Chapter 307: The Aura of the Strong
Before Almond Eye could even speak, California Chrome—who had been tilting her head and watching the direction where Kitasan Black had run off—suddenly smiled.
"OK, it seems Miss Black has already agreed."
Still not quite used to Japanese name pronunciations, California Chrome casually used a phonetic version of Kitasan Black's name as she began warming up.
She first slowly rotated her neck, producing a series of light cracking sounds.
Then she stretched both arms out to the sides, making large circular motions, her shoulders rising and falling rhythmically.
Next, she crouched down, tightly gripping her ankles with both hands as she twisted her waist from side to side.
As she warmed up, her long golden hair swayed with her movements, shimmering like waves of gold under the sunlight.
Watching California Chrome begin warming up on her own, Almond Eye was stunned for a moment and said in surprise:
"…California-senpai understood what Kita-senpai said?"
Now standing upright, California Chrome balanced on her right leg, lifting her left leg and firmly holding her left ankle with both hands. As she leaned forward and stretched her leg back as far as possible, she looked at Almond Eye, smiled, and shook her head slightly:
"You mean what Miss Black just said? No, no—I didn't really understand it at all."
"Huh? Then this…?" Almond Eye froze again.
"To be honest, Miss Black's English is… very interesting," California Chrome said with a smile.
She lowered her left leg and began stretching her right before continuing:
"But some things don't need language."
"For example, the love of running."
"For example, the desire to race."
"And also…"
She lowered her right leg, interlaced her fingers, and pushed her palms outward as she stretched her arms forward.
Crack, crack—her knuckles and fingers produced a series of crisp popping sounds.
Along with those sounds, she smiled as she looked in the direction Kitasan Black had gone. Beneath her previously warm and friendly blue eyes, a rising sense of intensity and fighting spirit began to surface.
"…the aura of the strong."
…
When Makoto saw Kitasan Black running toward him full of excitement—now changed into sportswear and holding her racing shoes fitted with cleats—he was a bit confused.
When he heard that she and Almond Eye had run into California Chrome and even agreed to "just run a race," he became even more bewildered.
He had just been checking California Chrome's race schedule and trainer interviews. Based on all available information, this Umamusume wasn't supposed to arrive in Dubai until a few days later.
So what was going on? Was the information wrong? That seemed impossible—the publicly released data from both the American and Dubai URA associations stated the same thing.
Confused as he was, however, Makoto was more than happy to see this sudden opportunity to "run a race."
After all, coming to Dubai was meant to build experience for overseas expeditions—not just for Kitasan Black and Almond Eye, but for himself as well.
No matter how much observation, analysis, and data calculation one did, nothing could compare to the direct experience of an actual race.
He had already been drafting an application for joint training with overseas Umamusume, planning to submit it to the association.
Yet unexpectedly, Kitasan Black—who was already well-liked in Japan—seemed just as socially adept in Dubai, quickly forming a connection with California Chrome, who had somehow arrived earlier than expected.
This meant that not only could he now directly observe the differences between his Umamusume and top overseas competitors, but having actual experience racing against California Chrome would also strengthen his application.
It would make it easier to secure more training opportunities, especially exchange-style friendly races.
With these thoughts in mind, Makoto quickly followed the excited Kitasan Black to the Burj Al Arab's training grounds.
Like the hotel itself, the training facility exuded luxury at first glance—it was clearly built with immense financial investment.
The entire venue was even larger than an official racecourse, and the track was divided into both turf and dirt sections.
To the naked eye, the turf wasn't some artificial material—it was genuine grass.
It was neatly trimmed, lush and green, as smooth and even as a massive emerald carpet.
The dirt track, likewise, wasn't synthetic—it was made from fine soil mixed with sand, carefully laid out.
Dubai is a place rich in sand, but soil is exceedingly scarce. This meant that the cost of constructing this dirt track was certainly no less than that of the turf.
The outer area of the track was also covered in grass, and this stretch of lawn was neatly adorned with vibrant, colorful flowers.
These flowers weren't planted randomly—they were arranged into intricate and beautiful patterns, adding a touch of romance and elegance to the entire training ground.
On one side of the training field stood a row of modern training facilities.
There were high-tech detection devices at a glance, connected to sensors placed throughout the area, capable of precisely measuring various physical data of the Umamusume during training.
For example, heart rate, speed, stride frequency, and more—providing strong support for optimizing training and designing future programs.
There was also a dedicated starting practice area, with rows of starting gates placed every hundred meters or so, clearly designed for gate training.
Within such a training ground, quite a number of Umamusume were already training.
Although they all wore sportswear, making it hard to tell which country they came from, their trainers' clothing styles varied significantly.
Those wearing more ornate accessories were likely from Europe, as many trainers there came from noble backgrounds.
Those dressed in long robes with head coverings were local Middle Eastern trainers—this kind of Arabian attire was easy to recognize.
As for those with more casual and less distinguishable clothing, they were most likely from the United States—or possibly Australia.
In fact, thanks to his prior research, Makoto could recognize quite a few trainers and Umamusume.
After scanning the area, he quickly spotted a particularly beautiful blonde Umamusume. Recognizing her as California Chrome, he soon confirmed that her trainer was not present on the field.
So… had she come here on her own? Or was her trainer somewhere else?
With that thought in mind, and under Kitasan Black's eager urging, he walked toward California Chrome.
Standing beside her, Almond Eye had been casually chatting. The moment she saw Makoto and Kitasan Black approaching, she quickly waved:
"Trainer! Kita-senpai!"
Then she turned to California Chrome and said:
"California-senpai, that's my trainer—Makoto Yasui."
During the entrance exams, Almond Eye had achieved outstanding results, ranking first overall and earning admission to Tracen Academy.
Her parents had been overjoyed. After hosting a special banquet to thank Makoto, they signed a trainer contract with him on the spot.
California Chrome had already heard about this during their earlier conversation, as well as Kitasan Black's achievements. This further confirmed her impression—this was indeed a very strong Umamusume.
Originally, when she heard that Makoto was quite young, she hadn't paid much attention.
But now that she saw him in person, she couldn't help but feel surprised.