Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 605 "Captured Alive" A Spring and Autumn Equinox
Alice and Yamato Akaki exchanged a glance, a sudden realization flashing in their eyes.

As top-tier racehorse girls, they immediately understood after Yasui Makoto's explanation.

Compared to them, Kita Genko is not good at adapting to changing situations on the field, and their past competitive strength is not mature enough. Yasui Makoto only made a lot of contingency plans in previous competitions.

For the Northern Black Horse, whose overall qualities have reached their peak, designing too many contingency plans might interfere with her judgment during the competition.

Then it would be better to let her go and "go head-to-head" with other opponents.

She can even "win" in intense competitions like the Japan Cup.

Arima Kinen, a more "gentle" race, is certainly no problem for them.

As Alice and Yamato Akaki suddenly realized what was happening, Kita Genko met Yasui Makoto's gaze and nodded vigorously.

Without exaggerated excitement or uneasy hesitation, her response was calm and powerful, carrying an unwavering determination:

"Yes! I understand, trainer!"

A spirited and determined atmosphere filled the preparation room.

Just then, the Northern Black Steed seemed to suddenly remember something, looked around, and exclaimed in confusion, "Eh?"
"Speaking of which, where's Xiao Xingmu? Didn't she say she was just going out for a bit and would be right back? Why haven't we seen her yet?"

Yasui Shinya snapped out of his daze and glanced at the time:

"It has been quite a while. Could they have already gone to the audience seats to reserve seats? But there's no need. Vodka, Senior Little Te, and President Emperor will all be in those seats this time, so there's no need to reserve seats..."

Before he could finish speaking, several urgent knocks sounded on the door.

Yamato Akaki, who was closest to the door, went over and opened it.

The scene outside the door startled everyone in the preparation room.

Almond Eyes stood there with a smug and amused smile on his face, holding a small, struggling figure in his arms.

She was a racehorse girl who looked even younger.

Her black hair and white bangs were a little messy from being ruffled, and she was stiff all over because she had been caught red-handed, her face flushed red.

When the door opened and pairs of eyes turned to look, the little racehorse girl froze.

In an instant, she looked so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground, and stammered an apology in a voice barely audible:

"I'm so sorry! I... I didn't mean to bother you, Senior Xiao Bei... I'm really... really sorry!"

"Huh? Small score?"

Northern Black Horse recognized at a glance that the little racehorse girl "captured" by Almond Eyes was none other than Spring and Autumn.

She stepped forward in surprise:
"What are you doing here? Little Almond Eyes, what's going on here...?"

Xingmu chuckled, first putting Chunqiu Fen, who was trying to curl up in his arms, down to the ground, but still holding her wrist firmly to prevent her from escaping again, and then closing the door behind him with his other hand.

"I just got a text message and went out," Almond-eyed explained, her tone slightly mischievous.

"It was from Xiao Fa. She asked me if I could help her pass on the cheering gift to Senior Xiao Bei."

“I said why don’t you just come over and give it to her in person and cheer her on?”
"As soon as the little guy heard that someone was coming, he got so scared that he turned around and tried to run away like a frightened rabbit!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but ruffle Chunqiufen's already messy hair with her free hand, and her smile became even more smug:
"But you think you can escape from me, Lord Almond Eyes? You're a hundred years too early!"
"So, are you still going to run away or not?"
"If you run again, it won't just be me catching you, I'll have Senior Xiao Bei catch you himself!"

"Pfft—" Alice couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Yamato Akaki's lips curled into a helpless yet amused smile. Yasui Makoto, watching this scene, was also somewhat at a loss for words.

Northern Black Horse sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and gently slapped away Almond Eyes' "wicked" hand.

Then she bent down and helped the bewildered Chunqiu Fen tidy her disheveled bangs and hair, giving Xingmu a gentle yet slightly reproachful look:
"Really, that's going a bit too far. Little Almond... Little Fen is still so young, don't keep teasing her like that."

Almond-eyed chuckled, stuck out her tongue at Northern Black Horse, and made a face:

"It's her fault for running away as soon as I said that!"
"And let me tell you, Senior Xiao Bei, don't let her small size fool you, she's incredibly fast when she runs, she can dart out in a flash!"

"Of course, they still can't outrun me now!" The last sentence was full of confidence and pride.

Northern Black Horse, unable to do anything about the apricot-eyed man, shook his head.

She looked again at Chunqiu Fen, whose cheeks were still rosy, and softened her voice:

"If you want to cheer me on, just come over, it's no problem. Oh, by the way..."

She remembered something and asked:

"Where is your good friend? If I remember correctly, her name is... the Primordial Sea, right?"

Upon hearing that Beibu Genko actually remembered his friend's name, Chunqiu Fen suddenly raised his head, his eyes lighting up as if stars had fallen into them.

She nodded her little head vigorously, temporarily forgetting her shyness: "Yes! It will be called the Primordial Sea!"

But then she scratched her head a little embarrassedly and whispered:

"Xiao Chu... originally planned to come and watch the game together."

"However, her parents had just made an appointment to meet a very powerful trainer a while ago, and that trainer also came to watch the match today, so they came together... They probably wanted to let the trainer see when Xiao Chu could become a professional, right?"

"That kind of thing is of course very important, so I definitely can't disturb them, so I'll just come to watch the game by myself."

As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and gestured with her hands:

"Speaking of which, Xiao Chu does seem to have grown a little faster recently. It feels like she'll be able to prepare to apply to Central Tereson Academy soon..."

After gesturing, she noticed the smiling gazes of Beifang Xuanju and the others, and belatedly blushed, quickly waving her hands to explain:
"Ah! I, I will try my best too!"
"Although I started school later than elementary and junior high, and my formal education will definitely be later, but... but I have always been working hard on running and training!"
"And, and..."

As she said this, she suddenly took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly, clenched her small fists behind her back, and as if summoning all the courage she had ever had, shouted with all her might:
"I will, I will...!"
"She will definitely become a racehorse girl as outstanding and amazing as Senior Kobe!"

"Because, because...because this is my dream!"

The youthful yet incredibly resolute voice echoed clearly in the preparation room. That pure enthusiasm and anticipation, like a bright light, instantly dispelled the final tension before the great battle.

Northern Black Horse was slightly taken aback. Looking at the junior in front of him, whose eyes were shining, tense yet extremely serious, he seemed to see his past self.

The smile on her face slowly widened, eventually transforming into an extremely warm and powerful smile.

She reached out and gently placed her hand on the top of Chunqiufen's head.

“Yes,” her voice was steady and encouraging, “I believe in you. So, watch today’s game carefully.”

She raised her head, her gaze passing over the spring and autumn equinoxes, looking at the clock on the wall, and then at the racetrack outside the window that was about to become a battlefield.

The gentleness in her eyes was gradually replaced by sharpness.

(End of this chapter)