novelraw Chapter 284 394
Chapter 284 394
The excitement and noise of the New Year gradually faded.
After the meeting, everyone returned to their own tracks and resumed their respective duties.
As the calendar turned to February, the massive war chariot that was Team Chasing Light slowly began turning its wheels for the new year.
Tap tap tap!
At the Mejiro training grounds, the powerful rhythm of running footsteps rang out across the smooth track.
Teio and McQueen were drenched in sweat, carrying out high-intensity sprint training under the strict supervision of Aoi and Fumino.
Naturally, their race plans for this spring season involved far more than just the Tenno Sho (Spring) and the Classic Triple Crown.
Those were only the core objectives.
On the road to the summit, it was essential to weave in other races as warm-ups and opportunities to fine-tune their form.
The next race Kuroha had arranged for Teio before the Satsuki Sho was the G2 title race scheduled for March 3: the Yayoi Sho.
It was also the second graded race of Teio's career, following her G1 Hopeful Stakes last December.
At the same time, it was an important trial race for securing priority entry into the Satsuki Sho, that premier Classic race.
As for McQueen, Kuroha had arranged the G1 Osaka Hai on March 31 as her first appearance race after entering her senior year.
Interestingly enough, ever since the name "Mejiro McQueen" had appeared on the entry list for the Tenno Sho, the URA racing committee had, within just a few days, received withdrawal applications from quite a number of Umamusume.
What had originally been a Central Grade 1 race with fifteen Umamusume on the roster had been reduced by sheer force to only nine competitors.
The whole scene felt like a repeat of Maruzensky's old legend, and in some ways it was even more unbelievable than what had happened back then.
After all, this was the highest stage of G1 racing.
But from another angle, it also proved that Central trainers would rather give up a Grade 1 race with this much prestige than let their girls crash head-on into a Mejiro McQueen with absolute dominance at the start of the year, before their own runners had reached top condition.
At present, the most mainstream view in the industry was this:
Avoid her edge for now, wait until the second half of the year when their Umamusume's physical condition had matured to its peak and the gap could be minimized, and only then talk about challenging her.
Compared to that, Teio's situation was nowhere near as glamorous as McQueen's.
Although Teio had also won a G1 last year in a completely unquestionable fashion, on the final straight she had instinctively eased off after confirming that her rivals could no longer catch her, in order to save leg power.
Because of that, the final margin of victory had stopped at only three lengths.
As a result, while Central trainers, along with a number of racing commentators and experts, still rated Teio very highly, they all agreed on one point:
Tokai Teio did not yet possess the kind of despair-inducing dominance McQueen had shown last year.
That was precisely why Teio's upcoming Yayoi Sho had not seen a glorious wave of mass withdrawals.
On the contrary, quite a few teams were rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
They were preparing to go all out in this race to target Teio and properly blunt Team Chasing Light's momentum.
...
Unlike the blood-pumping training taking place out on the track, the corridor outside the trainer's office presented an entirely different scene, one of quiet ease and leisure.
A long-limbed woman with blue hair and green eyes was sitting comfortably beside the corridor railing, gently swinging her legs as the breeze brushed through her hair.
She watched the children out on the training grounds with obvious interest as they poured out sweat and effort.
"Lady Goddess, please have some tea."
A crisp, gentle voice came from nearby.
Godolphin turned her head and saw Super Creek carrying an elegant tray with three cups of hot tea set upon it.
"Thanks, Creek~"
Godolphin's eyes lit up as she happily accepted a cup. After taking a sip, she said, "Your tea-making is getting better and better, Creek."
"I'm glad it suits your taste, Lady Goddess."
Super Creek set down the tray, lightly propped one hand against her cheek, and revealed a gentle smile full of maternal warmth and quiet satisfaction.
Ever since her retirement, Super Creek had not skipped classes nearly as often as Inari One or Mr. C.B., but she was hardly what one would call especially enthusiastic about serious matters, either.
And since Fumino had now officially become the assistant trainer of Team Chasing Light, Super Creek actually came to the Mejiro training grounds more often than she went to classes at Tracen Academy.
"Haven't I already told you? Just call me big sis."
Godolphin puffed out her cheeks slightly, pretending to complain. "It sounds way too distant otherwise. Just call me big sis!"
"Uh..."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Super Creek's forehead. Her smile turned a little helpless.
"I-I'll get used to it slowly, La... Godolphin big sis."
"Mm! That's more like it~"
Only then did Godolphin narrow her eyes in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, inside the trainer's office.
Kuroha sat at his broad desk with two computer monitors in front of him.
On the left screen, more than a dozen webpages were open in a dense cluster.
All of them were related to the latest developments in races around the world, as well as the recent records of some new-generation Umamusume.
On the right screen were all kinds of complex body data, charts, and meticulous training plans.
"Whew..."
After working for a while longer, Kuroha finally lifted his head, let out a long breath, and lightly rolled an arm that had gone stiff from typing for so long.
"Light, you can look over these figures and the planning logic first. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me about it in detail later."
Sitting upright beside him was Berno Light.
She held a thick notebook in her hands and was completely focused on taking notes.
Hearing Kuroha's words, she gave an earnest, forceful nod.
"Okay!"
Even though Oguri Cap was about to retire, Berno Light had never existed merely as "Oguri Cap's attachment."
As an Umamusume whose ambition was to become a Central trainer, Berno Light had now directly taken over the assistant role that had once belonged to Aoi.
Like a sponge soaking up water, she was working hard to learn the professional knowledge required of a trainer.
After leaving Berno Light at his desk to continue studying, Kuroha reached out and gently patted her little head, which was bent over in concentration, as encouragement.
Then he stood up and looked through the window, spotting the warm interaction between Super Creek and Godolphin out on the corridor not far away.
Kuroha smiled and slowly walked over.
"Kuroha-trainer."
The moment she saw him, the smile on Super Creek's face brightened a little more as she greeted him warmly.
"Mm, Creek."
Kuroha replied with a smile, then walked over to Godolphin's side and sat down beside her.
He turned his head to look at the profile of the blue goddess at his side, just about to say something, when unexpectedly Godolphin turned first and raised a finger to her lips in a quieting gesture.
"?"
Kuroha froze for a moment.
Then he watched as the cute blue-haired, green-eyed girl playfully pointed toward the sky and said with a soft smile, "Yu-kun, they're about to arrive~"
"What do you mean, arrive-"
Only getting a few words out on instinct, Kuroha abruptly stopped.
At that moment, something he had almost forgotten suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Looking at the smiling blue goddess beside him, Kuroha finally remembered what it was he had forgotten...
...
Tokyo.
High above the city.
Hummm!
Accompanied by an invisible tearing sound through the air, the two streaks of red and yellow light finally ended their two-month journey around the world and shot straight toward the place they had sensed.
(End of Chapter)
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