In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
With the start of term upon them, horse girls from all over the country streamed back to Tracen Academy, and the air filled once more with the chirping, flitting energy of spring.
On his way to his private training room, Kuroha couldn't help but smile, swept up in the lively mood. All around him, girls clustered in twos and threes, excitedly swapping stories from the break—pure, youthful vitality surging upward like new shoots.
A new semester, new races, new challenges.
Everything, starting fresh from today.
Inside Kuroha's private training room.
Except for Teio and McQueen, the five active horse girls were already present. They sat chatting, laughing, trading the joy of reunion.
Click.
The door opened.
The room fell instantly quiet, only to explode the moment Kuroha stepped in.
"Trainer, long time no see!"
"Good morning, Trainer!"
"Trainer!"
A soft, warm figure dove straight into his arms—it was Fujimasa March.
Kuroha chuckled, ruffling her hair, then looked up. "Everyone—long time no see."
After a brief round of playfulness, he took the main seat. His gaze swept the room, the easy smile gradually giving way to a gentle, earnest calm. The buzz faded with it; all eyes grew focused and bright.
"Last year was hard on everyone. You played just as hard over New Year—and that's good."
His voice was clear and steady.
"But break's over. From today on, we prepare for what's coming."
He walked to the tactics whiteboard, pulled away the cover cloth, and revealed the outline he'd written the night before.
"You've all heard the news about Oguri Cap and the others missing the spring circuit, right?"
The girls nodded.
March said with a touch of regret, "It's a shame we won't meet them on the track yet… but that just means it's our chance to prove ourselves."
"What's there to prove?" Inari One snorted, lips curling. "Without them, there isn't a soul on the spring card who can match Inari-sama!"
Voices bubbled up around the room—opinions, jabs, jokes.
Kuroha listened quietly, then walked over and stopped behind Inari.
The twin-tailed girl reflexively shielded her head. She'd learned: brag too loudly, and it was bonk time.
No bonk came. Kuroha simply rested his big hand atop her head and smiled. "Rivals never vanish. Your greatest rival is always yourself."
"Their absence only means all eyes turn to us."
"This spring, what we must do is win—again and again, decisively—and tell everyone—"
"Even without them, the peak of this era still has a place for Chasing Light."
He returned to the board and tapped the plan with his knuckles, voice firm:
"We're sweeping every G1 this spring."
The room sobered; every girl looked to him.
"Spring will be a grind for each of you," he said, uncapping a marker. "But our target never changes: win them all."
He circled a line.
"March."
She straightened. "Hai!"
"Your first target of the year—and your first graded stakes in Central. February 4 — G2 Kyoto Kinen. Then late March — Osaka Hai, and late June — Teio Sho."
Kuroha met her eyes. "Use these three to tell Central that the Silver Storm sweeps more than just the locals. Can you do it?"
"Of course!"
Tempered by the entire Classic year and countless hard fights, March—now stepping into Senior year—was ablaze with confidence and fighting spirit.
"Inari—your two biggest missions this spring: Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen."
That was the glory she'd seized in the original timeline. Kuroha placed it back in her hands.
"Beyond those G1s, take March 12 — G2 Hanshin Daishoten as well."
A long-absent feral grin tugged at Inari's lips. "Perfect. I'll show Central who the real strongest is—every last one of them will fall."
"Chiyono O…"
"Your goal—Yasuda Kinen."
Kuroha looked to the pink-haired girl, fists clenched tight. "It'll be your first G1 since the Japan Derby. Confidence?"
"Un! Trainer, Chiyono is always ready!"
"Ardan…"
He moved down the list and finished assigning the remaining races.
G1s were essentially covered.
For Ardan, who had almost no Central graded wins yet, starting with G2s was perfect.
Obey Your Master had just transferred into Central and only knew the Tokyo Racecourse environment; spring would be for sampling different tracks and conditions—multiple birds with one stone.
As for spacing—
the schedule was purposely roomy. For example, Osaka Hai and Teio Sho were over two months apart; March could slip in another graded race between if they decided it was right. Those gaps were reserved to flex and tune each girl's condition.
With the overall picture set, Kuroha capped the marker and surveyed his pride of a team.
"We have a plan—but training and racing are always full of variables."
"Remember: we're a team. If anything comes up, you come to me."
He paused, a steady, reassuring smile on his face.
"That concludes our first all-hands of the new year."
"From this moment—"
"Full sprint toward spring's summit!"
"Oooh!!!" x5
And just like that, the new campaign began.
(End of Chapter)
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