Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 576 The Future Champions
At the edge of a relatively quiet track, thunderous sounds echoed as runners repeatedly practiced stability after sprints.

She strives for perfection with every step, her body lines are incredibly stable, and she seems to be silently chanting to herself, as if calculating the most precise rhythm.

Occasionally, she would raise her hand, as if infected by the symphony of nature, her fingers gently tracing a motion in the air as if she were searching for the most perfect and powerful note in the ultimate melody in her heart.

Not far away, Rong Houzaijue sat alone on a bench in the rest area, wearing noise-canceling headphones, shutting out all the noise from the outside world.

On her tablet screen, it appeared to be playing a recording of the match.

Her expression was calm and composed, without the slightest ripple. Only her fingers unconsciously tapped lightly and quickly on her knees, as if she were analyzing the opponent's pace, habitual overtaking routes, and subtle posture adjustments in the scene.

That focused gaze was like that of a chess player engrossed in a game of chess, calculating the next move, or even the next ten moves, to deliver the killing blow.

Further away, the petite figure was undergoing short-range explosive power training.

The moment the signal sounded, she shot out like a cannonball, exuding a raw, untamed power that contrasted sharply with her usual shy and quiet demeanor. This caused the trainers and racehorses passing by to turn their heads in surprise.

It's not just them.

The entire training area at the Tokyo racetrack has been like a huge and sophisticated machine these days, with every component—every racehorse girl and her team—being put to final adjustments for its operation.

As this enormous instrument roared forward, the cameras and microphones in the reporters' area never stopped firing, and the antennas of the television broadcast van were also raised high, capturing every detail.

Fragments of reporters' excited broadcasts could be faintly heard:

"...Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last open training day before the Japan Cup, and we can see that all the players have entered their final form..."

"...Whether 'Queen of Autumn' Northern Black Steed can withstand the onslaught from overseas powerhouses and take another step towards achieving the triple crown of autumn will be the biggest highlight..."

"...The adaptability of the rules, especially the scale of physical confrontation, will be one of the key factors in determining the outcome of this match..."

Back at Treson Academy, the cafeteria TVs and corridor bulletin boards were playing related news on a loop. Students gathered in twos and threes, and the topics of discussion always revolved around "collision rules," "California Shining," "we'll decide on that last one later," and "Kibe-senpai will definitely be fine."

These images and sounds intertwined to form the unique background music on the eve of the competition, and at this moment, I experienced visual and auditory hallucinations.

Northern Black Horse took a light breath and unconsciously touched his pocket.

"Xiao Bei! Almond eyes!"

A vibrant voice interrupted her thoughts.

Northern Black Horse and Almond Eyes beside her turned their heads and saw California Shining and Frostfall walking over with smiles.

California Shine's signature golden ponytail swayed merrily with her steps, while Frostfall maintained her carefree and relaxed demeanor. The helplessness in her smile revealed that she had undoubtedly been dragged here by California Shine once again.

"Shining-chan, Frost-drifting-chan!" Northern Genko immediately smiled.

"Wow! I knew it! This Chinatown is so much fun!"

California's eyes lit up, and she couldn't wait to speak, her voice still tinged with excitement, "That lion dance! Wow! It was amazing! Thank you for your recommendation!"

Frostfall shook its head with amusement, then nodded and smiled in agreement:

"Indeed, I initially thought this guy was up to something crazy again, but it turned out to be so much fun there. Especially the part where they had to stand on such a high pole to grab the 'green' (picking the green), it was so thrilling."

"By the way, do they usually undergo such high-intensity training?"

"Yes, yes!"

Mentioning this, Northern Black Horse got excited and couldn't help but gesture wildly, "It's amazing, right! Next time after the competition, we can try it together! Although we probably can't stand that high, hehe."

"Okay! It's a deal then!"

Pressing the elevator button forcefully, Shuangjiang then twitched her ears, becoming curious: "By the way, I saw that event had... yeah, I think it was called Picking Green."

"I think it's just a vegetable, but neither Shanyao nor I managed to get one. I heard you got one, Xiaobei. I just wanted to ask..."

"Was that something to eat? Did you eat it later? How was it? Was it tastier than regular vegetables?"

Upon hearing this, California Shining looked on with curiosity, while Northern Xuanju and Almond Eyes were completely stunned.

Eat... pickled greens?
They exchanged a strange, suppressed laugh, glance. Northern Black Horse couldn't help but burst out laughing. Almond Eyes, after laughing, waved repeatedly at the two puzzled American racehorse girls:

"No, no... Pfft... Seniors, actually... Pfft... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just... the green vegetables in the 'picking greens' ceremony are mainly for the purpose of symbolizing good fortune and luck, and they are generally not actually eaten."

The horse racers quickly burst into laughter, a mixture of embarrassment, amusement, and playful banter, and the conversation naturally shifted to local delicacies.

Rong Houzaijue, who happened to overhear their conversation, seemed to have her interest piqued and joined in the discussion, describing the taste of a local specialty dessert in her unique, slightly languid tone, which made the girls look on with longing.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming more and more harmonious, a head suddenly popped out from among them.

The golden ship, wearing an extremely flamboyant banquet hat that it had somehow acquired, struck a pose and said in a high-pitched voice:
"Yo~! Future champions, what delicious food are you plotting here? Everyone who sees this gets a share! Don't forget your dear senior, A-Chuan!"

Her sudden quirky behavior immediately dispelled the subtle tension hidden beneath the relaxed atmosphere, drawing helpless yet amused glances from the girls.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Beifang Xuanju's phone rang with a short notification tone.

She took it out and saw that it was a short video text message sent by Chunqiu.

When you open the screen, you see a little girl facing the camera, her face flushed with excitement, clenching her tiny fists tightly.
"Senior Xiao Bei! Good luck in the competition! I'll be cheering you on from the TV! And... and... the lucky lion dance doll you gave me, I've put it in the most prominent place! It will definitely bring you good luck!"

Seeing Chunqiufen's sincere and adorable appearance in the video, Beifang Xuanju smiled gently, feeling warm inside.

However, the relaxed atmosphere did not mask the fact that tomorrow's competition would be fierce and real.

During a break in their conversation, California Shining suddenly nudged Northern Black Steed with his elbow, his azure eyes flashing with a pure and warlike light, and a bright smile that was challenging yet without malice spreading across his lips:

"Hey, Xiao Bei. The lion dance in Chinatown was really amazing, thank you so much for your recommendation, but..."

She paused, and a hint of red flashed in her blue eyes:
"I won't lose to you in tomorrow's match. Are you ready?"

(End of this chapter)