Lying flat on the track, gasping for air, Nanno Sumire stared blankly at the sky. She couldn't believe she'd actually made it through that grueling series of physical tests. Even though every muscle in her body ached, she hadn't given up—she'd pushed through and completed every single one.
Just as she was lost in thought, a sudden chill pressed against her neck, making her jolt upright. She turned to find Dream Weaver holding an icy cold bottle of water against her.
"You really shouldn't sit or lie down right after intense exercise, you know."
"Who even knows that kind of thing?!"
Flustered and annoyed, Sumire reached for the water bottle, but Dream Weaver nimbly pulled it away.
"And you shouldn't drink cold water after a tough workout, either."
With that, Dream Weaver produced another bottle—room temperature this time—and tossed it to Sumire.
Fumbling to catch it, Sumire could practically feel veins throbbing on her forehead. She strongly suspected Dream Weaver was messing with her on purpose.
After gulping down several mouthfuls, she realized the water tasted salty. That settled it—this had to be one of Dream Weaver's pranks. She slammed the bottle down and was ready to challenge her to another round, but before she could say a word, she noticed Dream Weaver had already slipped away to Chizuru Haibara's side. Seething with frustration, Sumire took it out on the poor water bottle, crumpling it in her hands.
"Hey, not bad, Nanno. Pretty smart thinking—already guessing the teacher's gonna collect these for recycling, so you're pre-crushing yours—"
Before Satou Ken could finish, Sumire hurled the bottle straight at him, knocking his sunglasses clean off. He let out a comical "Gwah—!" and toppled backward.
Chizuru Haibara, who had been discussing serious matters with Dream Weaver, glanced briefly at the noisy commotion but paid no further mind. She simply continued her conversation.
"Comparing the data I've collected before, it looks like your top speed is already at a level that could win a Central G2 race. That's no small feat."
Chizuru scanned the training notes, a hint of surprise in her voice.
But she quickly composed herself. As a trainer, her job wasn't to praise Dream Weaver's strengths but to address her weaknesses.
"However, your stamina and power are only at the level of Central OP races. Your stamina might be slightly better, but it's not significantly ahead of your power."
"From here on out, we'll need to focus more on building stamina and strength. Both are crucial in dirt track races."
Dream Weaver listened quietly, nodding in agreement.
As expected of a trainer who made it into the Central league, she thought. Just by comparing data, she's pinpointed my stats almost perfectly—they match what I see on my own panel.
After a brief pause, Chizuru tapped her pen against the training notebook and looked up seriously.
"Have you heard of 'second wind'?"
Seeing Dream Weaver shake her head blankly, Chizuru continued.
"Put simply, it's when you push past your limits during a run and suddenly hit a new state—one where it feels like all your fatigue just washes away."
"I've noticed…" Chizuru's pen tapped restlessly against the notebook, betraying her excitement. "You seem to hit your second wind unusually quickly, and its effect is remarkably strong. Even though your stamina isn't top-tier, you can still sustain long sprints thanks to that second wind."
"I don't have much comparative data on second wind, but one thing's clear: yours is on par with that of top-tier Uma Musume."
For a moment, Chizuru seemed almost dazed.
An Uma Musume who hasn't even begun proper training—not only does she have incredible natural speed, but her stamina and power are already genius-level among her peers. And now this—a second wind that rivals the best of the best?
This kind of potential is almost too much for the regional circuit.
After taking a moment to process Chizuru's words, Dream Weaver's expression shifted from confusion to understanding. This so-called "second wind" must be what the system called "Guts"—her only A-ranked stat. No wonder it drew such high praise.
Still, she had assumed abstract attributes like Wit and Guts would be hard to measure. She never expected a simple physical test would be enough for Chizuru to detect something unusual.
Maybe she's even more talented than I thought.
But if Chizuru was this capable, why had she left the Central league? And why had she seemed so defeated before Dream Weaver arrived?
As Dream Weaver furrowed her brow in thought, Chizuru snapped out of her own reverie. She cleared her throat theatrically before continuing.
"Based on your current data, I recommend adopting a front-running style from now on."
"You've probably noticed it yourself—dirt tracks are narrow and dusty, so it's actually advantageous to be at the front. It's not like turf racing, where a strong finishing kick is easier to unleash."
Dream Weaver nodded in understanding. It was similar to the strategy she'd chosen during her last scripted mission—overpowering the competition with sheer ability and leading from start to finish.
But Chizuru's next words shattered that simplistic idea.
"Don't think front-running is just about charging ahead recklessly, though."
"Every racing style has been studied for years, and counterstrategies have been developed. You might get away with it once or twice, but once you've run enough races, your opponents will target you right from the start."
"Moving up from regionals to Central isn't something you achieve in just one or two races. We need consistent wins to attract attention—only then will Central take notice of us."
After this lengthy explanation, Chizuru took a deep breath and concluded firmly.
"So, we also need to practice how to compete against other Uma Musume."
Then, raising her voice, she turned toward the Uma Musume resting on the field.
"Hey, you lot lying there gasping—time to hit the track!"
"Huh?!"
As expected, her announcement was met with a chorus of groans. The petite and stamina-challenged Kobayashi Kaze even tried whining.
"Can't we rest a little longer—?"
She batted her eyes, putting on a pitiful act that might've swayed a male trainer into cutting her some slack.
But Chizuru only responded with a cold smirk, waving her training notebook dismissively.
"No excuses. On the track."
After a few more dramatic complaints, Kaze finally trudged onto the circuit. This was, after all, the path she'd chosen herself. Once Dream Weaver had ignited her competitive spirit, no amount of exhaustion could make her quit.
She might try to slack off now and then, but she'd never truly give up. The innate refusal to accept defeat—hardwired into every Uma Musume—had already changed her for good.
Watching everyone obediently take their positions, Chizuru gave a slight, satisfied nod. She outlined the tactics they'd practice, arranged their starting order, and finally placed her whistle between her lips.
"After the start, your goal is to close in on Dream Weaver using the tactics we just discussed, and then—"
"Make sure she can't break away again—by any means necessary!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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