Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 643 Small Division, do you want to give it a try?

Yasui Makoto shook his head, his voice steady yet carrying the weight of fate:

"The result of that duel was that the two crossed the finish line almost at the same time."

"Ultimately, based on the photo assessment, Oguri Hattori led by an extremely narrow margin, while Inari Hajime... narrowly lost by a hair's breadth."

Chunqiu was stunned, her little hand unconsciously covering her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow for her senior:

"Oh...I see...That's such a pity..."

She remained silent for a few seconds, as if her mind was gripped by this dramatic history.

Then, she couldn't help but raise her head, her bloodshot eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge, and asked in a soft but urgent voice:
"B-and then?"

Seeing her completely absorbed in the story of Sai, everyone was amused by her pure curiosity, and the atmosphere relaxed again.

As the group moved slowly forward with the flow of people, Yasui Makoto continued speaking in his clear narrative style:
"And then... I should say, it's still full of regrets and uncertainties."

"After the daily crown, the next competition for Inari Ichi is the Emperor's Autumn Appreciation, which Oguri Hat also participated in."

"But the victor in that autumn battle was neither Inari Ichi nor Oguri Hat."

"But it was the last of the three that were known as the 'Generation Three' at the time, Super Little Bay."

"That G1 race was also the first time these three top female racehorses competed together."

"Then came the Japan Cup, where three strong teams gathered, but the final winner was not any of them, but the strong team from Australia, Hollysys."

"In that Japan Cup, Oguri Hats came in second, Super Bay came in fourth, while Inari Ichi... only managed to finish eleventh."

Watching Yasui Makoto listen intently to the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, as if he himself were in that era of brilliant stars, Yasui Makoto suddenly smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of pride:
"However, the story of them, namely Oguri Hat, Super Bay, and Inari Ichi, is not over yet."

"They met again at the Arima Memorial that year."

"This time, facing two formidable rivals who had defeated him before, Inari Hajime finally grasped the dawn of victory."

"She overtook Oguri Hat on the final straight and engaged in a thrilling one-on-one battle with Super Bay."

His voice rose slightly, as if he too could sense the tense atmosphere on the field at that time:

"And this time, a familiar scene played out again."

"Just like in the Daily Crown race, Inari Ichi and Oguri Hat crossed the finish line almost at the same time, in the Arima Kinen race, Inari Ichi and Super Bay crossed the finish line almost at the same time, and the winner had to be decided by the photo judges."

"But this time, the three goddesses favored Inari Ichi."

"Just as Little Chestnut Hat defeated her by a hair's breadth, she narrowly defeated Super Bay by almost the same margin."

"Furthermore, she also significantly improved the record held by Chairman Rudol at the Arima Memorial by a full 1.1 seconds!"
"Because she won the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen races in the same year, she became the fourth racehorse girl in the history of the Shining Series to achieve 'double Grand Prix' and was selected as the racehorse girl of the year."

After Yasui Makoto finished speaking, looking at Chunqiu Fen's eyes, which were somewhat dazed from the overwhelming amount of information, yet still sparkling with excitement and shock, he couldn't help but chuckle and concluded:
"Therefore, this event is indeed a rare opportunity to meet so many powerful and legendary female racehorses all at once."

Chunqiu stood there, stunned, speechless for a long time, her eyes unfocused, as if her soul had drifted to that star-studded arena, witnessing firsthand the breathtaking contests of legendary predecessors. Her small mouth was slightly open, seemingly still silently repeating the words "1.1 seconds" and "Grand Prix consecutive victories." After a long while, she slowly blinked, letting out a long, almost sighing breath, as if finally managing to digest that magnificent chapter of racing history.

Her gaze remained somewhat unfocused, tinged with a dreamlike disbelief, as she murmured softly, "So... this is how the seniors' competitions are done..."

Just then, Alice noticed her shocked yet thoughtful expression, and a playful smile crept onto her lips.

Her gaze swept between the still excited almond-shaped eyes and the dazed Spring and Autumn Equinox, carrying a hint of teasing and a subtle probing, before she asked:
"Oh? You're listening so intently? Well then, Spring and Autumn Equinox, seeing how much you long for it... how about you try going with Almond and following those legendary predecessors?"

The air seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Chunqiu suddenly raised her head, her face first showing great surprise, which was then replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

Her small ears twitched, her hands clenched tightly in front of her, her lips hesitated for a moment, and finally, with a slightly trembling but exceptionally clear voice, she answered:
"Can...can I? If...if I can...I want to try!"

This answer surprised everyone except for Makoto Yasui.

This usually polite, introverted little guy, who only becomes more lively around the Northern Black Horse, now has a fighting spirit burning in his eyes that doesn't match his appearance.

Alice and Yamato Akari exchanged a glance, both seeing the admiration in each other's eyes. As astute as they were, they immediately sensed that this courage to confront a legend was a key manifestation of the potential of a "prodigy."

Northern Black Horse also vaguely sensed the energy contained within the Spring and Autumn Split and couldn't help but look at Yasui Mako with admiration.

Yasui Makoto looked at Chunqiu Fen with an understanding look in his eyes, but his tone was more cautious and gentle.

"A very courageous decision."

He first gave his affirmation, then changed the subject and analyzed the situation rationally:
"However, Xiaofen hasn't received much professional training yet. Going directly into a battle against legends like Oguri Hattori would be too much of a blow, as the skill gap is too large. It's easy for her to be discouraged, which wouldn't be good for her future growth."

He saw a hint of disappointment flash in Chunqiu's eyes, but he was still listening attentively.

"Besides, given the lineup and rules of this exhibition match, you can't participate in that level of competition, but..."

He changed the subject, his tone softening, and with a guiding tone, pointed to another promotional poster not far away:
“Look over there, the recreational events in the ‘non-traditional’ category. That’s more suitable for you right now. You can go there to gain experience and feel the atmosphere of the competition.”

Following his directions, Chunqiu looked at the poster and saw that the racehorse girl in the picture did indeed look younger and the atmosphere was more relaxed.

The disappointment in her eyes faded, replaced by renewed light, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes! I understand! I'll participate in that!"

Everyone smiled encouragingly.

Yasui Shinya smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze to Kita Genko, his tone slightly encouraging:

"In that case, it means that you will need to pay attention to both the exhibition match of Xingmu and the entertainment match of Chunqiufen at the same time... In other words, Xiaobei, you will have to work a little harder."

The Northern Black Steed immediately straightened its back, its crimson eyes filled with determination and eagerness, and responded without hesitation:

"It's okay, A-Zhen! Leave it to me!"

(End of this chapter)