For the Umamusume named King Halo, her mother was a source of pride.
King Halo's mother was an Umamusume who had won seven G1 races in America. Though she had since retired from racing, she was now a renowned designer of Umamusume racing uniforms.
King Halo admired her mother and, as a child, dreamed of becoming a great Umamusume just like her.
Her mother truly was a source of pride. However, over time, her mother's presence became a heavy, painful chain for King Halo.
Despite her mother's opposition, King Halo enrolled in Tracen Academy against her wishes. There, while searching for her a trainer, she was reminded of just how famous her mother was.
"What?! You're the daughter of the Umamusume who won seven crowns!?"
"Ah, you're her daughter. Does that mean you're a miler, too?"
Trainers came to King Halo without her having to seek them out. From rookies to veterans, she had her pick of the litter. She was probably the most scouted Umamusume that year.
"I was just watching the race, and you have a good running style. Will you be my 담당 (tanntou, person in charge) Umamusume? Huh? Your mother? Who's that? I don't know her... Is she famous?"
Some trainers even approached her based on her running style alone. However, King Halo immediately turned down one such rookie trainer who had an undeniably frivolous air.
While King thought highly of him for not knowing her mother, she doubted his training ability since he didn't even know one of the most famous Umamusume in America. She concluded that while he may have studied to become a trainer, he had little interest in Umamusume.
Still, King Halo thought she should at least remember his face. When she looked back, the trainer who had just spoken to her was slumped on the ground, looking dejected with his hands and knees on the ground.
(...Maybe I should have listened to him a bit more?)
King Halo thought, but quickly shook her head. To become a top-tier Umamusume like her mother, she needed a trainer with a proven track record. She didn't want to throw away her once-in-a-lifetime racing career by taking on a rookie trainer with no experience or accomplishments, even if he seemed to have a decent personality.
After a while, King Halo decided on a certain male trainer.
He wasn't leading a team, but he had already trained three Umamusume. He was also currently in charge of training two other Umamusume. When King Halo agreed to have him as her trainer, he welcomed her with great joy.
King Halo chose that trainer because the Umamusume he had trained so far used the Oikomi (追い込み) racing style, which she believed was her specialty. Additionally, they mainly competed in mile to middle-distance races.
King Halo's assessment was that he was a good fit for developing her aptitude and would be perfect for her to become an Umamusume like her mother.
She also considered a famous team like Team Rigil, but Team Rigil was based entirely on skill, and they only accepted a person who came in first place in a mock race. She had heard that even if there were dozens of applicants for a mock race, only one would pass.
King Halo didn't intend to lose to any ordinary Umamusume, and she had the skill to back up her determination. However, if she lost a mock race, she worried about what people would think of her, especially considering her mother's fame. So, she had no choice but to avoid them.
There were other famous teams like Team Spica, but she was strongly advised against them. As for Team Spica, she witnessed her friend, Special Week, being taken away by a trio of Umamusume in masks, so she was glad she hadn't applied to join them.
That said, she immediately reported it to the Academy's secretary, Tazuna Hayakawa, and rescued Special Week. However, what happened afterward was that Special Week ended up joining Team Spica.
Her trainer seemed to take on one new Umamusume each year. With three already retired, one in the Senior class, one in the Classic class, and King Halo in the Junior class, it was a well-balanced team.
Her trainer had yet to win a G1 race, but he had won three G3 races and one G2 race with the Umamusume he had trained. He was close to double-digit wins in open races and was highly regarded as a promising young trainer.
King Halo would have tilted her head if asked if he was a top-tier trainer. But she thought that just as she would become a top-tier Umamusume, her trainer would also become a top-tier trainer.
And so, King Halo's life at Tracen Academy began.
For King Halo, life at Tracen Academy was smooth sailing.
She had friends to compete and improve with, and her daily training was going well. She counted the days until her make debut race and didn't neglect her studies. It was a good life.
However, there was one, and only one, problem.
"Sigh... Honestly... Urara-san? I've told you many times not to sleep on my bed."
It was her roommate and friend, Haru Urara. King Halo sighed in exasperation when she woke up in the morning and noticed someone sleeping while clinging to her.
This Umamusume, Haru Urara, was a runner who specialized in dirt races. King Halo had worried about her when she was dejected because she couldn't find a trainer, but she finally found one just before the deadline.
King Halo was happy for her at the time, but from listening to Haru Urara's stories, it seemed her trainer was a rookie and had no other Umamusume to train.
Apparently, this year's rookie trainers were all excellent. All of them, except for the trainers from the prestigious Kiryuin family and Haru Urara's trainer, were in charge of multiple Umamusume.
If the trainer from the Kiryuin family had taken on Haru Urara, King Halo wouldn't have been worried. The Kiryuin family was a famous line of trainers that even King Halo had heard of.
However, King Halo worried when she heard that a rookie trainer was training only Haru Urara, a testament to her innate kindness. Still, Haru Urara seemed so happy when talking about her trainer that King Halo thought she might not have to worry so much after all.
"Nn... good morning, King-chan..."
"Yes, good morning, Urara-san. And... oh my, your hair is a mess. Here, sit here. I'll comb your hair for you."
"Hmm... thanks..."
Haru Urara, who had just woken up, was drowsy, and her hair was a mess from sleeping. King Halo used her own comb to fix it, but she was secretly happy to be depended on so innocently.
It wasn't a bad feeling to have her sneak into her bed and cling to her. However, summer was approaching. She wished Haru Urara would stop, but Haru Urara would sometimes crawl into her bed while half-asleep. Her wish was unlikely to be granted.
"She's such a troublesome child..."
King Halo didn't realize her lips were curving into a soft smile as she combed Haru Urara's hair.
Despite this small, not-quite-a-problem, King Halo's make debut race arrived.
The result was an undisputed first place. She continued her winning streak, finishing first in the next open race, the Kiku Sho (not to be confused with the Kikuka Sho), and then setting a new race record in the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Junior Stakes.
However, she experienced her first defeat, finishing 2nd in the Hopeful Stakes, one of the few G1 races Umamusume could compete in during their Junior year. To an outsider, 2nd place might be a commendable result, but for her, it was a defeat if she didn't finish in 1st. King Halo thought so.
"2nd place in your first G1... As expected of King Halo."
'As expected of that Umamusume's daughter,' her trainer muttered in a low voice--or so she thought.
"...What did you just say?"
"Huh? ... Oh, I said I want to win next time."
With that, King Halo let it go. Maybe she was on edge from her first defeat. Umamusume have excellent hearing, but she told herself she could have misheard because she was on edge.
And so, King Halo finished her Junior year with a good record of three wins and one loss in four races.
--But from there, King Halo couldn't win anymore.
In the Classic class, her rivals were also entering their prime. Was that the reason, or was her talent not enough, or was her training insufficient?
Her race results were gradually getting worse, finishing 3rd in the G2 Yayoi Sho, 3rd in the G1 Satsuki Sho, and 7th in the Japan Derby.
But even with a string of losses, King Halo didn't get discouraged. She wasn't that weak. Even though she was frustrated, she gritted her teeth and looked forward.
That's why something else broke King Halo.
'Special Week, who won the Japan Derby. It's been a long time since I've seen a run that so captivates people. If you lost to a runner like that, you must be able to give up, right? It's about time you came home.'
Her mother would call her every time she raced, saying things like this. She never said the words King Halo truly wanted to hear. She just told her to give up everything and come home.
When she won a race, she wanted her to praise her. When she lost, she wanted her to console her. No, even if she didn't console her, she at least wanted her to give her advice on why she lost.
Those were the normal things King Halo wanted from her mother. But those words never came. And that broke King Halo's heart.
However, King Halo immediately put her broken heart back together. And she became angry at her mother's words. She felt her heart burning with a desire to prove her wrong.
If she had to put a name to the feeling that welled up within King Halo, it would be 'indomitable spirit.' Even if her heart broke, she would immediately rally herself and thought she needed more training for the Kikuka Sho in the autumn. There was no such thing as giving up in King Halo's dictionary.
She concluded that she couldn't win as she was and went to her trainer directly.
'I'm going to become a top-tier Umamusume. As a trainer worthy of this King, you should prepare a training menu that will make me win the Kikuka Sho.'
King Halo told him. She had always told him to become a top-tier trainer, and he had always agreed. So she expected him to accept immediately--but.
"...I'm sorry, King Halo. I don't have the confidence to train you anymore... I can't make that Umamusume's daughter win... I can't do it anymore."
"...What did you say?"
What was he saying, King Halo thought. The trainer looked away, as if he were truly sorry and had no confidence, just as his words had said.
"Besides, the other girls said it was unfair that I was only putting my effort into your training. It also seems they were saying that it's strange that a runner trained by the trainer of that famous Umamusume's daughter isn't strong... I'm really sorry... I can't be the trainer you want me to be."
"...!"
At those words, King Halo flared up. And she let out whatever came to mind.
King Halo had an indomitable spirit and self-control beyond her years. But this time, she couldn't stop herself. No, she didn't stop herself.
'Why would you say such a thing? I am the Umamusume King Halo, my mother has nothing to do with it--why won't you make me win?'
After shouting those words, she and her trainer went their separate ways. The contract was terminated, and King Halo became just King Halo, unable to compete in races.
"...What am I doing?"
And so, King Halo ran on the practice track while a heavy rain poured down. She muttered to herself, laughing at what she was doing.
Her rational mind told her that this was meaningless and useless training. But she felt like she would go crazy if she didn't keep moving her body.
The thought of her roommate, Haru Urara, worrying about her crossed her mind. But at that moment, she didn't want to see the Umamusume with the dazzling smile.
How long had she been running? King Halo tripped and fell onto the track. The track, which was covered in rainwater, was now muddy, and it stained her uniform, but she didn't care.
She just felt a sense of coldness. Her body was cold, her heart was cold, and she thought about what she should do from now on--but even that seemed like too much effort.
"...King-chan?"
At that moment, she heard a young man's voice. King Halo looked in the direction of the voice and muttered, 'Who is that?'
After a few seconds, King Halo remembered there was only one man who called her by the pet name 'King-chan.'
"You, are..."
Even though she knew who he was in her head, her exhausted body couldn't keep up. She looked in the direction of the voice with a blurry vision, but it was hard to see in the dark and heavy rain.
In the end, King Halo was taken by the man who had called out to her--Haru Urara's trainer--to the trainer's room of his team, Team Kitalpha.
She didn't have the strength or will to resist, but she also didn't feel any need to be cautious because he was Haru Urara's trainer.
She only knew Haru Urara's trainer through Haru Urara. But he still called her 'King-chan' because Haru Urara did, and when they were talking on the phone every night, their conversations were often about her.
King Halo didn't remember how that came to be. She only remembered that it started when she called to protest about how exhausted Haru Urara was coming home from training.
Haru Urara would come home so exhausted that she would try to go to bed without even taking a shower. If King Halo didn't intervene, she would fall asleep with her face in her food while eating dinner, or even fall asleep on the floor instead of her bed.
When King saw that, she was furious. She was mad at what he was doing to Haru Urara, who was her friend and a girl she adored, even if she didn't show it much. She called to protest, asking him what kind of training he was putting her through that would make her like this.
He replied that she was in the period when she would improve the most and that he was training her to the limit. However, it was also a fact that it was causing problems for King Halo. King Halo was about to protest again--but.
"Hehe... Trainer... I'll do my best..."
King Halo's anger immediately died down when she saw Haru Urara, who was exhausted and asleep, mumbling in her sleep. And at the same time, she felt a sense of 'oh well.'
From then on, she would often call him to tell him what Haru Urara had done and how hard it was. If you asked King Halo what the purpose of those calls was, she would say they were protest calls. But if you asked her if she enjoyed them, she wouldn't be able to answer.
Even though it was through Haru Urara, it was comfortable and easy to be treated as just King Halo.
And so, she was taken by this trainer, a strange acquaintance she had only spoken to on the phone but never met in person. And to top it off, he even told her to change her clothes because she was wet from the rain.
Still, King Halo obediently changed her clothes. She laughed at herself, thinking it was pointless to think that a top-tier Umamusume had to manage her health well.
After she had changed and settled down, King Halo felt a sense of doubt. The trainer's face under the light seemed familiar.
She had spoken to him, but she shouldn't have seen his face. With that thought, King Halo's excellent memory concluded that she had met him before.
Haru Urara's trainer was the man she had met once when she was looking for a trainer after enrolling in Tracen Academy. King Halo remembered there was one trainer who was interested in her running style, not her mother.
"...King-chan."
"...What is it?"
And when he spoke to her with a serious face, King Halo thought he was going to ask her why she was doing this. But Haru Urara's trainer said something unexpected.
"Uh... I know it's a little late, but it's nice to meet you. I'm Team Kitalpha's trainer. Urara is always in your care."
"Nice to meet you? What are you talking about..."
King Halo was confused. Had they really never met before? But from Haru Urara's trainer's perspective, King Halo was just one of the dozens of Umamusume he had scouted and been rejected by. After that, he met his Umamusume, Haru Urara, so King Halo wasn't a very strong memory for him.
"I see... I guess so. Yes, that's right. Nice to meet you, Urara-san's trainer."
That was King Halo's first meeting with him and the start of her joining Team Kitalpha.
After a series of events, King Halo decided to join Team Kitalpha, and to be honest, she was shocked. Not in a bad way, but in a good way.
There were two Umamusume in Team Kitalpha.
One was King Halo's friend, Haru Urara. She was a cheerful, positive, and energetic girl who specialized in dirt races.
The other was a big name that made King Halo question why she would be in such a small team. She was the winner of last year's Kikuka Sho and Arima Kinen. And this year, she had been clashing fiercely with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. Rice Shower was also the Umamusume who had won the Tenno Sho (Spring) and achieved the long-distance G1 Grand Slam. She was one of the top ten outstanding runners in the Senior class at Tracen Academy.
And the best part was Team Kitalpha's trainer.
He had only been a trainer for two years and was young. But his training philosophy and methods fit King Halo so well that she was surprised.
He made sure to prevent injuries first and foremost, but he also devised high-intensity training that made her depend on Haru Urara every day until she got used to it and had her practice it with a smile.
The training was so tough that it exhausted King Halo, who would usually never get discouraged or feel tired. However, he meticulously checked her physical condition and fatigue and trained her just enough to have muscle soreness but barely any lingering fatigue.
As a result, King Halo was so moved that she could clearly feel herself getting stronger.
Also, Rice Shower's guidance during training was a huge help. Like Kitalpha's trainer, she trained, pushed, and tried to help King Halo get stronger with a smile--no, with an even more intense smile.
For King Halo, she now had a trainer she couldn't look up to easily... no, a rival she couldn't even put up a front against.
But Kitalpha's trainer didn't just give them brutal training. If he decided they were fatigued, he would have them rest appropriately. He would also introduce new training methods to prevent them from getting used to or bored with the old ones.
New training methods meant more intense training than the previous ones, but King Halo was up for the challenge.
She cheered for her teammates' races, was exhausted every day during summer camp, and finished 1st in the CBC Sho to earn prize money.
Before she knew it, King Halo had won the Sprinters Stakes and had her own G1 crown.
And now, the Kikuka Sho in late October had arrived. It was the final race of the Triple Crown and a race where many of her friends and rivals would compete.
Winning all G1 races in all distances, a goal she had set with her trainer. King Halo still had doubts about whether that was truly possible.
However, she didn't have any doubt about the training she had done, her bonds with her teammates, and her bond with her trainer.
Haru Urara told her to do her best.
--She was so motivated she almost trembled with excitement.
Rice Shower told her to remember their special training when things got tough.
--She was no longer afraid of anyone.
Her trainer told her to have fun, run, and win.
--In that case, all that was left was to win.
The Kikuka Sho began. The gates opened, and they were off.
King Halo's plan from the start was to win with a late burst. She didn't want to beat anyone; she just wanted to be the first to cross the finish line, and she ran on the turf with that wish.
However, it was her first time running a long-distance race, not including training or mock races. She had a slight worry that her stamina might not last.
She passed the 1000-meter mark--her body felt light.
She passed the 2000-meter mark--she still had plenty of stamina.
She passed the 2200-meter mark and was less than 800 meters from the finish--she decided this was the time to make her move.
She ran, ran, and ran. She went down the Yodo hill and ran toward the front. The voices of the announcers and the cheers of the spectators felt distant. King Halo focused and accelerated, leaping into 5th place.
But she was still only in 5th place. Seiun Sky, Biwa Hayahide, Special Week, and Oguri Cap were still in front of her.
So, she first passed Oguri Cap. Oguri Cap accelerated, but she didn't care and set her sights on Special Week.
She hadn't won against her in the mock race during summer camp--so she was going to win today.
With the last of her stamina, heavy breathing, and legs that were about to give up, she gritted her teeth and passed Special Week.
But there wasn't much distance left until the finish line. Next was Biwa Hayahide. If she passed Biwa Hayahide and Seiun Sky, she would win.
'Do your best! King! Go! Go!'
She heard her trainer's voice from the stands. That's why King didn't give up. She looked forward with her face almost on the ground and just ran on the turf.
But there was less than 200 meters left until the finish line. There was still a 1-length gap between her and Biwa Hayahide. And between her and Seiun Sky--there was a 4-length gap.
'I can't make it,' King Halo's rational mind screamed. 'Then make it happen,' King Halo's instincts screamed.
--But she couldn't make it.
She was one step away from Biwa Hayahide. And she was 3 lengths behind Seiun Sky.
King Halo, who had finished the race in 3rd place, was breathing heavily. When she looked around, she finally realized she had finished in 3rd place.
She had beaten Special Week. She had also passed Oguri Cap. But Biwa Hayahide and Seiun Sky were ahead of her.
Accepting this, King Halo held back her desire to look down and held her head high. 3rd place was a defeat. However, she had finished 3rd in a G1 race, in a long-distance race she was bad at.
She couldn't be satisfied, but she was happy with the result. Above all, Seiun Sky, who had won first place, was her rival and her friend. King Halo was about to congratulate her.
"...?"
At that moment, all sound from the Kyoto Racecourse disappeared. And after a few moments, a roar of cheers erupted.
'What in the world?' King Halo thought. But she understood when she looked at the order board.
--3:02.3.
When she saw that time, most of the frustration in King Halo was blown away.
A record win. And to top it off, it was a first-place finish with a new world record. The frustration of losing was still there, but there was something more important than gritting her teeth in frustration.
"Sei-chan, are you okay? Can you stand?"
"Come on, I know you're tired, but stand up. A winner shouldn't look like that."
Did they think the same thing? Not only King Halo, but Special Week also called out to Seiun Sky. Seiun Sky, hearing them, groaned while trembling.
"Ha... ha... Wait, Spe-chan, King, both of you... please, just a little more rest... my legs are shaking, I can't stand up..."
King Halo quickly checked on Seiun Sky. She hadn't suffered an injury, she was just experiencing the aftereffects of running beyond her limits. So, King Halo said with a wry smile.
"I'm exhausted from being pulled along by your pace, you know? Honestly... I guess there's no choice. Can you take her on that side?"
"Yeah! Come on, Sei-chan, do your best."
"Cough, cough... Wow, you two are so strict... but thanks."
King Halo and Special Week helped Seiun Sky up and gave her a shoulder to lean on. Seiun Sky protested, but she was also smiling shyly.
As they were doing this, Biwa Hayahide, who had also been looking at the order board, walked toward them.
"Unbelievable... I was aiming for a sure victory, but a world record... I guess I have no choice but to admit defeat honestly."
Saying that, Biwa Hayahide held out her right hand as if to shake hands. But Seiun Sky looked at her with a blank expression.
"A world... record?"
"Yes. You should look at the order board."
Urged by Biwa Hayahide, Seiun Sky looked at the order board.
She understood that she had finished in 1st place, that she had set a new race record, and that she had truly set a new world record from the voices of the announcers, the excited spectators, and the sight of her rivals, who were smiling and congratulating her despite losing.
"No, way..."
She couldn't process her emotions. She should have been happy to win first place, but she was too shocked to feel it.
Still, the understanding was slowly sinking in. As a result, big tears welled up in Seiun Sky's eyes and finally overflowed, running down her cheeks.
King Halo gently patted Seiun Sky's back and smiled.
Even if it was 3rd place, a loss was a loss. King Halo was truly frustrated.
However, seeing Seiun Sky in tears, King Halo sincerely wanted to praise and congratulate her. She had lost, but it was a loss she could be proud of. She had lost to an opponent she could be proud of.
King Halo felt a stronger sense of pride than frustration from losing and was filled with gratitude for being able to run such a race.
After the Kikuka Sho ended, King Halo went to the waiting room to prepare for the Winning Live. Just as she was about to go in, her trainer appeared.
"I'm sorry, King... I couldn't make you win."
And as soon as he saw her, he apologized. Was he honest, or did he truly believe he could make her win?
Thinking about that, King Halo sighed in her heart.
King Halo's trainer had always said that she would be lucky to get 3rd place in the Kikuka Sho. His words had come true, but he had still believed that King Halo would win.
"You idiot... Did you see Sky-san's run today? It's too much to ask to win against a world record. And besides..."
King Halo smiled gently at her trainer, who was looking embarrassed.
"I was pulled along by Sky-san, but I felt so good running a long-distance race... You said I could win G1 races in all distances, but honestly, I didn't completely believe it."
She had been told she was best suited for short-distance races and had come to accept it after running. She had won against her rivals and Umamusume in the Senior class in the Sprinters Stakes. King Halo had a vague feeling that her aptitude would drop as the distance increased.
Still, she had set the goal of winning G1 races in all distances, agreed to it to motivate herself, and now she realized that it was a truly attainable goal.
"But I'm sure of it now... I can really become stronger. And I'm going to get even stronger."
King Halo thought that she was just getting started. Everyone who ran in the race had been pulled along by Seiun Sky's pace and set incredible times, but King Halo was happy to know that she was capable of such a run.
"Yeah... you'll get stronger. I'll make you stronger... no, that's not right."
Her trainer, who was answering her, was serious.
"Let's become stronger together from now on."
"--Yes!"
And so, King Halo nodded with a smile.
"Hello, Mother? Yes... that's right. I finished 3rd in the Kikuka Sho."
"Come home? Don't be silly. Why should I go home? I, King, am just getting started."
"I'm going to get stronger. Not because I'm your daughter. I'm going to get stronger as King Halo... no, as Team Kitalpha's King Halo."
"Running is fun. I'm going to keep going with Urara-san, Rice-san... and that person."
"So, I'm not going home. If I go home, I'll definitely regret it. Is this generation of rookies bad? No, it's the opposite, Mother. The victory will have even greater value precisely because I won in this generation."
"Watch me get stronger on TV. And someday, I'll make the world say, 'That's King Halo's mother.'"
"Bye--I'll call you next time."
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