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Thank you so much for all the favorites and ratings!! Your comments are a huge encouragement!!! The second half is from the perspective of Suzuka & Spe's Trainer.
Escape from the Unknown Realm
"Ahhh, paradise, paradise. Civilization is truly magnificent."
Unable to withstand the scorching summer sun and heat, I immediately returned to the trainer's room after the mock race, apologizing to King-chan and Spe-chan.
As expected of my trainer, he handed me something like an ice pack the moment I finished the race. As I pressed it to the back of my neck to absorb the cold, he took off my shoes and began cooling my legs. He must have realized that the racing boots for Uma Musume, which include horseshoes, get incredibly stuffy.
While I was cooling down, Spe-chan and the other trainers started to panic, and King-chan began apologizing for some reason, so we decided to call it a day.
"Are you holding up okay?"
"I'm fine~"
While massaging my legs as I lay sprawled in the trainer's room, my trainer kept checking the condition of my feet repeatedly. I felt he was touching them more carefully than usual, which made it ticklish.
He thoroughly examined everything from the sensation of touch to the reflexes when he moved my fingers, making me feel like I might actually be injured. However, there was no pain, and my fatigue had already recovered. Well, even so, I'd rather not be told to run again.
"Are you really okay? I just want you to promise that if you feel any discomfort, no matter what, you'll tell me immediately."
After a while, he seemed to confirm that there was nothing wrong with my legs, and the massage finally came to an end.
Exhaling in relief, I stood up to grab the controller, when my trainer asked me a strange question.
"From the fourth turn into the final straight... did you feel anything strange?"
At first, I thought he was asking about my legs, but he had already grilled me about that just moments ago. Thinking about it... I don't feel like there was anything in particular. If I had to say something, maybe the sun was too bright, and the heat made the distance look blurry.
"Hmm, it was a bit dazzling, and everything was blurry."
When I answered that, he nodded with an expression that seemed satisfied.
"Uhh, I think you might be reaching the 'Zone' after all."
"The 'Zone'?"
I couldn't help but repeat the word.
"The 'Zone' is... uhh, it's hard to explain properly, but the most likely theory right now is that it's a 'winning pattern' your soul remembers. It is said to occur at the decisive moment of a race where that Uma Musume excels, granting them power. There are even rumors that if it manifests in its complete form, one experiences a certain kind of hallucination."
"I see?"
It felt like an occult story or something was suddenly starting. Is this trainer okay? I don't feel like any such shocking phenomenon actually happened...
"In recent Uma Musume science, it's explained as intentionally removing the limiter usually placed on the body to gain power instantaneously. You can think of it as a technique to use the 'miraculous power' of a life-or-death situation. It could also be described as a certain kind of hypnotic state.
Considering the way you accelerated from the fourth turn into the straight in today's race, you might be approaching that state. However, that is a double-edged sword. Unconsciously removing the body's limiter means there is a possibility of exceeding your limits."
Huh? Such a technique that I've only heard of in battle manga or sports dramas actually exists? No way. I don't want to race in a way that leads to such a dubious state. It's already hot enough; I don't want to get even hotter.
"So, it's better not to use it?"
Also, even if you told me to use it, I probably couldn't.
"At least until you can use it properly, it's better to hold off. If you train and learn to master it, maybe then."
My trainer stopped speaking after that, looking at my face and giving a wry smile. It seemed my displeasure was clearly written on my face.
And so, the plan to transform me into a "Head-Turf Uma Musume" (a horse that runs until it collapses) through inhumane training was thwarted.
Suzuka & Spe's Trainer Perspective
"Um, Wee-chan, are you okay? Trainer? Hey, Trainer-san?"
Glancing sideways at Spe, who was flustered and panicking, I turned to look at Witlum Pedes and Trainer Yokoshima as they headed back.
I had suspected something was wrong because he started cooling her legs immediately after she crossed the finish line, but seeing her walk, it seems there are no abnormalities that she herself can feel or that can be detected by touch. Moreover, Witlum Pedes herself didn't look particularly panicked and remained somewhat blank throughout, so it might just be Trainer Yokoshima's unfounded worry.
However, I cannot laugh this off.
I looked at the stopwatch in my hand and reconfirmed the time I had unconsciously stopped when Witlum Pedes crossed the finish line.
"1:32.1"
That was the time posted by that monster. Admittedly, the turf condition on this course was dry and not rough. There were no clashes with other Uma Musume or extended running distances due to post positions. I cannot deny that it was an environment conducive to fast times.
However, is a time of 1 minute 32 seconds achievable just from that?
And by an Uma Musume whose body is not yet fully developed, a year before her debut.
Taking that into account, it was a run intense enough to break her legs. It's no wonder Trainer Yokoshima threw down his stopwatch and pulled out ice packs after seeing her acceleration from the fourth turn.
I had heard that her training intensity could not be increased, but it's not hard to imagine that her legs wouldn't hold up if she kept running like this.
For a trainer, forcing an Uma Musume who loves running above all else to stop running might be one of the most painful choices. However, only by stopping it with reason can one be considered a true professional.
Still, I shifted my thinking to my role as the trainer for Witlum Pedes's rivals (Spe and Suzuka).
I had heard various rumors, but I never thought it would be to this extent.
Spe's time was certainly not bad either.
An Uma Musume before debut managed a final 3 furlongs in 34.3 seconds. If she ran like that in her Maiden race, it wouldn't be strange at all for her to win by a huge margin.
Considering the situation where she got a bad start and was so far behind the leader, even among Grade-race winners, few could run that well in such a situation. She is undoubtedly in a position to reach for the title of Japan's Number One Uma Musume. In a normal generation, that is.
The gap between the two of them right now is 3.6 seconds over 1600 meters. There is no need to consider the advantages or disadvantages of the race development. An absolute powerhouse. Truly, a challenging opponent as a wall to becoming Japan's Number One.
I called out to Spe, who still looked worried.
"Spe, you've always said you wanted to be Japan's Number One Uma Musume, haven't you?"
"Yes!"
"Rejoice. If you can beat her, you will undoubtedly be Japan's Number One."
"Trainer!?"
Spe looked up at me with a surprised expression.
It is difficult to accurately read other expressions, but I am certain she is not the type to give up at this.
While I was talking to Spe, Suzuka, who had been watching the race from a bit of a distance, approached us.
As I expected, she would come.
Seeing Suzuka, who usually doesn't move her facial expressions much, wearing a smile, it seems she was moved by Witlum Pedes's run today.
"Trainer! I, um..."
"Suzuka. I thought you would feel the same."
I have been in charge of Suzuka for a year now. I believe I understand what she is thinking.
Today's run by Witlum Pedes, despite the trouble at the gate, was clearly a front-running style up to the third turn.
It was a slightly high pace, but she advanced on an economical course, secured a safety lead over those behind, and entered the fourth turn. Even though it is a long straight, to reach the goal, acceleration from just before the fourth turn would be necessary.
Whether it was conscious or not, forcing the choice of when to make the move and controlling the race is the true essence of a front-runner.
In fact, King Halo tried to make a move early before the straight, got stuck on the slope, and as a result, was overtaken by Spe from behind.
However, Witlum Pedes's run from the fourth turn was undeniably that of a closer. She assessed the relationship with the goal and the slope, checked her remaining stamina, and made her sprint at the optimal moment.
Because there were no other Uma Musume in front, it might not look like it, but it was undeniably the running style of a closer.
She managed to combine both styles in a single race. Suzuka must have noticed that as well.
"Yes, the view from that position... it feels close to what I am seeking."
How to utilize Suzuka's abilities in a race. We have discussed this many times before.
When people first see Suzuka run, their eyes are drawn to her final kick, which combines speed and endurance. Holding back in the mid-pack and moving up from the end of the fourth turn to overtake. That would be the basic strategy.
However, her nature and another talent do not allow for that. Suzuka's true worth lies in her speed in the first half of the race. A race from the closing position is a situation where she is letting her legs go to waste; she is better suited to sticking with the pace from the front.
"Certainly, if she can run from the front and overtake, she might theoretically become the strongest Uma Musume. However, it is very difficult to reproduce that form."
It is doubtful whether Witlum Pedes did that intentionally just now.
"Distance, race development, the running styles of the participating Uma Musume... depending on these, the pace of the front-run and the timing of the closing must change. Combining the two might be more than twice as difficult as doing just one."
"Even so. I am faster. No, I will become faster. If I can become faster than her, faster than any other Uma Musume. Therefore..."
For some reason, I gently pet the head of Suzuka, who looked slightly sad. However, at the same time, her eyes seemed to speak eloquently of her determination.
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Next time, I think we will skip a bit of time.