Two days later.
Mejiro Training Grounds.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, spilling into the trainer's office by the track.
"…"
Kuroha stiffly held the pen in his hand, staring at the ash-gray girl less than half a meter away. Her eyes were shining, her lips slightly parted as she blankly stared ahead.
He tried sliding the delicate strawberry mousse cake on the desk a little to the left.
Whoosh—
Oguri Cap's head snapped left in perfect sync. Those clear, wide eyes glued themselves to the cake without even blinking.
Even the little tuft of hair on top of her head swayed with the cake like a radar, tracking it with uncanny precision.
Kuroha tried sliding it to the right.
Whoosh—
The ash-gray girl's head snapped right again.
"…"
Kuroha's mouth twitched.
What was this weird sense of déjà vu? It felt like he was teasing a cat.
He'd made this cake today as a reward for Mejiro McQueen, who'd been training especially hard lately—his own "special low-sugar edition" dessert.
And yet, before McQueen even arrived, this "ash-gray monster" had appeared out of nowhere and come running the instant she caught the scent.
"Um… Oguri?"
Kuroha sighed. "You finished lunch less than two hours ago, didn't you?"
"Mm." Oguri Cap nodded honestly. "I ate a full meal at 12:30. It hasn't even been two hours."
Kuroha: "…"
That's not what I meant…
But seeing the girl's expression—like she might pounce and bite off a chunk at any second—Kuroha finally surrendered.
"…I can't with you."
He let out a long breath and pushed the cake toward her.
"Fine. You get one piece. Only this one piece, got it?"
"Oh!!"
Oguri Cap's eyes lit up like a pair of stadium floodlights.
She snatched the plate and took a single bite.
The beautifully made cake vanished instantly.
"Good!!"
Oguri Cap cupped her cheeks with both hands. It was like pink little flowers were floating around her as she chewed in bliss, the tuft on her head spinning in happy circles.
After she finished, she greeted Kuroha and ran straight out toward the training track.
Watching how easily satisfied she was, Kuroha couldn't help but laugh under his breath.
Ever since that Kyoto trip ended, this ash-gray monster had basically latched onto them.
Maybe that festival relay had sparked some kind of love for sweets.
These past two days, Oguri Cap kept ignoring the academy's spacious training ground. Instead, she insisted on clinging to Ginjirou Musaka and Berno Light, making the long trip over here to mooch off Kuroha's facilities.
As for Ginjirou, he didn't care at all—if anything, he seemed pleased.
After all, Mejiro's facilities were top-tier, and Kuroha's coaching was far above his.
That old man… maybe he'd come to terms with something. Starting last year, he'd also begun acting a little more "laid-back" about everything.
And on Kuroha's side…
He turned his head toward the track not far away.
There, a high-intensity pace run was underway.
"Hah… ha…!!"
Tokai Teio clenched her teeth and drove her legs as hard as she could. Those bright, spirited eyes were overflowing with frustration.
And running beside her—
Was Oguri Cap, who had just polished off a dessert and was now wide open in full-force mode.
She was even stronger than the "strongest active Oguri Cap" from the original timeline—an entirely new ash-gray monster.
Teio, who hadn't fully matured yet, was getting absolutely destroyed. Nearly every lap, she was blown apart.
But the upside was equally obvious.
Under this hell-grade pressure, Teio's growth rate could only be described as "riding a rocket."
Her resilience under strain and her control over pace were skyrocketing at a visible speed.
"Not bad at all."
Kuroha withdrew his gaze.
Sure, it meant one more mouth to feed… or rather, dozens more mouths.
But if it brought his girls a free sparring partner at this level, it was a deal that was profitable no matter how you calculated it.
…
Two more laps of high-intensity pace running ended.
"Hah… hah…"
Teio dragged her heavy steps back into the rest area near Kuroha.
She grabbed a water bottle, tilted her long neck back, and took a few small gulps before spacing out while staring at the track.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the course—
The ash-gray figure who'd just run several laps with her looked like she didn't know the meaning of fatigue.
Oguri Cap simply shook the sweat from her head, then cheerfully accelerated again—charging toward Fujimasa March, who was training on the other side.
Clearly, the workout with Teio hadn't been nearly "hot" enough, so she went to pace her best friend next.
"How does it feel?"
Kuroha walked over to Teio. He gestured lightly toward the distant back and asked in a casual tone:
"Besides the senpai in your team, how strong is this horse girl who's also standing at the very top of Central Tracen?"
"…She's strong."
Teio was still catching her breath. She looked once more at that ash-gray silhouette in the distance, then spoke quietly.
"If it's purely about instantaneous explosive power… then in my memory, the only one who could beat her is Inari One-senpai at her peak."
Kuroha nodded faintly.
Teio's judgment was precise.
With Inari One already retired, and Super Creek forced to retire due to injury…
In the current Central Tracen, the only one who still qualified as a pure "stat monster" was Oguri Cap.
As for why Teio emphasized the "old" Inari One…
It was because that "once strongest active" peak had already officially ended two months ago.
As her physical function continued to decline…
The current Inari One not only could no longer reproduce the terrifying, cheat-like powerhouse kicks from back when she'd awakened her Domain like an emperor.
Even her raw physicality, naturally, could no longer be compared to Oguri Cap, who was at the absolute height of her life.
"But…"
Teio hesitated. Her brows knit slightly, like she couldn't quite understand it, but she still added in her clear voice:
"Trainer… even though she's strong, I keep feeling like Oguri Cap-senpai's running technique is really rough."
"Like… it's not even as good as mine was right after I became True Blooming."
During the past two days of pace runs, that feeling had only grown stronger.
Even though she was consistently suppressed by Oguri Cap in speed and stamina—and even got blown apart—
Teio's naturally sharp eyes could see it clearly.
This senpai's running form was full of openings.
Her entry angles in corners were careless, her arm swing on straights was too wide and increased wind resistance, and even her breathing rhythm adjustment looked primitive and crude.
So many times, Teio could plainly see Oguri Cap exposing huge gaps, see the chance to overtake.
That sensation made Teio feel like she was looking at her own running when she was still a young horse girl…
Even if, more often than not, she could only watch those chances slip away because her body simply couldn't keep up.
"Ugh… when am I going to get faster…"
The cute girl with crescent bangs pouted as she muttered.
"Pat."
Just then, a soft towel gently pressed down onto her head.
Kuroha's large hand, through the towel, lightly rubbed her hair to wipe the sweat from her crown.
"Mmm…"
Teio's eyes narrowed comfortably, like a kitten being petted. That stubborn frustration in her face dissolved by more than half.
"Sharp eyes, Teio."
Kuroha nodded in approval as he continued drying her.
"It's true. Oguri's running has always been like that."
"Every corner, every sprint, even every breath—she doesn't rely on textbook technique."
"What she relies on is brute force she was born with, and bodily memory."
"Her overwhelming talent let her cut her way through everything and reach this place."
As he spoke, Kuroha smiled and gave Teio's horse ear a light pinch, making her shiver.
"See? Even if her technique is lacking, you still can't beat her, can you?"
At that, Teio forced one eye open, staring at her trainer in confusion.
"But Trainer… isn't that… weak?"
"You clearly said before—"
Her voice carried a faint puzzlement as she repeated Kuroha's usual teaching:
"Technique is the staircase that crosses talent barriers, and the only key to pushing your body to its absolute limit, right?"
"No one's talent is infinite. Only by learning to use your strength efficiently can you stand at the top of the world!"
Those were the words Kuroha often taught Teio.
And it was true—Teio's talent was incredible.
Even across the whole world, she was top-tier, first-echelon.
But throughout Uma Musume history, there had been plenty of horse girls with talent even greater than hers.
Looking back, there were legends like Secretary and Eclipse, universally acknowledged as world-crushing.
Looking ahead, kings like Deep Impact and Vernal Equinox were waiting for their eras to arrive.
"Precisely because of that… she reached her limit."
Kuroha watched the pace run between Fujimasa March and Oguri Cap on the track and spoke softly:
"Oguri Cap came from local dirt racing. After she transferred, Central's training methods for her were still very rough. She never received the refined, systematic training you girls get."
"By the time she entered her peak, her potential had been exhausted, and she achieved what, in Central—and in the public's understanding—was the limit of what could be reached."
"And because of that, she didn't go overseas to search for the world's potential."
Teio followed Kuroha's gaze to the track.
On that same line, even though Oguri Cap was simply running behind Fujimasa March, she was already starting to pant.
"She's the horse girl who created an era. But an era… is never created by one person alone."
Kuroha reached out and gently rubbed Teio's head, his tone warm.
"So, Teio. My expectations for you aren't just to become a horse girl who creates an era."
"It's—"
"A horse girl who surpasses eras, and creates a world!"
"Create… a world…"
Teio repeated the words in a daze.
In those sky-blue eyes, the small doubt born from being crushed by Oguri Cap was burned away completely.
In its place, a blazing fighting spirit rose—like it could set the entire sky on fire!
Not just winning. Not just becoming the symbol of an era.
But…
Surpassing everything, and reaching that place even the senpai of the past could never touch—beyond the world itself!
"Yeah!!"
The girl snapped upright, hands on her hips, that familiar confident grin returning.
"I understand, Trainer!"
"If that's the case, then Teio-sama will graciously make that her goal!"
"Whether it's Oguri Cap-senpai or President Rudolf… one day, I'm going to leave them all in the dust!"
Seeing Teio instantly recharge—her fighting spirit even sharper than before—Kuroha chuckled and shook his head.
This kid's greatest talent might not be her body.
It might be this heart that never gets knocked down, always shining.
"Haha. Then I'll be looking forward to seeing it."
Kuroha pinched her soft ear again, making Teio let out a small, muffled whine.
"Hmph. Just you wait and see!"
…
On the track.
The pace run was nearing its end.
"Hah… hng…"
Oguri Cap panted heavily, her chest heaving. The footfalls that used to carry such strong rhythm now sounded a little heavy.
And half a body length ahead of her—
Fujimasa March had also worked up a serious sweat, her breathing slightly quickened, but her posture remained steady, and her steps were still as precise as a machine forged through endless repetition.
Even though Oguri Cap's base physical specs were a full tier above March's…
In this drawn-out tug-of-war over several kilometers, she was the one who felt fatigue first.
Because—
"This feels awful…"
Oguri Cap locked her eyes on that silver-white back ahead, and only one thought filled her mind.
Every time she tried to force an acceleration, March would adjust her position in an extremely subtle way.
Not only did it seal off Oguri Cap's line—
Even the pace and rhythm of running became uncomfortable for her.
And Oguri Cap could feel it clearly: these tempo shifts barely affected March at all.
Instead, they were simply stripping away Oguri Cap's stamina for free.
"Yeah… this is exactly how March always runs."
Oguri Cap exhaled a long, heavy breath.
"Stop!"
At the finish, Aoi Kiryuin called out.
The two of them decelerated together.
"Hah…"
Fujimasa March slowed to a stop, took a towel from the side, and wiped her face.
Then she turned, looking at the ash-gray girl behind her—hands on her knees, breathing lightly.
It was only training. Neither of them would go all-out.
"So? Oguri."
March stepped closer and held out her hand, the corner of her mouth lifting.
"Your power really is a bit stronger than last year. But if this is all you've got… you won't be able to beat me at the Yasuda Kinen."
"Guh…"
Oguri Cap let March pull her up, then scratched her head unwillingly.
"You're amazing, March."
"Lately I've been thinking about how to win… but I still can't find a way."
"Hm? Then don't you go losing sleep tonight. I don't want to beat an Oguri Cap who's in bad shape tomorrow." March raised an eyebrow.
Oguri Cap immediately straightened up, clenched one fist, and spoke with sudden seriousness.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to lose to you that easily, March."
"When the time comes, I'll show you my strength!"
Grrrr—
Her stomach chose that exact moment to make a thunderous noise.
"…I'm hungry."
Oguri Cap instantly turned pitiful, her "strong rival" aura collapsing on the spot.
"Is that so?"
The naturally airheaded ash-gray girl blinked, looking genuinely confused.
"Fine, fine. Go rest at the trainer's place. Later, we'll eat together."
"Okay!"
(End of Chapter)
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