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Obey Your Master?
That name—familiar yet distant—suddenly stirred a hazy memory from Kuroha's previous life.
She wasn't one of the official Uma Musume in the main franchise, but rather a foreign Uma Musume who appeared in Oguri Cap's biography, The Cinderella Gray.
She was born in the US, but utterly unsuited to dirt tracks or soft, heavy turf courses. She could never get results and was a thoroughly mediocre Uma Musume.
It wasn't until she came to Japan that she realized her gait was much more suited to Japan's high-speed tracks.
She studied the habits of others in races, disguised her own strength and personality.
And in the 1988 Japan Cup, she shocked the world as the ninth favorite, defeating Tamamo Cross and Tony Bianca.
A year later, in the next Japan Cup, she lost to Oguri Cap and the "Commoner Queen," finishing only third.
She was a flash in the pan in Uma Musume history—brilliant, but fleeting.
Kuroha blinked, understanding dawning in her eyes.
So that's why she had that awkward, fake smile last month—was she practicing how to fake her persona?
Looking at Obey Your Master's bright, sweet smile in front of her now, Kuroha couldn't help but nod.
She smiles much better now. Tons of potential here.
But Obey Your Master fidgeted nervously under Kuroha's gaze.
The glow of [Body and Breath Perception] flickered in his eyes, giving the girl the uncanny sensation of being seen through completely.
"Wh-What is it, Trainer Kuroha?"
"Ah, nothing," Kuroha snapped out of it. "Just thought your smile looks a lot better than it did last month!"
"..."
Obey Your Master was speechless.
This man... already knows what I've been up to, doesn't he?
Her mind drifted back to several months ago.
A string of defeats had left her demoralized, and even her physical growth had plateaued.
She couldn't win...
The moment her hooves touched the grass, an ominous thought always crept in.
She didn't want to lose. She still wanted to run—stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her rivals and pour everything into the race!
She'd already tried every possible running style. But no matter what—she just couldn't win.
Now, even just standing on the track made her feel helpless.
"Study how they run!" her teammates told her.
"Hide your strength, feign weakness!" whispered a bubbly classmate with a sly glint in her eye.
"Obey Your Master, you've worked hard. Take a break and go on a little trip," her trainer sighed after reviewing her poor performance.
Back then, she was lost.
Until the day she stepped onto this country's grass track.
Fresh!
Joyful!
The turf here sent a message to her with every stride.
She belonged here. She belonged on this grass!
That thought burst forth in her heart, clear and unstoppable.
And so, she began learning how to conceal her true self. How to analyze the competition.
All so that one day, she could stun the world on this nation's tracks.
To proudly proclaim: I, Obey Your Master, once stood atop the world!
Yet before her plan even started… this man had already seen through everything.
"You…"
Obey Your Master subconsciously took a step back.
She wasn't yet the masterful actress who would six months later ambush the Japan Cup field, emotion unreadable.
Right now, she was just a nobody—mediocre and battle-worn.
But then, she slowly exhaled—and her entire demeanor changed.
If moments ago she'd seemed like a sunny, next-door gal, now she exuded the cool elegance of a noble, commanding lady.
"Ah, so you did notice… Trainer from Oi."
"Now why'd you suddenly stop using my name?"
Kuroha smiled slightly, already guessing what was going through her mind—because as a trainer, he held a deep sense of affection and responsibility for every Uma Musume.
He stepped over and sat down beside her.
"You seem kind of troubled. Want to talk?" He tapped his eye. "You can probably tell—I'm not like the other trainers."
Obey Your Master paused, tilted her head, and looked at him. Then she suddenly chuckled. "You're kind of a funny one, Kuroha-san."
"Was that a compliment?"
"Not at all..."
Leaning back slightly with her hands supporting her, she went quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"I'm just a mediocre Uma Musume. No matter how hard I try, I can't catch up to those geniuses."
"Their brilliance… it crushes all my efforts into the dirt like they were nothing."
Kuroha glanced over at her, her hand raised to shield her face from the sun. But the sunlight still slipped through her fingers, casting a dappled light across her delicate, beautiful features.
"My growth has stalled. As a trainer, you know what that means," she said softly.
"I'm at my limit. But still… I want to win! I want to leave my mark on the world's biggest stage!"
"I don't want to fade out as just another average Uma Musume—quietly retiring, forgotten."
By the end, her voice trembled with emotion, each word bitten off with grit and defiance.
"So I want to try. Even if it costs me everything—I want to bet it all on a future!"
"..."
Kuroha was silent.
Maybe he'd read about such stories in the news, in books, or from his past life's memories.
But only now, with Obey Your Master baring her soul before him, did he realize—
He had never truly understood them.
"I heard this park has a small track. Wanna give it a run?" Kuroha suddenly said.
"...Huh?"
Obey Your Master blinked, confused.
"No more huhs—just come on!"
Making up his mind, Kuroha grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the track.
"Wait—hey!"
Hand-in-hand, the two of them made their way to the running path in the park.
The park was always pretty quiet, but the grass and trees were beautifully kept—that's why they came here often to relax.
Now, the 400-meter track was completely empty.
"Run a lap for me!"
Kuroha nudged her forward.
She stumbled a bit from the push and grumbled, "Oi, I'm on vacation here."
"And you're not even my trainer! Who do you think you are ordering me to train, huh?"
Despite her complaints, Obey Your Master obediently stretched her arms and started warming up.
[Uma Musume Registered: Obey Your Master (Temporary)]
[Obey Your Master]
[Track Aptitude: Turf A, Dirt D]
[Distance Aptitude: Short C, Mile A, Medium A, Long B]
[Running Style Aptitude: Front Runner C, Pace Chaser B, Late Surger A, End Closer A]
[Unique Skill: Radiance of My Glory LV3]
[Domain: Awakening in Progress]
[Skills: Grass Field Demon, Foresight, Godstep Rhythm, All-Out Assault, Medium Distance Straight, Iron Will]
[Speed: 1083 | Stamina: 956 | Power: 861 | Gut: 904 | Wit: 1028]
Another stat monster!
Kuroha narrowed his eyes.
Well, that made sense. Obey Your Master was nearly fully developed and only had half a year left before the Japan Cup.
And the real-world Japan Cup was no joke—not some push-over where a half-trained classic-year filly could scrape out a win.
Whether it was a domestic race or not, the Japan Cup was an international G1 event.
To even hope to win, you either had to be a powerhouse mature horse—or a prodigy who had already gone through full development ahead of schedule.
At that level, being at your peak was just the bare minimum.
(End of Chapter)
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