"Don't question—just believe first." Shuta An wagged a finger at the "arrogant" little Gray Filly beside him.
"If Oguri Cap wins…" Tamamo Cross hesitated briefly, then made her wager. "Then I'll treat everyone to a meal!"
"Forget it. Oguri Cap eats a lot," Shuta An recalled Tamamo Cross's image in his mind—she didn't seem like a Central major-stakes Uma Musume. Not wanting to exploit the information asymmetry, he suggested a fairer exchange. "Let's change the bet. If Oguri Cap wins, you'll tell me your name. How about that?"
"Is that even a bet?" Tamamo Cross narrowed her eyes, secretly on guard. "Let me treat you instead!"
"Hmm…" Shuta An could hardly imagine someone so generous as to insist on emptying their own wallet. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded reluctantly and countered, "Alright then. If she loses, I'll—"
"Then you'll tell me where to find the best kishimen in Nagoya!" Tamamo Cross interrupted eagerly—this, to her, was no trivial matter.
"Alright," Shuta An shrugged. Though he couldn't objectively claim which restaurant was the best, subjectively, he believed his own was unmatched.
Meanwhile, Berno Light watched Oguri Cap surge down the track, silently "mourning" the unfamiliar Gray Filly in her heart. 'Oguri will definitely win; this one is doomed.'
By the time Oguri Cap approached the first turn, the slow-starting filly had already climbed to second place.
'Good. Even though I started slow, catching up to them on this straight wasn't that hard.'
She quietly celebrated the momentum building in her stride.
Following behind the leader, Junsei Dino, Oguri Cap took the outer lane on the turn. The sand kicked up by Junsei Dino's hooves forced Oguri Cap to squint through the flying grit. (Okay, so some of these local Umamusume, I haven't heard of them. So, for most local umamusume I likely won't crosscheck their names before putting in here. But if you, readers, have the name you can comment it and I will update it)
To avoid that, she considered imitating her debut race at Kasamatsu—moving slightly outward to the left. Doing so would protect her from the sand and prevent Junsei Dino from veering out to block her when entering the opposite straight. But in the curve, Oguri Cap could see her pursuers with just a glance.
Memory Gemini behind me looks eager to overtake…
If she moved outward now, Memory Gemini would immediately seize the gap. Once trapped outside, Oguri Cap would run extra distance—others would cover 1400 meters, but she would be forced to run 1450. Compared to that, enduring the sand was the easier pain.
"Speaking of which, before this Wakakoma Sho, Trainer didn't give Oguri any specific advice," Berno Light commented, turning toward Shuta An.
He nodded, noticing Tamamo Cross's perked ears as she eavesdropped without shame. "None of the opponents here can compare to Fujimasa March. Oguri Cap has no reason to lose."
"Aren't you afraid she'll fail to handle the longer distance?" Tamamo Cross asked skeptically. "Oguri Cap has only run 800-meter races before, right?"
"No fear," Shuta An answered bluntly. He had seen Oguri Cap's data. "I have plenty of experience judging a Uma Musume's distance adaptability."
"Oh?" Tamamo Cross arched an eyebrow and leaned closer. "Then tell me—what do you think mine is?"
Shuta An raised an eyebrow in return and activated his attribute viewer. Unlike with Oguri Cap, this Uma Musume's data appeared clearly—though her measurements ("B71 - W52 - H73") looked modest, her distance and track adaptability were notable.
"You're a turf runner," he observed calmly. "Best suited for middle and long distances."
Outwardly composed, inwardly he was impressed. Three A-ranks—same as Oguri Cap. I wonder what her Central record looks like. She could be a useful reference.
"Huh?!" Tamamo Cross blinked in disbelief. "Me? Turf middle-to-long distance?! What are you talking about? I ran a 2000-meter turf once and only got seventh!"
"You weren't setting the pace, were you?" Shuta An glanced again at her running-style data, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Yes, I was. Why?" she frowned. "I always race as a frontrunner."
"Have you considered changing your style—say, to a chaser—and then trying turf again?" Shuta An suggested, eyes fixed on the glowing Chaser A on her panel.
"A countryside Trainer, giving advice to a Central Uma Musume with that much confidence?" Tamamo Cross bit her lip, yet found herself oddly inclined to trust this man.
"I'll… discuss it with my Trainer later," she muttered, turning away to hide her expression.
"Suit yourself," Shuta An said lightly, already refocusing on the track. "My advice is sound, whether you take it or not."
On the opposite straight, Oguri Cap frowned—she'd noticed something.
'Junsei Dino's speed dropped after the turn… I still have plenty of stamina left. Should I start my sprint early?'
Her eyes instinctively flicked toward the stands. 'If only Trainer could give me instructions now'
"She's hesitating," Shuta An blurted out, noticing her gait. "Did she spot something? Please don't let it be an injury…"
Berno Light clutched her chest. "Oguri should be fine… right?"
Tamamo Cross rolled her eyes, muttering, "It's obvious she's struggling with the tactics she planned before the race."
Shuta An's sharp ears caught her words. His eyes narrowed as he studied Oguri Cap's rhythm and Junsei Dino's movement ahead. "So that's it…" he exhaled. "She's wondering whether to accelerate early."
He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, voice cutting through the air—
"Oguri Cap! Overtake! Now!"
The call carried with the wind.
Trainer's allowing me to go early! Oguri Cap's doubts vanished. She immediately increased her stride frequency, gliding past Junsei Dino on the outer lane.
After enduring half a track's worth of flying sand, the air suddenly felt clear, refreshing.
'No need to squint anymore.' Oguri lowered her body, shifted her weight forward, and burst into a higher gear. Her hooves pressed the sand flat rather than scattering it. Each stride compacted the track instead of breaking it apart.
'Such powerful, focused steps… and all her strength goes straight into the ground.' Tamamo Cross silently marveled. 'As expected of a fellow Gray Filly'
Shuta An wasn't surprised—Oguri's performance was precisely what he'd trained for.
'All those hill runs by the shrine paid off.' A confident smile crept onto his face.
"Victory's assured, isn't it?" Tamamo Cross muttered, peeking into her wallet. "Good thing I brought enough cash."
Even she now believed Oguri Cap would win. As Oguri Cap entered the final bend, she had already opened a lead of over three lengths.
"Maintain that pace!" Shuta An's fists pumped through the air. "Win this Wakakoma Sho—make those who looked down on you blush!"
Oguri couldn't hear his words, but she spotted her Trainer cheering wildly at the corner.
'Trainer looks so excited' she thought with a wry smile, though her focus never wavered.
"She started accelerating at 800 meters, and she's still going strong after 400 more," Tamamo Cross noted. "She could probably go even farther."
"Exactly." Shuta An's voice was calm again. "In my plan, Oguri's future lies in Mile and middle-distance races—between 1600 and 2400 meters."
"There aren't many races like that in the local circuit, are there?" Tamamo Cross's eyes widened. "Wait—don't tell me…"
"You plan to take her to challenge Central?"
Shuta An met her gaze. "That's not illegal, is it?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" She waved her hands quickly. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing Oguri Cap in the Twinkle Series."
Then, softer: 'I'll need to work harder too. I can't stay in condition races while Oguri Cap ascends to Central.'
The final straight approached—194 meters to the finish. Oguri Cap's lead stretched to more than nine lengths.
"No need to hold back!" Shuta An had long forgotten about conserving stamina. "Run forward with all your heart!"
Oguri Cap remembered those same words from her debut at Kasamatsu.
'So what am I thinking now?
Of course—keep charging forward!'
With that, she accelerated again, leaving her rivals far behind.
'Damn it! Didn't they say Gray Fillies can't run fast?!' Junsei Dino raged internally. 'Why can't I catch this one from Kasamatsu!'
"Unbelievable!" The live commentator's voice cracked with excitement. "Oguri Cap, who surged ahead on the opposite straight, shows no fatigue in the final stretch—she's accelerating again!"
"Go!" Tamamo Cross shouted, swept up by the roar of the crowd.
Even those who had dismissed Oguri Cap before the race now stood, cheering her on.
"Faster! Faster!" Oguri urged herself. Her stride grew longer, her rhythm sharper. The sound of her opponents faded away until only her own breath and hoofbeats echoed in her world—like the ringing bell before victory. On the empty track, Oguri Cap tore through the final straight like the wind, leaving only a trail of compacted footprints behind her.
"Oguri Cap crosses the finish line!"
"An incredible performance!" The commentator shouted. "What was expected to be a tight contest became a total upset! Oguri Cap from Kasamatsu Tracen—winner of the first Wakakoma Sho in the academy's history!"
"1:27.4." Tamamo Cross frowned slightly as she read the timing board. "Even in Central, that's a solid placing time for an untried race."
"Phew…" Shuta An exhaled deeply. "Next target—the G3 Hokkaido Shimbun Hai Queen Stakes."
"She must have won by over ten lengths," Berno Light whispered, biting her finger nervously. "Oguri's incredible… she's already running on a level I can't even imagine."
Sensing something, Shuta An opened his attribute viewer. All stats remained the same—until he reached the bottom of the list.
"(Head-on Battle)," he read. The skill description appeared: 'When running in the front half of the pack, acceleration increases.'
"This appeared after the race," he murmured, eyes following Oguri Cap's calm figure on the track. "So… skills awaken through real competition."
He didn't yet know how to apply it, but his instincts told him one thing—
its power would be extraordinary.
'I need to figure out this skill system as soon as possible' he resolved silently.