Uma Musume, Master of Love

It was my first time racing at the Tokyo Racecourse, so I was a little nervous. Just as I was about to take a deep breath, Rhine Power, who was walking in front of me, suddenly appeared from behind.

“Huiyi is just as nervous as I am, phew. After all, Huiyi has beaten me several times already, so I’m even more nervous… hehe…” Rhine Power, who had been so at ease in the underground passage, was now clutching the hem of her clothes, her palms sweating, and her tail was swaying, sweeping the tips of the grass on the ground.

Seeing that someone else was in a bad mood like herself, Huiyi relaxed. Sure enough, her pleasure was built on the negative emotions of others...

So she took a deep breath and said in a feigned indifference, "I just had a conditioned reaction to the Tokyo Racecourse. I heard too much before the race, so this happened. You misunderstood me."

Rhine Power blinked, watching Radiant Leaves walk away, her lips trembling slightly: "So that's how it is... I've already fallen so far behind Radiant in terms of temperament?"

I thought I could follow in Huiyi's footsteps, but for Rhine Power, that perception has been shattered. Sometimes, your efforts are no match for a freak's casual step.

She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Only a little pain could bring Rhine Power back to its senses. Now, all she wanted was to defeat Radiant White Horse on the field. She was no less than anyone else, and Rhine Power only wanted to prove herself.

Ugh, I still feel guilty saying things like that to a classmate. But there's no holding grudges between racehorse girls, so she probably won't remember it after the race, right? But thinking about the Rhine Force skill set, I can't let my guard down...

Huiyi's ears kept tilting in frustration, and when she leaned against the gate, her tail lashed out and hit the iron gate with a smack, making her wince and cover the base of her tail. She'll have to learn how to control her tail movements from now on.

[The race horn sounds, and the racehorses vying for the title of Queen of the Mile enter the gates. The classic limited-year mile race, the NHK Mile! Will the Poetry Collection, thwarted in the classics, shine in the mile, or will Rhine Force, repeatedly defeated by the gleaming white horse, finally avenge its humiliation?]

But as expected, the most anticipated team, Shining White Horse, maintained its undefeated record and secured the second of the three major championships!

Before entering the gate, Huiyi bit her nail until it bled and she felt a stinging pain, at which point she came to her senses and was already pushed inside the gate.

"Hiss, ha. Don't be nervous, just like you've practiced."

This was just self-consolation. He was still in gate 15, a disadvantageous position, but he still had to use the tactic of escaping first. At present, he could only pray that he would not be elbowed by other female racehorses and lose his right to choose a position, otherwise all his efforts would be in vain, and Huiyi would have to use a tactic with zero experience.

The surroundings were so quiet that you could only hear breathing. That's how amazing Ma Niang's body is. No matter how nervous or anxious she was, she would calm down in the few seconds before the start. As for what happened after the start, that was something she would have to think about in the future.

Bang~!

The gates opened with a roar, and more than ten racehorse girls emerged almost simultaneously, except for one.

[A great start, but alas, the poetry collection was published late!]

The second most popular poem collection was visibly half a beat slower, causing her to fall noticeably behind the horse girls in front of her. For some reason, she didn't choose to move forward but stayed at the back of the group, walking alongside the horse girls in the race.

Huiyi's steps were very agile. When she left the gate, she skillfully avoided the interference of the female racehorses on both sides and moved forward to get a good position. She also gradually widened the gap with the female racehorses behind her by taking advantage of the extremely long straight line of the Tokyo Racecourse.

Here it comes... If Radiance runs forward on this straight line, then I'll... Just as Rhine Power was thinking that what he and his trainer had predicted would happen smoothly, Radiance maintained this speed, keeping a distance of about two body lengths from Rhine Power.

Rhine Power, a standard leading racehorse girl, took the initiative to move forward and reduce the gap to one body length. This was the tactic she wanted to use, forcing the slower-moving racehorses in front to speed up and disrupt their energy allocation plans!

[Shining White Horse employed a slow-escape tactic to control the pace of the race, but... the Rhine Power behind them increased their pace and quickly squeezed the space in front of the racehorses, causing the entire team's speed to gradually increase.]

A smile curved her lips. Since she was going to implement this tactic, she had already figured out how to allocate her energy. Now she just needed to wear down the horse girl in front of her!

Huiyi's steps were somewhat heavy. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the few slow-moving horse girls beside her were speeding up. They were indeed forced forward by the Rhine Force, but this would undoubtedly disrupt her plans.

So that's how it is... Rhine Power is really clever, phew... but let's see who can't sit still first! A fanatical light flashed in her radiant violet pupils. The last time there was such a gamble that would hurt the enemy a thousand while hurting herself eight hundred was at the dinner table with a business rival.

There's a certain nostalgia in it, but it doesn't matter if it's applied to kids now. The workplace and the sports field are no different; you either win everything or lose everything!

"Has the Radiant White Steed fallen into the ranks of the vanguard? Isn't that a huge disadvantage...?"

"No, actually they should still be considered among the slower fleeing groups. It's just that they couldn't help but move forward a bit. Before long, they will feel exhausted and lose the strength to compete on the final straight line," Zhou Ri Ning explained to the fans around her, but she didn't mention that this was actually a very risky choice.

Because no one can predict whether any of the horse girls ahead have extraordinary endurance, this is a huge gamble!

On Sunday, Ning Jing thought that Huiyi was gambling with victory, but it seems that Huiyi has won this time. After 1,000 meters, the horses in front of them all showed some imperceptible signs of fatigue!

Huiyi is so calm... or did she already expend her stamina to get into position when she left the gate? But, it wouldn't have taken much... Faced with the unexpectedly calm Huiyi, Rhine Force is starting to doubt its own judgment. This is not a good thing; on the field, it is already shaking its determination to fight to the end.

Although she appeared calm on the surface, Huiyi's heart had been pounding for a while. Fortunately, Rhine Force did not continue to push her forward and bury her in the vanguard group, otherwise she really would not have had the strength to rush out in the final bend. Although she was currently suffering from the interference of different horse girl skills both mentally and physically, Huiyi felt that she could still accept it.

It seems that a resilient spirit is also an indispensable part of Uma Musume.

[The racehorse ahead visibly slowed down, and Rhine Power began to accelerate before Turn 3, seemingly trying to overtake Shining White Horse. But Shining White Horse had no intention of competing? Rhine Power began to take the turn—!]

Huiyi wasn't unwilling to compete; she wanted to exploit a bug. For some reason, Rhine Power's red skill hadn't been triggered yet, but it was undoubtedly applying an effect to the target in front of her. Huiyi was currently half a step behind Rhine Power, which was a blind spot for the skill's detection!

The fleeing horses ahead also felt strange. Why was Huiyi, who was using the same tactics, nowhere to be seen? They had already reached the last bend. Could it be that she had fallen into the herd of horses ahead and could not escape?

They were all somewhat relieved, because the seemingly formidable enemy, the horse girl, had been defeated so easily. It seemed that this NHK incident was simpler than they had imagined.

But the next moment, from the accelerating Rhine Force, they felt a chill from the bottom of their hearts, so much so that they almost stumbled and fell on the field.

As expected, you can exploit bugs like this. Now that your skill has been activated, it's time for our battle! Huiyi has been in control of the rhythm. She doesn't know how many horse girls she tricked with her skill, but it seems that tricking just one Rhine Force is enough. In the final straight line, Rhine Force will be the leader and escape first, so Huiyi can follow behind the wind path opened by Rhine Force and fight her way up more easily!

[Rhine Power and Gleaming White Horse simultaneously enter the final straight. The final straight in Tokyo, stretching 500 meters, will be the battleground. Gleaming White Horse, almost falling into the herd of horse girls, now clings to Rhine Power, using its wind-breaking ability to propel itself forward!]

Huiyi really wanted to tell Rhine Force that she was still too young to play tricks. Even the things she learned from her physical education teacher in high school to pass the physical fitness test were very useful in the competition. She should not be the leader in a long-distance race unless necessary!

The final 200 meters were torture for both Rhine Force and Radiant White Horse. Rhine Force was hit by Radiant White Horse's block technique, while Radiant White Horse, which was about to reach its range limit, gritted its teeth and charged forward.

At this point, both horse girls had completely abandoned their skills and were only relying on their primal instincts to drive their legs forward. The final winner would definitely be the wildest horse girl.

Ultimately, there were no techniques to speak of on the straight line. Rhine Power and Radiant White Horse were almost side by side, their rapid breathing echoing in each other's ears. It was a mutually influential approach, neither of them gaining any advantage.

The oppressive feeling from the cherry blossom viewing slowly resurfaced in Huiyi's junior. Her already difficult breathing became even more suffocating under the pressure of the Rhine Force's aura. Huiyi's eyes burned with a few glints of light amidst the oppression, and the air passing through the hair ornaments on her ears also produced a series of light. Although her heart was pounding as if it would explode in her chest, it didn't matter!

[Unique Miracle, The Shining Comet Doesn't Just Shine!]: Greatly increases Guts and Speed ​​during the final stage of the race against racehorses. The effect is further enhanced for each racehorse overtaken.

Although competing with Rhine Force in the end won't trigger the subsequent effects, I only need to compete with Rhine Force now!

It doesn't matter how much turf is thrown back with each step, or how the horseshoes on the shoes feel a bit shaky... They just need to hold on for the last hundred meters. Even if... even if the horseshoes break or fall off, so what? All I want is to win against Rhine Force!

Rhine Power was not feeling much better under the suppression of Radiance. His legs felt as heavy as if he had climbed ninety floors, but he was still running forward.

"You can do it... Rhine, you're no worse than Brilliant! You're just a little bit unlucky! This time you'll definitely succeed..."

He kept giving himself mental suggestions, so much so that he forgot to let loose and shout at the final moment of crossing the finish line. The crossing was a silent one, with only dull footsteps recorded by the camera.

[With a half-car lead, the NHK Queen is crowned—! The queen of the classic mile race has been born. Shining White is a dazzling light on the mile track, unmatched and untouchable!]

[Shining White Horse, Six-Game Winning Streak Achieved! Two-Game Winning Streak in G1!]

patter

Huiyi swayed slightly, spat out a mouthful of rusty-tasting saliva, and, suppressing her nausea, squatted down while holding onto the railing.

This is the first time she's been forced into this state by other female racehorses. If she goes another two meters, she'll probably throw up, and there's also the risk of losing to Rhine Power.

But now, the outcome is decided, and she is now the absolute queen of the Mile race!

----

I spent a whole day writing this chapter while having a full schedule of classes, and I'm only just now finishing it...

Fortunately, the lessons are all very simple and easy to understand.

It won't really breathe on it.

Chapter 186 After the Match, Injury

The joy of victory and praise hadn't occupied my senses for long before the stinging pain from my legs took over my mind.

Unlike the muscle strain after cherry blossom viewing, Huiyi's right foot can now only support its weight on its toes, with its heel unable to touch the grass and trembling slightly in the air.

If it weren't for the fact that standing on tiptoe was a strange and uncomfortable position, Huiyi would probably have left long ago.

"As expected, the growth of racehorses during the classic period is rapid... It's only been a month since the Sakura Festival, and Rhine Power almost knocked me out." The metallic taste in Huiyi's throat had now dissipated. She had shortened the winners' circuit without permission and returned to the dressing room a few minutes later, draped in a trophy.

I lifted my foot off the sofa, took off my shoes, and they fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Now, soreness and pain were shooting up from my feet, which was definitely not good news.

Huiyi took off his socks and saw that his ankle was already a little swollen. When he touched it with his fingers, it felt numb and painful: "Hiss... I feel like something really went wrong in this competition. I should go to the hospital for a check-up... I hope it's not a problem with my bone or head."

“I noticed something was off about you just now, and sure enough…” Zhou Ri Ningjing followed closely behind Huiyi. She had been a few steps slower when she was surrounded in the stands, and when she arrived at the lounge, she saw Huiyi’s swollen ankle.

The shock was delayed for even longer. She arrived at the lounge after the quiet of Sunday and reacted even more strongly than Huiyi herself when she noticed the abnormality in Huiyi's feet.

"Why didn't you say this after the game? Going directly to the medical room for a check-up is the right thing to do. What if problems arise from delaying!" Da Zhenhan immediately grabbed a towel, rinsed it with hot water in the washroom, wrung it out, and applied it to Huiyi's feet.

Huiyi grinned, his sensitivity to heat had increased dramatically since the injury, and this hot compress was both painful and pleasurable: "Don't worry, don't worry... it should just be a sprain. If it were a fracture, I definitely wouldn't be able to walk right now, right?"

"I don't believe it! Didn't Emperor discover his fracture after the winner's stage? I don't want you to lose your chance to participate in the Autumn Competition!" Shocked Huiyi was busy running around, and Zhou Rining couldn't get a hand in helping, so she simply went to the side and called Beiyuan.

The other side was equally noisy, so on Sunday, Ning Jing decided to act first and ask for permission later, taking Huiyi to the infirmary before discussing other matters.

"Beiyuan, Huiyi was injured in the final competition. Da Zhenhan and I took her to the infirmary for a check-up. If you don't see us at the infirmary when you arrive, it means she has been transferred to the hospital."

"How serious is the injury? Is it in her leg or ankle? Try not to let her move around too much! In case the situation worsens." Kitahara had experience in handling such cases. After saying this, she told the others to stay in the rest room and not to move around. She then contacted the doctors and rushed to the rest room with the hospital bed.

On Sunday, Ning Jing sighed softly, "Don't be too hasty, Da Zhen. Bei Yuan has already contacted the doctor. Hui Yi just needs to lie still like this to avoid further injury."

The same thing happened at the last cherry blossom viewing. Could it be that Huiyi's body is actually prone to injury during strenuous exercise? If that's the case, then she thinks Kitahara would refuse to register Huiyi for the Yasuda Memorial event.

It would have been absurd for a classic-era Magi Girl to participate in the Unlimited Ancient Magi Tournament, let alone participating in three G1 tournaments in three consecutive months!

But if the final examination reveals that Huiyi only suffered minor injuries, she will definitely force Kitahara to sign her up for the Yasuda Memorial event.

Trainer Kitahara has already handled enough pressure, hasn't she? Just participating in the NHK Mile Race after the Cherry Blossom Festival has already generated so much public discussion, plus the controversy in Hong Kong a few days ago. If she continues to participate in the Yasuda Memorial Race, the fans will definitely explode against Kitahara, right?

After the doctor finished examining Huiyi in the lounge, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Ankle sprain and soft tissue injury, nothing serious. It won't affect Miss Huiyi's participation in the Autumn Flower Awards." Just as he finished speaking, the doctor applied medicine to Huiyi's feet and wrapped them with bandages. The doctors were happiest when the horse girls didn't break any bones.

Fractures sustained on the racetrack usually have very serious consequences, requiring at least six months of recovery time. Therefore, the doctors who stay at the racetrack on race days hope that no horse will need their help all day.

"It's just a sprain... does that mean I can move around again in a couple of days?" Huiyi is currently unable to walk. Both feet are wrapped in bandages covered with medicine. She was just treated by the doctor with bone-setting techniques, which was quite painful, but at least the stinging pain in her ankle has disappeared.

The doctor answered truthfully: "Well, a sprain isn't a big problem. Just avoid strenuous exercise for about two weeks. You need to rest now."

After the doctor left, Huiyi lay blankly on the sofa staring at the ceiling. Her thigh muscles were indeed sore when she twisted them, but it was nothing serious and wouldn't affect her future plans. In a few days, she would issue a statement about attending the Yasuda Memorial. Huiyi took this very seriously because it was her first step onto the world stage.

Although the commentator called himself the "Mile King" when crossing the finish line at the NHK Mile Race, Huiyi knew that she was not yet ready to wear that title. At least... she had to beat the best riders on other mile courses at the Yasuda Kinen.

Her next goal is to become an elite master.

"Just you wait and see... I'll get my revenge on the field for the cyberbullying you received from your fans!" A vengeful spirit never dies, and Huiyi considers herself a very vengeful person, so she's going to snipe the Elite Master at the Yasuda Memorial!

“Huiyi… I’ll take care of you these next few days while you can’t get out of bed!” Da Zhenhan said. Huiyi’s gaze shifted to her, and then she gently took her hand, making Da Zhenhan pause for a moment.

Snapped!

Huiyi grabbed Da Zhenhan's hand and slapped it hard against his leg, startling Da Zhenhan. However, Huiyi smiled nonchalantly and said, "See, I didn't react at all, of course I'm fine. Apart from not being able to walk easily, these minor injuries won't affect my participation in the Yasuda Memorial!"

"Don't even think about the next competition! Get well first... Otherwise, even if Trainer Kitahara agrees, I won't let you participate in the competition. I'll lock you in Treson's basement." Da Zhenzhen said in a low voice, puffing out his cheeks like a pufferfish. Huiyi smiled lightly at this.

What a joke! She asked Representative Chiaki and Maruzensky, and there's no basement area in Tressen at all. These women are just obsessed with urban legends!

Besides, even if it were the basement, shouldn't it be Huiyi who tied Da Zhenhan down there?

To avoid being seduced by other ponies.

Chapter 187 Alas, a wheelchair?

Given Huiyi's injury, Kitahara explained the situation at a press conference that day and confirmed that Huiyi would not participate in the winner's stage, so the center position on the stage went to Rhine Power.

Reporters, sensing an impending news release, blocked Kitahara's path, shoving their cannon-like cameras at his face, which was already bent over like an airplane ear: "Trainer Kitahara, was the result of your rumored use of violent training methods on your first female racehorse in Central and its six-game winning streak? And was this the reason why the female racehorse suffered injuries of varying degrees after the Sakura Sho and NHK Mile races?"

"Do you want to become a renowned trainer at Central Treisen by relying on the brilliant white horse and acquire excellent racehorse resources?"

Reporters have always been a source of great annoyance. Kitahara's face grew increasingly dark as he pushed aside the microphones and cameras in front of him, leaving with the final words: "Damn it, instead of asking about these pointless rumors, you should report on the plight of those struggling women." He then left, the dark aura around him almost solidifying.

The TV was turned off, and Huiyi licked the crumbs of cucumber-flavored potato chips from the corner of her mouth, exclaiming, "The trainer looks so cool right now...! To be honest, I also hate it when reporters ask all sorts of pointless questions."

“I hate them too, that’s why I dislike reporters so much. But they’re just doing their jobs, and nobody’s wrong. It’s just our own way of life. As for you, you’re not allowed to drive your wheelchair out racing again today!” A vein throbbed slightly on Kitahara’s forehead. These past few days, to make things easier for Huiyi, he had rented an electric wheelchair for her at the hospital so she could get some fresh air. Kitahara had initially thought that her going out every day genuinely put her in a good mood…

As it turned out, she discovered yesterday that Huiyi was often with Maruzenski. If it were the kind of scene where an upperclassman takes an injured lowerclassman for a walk and enjoys the scenery, Kitahara could also feel the warmth and healing. But in reality, the two of them were racing cars.

Which car is faster, a wheelchair or a Lamborghini?

When Kitahara arrived at the scene, he almost had a heart attack. He immediately locked Huiyi's wheelchair and pushed it all the way back to the training room. He then handed one of the keys to Da Zhenhan, while keeping the other key for himself.

Huiyi pouted and said, "This is the only form of entertainment I have left, and you're taking it away from me, trainer~ How cruel of you, my heart feels like it's being pierced by snowflakes..."

"Nonsense! Have you had a good rest or what? Do you know what kind of mess the internet is in right now? It's all attacks against me. My family's genealogy is almost down to just one page." Bei Yuan felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. She felt that her resilience desperately needed an upgrade.

Huiyi had a blast racing and winning championships left and right, but Kitahara didn't feel any joy in being a G1 racehorse trainer. In short, her fans now think that Kitahara is just a lazy winner.

Huiyi was able to win these matches because she was very strong and carried the whole team, while Beiyuan was still the grassroots trainer who didn't know how to train in the local area.

Huiyi's rating this year is 13.0, MVP! Trainer Kitahara Jones' rating is 3.0, an easy win! It's all thanks to Huiyi's own strength that he was able to adapt to this kind of competition! This sentence has been widely circulated... Kitahara didn't even think about arguing anymore, this kind of person would only distort the team's efforts.

"I feel almost fully recovered, and I'll be able to get out of my wheelchair and be jumping around again tomorrow! So when is the Yasuda Memorial event scheduled? It's already mid-May!" Huiyi was eager for the competition, while Kitahara's lips twitched slightly, and he almost crushed the pen in his hand.

Kitahara was already having a headache, even though he was thinking about having fun in the competition! He had already strained his leg in the classic limited-time competition. Kitahara couldn't believe what would happen if he participated in the Yasuda Memorial. The worst-case scenario was that Huiyi would put too much pressure on himself on the field and cause bone problems.

So Kitahara could only give her a vague answer for now: "Don't worry, you should recover from your strain... The Hong Kong team will challenge Yasuda Kinen, but we can still defend our title, at least we have Senritsu."

"Trainer—! You should know that my goal is not just to defend my title. I said a long time ago that what I want is to show myself to the world at the Yasuda Memorial!"

"..." Kitahara fell silent. When did this girl's ideals suddenly become so lofty? A year ago, when she first entered school, wasn't she still shouting that she would run any competition if the money was high? That's why she ran four competitions in a row in the new Year of the Horse.

But she started pursuing fame in the early years of her career, which is a step forward, but it was a bit too aggressive. In the first six months, she had to play three G1 matches, one of which was an international Tier 1 match... No matter how you look at it, it's a ruthless act of squeezing out her physical potential.

"But I'm your trainer, and I'm responsible for your health. We'll talk about the competition later; I'll think about it." The topic ended there. Kitahara wanted Huiyi to focus on the exciting Derby and the Oak Race in Cissario; at least for now, Huiyi needed rest.

"Alright... I'm going out to find Rhine and Xisha." Huiyi pouted and left the room, cranking her wheelchair with both hands. Since the motor was locked by Kitahara, she couldn't enjoy the feeling of being in the wind, so she could only crank it by hand. As expected, manual cranking is not as exciting as electric cranking.