Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 571 I will definitely win

The dream journey didn't continue, but the unfinished meaning, like the silent tolling of a bell, echoed in the room.

The Golden Ship, unusually, remained silent, as did Yi Lutong. The Golden Master and others on the other end of the video call also wore serious expressions.

Northern Black Steed met the gazes of her seniors, her chest rising and falling slowly. The pressure fell as if it were real, but it did not suffocate her; instead, it ignited a flame in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, her voice soft but clear and firm:
"I understand, seniors."

"Don't worry, I won't let everyone down."

"I will definitely win the Japan Cup!"

……

The morning mist had not yet dissipated from Treson Academy, and the muffled sound of running shoes treading on the grass could already be heard from the training field.

Yasui Makoto stood beside the timing table, watching Kita Genko cross the finish line, his record sheet filled with data.

The morning dew dampened a corner of the paper, causing the ink to smudge slightly, but he knew every number by heart.

"The cadence stability reached 97.4%, and the deceleration on the final curve was reduced by 12% compared to last week."

Alice's voice came from behind her. Her hair was still a little messy, like she had just woken up after staying up all night researching. The hem of her white coat swayed gently with her steps.

She adjusted her glasses and showed the tablet in her hand, on which a 3D model was demonstrating the running posture of the Northern Black Horse.

Seeing Yasui Makoto looking over, she slightly suppressed her smile and frowned slightly:
"However... the left lean angle is still a bit too much, which makes it difficult to adjust your posture when dealing with left turns on the track."

"Yes, it is a problem, but not a big one. We can adjust it later..."

Looking at the tablet screen, Yasui Masakatsu said something and ran over there. Kita Genko walked over, wiping his sweat.

Her cheeks were still slightly flushed from exercise. After taking the towel and drink from Almond Eyes, she asked somewhat impatiently:

"Ah-Zhen, Hayako-senpai, thank you for your hard work! How was training today?"

"We were just talking about this, but..."

After thinking for a moment, Yasui Makoto closed the notepad:
"None of these are serious issues. Let's discuss them at the team meeting. It's also a good time to finalize some specific plans regarding the Japan Cup."

Upon hearing this, Beibu Xuanju showed no sign of anxiety and nodded vigorously: "Okay! No problem!"

Ever since that day when I wrote the self-criticism with the Golden Ship, the Japan Cup has been getting closer and closer.

Even without paying special attention to what was happening outside, the increasingly frequent discussions on campus were enough for Beifang Xuanju to sense an atmosphere of anxiety.

She was not unaware of the hype surrounding the Japan Cup; on the contrary, whether it was her unwavering commitment to watching Tokai Teios' matches back then, her studies and preparations for entering Central Teresen Academy, or the attention she received before and after her debut, she had experienced many storms stirred up by such attention.

In the past, whether it was anxiety or storms, she was always an observer.

And now, she is at the eye of the storm, in a state of intense anxiety.

But she was surprised to find that she was not affected by the outside world as she had imagined, or rather, not as affected as before.

It's not that there's no pressure, nor that there's no anxiety.

Rather, those emotions seemed to only motivate her to win the Japan Cup, rather than crush her.

"Great! In that case, as long as I keep working hard and complete every training session seriously, I can definitely win the Japan Cup!"

During meals and subsequent training and rest periods that day, she couldn't help but think this way.

In the evening, in the office of Yasui Makoto's team, Azume had already helped Yamato Akaki put up the track map of Tokyo Racecourse. The whiteboard on the wall was divided into three sections, labeled "Track Data," "Opponent Analysis," and "Training Focus." Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the data charts, lists, and analyses.

"First, there's the issue of the venue," Yasui Makoto began, pointing to the four curves marked on the diagram.
"The third corner of the Tokyo circuit is 2 degrees steeper than what we usually practice. In addition, the track stiffness has increased by 8% this year. Theoretically, we must adjust our center of gravity 40 meters in advance when cornering."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamato Akaki next to the projector operated it, and a set of curve charts appeared on the screen.

Yasui smiled gratefully at Yamato Akaki, then turned on the laser pointer he had prepared beforehand and began drawing rays of light on the projection screen:
"This is the change in track hardness over the past five years for the Japan Cup. Combining this with the mechanical model of our senior, Suzuki, we then considered adjusting the friction coefficient of the running shoes from 0.8 to 0.85, which means adjusting the shoe configuration."

While Yasui was speaking, Kita Genkom kept scribbling in his notebook.

Hearing that she needed to adjust her running shoes and horseshoes, she paused, then tapped her chin with a carrot-shaped ballpoint pen.

"It's improved... Does that mean the track is more slippery this time?"

"Yes."

Yasui Makoto nodded, but did not continue speaking immediately. Instead, he gestured to Yamato Akaki.

When a video appeared on the screen, it was a match, and judging from the audio, it was the Japan Cup, and the name "Lady" was mentioned.

The video is not played all at once, but pauses after playing a short segment, while some data, subtitles, and icons appear on the screen before continuing.

Once the video started playing, Yasui Makoto pointed at it with the laser pointer and said:
"This is a video recording of the match sent by the Golden Ship. It's about the Lady's performance in the Japan Cup, and it has already been analyzed and disassembled by her and her trainer."

"My thought is that changes to running shoes and horseshoes will definitely affect your feel, and it will take time to get used to them."

"However, some predecessors have already had experience in this area, so we can refer to them directly."

"Lady encountered a similar situation in that Japan Cup, and one of her team's solutions was to adjust the running shoes and feet."

"Besides that, there's the experience of the noblewoman herself."

"Her experience is to lower her center of gravity with small, quick steps before entering a turn, like this..."

As he spoke, Yasui Makoto gestured to Yamato Akaki to rewind the video a bit, and then rewind it again after it finished playing.

This video has clearly been slowed down. Every step the lady takes and every swing of her arm is clearly visible, and you can even see the traces of sweat sliding down her face.

After replaying the video three times, Yasui Makoto explained:

"Did you see that? The change in the lady's gait."

He deliberately paused and didn't continue, only looking at the Northern Black Horse.

Northern Black Horse stopped writing and answered almost instantly:

"I've improved. I understand now, using high-frequency strides to maintain balance and handle a slipperier track than before."

Upon hearing this, not only Yasui Makoto, but also Alice and Yamato Akaki showed relieved and satisfied smiles. Yasui Makoto nodded and said:
"That's right, the specific data is that it increased from 7.9 to 8.5. This increase is very small and is completely within the theoretical adaptation range. Generally speaking, most racehorse girls would find it difficult to make such subtle controls. I can only say... as expected of a noblewoman."

He sighed, then smiled slightly:
"However, if it's you, Xiao Bei, Su Zi and I both think that the same level of control wouldn't be a problem for you."

"Your racing experience is not much different from that of the noblewoman back then. In terms of ability, you two happen to be power-specialized racehorse girls. We have also compared the data on your instantaneous burst power and control level, and there is not much difference."

"Even if we're just comparing strength, your endurance is a bit better, and your rhythm is also better."

"So one of the key focuses of the next training session is adapting to this high-frequency footwork."

(End of this chapter)