"Good morning... What's wrong with you?!"
After a happy weekend with Nakayama Megumi, Saito Asuka was startled by Seiun Sky's current state when he saw her again.
At this moment, Seiun Sky looked as if she hadn't slept well, her spirits low, and she appeared drowsy.
The weekend is indeed the best time to relieve stress... but that's no excuse for staying up late?!
Saito Asuka, watching the Black-haired Horse Girl walk towards him step by step, felt his blood pressure rise.
"Ah... Trainer."
Seiun Sky, who then noticed Saito Asuka standing not far away, staring at her blankly, raised a hand: "Good morning, Trainer~"
"No, no, no, your appearance doesn't count as 'good' at all?!"
The man took a few quick steps to stand in front of Seiun Sky, looking at her worriedly: "...Did you stay up late last night?"
"Stay up late... No, not really..."
Seiun Sky shook her head: "It's just that the weekend was really too boring; I couldn't get motivated at all."
The Black-haired Horse Girl said this while yawning: "...Because I had no idea what to do during the rare holiday, this weekend passed in a daze."
"So when I woke up this morning, I almost didn't realize it was already Monday~?"
Lightly patting her cheeks to regain her spirits, Seiun Sky playfully winked at her Trainer: "So... is today's training the same as usual? Or do you have a new training plan, Trainer?"
"How could I have that ability now?"
Saito Asuka smiled wryly at Seiun Sky's words: "...Just train at your own pace."
"Oh, I say, Trainer."
Watching Saito Asuka consciously walk to the side and sit down, Seiun Sky said: "If you completely leave me to my own devices, won't you lose all sense of involvement in my development?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't use such dangerous phrasing."
Saito Asuka said with a wry smile: "...And if we're talking about 'involvement,' it's not like I have none at all."
"Aren't I 'scouting' for the next best race for you to participate in?"
"You want me to participate in the next race so soon? Is Trainer planning to train me in the 'veteran' style?"
Seiun Sky replied with feigned surprise: "That kind of thing, that's not allowed... Oh!"
"If you know it's already forbidden, then don't say it out loud!"
Saito Asuka said irritably: "You definitely can't participate in this year's Classic Triple Crown races, so I plan to have you accumulate enough popularity to enter the Satsuki Sho before next year's Classic Triple Crown series begins."
"Satsuki Sho, huh...?"
Seiun Sky rested her chin on her hand.
Satsuki Sho, Japanese Derby, Chrysanthemum Award.
Winning these three races makes an Uma Musume a Triple Crown winner.
If she maintains an Unbeaten Triple Crown record after completing the Classic Triple Crown, she will become another Unbeaten Triple Crown Uma Musume after the Emperor.
However, Uma Musume who win the Derby often struggle to even place in subsequent races, let alone win.
It's as if winning the Japanese Derby exhausted all their luck for their Uma Musume career.
Hmm... but that shouldn't happen to me.
Seiun Sky thought for a moment.
After all... I have the Three Goddesses to help me, right~?
[...So, am I just a tool in your heart?]
The Three Goddesses appeared just in time, complaining about what Seiun Sky had thought in her mind.
Eh? No, not at all.
Seiun Sky closed one eye and stuck out her tongue at the empty space in front of her.
But... you definitely wouldn't ignore me when I need help, right?
Seiun Sky replied with a grin.
Right? Three Goddesses Moms?
[...You child, you're hopeless.]
The Three Goddesses, hearing Seiun Sky say this, sighed leisurely after a brief silence.
"However, even though you say that, some things still need to be done in moderation."
Immediately after, the Three Goddesses' voices became serious.
"You know, don't you? Your body isn't stable yet, and if you do those things, you will…"
'Don't worry, Three Goddesses.'
Seiun Sky's lips curved upwards.
'I'm a good child.'
"Boom!"
With a powerful push of her feet, the Black-haired Horse Girl shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, enjoying her run on the training ground.
'I would never do anything that would harm myself.'
...
"..."
The Trainer, watching Blue-Eyes White Dragon cross the finish line, frowned at the numbers displayed on the stopwatch in his hand.
...After her debut race loss, she had remained in this state.
Whenever he saw her, she seemed distracted.
The most direct manifestation was that all her training results during this period were several seconds worse than before her debut race.
...He should go ask her what was wrong.
With this thought, the Trainer took a step and walked towards the silver-haired Uma Musume who was panting with her hands on her knees.
"Ha...ha..."
Blue-Eyes White Dragon lowered her head, looking at the track beneath her feet.
...She couldn't catch up to her.
She looked up, gazing forward.
In her vision, only the Black-haired Horse Girl, visible only to her, was still running.
As if to leave everything in the world far behind, she continuously accelerated, and her black ponytail was straightened by the fierce wind, swaying like a flag.
There was no chance to surpass her...No...
She stood up, pushing the strands of hair that were tickling her behind her ears.
...There was simply no hope of catching up to her.
Her stamina was like a bottomless pit, allowing her to continuously accelerate and leave all other Uma Musume far behind.
How could she possibly win against such an opponent?
Recalling again the unreasonable acceleration and seemingly endless stamina of Seiun Sky on the race track that day, Blue-Eyes White Dragon felt a sense of powerlessness.
...It's normal for me to lose against such an opponent, isn't it?
The silver-haired Uma Musume's ears drooped.
"...Kisara, what's been wrong with you these past few days?"
Saito, who deliberately stomped twice on the grass, looked at the unresponsive Blue-Eyes White Dragon in front of him, a worried expression on his face: "You've been like this ever since your debut race ended."
"Is something on your mind? Or have you encountered some difficulty?"
"...Can't catch up."
The silver-haired Uma Musume, whose hand was held, just repeated this sentence to herself.
"...What?"
The Trainer was confused by Blue-Eyes White Dragon's nonsensical words.
Then, as if receiving a signal, the silver-haired Uma Musume suddenly looked up, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at him.
"...I can't catch up to her!"
So what exactly are you talking about?!
The bewildered Trainer clumsily tried to comfort the Uma Musume he was in charge of.