Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 143 May 5, Tokyo Arena
During the last two days of training for the Japan Derby, Kitagawa Xuanju occasionally recalled that strange dream and gradually felt the heat caused by the game.

This is also a strange thing.

As the biggest reward among the biggest rewards and a battle with a special status in the classic treble, it is no exaggeration to say that all eyes from all walks of life are focused on this as the Japan Derby approaches.

When you go shopping on weekends, you can see electronic screens of various sizes at large and small intersections and on tall buildings reporting the Japanese derby.

It could be the highlights of previous events, interviews with horse girls who won the derby, or comments and analysis from industry experts.

The contestants who are about to leave will be the main targets of publicity.

Especially her, who has won four games in a row and has already won the Satsuki Sho championship, the most popular one.

"A Victory in the First Race! Can the Northern Black Colt Recreate Its Undefeated Triple Crown Legend?", "Expert Roundtable: Analyzing the Northern Black Colt's 2400m Performance Through Data", "Fan Art 'Festival Girl' Tops the Charts: Northern Black Colt's Derby Showdown Image Sparks Creative Frenzy"...

Similar reports can be found everywhere.

That's where it gets weird.

Although she was in the center of the hot spot, she didn't feel anything special.

It’s not that I don’t care. After all, it’s exciting to be noticed.

Apart from that, there is no other feeling, especially since what I do every day is the same as the Gaoyue Sho and earlier competitions, which is still training when it is time to train and rest when it is time to rest.

After having that dream, she couldn't help but think of a point in this lively scene that had been overlooked before.

If I win the Japanese derby, doesn't that mean... I'll be the same as the emperor?

Thinking of this, she quickly realized that it wasn't that she hadn't noticed it before, but she had just consciously ignored it.

I’ve watched so many widely publicized matches, witnessed many in person, and even stepped foot on the actual field.

She has more or less understood that victory and dreams cannot be achieved just by thinking about them.

She is working hard, and so are others.

It's been a long time since I've hung out with Satomi Crown.

Every time you call, text, or ask about the light diamond, the other party is training.

The sound was deafening. Every morning, not long after I arrived at the playground, I would soon see the other team appear on the track.

At night and on weekends, when I occasionally pass by the playground, I can still see the training scene.

The same is true for Indomitable Steel, Satomi Pentium, and Susan Muse, who had competed in the same arena before.

Occasionally, when comparing herself with others, she even felt that she might not be working hard enough and needed to find time to train more on her own.

Of course, I had already received instructions from An Jingzhen, so the idea of ​​independent training was just a thought.

All in all, everyone is making their own efforts for victory and dreams, and there is no reason to think about what ifs.

Instead of fantasizing, it is better to seize the time to train well and rest well. This is the only way to victory.

With this idea in mind, she completed the last two days of training step by step.

……

On the afternoon of May 5st, in the Tokyo Arena, in the preparation room of Northern Xuanju.

Just like in the previous competitions, standing next to a much larger whiteboard, Yasui Zhen pointed to the runway diagram and the lines of instructions and numbers on it, and explained in a deep voice.

"...To sum it up, the strategy for this game can be summarized as 'remaining constant in the face of ever-changing circumstances.'

"The shocking reminder is crucial, especially Zhou and Vodka, who also agree with this.

“The Japan derby is too important, so new ideas, new running styles and new tactics are possible.

“There are 17 players in total, and if they all make unexpected moves, it’s simply unrealistic to target them one by one.

"So let me emphasize again, you must remain constant in the face of ever-changing situations. No matter how your opponent runs, you must never forget your own rhythm." Beibu Xuanju listened carefully and wrote "remain constant in the face of ever-changing situations" stroke by stroke in the small notebook, with the carrot-shaped ballpoint pen against his chin. He pondered for a while.

"In that case...is it the same as what happened to Senior Da Zhen in the training match?"

Recalling Da Jinghan's previous performance, Yasui Zhen nodded and said:
"I think... you can say that."

Then he changed the topic.

“But there are differences.

"Da Jinghan's strength is so dominant in her generation that many conventional ideas don't apply to her.

"For example, in this training match, did you feel, or did she tell you, that she often had an uncontrollable urge to speed up during the game?"

Beibu Xuanju thought for a moment, "It seems... not right, the senior did say something like that."

"That's it."

Yasui explained: “I’ve seen some interviews with her trainers, and your senior has a very strong temperament and an extraordinary desire to run, whether in training or competition.

"So she often received instructions to control her speed during competitions, and this training match was the only time she could really run at her best.

"I say this because I hope you understand that your idea is correct, but..."

He paused.

"You can't learn the specific running method because you are not strong enough yet."

Hearing An Jingzhen's hesitation just now and understanding that he didn't want to hurt his self-esteem, Beibu Xuanju felt a little warm in his heart and felt that it was natural.

"Don't worry, trainer, that's not what I meant."

She comforted him in return: "I think the same as you. I won't be affected by my opponent. I know my own rhythm."

Nodding with satisfaction, Yasui Shin felt that compared to when she first debuted, she, the horse girl, had matured a lot.

After a brief moment of emotion, he quickly returned to the pre-match instructions.

"However, ideas are just ideas, and assumptions about the corresponding situations still need to be made.

"Apart from the regular exits, turns and straights, the biggest variables in the Japanese derby are on the slopes.

“Especially the uphill slope before the final straight.

"Don't worry about the other slopes yet; the skills you've acquired are enough to handle them.

"The final straight... let's just assume you don't get the lead."

As he spoke, he used a whiteboard marker of a different color than before and began to give instructions while marking on the board.

At the same time, just like before, Northern Xuanju listened carefully and took notes seriously.

The pre-match instructions lasted until almost 3 o'clock.

It just so happened that the next part was the appearance segment. After thinking about it, An Jingzhen packed up his things and left the preparation room with Kita no Xuanju, who had already changed into the final suit, and headed towards the underground passage.

I had originally planned to separate from the Northern Black Horse at the entrance, but before I got close, a row of neatly lined horse girls, led by the Emperor of the East China Sea, smiled and greeted me.

"One, two, three... Come on, Xiaobei!"

Having already seen the figures of his predecessors, Northern Xuanju rushed over in surprise and joy.

"Seniors...you..."

After a moment of incoherent excitement, she suddenly bowed and said in a trembling voice:

"Thank you, thank you so much. In this game... I will definitely try my best and not let you down!"

(End of this chapter)