...
On Friday, "Dream" held its weekly practice race.
With a full seven horse girls participating, it was starting to feel more and more like an official competition.
For this occasion, Lucian had even arranged for the starting gates to be brought onto the school grounds.
"Stay focused, everyone. Giving it your all is how you improve—and it's also how you show respect to your opponents."
Before the practice race, the team had gone through their usual basic training. Though somewhat tiring, it had thoroughly warmed them up.
"Got it, Trainer~"
...
The moment the gates flew open, the horse girls surged forward.
However, Rice Shower and Tokai Teio—being newcomers—were less tense and started slightly later than the others.
Still, the two quickly adjusted their pace, soon overtaking Haru Urara at the front.
Dextrous Bailey used her physical advantages to secure an inside position while maintaining a favorable spot.
From here, she could enjoy a broad field of vision, giving her ample time to react if any opponents suddenly accelerated.
This was something Lucian had taught her. He also wanted to simulate real race conditions to sharpen the girls' judgment during competitions.
Silence Suzuka, as always, went straight for a runaway lead, steadily widening the gap between herself and the others.
Seiun Sky held second place, just ahead of Dextrous Bailey, while Special Week trailed right behind Bailey.
"If I accelerate here... no, the path ahead is blocked."
Special Week found herself in a tight spot. She wanted to overtake Dextrous Bailey, but the opening was sealed off by Seiun Sky.
Forcing her way forward would mean running side-by-side with Bailey, creating unnecessary risks.
Her only options were to wait for Seiun Sky to speed up or to swing wide around the outside.
Taking the outer path meant covering extra distance, and she couldn't guarantee she'd overtake Seiun Sky even if she did.
Just then, Tokai Teio broke away from Rice Shower and closed in.
Her gaze sharpened as she assessed the trio ahead—Dextrous Bailey, Special Week, and Seiun Sky.
A sinking feeling settled in—even if she pushed herself to the limit here, overtaking them seemed nearly impossible...
But that was to be expected. Neither Tokai Teio nor Rice Shower had yet reached their peak physical condition.
...
Soon, they entered the final turn.
Dextrous Bailey was the first to falter, her speed dropping as Special Week and Tokai Teio began gaining on her.
"Seiun! Teio! Spe-chan! Push hard now—if you don't, it'll be too late!" Lucian shouted from the sidelines.
Silence Suzuka was leading by a staggering eight lengths—a commanding advantage.
But her running style had one critical weakness: under normal circumstances, she couldn't perform a second acceleration. In fact, she tended to slow down in the latter stages.
Heeding Lucian's reminder, Seiun Sky and Special Week launched their final sprints.
Tokai Teio, however, was stunned. She was already giving it everything she had, yet the gap between her and Special Week only grew. "Kuh! Why can't I catch up?!"
Lucian wasn't particularly surprised by how things were unfolding. "Oh? Here it comes."
That dreamlike, flowing aura emerged once more, enveloping Special Week and Seiun Sky.
Clearly, they were desperate to surpass Silence Suzuka!
But even among G1-level horse girls, there were disparities—and that radiant aura wasn't exclusive to them!
Perhaps sensing the immense pressure from behind, Silence Suzuka suddenly unleashed another burst of speed.
A bluish-green glow encased her body, expanding outward into a powerful whirlwind.
Countless petals and leaves rode the wind—though soft in nature, they sliced through the air like razor-sharp blades, severing the momentum of Seiun Sky and Special Week.
The distance between them and Silence Suzuka refused to shrink any further!
"Is this... the second stage?!"
So stunned was Lucian that he forgot to even check his stopwatch.
...
"As expected... I still can't beat Suzuka." Special Week bent over, panting heavily, sweat dripping from her chin in thick beads.
Seiun Sky, hands on her hips, walked slowly with her head down, deep in thought. "What am I missing...?"
During that final chase, she'd felt like she was on the verge of catching Silence Suzuka—only to be abruptly shut out in the next instant.
Still, the practice race had left her feeling like she'd improved.
Tokai Teio, Dextrous Bailey, Rice Shower, and Haru Urara soon crossed the finish line as well.
"So this is the level of G1-class horse girls..."
The race had undoubtedly sparked a storm in Tokai Teio's young heart.
But geniuses had their pride—she wasn't about to admit defeat.
"Would you like some water?" Rice Shower approached Haru Urara.
"Urara will rest just a little first before drinking."
Day after day of systematic training had made Haru Urara unaware of her own progress—she no longer collapsed onto the grass in exhaustion after every run.
But Rice Shower had noticed. "Urara, you've gotten much stronger."
"Of course! Urara gives her absolute best in every training session Trainer assigns!"
"Next time, Urara will go to Kochi for another race—and win big!"
And next time, she wanted to go with Lucian... and then cuddle with him while sleeping.
"I see." Rice Shower glanced toward Seiun Sky and the others, feeling a flicker of competitive fire ignite within her.
...
Lucian watched the scene with satisfaction. Healthy internal competition was beneficial for the team's growth.
Just as he was about to offer some encouraging words, he noticed Silence Suzuka's unsteady steps—her face had turned noticeably pale.
"Suzuka?"
Keeping his composure, Lucian quickly mixed glucose into water before rushing over to support her.
"Lucian-kun, I feel a little... dizzy."
"Drink this first." Seeing her weakened state, he helped her sip the water. "Lean on me and rest for a while."
"Mm."
The others soon noticed the situation and gathered around.
"Urara, could you bring out the small stool from the lounge? Thank you."
"Okay! Urara will go right now!" She immediately scampered off.
Special Week looked worried. "Trainer, what's wrong with Suzuka?"
"She probably pushed herself too hard, leading to insufficient blood flow. Her body just isn't used to it yet."
Lucian understood—Silence Suzuka had challenged her limits... and broken through them.
Still, he had to remain vigilant for any other potential issues.
"What should we do now?" Special Week pressed.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
His words were like a soothing balm.
As they watched Silence Suzuka resting against Lucian, their unease and worries gradually faded.
...