After leaving Kiryuuin Aoi, Fujiwara Chiya began to think things through.
Based on what she said, Special Week would likely start learning those techniques.
If she really mastered them, it could become troublesome. At school, Special Week could stick close as much as she wanted, but on the track, Fujiwara Chiya had no intention of letting her get that close.
Just one instance of close contact would consume a lot of stamina. Do it twice, and there would be no race left to run.
He would have to keep a closer eye on that moving forward.
With that in mind, Fujiwara Chiya went to find his second colleague.
Nase Fumino.
Under her were Tokai Teio, El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder, and Narita Top Road, all of whom were Shirayuki's contemporaries. It could be said that Kiryuuin Aoi and Nase Fumino alone accounted for seventy percent of the opponents Fujiwara Chiya would face in his racing career. In the future, half of the Uma Musume he encountered would likely come from their stables.
The rest included his troublesome friend Katsumura Yota's T.M. Opera O, Nishizaki Ryu's Mejiro McQueen, and Kurozuma's Mihono Bourbon.
Most of this year's rivals were familiar faces. Some were trainers from Tracen with whom he had little interaction, and the rest were Uma Musume from Central.
In a situation like this, information could become the deciding factor that turned the tide of a race.
Fujiwara Chiya arrived at Nase Fumino's training grounds. As he looked up, he met a pair of red eyes watching him.
"Trainer Nase."
She gave a small nod.
Fujiwara Chiya was grateful to this colleague who had once helped him, and he wanted to get to know her better. But standing in front of her, he felt like a block of wood, unable to find anything to say or any topic to start with.
Mejiro Dober was somewhat similar. On the surface, she kept people at a distance, but inside, she had a soft spot for cute things.
Things like anime and picture books. Her cabinet was filled with Magic Carrot merchandise.
But Nase Fumino was different. Her coldness was absolute, inside and out. There was no gap, no contradiction. It left Fujiwara Chiya completely at a loss for words.
"I was just passing by…"
"You came to observe our training, didn't you?"
She immediately saw through his attempt at small talk.
"…Yes."
"Come over here. You'll get a clearer view."
Fujiwara Chiya walked over quietly. Then he saw a masked bird-like figure sprinting across the track, letting out strange cries as she ran.
"This is my wrestling spirit! Deeesu—!!"
He had no idea what running had to do with wrestling, but she clearly enjoyed shouting it.
Close behind El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder ran with a focused gaze, as if waiting for the right moment.
Turning his head, Fujiwara Chiya looked toward the inside of the track. Tokai Teio was practicing squat jumps, and not far away stood a golden-haired Uma Musume.
A star-shaped accessory hung from her ear.
"That's Narita Top Road, right?"
Nase Fumino gave a quiet confirmation.
The girl was stretching her legs, bending them to an impressive degree. Fujiwara Chiya could not help but comment, "That's incredible flexibility."
"She has the potential to win graded races."
Nase Fumino did not exaggerate. If she said that, then Narita Top Road's ability was undoubtedly something to take seriously.
After observing for a while, Fujiwara Chiya asked, "Trainer Nase, do you know about what happened at the exchange event?"
"Central has already issued the notice," Nase Fumino replied. "If you're asking whether my training approach has changed, then I can tell you clearly, it has."
She looked directly at him.
"I agree with Central's decision. Racing until now has been too gentle. We adopted Western standards when setting the rules, but in practice, we enforced them far more strictly."
Those red eyes reflected Fujiwara Chiya's figure.
"We've been limiting ourselves. Real races are far more intense than what we have now."
From the very beginning, Central had held onto an unrealistic sense of optimism about racing. It was only after Sirius Symboli, a pioneer of overseas competition, suffered a crushing defeat with a fourteenth-place finish at last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, that Central finally realized the gap between Japan and the world.
"My goal is the Arc. My aim is to become a top-tier trainer. Trainer Chiya, the two of us are true rivals."
Nase Fumino tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke.
There was no doubt about it. Her serious tone made everything clear. Fujiwara Chiya understood that she meant every word.
"Have you already taught those techniques to your Uma Musume?"
"Yes. Both positioning and blocking techniques are now part of the training schedule."
These techniques were designed to make opponents struggle. By cutting off their sprinting lanes and disrupting their timing, they prevented rivals from performing at their full potential.
By weakening strong competitors, one could increase their own chances of victory.
In Western racing, this was commonplace. In Japan, however, it was not widely accepted.
"Trainer Chiya, what do you think?" Nase Fumino asked. "Do you think what I'm doing is right? Having Uma Musume actively interfere with their opponents and disrupt their rhythm."
Fujiwara Chiya thought for a moment.
"From the very beginning, strategy and tactics have always been part of racing. These methods are simply experience we've developed within the rules. They're ways for Uma Musume to win. There's no absolute right or wrong."
He answered calmly.
"I believe truly strong Uma Musume won't fear these techniques. If there are ways to create problems, then there must also be ways to solve them. Those who can overcome these challenges will become sharper. Their execution and decision-making will improve significantly compared to before."
Just as she had expected.
If it were him, he would add one more line.
"'A trainer is the shadow of an Uma Musume. They stand where the light cannot reach, extending their hand to push her further and faster. That is their duty.'"
Their voices overlapped.
Fujiwara Chiya froze for a moment.
"Trainer Nase… how did you know what I was going to say?"
"A long time ago, someone told me the same words you just said."
"…Seriously?"
He had learned that line from his father. When he first declared that he wanted to become a trainer, his father had said those words to him with complete seriousness.
Even now, Fujiwara Chiya treated them as his personal motto.
"I understand your stance now, Trainer Chiya," Nase Fumino said. "Since you have no objections, then when we meet on the track, we'll decide the outcome in our own ways."
"Yeah. That's exactly what I had in mind."
Nase Fumino watched his back as he walked away. Only after he disappeared from the training grounds did she look away.
I've made it this obvious, and yet you still remember nothing.
You're hopeless… Chiya.