Kuroha had already drafted a training plan in his mind for Teio's post–True Blooming regimen.
Now that he had used the system and Body and Breath Perception to gain a detailed understanding of her new physical data, he only needed to tweak a few details in the original blueprint.
A comprehensive, professional training program, tailored exclusively for Tokai Teio after True Blooming, quickly took shape.
"Tap-tap-tap…"
In the office, the only sound left was Kuroha's fingers hitting the keyboard.
"Hmm…"
Teio lay on the desk beside him in boredom, resting her little head on her folded arms as she watched her Trainer's focused side profile.
After a while, she finally couldn't hold back anymore. She reached out and poked his earlobe with her fingertip.
"Trai-ner~"
"Mm?" Kuroha stopped typing, but his gaze didn't leave the screen yet.
"For New Year's… do you have anywhere you're going?"
Only then did Kuroha turn his head.
He casually ruffled the girl's wonderfully soft hair and answered with a light chuckle:
"Nope. New Year's is only a few days anyway. I'll probably just stay at Central, read a bit, deal with some minor things, and it'll be over before I know it."
As he spoke, he paused, then tilted his head with a smile and asked in return, "Why, Teio, somewhere you want to go play?"
"No, no!"
Teio shook her head like a rattling drum.
"I don't have anywhere I want to go either. It's just… um…"
She suddenly scratched her head a little awkwardly, her eyes darting away.
"What is it?"
"Ehehe, it's just…" Teio fidgeted for a moment, then finally murmured in a tiny voice, "If Trainer isn't going out either, then… during that time… could you maybe train together with me?"
The instant she finished, she clasped her hands together in front of her chest in a "pretty please" pose, big eyes blinking up at Kuroha.
"Aoi-nee isn't here, and if I train alone, I feel like I don't really get how to use a lot of these new training menus yet…"
"But if Trainer is willing to train with me…"
Kuroha stopped everything he was doing and glanced at her, half amused.
Faced with those eyes full of expectation and the adorable little head that kept nudging against his arm as a "cuteness offensive," he ultimately still surrendered.
"Alright, alright."
Kuroha raised his hands in mock defeat. "I'll accompany you in training over these few days, okay?"
In truth, even if Teio hadn't said anything, he had already intended to personally coach her for a while.
Watching her look so happy she was practically wagging an invisible tail, he felt a quiet sense of ease.
Aoi Kiryuin might already be qualified to graduate as an assistant trainer.
But if you asked her to start from zero and handle a freshly True-Bloomed Uma Musume with top-of-the-line talent, she was still a bit short on experience.
Until Tokai Teio thoroughly understood and mastered her new power after True Blooming, Kuroha felt it safest to handle things with his own hands.
"Yay!"
Teio clenched a tiny fist in delight.
"I knew it, Trainer is the best!"
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Teio bounced up from her chair and grabbed onto Kuroha's arm, shaking it back and forth.
"Alright, enough fooling around."
Still smiling, Kuroha reached out and took the freshly printed training plan that was still faintly warm from the printer, handing the detailed documents to Teio.
"Teio, can you understand this?" Kuroha asked.
The plan densely listed all the training items she needed to do over the upcoming period.
Even the purpose of each segment was laid out clearly.
On top of that, there were notes from Domain and "breath" observations during training:
Her advantages and strengths after True Blooming, her potential weaknesses, all written out in plain, precise language, along with how to correct and surpass them.
Teio took the packet and began carefully flipping through it.
After a bit, she suddenly stopped, pointed to one entry, and spoke with a troubled face:
"Uu… most of this, Trainer, you've already taught me before, so I more or less understand it, it's just…"
"But this 'Easily Provoked' part, do I really have that?"
"You do." Kuroha replied with a squinting smile.
He reached out and lightly pinched the white, slightly baby-fat cheeks of the girl in front of him.
"I've been targeting that particular trait of yours for adjustment since forever, but Teio, you always lose discipline."
"Uwooo…"
Teio immediately surrendered, mumbling indistinctly through squished cheeks, "Trainer, I know I was wrong, so what should I do?"
As a Uma who dreamed of an undefeated Triple Crown, she absolutely didn't want such an obvious weakness attached to her name.
Once she saw that Teio had sincerely admitted fault, Kuroha let go.
Teio's issue could be called serious or not-so-serious, depending on how you looked at it.
The serious part was this.
In the original timeline, because of this personality flaw, she was especially prone to being baited into agitation by front-running Uma Musume, the so-called "big escape" types.
This would lead her to make all sorts of mistakes in races that she shouldn't have made at all.
Normally, true "big escape" types are rare in any given generation. Sometimes there isn't even one.
And even if a Uma is a natural escaper, she won't be going all-out front-running every single race.
Take Fujimasa March for example. She's run so many races, but the number of times she's actively gone reckless front-run can be counted on one hand.
But the "Golden Generation" Teio was about to face was different.
Within it, there were at least three "reckless big escape" madwomen: Daitaku Helios, a certain Mejiro front runner, and Twin Turbo.
Because of this, when Teio ran against that kind of reckless front-runner, her rhythm would often get dragged completely off course.
She'd end up unable to use even thirty percent of her strength. Her stamina would be spent before the finish line, and that overwhelming, almost invincible finishing kick would never get the chance to fully erupt.
But that was only in the original worldline.
As for now… the "not-so-serious" part was that…
Kuroha lifted his head and glanced at Teio, then shifted the topic with a question:
"Teio, how are you doing with Domain control?"
Teio blinked, taken aback, scratching her head a bit shyly. "I… I still haven't fully mastered it yet, but…"
Her voice dropped slightly.
"I could see that barrier on the surface of my heart-lake a long time ago, but for some reason I just can't break through it. At most I can force a tiny little crack…"
"I asked Inari-senpai and the others about it, and they all said maybe I hadn't properly recognized my true goal yet. But… it doesn't really feel like that to me…"
Kuroha only thought for a few seconds, then nodded in understanding.
"Indeed, Teio, your goals and convictions have been very clear from beginning to end."
"Then what's the reason?" The girl tilted her head.
"It's simple. Your body just isn't strong enough yet."
Kuroha smiled. "Your conviction, your technique, your control over your body, all of that is already up to standard. But your physical capacity still hasn't caught up to that level of strength."
"And without strong external pressure to force your spirit, energy, and intent to actively unfasten that shackle, you can't step into the second stage of Domain."
"Once you get stronger and stronger in the future, you'll naturally be able to open that door."
"Oh."
Teio nodded in half-understanding. "So all I need to do is train my body, right?"
"Mm, more or less."
"Then doesn't that mean this personality problem is really hard to fix?"
Her shoulders slumped again as she pulled a bitter face. "It's not like I can suddenly become as strong as Inari-senpai and the others in one instant."
...…
Looking at the adorable girl beside him, Kuroha stopped keeping her in suspense and spoke softly.
"Teio, go into True Self State for me."
"Mm? Okay!"
Teio straightened up, put on a serious expression, and gently closed her eyes.
In just a split second.
A faint, still slightly immature but very real aura rippled out from her body!
Then, the crescent-bang girl slowly opened her eyes.
Buzz—!
A deep, dark-red lightning climbed into her pupils, burning within them like fire!
Domain, first stage: "True Self State"!!!
Staring at the future monarch before him, who now carried a hint of budding majesty, Kuroha suddenly spoke.
"Teio, from now on there's one more rule in your training: you're not allowed to drink that honey special drink anymore."
"…"
Teio stared blankly at Kuroha, then tilted her head in confusion.
But she wasn't stupid. Her little brain spun once, and she immediately understood what Kuroha was getting at.
She quickly focused, trying to feel the changes within her own heart.
A moment later, as if she had realized something:
"In True Self State, my heart feels calmer and more steadfast. I won't be shaken so easily by other Uma's provocations."
Kuroha nodded. "That's right. True Self State isn't just a power up. It's an elevation of your mental state."
"When you're in this state, you can see yourself more clearly, hold firmly to your conviction without being swayed by outside interference, and your ability to 'read' a race rises significantly."
"This is also what I demand of every current team member: when racing, they must maintain True Self State at all times."
"McQueen could already do this before her debut race. How about you, Teio? Do you have the confidence?"
"…"
Light flickered in Teio's eyes.
She drew a deep breath, then gave him a dazzlingly confident smile.
"Trainer, don't worry. I'm Thirteen-Invincible!!"
(End of Chapter)
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