Putting everything aside, what is a racing outfit?
I could be cynical and just say that it was a showman's outfit; a way of making us stand out whenever we raced in a G1 to gather more fans. And sure the cloth was far more durable and flexible to make sure the umamusume who wore them during a race wouldn't suffocate or something in the midst of their running.
In my previous world, a few people online had debated whether the outfits were just cosmetics or if they were something more. The different alternates of an umamusume had different stats just by having different outfits, but that could easily be explained away by it being a game.
But this was the world of umamusume, and while the outfit itself technically wasn't anything special, I knew it was anything but.
There was something special to them. Even if the outfit was made from the most ordinary materials, an invisible something would always be infused into it. The cloth became absurdly strong, the fabrics strangely easy to clean despite however much mud is splattered onto them.
And most of all,
"Time!" Kitahara Jo called out, grinning widely as he held up his stopwatch. "Belno Light finishes first!"
The other umamusume who'd volunteered to join this friendly test race collapsed onto the empty streets, their stamina completely exhausted for reasons they couldn't understand. After all, they'd only run about 2000 meters or so—there was no reason they should be this tired!
The only one unaffected was Belno Light, who stood just next to Kitahara, her eyes laser focused on the note-filled clipboard he'd handed to her. Her usual gentle demeanour was nowhere to be seen, and coupled with her new G1 outfit, it made her look imposing, even a little otherworldly.
Belno's new G1 outfit resembled a modified gakuran, with a tailored skirt and black stockings. Having her blazer wide open would've normally made her look like a delinquent, but the gakuran was decorated with harsh lines of silver that stretched all across the outfit, looking almost like lines of circuitry. Last but not least was the admiral's cap on her head, slightly tilted to allow it to sit better against her ear.
I was sitting on a bench not too far away, with Musaka to my left. I whistled as I saw the exhausted trail of umamusume Belno had left behind. "Damn, that's brutal."
Musaka grinned widely. "Bah, this is Central. If they ain't able to deal with things that girl's doin', they might as well go home."
I nodded slightly, though I kept my silence.
I still thought that Belno had been overly harsh with her subterfuge, especially since this was just a friendly test race. She'd targeted everyone, making sure they were all so inconvenienced in ways obvious and not that they barely had any stamina left by the time the final 'straight' of this makeshift track came up. Even I felt somewhat bad when I watched the other umamusume slowly fall off one by one.
And that was the rub, wasn't it? This wasn't something Belno Light would normally do, and even if she did, not to this extent. Throughout the race, it practically felt like Belno hadn't even seen the other umamusume as competitors, but rather as chess pieces she had to rearrange to guarantee her victory.
I was fairly certain her G1 outfit had something to do with it. It changed her, in a way. Sharpened her usual tactician's eye and turned it into something far more dangerous. It was almost like the outfit truly turned her into the Tactician that she'd be named as.
In fact, this wasn't an isolated scenario. Oguri and I felt this in some way as well.
Oguri's life generally revolved around three things: Eating, running, and more eating. But when she dons her G1 outfit, she fully turns into the Beast, and her already impossibly powerful late kicks would become even more powerful, fueled by the hunger of a starving hunter.
As for me, wearing the outfit made me feel more…grandiose, I guess. It was a little hard to think about at first, but of the two times I wore the G1 outfit during a race, my tendency for showmanship seemed to become a little more severe. I mean, looking back now, I didn't know why I'd conversed with Sakura Chiyono O mid-race during the [Japanese Oaks]—that was entirely unnecessary, even if I spoke to prop her up.
The reason or mechanics of how it worked was unknown to me, and it likely would remain that way for quite a while. Maybe it was just positive reinforcement, maybe it was resonating with Destiny, maybe it was the Three Goddesses—who knows?
Whatever the case, all that was important was that Belno's new clothes fit her well. Which was good, considering the [Japanese Dirt Derby was only a week away.
"Well that's a little harsh." I said in return, though I didn't disagree.
"And true." Musaka added, before his crooked grin smoothed into a confident smile. "Girl's gonna go far." He chuckled as he tipped his hat down. "Good thing her loss didn't shake her up."
I smiled. "Belno's strong like that."
She definitely is. She was already worthy of coming to Central, but now she'd solidified herself as a future legend. If Oguri was here right now, I was certain she would've been swept up in excitement and asked Belno for a race together.
…speaking of Oguri,
"Where's Oguri, by the way?"
Musaka shrugged. "Eatin' lunch."
I turned to him in slight horror. "Unsupervised?"
"The motel's keepin' her busy." He grinned. "Gotta make use of their free food before it runs dry, right?"
I winced. Yowch. I mean, I guess it was nice that we didn't need to pay for Oguri's lunch this time, but still. I could only offer a silent prayer to the motel staff and hope they could satiate the Beast.
"Oi, the fool's calling you over." Musaka suddenly said.
My ears flicked to attention, and I then realized that Kitahara had been trying to subtly call me over for the past few minutes, his face pale with silent panic. Belno kept on talking, proposing new tactic after new tactic, and it seemed he needed another brain to bounce ideas from.
I chuckled wryly as I walked over to them.
.
.
.
A week later,
Belno Light stood alone within the athlete's tunnel, her eyes closed as she bathed in the winds of the cold summer night. She could hear tens of thousands of people cheering outside, having gathered in the Ooi Racecourse to watch the [Japanese Dirt Derby] despite how late into the night it already was.
She was dressed in her G1 outfit, her admiral's cap casting a shadow over her eyes. The lines of silver that stretched across the entire outfit seemed to glow eerily in the dark, as if to mimic the fluorescent glow of a living circuitry.
Her expression was serene, but her mind was anything but. She ran through all the information she gathered about her opponents, and all the tactics she would use against them.
No.3, Semblance Junior. Pace Chaser. Sufficient stamina, average maximum speed and acceleration. Overall threat: Middling.
No.7, Shinzan Keigo. Late Surger. Low stamina, high acceleration and stability. Overall threat: Moderate.
No.4, Castle Top. Frontrunner. High maximum speed and stamina, moderate cornering, low acceleration. Overall threat: High.
No.12, Gensei Combat. Late Surger. High acceleration and-
Belno's ears flicked, and a small smile lifted her lips as she glanced to her right. "I caught you this time, Star-san."
Blossom Star, having seemingly appeared from nowhere, raised her arms in defeat. "You caught me~" She grinned playfully. "All you need to do now is to figure out how I keep entering."
Belno smiled wryly. "I don't think I'll ever figure that out."
Star raised an eyebrow. "Admitting defeat that easily, oh great Tactician?" Belno gave a small shrug, and Star chuckled as she leaned onto the wall. "Anyway, how're you feeling? This is the first night race we've run in Central and all."
Belno hummed. "It's not so different." She said, smiling slightly. "It feels like I'm back in Kasamatsu."
"True, true." She then went quiet for a moment, before she smiled. "Well, I'm sure you know what I'm about to say."
Belno nodded back. "Win if you can, but always focus on being safe and having fun." Was what Star constantly reminded her of.
"I know." Belno whispered, smiling.
For glory is ephemeral, but it cannot be a reason to live.
Her eyes shined with determination. "I'll be heading out." She said, just in time for the announcers to start introducing all the other races.
Star smiled as she gave her a pat on the back. "Go get 'em."
"I will!"
With confident strides, Belno walked forward towards the track.