Uma Musume: Become a Legendary Trainer

Chapter 380: Maybe She's a Horse Racing Girl
The moment the results of the Japan Cup were announced, or rather the moment the four horse girls crossed the finish line one after another in what seemed like a chaotic battle, the noise in the audience stopped abruptly and became almost silent.

This is true not only for audiences from overseas, but also for Japanese audiences and fans who support Inari Ichi.

Most people actually cannot accept Inariichi's victory immediately.

Especially in a world-class event like the Japan Cup, he won the victory in one breath by chasing after 2400 meters.

In the memory of Japanese fans, Umamusume Nippon’s performance in the Japan Cup so far has been too bleak.

They clearly have the blessing of the home field and are more adapted to the Tokyo arena than their overseas opponents. Since the inception of the Japan Cup, only Katsuragi Ace and Rudo Symbol have won this game.

The 2400-meter chase victory was an unimaginable victory.

The final straight line of the 2400-meter track in Tokyo is 525.9 meters long, which ranks among the top in the world.

Moreover, before approaching the finish line, there are ups and downs with a height difference of about 1 meter.

The design of this track undoubtedly places extremely high demands on endurance and strength, almost eliminating the possibility of winning by adopting escape-and-chase tactics throughout the entire race.

This type of victory has rarely been seen in previous Japan Cups, and the same is true for the Japan Derby and Oaks Races, which are both 2400 meters in Tokyo, like the Japan Cup.

But people soon remembered.

Initially, it seemed that the way Katsuragi Ace won, just like today, when she defeated a group of overseas giants beyond everyone's expectations and became the first Japanese horse girl to win the Japan Cup, was precisely the way to victory with an amazing explosion.

Since it goes against common sense that the team can win the Japan Cup.

Well, it is not hard to understand that they have won this title through their overwhelming pursuit right now?
In short, after a period of unusual silence, the spectators at the Tokyo stadium finally realized that the victory over many powerful opponents in Japan and overseas once again allowed the Japanese Umamusume style to be displayed in front of the world, shocking the overseas spectators who were present at the scene and paying attention to the game. These countless facts all illustrate one thing.

The championship honor of this Japan Cup belongs to Inari Ichi.

As the protagonist with so many honors, Inari himself was as abnormally crazy as before crossing the finish line. With sweat all over his face, he just stared blankly at the notice board facing the audience seats in the stadium.

"First?"

"Did I win... me...?"

“I became…the top…of the world…?”

She murmured a series of intermittent words, her face filled with an uncharacteristic look of bewilderment.

"Yes, yes, you won. Congratulations, Inari."

Soon, a congratulation attracted Inari's attention.

He turned his head blankly and saw Tamamo Cross with one hand on his waist, looking at him with a smile.

"Well, have you been infected by Xiaoli's stupidity? Haven't you reacted yet? Or did you use too much force at the end and lost your mind?"

Seeing that Inari was in a daze at the moment, and still had a dazed look on his face after looking at him, Tamamo Cross couldn't help but tease him.

Then, he frowned slightly and came closer.

"Hey, are you really feeling unwell?"

Tamamo Cross became a little worried.

It is definitely unwilling to lose the game, and there will definitely be sadness and unwillingness.

But Tamamo Cross admitted that it was different from the countless eyes in the outside world who were only looking at him.

She knew very well that she was not the only one among the horse girls representing Japan who had the ability to win the championship in this competition.

Speed, endurance, strength, cornering skills, last-foot level... perhaps each individual ability has different strengths.

But overall, there is not any obvious difference in overall strength between Inari and himself.

If I have to say something, it would probably be that I am more familiar with the central arena and my abilities are more balanced.

Apart from basic abilities, most of the special training that I and my opponents received, especially the special training for the Japan Cup, actually had smaller differences.

Then in the eyes of outsiders, I have a great chance of winning this game, and so can Inari.

However, before and after the final straight line, she paid attention to Inariichi's condition.

She knew that her friend and rival was good at chasing after him.

It can even be said that the opponent is an extremely rare horse girl who is particularly good at chasing from behind.

But the swift running style just now that caught up with him in one breath was completely beyond her expectations.

She is also good at the back-chase method, but this skill is largely due to accidents she encountered in early competitions.

Because of the accident, she was more or less unable to stay in the team in the subsequent games, so she had to choose the chasing method.

Therefore, she was not very clear about the toll that chasing after someone in the way that Inari did would take on the body.

Worried, she couldn't help but move closer to Inari, stretched out her hand, and wanted to confirm the situation.

“Hey, hey! It’s true that I beat you, but you shouldn’t be so angry that you want to fight, right, Xiaoyu?”

Inari obviously misunderstood, "Did you think I have no strength left now?

"I'm warning you, even now I can kill a tiger with one kick!

"Don't mess around!"

This shouting instantly made Tamamo Cross feel like she was just engaging in a routine quarrel, and she couldn't help but retort.

"Huh? What do you mean we're so angry that we want to fight?"

He immediately withdrew his hand, folded his arms, and showed a funny expression, "It's just that you beat me once, what's there to be proud of?
“Besides, there are still more competitions to come.

“This is just a Japan Cup.

"Next month is the Arima Memorial. If you want to win like this again, it won't be that easy!

"Of course, the premise is..."

After a few words of habitual quarrel, she still couldn't help but said in an awkward tone of concern: "You are not injured from the way you ran just now!"

Only then did Inari realize what Tamamo Cross was trying to say.

But faced with such kindness, her long-standing habit of not wanting to admit defeat made her unable to think of how to express her gratitude, and she just subconsciously folded her arms.

"Haha! I haven't even fully demonstrated my strength yet!
“How could I get hurt running like that?

"Xiaoyu, when did you become as fussy as Xiaowan?"

Although they were bickering on the surface, Tamamo Cross was actually still paying attention to Inariichi's situation.

Perhaps influenced by Kitahara's training philosophy, the horse girls of the Eternal Club attach great importance to physical health while paying attention to winning the game.

At the moment, although Inari's face is covered in sweat, his voice and body movements seem to be fine.

Tamamo Cross couldn't help but feel relieved.

...Really, you're making me so worried, can't you just talk properly?

but……

After secretly looking him up and down for a moment, she sighed again.

As expected of Inari...

That kind of intensity of pursuit is absolutely unbearable for ordinary horse girls...

But to her, it didn't seem like a big problem at all...

While Tamamo Cross was analyzing secretly, Inari Ichiya came back to his senses.

She didn't think so much about it before during the competition.

In other words, she didn't think too much about the competition.

All she thought about was things other than the game.

She always felt that she was not bad.

Whether it is the most basic strength, the experience of being able to advance from the local to the central level, or a series of victories, these are all good.

But somehow, I always felt like something was missing.

At one point, she thought it was because she was always at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Tamamo Cross.

It seems to be like this. No matter what you do or how you do it, no matter how many times you challenge, how you challenge, or how far you go, it seems that you can only lag behind others.

Even thinking further, it seems that I am like this among my companions who laugh and joke together, train and study together on weekdays.

Apart from Tamamo Cross, if we talk about people who were born in some place, made it to the central government, and rose all the way to become the strongest, it seems that there is also Ogururo Hat who is more dazzling than himself.

Whether it is the number of wins, the incredible 100% consecutive win rate, consecutive wins, or the amazing achievement of three undefeated crowns.

If we really have to talk about the "peak", Oguruma seems to be more qualified.

The same goes for the smallest details.

For example, when it comes to endurance, even though there is a difference in winning and losing in the competition, Super Bay is still recognized as the strongest both inside and outside the world.

The same goes for brain power. Aldan Mejiro clearly has a better brain than anyone else.

And if the horse girl of the Mejiro family hadn't been born with a congenital weakness, if her brain could be combined with the physical fitness of Oguruma, I'm afraid a monster unimaginable to the world would be born.

Moreover, she is a lady from a prominent and wealthy family.

In fact, Inari himself didn't know why he thought of these things.

Especially when thinking about these things in a world-renowned competition like the Japan Cup. I don't know when I suddenly felt so annoyed by these things.

I can't understand it at all.

I can't figure out what these are.

I don't understand why I would think these things.

Then suddenly I stopped thinking about it.

Suddenly I just wanted to rush forward simply and naturally.

Then I discovered that there were so many horse girls ahead.

It's really annoying. Why do you have to block me?

Then...

Just surpass them all in one go.

So, she just ran away.

So... I won?
Only at this moment, after Tamamo Cross reminded her for a long time, did she vaguely realize her victory.

This could be said to be her first time to have such a confused victory, because even after realizing it and seeing the notice board, she still felt dazed.

It’s like I don’t understand why I’m thinking so much.

"So, the 'obsession' I talked about with Alang, it turns out that even I don't understand it. I don't even know that it is so complicated and there are so many of them..."

"…What nonsense are you talking about again, Inari?"

He muttered to himself, causing Tamamo Cross to ask a strange question, but this time Inari did not remain stunned.

"Ha... nothing, I just felt..."

He glanced at the notice board again, saw his own name ranked first, turned to the excited audience seats, and smiled.

“I can think so much, but I can’t think so much…

“Being able to run like this…

“To win the game like this…

“It’s really…

“It’s so cool!!!”

In Tamamo Cross's eyes, today's Inariichi could really be described as incomprehensible.

Or, the somewhat presumptuous word "madman" seems more appropriate.

There were some clues before the game, but they were not so obvious.

The same is true during a race. After all, chasing is just a normal way of running.

But the brutal and ferocious pursuit came almost instantly.

Howling like a wild beast as he caught up.

And now he is confused and bewildered about victory, muttering to himself, shouting and cheering.

Tamamo Cross would be happy to describe today's Inari as a madman.

"But, as long as nothing happens, it doesn't matter if it's crazy or anything..."

Just like Inariichi just now, Tamamo Cross grinned and murmured with a smile, "It seems pretty good..."

As I was sighing with emotion, I suddenly heard some movement beside me.

Turning her head, she was suddenly surprised.

"Very good...match."

Tony Bianca stretched out his hand and said calmly in not very fluent Japanese: "It may be inappropriate to say something like underestimating the enemy at this time, but I want to state a fact.

"I underestimated the Japanese horse racing girls.

“It was a great match, great lessons, thank you very much.

"I didn't interrupt your conversation with 'the one'?"

It took Tamamo Cross a while to realize that "the one" referred to Inari Ichi who was yelling at the audience on the other side.

She felt very confused at first, especially because Tony Bianca's Japanese was so strange.

But after thinking about it, I felt that the romanization of Inariichi's name was originally "one", and now with his status as the Japan Cup champion, it would be okay for the other party to call him that.

"No, that guy is very excited."

With one hand raised and pointing to the side, and holding Tony Bianca's other hand, Tamamo Cross smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be so straightforward. How should I put it...

"Very kingly?
"Anyway, thank you very much for your recognition."

"Well, I thank you too."

After saying thank you inexplicably, Tony Bianca withdrew his hand and said, “I heard that you will go on an overseas expedition next year.

"We will have another chance to make contact."

After saying this, she looked in the direction of Inariichi and turned away.

Tamamo Cross then realized that the opponent wanted to continue the fight.

Before she could respond, another voice came from the side.

"Tamamo Cross."

"Huh? What... Wow!"

Turning towards the voice, Tamamo Cross was slightly surprised.

The person who greeted me this time was the payment manager who, in my memory, said a lot of incomprehensible words to me before the game.

However, at this moment, this "weird" horse racing girl, now very familiar with Japanese customs, bowed to him very solemnly.

“Salute to you and your friends.”

Although she didn't say it explicitly, seeing the direction in which she straightened up and bowed again, Tamamo Cross knew she was talking about Inari Ichi.

"I believe I have made thorough preparations, especially various strategies against you."

Frankly speaking, the payment manager spoke seriously about his preparations, "I watched the game videos of you and your friends over and over again.

“At least, it should be several hundred times.

“I know very well that if we compare our true strength, I am not as good as you, nor as good as Inari over there.

"I just want to try to make the Japan Cup championship my only goal, and maybe that will give me a chance of winning.

“In the end, we still lost.

“You are very strong.

"But I won't give up."

"...Ha, what is this?"

"…Aha?"

After the payment manager finished speaking seriously, Tamamo Cross was stunned for a moment and made a somewhat funny sound, which made the payment manager a little confused.

"Well, I mean, I thought you were a weird guy."

Waving his hands, Tamamo Cross laughed, "But now it seems that you are a very straightforward and honest guy.

“It seems we’ve overthought.

“You just like to use tactics.

"Besides this, you, me, and that guy over there who's yelling, might all be the same kind of horse racing girls.

"but……"

Suddenly giving a thumbs up, Tamamo Cross blinked, “Your plan this time is very good.

“But don’t use it next time.

"Because we're competing in strategies, we have the best trainer in Japan!
"Of course he doesn't think he can use any tricks."

The look of doubt gradually faded, replaced by thought, then became complicated, and finally turned back into the casual smile he had when he first met Tamamo Cross.

As if playing a prank, the payment manager suddenly bent down, put one hand in front of him, and made a gesture to measure his height.

"A horse racing girl of the same kind...

"That's a bit too much to ask~"

After a while.

"Ina! Ho! Ichi!

"come over!
"Come with us and beat this guy to death!!"

(End of this chapter)