Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 454 Targeting
Countless spectators stood up, craned their necks, stared wide-eyed at the track in disbelief.

"What's going on? Why isn't the Northern Black Steed taking the lead?"

"Is this...is this still the Northern Black Steed?"

"Won't this get us stuck in the inside lane? What kind of running tactic is this?"

Amidst the gasps and exclamations, Wang Ziding stared wide-eyed in shock at the front of the stands, nearly dropping her cheering stick.

Having known Alimee for so long and having trained together recently, she naturally knows that Kita Genko excels at leading the charge.

It is also known that this running style requires seizing the initiative at the start to create a sufficient distance.

They then leveraged the advantages in stamina and rhythm derived from the distance difference to gradually establish a winning position.

At this moment on the track, there are opponents in three directions: in front, outside, and behind... the Northern Black Steed has opponents in all three directions.

It's not impossible to grab the lead position at this point, but it will definitely take more effort, which is too disadvantageous for the fleeing horse.

"Senior Xiao Bei...aren't you good at leading and releasing?"

Filled with astonishment and disbelief, Wang Ziding covered her mouth in disbelief and gasped softly:

"What...what's going on?"

Confused, she anxiously turned to look at her side.

Then, to my surprise, I found that although Almond looked excited, she didn't seem worried at all.

Yasui Makoto remained calm and focused on the match with a firm gaze and a slight smile on his lips, as if everything was going according to plan.

At this moment, a thoughtful voice suddenly caught Wang Ziding's attention:

"I see, so you chose the leading-edge strategy? Hmm... a very good response."

Upon recognizing the voice of the Emperor of the East Sea, Wang Ziding quickly looked over and subconsciously asked, "Wh-what leader? The Emperor...?"

The Emperor of the East Sea stared at the black-haired girl on the track, without turning around, and explained with a smile:
"In terms of position, it is between the lead position and the first position, which means the one who escapes a little slower or the one who moves faster goes first."

"Is...is this still possible...?"

Wang Ziding was stunned, then puzzled:
"But... why choose this method? And... I've never heard of this running style before."

"That's because 'escape,' 'first,' 'second,' and 'pursue' are just basic classifications that are easy to understand at first."

Still focused on the match, the Emperor of the East Sea patiently explained:

"However, as their strength improves, their racing experience grows, and their opponents change, excellent female racehorses and trainers will create more detailed and targeted running techniques based on the actual situation."

"As for why this choice was made..."

She glanced at Yasui Makoto and smiled:

"That's because at this moment, for Xiao Bei, this is the best option that allows him to maintain control of the rhythm while conserving more energy."

He paid no attention to the conversation next to him; Yasui's attention was almost entirely on the track. However, the few words he vaguely heard still made him secretly admire the Emperor of the East Sea.

The experienced student council president was absolutely right; the "frontline" tactic was indeed the one he and Northern Black Horse had discussed.

Having gone through so many competitions, the condition of the Northern Black Horse is no secret.

And with each victory, her fame grows, and she becomes increasingly prominent.

In this match, and in every match thereafter, her opponents will repeatedly study her match videos to develop targeted tactics.

For example, his signature slow escape, and the long escape he demonstrated on the field.

These have definitely been anticipated. In this situation, if it's a long-distance race, which is extremely advantageous for the Northern Black Horse, then having some precautions is fine.

In your area of ​​expertise, just win head-on; don't worry too much.

Unfortunately, the Takarazuka Memorial's mid-range attack is not what the Northern Genko excels at.

This means that if she continues to use the old methods, she is likely to get surrounded by her opponents and lose too much energy.

The leading-edge running technique is not a new tactic; it has been used by trainers and racehorses for some time.

However, the Northern Black Horse has not been used yet.

That was a relatively novel running style for her and her opponents.

More importantly, the methods used by the former leader and her already proficient slow escape are largely similar, making the transition almost effortless.

Taking advantage of this, a sudden "new running style" can very likely catch the opponent off guard.

Then, she can maintain a relatively flexible position in the opening, without revealing her tactical intentions too early, and can make timely adjustments based on the running patterns of other racehorses.

While the commotion was raging in the stands, a similar atmosphere of unrest was also echoing on the track.

Unlike previous races, Dongbao Lone Wolf was running at the very front, and his ears twitched slightly.

Behind her were heavy, hurried footsteps, and out of the corner of her eye, she could catch a glimpse of the hem of the only battle dress in the world that was almost the same height as hers.

This situation is almost identical to the analysis I heard from the trainers before the competition.

The only thing missing was that crucial, familiar black and gold figure that "should" have been in front of him.

Behind her, the Ingenious Maze almost wanted to withdraw its power.

After that previous contest, she had simulated the chase countless times in training, chasing after that junior who was good at slow escape.

But at this moment, she was shocked to find that the other party was like a lurking cheetah, slowly following behind Noble Satomi, seemingly uninterested in taking the lead.

Just like Dongbao Lone Wolf and Clever Maze, Langri Qingtian was also filled with doubt and uncertainty.

In the pre-match instructions, the trainers repeatedly emphasized:
The Northern Black Horse will definitely lead the pace of this race. We must keep a close eye on its lead and make sure to catch up as soon as it starts to accelerate over long distances.

But the scene before me completely overturned my expectations.

The Northern Black Horse did not choose to lead the way; she stayed right next to him.

This did allow her to see the other person's movements more clearly; she could even see those firm and calm crimson eyes.

The sharp edge that she used to sprint at the start of the game was completely gone from her eyes. She was a little anxious for a moment, and her mind was racing to think of a solution.

Even earlier, the Satomi nobility had already changed their positions.

Taking the lead as soon as the gate opens is a tactic set before the race, and it is specifically designed to counter the northern black horses.

She thought that she could disrupt the opponent by launching a quick attack from the gate, but the steady hoofbeats beside her were like a punch to the gut, turning the tactics she had repeatedly rehearsed with her trainer before the match into dust.

Since it's not working, you should go back to where you're best at it.

Quickly assessing the situation, she took advantage of the team's inward movement to lean to the right and cut into the inner lane, returning to her familiar leading position.

Adjust your breathing rhythm so that your steps are subtly out of sync with the rhythm of the bright sunshine around you.

She stared at the black and gold figure ahead, silently pondering the course of the match:

"This is completely unconventional. So, what will you do next... Northern Black Steed?"

(End of this chapter)