Chapter 222: Running Quietly, My Shadow Covers the World
To me, racing was something I was naturally meant to win.
After all, since childhood, no matter who I ran against, I had almost never lost.
Even if the opponent was an Uma Musume whose future was filled with expectations.
Even if she was a prodigy hailed as the strongest in her town.
Even if she was a genius said to be capable of competing in the Central graded races—it made no difference.
If I truly chased after them, not a single one could escape.
No—more than that, none of them could even properly compete with me.
It was always a solo run. First place. A complete victory.
That was what racing meant to me.
And what I felt toward it was not joy, nor pride…
It was hunger.
Unsatisfied. Boring. Not enough. Not fun.
These races could never satisfy the hunger my soul was crying out for.
That was why I wanted to run against stronger Uma Musume.
Against girls who could rival me, compete with me, and fight over the crown of first place.
That desire never stopped growing.
Yet there were almost no opponents capable of satisfying it.
And after my older sister—the one exception—entered Tracen, there was finally no one left who could satisfy my hunger.
…So this is all Uma Musume are, I thought.
Just as I began to feel something close to resignation, my sister invited me somewhere.
She told me to come to the Spring Fan Appreciation Festival at Central Tracen.
And there—
I saw it.
"Here, there’s something that will satisfy you. Backs you can’t catch, and Uma Musume who will chase you without giving up.
So come too—the Twinkle Series… to Central Tracen."
The strongest of the current generation—the one who made my heart race.
And the Uma Musume burning with passion as they desperately clung to that strongest runner.
Even when faced with such an overwhelming powerhouse, not a single one of them shrank from her shadow—they kept running.
…Here.
If it’s here, perhaps an Uma Musume will appear who can chase after me.
Or perhaps I’ll be able to run with someone who could easily overtake even my shadow.
And the girl standing before me…
Would she give me a defeat unlike anything I had ever experienced?
"Well, I’d like to run against you too, so I’ll stay around as long as I can. And if we do end up racing…
Then I’ll crush you with everything I’ve got.
If you don’t want to be devoured, you’d better come at me with everything you have."
That smile.
A smile like a carnivorous beast staring at its prey—burned into my eyelids and never left.
Love… perhaps you could call it that.
Even now, I dream of the day I run against her—of the day she defeats me. I yearn for it like a lover.
With that conversation, my goal and my future were decided.
I would enroll at Central Tracen, enter the Twinkle Series, and chase after her.
A star in the heavens—the one who even stole my sister’s attention away from me.
The most satisfying main dish imaginable.
When I am scorched by that star’s light, my legs tangling as she escapes ahead…
My hunger will surely grow stronger than ever.
And when I finally reach for that star—grasp it, put it in my mouth, crush it between my teeth, and swallow it down…
Then my hunger will surely be satisfied perfectly.
So, to put it simply—
The G1 races, the Classic Triple Crown… all of them are nothing more than appetizers before that.
When facing a mythical dragon, other Uma Musume could never truly become a threat.
And if they cannot even become threats, they could never reach the supreme seat.
Therefore, I must win—as naturally as breathing—and reach that height.
And to take the best possible path toward that end, hesitation never even crossed my mind.
"So you came here to reverse-scout my trainer."
After easily passing the Tracen entrance exams and enrolling, some time after obtaining a trainer—
During a break in after-school training, my senior from the same stable asked why I had reverse-scouted my own trainer.
Simply put, for the sake of my goal, this was the optimal solution.
There was no deeper reason than that.
Whether she was satisfied with my answer or not, the senior resting her chin on the back of an office chair continued speaking while slowly spinning in place.
"Hmm… well, from your perspective, that makes sense. Definitely the optimal choice.
But from my side… it’s not like I don’t have some feelings about my trainer finally taking on someone besides me."
Inside the trainer room assigned to our trainer at Tracen Academy.
My one and only senior from the same stable, Tokai Teio, muttered with a bitter expression.
Among everyone connected to Tracen Academy, the most famous figures are, of course, the Uma Musume.
We are the stars of the races. It’s only natural that fans watch us and know our faces.
But if you asked who the next most recognizable group was after us…
It would probably be the contract trainers—the ones who guide us and can change the outcomes of Uma Musume races.
And currently, there were three trainers at Tracen Academy whose fame stood out above the rest—so-called “celebrity trainers.”
The first was the trainer of Team Pollux.
Though regarding this one, rather than the recently formed team name, it might be easier to describe him as “Hoshino Wilm’s trainer.”
A genius personally supported by Tracen—born of a prestigious lineage—who guided an underdog Uma Musume to an undefeated Triple Crown and even victory at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
If it had only been Hoshino Wilm, people might have dismissed it as luck, a fluke—or simply Hoshino Wilm’s own talent.
But then he guided Mihono Bourbon to an undefeated Triple Crown as well, overcoming the barriers of bloodline.
After that, no one could deny his almost godlike ability.
Apparently he formed a team once his stable reached five members, but aside from a junior-level runner, every member belongs either to the G1 class or the Dream Trophy division.
From that alone, you can tell how sharp that man’s eye for talent is.
The second was the trainer of Team Altair.
This team was also recently formed, so it might be clearer to describe him as “Nice Nature’s trainer.”
Another genius hidden in the shadow of the Pollux trainer.
He made the very first Uma Musume he ever trained win a G1 and rise to the rank of a “third-magnitude star.”
Apparently his team has various connections with Team Pollux, and it includes several Uma Musume—like Nice Nature and Rice Shower—who once competed against the Pollux camp for supremacy.
His fame is somewhat overshadowed by the Pollux trainer’s overwhelming reputation, but I’ve heard that when it comes to strategy and raising certain types of runners, his skill is exceptional.
And the remaining third trainer…
Is the one responsible for Tokai Teio and me.
Unlike the other two, who had only recently finished their rookie years, this man was a veteran nearing old age, with decades of service.
…and at the same time, among the three famous trainers, he was by far the biggest troublemaker.
"Originally, he was only training me, you know."
Tokai Teio puffed out her cheeks at me in a sulky manner.
Normally, once a Central contract trainer finishes their rookie period, they begin taking on many Uma Musume.
There are about 2,000 Uma Musume affiliated with Tracen, and the vast majority of them participate in races.
Meanwhile, Tracen only has 200 trainers.
On average, each trainer has to handle about ten Uma Musume for things to function properly.
However, the trainer of Tokai Teio and me had gone against that trend.
In other words, he only ever took on a single trainee—ignoring even informal directives from Tracen’s upper management.
…At first glance, it sounded like nothing more than outrageous selfishness. But apparently, he had silenced them with results. Beginning with Symboli Rudolf, the Uma Musume he once trained, every runner he took under his wing consistently produced strong results.
When I first heard about it, I remember being stunned. What a ridiculous man.
But that stubborn principle came to an end when I appeared.
Now, he has two trainees: Tokai Teio and me.
"So what exactly did you say when you reverse-scouted him? Trainer looks gentle, but he’s incredibly stubborn, right? You must’ve said something serious to make him agree."
Tokai Teio asked the question with clear dissatisfaction.
I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. There was no real problem with telling her.
"I asked him if he intended to kill me."
"...Huh?"
"I told him I had no intention of taking any trainer but him. If he refused, my talent would die. I asked him if he was fine with that."
"Whoa… that’s one hell of a killer line."
Tokai Teio clutched her head.
To chase that star, I had researched the trainers at Tracen.
And among them, he was the only one who felt like the best choice for me.
When I thought about how to make him sign a contract with me, the answer was obvious.
He always chose just one Uma Musume at a time and trained her—raising her to the very top.
In other words, he only trained girls who had the talent to become the pinnacle of their era.
He must truly love the running and talent of Uma Musume.
And because of that… there was an opening to exploit.
"So you liked my trainer that much?
If you just wanted to run against Wilm, you could’ve gone to Trainer Horino, right? I bet over there they’d even set up practice races or mock races for you."
I snorted.
She didn’t understand… or maybe she was simply trying to provoke me into speaking honestly.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I answered plainly.
"I’m not interested in friendly cooperation. I simply want to compete against her with everything I have.
Right now, I’m still lacking. First I need to reach the point where I can truly compete with her. And then, with my entire being, I’ll devour her.
…In other words, I’ll enjoy things more here than if I joined Pollux. That reason alone is enough."
I spat the words out.
In the end, what mattered to me was defeating Hoshino Wilm—and satisfying my hunger along the way.
Seen from that perspective, belonging to the opposing camp would be far more enjoyable.
And aside from the Pollux trainer himself, the only person capable of developing me further was this man.
Compared to the criteria most Uma Musume use when choosing their trainers, my reasoning might seem wildly off.
So perhaps it wasn’t something others could understand.
But that didn’t matter.
As I said earlier, I had no intention of forming cozy friendships here.
"Hmm. That’s it?"
"Yes."
"You know, considering distance aptitude and all… you might end up clashing in the Classic races with that Pollux runner… what was her name? Sakura Laurel, right?"
"I’m not interested."
Tokai Teio sounded displeased, but my answer didn’t change.
In the end, races against other Uma Musume were nothing more than opening acts for the moment when I would capture that star.
Even if they entertained me—even if they fed my hunger—compared to racing against Hoshino Wilm, they could never amount to much.
That’s why I hold no expectations for them.
And no interest either.
"Hmm… aren’t you at least cautious? If you lose somewhere along the way, you might not even qualify for the Triple Crown races."
"If someone were to defeat me, it would only be that star, my sister… or myself."
The Classic races are competitions among the same generation.
Until they end, I won’t truly face my sister—who is one year ahead of me—or Hoshino Wilm—who is three years older.
Battling the older generations only begins after the Classic season ends, when the mixed senior races begin.
Until then, these races are merely hors d'oeuvres—preparing me to arrive in the best possible condition.
I’ll simply devour them as I please, enjoy them as I wish, and wait for that moment.
"...Ah—hmm. I see.
So that’s how it is. No wonder people say you’re 'just like the old Teio.'
I kept thinking you weren’t alike at all… but I guess this is the part that’s similar."
"...?"
Tokai Teio seemed to reach some kind of conclusion on her own. I glanced at her briefly, then looked away.
It’s not that I have no interest.
She’s the only Uma Musume who once stood alongside Hoshino Wilm. Her ability must be genuine.
But… until we can race against each other, she isn’t someone I feel particularly drawn to.
Just as I was about to sink back into my thoughts—
Tokai Teio spoke again.
"If you stay like that, you’ll lose—not just to Wilm, but even to Sakura Laurel."
"...What?"
It wasn’t quite something I could ignore.
But it was a statement whose meaning I couldn’t quite grasp.
My strength—Narita Brian’s strength—had already been proven.
The trainer who calmly brushed aside outside pressure from Tracen Academy and the URA, insisting that capable trainers should take on many trainees—
That same man had been forced to bend his principle and take my hand.
That alone proved my ability.
If I were merely the sort of runner who might stumble in the Classic races—among my own generation—then that trainer, who looked gentle but possessed an iron will, would never have nodded in agreement.
And Tokai Teio should know that as well.
Yet Tokai Teio simply tilted her head, humming thoughtfully before saying:
"Yeah… well, I guess you wouldn’t get it yet. Maybe it’s the duty of a trainer—and a senior—to make you understand.
Alright, got it. In that case… hmm… Brian."
"Let’s do a mock race.
With me… and the Uma Musume from Pollux."
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