Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 465 The Ambition of the Emperor of the East Sea

At night, on the winner's stage of the Hanshin Arena, the dazzling lights illuminated the figures of the horse girls.

Just like when watching the game during the day, the audience's enthusiasm remained high, with cheers rising and falling from the stands, and light sticks waving to the music.

As one song ended, the upbeat prelude of a new one began, bringing the audience to a small climax.

The song title, "Endless Dream," means "a dream that never ends," which corresponds perfectly to the "Takarazuka of Dreams" competition and is also the song used to commemorate the victory of Takarazuka.

In a corner of the audience, clapping along with the rest of the audience, Yasui Makoto quickly spotted the familiar black-haired girl on stage.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that the Northern Black Steed seemed more spirited than ever before.

Perhaps it was the joy of victory that made him unconsciously curl up the corners of his mouth.

This victory is not only a testament to the strength of the Northern Black Horses, but also the result of their joint efforts.

Every day and night of training, every discussion of tactics, has now transformed into a great sense of accomplishment.

Just as I was about to clap and start clapping, a voice from the side came with great interest:

"You've really grown into a big kid, haven't you, Yasui?"

Yasui Makoto was not surprised to recognize the voice of the Emperor of the East Sea.

After the Takarazuka memorial service, he, the trainer of the Northern Genko, inevitably had to give interviews.

In addition, because his racehorse girl's performance was becoming more and more outstanding, there were some matters to discuss with the racetrack and the association. He had previously gone to the affairs hall with the Emperor of the East Sea.

"He has indeed matured a lot."

Following the sound, Yasui Makoto smiled and pondered for a moment:

"We've already reached the halfway point of the first year of the Year of the Horse, whether it's physical condition, racing experience, or skills..."

"...Although I know you're right, Yasui, but..."

A strange and amused glint flashed in the eyes of the Emperor of the East Sea as he interrupted:

"Don't you think it's a bit of a mood killer to say this at a time like this?"
"Charm, it's all about temperament."

"Don't you think Xiao Bei is particularly charming on stage right now?"

As she asked the question, a meaningful glint flashed in her eyes.

Yasui Makoto didn't notice the gaze of the Tokai Emperor; he simply glanced at the stage instinctively.

Under the spotlight, Northern Genko stretches its body to the rhythm of "Endless Dream".

The silver threads on the silver-white stage costumes flowed in the light and shadow, as if transforming the sharpness of the competition into a leaping galaxy.

The moment she suddenly leaped up on tiptoe, the angle at which her skirt billowed carried a sharp, wind-breaking quality.

His youthful and spirited appearance reminded Yasui Makoto of the clumsy girl he bumped into when they first met.

Things are completely different now...

Thinking to himself, the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up, and he nodded softly, saying:
"Indeed...very charming."

Having observed secretly all along, the Emperor of the East Sea remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

As the student council president, she was all too aware of how sensitive the special relationship between top racehorse girls and their trainers was.

It's important to know that even before the Takarazuka Memorial, Kita Genko was already a renowned racehorse girl.

As her trainer, Yasui Makoto is indeed quite young, so it's understandable that she might have some youthful feelings, but she definitely needs to find a way to deal with them.

Seeing that this young man is simply admiring her, it saves me a lot of trouble.

But before this moment of relief could even fade, the Emperor of the East Sea couldn't help but mutter to himself. On stage, Xiao Bei was undeniably cute and lively, even down to the strands of her hair. The way her ear tips swayed as she twirled around made even the Emperor want to ruffle her hair.

But Yasui didn't react at all... Is his head made of wood?

I may have my own complaints, but I certainly can't say them out loud.

So she still wore a smile on her face, and like Yasui Makoto, she clapped softly along with the music.

As the song drew to a close, she gazed at the Northern Black Horse taking its final bow on stage, and suddenly leaned closer:
"There are two things I feel I should tell you, Yasui."

"One of them is what I said to Xiaobei before the competition."

"The other thing is what Xiao Bei said to me after the match today..."

She described in a simple and clear manner what happened before and after the Takarazuka Memorial outside the medical center, and her eyes gradually filled with relief:
"...She said she runs to fulfill the expectations and dreams she carries, to become a great and legendary racehorse girl, for her family, friends, fans, and for you."

"Xiao Bei will probably tell you these things himself later."

"But what I want to say is that she... has really grown and matured a lot more than I thought."

"So, after hearing what she said, Yasui, what are your thoughts?"

Yasui Makoto had previously asked the Emperor of the East Sea to discuss matters concerning the palace with the Northern Black Horse, so he was not surprised by these two conversations.

He just hadn't expected that the other party wouldn't mention the palace at all, nor did he expect that the Northern Black Steed would sense those things.

"My thoughts... I can only say that he truly lives up to his reputation as Xiao Bei."

Looking at the radiant figure under the spotlight on the stage, the scene of spending time with the Northern Black Horse reappeared in his mind, and he smiled:
"She always thinks of others, whether it's in normal times or during competitions... It's not really unexpected."

"Indeed, just as she herself said, a racehorse girl running to carry expectations and dreams..."

Looking towards the stage as well, the Emperor of the East Sea uttered a sigh, his gaze, while initially gratified, gradually turned serious:
"In that case, perhaps... I can tell you about an idea I had a long time ago."

"I also have ideas about McQueen, and many racehorse girls."

Clearly sensing that the Emperor of the East Sea's tone was somewhat different, and realizing that the student council president was probably about to say something very important, Yasui looked over in surprise and nodded earnestly without realizing it.
"Please speak, Chairman."

"If I had to sum it up in one sentence," the Emperor of the East Sea said, turning to look at Yasui Makoto, as he intentionally or unintentionally walked towards a secluded part of the audience seats:

"I hope... no, I should say we hope that you and Xiao Bei can bring more possibilities to the Shining Series."

"The possibility of overseas events."

Now even more convinced that what the Emperor of the East Sea had said was important, Yasui Makoto quickly pondered as he walked to the aisle of the audience seating area:

"You mean... international G1 races outside of the Arc de Triomphe prize?"

"bingo!"

With a snap of his fingers, the Emperor of the East Sea nodded emphatically:

"You've been at the academy for two years, so you should be very clear about the current atmosphere."

"I do not deny the status and significance of the Arc de Triomphe as a top international event, but the issues of venue adaptability and schedule arrangement are one aspect, and the other is that there are too few choices."

"The Arc de Triomphe 2400m is a middle-distance race. If we only focus on this distance, many female racehorses will not be able to showcase their talents."

"Like Xiao Bei... Of course, I'm not denying Xiao Bei's strength at this distance."

"In fact, compared to mid-range, long-range is clearly the best stage to showcase her skills."

“We happened to have discussed this plan before, and you don’t seem to be very enthusiastic about the Arc de Triomphe award.”

"Perhaps, if you and Xiao Bei are going to do an overseas expedition, you could consider international G1 instead of this."

(End of this chapter)