Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 366 An Opponent with a Problematic Personality
Almond's general impression of the senior, Clever Labyrinth, is that he is not very strong, at least not as strong as Senior Kobe.

Therefore, in this situation, even if a similar running style is chosen, it is difficult to avoid a clash in position. Why are trainers and seniors so cautious when they can just shake off the opponent in one go?
However, seeing how Yasui Makoto and Kita Genkoto took it for granted, she thought about it and decided to keep her questions to herself.

It's obvious that the trainers and seniors understand why they need to be so cautious.

Since they can figure it out, I can definitely figure it out too, so I just need to listen.

Unaware of Almond's ulterior motives, Yasui Makoto continued:
"Then there's Dongbao Lone Wolf, she..."

After saying half of what he had said, Yasui rubbed his forehead, looking a bit of a headache:

"In terms of strength alone, she is definitely a formidable opponent in this match."

"After all, it was the Chrysanthemum Viewing Horse Girl from the year before last, so long-distance races should definitely not be a problem."

"Moreover, the gate position is number 9, and if the exit is normal, it is easy to grab a good position."

"But her personality..."

He rubbed his forehead again:

"Forget it, let's talk about her later. Let's just arrange a few separate cases for her."

Upon hearing this, the Northern Black Steed, who had been diligently taking notes, gave an awkward laugh, scratching his head and chuckling sheepishly as if making an excuse for someone:
"Actually, I think Toho-senpai... is alright. This game isn't about mid-range shooting, and I happened to see Little Trump-senpai helping her train a few days ago, so..."

"Senior Toho... she should be able to leave the gate normally?"

"...You're clearly very unsure, aren't you?"

Yasui Makoto gave a wry smile: "Anyway, let's ignore her for now and consider her problem after the overall competition arrangements are completed."

With an awkward smile, Beifang Xuanju nodded somewhat helplessly: "Well... alright, that's the only way."

Just as Yasui was about to continue, Almond suddenly raised her hand.

Aloe wanted to figure out what Yasui Makoto and Kita Genko were analyzing on her own.

However, after listening for a while, she still hadn't figured out the previous question, and now she was completely confused. She felt that listening any longer would only create more problems, so she had no choice but to abandon her original plan and ask questions on her own initiative.

"That, that..."

Seeing Yasui Makoto look over and nod, she hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat unwillingly:
"May I ask what the trainer and Senior Xiao Bei meant by what they just said? I mean, what about Senior Dongbao Lone Wolf?"

"And even earlier, regarding Senior Clever Labyrinth... I feel that in terms of strength, Senior Little North should be stronger, right? Why didn't you consider leaving the gate and shaking off this opponent directly?"

"Another topic is shaking off the competition..."

Yasui Makoto paused for a moment, then thought for a second and said knowingly, "Sorry, it was my fault."

"I skipped a lot of information, which Xiao Bei is very clear about. I forgot that Xing Mu, you are still learning, so I need to explain it to you, otherwise you won't understand a lot of it."

"Uh, this..."

Although she didn't want to admit that she didn't understand, Almond-shaped eyes bit her lip and nodded, saying, "Yes, there are many things I don't understand..."

Then she asked worriedly, "The trainer specifically explained to me that this won't delay Senior Xiao Bei's preparations, right?"

“No, not at all,” Yasui Makoto laughed.

"Just so you know, some basic facts about the Shining Series."

"Generally speaking, there are 10 to 12 matches scheduled on a match day, and the big prizes are usually reserved for the final match, which is the second to last match."

"For example, G1 matches like the Emperor's Spring Festival Gala are usually the 11th game, held in the afternoon, so there's plenty of preparation time. You've probably heard about these before, but experiencing it in person is a completely different story; just get used to it."

After the explanation, seeing Almond-eyed nod in understanding, Yasui Makoto continued:
"Regarding the situation of the Clever Maze, the tactic of accelerating instantly after exiting the gate to create distance is not something that cannot be considered, but the decision should be made based on the overall situation of the game."

"For example, as I just mentioned, the G1 matches are all in the later stages, which means that about 10 matches have already been played before.

"Your footwork is very strong, and it is common sense that insiders generally have an advantage."

"This means that after 10 races, the inside lane is often in very bad condition, and running on it doesn't necessarily save energy."

After explaining one situation, and after Almond-eyed pondering for a moment, Yasui Makoto continued:
"There are many similar environmental factors, but the most important factor is the competitor factor."

"For example, your senior Xiao Bei is good at running away, and Ji Ling Maze is also good at it, but your two opponents, Wan Lai Zheng Ming and Rong Xun Jing Zhang, are the same."

"This requires..."

"I understand! I mean I understand!"

As if afraid of being looked down upon, Almond Eyes said impatiently, "We can't decide our running style and tactics based on just one opponent!"

Then, she said, somewhat frustrated and unwilling:

"Uh... this... actually, the trainer and seniors taught me this, but I just can't remember..."

"It's okay, little almond-eyed."

Before Yasui could offer any explanation or comfort, Kita Genko patted Almond-eyed's head and smiled, "There are many things to pay attention to in a competition. You haven't debuted yet, so it's normal that you're not familiar with them."

"Isn't the trainer helping you get used to it? So don't be so discouraged."

After offering his words of comfort, Genkoto Kita continued Yasui Makoto's words:
"Then you have to talk about Toho-senpai, uh... how should I put it, this senpai is a bit impatient."

"Impatient...?" Almond-shaped eyes paused, taken aback.

"Yes, I knew this senior before."

Northern Black Horse nodded and said, "You should know that I have a very good relationship with Senior Special Zhou, and I often receive her help."

"Then, Senior Toho and Senior Tetsu also have a very good relationship. I often see Senior Tetsu instructing Senior Toho."

"Although it's a bit...not quite right to say that to senior, Senior Te did say that Senior Toho often lacks patience and tends to be too hasty in both training and competitions."

"for example……"

Her lips twitched, and her tone became strange:
"You've probably heard that at last year's Takarazuka memorial, the Golden Ship had a little conflict with the opponent at the next gate when it was leaving the lock, and then it leaked."

"And the opponent at the next gate, uh... is Toho-senpai."

Almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise, and she murmured subconsciously, "So, that's how it is? No wonder you said you'd talk about this one last..."

“So now you should understand,” Yasui Makoto nodded and said in a deep voice.

"The tournaments you've experienced before, or more accurately, the various events, are very different from the Shining Series, especially the Big Prize Series, and especially G1."

“Training conditions, venue environment, opponents’ running style, tactics and even personality, and even the trainer’s racing style, all these need to be considered. It’s not enough to just run on the field to win.”

"However, although these things are numerous and trivial, they are..."

He suddenly revealed a slightly joking expression:
"Just start learning slowly from this Emperor's Spring Appreciation event. Don't be like that senior Toho, who was impatient and rushed things."

(End of this chapter)