"The Uma Musume have begun entering the gates, and this race, which will decide the sole victorious Uma Musume, is about to begin!"
"It's finally here." Symboli Rudolf and her companions, seated in the stands, all watched intently in the direction of the starting gates. The moment they spotted Gold Ship, the Student Council members all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Their biggest worry right now was that Gold Ship would be defeated by her own fear, and wouldn't even dare to compete... If she didn't even dare to participate in the race, then victory would be out of the question.
But at least Gold Ship has appeared. This Debut Race has taken the first step towards success, so let's see what happens next... "Suddenly, I feel like Gold Ship is a child we've watched grow up." Air Groove also belatedly realized her current level of nervousness was unexpectedly high, and couldn't help but say with a chuckle:
"Gold Ship has nothing to do with us; she's just an Uma Musume from Tracen Academy... yet we're so nervous even for her appearance."
"She carries our hopes, Air Groove, and not just ours either." Symboli Rudolf also nodded in agreement, saying, "Trainer Ikezoe made a bold claim, saying she would be the strongest Uma Musume in All Japan. Shouldn't we be nervous about that?"
"...President, do you really think Gold Ship can become the strongest Uma Musume in All Japan, as Trainer Ikezoe said? Even if she's shown almost no outstanding qualities before this?"
"—If it were a few months ago, I definitely wouldn't have believed it. But ever since the three new Trainers arrived at Tracen Academy, and one unbelievable thing after another has happened, I've found myself starting to believe in Miracles again."
"If Gold Ship truly makes Trainer Ikezoe believe she has the talent to become the strongest Uma Musume in All Japan, then this is her starting point. How could we not pay attention?"
Symboli Rudolf said with a playful chuckle, yet the look in her eyes as she gazed at Gold Ship had undergone a subtle change—while still filled with care and concern for a junior, implicitly, her competitive spirit as the "Emperor" also began to gradually emerge.
"Look, isn't that Representative Chihaya's disciple?" At this moment, Narita Brian suddenly noticed the figure of an Uma Musume on the track and said with a slight surprise, "Her disciple is also participating in the Debut Race, and she's the first favorite."
"I remember her name is... Seiun Sky? And she's the first favorite, a competitor for Gold Ship this time."
"...It seems Mr. CB's (Representative Chihaya) disciple's debut will be postponed."
At this moment, Symboli Rudolf's lips curved slightly. The aura of majesty as the "Emperor" involuntarily released a bit when she heard the name "Representative Chihaya," causing Air Groove and Narita Brian nearby to glance at her.
It seems that their "Emperor," even after being the Student Council President for so many years, still hasn't lost any of her competitive spirit... "Hey, that Uma Musume of yours."
"Why is she running with a mask on? Can she breathe?"
"She looks so fierce..."
However, Gold Ship's appearance drew the attention of the other participating Uma Musume. After all, it was the first time they had seen an Uma Musume wearing a mask during a race. Although Uma Musume have special physiques, and some have strange "charms," a mask... was indeed a first.
But Gold Ship didn't shift her attention to the other Uma Musume. She calmly walked into the gate, which she found a bit cramped, and repeatedly took deep breaths, trying to maintain her composure.
"Eyes on the track, eyes on the track..."
"—You seem very nervous. Is this your first race?"
However, at this moment, from a gate next to Gold Ship, an Uma Musume poked her head out slightly and smiled at Gold Ship, saying, "Don't be nervous! I was just like you during my first practice race, but after participating in a few more, you won't be nervous anymore."
"This is also my first official Debut Race, but I'm determined to win."
But soon, this Uma Musume noticed that the style of Gold Ship's training uniform was different from her own. After a slight pause, she asked, "Classmate, are you... from Tracen Academy?"
"Yes, yes." Gold Ship also forced herself to remain calm and nodded, saying, "I am Gold Ship."
"Is that so... My name is Seiun Sky, from the Central Tracen Academy Branch School."
Seiun Sky, like Gold Ship, hadn't paid attention to her opponent during the earlier popularity introductions. But now, she spoke to Gold Ship like an experienced senior, saying, "My teacher is the famous Triple Crown Uma Musume, Representative Chihaya!"
"Representative Chihaya... Is that Representative Chihaya, who is as famous as the 'Emperor'?" Gold Ship was also surprised and instinctively said, "That's amazing, you're her disciple."
At the same time, a hint of fear couldn't help but sprout in Gold Ship's heart. Wouldn't that make it very difficult for her to win?
"Yes! This is my first Debut Race, and I promised my teacher that I would win beautifully!"
Seiun Sky clearly regarded Gold Ship as her junior, as Gold Ship's reaction was truly that of a novice. Seiun Sky was initially a bit nervous because Gold Ship was a student from Tracen Academy, but Gold Ship's rookie demeanor made her relax a lot.
It seems she's just a junior. At this moment, Seiun Sky, considering herself a "senior," offered Gold Ship her advice:
"This race is only 1600 meters, so there's no need to be so nervous. My teacher told me that most of the runners in this race will probably be front-runners or leaders, and the competition at the front will be fierce. If you're scared, you can conserve your stamina at the back of the pack and then make your move on the final straightaway."
"Conserve stamina, sprint on the straightaway..." Gold Ship also nodded blankly. She suddenly remembered what Ikezoe had told her earlier, recommending the 'chaser' running style.
By the way, isn't this the chaser running style? Gold Ship seemed to suddenly understand how a chaser should run.
"Exactly! When everyone else is exhausted and might not be able to sprint on the final straight, you can make a sudden burst of power. While you might not necessarily win, placing in the top ranks is definitely not a problem!"
Seiun Sky kindly offered her experienced advice to Gold Ship, her junior, and then confidently added, "But I will definitely win! I look forward to you, junior, dancing beside me on the winner's stage."
Dancing on the winner's stage means coming in second or third. However, Seiun Sky's words made Gold Ship, who was initially very humble, pause slightly, and the smile hidden by her mask immediately faded.
"...That's not necessarily true." Gold Ship murmured, as if talking to herself.
At this moment, she remembered the shoes Trainer Ikezoe had given her, which she was currently wearing. The inscription on them would not allow her to fail.
She had to win this Debut Race—not for anyone else, but only to be worthy of Trainer Ikezoe's praise!
"Clang!"
"Oh! A major incident right at the start! Gold Ship was late out of the gate!"
"...Huh?"
However, the commentator's words awakened Gold Ship, who was still steeling her resolve. She looked forward blankly, only to find that the other Uma Musume had already started and run a short distance.
"What the hell?!"
Almost instantly, all of Gold Ship's psychological defenses that she had built up collapsed. She frantically rushed out, luckily her speed was quite good, and she quickly caught up to the end of the pack... "...Oni-chan, do you really think Gold Ship is a strong Uma Musume?"
However, in the stands at this moment, the Uma Musume who had been called by their Trainer to watch Gold Ship's race, and were quite invested, almost fell over. Beside them, Curren Chan, for the first time, looked at Ikezoe with a slightly doubtful expression and couldn't help but ask.
After all, being late out of the gate... this problem is quite serious. And Gold Ship's delay was about 2 seconds. Although she seems to have caught up to the pack now, with such a huge mistake, how could she possibly win?
"Just watch, Karen-chan." However, despite his wry smile, Ikezoe still said confidently, "Being late out of the gate might be a big problem for other Uma Musume, but for Gold Ship, it's just an appetizer."
Don't ask why, just know he's used to it. Ikezoe had nothing to say about it in his heart, only that the initial adjustment period with Gold Ship... being late out of the gate, was simply a minor issue.
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