Just a day after Oguri's successful Debut, Belno Light's Debut Race arrived,
"No.2, Belno Light!"
Belno took a deep breath as she stepped into her gate. The 2nd gate—it was one of the best positions she could've taken if she was going to successfully pull off her plan. She'd prepared an entirely different plan if she happened to be placed in the outer brackets, but thankfully she no longer needed to follow that more dangerous route.
"-1600m dirt track! The track is completely dry this week, and-"
She took another breath as she idly dug her foot into the dirt. The track beneath her was firm, strong enough to handle stronger kicks. Good. That was another potential plan shelved. Her mental catalog narrowed; the buzzing in the back of her mind growing silent as the race's start approached.
"All umamusume have entered their gates!"
She went still for a moment, but after mustering her courage, she copied the head shake Oguri liked to do whenever she got excited. It earned her a few odd looks from the other runners, but she ignored them to the best of her ability.
She'd done all she could. Made plan after plan after plan. Pictured every moment of this race in her mind for hours on end. The notebook Blossom Star had handed to her had been completely filled with scribbles and drawings, practically ineligible to everyone but herself.
Her heart hammered against her chest, but she felt paradoxically calm.
"The race is about to start."
She placed a hand over her chest.
She knew she wasn't like Oguri or Star. She didn't have Oguri's talent, or Star's endurance. The fact that she needed to use a plan such as this to even have an attempt at victory just showed how big the gap was between her and them. Had it been just weeks ago, she would've found it painfully embarrassing.
But,
"You can win." Star had told her, eyes bright like the shine of a comet. There was no hesitation when she said that. No placation nor praise. Star had said it as if it was a fact—an inevitability.
And by the Three Goddesses, she wanted nothing more than to prove her friend right.
Bang!
"The race has started! All 9 runners have started beautifully!"
Step 1: Take the lead.
Belno cast her gaze to the right; the runner in the first gate was just slightly behind her. Not yet enough for her to change lanes and fully take the lead. She bit her lip as she put as much power as she could into her legs, accelerating ahead to widen the gap between them just enough to attempt a takeover.
Two seconds went by. The gap had widened just enough. Her left leg stomped down onto the dirt track with explosive power, and she sped up a little more to take the lead.
"No.2, Belno Light has taken the lead!"
"But it's not just her. No.5, Okan Maker is also vying for the lead!"
Step 2: Secure the lead.
Belno's eyes remained fixed to the front, but her ears flicked to the side, allowing her to better hear what was happening behind her. She'd only practiced this over the past few days, but she guessed there were 2, maybe 3 more runners behind her.
She sped up a little more. She felt her chest constrict as her stamina was ruthlessly drained out of her, but she held on. She had to.
All the practice runs she did together with Oguri. All the advice Kitahara had given her whenever she felt down. The little breathing tricks Star taught her to use to conserve her stamina-
For the first time, she understood why her mother told her that running was not a single-person affair. It was like running a business; a combined effort—a venture that required the constant input of multiple people.
"No.2, Belno Light refuses to give up the lead! She remains in 1st!"
"We're rounding the second corner and entering the long straight!"
Belno took a ragged breath as she kept running. She…couldn't believe she'd managed to maintain the lead! The most crucial part of her plan, somehow pulled off without issue. It wasn't to say that she didn't have any other plans if she encountered issues, but-
Whatever the case, it meant it was time!
Step 3: Halt the pace.
At this point, all the runners had roughly formed a conga-line, hugging the inner rail of the track both to conserve energy and reduce the length of the track they needed to run. And this was now the second straight; in most circumstances, people expected the race to remain at a constant pace in preparation for the surge on the final corner.
It was time.
Slowly, slow enough that most runners wouldn't notice, Belno began slowing down. From roughly 50% of her maximum speed, down to 45%, then to 40%, then even down to a third. Slow, slow, and slower. Pull the race's pace down, and grasp the control with her own two feet!
"800m left! Half of the race remains. We're approaching the third corner!"
Up on the stands, Oguri furrowed her brows as she watched the race. "Weird." She whispered, feeling strange as she watched the runners. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, but her instincts were telling her otherwise. The more she watched, the colder her back felt—as if some hidden blade was slowly being raised to the back of her neck.
Kitahara clearly heard Oguri's whisper, but he said nothing, doing his best to stop himself from smirking. Though he kept it to himself, he'd been worried if Belno could even succeed on her preparations before she began her tactic, but seeing it work in real time was astonishing. "Maybe she too…" He muttered, lost in his thoughts.
And through it all, I just silently smiled as the runners entered the third corner.
"600m left! The runners have reached the third corner!"
Weird.
Something weird was going on!
By this point, most of the runners had noticed that something was off about this Debut Race. Even if they were just local runners—most uninterested in actually training—they were all umamusume. They were born to run, and were blessed with the instincts to push them across even the most grueling tracks.
Had this been Central, the runners would've easily noticed minutes ago. They would've had the chance to try and turn this all around.
Alas,
"400m left! It's the final corner-!"
Step 4: Forward!
Belno grit her teeth as she stomped down hard, and with all the power she had, she accelerated forward, suddenly shifting forward to nearly her maximum speed. Her leg cried out in protest at the sudden action, but she forced herself to the burning pain as she surged for the finish line.
"No.2, Belno Light suddenly surges forward! She's running-"
"Wait, that posture-!"
The crowd grew excited as they watched Belno's spurt. Many of them had been present in the Debut Race that occurred just yesterday, and so most quickly realized that the posture Belno had taken during her spurt was eerily similar.
And no one knew better than the person being mimicked!
"That's my…!" Oguri's eyes were wide as she saw Belno run low, practically copying the usual stance she used whenever she surged forward. It wasn't a perfect copy—Belno didn't seem able to hover just above the ground like she could—but to most people it would look just the same.
She quickly turned to Kitahara, now suspicious that he'd secretly taught her this, only to find the man's jaw slack as well, staring in surprise.
All the while, a smirk slowly stretched across my lips. "Not bad." I whispered, surprised Belno had adapted what she'd learnt so quickly.
Of course, it was me that'd suggested the idea. After all, who else had a stronger second burst than the Gray Monster herself? And while Belno didn't have the freakish flexibility Oguri had, the girl was definitely a whole lot more flexible than I was. Even if she couldn't perfectly imitate Oguri's acceleration, just being able to grasp the bare mechanics of it was more than enough.
"Belno Light is widening the lead!"
"What incredible acceleration! She's already cleared the final corner!"
"The runners behind her are trying to catch up, but the gap is still growing!"
"Belno Light reaches for the finish line!"
The crowd roared in excitement! And how could they not? Just yesterday they witnessed the amazing performance of Oguri Cap, and a few days before that was the amazing Great Escape by Blossom Star. It hadn't even been a full week yet, and it'd felt like the intensity of Central races had suddenly appeared here in rural Kasamatsu!
"100m! 50m!"
"No.2, Belno Light is first to finish!"
Beneath the crowd's triumphant cheer, Belno Light gasped loudly as she slowed to a stop, placing a hand on her chest as she took mouthfuls of air. Her eyes immediately turned towards the scoreboard, seeing it light up as the scores were tallied. Her eyes were wide as they fell onto the name at the very top,
[Belno Light | 2.25 Lengths]
I laughed heartily as the results showed on the screen. Over 2 Lengths! It was an amazing showing by Belno, compared to what'd happened in the manga. Instead of an off-screen loss, she now displayed a dominant victory over the other runners who were no doubt more powerful than her in many ways.
Of course, this wasn't a tactic she could easily use again. I had no doubt other trainers would scrutinize what happened today, and it wouldn't take long before the secret came out. New tactics would certainly crop up soon, just like how CyGames soon fixed the whole "Blocker-Urara" tactic out.
But I was confident. Belno wasn't just some one-trick pony. Past her Stamina, her intelligence and wits were her strongest weapons. She could definitely create a new plan going forward.
[Secret Mission Completed!]
I blinked. Secret mission?
[Mission: Heroic Gumption
No Hero ever stands alone, for a Hero isn't simply a person, but an ideal; a banner at which the people can unite beneath. Nothing in life is ever an ordeal meant for one person alone.
Task: Aid a Companion alter their Fate; Help Belno Light achieve Victory!]
[Reward: 60 SP, Hot Topic (7 Days), 2 Skill Hints for {Maverick ○}]
I smiled fondly as I read the mission's description, and with an astonished breath, I glanced at the sky.
To change their Fate, huh? Was this what the Three Goddess wanted me to do in this new life of mine?
If that was so, then I'd happily accept the task.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I stood up and gave Oguri's shoulder a tap. "Come on." I said as she turned to me. "Let's go down and congratulate her, yeah?"
Oguri blinked, before she nodded and followed me down.