Accompanied by the rousing music on the broadcast, the Uma Musume Development Elementary sports festival entered its official opening segment. Parents and visitors who had come all gathered near the track.
In the clearing around the track, construction workers had added several rows of benches for spectators to rest. But relatively few people were willing to sit on the benches—many spectators preferred standing positions on the grass, because the view from there was more like an actual race venue, allowing them to take in the entire track from above.
Some newspaper reporters had set up camera tripods nearby, and there were even TV stations with large cameras doing live broadcasts. Although it was just an elementary school competition, it received no small amount of attention.
"The ones getting attention are definitely those two uma musume."
An older-looking reporter aimed his camera at two young girls.
Satono Diamond and Satono Crown.
Both were promising newcomers that the Satomi family had high hopes for.
"That said, they're still just elementary schoolers who haven't reached Maturity. We can't really see much yet."
"That's true."
This approach was actually quite unreliable. After all, attention was just reputation, and elementary schoolers' reputations were basically based on background—not really related to actual ability.
But there was no other way. Besides, the students here had basically all gotten in through examinations, so there wouldn't be too much disparity. Paying attention to the well-known students was never wrong.
Kitasan Black naturally hadn't entered the public's view yet, because not only was she from a grass-roots background, she had even gotten in through connections. Her grades currently ranked dead last.
The first event was the short-distance race.
Kitasan Black, as a slacker who had only registered for one event, was currently mixed in with the spectators.
But Satono Diamond had registered for this race too, for some reason.
(Still too young, ojou-sama. Think short-distance is easy to run? Wanted to grab another championship? But with your adaptability, won't you be losing right at the start of the sports festival?)
From what she knew, Diamond-ojousama had no short-distance aptitude.
However, just when she thought Diamond-ojousama would embarrass herself at the opening, the final result was actually Satono Diamond's win. Moreover, Satono Diamond had even used a front-runner strategy in this race. Kitasan Black was momentarily at a loss for words. Could she really say the other students were just that bad?
Diamond-ojousama was running with the double debuff of distance and running style aptitude! Although in reality, aptitude restrictions weren't as severe as in the game, with this situation, how could the other students lose?
Of course, there was another possibility: these students' aptitudes for this race weren't much higher either. If everyone was running with debuffs, then this result made sense.
The second event was the steeplechase.
Also known as hurdle racing.
Honestly, it was boring.
Kitasan Black felt this sports festival was really just amateurs floundering around.
Though the spectators nearby were quite excited.
Even if she couldn't understand why.
When the middle-distance race was about to start, Kitasan Black finally squeezed out of the crowd and headed toward the track.
But before entering the track, she needed to change her running shoes first.
After changing her shoes on a nearby bench, Kitasan Black walked onto the track.
Satono Diamond and Satono Crown had long been ready. Satono Diamond had especially used the short-distance race earlier as a warm-up—at that level, Kitasan Black could only barely call it a warm-up.
"Miss Kitakami, I'll be coming at you with everything I have!"
Satono Crown walked over and issued a declaration of war to Kitasan Black.
Kitasan Black was completely baffled.
Never mind her—the surrounding competitors were also looking on with surprise and confusion.
"Crown-ojousama is challenging Miss Kitakami?"
"Ah, did Miss Kitakami do something to upset Crown-ojousama?"
"That can't be it. Crown-ojousama isn't that petty."
Kitasan Black's usual performance ranked at the bottom of the class. Such a person naturally wasn't qualified to be Satono Crown's rival, because Satono Crown's regular results were basically always first, only occasionally surpassed by Satono Diamond. Yet such a Crown-ojousama was issuing a declaration of war to her before the race?
No one understood what was going through Crown-ojousama's mind.
"Crown-san, don't you have the wrong target? Your opponent should be Diamond-san, right?"
Kitasan Black tried to correct Satono Crown's misconception.
"No mistake. Diamond is certainly my rival too, but the person I most want to defeat right now is you!"
"...Then you'll probably get your wish."
Faced with Satono Crown's inexplicable fighting spirit, what else could she say? She could only go along with her.
Hearing Kitasan Black's response, Satono Crown sensed that Kitasan Black didn't seem to have much fighting spirit and couldn't help frowning.
"Miss Kitakami, you don't need to sell yourself short. I truly acknowledge you—that's why I chose you as my rival."
"..."
How honored she should feel.
Kitasan Black wasn't moved by Crown-ojousama's words.
Although you think that way, I don't feel the same.
You... are supposed to be my rival?
Kitasan Black smiled and said, "I don't think I'm your rival."
Satono Crown wanted to say more, but Kitasan Black had already turned and walked toward her starting position.
"Crown, what's wrong with you? This isn't like your usual self."
Even Diamond-ojousama thought her sister was acting a bit crazy today.
She likewise didn't think Miss Kitakami was qualified to be Crown's rival.
If it were another classmate, she could understand. But Miss Kitakami was too strange.
Because Miss Kitakami's current performance couldn't possibly compete with Crown.
Satono Crown fell silent.
She couldn't exactly say she was doing this because of a feeling.
But this feeling was something only she could understand.
"I'm fine, Diamond. If anything, I'm more serious today than usual."
Without any intention to explain to Diamond, Crown simply strengthened her resolve.
Satono Diamond watched Crown walk away, completely unable to understand why Crown was so focused on Miss Kitakami.
Although she had also been constantly probing Miss Kitakami recently, she still couldn't see what about Miss Kitakami was worth Crown's attention. Or was there really something she hadn't noticed?
She looked at Kitasan Black's retreating figure.
(No, I should focus on the race for now. Besides, if Miss Kitakami really is hiding something, it should show in this race.)
Satono Diamond also returned to her position.
By now, all competitors had taken their places.
Unlike official uma musume races, elementary school races didn't have starting gates prepared.
After all, preparing gates would require custom-ordering gates sized for elementary schoolers.
So the school had simply drawn gates and numbers at the starting positions.
Kitasan Black's position was number 4.
Located toward the inside of the track.
But honestly, she didn't care where her position was.
After all, she had inherited full track adaptability from her senpais.
Whether inside or outside, clockwise or counterclockwise, good conditions or poor conditions—
She, Kitasan Black, had full adaptability skills.
(Although this isn't an official race, so this is what it feels like to step on the track.)
No excitement, no anxiety—just a sense of calm as if she could control everything.
It felt like she could take command of this race's pace whenever she wanted.
No surprises whatsoever.
Kitasan Black confirmed once again that she had no interest in racing. She didn't have that desire to win.
"That child at number 4 is in great condition. Do we have data on her?"
What Kitasan Black didn't know was how eye-catching the aura she unconsciously revealed was to sharp-eyed trainers and reporters. After all, eyes couldn't lie.
"Hm? A commoner-born uma musume? Father is a famous singer, mother is just an unknown uma musume, and her usual school performance is also at the bottom... Could I have misjudged?"
Many people doubted themselves after learning about Kitasan Black's background and regular performance. But some firmly maintained their views.
"No, even if that child's current performance is average, there's no mistake. This child has that quality. I've seen so many uma musume, and the powerful competitors almost all share one common trait: the confidence that radiates from them even before the gate opens. This child already has that!"
"But her usual grades can't be faked."
"Heh, that makes it even more impressive."
The veterans didn't explain further.
But they all felt they might have found a treasure.
What did usual grades represent, especially elementary school grades?
Rather, the fact that number 4 could display such an aura during a race while being a bottom-ranker in normal times was extraordinary. This proved number 4 already possessed something others didn't have.
Dedication to her goals, confidence in her own abilities, fearlessness toward the future!
To have developed such a mentality at this age—this child's future was worth anticipating!
While Kitasan Black was still thinking about how to lose this race, she didn't know she had already attracted the attention of many industry insiders, who had even placed thick filters of favorable bias on her.
To these sharp-eyed industry insiders,
The aura on Kitasan Black couldn't be hidden.
After all, even a freak like Gold Ship had trainers who could tell her ability was extraordinary before her debut. How much more so for Kitasan Black, who only knew how to fake her grades while slacking off?
The starting music sounded, and all competitors assumed their starting positions.
Tweet—
With the starting whistle, all competitors charged from the starting line onto the track.
Kitasan Black didn't want to lose too badly, so she chose to lead. Her plan was to show stamina depletion and slow down in the middle-to-late stages. But the moment she took the leading position, she felt something was wrong. It wasn't that she had revealed too much ability—it was that the other competitors' performances were surprisingly poor, to a degree she could hardly believe. They couldn't even perform at their usual training levels!
Kitasan Black's mood sank.
(Trouble. Did they already forget everything the teacher taught in class? They're not paying attention to their running style or rhythm at all—they just purely want to be in front.)
Yes, except for a few competitors, the vast majority were fighting with all their might for front positions.
Her original plan was completely impossible to execute under these circumstances.
Because as the designated bottom-ranker, she couldn't possibly compete with the other competitors in this situation.
(What do I do? Should I temporarily fall back and then grab a placing at the end...)
No, that wouldn't work!
Even if she got the placing she wanted that way, the performance would be too attention-grabbing.
But right now...
Watching the first turn approach rapidly, Kitasan Black knew she had no more time.
She had considered how to control her own abilities but hadn't thought about the other competitors' situations.
She had assumed this was just a sports festival race, not much stronger than regular training, and other competitors' performances shouldn't be too bad. But she had overestimated the others' mental fortitude.
Because they all wanted to run well, they ended up performing worse than usual.
It hadn't been so obvious when she was just watching, because all competitors were performing similarly. But when she entered the race as a participant, she discovered how ridiculous the others' performances really were.
Completely ignoring running style. Completely ignoring rhythm. Just wanting to win.
The techniques learned in normal practice weren't being used at all. Their minds had gone completely blank.
It was truly unbelievable. Were these really the elites of Uma Musume Development Elementary?
"I knew it! That kid is an uma musume suited for actual competition!"
Although it was only the distance from the starting line to before the first turn, Kitasan Black's current performance was already attention-grabbing enough—especially contrasted against the poor performances of the other competitors.
"How is this possible? Isn't her usual ranking dead last? But this performance..."
"Don't be surprised. Training and competition are different. Some competitors have strong training results but become much worse during actual competition, unable to display even half their usual ability. The other competitors are in that situation right now. But number 4 is different—she's completely unaffected by the race, perfectly displaying the strength she's accumulated during training!"
"I see. So senior, can number 4 win today?"
"Hmm, it'll be difficult. Besides her, the two Satomi family ojou-samas are also in good form—especially Satono Crown, who seems particularly strong today. There are also several other competitors performing well. Based on number 4's usual training results, winning will probably be very difficult."
But even if she lost today's race, he believed number 4 would definitely become a powerful uma musume in the future.
Because she possessed that quality—the quality that makes you sense this uma musume is extraordinary the moment competition begins, even if she wasn't favored at first. That quality of being suited for competition!
...
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