On the training field.
Urara wasn't exactly fast—the kind who'd probably miss the top ten even in a G3-level race.
But only when compared to how things were at the very start could you truly see how hard Urara had worked.
Back in the beginning, Barbatos and Urara were pretty evenly matched. If they ran on turf courses, Barbatos's speed dropped significantly because she just couldn't get used to the grass.
At that level, they'd only be there to make up the numbers in Graded races.
No, scratch that—with the speed they had back then, they probably wouldn't even qualify for G-series races in the first place.
They'd be stuck in entry-level races and local competitions.
And even on dirt tracks, where Urara excelled, winning was pretty much out of the question.
But the Urara of today...
Even though it was clearly a struggle keeping up with Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus—who weren't even going all out—she was managing to hang on.
If this was how she handled turf, how would she perform on her preferred dirt tracks?
Honestly, Barbatos felt a little bad about Urara.
They used to be two "slackers" training hard but seeing no real progress, but then Barbatos suddenly took off, leaving Urara behind.
For Urara to improve this much now, who knows how grueling her training must have been?
Barbatos felt genuine respect and happiness for her.
With the skill Urara was showing now, she actually had a real shot at winning her debut dirt race.
'I need to work even harder too.'
It wasn't just about grinding in League of Legends; she couldn't slack on her own training either.
The further she went, the fewer speed-boosting champions there would be, and the less value she'd get from farming Blue Essence.
She'd have to rely on her own training to boost her base stats, making herself faster more efficiently.
These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.
Barbatos kept her eyes on her teammates ahead. Twin Turbo wasn't slow, but she was probably a step behind Seiun Sky.
There was no way she should be leading ahead of Seiun Sky—which meant Seiun Sky was using Twin Turbo to shield and save her own stamina, waiting for the right moment to go all out.
So typical of her.
Twin Turbo was probably already at her limit. Her stamina would definitely drop in the latter half, and her speed would fall off.
If that weren't the case, Minamizaka wouldn't have scheduled Twin Turbo's debut race for next year.
But why hadn't Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus tried to put more distance between her and them? Were they testing her, seeing if she could keep up with their finishing speed?
She wasn't rushing now; it wasn't yet her time to chase.
There were still 1,200 meters to the finish line.
--+--
Outside the training field, Minamizaka watched Barbatos with growing anxiety.
He knew Barbatos specialized in being a closer, but maintaining this pace made him worry she simply couldn't run any faster.
Was Barbatos holding back because of her old leg injury?
Matikanetannhauser, standing nearby, noticed Minamizaka's tension.
Rubbing her nose—which had been bleeding just that morning—she said, "Looking at B-chan, she seems pretty confident."
Compared to humans, Uma Musume had sharper eyesight and could better read expressions during a run. "She's probably waiting for the right moment to blow past Twin Turbo and the others."
"If only that were the case..."
Minamizaka sighed softly.
He just wanted Barbatos's previous leg injury to be fully healed.
But he also hoped the competition in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies wouldn't be too fierce, so she wouldn't have to push herself to the absolute limit.
The doctor's warning was still vivid in his mind: if she ran at those prior speeds again, she might only have two or three races left in her career—or worse, she might never run again.
"Matikanetannhauser, what do you think would happen if an Uma Musume could no longer run?"
"She'd be miserable, I think."
Matikanetannhauser didn't hesitate.
Running was the purpose of an Uma Musume's life—that was what she believed, and what most Uma Musume believed.
"But B-chan might be different."
"I get the feeling that even if she couldn't run, she'd find something else to do."
"Like playing League of Legends."
"League of Legends, huh?"
Minamizaka suddenly remembered—after secretly subscribing to Barbatos's channel and sneaking into her fan group, he'd heard her mention wanting to go pro in League after retiring.
No Uma Musume would ever give up running.
No Uma Musume would ever give up racing.
That was why Barbatos remained determined to run the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, fully aware of her condition.
And the Winter Dream Cup, too.
Thinking of this, Minamizaka let out another soft sigh.
If her injuries were truly healed, then go win the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies! Show those legendary Uma Musume what you're made of at the Winter Dream Cup!
Even if going all out shortens your career, even if it means you can never run again—let them witness the running form of the "Wind God"!
And when that day comes—
When you can no longer run and have to compete in the League of Legends pro scene—
We'll still be there, cheering for you!
"Go for it, Barbatos!"
Minamizaka suddenly shouted aloud. As her trainer, his job now was to respect her decision and support her with everything he had.
All he needed to do was believe in Barbatos's choice!
--+--
On the training field.
Twin Turbo rounded the third curve, with about 800 meters left to the finish.
Her running form grew stiff, her mouth wide open as she gasped for air. She'd gone all out too early and now had nothing left, her speed dropping noticeably.
Seiun Sky instantly switched lanes from behind her and bolted toward the finish.
So far, everything was going as planned. By tucking in behind Twin Turbo, she'd saved plenty of stamina and could now sprint full speed to the end.
The only issue was her prediction:
She knew Twin Turbo would slow in the latter half, but this drop seemed more severe than expected.
If this happened in a real race, winning would be pretty much impossible—meaning Twin Turbo had pushed too hard early on and lacked the endurance for it.
Maybe the front-running style just didn't suit her.
They could discuss that with Twin Turbo later.
Right now, what mattered more was Barbatos's final sprint.
Seeing Twin Turbo falter and Seiun Sky take the lead, Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus also picked up their pace, aiming to close the gap and find a way past.
But...
"The gap isn't closing?!"
"She's so fast!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.