The next morning, the sun climbed over the horizon.
The girls of the "Chasing Light" team slipped right back into the rhythm of the new term, throwing themselves into the next training cycle with even more fire than before. On the track, the gale raised by their strides and their lively shouts knitted together into the most vibrant overture of the semester.
By afternoon, after handling her university's first-day formalities, Aoi Kiryuin finally returned to Kuroha's side. She changed into her familiar intern-trainer uniform, a thick notebook in hand, recording data with meticulous care. Not only did she finish her assignments as diligently as always—she also devoured the deeper training theory Kuroha was teaching her.
Right then, Kuroha sat alone in the trainer's room. He wasn't looking at the stack of documents on his desk. Instead, his gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling window toward the track outside, where several figures flashed by like streaks of light.
In those girls' eyes, he could see bright traceries of color burning hot and barely contained.
Now—including Mejiro Ardan—every Umamusume under his banner had successfully grasped the power of the Domain. What remained was only time to acclimate and the differing depths each could plumb.
The corner of Kuroha's mouth lifted into a quiet, confident smile.
To clarify one's original reason for running, and to possess the talent to shape an era—these are the entry requirements of two different Domains. As for his girls, each of them already held a crystal-clear, iron-firm understanding of why she runs and what goal she seeks. What they lacked was merely the force people simply label "talent."
Most of the time, that push becomes the shackle that keeps ninety-nine out of a hundred Umamusume from stepping over the Domain's threshold.
What Kuroha did—beyond helping them delve deeper into their own hearts—was use the most "scientific," most demanding, and most extreme training to hit that so-called innate ceiling head-on.
If an Umamusume reaches a seamless unity of mind, body, and technique, forming a "cultivated talent" that is uniquely and irreplaceably hers…
Then why leave it to fate?
A mere "talent" gate?
—Just crush it underfoot.
"Speaking of which, I did find an unexpected bonus."
Kuroha watched a silver-white figure fly along the course and opened her status panel.
[Fujimasa March]
Track Aptitude: Turf C / Dirt A
Distance Aptitude: Short B / Mile A / Medium S / Long F
Running Style Aptitude: Front Runner A / Pace Chaser A / Late Surger C / End Closer D
Unique Skill: Ode of the Wind Lv5
Domain: Silver Radiance
Skills: Firm Conditions ○, Rainy Days ○, Wait-and-See, Professor of Curvature, Focus, Wet Conditions ○, Prudent Positioning, Mile Straightaway ○, Medium Straightaways ○, Long Straightaways ○, In Body and Mind
Speed: 1064 Stamina: 987 Power: 1003 Guts: 973 Wit: 1042
Judging by the numbers alone, she was nearly four digits across the board—scarier than Inari One back in last March, and even more outrageous than when he first saw Obey Your Master.
At this growth rate, Fujimasa March should be able to hit Tamamo Cross's Japan Cup peak by around March—just on raw stats!
And that's before factoring in her trained skills, techniques, and a deeper command of the Domain.
The difference is like two final-spurt sprints: a typical girl detonates with everything she has… while the one next to her is Oguri Cap with a holiday buff lit. You don't even need to ask who wins.
"Beyond stats, there's something even more important…"
Kuroha's eyes fell on one line:
Distance Aptitude: Medium S.
Yes—after half a year of effort, Fujimasa March finally raised Medium to S!
Beyond the raw power spike, this also let Kuroha quantify the training time needed to achieve Distance S.
"March's natural talent isn't actually that high," he reminded himself. "Among Central-level Umamusume, without me she'd be mid-to-low at best."
He hadn't forgotten his first read on her. On their very first meeting, he pegged her peak stats around the 700s—maybe the 800s with hard work. Great for a local circuit, but right on the pass line for Central. Barely shoulder-to-shoulder with Seiran Nichirin, who had over-extended her True Blooming and burned away a ton of potential.
"So, just over half a year to pop Medium S?"
He thought a moment—then shook his head.
Fujimasa March had gone through a lot of foundational drills before starting Medium Adaptation; she could pick up the regimen quickly. That time needed to be included.
"Roughly… ten months."
That was his concrete number.
With True Blooming accelerating growth, a mid-to-low-talent girl needs at least ten months of targeted work to reach Distance S.
"And if I plug that timeline into the ones who'll hit their true prime the earliest…"
He was still thinking when two small shadows trotted into the trainer's room with schoolbags on their backs.
"Trainer—!"
Pat-pat-pat. Light footsteps, crisp voices—and then a small figure launched straight into Kuroha's arms. The little one rubbed her cheek against his chest before trying to scrabble up onto his head.
Kuroha pinched Tokai Teio's soft cheeks, helpless and amused. "Teio, McQueen—you're home early?"
Mejiro McQueen stepped up, smiling. "First day is all books and orientation, so we got out early."
Compared to last year, the violet-haired little lady shone even brighter. Her training intensity and her way of thinking had both grown at a staggering pace. Sometimes Kuroha felt that if he blinked and slept, he might wake to find the violet-haired munchkin had grown into a young woman overnight.
"Trainer, I wanna ramp up too!" Teio wriggled in his arms, a tiny hand fidgeting. "McQueen's doing way more than me. That's not fair!"
Kuroha laughed, caught her neatly under the arms, and lifted her high. "Teio, you can't compare yourself to everyone else all the time."
"You're the best too, okay~?"
Teio giggled mid-air, swaying with her arms out—then blinked, puzzled. "But Trainer, why does McQueen get higher intensity?"
"Because," Kuroha didn't hide it, "she's about to hit True Blooming."
"True Blooming?" Neither girl was surprised he could foresee something so hard to predict. To them, their Trainer could do anything.
Mid-air, Teio pursed her lips, pouting cutely. "Then why not now True Blooming!"
Below, Mejiro McQueen opened and slowly curled her small hand into a fist. True Blooming… Her violet eyes steadied.
"All right. Go find Aoi like last year," Kuroha said. "I've already passed along today's plan. She'll brief you on the current training menu."
"Okay!"
"Yes, Trainer!"
The two little ones set down their schoolbags, scampered off toward the lockers, and the room quieted again.
"February is almost here," Kuroha murmured, looking back out at the orderly flow on the track. A smile tugged at his lips.
Soon, it would be Fujimasa March's first Central graded stakes.
He recalled the big words he'd thrown out earlier—"seizing Central."
"Then let the road to the summit begin with the Kyoto Kinen."
(End of Chapter)
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