"Joining Central"
For that earth-shaking ash-gray duel, Kuroha and the others did not dig into what happened after the finish line.
For him, the strategic purpose of bringing his team to watch this race was already completely fulfilled.
Fujimasa March had witnessed her rival undergo an astonishing transformation in speed, which stoked her own desire to become stronger.
Inari One had seen a peer of the same generation emerge, one capable of matching her strength—her fighting spirit burned hotter than ever.
Sakura Chiyono O and Mejiro Ardan had each glimpsed the direction of their future paths.
And the most important reason for the trip—Obey Your Master.
She had clearly realized that, in the coming Japan Cup, the two strongest opponents she would face were truly standing before her.
...
Soon, time slipped into mid-November.
It had already been more than half a month since that world-shaking ash-gray duel ended.
As the days passed, discussions about that legendary clash gradually began to fade.
And just a few days ago, after Inari One had crushed her competition in the Tokyo Memorial, securing an overwhelming victory—
Kuroha finally brought an end to his short yet dazzling career as a Local Trainer.
Now, he had officially become a Central Trainer.
And because of the record-shattering achievements he had built in the Local circuit with results worthy of the history books, upon entering Central, Kuroha skipped over the position of Assistant Trainer entirely— he became a fully independent, licensed Trainer immediately.
That meant one thing:
"Chasing Light," the name of his team that had stirred a storm in the Local scene, could now appear proudly in the entry lists of Central's greatest races.
And on this very day—
At the Mejiro Training Grounds, where the magnetic track was running at full power.
Three streaks of blazing light, each like a meteor, collided and intertwined, filling the air with dust!
A silver storm.
A crimson blaze.
And a deep, starry purple-black flame.
Three forces like three beasts, clashing, biting, crushing one another in violent struggle.
But before long, the three overwhelming auras seemed to reach a tacit agreement—or perhaps their limit.
With one last, deafening collision, they suddenly dispersed.
The dust cleared, leaving three dripping, exhausted figures.
Their muscles quivered, sweat ran like rain—yet their eyes sparkled with unrestrained exhilaration.
They were none other than Fujimasa March, Inari One, and Obey Your Master.
Kuroha stood at the track's edge, watching quietly, nodding with satisfaction.
"So, they've truly mastered their Domains…"
He whispered the words with emotion.
Then he marked a heavy check in his thick notebook.
The training he had recorded was titled:
[Parallel Running — Domain Level]
This was the ultimate training program Kuroha had personally devised for his core members—besides helping Obey Your Master stabilize her mentality and self-awareness.
Its principle was the same as when Fujimasa March had once used "True Self" to overwhelm Inari One, forcing her to awaken in response.
By letting Domain-users clash head-on in live battle without restraint,
they could hone the most precise control over their own power under extreme pressure.
And those not yet awakened to a Domain could, with Kuroha's help, trigger their breakthrough.
After half a month of such brutal training, the greatest success was clear—
Obey Your Master's incomplete Domain had finally been perfected.
Her last weakness was gone.
Kuroha thought of this, then summoned her stat panel with a thought.
[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: Glorious Moment Lv. 4
Domain: Wild Joker
Skills: Turf Runner ○, Clairvoyance, Fantastic Footwork, Go All In!, Medium Straight, Steel Will, Professor of Curvature, Positioning Sense, Bad Track Condition ○
Speed: 1127
Stamina: 984
Power: 952
Gut: 1023
Wit: 1117
Her numbers hadn't shifted much—at most about ten points during the half-month.
But two things had changed greatly.
First—her Unique Skill.
From Glorious Moment Lv. 3 → Glorious Moment Lv. 4.
Unique Skills were the pinnacle of a Uma Musume's craft, their ultimate techniques.
Before, despite her outstanding stats—already rivaling Senior-year legends—Obey Your Master's command of technique was still rough.
Perhaps this was due to the era's training methods.
Even someone of her level, already able to rival the greats of the past, had only managed a Lv. 3 Unique Skill.
But now, her Domain was perfected, and her technique was fully consolidated.
The second change—her skills.
She had gained three new ones: Professor of Curvature, Positioning Sense, and Bad Track Condition ○.
After this half-month of special training—
Obey Your Master might not be reborn—
but all her weak points had been erased.
She had become a perfect hexagonal warrior.
"…Good. This should be enough."
Kuroha let out a breath.
In the Japan Cup, the greatest threat was Tamamo Cross's Domain.
And even in the worst case—if Oguri Cap awakened her Domain during the race—
Obey Your Master now had the power to defeat them.
Still, the gap wasn't absolute.
In the end, it would come down to her own performance on the track.
Snap!
Kuroha closed his notebook, smiling as he ruffled the head of the cherry-haired girl beside him, who had just finished training and was guzzling water.
"What is it, Trainer?"
Sakura Chiyono O blinked up at him curiously.
Kuroha mimed eating something, grinning. "Carrot harvest, huh?"
Her little face flushed red in an instant.
"Muu, Trainer, stop teasing me!"
Ever since that one time she'd been caught sneaking a carrot after training and blurting that phrase to Ardan,
Kuroha had loved to tease her with it when they were alone.
"Hahaha."
He chuckled, then asked seriously once she finished drinking:
"Chiyono O, how's your Domain control coming along?"
She froze, then puffed up her still-developing chest with confidence.
"I've completely mastered it! It won't be unreliable anymore!"
"Good."
He nodded. "I've arranged a race for you."
"Race?!"
Her eyes lit up.
Since the Japan Derby, she had only run once, in an open-class race arranged by her old trainer.
She had won easily, without much struggle.
So for the next race—
Suddenly, her eyes widened. She asked timidly:
"Trainer… it's not the Japan Cup, is it?"
As that year's Derby runner, she did have the qualification.
With a strong season, even the Arima Kinen wouldn't be out of reach.
But Kuroha flicked her head lightly.
"Don't be silly. You're still in your Classic year, Chiyono O. How could you beat those Senior legends already?"
"Whew… good."
She let out a sigh of relief.
Since joining Kuroha's team, she'd seen firsthand how Inari One and the others trained.
They weren't just sparking like fireworks—they burned with storms, flames, and starry skies every day.
Compared to that, her little flashes of sakura petals seemed laughable.
"G3—Challenge Cup."
Kuroha spoke softly. "December 7th. That's your next step."
"G3…"
Her eyes widened, then her fists clenched.
"Don't worry, Trainer—I won't let you down!"
Kuroha smiled, nodding. "I believe in you."
Her face reddened at his words. She ducked her head shyly.
"Th-then… I'll get back to training now!"
"Go on."
After watching her leave, Kuroha turned his gaze back to the track.
On one side, the "Domain Group"—Inari One, Fujimasa March, and Obey Your Master.
On another, the "Effort Group"—Sakura Chiyono O and Mejiro Ardan.
And finally, off to the side doing basic drills— the "Future Group": Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
"…I still need to arrange a race for Ardan too."
He rubbed his temples.
The more Uma Musume he trained, the more responsibilities piled up.
If not for the Mejiro family helping with nutrition and equipment, he'd be drowning already.
"No wonder Central Trainers all have Assistants or Trainees helping them."
"Sometimes it really is too much for one person."
"…I should find a reliable assistant soon."
With that thought, Kuroha nodded, making his decision.
"But first, I'd better finish what's in front of me…"
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]