"…Seriously…?"
"What's wrong, Trainer?"
Teio arrived at the clubroom for practice, finding Okino, Spica's trainer, head in hands over a newspaper.
"This."
"This is…"
The article covered the recent Yayoi Sho. The winner? Nice Nature, a Canopus teammate whose strength Teio knew well.
"Yayoi Sho mirrors Satsuki Sho conditions. Nature surged from 800m out and won by six lengths."
"800m surge…? I don't think I could do that."
"Same here."
Sprinting so early was unheard of. Her stamina to sustain it was shocking, and the pressure it put on rivals was immense.
"Starting a surge that far out should exhaust anyone, but Nature holds on. By the time others try their usual sprint, she's already ahead, forcing them to push early. That drains their stamina, dulling their final kick. Even if they save energy for a late charge, catching up to that gap is near impossible without incredible speed."
"Nature's a scary Uma Musume…"
"Yeah, she's a real trickster."
Countering Nature meant ignoring her long sprint, sticking to your pace, and timing your move perfectly. Easy to say, hard to do in the heat of a race. Only a bold, confident, and cool-headed Uma Musume could manage it.
"In Yayoi Sho, everyone fell into her trap. Second place and below were wrecked. She must've learned pacing from Rampage…"
"Lan can do that too?"
"Rampage's greatest weapon is her subtle pace shifts during a great escape, unnoticed by rivals. It's easier to show you."
Okino pulled out a laptop as McQueen, Taishin, and CB joined them, curious about what he was showing.
"Here's the time up to this point."
"Whoa, that's a crazy slow pace!?"
"No way… she was escaping that whole time?"
"That's wild."
"…"
Then, Rampage suddenly ramped up the pace, transforming the slow race into a high-speed chase. The shift was so drastic that even her teammate Ikuno lost stamina and couldn't unleash her final kick. McQueen watched intently, knowing she'd face Rampage someday.
"With someone this good at pace control on her team, it's no surprise Nature learned from her. Disrupting pace is that effective."
"I've raced someone like that before. Didn't feel like a big deal, though."
"That's 'cause you're the embodiment of 'my pace,' CB. A normal pace shift wouldn't faze you."
"You gotta say it like that?"
CB's unshakable rhythm and late-charging style made her Rampage's natural counter. Pace changes barely affected her.
"Running at a steady rhythm is least tiring. But if the pace shifts subtly, you tire out bit by bit without realizing. That fatigue hits hard when you try your final sprint, eating away at you."
"Like poison?"
"Exactly."
Rampage plants that poison while conserving her own strength, then unleashes it to cripple rivals. It's not a strategy for the physically gifted—it's like a high-spec game character with strong skills who also debuffs enemies while buffing themselves. Taishin grimaced but, true to her gamer nature, started strategizing how to counter it.
"What about Nature's style?"
"She pulls away early, making rivals panic and disrupt their own pace. It's tricky. Lose your cool, and she drains your stamina. Mistime your sprint, and you're done."
Subtle versus overt disruption—Rampage's technical approach had explosive impact when it worked, while Nature's relied on physical dominance but was easier to execute and escape with.
"Imagine Rampage and Nature in the same race. Pace would be a mess from front and back."
"I'd love to try that!"
"Of course you would, you carefree Uma Musume."
"What's that, you pervy masseur?"
"Don't bring that up…! The comments already roasted me enough!"
CB and Okino's usual banter kicked off, but McQueen and Teio were dead serious. McQueen fixated on Rampage, Teio on Nature. They'd always respected their rivals, but Okino's words made them acutely aware of the challenge ahead.
"Trainer!!" "Trainer-san!!"
"Whoa, what's up, you two?"
"I'm gonna train harder! I won't just beat Twin Turbo—I'll beat Nature too!!"
"As a Mejiro, I can't lose either! Rampage will definitely be at the Tenno Sho (Autumn). I need to start training now to keep up!!"
Okino grinned. He'd unintentionally lit a fire under them. They'd grow even stronger now, and he owed thanks to those two rivals… until Taishin kicked his shin.
"Ow!! Why'd you kick me!?"
"They're saying they're gonna train. Get out so we can change!"
"So slow… nothing like Minamisaka Trainer."
"Don't compare me to her—ow, stop kicking me!!"
"Woo! Lan, you're totally killing it!"
"Heli-chan, you're the one hyping it up~!"
"Duh, that's me!"
"Being guests is kinda nerve-wracking, but we'll give it our all!"
"Let's do this with max energy—"
"""Woo! Let's stream it up!!"""
Note: Long-sprint Nature. Her running itself acts as a debuff, no skill needed.
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