The mediocre trainer doesn't want to reopen

It was as if the strength in my legs had been drained away all at once...

"Hoshi-chan..."

At this moment, Kitano looked a little nervous. He held the railing tightly with both hands, looking at Qingyun Tiankong who had fallen but was still running with his head down. He did not stop the game immediately.

He always felt that at this time, he should believe in Xingjiang who was still persevering... At least, letting her persist in running the whole course was the greatest respect for her.

Chapter 452: Xing Jiang Waiting for the Opportunity

"Qingyun Tiankong! How could this happen? Qingyun Tiankong's speed dropped suddenly, and he lost his lead. Did something happen?"

"But the race must go on—now, Qingyun Tiankong has fallen behind the front of the team! She's been overtaken by Shenying and Caoshangfei one after another! And now Qingyun Tiankong is still lagging behind! Te Bie Zhou is about to catch up with her!"

The sudden change not only shocked the commentator at the moment, but also the audience at the scene. No one expected that Qingyun Tiankong, who was so powerful at the beginning, would start to decline sharply before even 1000 meters. Such a sudden change was unexpected by the audience.

However, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened. After all, Qingyun Tiankong's suspected withdrawal from the Arima Kinen due to injury was public knowledge. Kitano hadn't concealed anything about it. After all, at the time, no one had any confidence that Xing-chan could return to the competition in good condition within two months.

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for both scenarios. However, Kitano announced at the time that Qingyun Tiankong had recovered well and was still likely to compete in the Arima Kinen.

But when it came to his journalist friends, the news became something like "There is little hope for Qingyun Tiankong's comeback." However, Kitano just wanted to use this incident to announce Xingjiang's status to the outside world, and to pave the way for Xingjiang's possible retirement, so that this news would not be too difficult for the outside world to accept.

From this point of view, it is actually a miracle for most of the audience that Xingjiang can step onto the field as scheduled. But now, Xingjiang's condition has dropped sharply, and it is hard not to make them think that it is because of the recurrence of "injury", which has caused Qingyun Tiankong to slow down directly.

"Hoshi-chan—"

This shocked not only the audience, but also the four girls from the "Golden Generation" who were participating in the competition. Their speed did not slow down, but the moment they passed by Xingjiang, their eyes were all filled with worry without exception.

After all, they're all Xing-chan's best friends! Putting aside the past two months, they've all been moved by Xing-chan's persistence and hard work. They've all given their all to this Arima Kinen, expressing their respect for Xing-chan and hoping that she can defeat them squarely.

A victory given as charity can only be considered an insult to Uma Musume. Although they all have doubts about whether Xing-chan can win the final victory, they all face Xing-chan with all their strength as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

They wanted to motivate Xing-chan, and wanted to give their all so that Xing-chan would not have time to care about her own fears. But they never thought...

Although they felt very reluctant and sad for Xingchan's performance at the moment, none of the four horse girls let the sadness consume them. Instead, they focused their eyes more intently on the competition field and paid full attention to the competition.

"Xing-chan has slowed down... but the team's overall pace hasn't slowed down. Is it because Xing-chan was leading earlier? It seems like the runaway horse in front has also been subtly dragged along by Xing-chan."

"But... we don't need to worry about Xing-chan's problem right now. It's okay if the pace is a little faster, right?"

In the team, Shenying, who was at the front of the five horse girls, thought so in her heart. Although she felt very sorry for Qingyun Tiankong's sudden situation, she could not afford to think so much at the moment.

Since Xingjiang has no chance of winning... then let her inherit Xingjiang's will! After all, this time, Xingjiang's ability to step onto the field is actually a miracle!

Xingjiang has done her best. Now, let her run with Xingjiang as well!

"I must win the Arima Kinen this time! That way, I can have a better record before next year's Arc de Triomphe!"

Just when Elu calmed herself down and was about to continue running forward, she suddenly felt a slight chill on her back and subconsciously shuddered.

And this breath and oppressive feeling - even if the Eagle didn't turn his head to look, he could tell who it was!

There was no doubt that Xiaocao was pressing her again, trying to suppress her rhythm! Xiaocao had also used this tactic at last year's Arima Kinen. It was because of this that Shenying's originally abundant physical strength became insufficient in the long-distance Arima Kinen, and was forced to speed up the rhythm by Cao Shangfei.

However, this time, the Condor had already anticipated this situation, and this time the Condor was not panicked at all. Instead, he showed a smile of success.

"Xiaocao, if you think this trick can work on me, Elu, then you underestimate me!"

"I haven't made no progress in the past two months, Elu! Don't forget, I'm now Trainer-san's "darling"!"

Yes, over the past two months, Condor has indeed changed dramatically. During these two months, Kitano has focused on strengthening Condor's strength training, although the fundamental purpose is to prepare Condor for its expedition to the Arc de Triomphe. The Longchamp Racecourse is nothing like the racecourses in Japan. To put it simply, it's two extremes. In Japan, the highway is covered in grass, while the Longchamp Racecourse can be described as pristine.

Therefore, once they encounter a heavy racecourse, the Japanese horse girls, who are not known for their strength, will be at a great disadvantage. Although compared to the European horse girls who have been racing there for a long time, the Japanese horse girls who are not acclimated to the environment have no advantage to speak of, but Kitano still hopes that Shenying can reduce this disadvantage before going there.

Over the past two months, not only the new fitness equipment has brought results, but the simulated track that Kitano had previously proposed to Rudolph has now been successfully paved with the chairman himself driving a steamroller to pave the road. The Condor has also been conducting special training on the simulated track during this period.

Although this did not significantly improve Condor's performance on the Japanese track, it indirectly enhanced Condor's leg strength. Now, in terms of strength alone, she is not inferior to Grass Flying.

Shenying learned from Kitano that there were many reasons why she lost to Kusagami Asuka. On the one hand, no one knew that Kusagami Asuka's "field" was so targeted. On the other hand, although they were both horse girls from the United States, Shenying's strength was indeed slightly inferior to Kusagami Asuka's.

But now, Shenying has a shortcoming in strength, and she believes that the training in the past few months has been effective, and she will definitely not be suppressed by Xiaocao this time!

Just as the Condor was thinking this, suddenly, with the sound of footsteps behind him that were not far away but even approaching aggressively, the Condor's original confidence slowly dissipated.

In the peripheral vision of the Condor, the figure of someone flying overtaking from the outside lane on the grass became increasingly clear.

Cao Shangfei seemed to have noticed the slightly shocked look in Shenying's eyes, but Cao Shangfei, who was concentrating at the moment, just gave Shenying a teasing smile.

At this moment, Cao Shangfei seemed to be teasing Shenying's naivety. Her expression clearly meant, "Ailu, you're not the only one whose strength has improved over the past two months."

"Don't forget, we all share these training equipment. You can make progress, and so can we."

Behind the Divine Eagle, in addition to Cao Shangfei who was pressing closely, Zhou's leg strength was not inferior at all, and the Halo of the Holy King was ready to go, ready to charge at any time.

Obviously, after these two months of special training, the overall strength of the four horse girls of the "Golden Generation" and even the horse girls of Kitano's entire team has been significantly improved.

——This is also why, two months later, Kitano, who has been helping Xing-chan with her rehabilitation, only hopes that Xing-chan will be in the top five.

Because, over the past two months, the strength of the other horse girls who are also part of the "Golden Generation" has increased by leaps and bounds, but Xing-chan... is about to go from a negative number to zero again.

Just because of this, Xingjiang's performance was extremely unstable. She fell behind after running less than 1000 meters... Such a result was extremely unpleasant for all the people in the Kitano team who participated in the rehabilitation.

"The team is still pushing forward. After Qingyun Tiankong fell, Shenying and Cao Shangfei started fighting again. Cao Shangfei is forcing Shenying to move closer to the inner lane from the outside, trying to block Shenying's attack route. The special week after that is also about looking for opportunities to surpass."

"Qingyun Tiankong has now fallen behind the Saint King Halo, but she is still running and persisting! She has not given up!"

Yes, although Xingjiang fell behind the team at the moment, facing the overall faster pace brought by her, Xingjiang still insisted on running.

It was as if continuing the competition was her last bit of dignity. She couldn't convince herself to give up the competition, so even if the final result was a crushing defeat, she would not withdraw from the competition.

At this moment, Qingyun Tiankong, who was running with her head down, had fallen behind all her companions. However, in this situation, Qingyun Tiankong's eyes were also fixed on the front.

She seemed to be waiting for something, and she was calmer than anyone expected. Although her forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat, it was due to nervousness, not exhaustion.

Her heartbeat was accelerating... but now was not the time to speed up, she still had the last bit of distance to run...

I have to live up to Trainer Sang’s efforts. Trainer Sang… he’s watching me.

Try to think of something that will calm your heart... Qingyun Tiankong had such an idea in her mind. Now, she deliberately fell behind the team, pretending that she had stalled, but in fact she was trying to save her energy for the final charge.

And the thing that can make her mind calm down...then, let's think about the things about Trainer-san?

This thought came to Qingyun Tiankong's mind, and soon, everything that Beiye had done to her in the past two months emerged in Qingyun Tiankong's mind...

Chapter 453: Go chase, go surpass, Xing-chan!

Two months ago, Qingyun Tiankong had just regained a little bit of his confidence thanks to Kitano's encouragement and support. But the next day, Kitano didn't take Xingjiang to the stadium for rehabilitation, but chose to use the treadmill instead.

"Using a treadmill? Trainer-san, are we going to train speed this time?" Xingjiang thought at the time.

"No, Xing-chan, just run at a steady pace. I'll start with a brisk walk, and then slowly help you get back to running mode, stage by stage."

Kitano placed the treadmill that was supposed to be used exclusively for the Condor in front of Xing-chan. Facing Xing-chan's doubts, Kitano said to her calmly, "We now have a dedicated treadmill. Although the rental period is one year, within that year, we can guarantee that one of our members won't have to squeeze into that training ground that's still under renovation and smells of dirt. It's still no problem."

At that time, the simulated racing track in the demand report submitted by Kitano to Rudolph was now under construction in full swing with the approval and strong support of the chairman, and the rare fact that Miss Tetsuna Surukawa did not express any objection to such a money-burning thing. This renovation stage also resulted in the horse racing girls of Tresen Academy having to find other training venues within the academy during this period.

Now, the advantages of Team Kitano are reflected. Although a treadmill can only guarantee the training of one horse girl, as long as the time is arranged reasonably, it is enough for the horse girls of a team to use.

However, Kitano has no such plans. In the current team, although the Condor who will go on an expedition next year is the most important existence, the "injured personnel" will always have irreplaceable priority for Kitano.

"Well, until the construction of the training ground is finished, Xing-chan, just make do with the treadmill to get back into shape."

"Don't worry, I'll always be by your side. If you feel like you're going to fall, tell me immediately and I'll do my best to catch you."

"Ah, of course, there might be times when you can't hold on, so I put a lot of cushions behind the treadmill. This way, Xing-chan, you won't be easily injured by falling. Okay, just work hard to recover."

Faced with Kitano's almost all-encompassing arrangements, Qingyun Tiankong still remembered that she smiled easily at that time. However, behind that easy smile, she knew everything about Kitano's intentions.

Indeed, because the training ground is building a simulated track, training is temporarily unavailable. But in fact, even if the training ground was not under construction, Kitano would not have taken her to the training ground.

Because... he wanted to protect her pride. If a horse girl who had won two GI championships in a classic year and now had three GI victories went to the training grounds in this state... her constant stumbling and collapse would become a source of gossip for others.

Although Xingjiang herself could ignore these rumors, Kitano still took her self-esteem into consideration, allowing her to retain her last bit of dignity even at her most miserable time.

Obviously, she no longer has any dignity. Her desire to give up and even her cowardice of abandoning her duties as a horse girl are exposed in front of this man, but he is still trying to save her face.

At this point, it seems that she has no choice but to move forward, even if she will be covered in bruises. Faced with the support of such a trainer Sang, she has no other choice but to move forward.

I always feel like... my heart is beating faster.

"We're less than 1000 meters away from the finish line! The horse racing girls have already passed the third bend! Grasshopper and Condor are still battling! Their figures keep crossing each other!"

"Special Week in the back! Special Week is also starting to accelerate! 1000 meters to the finish line! Is the showdown between the "Golden Generation" finally about to begin?!"

"Saint King Halo is still at the back of the team, with no intention of sprinting. Qingyun Tiankong—Qingyun Tiankong seems to be making some moves! She hasn't given up! She's really speeding up!"

The ever-changing arena has now entered a white-hot stage. Now, Cao Shangfei, Shenying and Special Zhou Sannu have started to wrestle with each other. They are all ready for the sprint, and the wrestling with each other at this moment is just to find a good position, which can be said to have an impact on their final sprint competition on the straight.

Now, Zhou Youti, Cao Shangfei and Shenying, the "top three" of the golden generation, are of similar strength, and it is difficult to determine who is better among them for the time being.

At this moment, suddenly, the voice from the commentator startled the three horse racing girls who were caught up in the fight, and they immediately felt something was wrong.

Just now, didn’t the commentator say that… Xing-chan is speeding up?

Could it be that Xing-chan was not losing control or power at that time - but it was part of the strategy?

At this moment, the three horse girls who were wrestling in the front suddenly felt something was wrong. They had preconceived that Xingjiang had withdrawn from the game, but they did not expect that there was such a possibility, and that Xingjiang might have taken them all into account!

After all... Xingjiang's difficulty in rehabilitation during this period made them almost instinctively feel that if Xingjiang was not like their strong opponent this time, she would be the one who ran the whole course alone in the end.

However, at this moment they remembered that Xingchan is not the type of horse girl who crushes her opponents with absolute strength. What she trusts most and what she should be most vigilant about is her "strategist" instinct!

However, looking back at this moment, it seems a little too late. The rhythm of the entire game had been deviated by Xingjiang as early as the beginning. Everyone's pace was getting faster and faster, and Xingjiang pretended to have lost speed and fell to the end of the team, withdrawing from the most intense stage of the battle and saving a lot of physical strength.

Even though Xing-chan is not a horse girl who excels in her last few runs, the 1000-meter acceleration buffer is enough for her to convert all her physical strength into explosive power!

"Hoshi-chan..."

At this moment, as the only one besides Xingjiang who did not join the duel, the Holy King's Halo had slightly dilated pupils and was watching with her peripheral vision the blue sky that was slowly accelerating from her side. The Holy King had not yet entered the stage of explosion, but Xingjiang had already exerted all his strength.

She had to unleash her full strength in the last 1000 meters. A horse racing girl who used the escaping horse tactic actually led the pace of the whole field at the beginning, and then adopted the tactic of chasing after her!

This tactic... doesn't seem like something that guy would come up with. Could this be Xing-chan's own plan?

The Holy King found everything in front of him a little unbelievable at the moment. However, Xingjiang, who only had the track in front of her eyes, obviously didn't care about the Holy King's thoughts.

Just now, she made a very bold decision - although Kitano did not participate in Xingjiang's tactical arrangements, Kitano's original words were "I will not interfere with your tactics, Xingjiang, or rather, with my level, there is no way for a strategist like you to formulate tactics, so Xingjiang, your tactics are decided by yourself."

However, Xingjiang's awareness at this moment is completely different from before. At the beginning, she just wanted to compete with the mentality of giving her all. She actually did not have high expectations that she could win the game.

But now, as these past events emerged in her mind... Qingyun Tiankong discovered that her heart, which had originally intended to calm down, was beating even more actively at this moment, with no sign of calming down at all.

Faced with such a situation, Qingyun Tiankong made the boldest decision of his life at this moment - since there was no way to calm his heart and reduce physical exertion, why not let his heart beat more violently!

Start sprinting at 1000 meters! Bet all your energy and power on these last 1000 meters!

Xingjiang certainly knows what the consequences of doing this will be... It's not that Xingjiang can't do it, but even if Xingjiang does it, she can't guarantee that she will win, but this is definitely the decision that gives her the highest chance of winning!

But the price... To be honest, Xingjiang herself doesn't know what will happen after her all-out sprint of 1000 meters. This is a huge test of her ability. She is not a horse girl who excels in hard power. Competing with horse girls with extremely strong hard power like Cao Shangfei, the final result may be that she will be covered in bruises regardless of whether she wins or loses.

But... she also wanted to win fairly and meet his expectations.

She wanted to prove that she could do it. She also wanted to prove that she and he had overcome difficulties together and would definitely be able to overcome more obstacles in the future.

She didn't want to escape from this competition. She wanted to win! She had to win! Only then would she have the courage to face future challenges!

"Trainer-san...please look at me carefully."

"Xing-chan, I don't want to be a fleeting shooting star, nor do I want to be the breeze that blows across the grass. I want to be a horse girl, and I will answer you with the victory of this race."

"So... please, give me more strength!"

I know you have always been by my side supporting me, this time, let me respond to your expectations.

Thinking of this, Qingyun Tiankong, who was not good at kicking, gritted her teeth slightly. The next moment, she took a step forward vigorously! At this moment, Xingjiang's body contracted slightly, like a taut spring!

At that moment, she seemed to feel a huge pressure from her legs. Although she was not good at the last kick, she chose the last kick method at this moment to have a fair fight with all her friends!

Although his skills were immature, his tactics were bold, and his force was reckless - but at this moment, it was enough!

Because there was no fear in Qingyun Tiankong's heart at this moment, her legs would no longer be weak due to fear, because she knew that there was someone who was always watching her.

Chapter 454: I will exchange my life's potential for this farewell ceremony

Two months was a short time. For Qingyun Tiankong, if she could have a two-month vacation, how leisurely would she spend it? Perhaps no matter how long it was, it would still feel not enough?

But if two months are spent entirely on training, and high-intensity training at that, then Xingjiang will definitely feel that such days are like years. Although she will secretly curl up, Xingjiang is actually a very leisurely person. If she is really asked to concentrate on training all day long, she will also slack off.

Xingjiang has never liked rigid training. Her training depends more on her mood, and she prefers to do it without supervision from others - at least, she doesn't like her training being watched by unfamiliar people.

Because she is not so confident in her training methods, except for a very few people who are close to Xingjiang, such as her good friend Nishinohana, even Cao Shangfei and the others don’t know much about Xingjiang’s training methods.

But before embarking on the Arima Memorial, Qingyun Tiankong had never imagined that the two months of rehabilitation would make her feel exhausted every day, and the rehabilitation with scars all over her would end so quickly, even before she could react.