The night sky of Kasamatsu was like a piece of deep blue velvet, pure and unblemished, as if it had never been touched by the smog of industrial civilization. Double Bell Light could see it clearly:
Brilliant stars shimmered across the firmament, and a crescent moon hung tilted in the distant horizon. They gently bathed the quiet town of Kasamatsu in a layer of cool, silver light, making everything look ethereal and beautiful.
If she could, Double Bell Light really wanted to just lie on the ground and gaze up at that vast sky, pondering the origins of the universe and the mysteries of the stars. In fact, she'd be happy just falling asleep right here under the night air.
But she couldn't.
Because she and Oguri Cap were still in the middle of their "evening session."
Wait, how did I end up on the ground? And how did this evening session even start?
The girl fell into deep thought.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was dressed in simple, dark sportswear, a warm, habitual smile on his face. Under the facility lights, his physique—which didn't look particularly bulky at first glance—gave off an unexpectedly tall, sharp, and lean impression. The thought 'He looks so reliable, Trainer-san' instinctively bubbled up in her mind.
This was Double Bell Light's first time participating in night training. She had been excited and hadn't noticed anything unusual at first.
But as the training progressed, she found it impossible to stay calm.
Fujimaru Ritsuka had been leading the pace from the front the entire time, keeping Oguri Cap and her at a specific distance so they could feel the changes in the airflow coming from ahead.
She had assumed Ritsuka would only run for a little bit—that he would quickly finish his "normal human" evening jog, wrap up their warm-up, and then follow them on an electric scooter while they finished their sets.
At least, that was how Double Bell Light imagined a Trainer worked.
But she never could have imagined that she would actually lose to Fujimaru Ritsuka!
No, seriously, does this make any sense?!
Although Uma Musume looked largely like humans—aside from the shape and placement of their ears and the tails growing from their tailbones—their physical structures were worlds apart.
The physiology of an Uma Musume was unique. Their muscle fiber density, cardiopulmonary function, and bone strength far surpassed those of humans. This was the biological foundation that allowed them to create miracles on the track. To put it bluntly, they were all superhuman powerhouses!
An Uma Musume could run a thousand meters on grass in under a minute; their power and explosiveness were beyond human comparison. Even in terms of endurance, humans held no advantage in existing Uma Musume sports.
So why... why can the "reliable" Mr. Fujimaru Ritsuka run a purebred Uma Musume like me into the ground?!
The three of them weren't running at a human pace; they were training at an Uma Musume's rhythm! What kind of "ordinary human" could do that? Is he some new breed of "Uma-Man"?
Double Bell Light couldn't wrap her head around it, and the image of Fujimaru Ritsuka's gentle smile flickered before her eyes.
Wait, why am I seeing double?
As she struggled to process it, she saw that figure reach out a hand to her. "Light, how are you feeling? Are you doing better now?"
Oguri Cap squeezed in next to him, looking down at her with an "OmO" face, her clear, large eyes filled with genuine concern.
In that moment, Double Bell Light fully understood what Fujimaru Ritsuka meant when he said Oguri was "actually very easy to get along with." They had only been officially acquainted for a few hours, yet Oguri was already this worried about her. It seemed that earlier cake had really worked wonders.
Once she regained her senses, Double Bell Light instinctively started thinking about Ritsuka again. She realized with some frustration that although her family ran an Uma Musume supply store, her knowledge of the actual physiological differences between humans and Uma Musume wasn't just "scant"—it was non-existent.
She hadn't cared much before, but now that she had joined the team, she couldn't stay this ignorant. Whether it was to become an excellent Uma Musume or to better inherit her family's shop, she had to work hard and learn!
Maybe then she'd understand what made Fujimaru Ritsuka so special.
Double Bell Light steeled herself and rejoined the training. This time, her gaze was sharper and more focused.
She noticed that Ritsuka's movements were incredibly fluid. Every arm swing and leg lift was calculated to the perfect degree, possessing a specific sense of efficiency that made it hard to look away.
But what truly shocked her was his speed.
As a one-kilometer marker flashed past her vision, Double Bell Light glanced at the glowing dial of her wristwatch.
1 minute 15 seconds.
For a newcomer Uma Musume, this pace was merely "average," but they had just jumped back into the run after a very brief rest. The stamina they had already burned and the fatigue they had accumulated hadn't vanished. At this stage, that speed was a bit exaggerated.
Even more exaggerated was the fact that a human was hitting this time on foot! And Fujimaru Ritsuka's breathing was still perfectly steady!
This was moving past "impressive" and straight into "terrifying." And this was likely a pace Ritsuka had slowed down to accommodate the lagging Double Bell Light.
The question surfaced in her heart again: Trainer-san... how did he even train himself to this level? It's insane.
The girl was beyond curious.
Just then, she heard Ritsuka's voice.
"Focus on your breathing. In for three steps, out for three steps." Even while running at such a high tempo, his voice was flat and calm, with barely any sign of exertion. This made Double Bell Light even more startled.
Then, she heard: "Light, your stride frequency is getting sloppy. Haven't you adjusted yet? Put in a little more effort and match Oguri's rhythm."
Double Bell Light snapped out of it, realizing that her shock had caused a slight stutter in her steps. She quickly corrected herself, not wanting to cause another halt in the training, but a new wave of shock hit her.
He can still pay attention to me in this state?! Is this actually some retired Uma Musume cross-dressing as a man?!
To judge a teammate or opponent's real-time state purely through sound was a territory most ordinary Uma Musume couldn't even touch; it was a feat reserved for elite veterans!
Double Bell Light felt like she was having the most "horror-filled" day of her life. First, she met a girl with enough freakish strength to rip a door off, then a Trainer with the physical prowess of a senior pro. She wondered if she was using up a lifetime's worth of surprises all in one day.
Despite the occasional pauses, under Ritsuka's care, Double Bell Light successfully finished the training set.
After a short break, she began the "Culture Lesson" taught by Teacher Fujimaru.
Hearing it was a "culture lesson," the girl let out a secret sigh of relief. To be honest, she was a diligent student in class—not like Oguri Cap, who slept through everything.
If it was a classroom-style lesson, she could definitely earn a look of admiration from both of them!
Double Bell Light was brimming with confidence!
Five minutes later, Double Bell Light's scalp was tingling with excitement. She found Ritsuka's lecture incredibly engaging.
But ten minutes after that, she was sweating with tension.
"Daily Maintenance and Care of Horseshoes"?
Fine. Horseshoes are consumables. If an Uma Musume understands them, she can replace them in time to maintain training results and avoid race blunders. She'd heard stories of girls losing championships because a shoe snapped mid-race. Light felt she needed to master this.
But... what the hell was "Fluid Dynamics"? Was this something they were supposed to be learning at this stage?! The difficulty was way too high!
And what on earth was this "Chaldea Self-Defense"?!
"Pankration" sounded like something out of Greek mythology, right? And what did he mean by "Specialized Training Against Elbow Strikes"?!
Wait, stop! This has absolutely nothing to do with the sport of Uma Musume!
Watching the eager Oguri Cap, Double Bell Light's face paled. She lunged forward and grabbed Oguri around the waist, shouting, "Trainer-san, stop joking! Oguri has completely misunderstood the assignment!"
Double Bell Light was genuinely worried that Oguri Cap might accidentally launch an elbow strike that would send Ritsuka flying twenty meters. It wouldn't just be a trip to the hospital; he might actually die!
"But, Trainer-san said so," Oguri Cap muttered with an "口_口" expression, her tone sounding a bit dejected.
In her eyes, how could Fujimaru Ritsuka ever lie to her? Every promise he'd made, he'd kept. He never told her strange or useless things. Therefore, this wasn't a joke; it was definitely for her own good.
Oguri felt that Double Bell Light was questioning Ritsuka's authority, which made her a little unhappy. Because of this "questioning," the gratitude she felt toward Light for helping with the cake began to fade.
"Trainer-san, say something!" Double Bell Light was frantic, sweating buckets.
She had never even heard of an "Elbow Strike Championship" for Uma Musume. The official association strictly forbade collisions; even "slanting" (veering into another lane) was a punishable offense. How could they allow elbow strikes?
On this point, Fujimaru Ritsuka explained:
"Unlike Japan, racing in Europe and America is much less strict about physical contact between Uma Musume. If you want to participate in the Japan Cup later or even go on an overseas expedition, you'll be at a disadvantage if you're not careful. These techniques can't be mastered in a short time, so I want Oguri to learn them early."
Better safe than sorry. Besides, even if she never used it in a race, it was good for physical fitness. It wasn't like he was teaching her Bajiquan.
Double Bell Light: "...?"
Hearing his explanation, Light—still clutching Oguri's waist—slowly slumped to the floor. "Um... Trainer-san?"
"Yes?"
"I wanted to ask... what exactly is your goal? Or rather, what is Oguri's goal?" Double Bell Light swallowed hard, feeling like the development of the situation had far exceeded her expectations.
Could it be that Fujimaru Ritsuka's goal wasn't the Tokai Derby or some other regional exchange race, but something above that...
The Central Twinkle Series?!
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Oguri Cap put her hands on her hips with a look of absolute resolve. "It is the Japanese Derby!"
At the mention of the Derby, her silver-gray ears stood bolt upright, and even her tail wagged with excitement.
"A few days ago, Trainer-san took me to 'Tou-kyuu' (Tokyo) to see the Japanese Derby. It is a grand race that an Uma Musume only gets to run once in her life. I want to stand on that stage and compete with Uma Musume from all over Japan."
As she spoke, Oguri Cap looked up at the crescent moon as if she wanted to catch it in her palm, reaching her hand high.
The girl's soft features were filled with a radiant yearning for the future.
"It's 'Tokyo,'" Ritsuka corrected her pronunciation with a smile, genuinely happy to see Oguri's grand ambition.
"..." Double Bell Light fell silent. Although she dreamed of being an Uma Musume, she had never thought of anything that far away. She just wanted to step onto the track and chase glory.
She hadn't even dared to think of the Tokai Derby, yet Oguri Cap was skipping regional races entirely and aiming for the "Summit of the Generation," the Japanese Derby!
And Fujimaru Ritsuka was even crazier—aiming for the world-class Japan Cup and even overseas expeditions!
Honestly... the gap between Japanese Uma Musume and the top-tier girls in Europe/America is still huge. These two... their ambition is just way too big!
However...
Looking at their smiles, Double Bell Light couldn't help but smile along. She thought: Setting a grand goal and working toward it step-by-step... isn't that actually pretty great?
While Double Bell Light was lost in her admiration, a sudden gust of wind rushed at her, nearly blowing her hair ornament away.
Fujimaru Ritsuka reminded her again: "Oguri, don't forget the main rule I just mentioned—don't dodge toward Light's side."
"Yes!"
Double Bell Light instinctively covered her head, hunkered down, and cautiously shuffled away on her knees. At this moment, she just wanted to ask: What is happening?!
She understood that self-defense was for preventing elbow strikes... but that gust of wind just now...
If she wasn't mistaken, it was created by Fujimaru Ritsuka swinging his fist, right? No, seriously, what kind of Trainer throws a punch that hard?!!!
"The racetrack isn't just about sprinting in a straight line; it involves countless close-quarters maneuvers," Ritsuka taught while throwing punches. "Opponents snatching lanes, the Uma Musume in front losing speed, even sudden lane changes. A top-tier girl doesn't just need to run; she needs to be able to 'safely dodge' at high speeds and even 'strike back.'"
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he emphasized: "Oguri, treat my attacks as the various pressures and lane changes you'll face in a race. Your task is to avoid all avoidable contact without slowing down, and to hold your ground against contact that can't be avoided."
Oguri Cap shouted her acknowledgment.
Double Bell Light saw it clearly. Fujimaru Ritsuka was moving with a speed unattainable by normal people, shifting left and right in front of Oguri Cap. Every change of direction was crisp and clean, yet he left Oguri enough room to react.
The silver-haired girl quickly adapted to the rhythm, dodging left and right with light, nimble steps.
However, as the training progressed, things changed.
Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly spoke: "Watch out."
In the next second, his movements expanded drastically.
He was no longer just moving side-to-side. He began to utilize a ghostly, unpredictable footwork.
He was left, then right, stopping abruptly before suddenly lunging forward. His punches grew more forceful, every movement carrying a distinct "pressure"—he looked exactly like one of those cunning opponents on the track who excelled at psychological warfare and positional battling.
Oguri Cap's breathing grew noticeably faster, her blue eyes tracking Ritsuka's silhouette with total concentration.
It was then that Double Bell Light noticed something—the wind.
Every sudden shift and stop from Fujimaru Ritsuka caused a visible disturbance in the air.
It wasn't the wind of a run whistling past; it was the "shockwave" created by a body shifting direction at high speed, brutally "pushing" the air aside!
That was the exact wind that had nearly blown her hair accessory away moments ago!
"Left side!" he barked. His body shifted three steps to the right at a speed that defied physical logic, then pivoted back to the left in half a beat, lunging forward—in that instant, his silhouette left a faint afterimage under the lights, and a localized gale erupted. "—!"
Oguri Cap performed a thrilling tilt to the right, narrowly avoiding Ritsuka's simulated "lane squeeze." Her silver hair whipped wildly behind her in the wind, letting out a clear, snapping sound.
Double Bell Light instinctively shrunk her neck and held her breath, unable to help but think:
If it were me... I'd probably be knocked down in an instant... Trainer-san, what exactly did you do before this? How can you be so... powerful and knowledgeable?
Just then, Fujimaru Ritsuka's phone let out a "ding-dong." Someone had sent a message.
Double Bell Light instinctively glanced at the screen:
...I can't read the English. ...I can't read the French. ...I can—oh, I can read this one.
Double Bell Light noticed the contact name on the Japanese message: "Trainer Komiyama."
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