Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 651 It's almost as if Yasui is speaking.
When Yasui Makoto subconsciously looked towards Kita Genkoma, he found her staring at Kikkaku Misuzu in surprise, and she seemed about to turn her head to look at him.

He quickly looked away, pretending nothing was wrong, and walked casually to the corner where the training equipment was placed, saying:
"Yeah, I didn't specifically mention it. Anyway, it's not something that needs to be emphasized..."

He patted the whiteboard leaning against the wall and changed the subject:
"There's no projector here, so it looks like we'll have to use this whiteboard. Xiao Bei, is that alright?"

His topic shift was so natural that everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him.

"Yeah! No problem!"

He immediately responded and rushed over, together with Yasui Makoto, to move the somewhat heavy whiteboard to the table in the middle of the room.

Seeing this, the others also helped to tidy up the tables and chairs, and soon the room was arranged to resemble the way the team usually met to analyze tactics.

However, this time, it wasn't Yasui Makoto standing in front of the whiteboard.

Instead, it was the Northern Black Horse whose face showed obvious tension and a hint of apprehension.

Before even arriving at the preparation room, Genkobu Kita knew that while Makoto Yasui would likely offer reminders as he had done at the training ground, the tactical arrangements and on-the-spot guidance for this match would primarily depend on him, the "assistant."

However, the thought of actually having to independently conduct strategic and tactical analysis and issue commands, especially after just making the mistake of habitually thinking in a "leader-delegator" manner, made her worry that she might make another mistake.

This feeling of unease became even more pronounced the moment she stood in front of the whiteboard and picked up a pen.

However, before she could even adjust her mindset, her gaze swept over the familiar faces in front of her. Seeing the encouragement, expectation, and trust in An's eyes, she suddenly remembered how everyone looked at her and trusted her in the same way before she stepped onto the track each time.

A sense of inexplicable confidence and responsibility welled up within her. She adjusted her posture, gently patted her chest, and felt much more at ease.

Then, she tried hard to recall Yasui Makoto's usual habits and thought process when he chaired pre-match meetings, and began to explain:
"...First of all, this race is on mud, 1600 meters, clockwise."

"We just went up there for a test run, and the surface is very smooth; it looks like it's regularly maintained. However..."

She paused, trying to recall and organize a more professional description:

"The texture feels softer than the dirt track we usually use for training at Central Academy, probably due to differences in geology or maintenance materials."

"This means... well... the feedback from the grip will be different. When accelerating, you may need to pay more attention to how you use your feet to avoid slipping or overexerting your energy."

She wrote what she had just said on the whiteboard, thought for a moment, and pointed to the diagram on the wall:

"Regarding the overall venue..."

"Compared to the main stadium in the center and our usual training ground, the Kasamatsu Stadium is smaller in scale and the terrain is flatter overall."

"Therefore, the slope is not very difficult, and there is no need to allocate special physical strength to deal with the ups and downs."

"Without the terrain interference, well... the pace of the whole game should be faster, and the competition for positions may be more intense. This is something we need to focus on."

Briefly explaining the race schedule, Kita Genko's gaze swept over everyone, trying hard to recall the analysis he had heard from Yasui Makoto in the past, as well as his own notes, and his expression became serious:

"Then... the opponents we need to pay the most attention to in this match are undoubtedly Oguri Hat-senpai, Inari Ichi-senpai, and Super Little Bay-senpai."

"I remember watching some classic match videos of Oguri Hattori and Inari Ichisen with A-Zhen and the trainer before, and we also analyzed them carefully."

"Their power level is extremely high, and their final kick explosiveness is particularly terrifying. I remember the data showing that they can often unleash a final kick of over 17 meters per second, posing a very, very great threat. "Super Little Bay Senior also possesses considerable final kick explosiveness, but what's even more frightening is her stamina..."

"Very strong, extremely strong. She was the undisputed long-distance champion of her generation, extremely skilled in endurance battles and long-distance, almost uninterrupted continuous acceleration."

"There were reports at the time that if you were to compete against her, she would apply pressure like waves until she wore down your opponent."

After summarizing the situations of the three predecessors, Beifang Xuanju paused briefly to integrate the information and conduct analysis and reasoning:
"Overall, if we adopt a strategy of going first or even taking the lead against these three predecessors, we may end up in a war of attrition against the Super Small Bay predecessors in the early to mid-game, or be dragged into a high-speed pace."

"By the time we reached the final straight line, we were no longer strong enough to deal with the devastating final impacts from her, as well as from Oguri-senpai and Inari-senpai."

"If a chasing strategy is adopted, in a relatively short distance of 1600 meters, especially on a small, flat track like Kasamatsu, the distance and time left for the runners to catch up may not be sufficient, and the risk is very high."

"Therefore," she finally concluded:

"Xingmu, you'd better use the 'different line' running method this time."

"This allows you to better utilize the wind resistance created by the curves and your opponents, conserving your energy to the maximum extent. On the straightaway, your flexibility and explosive power are most easily showcased."

After explaining these core tactics, she thought for a moment and then added and emphasized:

"Furthermore, while winning or losing is important in this competition, we cannot be complacent just because our opponent is a respected senior. We must go all out."

"But another key point is to experience the rhythm and pressure of competing head-on with top predecessors, which is more important than simply pursuing a ranking."

After she finished speaking, she first looked at Almond Eyes.

I noticed that Almond-eyed was looking very serious, intently taking notes in his notebook.

She looked at the others with a mixture of anticipation and unease.

Alice laughed first, teasing, "Kuku... aside from the lack of data citations and the somewhat awkward use of technical terms, the tone and train of thought are just like Yasui's."

She then took the lead and gently clapped her hands.
"However, to be able to do this well on your first independent analysis, grasping the key points and giving clear instructions, is really impressive, Xiao Bei."

Yamato Akaki, standing to the side, smiled and nodded, adding:

"Indeed. To be able to quickly analyze the characteristics of the venue and the threats from the main opponents in such a short time, and to provide some tactical direction, is already very impressive for a first attempt."

Meanwhile, Misuzu, watching, couldn't help but laugh and tease:
"Oh my, Xiao Bei is getting better and better! Looks like our Xiao Zhen, the 'official' trainer, is about to lose her job?"

"No, nothing!"

The Northern Black Steed, somewhat embarrassed by the comment, quickly waved his hand.

"What I know and understand is just the most basic level. Compared to A-Zhen... compared to the trainers, I am still far behind!"
"I just... I just barely managed to say what I've seen and heard in my daily life..."

As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Yasui Makoto, her expression filled with dependence and a desire for approval.

(End of this chapter)