(TL: I tried to change China to Toko, like as he was from the countryside of Japan T.T but f*ck, they really went there!!)
(Anyway, Toko is an OC name for China)
The next morning.
The first ray of sunlight slipped through the heavy hotel curtains and splashed a bright patch on the carpet. In that warm breath of dawn, Kuroha slowly opened his eyes.
He turned his head a little—and saw a calm, peaceful face.
Fujimasa March was curled in the crook of his arm like a tame little cat, silver-white hair cascading across half the pillow like a moonlit waterfall. After last night's heart-to-heart, the worry and haze inside her seemed to have completely blown away; she slept especially sweetly now.
There was even the faintest ghost of a satisfied smile at her lips.
Kuroha didn't move. He just watched her quietly.
He knew last night's counseling had worked.
For girls in the heat of youth whose minds weren't fully hardened yet, a strong body alone wasn't enough—they needed a heart that wouldn't waver. And as their Trainer, he was the firmest backstop they had.
Sensing his gaze, March's long lashes fluttered twice. She slowly opened those red eyes.
Fresh-woken, her voice carried a bit of husky sweetness.
"Good morning, Trainer…"
"Morning," Kuroha smiled. "Sleep well?"
"Mhm."
March answered with contented ease, snuggling closer to soak in the rare softness and warmth. Since last night, she'd become bolder; the little gestures no longer came with that shy fluster.
If anything, she was showing a touch of McQueen-san's flair…
After they got up and washed, Kuroha went door to door to rouse the rest of the girls.
Before long, everyone was dressed and gathered in the room.
"Alright, everyone—eyes up."
Kuroha clapped, drawing all attention. "We'll head down for breakfast in a sec. Our first stop today is the Forbidden City."
"The Forbidden City?" McQueen's eyes gleamed with interest. "That's where the emperors used to live, right?"
"That's right."
Kuroha nodded, smiling. "Time to feel the grandeur of Tōkō's most magnificent palace complex."
"But heads-up: today we're on our feet the whole time—think of it as post-meal stamina training."
That was part of his plan, too.
Other than the necessary flights and coach rides, this whole trip would be on foot.
And training folded into sightseeing wouldn't dampen the girls' spirits—in fact, it only made them more fired up. After all, running was etched into the deepest part of their joy.
Even Maruzensky, long retired, was no exception to that dance-with-the-wind kind of happiness. Otherwise she wouldn't be so obsessed with fast cars…
"Relax! Inari-sama can do anything!"
Inari One perked right up. As long as there was fun and food, no training could scare her.
Anticipation lit every face.
The trip to Tōkō officially began.
Starting from the Imperial Capital, Kuroha led them through the vast Forbidden City, letting them drink in the weight of red walls and golden roofs. After that, they climbed the Great Wall, that dragon of stone winding over mountain ridges.
They wanted to sprint straight up, of course—but at the entrance the local Tōkō track wardens and horse girls firmly said no running. A tiny pang of regret.
At dusk, they posed beneath the Bird's Nest for a commemorative photo—marking their first team visit to the Imperial Capital.
Then they shifted to the glitter of the Magic City.
Between the daily touring and goofing around, Kuroha organized group training at the girls' request. They did dash work along the East Bund, then rhythm runs late into the night at Century Park. They even held a few simple in-house practice races.
The scene got so lively that even Maruzensky, retired for years, couldn't resist jumping in.
Which finally let Kuroha peek at the legend's current numbers.
All told, she was just a hair below where March stands now—and that's with her body already 20% off peak due to age. Using that as a baseline, Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf at their absolute zenith must have had one or two stats pushing toward the 1300 mark.
Kuroha couldn't help clicking his tongue.
He hadn't seen numbers that wild since last year's Japan Cup—when the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe champion, Europe's monarch Tony Bianca, posted that kind of spread before shattering her leg.
That said, no matter how terrifying Maruzensky had been in her racing days, she was now a long-retired horse girl whose Three Goddess blessing had faded. Even with a Domain awakened, she couldn't overcome Obey Your Master, Inari, and March.
Raw physique, track craft, even Domain control—the three active girls outclassed the former queen across the board.
Still, after each mock race, the "ponytail big sis" showed not a hint of discouragement. If anything, those long, lovely ears twitched with even more vigor, and her eyes burned with a different light.
"If only I'd been born in this era…"
When she and Kuroha spoke alone, he'd sometimes hear that wistful grumble.
She was a born-and-bred Domain racer—talent so astonishing it defied belief. Her entire professional life had been a string of blowouts; no opponent had ever truly threatened her.
But she didn't like that kind of race. She didn't want to merely win—to just collect victories and grind other girls' dreams to dust. What she craved was an evenly matched duel—battle that burned heart and soul to ash.
It was just… she'd been born in the wrong era.
Time flowed on, and their footsteps spread across this wide land.
They left traces at the Ming City Wall of Jinling, at West Lake in Lin'an, and on the mountain road curling around Mount Li outside Anvale City. They watched the Yangtze roll endlessly on and felt the Yellow River's deep, sonorous weight. They climbed Emei, visited Wudang, and toured the Five Great Mountains.
Kuroha had built them a meticulous master plan and route, guiding the girls through landscapes and culture from north to south.
A month slipped by before they knew it.
At last, they reached the final stop on the itinerary—
The head of the Five Great Mountains: Mount Tai.
Standing at its foot, staring up at the sheer bulk launching into the clouds, everyone fell silent, stunned by that pounding grandeur.
Of course, it wasn't the right time to climb just yet.
Kuroha led his horse girls to a nearby hotel to check in. After announcing a night ascent of Mount Tai, he told them all to turn in early and rest up.
(End of Chapter)
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