"Yui, is this really the venue for a debut race?"
Xingyun Liuge had her doubts.
There was no helping it. The place looked so shabby and run-down, and there were barely even any spectators. Though, to be fair, part of that was because they had arrived rather early.
"Ahaha…"
Chihaya Yui gave an awkward laugh, unsure what to say. The truth was, she was incredibly tense right now, because this debut race had gathered together the very best of Kasamatsu Tracen. Every horse girl from Kasamatsu with talent and ambition was here.
Could Xingyun Liuge—who had still been in a wheelchair not long ago—really win?
Chihaya Yui felt a little pessimistic.
But as a trainer, there was no way she would let that show. Even in a situation that looked hopeless, she would still believe in her horse girl. So she did her very best to cheer Xingyun Liuge on, then watched her head into the waiting room.
Next would come the entrance presentation, and trainers were not allowed to stay for that.
Even the event announcer sounded utterly unmotivated.
"The first favorite: Fujimasa March."
The grayish-blue-haired girl still carried that same keep your distance aura, but perhaps that only made her seem even more like a true powerhouse. The cheers from the audience were fairly neat and unified.
Then came the second favorite, Oguri Cap, still wearing her usual absent-mindedly adorable expression.
After that were the third favorite, Crown Author, and the fourth favorite, Minami Kaku. Their stage appearances were only average, but Kasamatsu was a rural place, after all. No one was especially picky about that sort of thing.
As for Xingyun Liuge?
Unfortunately, she was the seventh favorite. There were more spectators in the stands now than when she had first entered the venue, but the cheers for her were sparse and scattered, giving a distinct sense that she was not expected to amount to much. The only consolation was that there were eleven horse girls in the race today, so at least she was not the least popular one.
Looking at the number 7 pinned to her chest, Xingyun Liuge, a little deflated, chose to amuse herself instead.
"Even if I'm only the seventh favorite, I just happened to get placed in the seventh gate too. Maybe that's destiny. Still, I only have one goal."
As she spoke, she used both index fingers to point at the corners of her mouth and flashed a bright smile.
"To bring smiles to everyone through running."
The moment she said that, the atmosphere below warmed up a little.
After all, who did not like an optimistic horse girl?
Even Oguri Cap and Fujimasa March found themselves glancing at Xingyun Liuge a second time.
Once the presentation segment ended, the horse girls entered the gates one after another.
During that process, Xingyun Liuge noticed something:
Oguri Cap had listened to her advice and replaced those worn-out old racing shoes. Right now, Oguri Cap could be said to be in perfect condition.
Xingyun Liuge smiled faintly to herself.
That's more like it.
If she only won because Oguri Cap had been unable to perform at full strength, then what would be the fun in that?
[800m Debut Race. Dirt. Sunny. Good track conditions.]
With a thunderous crash, the gates flew open, and all eleven horse girls burst onto the track almost at the same instant.
But after only a few breaths, they naturally split into groups according to their usual styles and tactics: pace chasers, stalkers… and as for those trailing at the very back of the field—
unfortunately, that was not really a tactical choice so much as a simple matter of ability. Local horse girls generally had neither the need nor the capacity to use a true closer strategy.
And the one at the very front of the pack was—
"Lane Seven! Lane Seven, Xingyun Liuge, has broken clear of the field and taken the lead! What incredible speed! Could it be she's trying to shatter the stereotype that gray horse girls can't run fast? She's already opened up four lengths—five lengths—and the gap is still widening!"
At the sight of such an unexpected frontrunner, the announcer's mood visibly lifted a notch.
This was, after all, just an 800-meter sprint. Xingyun Liuge had already demonstrated explosive speed, and if her stamina held up, then going wire-to-wire was not impossible at all.
Besides, it was rare in local racing to see someone stick to a true frontrunner strategy all the way to victory. If Xingyun Liuge actually pulled it off, she would absolutely gain a huge number of fans.
Watching this unfold, Chihaya Yui nearly spat out the mouthful of hot tea she had just taken.
Her advice to Xingyun Liuge had been pace chaser or stalker, and Xingyun Liuge had agreed with her, so why had she suddenly gone with a frontrunner style?
That was not what Chihaya Yui had meant when she arranged explosive-power training and stamina training for her!
"But looking at the situation so far… somehow, it actually seems to be working?"
Chihaya Yui was a trainer, after all. She quickly calmed down and began weighing the pros and cons.
What she did not know was that Xingyun Liuge simply wanted to experience a real race for herself.
In simulation battles, the simulated opponents always did the most correct thing at the most precise possible timing. Whether it was accelerating or firing off a gate skill, they never made mistakes, which often gave Xingyun Liuge headaches.
But in a real race, were there really horse girls who could perform at that level?
Xingyun Liuge did not know.
So, in her debut race, she chose to use a full-on runaway frontrunner tactic. She wanted to shatter the rhythm of the entire field with her own pace—
and then test just how much Oguri Cap was worth.
Perhaps it was because they were both gray horse girls.
Xingyun Liuge found herself genuinely looking forward to Oguri Cap's growth.
If all she wanted was to win, then all she had to do was use Mordekaiser's abilities together with Clarity, Ghost, Flash, Heal, and Exhaust. And who knew? Maybe Ultimate Spellbook would even give her some especially useful ultimate.
Unable to switch during the race?
That restriction applied to champions.
It had absolutely nothing to do with summoner spells.
Xingyun Liuge sighed inwardly.
Then let me see what you're really capable of—especially you, Oguri Cap.
As the saying went, the people inside the situation are confused, while the bystanders see clearly.
As Xingyun Liuge's figure gradually grew smaller in the distance, the horse girls—already split into separate groups—began to grow increasingly agitated.
Could you imagine it?
A powerful gust had surged up from the starting gates and was rapidly pulling farther and farther away ahead of them, while they could do nothing but watch. It felt as though victory itself—no, the entire world—was leaving them behind.
Any horse girl with even the slightest desire to win would feel her scalp go numb at that.
To open the race with such a desperate strategy—one where a single mistake would end in total collapse?
Wasn't that confidence a little too excessive?
Was she really not considering stamina at all?
Was this the certainty of someone with absolute faith in her own ability—
or just reckless foolishness?
Why did this horse girl not seem to consider the possibility of burning out even a little?
A storm of thoughts churned through the horse girls' minds, but in the end it all condensed into one single question:
Should they gamble?
Gamble that Xingyun Liuge would slow down in the final stretch, and that they would then overtake her with ease.
If they gambled right, they would gain the chance to seize everything.
But if they gambled wrong?
Then they would lose everything:
the shining winners' stage, and the one and only debut chance that came with it.
Restless anxiety spread through the field.
They accelerated.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 26
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