Chapter 60: Ines Fujin
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
Crisp footsteps echoed across the training field as three horse girls ran side by side, fully focused on their running practice.
Their strides were firm and powerful, accompanied by the sound of specially crafted horseshoes striking the turf, creating a unique rhythm like a moving piece of music.
At the curve ahead of the three, a large number of red cones formed a triangle blocking the track.
El Condor Pasa, running at the front, dashed forward like a fighter jet. Her speed didn't decrease at all as she entered the curve. Her steps were rapid yet steady as she firmly planted her feet on the grass, her body skimming closely past the triangle of cones.
Following closely behind, Mihono Bourbon moved with no wasted motion. As she entered the curve, she slightly slowed her pace, then tilted her body in the most standard posture, turning around the protruding part of the triangular cones and sprinting away in a perfect arc.
Bringing up the rear was Stardust Mirage, her expression now extremely serious.
She stared intently at the curve ahead. Before entering it, she resisted the urge to adjust her angle and charge toward the outer lane, instead mimicking Mihono Bourbon's movements exactly as she entered the curve. She slightly tilted her body, aiming to skim past the tip of the triangular cones—
—No.
"Ah, crap!"
Stardust Mirage only had time to let out a short exclamation before her entire body crashed into the red cones on the track, completely destroying the triangle.
Tripped up by the cones, she stumbled and struggled but managed to steady herself, barely avoiding a fall in such a state.
"Failed again… huff…"
Stardust Mirage stood still, catching her breath for a moment and wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Today, Team Draco was practicing cornering techniques on the track.
Since El Condor Pasa was willing to assist with their training, Toyama Hikaru had specifically asked her to serve as a running partner, helping Stardust Mirage and Mihono Bourbon learn running styles.
However, after nearly two hours of tandem running practice, while Miho Bourbon had made some progress, Stardust Mirage still couldn't master a proper way to enter the curves.
"Failed again?"
Toyama Hikaru walked over with her tablet, tossing a towel to Stardust Mirage before saying, "Take a break. It seems you really aren't very good at cornering techniques. We'll have to think of another way…"
Stardust Mirage turned to look at El Condor Pasa and Mihono Bourbon, who were running back toward her.
Like Stardust Mirage, they had been training for just as long, but because they had already mastered cornering techniques, there was a difference in their stamina consumption.
In other words, these two should still have some energy left!
"Let's go again, Trainer Toyama!" At this thought, Stardust Mirage turned to Toyama Hikaru and said firmly. "One more try, and I might be able to get it!"
"Technique isn't something you can master just by brute force, you—" Toyama Hikaru was about to refuse this request when she saw the fiery determination burning in Stardust Mirage's eyes.
It was the same look Stardust Mirage had when she stood on the racetrack.
"Fine, then… one more time!" Toyama Hikaru, who was never one for gentleness, sighed and then suddenly waved her hand, pointing toward the starting line:
"All three of you, go to the starting line and prepare for another round of cornering practice!"
"Okay!!" x3
None of the three horse girls objected, and they eagerly returned to the starting line, ready to begin.
"On your marks… go!" Without professional equipment, Toyama Hikaru shouted to serve as the starting signal.
El Condor Pasa, Mihono Bourbon, and Stardust Mirage simultaneously dashed forward, charging once again toward the specially set-up curve!
"Make sure to watch my steps this time!"
El Condor Pasa took the lead, immediately sprinting ahead. She deliberately began using her rapid, short steps for cornering here, her legs pounding the track like raindrops. Lowering her body, El Condor Pasa cut through the wind resistance ahead, whizzing past Toyama Hikaru with a gust of wind.
This wasn't the sound of howling wind but a light, swift noise reminiscent of a fighter jet zooming by, showcasing her incredible wind-cutting technique.
"Condition, OK. Predicted position, third place." This time, Mihono Bourbon also yielded the leading position, following behind Stardust Mirage in third place.
The sounds of their footsteps, breaths, and wind-cutting intertwined, forming a vibrant symphony—until—
"Ah!!!"
Stardust Mirage exclaimed once again as she failed to navigate the curve.
It wasn't that she couldn't run through such a curve at all, but trying deliberately to mimic El Condor Pasa's running style made Stardust Mirage feel completely unnatural.
At one point, she even lost her sense of how to place her next step.
"Could it be… I'm really not suited for practicing cornering techniques?" Stardust Mirage looked at her legs, now too tired to stand straight, and couldn't help but doubt her own talent.
"Tch, I really am a fussy one," she thought, sighing.
"Stardust Mirage, I assess that your condition may require rest."
Mihono Bourbon ran up to her teammate, looking down at the exposed calf of Stardust Mirage.
A distinct bruise had appeared there, a mark from her earlier collision with the cones.
"It's fine, Bourbon," Stardust Mirage said with a bright smile, patting the concerned Mihono Bourbon.
She crouched down, massaging the bruised area, then spent some time rubbing her hot ankles to relax the fatigue before straightening up and calling out to Toyama Hikaru, who was approaching:
"Trainer, one more time, please!"
"…"
Toyama Hikaru remained silent for a moment, not answering immediately. Instead, she scrutinized Stardust Mirage, assessing her current physical condition.
However, at that moment, a sweaty El Condor Pasa also approached the group and said directly to Toyama Hikaru:
"I also think we can go one more time. Stardust Mirage's running style seemed to improve just now. One more try, and she'll definitely get it!"
"Then one more time, Stardust Mirage. Don't focus too much on how your legs should step forward—that might actually affect your performance."
Toyama Hikaru nodded, walking while instructing Stardust Mirage on the issues from her previous attempt: "Watch El Condor Pasa's running style carefully, and let your body decide how to move on its own!"
"Let my body… decide how to move on its own?" Stardust Mirage nodded thoughtfully.
The three of them stood at the starting line once more, watching as Toyama Hikaru, not far away, raised her right hand high and shouted, "On your marks—"
"Trainer Toyama Hikaru!!!" A figure suddenly burst into the training ground, interrupting their actions.
The man who rushed in had an anxious expression on his face. He turned and spotted Toyama Hikaru standing by the track, immediately shouting, "Trainer Toyama Hikaru! Agnes Tachyon, she—Ines Fujin, she—!"
"What's wrong with Fujin?!"
It was the first time Stardust Mirage had seen such an expression on this strict trainer's face—worry, unease, and anxiety all mixed together.
"Ines Fujin's treatment was successful! The doctors said her recovery is going very well, and she should be able to start rehabilitation training soon!"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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