"...What are you doing here?"
Minamizaka stared at the figure before him, the question slipping out before he could stop it.
Barbatos said nothing.
She was here today to accompany Urara for a tandem running practice.
He was her trainer, for heaven's sake! Yet seeing her at the training track prompted a reaction like that? What kind of bias did Minamizaka even have against her?
...Well, alright. Maybe that was her own fault.
"Barbatos is here with me for tandem practice!" Urara chirped, brimming with her usual energy. "I have a feeling I'll be ready for my debut race soon!"
"Yeah, I think so too," Minamizaka replied, stepping forward. He pulled out his tablet and stopwatch, ready to record Urara's performance.
Compared to prodigies like Seiun Sky and Barbatos, he found himself liking Urara a bit more.
It wasn't about talent. What mattered was that Urara consistently showed up and gave her all in every practice session.
Barbatos, on the other hand, was enough to give him heart palpitations.
This tandem run was a good chance to gauge her current condition and figure out what she needed to watch out for.
After all, the opponents she'd face in a G2 race were a far cry from those in G3. Their experience, speed, stamina, and race sense were on another level – some had even competed in G1 events.
He really wanted to say all this to Barbatos. But he'd said something similar before her G3 races, and she'd gone on to crush both competitions with overwhelming victories.
Now, the best Minamizaka could do was probably just to believe in her.
And, of course, prepare a whole set of remedial training plans in case she hit a wall or suffered a defeat. At this point, he'd mostly accepted he couldn't change her slacker ways.
If Barbatos could somehow sweep the triple crown undefeated, without a single setback, and become a true legend among Uma Musume, then Minamizaka would be genuinely, wholeheartedly happy for her.
The only thing was...
Other trainers' Uma Musume were like manual transmission cars.
His Barbatos, though, wasn't just an automatic – she was a fully self-driving Tesla. It left him, the trainer, feeling utterly redundant.
He didn't know whether he should be happy or upset about that.
Meanwhile, Barbatos stood on the dirt track, feeling a sense of novelty. She hadn't run on dirt since her debut race. This practice with Urara would be on dirt, as Urara likely hadn't adjusted to grass tracks yet.
"Ready, Barbatos?" Urara asked, settling into her starting stance.
"Of course," Barbatos replied, her gaze fixed ahead, waiting for the signal to start.
As Minamizaka clicked his stopwatch, two figures shot forward from the starting point.
Watching Urara's starting speed, Minamizaka nodded silently, a mix of pride and a faint ache in his heart. He still had records of Urara's initial speed. In just two months, she'd shown clear improvement, and her stamina had noticeably increased.
Back when she first joined Team Canopus, forget speed – her stamina was only suited for short-distance races. Even a mile race was a struggle. Now, she could fully handle middle distances.
Her stamina had improved dramatically through hard work, but speed, ultimately limited by innate talent, was progressing more slowly.
If only Urara had even half of Barbatos's talent...
"Barbatos?"
"What is she doing???"
The moment he thought of her, he saw her running neck and neck with Urara on the dirt track, the two seemingly evenly matched, trading the lead back and forth.
It wasn't that Barbatos was unused to dirt. Both she and Urara hailed from Kochi City; she'd only adapted to grass tracks after coming to Tracen Academy.
Was she deliberately holding back her speed because this was a tandem run?
While Urara had improved, the gap between her and Barbatos should still be obvious. What other reason could there be?
The answer only became clear as they finished the first lap and began the second. Minamizaka noticed the faint hoofprints Barbatos left on the track.
The dirt track, compacted by the school chairman's "road roller," was notoriously hard to leave marks on. Unless... Barbatos was exerting force akin to her final sprint in the relay marathon.
"That girl..." Minamizaka chuckled wryly.
Always acting like she just wanted to slack off, avoiding practice, yet she couldn't help but strive to get stronger. She was still taking her future opponents seriously.
If his hunch was correct, Barbatos was wearing weighted horseshoes for practice. And the ones she had on now were probably even heavier than the set he'd given her before.
To match Urara's speed while carrying that extra weight...
She was truly a monster, even in her laziness!
Urara's innate talent might be lacking, but her recent growth was undeniable. Yet, Barbatos could keep pace with her while burdened.
Would a runner like Barbatos ever truly face a setback?
--+--
In a private room at a Kyoto restaurant.
A dozen or so Uma Musume, all quite famous in their own right, had gathered.
Among them were "Tacit Accord," "Waterline River," and "Girl Smile" – all winners of G2 races.
(T/N I tried pretty hard to look for the english versions of these names but they're mob characters that aren't even on the wiki so i gave up Tacit Accord, or the name that i decided on here has the chinese name of a mob in Season 3, so the continuity makes no sense either.)
These Uma Musume all shared one commonality: they were participants in the Keio Hai Junior Stakes. Twelve of the thirteen entrants were present; only Barbatos was missing.
Tacit Accord scanned the room. "Isn't 'Dramatic Development' coming?"
Originally, there were thirteen entrants for this race, but 'Dramatic Development' had signed up after losing to Barbatos.
"Barbatos's trash talk caused her to break late. It affected her pretty badly," someone offered.
"So we're gathered here to discuss countermeasures against Barbatos?"
Even these G2-level Uma Musume, even these seasoned seniors, could feel the pressure Barbatos's participation brought. It was like the gears of an era turning inexorably forward.
They were poised to become mere stepping stones for Barbatos.
Every single person present had watched the final leg of that relay marathon countless times. And not one of them felt they could surpass a sprint like that. It seemed like an insurmountable gap, a vast chasm.
"Countermeasures? Against Barbatos? Do you really think everyone marking her would work?" Tacit Accord's tone was laced with sarcasm. "Or perhaps you all wish to crown another 'T.M. Opera O'?"
Her words stirred indignation among the others. They had genuinely thought Tacit Accord called this meeting to form a united front against Barbatos.
"Heh, just as I thought. How cowardly!" Tacit Accord laughed. "I invited you here to tell you one thing: I will be the one winning this Keio Hai Junior Stakes!"
"No tricks, no schemes. I'll defeat Barbatos fair and square."
"All of you are my rivals. Surely you aren't just going to cower? Let's properly show her what a G2-level race is all about!"
The Uma Musume looked at each other, visibly moved. They had all been somewhat intimidated by Barbatos's momentum – five wins in five races – and her relay performance. But every one of them was a veteran of countless battles. Who among them hadn't claimed victories in rookie and G3 races?
If Barbatos wanted to come, then let her! Why the hell should they be afraid?
"Tacit, you got one thing wrong," one voice rose, challenging her. "The victory in this Keio Hai Junior Stakes will be mine."
The old rivals of the G2 circuit began to regain their usual fire.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.