The next morning, Fujimasa March's biological clock woke her up.
Dressed in fluffy white pajamas, the girl opened her eyes sleepily and yawned before glancing around.
Seeing that Inari One was still fast asleep, she moved quietly and began her morning routine.
After finishing, she put on her running shoes, careful not to let the sides of her hooves clack against the floor, then gently shut the door behind her.
Stepping out of the dorm, she was planning to head toward the trainer's room—but as she focused her gaze, she saw that Kuroha was already outside waiting.
"Trainer, I'm sorry, I woke up late today."
Fujimasa March jogged over, a little flustered.
"No problem."
Kuroha smiled and waved his gloved hand.
It was only late February, and Tokyo's temperature at 5:30 in the morning could still dip into the single digits.
Only someone with Uma Musume physique could just throw on a tracksuit and completely ignore the cold.
"No rush. Let's walk over together."
Since they had only just arrived at Central Tracen yesterday, Kuroha wasn't about to start overworking her just yet.
Fujimasa March nodded and followed behind him.
As they walked, Kuroha pointed toward a building not far away. "March, that building is Central Tracen's largest training facility. Whether it's strength or coordination, it has the most advanced equipment tailored for each. Going forward, most of our strength training will take place there."
The two stepped forward across the damp road while Kuroha introduced the basic information he had gathered over the past day about Central Tracen Academy.
Fujimasa March blankly stared at his face, a little entranced, occasionally nodding in response—looking adorably dazed.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a training field.
While pulling some compact devices and a notebook from his coat, Kuroha pointed to a section of the track. "March, start with a warm-up, then run a lap at a light pace. We'll spend the next few days getting used to Central's dirt track."
March responded softly and moved to the course to begin her warm-up exercises.
It was the second day at Central Tracen Academy, and training had officially begun.
Pa!
The gray-haired girl's nimble figure dashed past the finish line and continued sprinting forward.
Kuroha pressed the stopwatch precisely and jotted down the lap time.
For now, the focus of training was Dirt Adaptation, with occasional strength drills added as needed.
Kuroha would occasionally coach her on how to apply force effectively on dirt. As time passed, more and more Uma Musume arrived at the training field.
Each Uma Musume was accompanied by her own trainer, earnestly and energetically running forward.
Whether in terms of individual strength or training atmosphere, the environment here far surpassed that of Kasamatsu.
While watching March closely, Kuroha was also quietly observing the other Uma Musume.
Some of them clearly hadn't even mastered the basic running posture—relying purely on brute strength, they were scolded by trainers as they smiled with bright yet clueless expressions. These were most likely newly pro debutantes.
Many others had completed their foundational training and showed familiarity during their sessions.
But in Kuroha's eyes—empowered by his "Physique and Rhythm Recognition"—they lacked control in stamina management and had unstable pace distributions, often exerting energy in the wrong segments.
Those girls were probably still in their Classic Year phase.
However, there were also some who exuded remarkable composure. Their starts and bursts were sharp and precise, emitting an indescribable fighting aura.
These were obviously veteran Uma Musume—those who had fought in major stakes races.
Whether they were still in their Classic Year or already Seniors, Kuroha couldn't tell for sure.
Though the Keihin Cup and the South Kanto Triple Crown only allowed Classic Year Uma Musume to participate, Kuroha had to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.
"We didn't have these kinds of conditions back in Kasamatsu. But now at Central, with this level of training equipment, we can finally build a proper program."
Kuroha thought to himself, "March's technique isn't a concern, but her base stats are still too low. It'll be tough to compete in top-tier stakes races."
"We'll just take it one step at a time."
Just then, March's figure passed by him again, cutting through the wind!
Kuroha pressed the stopwatch again. Seeing the time displayed, the corners of his lips lifted in a slight smile.
At that moment, a crisp voice rang out beside him. "Hey, are you March's trainer?"
Kuroha turned slightly, surprised to find a small-framed Uma Musume standing right next to him.
That height…
1.4 meters? Maybe even less? Could she be one of the not-yet-pros?
Inari One had been striking a "cool and mature" pose beside this young trainer, trying to act like March's senpai.
But something didn't feel right. She looked down and—
"Height isn't everything! What matters is what's on the inside!" the girl shouted in embarrassment.
"...I didn't even say anything."
"Your eyes were saying it!"
"All right, you little rascal, don't bother other trainers!" A composed female voice rang out, making Inari One freeze.
Kuroha turned toward the voice. A woman in a kimono was approaching—her gaze sharp yet weary, carrying the Central Tracen trainer's badge.
"Hello, Trainer Kuroha."
The kimono-clad woman took the initiative to speak. "We received word yesterday that a young trainer would be arriving at Central. That must be you."
Kuroha quickly stood up. "Yes, I'm Kuroha. And you are?"
"Tatsuko Yuzuhara, a trainer at Central Tracen Academy."
Without warning, she grabbed Inari One—who was still sulking—and forced her into a bow. "This rascal's name is Inari One. Sorry for the trouble."
"Boss!"
Inari One looked like she was resisting, but her efforts were feeble at best.
Otherwise, with the strength of an Uma Musume, how could an ordinary human woman like Yuzuhara possibly hold her down?
"Ah, it's fine. Really, it wasn't any trouble."
The other party's formality actually made Kuroha a bit embarrassed. He shifted the topic: "By the way, Yuzuhara-senpai, are you here for training?"
Yuzuhara nodded. After a bit of small talk, she led Inari One away.
Kuroha silently watched them walk off, his gaze settling on the smaller brown-haired twin-tailed Uma Musume.
Inari One.
A legendary top-tier runner, known alongside Oguri Cap and Super Creek as one of the "Three Heisei Greats" and "Eternal Big Three."
But in truth, she wasn't a contemporary of Oguri Cap—she belonged to the Tamamo Cross generation.
Just like Tamamo Cross, she had reached about two-thirds into her pro development and was now in the Senior Horse phase.
Yet while Tamamo Cross was already dominating the central circuit as the strongest active Uma Musume, Inari One was still playing around in the local mud.
It wasn't until Tamamo Cross peaked and began to decline—eventually retiring due to performance dips—that Inari One finally stepped into the spotlight.
At that time, she had fully matured, her physical abilities reaching historical highs, even mastering a semi-complete version of the [Domain].
She clashed with both Oguri Cap and Super Creek during that era. And in the Arima Kinen, with the strongest final dash and a completed [Domain], she shattered Super Creek's entire tactical rhythm and broke the spirit of a pressure-laden Oguri Cap—proving her unmatched strength.
What followed was like many fully matured Uma Musume before her. After a year-long peak, her power waned, and she was forced to retire after a string of losses.
(End of Chapter)
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