In the Training Space, at the URA Finals venue.
Kitasan Black, who had finally made it here, had eyes that were practically glowing. Her current energized appearance made it hard to imagine this was the same person who had to be forced to move forward at the start. Now, just thinking about how she only needed to finish one more race to escape from this hell made her fighting spirit overflow!
"Alright! All of you, bring it on! Today's the last day anyway. This hellhole—I'm absolutely never coming back!"
After shouting at the robots who would never respond to her, Kitasan Black eagerly walked into her starting gate, crossed her arms while loosening up her body, and struck a starting pose.
The instant the race start signal sounded, Kitasan Black shot out of the gate like a bullet, leaving all opponents in the dust in the blink of an eye.
She had absolutely no intention of controlling the race pace.
The only thought in her mind was accelerate, accelerate, accelerate more—
Stamina consumption, physical burden—what were those?
She didn't need to consider such things!
It was just running anyway. Just let loose and give it everything!
Though her stats hadn't reached their limit due to slacking off during training, the talent bonuses from this body combined with the skills and adaptations inherited from the senpais meant she didn't need to think about tactics at all. She could run however she wanted. The system's robots at this level couldn't keep up with her.
A 2200m mid-distance track. Kitasan Black didn't slow down once from start to finish, leaving the system robots a full sixty lengths behind. She easily claimed victory in this training cycle's final race. After half-heartedly going through the system's winner's stage rehearsal, she finally returned to her long-awaited real world.
"I'm! Back!" The moment Kitasan Black was transported back, she breathed in the fresh air and excitedly clenched her fists. Two streams of moved tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.
Though she'd known from the senpais' memories beforehand that Training Mode was hell and had mentally prepared herself at the start, she realized after actually experiencing it that she'd still underestimated Training Mode. Who knew there was a minimum training standard each year?! You had to meet this minimum standard to pass, otherwise it counted as a failed training run.
None of the previous senpais had ever triggered this. Kitasan Black was the first to discover this hidden mechanic in Training Mode.
At first, she'd thought that although she'd have to live alone in the Training Space for three years, this was nothing for someone who'd already decided to slack off. Just going through the motions would be enough. Even if she didn't train seriously and her stats weren't up to par, she could use skills to pass the Career Objective races.
But just as she was slacking off until year-end in her first year, she was suddenly notified by the system that her training plan objectives for that year weren't met, and continuing to slack off carried the risk of training failure. Only then did she discover this infuriating hidden mechanic. Moreover, this "standard" wasn't about reaching certain stat values—it was about the number of completed daily training sessions. This discovery was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for Kitasan Black!
Fortunately, the system had given the warning a month before year-end. Otherwise, Kitasan Black might have failed the training run due to excessive slacking. And if she dared to get kicked out by the system that way, she could already imagine McQueen-senpai's look of disgust—like she was looking at garbage. She might really get swept out the door to sleep on the streets.
"McQueen-senpai, I've completed Training Mode!" Kitasan Black found Mejiro McQueen, her tail wagging happily behind her.
"..."
Seeing Kitasan Black like this, McQueen and the others couldn't help but fall silent. Training Mode actually had this much power?
For self-disciplined and hardworking people like them, they hadn't felt much from Training Mode's reformation effects. But for Kitasan Black, whose mindset had already given up, Training Mode was even more terrifying than military training. The reformation effects were remarkably effective.
However, McQueen only spaced out for a brief moment before quickly recovering. She calmly reminded Kitasan Black of something.
"This is just the beginning. When do you plan to start challenging Story Mode?"
Hearing this question, Kitasan Black's happy expression instantly crumbled. Her tail stopped wagging, and her ears drooped down.
Oh right, that hell was merely the opening prologue. Just thinking about this fact made Kitasan Black feel mentally exhausted.
This reality should just explode already!
"...I need rest!"
Though she lacked confidence, she still firmly voiced her demand.
That hellish Training Space had absolutely zero entertainment. She couldn't even access the internet. The only things that could restore her mood were drinks and good food, but how could such meager things sustain a person for three years?! Not to mention the training schedule—sure, the training intensity wasn't that high, but that was compared to professional-level uma musume standards!
Even military training had recreational activities with companions. In Training Mode, she was the only living person. The psychological damage was practically torture!
Hell. That place was hell!
But thinking about how she'd actually survived that hell, Kitasan Black felt a small sense of pride.
Though if she said this out loud, the senpais would definitely laugh at her.
But for someone like her who didn't want to put in effort, the fact that she'd actually persevered through three years of training was simply unbelievable!
"Fine. You get one day of rest." McQueen nodded.
Though she felt that if Kitasan Black wanted to rest, she might as well just enter Story Mode and reincarnate—that would clear away all the mental stress accumulated in Training Mode. But since Kitasan Black said she wanted to lie down and rest first, she could understand those feelings and wouldn't leave the child with absolutely no choice.
Hearing McQueen's response, Kitasan Black asked in shock: "One day?!"
Come on, senpai, even if you won't give me a month off, at least give me a week! I just came back from hell!
"Do you think that's too much?" McQueen raised her eyes. Though she wore a smile, there was no warmth in her gaze whatsoever.
Kitasan Black hurriedly shook her head and rushed to say: "No, one day is enough! One day is great! Just one day is fine!"
"Is that so? I thought you were eager to get started."
Mejiro McQueen looked at the frantically waving, terrified Kitasan Black, feeling a bit of regret.
Training Mode's reformation intensity had indeed exceeded her expectations, but it seemed it still hadn't done the job completely.
Though her mental state was certainly much better than at the start, this child still hadn't come to love running, nor had she found meaning in racing.
"No! That's absolutely not the case! McQueen-senpai, I was wrong!"
Kitasan Black was deeply afraid McQueen-senpai would really reduce her rest time. She only had one day to begin with—if it was reduced further, wouldn't that be the same as having none?
"Then one last question. Where do you want to rest? You're not going to rest here, are you?"
Mejiro McQueen looked at the two-bedroom apartment before her eyes. This was projected based on the [Player's] living environment from when they were alive.
The place itself was an old building.
The reason the [Player] had rented it back then was because the space was big enough and the rent was cheap enough.
As for the decor, it was only slightly better than an unfurnished unit.
The furniture had all been bought by the [Player] later. When they'd moved in, this had been an empty room with nothing in it.
The [Player], being a single working-class man, naturally hadn't prepared much furniture. The only piece of furniture carefully chosen was that large bed.
Though this was the System Space—with no mosquitoes, no unpleasant odors, no renovation noise from next door or neighbors arguing—it was a good place to rest. But it was too quiet here. There was nothing at all. Even the food and drinks were brought in from the worlds they currently lived in.
Hearing McQueen-senpai's question, Kitasan Black first blanked out, then suddenly thought of something. Her eyes lit up as she looked at McQueen-senpai.
"Senpai, are you saying I can go rest at your place?!"
A grand castle, professional maids and butlers, a life where everything was provided hand and foot—could someone useless like her actually hope for such a dreamlike ojou-sama lifestyle?!
"Yes, as long as you promise not to go around talking about it afterward."
McQueen agreed.
This sort of thing was no big deal to her. Besides, she could arrange for Kitasan Black to stay somewhere that wouldn't cross paths with her family members. After all, she'd already started gradually taking over the family business, so arranging something this minor was easy.
"Otherwise, you could also come to my place," Tokai Teio chimed in playfully from the side. "Though my home can't compare to McQueen's grand castle."
Rice Shower looked somewhat conflicted.
Because her situation really wasn't convenient.
She herself lived in the school dormitory. Though her current savings were substantial, she hadn't converted that money into property.
Rather, Rice Shower's situation was what ordinary uma musume looked like after retirement.
Though they'd earned money from racing, they had no idea where to spend it.
Young ladies from distinguished families were ultimately a minority, and even young ladies might not have the right to inherit the family business.
But at this moment, Kitasan Black was completely captivated by McQueen-senpai's words.
"I promise I won't say anything! McQueen-senpai, please let me experience the ojou-sama lifestyle!"
"...You want to experience the ojou-sama lifestyle, you say?"
Hearing Kita-chan's words, McQueen's expression immediately became somewhat strange.
Because she felt Kita-chan seemed to be fantasizing about something unrealistic. She'd already inherited her memories—how could she still have such ridiculous dreams?
The ojou-sama life in the uma musume world wasn't about lounging around doing nothing, you know. Kita-chan, are you sure you really want to experience the ojou-sama lifestyle?
"Yes, senpai, please grant my wish!"
Kitasan Black still hadn't realized. Perhaps it was because the psychological damage from Training Mode was still stacking debuffs.
Tokai Teio was already covering her face trying to hide her laughter from the side.
This was hilarious. McQueen's kind of ojou-sama life was also an ojou-sama life.
"Very well. Since you're asking so sincerely, as your senpai, I'll grant this wish of yours."
McQueen solemnly agreed.
Even she couldn't hold back anymore.
Rice Shower tried to hold Kitasan Black back from the side, but couldn't stop her at all.
"Rice-senpai, what are you doing? Do you want to come too?"
"...No."
Rice Shower shook her head and withdrew her hand.
She really couldn't bear to see what Kita-chan would look like when she learned the truth later.
"Then let's go. After all, you only have one day. Time is too precious."
McQueen was thinking about how she could give Kita-chan the complete ojou-sama experience in just one day.
Kitasan Black pumped her fist excitedly: "Yeah!"
No saving her.
Tokai Teio turned around, suppressing her laughter.
It seemed the aftereffects of Training Mode were quite severe.
Next, McQueen took Kita-chan to her own world. She had set up three teleportation gates on that side.
One in a villa in Tokyo, one at Mejiro Castle on a private island, and one in the dormitory at Tracen Academy.
Since Kita-chan wanted to experience the ojou-sama lifestyle this time, she had no choice but to change her original plans and take Kita-chan to Mejiro Castle.
On that isolated island, Kita-chan couldn't escape even if she wanted to.
She had to give Kita-chan the complete package.
"Ribbit! Don't come any closer! I refuse to have lessons during my rest time!"
From initial excitement to panicked fleeing later.
Kitasan Black's mood was like riding a roller coaster.
That day, she was chased all over the mountain by the Mejiro family's professional maids. Besides etiquette lessons and other classes, her physical training quota was exceeded by a mile.
It was supposed to be her hard-won rest time, yet it felt even harder to endure than her days in Training Mode.
After finishing one day of this so-called "ojou-sama lifestyle," Kitasan Black fled back to the System Space.
This wasn't the ojou-sama life she wanted at all!
At this moment, no one was in the System Space. McQueen-senpai was still behind her.
The entire day yesterday, McQueen-senpai had locked down the system's teleportation mechanism. She couldn't escape at all.
After all, she hadn't cleared Story Mode yet and hadn't fully unlocked system permissions, so she had no way to defy McQueen-senpai's decisions.
"Damn it! Since this world won't let me slack off either, I'll go slack off in the Story world! No one can stop me!"
Having made her decision, Kitasan Black didn't need anyone to urge her. She initiated the Story Mode challenge on her own.
McQueen, who arrived at the System Space a step later, looked at the system interface showing the story challenge had begun. A hint of anticipation appeared on her face.
Through yesterday's testing, she'd discovered that Kitasan Black's talent was indeed rather remarkable.
Though her brain seemed a bit slow, her learning ability was extremely strong. She could copy techniques she'd seen at a single glance.
Aside from academics where she couldn't match Teio, in terms of learning talent, she might even be somewhat stronger than that perfect genius Teio.
"She already left?"
When Tokai Teio came over, she only saw McQueen alone.
After all, it was only four in the morning. She'd still been sleeping in bed just now.
"Mm. She's gone."
"That Kita-chan girl should be fine, right?"
"Who knows."
McQueen didn't answer this question.
In terms of ability, Kita-chan could definitely clear it.
But the concern was that Kita-chan might decide to stay in that world and never come out, since the Story world didn't have senpais like them who would stop her from slacking off.
"By the way, McQueen, have you used your reward from the last Grand Prix yet?"
"Not yet. I feel like I still have room to grow, so I'm planning to save it for later."
"...You've already found a direction for improvement?!"
Tokai Teio was somewhat shocked by this news.
After all, they challengers still hadn't figured anything out yet, and McQueen had already found a direction for improvement?
What was most terrifying was that this was without using that Grand Prix reward!
McQueen glanced at Tokai Teio.
"You've been slacking off lately. Having a sense of responsibility is a good thing, but don't waste too much time on miscellaneous matters."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the reminder."
Tokai Teio seriously accepted McQueen's advice.
Her original plan had been to take over the Student Council President position first before considering self-improvement.
But after learning that McQueen had already found a new direction, she immediately changed her mind.
The Student Council matters weren't urgent, but if she fell behind here, it would be difficult to catch up later.
A new direction for improvement—what exactly was it?
If she asked McQueen to share her experience now, would she agree?
No!
If McQueen could do it on her own, so could she!
"I'm heading back first."
"Okay."
After Tokai Teio left the System Space, Mejiro McQueen didn't go back to sleep. Instead, she opened custom matches once again.
She wasn't the type of genius who was full of inspiration and could achieve enlightenment at any moment. Her progress was made one step at a time—it was just that the system's assistance had accelerated this process.
...
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