Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 379 From Personality to Domain

Yasui Makoto didn't expect Gokuhou to make such a request, but he quickly realized that it was probably out of a sense of responsibility as an older sister, wanting to help her younger sister through consultation.

He was not averse to such things; ever since he arrived in Tokyo, he had been seeking advice from all over the country to guide Genkobu.

I mainly consult with female racehorses, since it's easier to ask them for advice, and they can offer more direct and effective suggestions because they have firsthand experience with the races.

The peak is exceptionally strong and experienced, and even though she has retired, she remains one of the top female racehorses.

Communicating and exchanging ideas with the other side during training and competition should be very rewarding.

Having made a general assessment in mind, Yasui Makoto responded to Gekume without mentioning anything about strength or tactics.

“Gao Shang…I think I’ve heard Xiao Bei mention him,” Yasui Makoto nodded, meeting Ji Feng’s somewhat expectant gaze.

"He's rather introverted and quiet, has good grades, and... he's very good at baseball and fishing."

"If I had to point out a weakness, it would probably be that I lack confidence most of the time. If I could completely trust myself, I could probably do many things better."

Upon hearing this, and after waiting a while without any further explanation, Jifeng became surprised.

She originally thought that if the topic of Uma Musume (horse racer) came up, especially the Uma Musume she was playing as, Yasui Makoto would talk about some aspects of their abilities.

It's not that trainers talk like that; on the contrary, she felt that Japanese trainers are quite conservative, both in their daily lives, training, and competitions.

You'll rarely hear people discussing someone's abilities in front of a large crowd or with unfamiliar people.

She had thought that Yasui would be different, but she didn't expect that he would be just like the other trainers, only commenting on Takashiro Junichi's life and studies, and only saying some polite words.

Although she was disappointed, she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Such a request was somewhat presumptuous, and it was normal that the other party didn't want to answer directly.

“I see, I understand,” she said, concealing her disappointment, and bowed slightly. “Thank you very much for your evaluation, Trainer Yasui. Also… it was really too much of a burden for you. I made such a rude request all of a sudden.”

Yasui Makoto was stunned.

However, he was familiar with the Japanese trainers' communication style and roughly understood what Jifeng meant, so he quickly smiled and said:

"No, there was no pressure or anything. If I had to say something, it was my rudeness."

"Huh?" Jifeng was surprised again. "How could this be...?"

“What I mean is,” Yasui Makoto explained, “didn’t I just say that Takashiro is a bit insecure? If he had more faith in his abilities, he would definitely do better.”

"For example, during the recently concluded Emperor's Spring Appreciation event, she probably chose to keep a close watch on Xiao Bei, right?"

Before even meeting Takanojo Junichi, Yasui Makoto already had some impression of her. She actually had quite good potential and could be considered one of the top racehorse girls of this generation.

The prior investigations in preparation for the war and the Emperor's performance during his spring outing also prove this point.

For example, regarding the Emperor's spring outing, although it is only speculation, it is likely that Takasaka Junyi adopted a tactic of surveillance, and the target of this surveillance was none other than the Northern Black Horse.

This tactic might sound like it only requires you to focus on one opponent, but it's not that simple. A game isn't a one-man show; to effectively mark one person, you must consider other opponents, the environment, and your own stamina.

Otherwise, it is easy to encounter situations such as blocked routes, misjudgment of the race situation, and wasted running distance. In such cases, let alone the normal execution of the marking tactics, there may even be a certain risk in finishing the race.

The Northern Black Horse also employs this tactic.

During last year's training camp, she trained with Miyu for a long time. She not only used this tactic against Arima Kinen, but also successfully gained an advantage in the battle for the lead position against Golden Reijin, laying the foundation for the final victory.

Northern Black Steed is a runaway horse, while High Noble and Elegant is good at running first. Since their running styles are different, the application of marking tactics will naturally be different.

As far as I can remember, this should be the first time Gao Shangjunyi has used this tactic in a match.

If she didn't do this before, the fact that she specifically used it against the Northern Black Steed suggests that she had undergone special training during the recent preparations, and it's highly likely that she was instructed by Jifeng.

After all, with an opponent he has never defeated in his career, it is unlikely that the peak would not employ such a highly targeted tactic.

Jifeng wasn't surprised that Yasui Makoto could see through her arrangement for her sister. After all, it wasn't a rare tactic, and it would have been strange if the other party hadn't noticed it.

She was just looking forward to what Yasui Makoto would say, so she quickly replied, "That's right. This was a special training I arranged for her during the preparation for the competition, and it was also one of the pre-match instructions."

Realizing he had guessed correctly, Yasui nodded and said, "That's it."

"Even with this rough analysis, we can still draw the conclusion that the timing of the Clever Maze was the best for Xiao Bei to pursue, and she even managed to overtake Xiao Bei at one point."

"If Gao Shang had chosen the same time, without considering the outcome of the match, Xiao Bei would definitely have faced greater pressure."

“That’s true,” Jifeng agreed. “In the case of Clever Maze, she should have chosen a follow-up tactic. Although this tactic is more flexible in dealing with the changes of the escaped horse, the timing… she really got it right.”

“Yes, that’s what I think,” Yasui Makoto continued his analysis:
"However, failing to seize this opportunity and rigidly continuing to execute the marking tactic, I think, reflects Gao Shang's lack of confidence."

"Perhaps, at that time she vaguely felt that she could not catch up with Xiao Bei, and then she pinned her hopes on Xiao Bei and Ji Ling Maze exhausting their strength in the battle, and then she could catch up with her last foot."

Jifeng was stunned.

She had reflected on Gao Shangjunyi's mistakes after the competition, but she hadn't considered that she could look at it from the perspective of his personality.

What she didn't know was that, because they were close in age and she usually consulted and interacted with racehorse girls, Yasui Makoto had long been accustomed to considering training and competitions from the perspective of personality.

Moreover, in his recent exploration and research in the field, he has a conjecture that in order to come into contact with this special state, one might have to start with personality or, in professional terms, temperament.

Coincidentally, this spring appreciation event by the Emperor involved an experiment with the concept of domains, and afterwards, he would definitely need to confirm the effectiveness of the experiment with Genko Kita.

As for Gao Shangjunyi, who was competing in the same arena and following behind the Northern Black Horse, he could perhaps more accurately confirm the situation at the finish line through communication.

"Lack of confidence..." Jifeng murmured to himself, "Gao Shang... seems to have that issue, but I didn't expect it to have such an impact on the competition..."

"It's just an idea of ​​mine," Yasui Makoto explained, considering his own conjectures about the field, and suggested:
"Perhaps when it's convenient later, we can analyze this matter together. I wonder if that would be too much trouble for you, Jifeng?"

(End of this chapter)