It’s different from one game to another.”

"Or to put it bluntly, in today's competitions other than the Japanese Derby, the current strength of the horse racing women participating is simply not comparable to your sisters and others."

"If the fan base, attention, strength, etc. define the strength of the game, then the remaining 11 games are not that important."

"Because the participating horse racing girls don't have many fans, the attention they get is average, and their abilities are indeed not as strong as your sister and the others."

"This is reality, Xiao Xiaoli."

"Look at the Tokyo stadium in front of you."

Kitahara pointed forward, and Oguri Roman was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously looked forward.

"In this field, there are the February Stakes, NHK, Victoria Mile, Oaks, Japan Derby, Yasuda Kinen, Emperor's Autumn Viewing, Japan Cup, these G1s."

"And the Aoba Sho, Daily Crown, Meguro Kinen, Kyodo Communications Cup, Tokyo Sports Cup Junior Championships, these G2 and G3."

"There are still many OP and Pre-OP levels."

“They are all compared here.”

“But they are different.”

"Japanese Derby, all the horse girls only have one chance in their lifetime."

"There are thousands of horse girls in the Classic Year every year, this year there are 6251."

“But this year, there are only 15 horse girls eligible to start from the gate at 40:24 this afternoon.”

"The Oaks Tournament is limited to female horse girls. The total number of participants is smaller, but it is still one in a thousand."

"Not to mention, many horse girls don't even qualify to compete."

"More importantly, whether it's the Japanese Derby or the Oaks, there is only one champion this year and one 'Derby Musume' every year."

After saying this, although Kitahara did not look to his side, he had already felt three pressing auras coming from his side, including that of Oguruma, a guy who usually looked natural.

At this moment, he felt that he could not look directly at these horse racing ladies who usually looked gentle and kind.

But he still spoke:

"Xiao Xiaoli, what your sister said is actually not wrong."

After changing the subject, he lowered his head and looked into Roman Oguri's confused eyes. "If you try your best to stand on the field, there is no such thing as an unimportant game."

“In other words, whether a match is important or not is not determined by the fans, the attention, or the strength of the racers, but by whether the race girls have given their all.”

Memories suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Xiao Xiaoli, I was just a local trainer."

"Your sister is just a local horse racing girl."

“We didn’t have the qualifications to stand here back then.”

"As for Kasamatsu, you should know that there are actually quite a few horse girls, but to be honest, even if many of them stand on the field, they can't be said to be giving their all."

"I am not blaming them. On the contrary, I believe that they also hope to run with all their strength, receive praise and words, and realize their dreams."

"But no one pays attention to that. No one pays attention to a horse girl like that."

"This is the reality. Many times, many people and horse racing girls can't get even a little attention no matter how hard they try."

"So they gave up, and you can't really blame them."

"And your sister, Oguruma, is just that kind of horse girl who will run with all her might regardless of whether anyone is paying attention to her or not."

"She herself said that she was very happy to be able to stand up and run because it was a miracle."

"Your mother said that she hoped she would become a great horse racing girl, so she ran even harder."

"It's the same with your sister Xiao Hai Wan and sister Aldan. They were born with bad feet, but they didn't give up until they ran in this Japanese derby."

"In order to live up to their parents' expectations and for the glory of their family, they are also horse girls who will always run as hard as they can, regardless of whether anyone is paying attention or not."

Kitahara's eyes began to sparkle.

"A horse girl like this is enough to change the world."

"I think it's because of them and because I want to change the world that I came all the way from Kasamatsu to this Japanese derby like them."

"And keep going as long as they keep running."

At this point, Kitahara let out a long sigh and laughed, "Huh... maybe I'm a little confused by all of these complicated things."

“You may not understand it now, but as long as you understand one thing, as long as you run with all your strength, then every game you play will be the most important game.”

After a sudden thought, with a somewhat confused Oguri Roman, Kitahara, Oguri and the others continued to walk around the stadium for a while.

Wandering around again, he clearly felt that the aura of his three horse girls had changed again.

It was similar to his previous outburst in the audience, but gentler and more confident, as if he was inspired by something.

Perhaps influenced by those words, Kitahara was somewhat surprised, but also very happy. After all, this state was obviously more conducive to the afternoon game.

Before the stadium opened on time, the group went to the players' preparation area, where there were various special facilities, including a restaurant and a lounge.

The restaurants here have top-notch chefs and specially supplied ingredients in the country, and in most cases can provide nutritious and healthy food suitable for racehorse ladies. They can also accept advance reservations from trainers and teams, and the latter can designate their own chefs or bring their own.

Since it was not yet lunch time, Kitahara decided to rehearse the arrangements for the afternoon's Japan Derby with Oguruma and the others, so that they would have plenty of time to work out some details while waiting for the game.

For things like match arrangements, they would definitely do enough homework in advance, but as a very sensitive creature, Uma Musume's mood on the day has a huge impact on the game. The impact of the "mood" of "never to adjust" and "never to adjust" in the "mobile game" on the game is completely taken from reality.

Everything was fine the day before, weeks and months before the game, but on the day of the game, he lost his temper and ended up losing the game he was sure to win. This kind of thing has happened before, and the "121 billion high kick" is the most typical example.

Therefore, arrangements on the day of the race are an extremely important job for trainers, and any errors must be adjusted immediately. Trainers guide racehorse girls and riders to ride racehorses differently, so there will be no situation where riders and horse owners have different opinions.

After what happened while showing Roman Oguri around the stadium, Kitahara vaguely sensed that the conditions of Roman Oguri and the others had slightly changed, so it was necessary to take the time to communicate and confirm.

After telling Oguruma and the others about this decision, Kitahara was about to explain to Kurokawa Masato, but the other party tactfully said that he "wanted to just take a walk around."

"Then you just go ahead and get busy, Kitahara. This is my first time coming to the stadium so early, and it's also my first time being able to watch so many games. I plan to watch from the first game in the morning to the last one in one go."

At this moment, the head of the big conglomerate was not at all serious. He looked as cheerful as a "high school student whose parents are not at home today". He rubbed his hands and said expectantly: "If I have the chance, I would like to take more photos with the horse racing ladies."

"By the way, Kitahara, are you going to reserve your seat or go to the open space in front? I want to go to the open space to watch the game up close, do you want to come with me?"

Beiyuan was stunned and said subconsciously:

"Open space for watching the game? There are no seats there. I plan to go there, but if you stand there for a whole day, will you be unable to bear it?"

The open field viewing area is the closest to the track. Although there is no place to sit and you can only stand, you can clearly see the start and finish line.

If you are sitting in the back seats or reserved seats further back, you can see the overall situation of the game on the big screen in the stadium or the broadcast screen in front of the seat, but you can't see the details.

As a trainer, Kitahara would definitely choose an open space position. One of the reasons why he trains every day is to be able to stand for a long time. He just doesn't think that a chaebol leader like Kurokawa Masato would have that kind of physical strength.

"Don't underestimate me. After all, I was on the high school baseball team. I should be in good physical condition!"

Seeing Kitahara's suspicion easily, he expressed his dissatisfaction like a real high school boy, then Kurokawa Masato smiled and waved his hand.

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the empty area. If I see your colleagues, I'll go over and say hello."

After saying that, he left without waiting for Kitahara to respond.

...colleagues? Please, it's not just the members of Eienshi who came to watch Oguruma and the others' Japanese derby today...

Thinking of Luduo and the others who would also watch the game up close today, Kitahara felt helpless, shook his head, and brought Oguruma and the others to the lounge.

This place is just like the player preparation room, with a simulation sand table, but it is bigger. Generally, the sand table here is shared, but at this moment, the players from the first few games are in the preparation room, and the players after that have not arrived yet, so Kitahara and his group have monopolized this large sand table.

Unlike previous pre-match arrangements, Roman Oguri also followed Kitahara's arrangements this time.

This little guy may still be a little confused about future events, but since he has said that he wants to participate in the "Female Triple Crown", it will not hurt to listen more to the Japanese Derby arrangement on the same venue as the Oaks Stakes.

"The Japanese Derby is 2400 meters long on grass. Today's weather is good and it hasn't rained recently, so it's a very good venue."

After giving an opening statement about the tournament, Kitahara pulled out a few colorful flags and a lot of Uma Musume chess pieces from the cabinet under the sand table.

He picked out "24" from the Uma Musume chess piece and adjusted the player number displayed on the wheel in the middle of the chess piece. He said in a deep voice:

"The track is the outer lane of the stadium. Based on the length of the outer lane, the race is a little more than one lap."

“The starting point is in front of the spectator stands, 350 meters from the first bend, and 526 meters from the fourth bend to the finish line.”

"With a very tight first turn and a long straight line after the fourth turn, most Japanese derbies in the past were slow at the beginning and fast at the end, which means the focus was on the last step before crossing the finish line."

"By now, you should know that the Japanese Derby is a very important race for all of Uma Musume, so just the vast majority of cases is not enough."

After inserting a small red flag at the starting point, Kitahara looked at Oguruma, Super Little Bay and Mejiro Aldan's faces one by one with a heavy gaze, and his tone became serious.

"Some horse girls choose to risk their lives in the first half of the race."

"I told you, risking your life here means literally."

"They will not hesitate to use any of their physical strength, leg power or even potential to rush to the front and get the rhythm, thus leading the normal game."

"In this case, running 1000 meters in less than 60 seconds is very normal."

"But I also said that you don't have to worry about this situation."

After mentioning the extreme tactics just now, Kitahara could see that, except for Oguri Roman who had a frightened expression, Oguri Mao, Xiao Haiwan and Aldan just flashed their eyes and nodded heavily. He understood that they had completely accepted the situation that he had been explaining explicitly and implicitly.

He then continued:
"Your current basic abilities are far beyond the average level of your generation. Although it may be a bit harsh to say this, the fact is that even if your opponents fight to the death, they will definitely not be able to gain a clear victory in the first half."

After saying this with certainty, he picked up another small red flag and stuck it at the fourth bend.

“There won’t be many horse girls who take extreme running methods in the first half, because the vast majority of horse girls choose to squeeze out everything they have at this position and sprint to the finish line in one breath.”

"That is to say, no matter what happens in the Japanese derby, after the fourth turn, there will be a 526-meter sprint."

Kitahara looked at Super Xiaohaiwan, "I specifically told you, Xiaohaiwan, that this sprint is different from your slow acceleration in the middle of the arc artist. This is purely to use the speed of the last foot, trying to fight 526 meters in one breath and fight to the finish line."

After a moment of silence, he raised his hand and pressed it on his chest. He took a deep breath, and after his chest heaved for a while, Xiao Haiwan said in a deep voice:
"I understand. I won't confuse the two situations."

Nodding, Kitahara looked at the sand table again and placed the 24 pieces representing the participants of this Japan Derby at the fourth bend.

What is different from many previous sand table simulations is that the chess pieces placed in the fourth bend are often spindle-shaped, with pointed ends and a large middle.

This time the chess pieces are arranged in a "three" shape, with three straight strokes extending from the inner lane to the outer lane.

"It's probably because the race is so important. When exiting the fourth turn, almost all the horse girls will involuntarily pull themselves into a horizontal line in order to fight for position."

"This is a very rare situation. It can even be said that apart from the Japanese Derby and the Oaks, this situation is rarely seen in the final bend of other races."

"It's obvious now."

"The extreme tactics in the first half of the race, the horizontal formation in the fourth turn, the long sprint to the finish line, plus the characteristics of the Tokyo track itself."

“There are five key points that must be addressed in this competition.”

After saying a few words in summary, Kitahara picked up five small white flags and placed the first one at the starting point.

"The starting point of the Japanese Derby is a not very obvious downhill slope, which lasts for about a few dozen meters."

"This part affects the feeling of your feet after you leave the gate. If you don't use enough force, you will feel unsteady for a few seconds."

"The most straightforward way to deal with this is to enter and exit the gate with a heavier step than usual, imagining that you are breaking up the ground while using the skills you have acquired in your daily training."

"Starting the race, carrying weights, sprinting in short distances, sprinting against the wind in the wind tunnel, etc. are all your basic skills. If you make a mistake in the start, I think you will not make such a mistake at this point."

After looking at the three horse racing girls in front of him one by one and seeing them nod one by one, Kitahara smiled, picked up the second small flag and placed it between the first and second turns.

“This is the flattest section.”

"It lasts for 1100 meters. This flat section is also the reason why some horse racing girls will risk their lives."

"Just do as I say and ignore them."

"With your current strength, your opponent in this match won't be able to distance themselves in that way. Just run normally."

"Little Bay, your continued acceleration can start warming up from the end of this section."

"There are still more than 1200 meters to the end of the race. After a 400- to 500-meter warm-up, you can gradually increase your speed and reach your highest speed in advance."

Hearing that he was mentioned so emphatically, Super Bay nodded carefully. "I understand."

The third side is placed at the part where the 3 straight lines enter the 2 turns.

“It’s a relatively gentle up and down slope here.”

"In this position, due to the difference in strength between you and your opponents, the uphill and downhill will present a more obvious speed difference in this game, and the position will change significantly and complexly."

"My request to you here is to stabilize your position, do not lose sight of your target, and do not get surrounded."

"If the speed is sufficient, you don't have to worry about escaping, leading, lagging, or chasing. This method of scoring can change in specific events, especially in complex situations like this."

"The fundamental goal is to maintain a stable cruising speed, stay within a safe distance between the front and rear, and wait until the final bend to fully unleash the remaining strength."

"Aldan, you are best at quickly finding the most advantageous path for yourself in this complex environment. Your greatest advantage in the entire game comes from this part."

Although he did not respond out loud, he stared at the location Kitahara mentioned, and Mejiro Aldan nodded heavily like Xiao Wan.

The fourth flag is placed just before the final bend, matching the red flag that was placed first in the row of Uma Musume pieces placed there.

Looking at this situation, Kitahara suddenly smiled.

"It's kind of funny. I originally thought that 'Master of Strategy' was a boring title."

"Now that I think about it, many of my tactical arrangements do make sense..."

After muttering some kind words in a low voice, he once again glanced at the solemn faces of Little Chestnut Hat, Little Bay, and Aldan, and said softly:
"The special situation after the final turn in the Japanese derby will make the competition for position more intense than in any other game. It can be described as the biggest chaos once a year."

"I certainly expect you to be ahead of the curve before this position arrives."

"But the worst possible scenario is that even if you handled the situation well, you still lacked luck and accidentally got caught up in the chaos."

"Then you can use the 'super-high-speed lane change' technique."

"Then, the situation where the left and right halves behave differently and confuse the opponent... Haha, I guess the commentator will say it's a trick of mine or something like that."

He sighed softly and looked at Oguruma.

"Little Chestnut Hat, this will be your greatest advantage."

"Among the opponents in this match, there are definitely quite a few who have studied your past game habits."

"Great Outer Path Transcendence, Three Stages of Acceleration, and Contact with the Domain... They all know about it."

"Moreover, they will most likely consider targeting you in this race. Even if they haven't considered it, they will each strive for their own optimal sprint route, which will still affect your sprinting according to your usual running method."

"Based on past races, they would never have thought that you would change lanes and overtake on the inside lane without slowing down at all."

"Add to that the camouflage effect of 'Super-Speed Lane Change'. If an opponent is really confused, then..."

After a pause, he sighed silently, "I can only say sorry in advance."

After sighing, he inserted the last flag into the last uphill and downhill of the entire race.

"The slope at the end of the straight is commonly known as the 'heart killer', but the slope itself is not a problem for you. We have been doing relevant training for a long time."

He paused, "Your domain will reach the triggering conditions around this point and can be activated."

"Don't hold back."

"Don't worry about the other opponents."

"We will use all the advantages we have accumulated so far and everything that is left now to win this once-in-a-lifetime Japanese derby."

"Let the world know that you have given your all and given your best."

"is that OK?"

Looking up from the sand table, Kitahara once again inspected his three horse girls, took a deep breath, and said softly:

"I mean, everything I just said."

This time, the three horse girls did not respond, which was completely different from previous competitions. Instead, they all stared at the sand table in silence for a moment, and then suddenly answered a question that was not asked.

"Hmm... I want to take Xiao Xiaoli out for a walk again..."

"Um... Mr. Kitahara, I want to make a phone call..."

"Chief Kitahara, the clan leader attaches great importance to this Japanese derby and is waiting for me in the VIP seat. I..."

After saying this in unison, the three of them looked at each other and chuckled subconsciously.

...Are you nervous? Or do you just want to chat with someone...

Guessing the intentions of Oguruma and the others, Kitahara thought for a moment and smiled.

He suddenly felt that he had done everything he could in preparation and just now.

Even if he was given another month, it seemed that he would just be repeating these things over and over again and could not do any more.

Then it seems that the next period of time should be left to these horse racing ladies, and some space should be left for them.

"Do whatever you want to do. Just remember to eat a good lunch, warm up before the game, and don't run around."

He smiled and said there was nothing to worry about, then turned and left the lounge.

Kitahara didn't know what Oguruma and the others did after they left the lounge.

There have also been speculations that, having trained and lived together for so long, they will now face off in such an important match as the Japan Derby, so will they say something before the game?

For example, encouraging each other? Or declaring to each other? Or just staring at each other silently?

He didn't know what would happen between him and the horse girls. What he knew was that when he came to his senses after being lost in thought, he was surprised to find that he had somehow found himself in an open space in the viewing area.

The person who looked at him with surprise and amusement was none other than Masato Kurokawa, who had said before that he would come here.

"Kitahara, are you thinking about something funny?"

He came closer and patted Kitahara on the shoulder. He smiled and said, "I saw you laughing from time to time as you came here. You didn't even look at the road and bumped into others several times."

"What's so funny? Would you mind sharing it?"

After being slightly stunned for a moment, Kitahara quickly recalled that he must have bumped into someone when he came here unknowingly, and apologized subconsciously.

"...Ah, this isn't really a funny thing."

After thinking for a while, he rubbed his forehead in annoyance and said, "How should I put it? I don't know how to describe it."

"I reconfirmed various arrangements with Oguruma and the others. One of them said she wanted to take her sister out for some shopping, one said she wanted to make a phone call... I think she wanted to call her parents, and the last one said she wanted to meet the clan leader."

"I think I have done everything I can think of. Maybe I should just leave the time and space to them."

"This shouldn't be a funny thing. If I really have to describe it, I actually..."

After thinking for a while, he couldn't think of a suitable adjective, so he smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Well, I don't know what this is."

"Take it esay, that's probably the feeling."

A smiling voice came from not far behind Kitahara and Kurokawa, along with a noise of exclamations, making it difficult to tell who the voice came from.

The two of them subconsciously turned their heads to look, and first saw that more and more spectators around them had mixed expressions of astonishment, surprise, and disbelief.

In a flash, they realized that their eyes were focused on a tall and majestic figure.

"Ludo...?"

"President Luduo, why are you here...?"

Kitahara and Kurokawa Masato said in unison, and then they saw the legendary horse girl stretched out a hand, dug into her pocket, and threw a few coins to each of them.

Two red shadows flew over in a parabola. After the two men took it subconsciously, they heard Luduo's symbolic smile:
"Fuji apple, but not just any Fuji apple, but the 'Fuji apple' given to me by my junior Fuji Kishiki, hahahaha."

She laughed to herself, ignoring the people around her and Kurokawa Masato's trembling expression, and laughed to herself:

“I think it’s very meaningful and I want to share it with you.”

"Ah, thank you very much..."

After thanking him blankly, Kitahara thought for a moment, "Fujikishi... She is one year younger than Oguri Roman, right? Still in the elementary department? Did you meet her in the academy?"

"That's not it."

Raising his hand, bending his thumb, and pointing to the balcony at the back of the auditorium, Luduo said with a symbolic smile:

"I have specially arranged some seats so that all the students of Central Tresen College can come and watch the game."

"Unfortunately, many of them are still young and it's not safe for them to watch the game outside, so I used my power to book a small viewing room."

"Oh, by the way, Kitahara, the people you are more familiar with, such as the Emperor of the East Sea, Mejiro McQueen, as well as Miura Bourbon and Narita Shirahito, are all here, of course."

"Special Week, Good Opera, Golden Ship, and All the Way are not in Central College, but I know you are familiar with them, so I arranged for them to come over."

"My intuition tells me that this will be an extremely exciting Japanese derby. It would be a pity if I missed it."

This is really... grand. Is the Emperor-President looking forward to this Japan Derby so much?

Beiyuan was surprised, and then he thought of what she had just said, which sounded a little familiar.

Oh yes, that sentence seems to be told to Okabe Yukio by a senior when he was studying in the United States...

Then in the original work, she also heard it from an American trainer, and then told Oguruma...

"Take it esay, you mean..."

Unable to help but tighten his grip on the apple, Kitahara looked towards the lounge where he was before and murmured, "Let Oguruma and the others 'enjoy the game', or... 'relax'?"

"That's about it. Anyway..."

After walking over here for a while, as if he was going to watch the game with Kitahara and Kurokawa Masato, Lu Duo crossed his arms and chuckled:
"Kitahara, you're right. You've already done everything you can. If you want to go further, even you can't do it."

"It's not that you didn't do well, but that you did very well."

"From now on, it's no longer your battlefield, but that of Oguruma and the others... No."

The smile gradually faded, and the horse girl who had been so friendly just a moment ago revealed a majestic and inviolable aura.

"Next, it's our battlefield."

"So," she suddenly became friendly again, "you just need to relax and enjoy the game."

"same……"

Just like Kitahara did before, she also looked in the direction the former had looked, "Same for Oguruma and the others."

"Especially Oguruma. Before the Gaoyue Sho, she came to ask me about the 'Undefeated Triple Crown'. At that time, I had already shared this sentence with her."

"I believe that she and they can all relax and enjoy the game."

"Ah, it's a good time for me to relax. I finally caught Maruzen, Chiaki, and Gaofeng. I'll let them take care of the students in the viewing hall. As for me..."

She stretched as if she was really relaxed, then turned her head to look at the arena in front of her, and looked from afar at the stage circle where staff were already moving around.

"Just watching a day's game. The last time I did this was before my debut, probably..."

"Oh yes, it's the Japanese derby that Maruzen couldn't participate in."

"Heh, if Maruzen was here, she would probably ask me to poke her in the sore spot, right? But I still feel that she will be very happy today."

"Because after today, perhaps there will never be another regret like hers, and even her dream can come true..."

...Regret? Dream...?
He was slightly startled and wanted to ask, but when he saw the horse racing girl appear on the other side of the stage circle, Luduo seemed to really want to watch the game simply. He made a trumpet with one hand and raised the other hand high to cheer. Kitahara smiled silently.

Never mind, I’ll ask later.

With this thought in mind, Kitahara Shin, Ludo symbol, and Kurokawa Masato stood at the front of the blank area and watched the game like ordinary spectators.

The two men and a horse racing girl were all talkative people, and they knew the horse racing girls very well. During the races, in between races, and when they had simple meals in the restaurant at the stadium, they would occasionally exchange comments on the races and anecdotes about the industry, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

However, it was not until the afternoon that Kitahara vaguely felt that this legendary horse racing girl was inexplicably nervous even though she said "take it easy".

This tension became more and more obvious as the Japan Derby got closer. When the radio broadcast voices that were several times more excited than before and the hundreds of thousands of spectators cheered in unison, the tension almost overflowed.

"To all the viewers who love the Shining Star Series!"

"This moment... has finally arrived!"

“Today’s finale!”

"Uma Musume Festival!"

"Japanese Derby!"

"The contestants are starting to enter!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime stage. Let us introduce the upcoming Umamusumes!!!"

Amidst such inspiring voices, Kitahara was paying attention to his surroundings intentionally or unintentionally.

He could see clearly that the symbol of Rudo had her arms folded, and the elbows of her Tresen school uniform were wrinkled badly.

What on earth is it that makes Ludo a symbol of such a horse girl...

Just as he was thinking this, Beiyuan suddenly heard Luduo speak in a low voice.

"In the Japanese Derby, there are about 6,000 to 7,000 horse girls in the Classic class, but only a few dozen of them can participate. It is known as the best competition in Japan..."

As if she was talking to Kitahara, or mumbling to herself, she clutched her elbow tightly, stared at the stage, and whispered:
"Even in my career, this is the most difficult race..."

“However, after winning, it did bring me glory that I couldn’t have imagined before winning, and everything that came after.”

"I once thought that losing the Japanese derby might be my biggest regret..."

"But I don't know why, even Maruzen's experience didn't make me think this way, but..."

She slowly turned her head and looked at Beiyuan with a confused look in her eyes.

"The time I spent with Oguri made me feel that the real regret was that we didn't even have a chance to lose the Japanese derby."

……ah?

Kitahara was also at a loss.

These few days...you've only run around with Xiaolimao a few times, right?
It's not like you're going ice skating. I'm just watching you.

You...why do you feel this way?
Beiyuan was at a loss, and Luduo's look was only more confused.

"I don't know why, but something tells me that Oguruma... may not be able to participate in this Japanese derby."

"Reason and reality tell me that this is impossible. She is already there and ready to make her debut..."

"But I can't help it. I just have that feeling."

His blank eyes turned to the appearance circle, where figures that were familiar to Luduo and also familiar to Kitahara were displayed one after another.

"Can the cherry blossoms that bloomed in the Asahi Cup bloom again today?! Sakura Chiyo-oh!!"

"It's time to let the name of invincibility resound through the generations to come! Yahei Invincibility!!"

"A surprising last kick, a straight dash like a bullet out of a gun, crushing all enemies!! Dido Shooter!!"

"Show everyone the pride and ambition of the famous Mejiro family, Mejiro Aldan!!"

"Yesterday's small stream, here's a big river, can it drown all opponents as the name suggests?! Super small bay!!"

Looking at those figures and listening to the sounds resounding throughout the Tokyo stadium, the voice symbolized by Luduo was not loud, but it was clearly heard by Kitahara.

"Kitahara, what do you think is necessary for a top-notch horse girl?"

The statement was made as she asked aloud, but she did not wait for an answer and continued on her own.

“Do you have a charisma that attracts everyone?”

"Do you have such overwhelming power that you can keep winning titles?"

"Or maybe..."

"Have the hope that can make people see their dreams..."

In Luduo's symbolic purple eyes, a silver-gray figure was reflected, slowly walking out of the appearance circle.

"I don't know why, but I believe that Oguruma is the kind of horse girl who can give people hope for their dreams."

"I don't know why. She was standing on the parade circle and about to step into the starting line of the Japanese derby during the entrance song. But at this moment, I still felt that she might not be able to participate in this Japanese derby."

"I don't even know if what I'm doing is in line with my identity, responsibility, and destiny as the president of the Central Tresen College Student Union."

"but……"

She suddenly looked at Kitahara and laughed.

"After all, I have already told the URA president that if Oguri wins the Japanese derby, I will ask them to slightly modify some of the extremely boring and stubborn rules."

"Otherwise...ah, it doesn't matter..."

Shaking her head, she chuckled:

"Perhaps as the student council president, I am still too immature. I actually said such things to the bigwigs of the URA Association in private just for an inexplicable feeling."

"Perhaps I am more attracted to the 'dream' that will appear before our eyes in the future than to the reality."

"Then for the sake of 'dreams', it shouldn't be a problem to believe in her, to believe in a horse girl who can give people hope for their dreams."

As she said this, an unprecedented trembling voice of explanation came into her trembling long ears.

"And finally! The one who appears is..."

"Group 8, number 24!"

"The most popular one!"

"So far, 15 wins out of 15 games!"

"The undefeated Satsuki Umamusume!"

"Cinderella from Kasamatsu, the monster from Ashima!"

"Little chestnut hat!!"

Tomorrow... No, I will definitely finish writing about the competition today, I really can't hold on any longer...

Then, I suddenly realized that the biggest private work of this book was something I had never discovered myself...