At the instructor's command, the Horse Girls began to run.
Of course, this exam had no commentary, no audience, and was not a proper race. It was just a periodic assessment for the teachers to grade and evaluate the overall level of the teams.
However, to help their friends perform better, the Horse Girls spontaneously formed cheering squads, standing outside the railings to cheer them on.
It wasn't until the noise from these groups became so loud that it gave the grading trainers a headache that they were finally driven away.
Outside the railing, Chiya stood not far from the group of trainers, silently evaluating the new students.
"Watch me!"
At that moment, a childish voice caught his attention.
A lively figure jumped back and forth on the track, her feet lifting high off the ground the moment they landed. The whole movement was clean and sharp.
"It's Tokai Teio," he murmured. Nase beside him said nothing, just quietly watching her warm up.
With a command from the instructor, the nimble figure shot out, her flexible feet pounding the turf as she rapidly advanced.
What beautiful running form!
He couldn't help but praise her.
Compared to the other Horse Girls, Teio's posture was as smooth and natural as a flowing curve. After 300 meters, she gradually pulled away from the pack and finally crossed the finish line with a two-horse-length lead.
"Yeah!"
She leaped high, dancing in front of the finish line.
"So that's your Horse Girl, Trainer Nase. She's amazing."
Without a hint of insincerity, he praised her from the bottom of his heart.
"That child's own skill is very strong. I just taught her how to use that strength."
"Top-tier talent paired with a top-tier trainer..."
Teio would definitely be a formidable enemy in the future.
He muttered to himself. Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Nase's lips.
This subtle movement was not noticed by him, but it was seen by Aoi beside him.
"My Horse Girls are not weak either..." she murmured, then looked at Happy Meek and Special Week.
Finally, after three rounds of testing, it was Shirayuki's turn.
She walked onto the track and came face to face with TM Opera O.
"Hahaha! My white cat~ The time has finally come to dance with me!" the other girl said in her usual rhythmic tone. "Come, let us sound the charge and play the ode to the full moon!"
"Group F, get ready."
The veteran instructor made a mark on his record sheet and said to them.
"Let's do this, Opera O," she said, clenching her fists. "I'm going to show you that the Overlord isn't the only one who can win."
"Oh?"
Looking at her azure eyes, Opera O gave an interested smile.
She could feel that she was serious.
"On your marks, get set—"
Holding a red flag, the instructor stood in front of the group.
"Go!"
The moment he spoke, the Horse Girls shot out in unison.
Opera O took the lead, while Shirayuki ran to the middle of the back of the pack.
Outside the railing, Meisho Doto watched the track with a worried expression.
"Oh no, will Shirayuki-san be able to win... Opera O-san is very strong..."
She was more nervous now than she had been for her own exam.
At the same time, Gold Ship, Rice Shower, Machikane Fukukitaru, Special Week, and Mejiro Dober, who had come to watch, all stood in different places.
"Go for it, Shirayuki-san!" Special Week clasped her fists, praying for her friend.
"Oh! Number two is accelerating! Number three is moving to the inside lane!" Gold Ship suddenly shouted.
"The current leader is number six, TM Opera O!"
Numbers? Where are there numbers? Isn't everyone just standing and running wherever they want?
Everyone was confused by her, but her commentary echoed across the track.
"The group is passing the first turn! The competition in the middle is fierce, positions are constantly changing! Oh? It's number seven, Fujiwara Shirayuki! She chose to fall back to the inside lane during the turn! Does she not want to get to the front at this time?!"
Looking at the crowd in front of her, Shirayuki slowly shifted her gaze to Opera O.
For now, she would just ignore the other Horse Girls as NPCs. Her focus was on her.
Her powerful running form had already proven that her strength was not just for show.
But, it didn't matter.
She had already thought of a way to deal with it. Her eyes were fixed on the markers on the railing, watching the numbers pass by.
Not a Late Burst, not a Closer. Just wait for a fixed position.
Timing. Yes, for her, the most important thing was timing.
Once that number passed before her eyes, she could run without any restraint.
Just as she was staring intently at the markers, a stray lock of hair blocked her vision.
Eh?
She was startled, looking at the Horse Girl in front of her who was gradually slowing down.
What is she doing?
Wait, no!
Glancing back, she found that she was now completely in the middle of the pack. The surrounding Horse Girls had maintained a certain speed and were now running evenly.
In front, to the right, and behind, all were Horse Girls.
What?!
At this moment, she had become a bird in a cage, surrounded by them.
Opera O looked behind her, at the bird trapped in the middle.
"My white cat..."
It seems you still don't understand this race.
Why did she raise the pace of the entire group at the start? Her goal was to make these Horse Girls, who were only thinking about passing, realize that their stamina was being rapidly consumed. If they continued to accelerate, it would mess up their rhythm and cause them to fail.
So, they all chose to slow down in unison.
And that was how Shirayuki, whose attention was entirely on the markers, was trapped in the middle.
"How could the Overlord not know the art of war?"
Right now, those Horse Girls were her 'soldiers.'
Trapped in the middle, she quickly observed her surroundings.
There was no way out from the inside. What about the outside?
Chiya watched the track anxiously.
"That child, Shirayuki, is in trouble," Nase Fumino said quietly. "If she's patient, she should be able to find an opportunity during the turn."
No, the turn will be too late!
Against Opera O, accelerating at the turn will definitely not be enough to catch up!
Unaware of the bet, Nase was still thinking in terms of passing the exam.
A way, is there a way... to get out of this predicament.
Outside the railing, watching her in crisis, Oguri Cap narrowed her eyes. Her gaze fell on the two Horse Girls behind her.
She had encountered the same trouble before, surrounded on all sides.
But there was one way to break through.
Oguri Cap took out a sushi roll and put it in her mouth.
"My rice buddy."
The path to salvation lay within.
(The following is a translation of the author's note included at the end of the chapter)
Actually, this should have been posted yesterday, but I suddenly realized I had mixed up the time, and it was already Friday.
First of all, a big thank you to the readers who have made it this far. This book was actually conceived while I was lazing around and watching the individual character stories of Uma Musume.
So, let me talk about the specific content.
Meisho Doto, Gold Ship, Rice Shower, Mejiro Dober, Toushou Falco, etc. This book is about bringing these "problem children" of the Horse Girl world together to form a team—the protagonist's team of oddballs—and the stories that unfold around them.
In short, it's all kinds of shenanigans.
Of course, it's not purely shenanigans. The main focus is still on the races.
The author will say it outright here: I will not follow the historical timeline. TM Opera O can compete on the same stage as Tokai Teio, and Special Week's rival can be Mejiro McQueen.
And Happy Meek will appear as the protagonist's rival.
As for the main storyline, it's really about becoming a Senior Trainer. The protagonist is not an overpowered Mary Sue. He will lose to other trainers when he lacks experience, and he will lose races when he lacks strength.
So, to the readers who are looking for a power fantasy, I apologize. Besides Fujiwara Shirayuki, the protagonist is just a trainer with no special abilities.
This book is mainly lighthearted and fun. There's no deep-seated hatred, no going berserk. Readers, please just enjoy it for the fun.
It's on sale starting today. To all the readers who like it, please give it your support.
-------
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Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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