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"Finish line!"
With the call from Amazon, an Uma Musume temporarily pulled in to act as the finish line on Tracen's track, the first Uma Musume to cross the line in this Friendship Race training had been born: it was Tokai Teio.
"This is great! As expected, victory belongs to me, Teio-sama!"
Although it was just a Friendship Race, Tokai Teio, who had come in first, still jumped up with great joy.
Her soft and extremely explosive leg structure allowed her to jump very high, and upon landing, she struck a victory pose she deemed cool, turning her head to look at McQueen and Doto, who had just barely crossed the finish line.
"Hehe, McQueen, it looks like you still have a long way to go on your weight loss journey. This way, you won't be able to beat me in the Debut Race a week from now~"
Tokai Teio has the personality of a child who brightens up with a little sunshine. Her relationship with McQueen is both as a friend and a rival.
She chuckled a few times and said, "Did you not eat sweets, which led to a poor performance? If you want to eat, then eat. I won't be happy at all if I beat a listless opponent in a race~"
"Hehe... Teio, this isn't even a Friendship Race yet. Our competition has just begun."
Although McQueen was panting heavily and her condition indeed couldn't compare to Teio's, a tired but confident smile bloomed on her face.
Tokai Teio didn't know, but McQueen herself was very clear that she was running with weights on. Although Teio had pulled ahead by about two horse lengths, she was confident that once the Friendship Race truly began, she would absolutely have the strength to compete with Teio if she just took off the weights!
Doto, who was only slightly behind McQueen, also had similar thoughts. She was even a bit incredulous and speechless, knowing that the weights she wore were even heavier than McQueen's.
Imanami had adjusted the weights for the two Horse Girls according to their physique and weight, and Doto had privately requested slightly heavier weights.
Imanami, considering Doto's safety, only increased it slightly, enough for her to run one lap.
Even so, Doto found that she not only barely kept up with the unweighted Tokai Teio but could even almost surpass Mejiro McQueen... Could it be... what Trainer said was true? Could I really have a chance to win against Opera O?
At this moment, an unprecedented feeling of confidence emerged deep within Doto's heart... She really had a chance to win!
"Ha, ha... Please wait for Karen-chan~"
At this moment, behind the group of Uma Musume, Curren Chan arrived late, but her running speed was already similar to an "oyster"—in fact, by the time she reached the last turn, Curren Chan had already "oystered."
The 2000-meter middle-distance race was still too difficult for Curren Chan. Around the 1200-meter mark, Curren Chan's initial leading position gradually declined, and by the time she reached the finish line, she had completely lost speed.
"Ha... Ha..." When Curren Chan arrived at the scene, she was panting even more heavily than McQueen and Doto, who were wearing weights.
Though exhausted, she still revealed a uniquely cute expression as she said, "Really, everyone is so amazing. As Oni-chan said, Karen-chan is only suitable for short-distance races..."
"Hehe, Curren Chan is also very strong! Before the third turn, even I, Teio-sama, felt a lot of pressure!"
But towards Curren Chan, Tokai Teio showed a completely different attitude, giving a thumbs-up and encouraging her like a junior, saying:
"For short-distance races, Curren Chan will definitely be fine! If you train your stamina and grit, it's not impossible to compete with me, Teio-sama, on the same stage!"
"Hehe, then Karen-chan will accept that as a compliment~" Curren Chan replied with a cute smile, but in reality, she knew that under current circumstances, it would be difficult for her to compete with these Horse Girls on the same stage.
She couldn't even finish a 2000-meter track, which clearly showed her extreme unsuitability for middle-distance races.
—Thinking about it, Oni-chan is really amazing. He could tell at a glance that Karen-chan is an Uma Musume suited for short-distance races. Could it be that he has been secretly paying attention to Karen-chan for a long time?
The more Curren Chan thought this way, the more she felt this possibility was high, especially since the first time she saw Ikezoe, she also felt he looked very familiar, and she had a natural good feeling for him, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Although Curren Chan could guarantee that she had never seen Ikezoe before, this natural good feeling made her imagination run wild.
Could it really be fate? Curren Chan thought this, and even felt much less tired, smiling exceptionally sweetly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the track, a female Trainer and an Uma Musume had watched the entire process.
The two women were Tojo Hana and Opera O. They had heard about the Friendship Race training here, so they specifically came to watch and, incidentally, scout Opera O's opponents.
"...It's not bad," Tojo Hana said lightly, looking at the time on her stopwatch. "To be able to restore the speed of an Uma Musume who had been slacking off since her Debut Race to this level in such a short time, Wada truly lives up to his top three Central written exam results."
"Hahahaha, indeed, the challenger to the champion should show such drive." Opera O, upon hearing Tojo Hana's praise for Wada, also smiled and echoed, "If the challengers are all uninteresting, then the champion's glory will also dim a bit."
"But such results are not enough to threaten you, Opera O. Meisho Doto's current level is still a long way from yours," Tojo Hana glanced at Opera O beside her and reminded her bluntly.
Tojo Hana had a misconception that Opera O had seemed a bit strange recently. Although her training was the same as before, her running style seemed different.
Previously, Tojo Hana always had Opera O train using the "Sashi" running style, because Tojo Hana felt that Sashi was the most suitable running style for Opera O, and it was with this running style that Opera O won her Debut Race.
But in recent training, Tojo Hana found that Opera O's running rhythm had changed somewhat. Although it was still Sashi, she always felt a bit constrained, as if... there was a tendency to shift towards a "Senko" (leading) style.
However, with a new race approaching, Tojo Hana would not spend great effort researching new running tactics. Therefore, she had recently been restricting Opera O's running style, and the effect was still acceptable... But Tojo Hana felt more and more that Opera O seemed to have more of her own ideas than before.
"Opera O, before the Mainichi Hai, you still have the Yukinayanagi Sho, which is about to begin. Therefore, I didn't sign you up for this Tracen Academy internal Friendship Race."
"Haha, what a pity. I still wanted to know the strength of the new generation of Horse Girls." Opera O didn't mind; this was expected.
Although she was also part of the new generation, with a race imminent, she certainly couldn't participate.
An Uma Musume expends a lot of energy participating in a race. The Central Horse Racing Association also stipulates that after an Uma Musume finishes a race, she needs at least half a month of rest and adjustment before she can participate in the next race—this is also to prevent unscrupulous Trainers from exploiting Uma Musume's careers by frantically entering them in races to earn prize money when they can't find good Uma Musume.
After the Yukinayanagi Sho, Opera O would also undergo a period of rest, followed by her next race, the Mainichi Hai showdown with Meisho Doto.
"Then, could I trouble you, Trainer, to watch the Friendship Race for me?"
"There's no need for that." However, Tojo Hana was dismissive, saying lightly, "The Friendship Race starts a week from now. Even if Wada trains Meisho Doto recklessly for this one week, she won't improve much."
"Victory in the Mainichi Hai is already within our grasp, Opera O. Now, go prepare for the Yukinayanagi Sho. Remember, don't try to use Senko."
"As you wish, Trainer."
However, although Opera O agreed to Tojo Hana's request, a strange feeling grew stronger within her—a feeling of "wanting to run Senko."
Opera O didn't understand this feeling.
But every night after she fell asleep, she would vaguely dream of Senko running styles—racing in dreams, isn't that magical?
Before this, Opera O had always used the Sashi running style, but because of this dream, she seemed to have instinctively mastered the essentials of the Senko running style...
On the other side, also from a high vantage point, the figure of an Uma Musume wearing a mask stood aloft, silently watching the entire Friendship Race, then turned and left without a word, her presence unnoticed by anyone.
"2000 meters is her limit? It seems your judgment isn't that good, Ikezoe."
So, why did you still choose her? This question, Gold Ship, who had left the scene, did not voice aloud, but repeated it in her heart.