Meanwhile, within the halls of Kasamatsu Tracen.
Upon discovering that file, Double Bell Luster and Mini Lady were struck with disbelief. Both of them—yes, even the meticulous Double Bell Luster—initially assumed it was a simple clerical error. Surely, Fujimasa March's data had been accidentally mixed into the list of opponents for the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun.
After all, Luster had been carving out her own battlefield amidst a mountain of registration forms and past race records, performing final analyses and itinerary checks for the upcoming Kawasaki event. It would be only natural to make a mistake under such pressure.
But Double Bell Luster couldn't lie to herself. This information had been printed directly from the USB drive Fujimaru Ritsuka handed her; there was no possibility of a "work error" on her part. Either Fujimaru Ritsuka had made a mistake, or... Fujimasa March had truly grown into a formidable Horse Girl capable of challenging the very peak of the regional circuit!
The file clearly detailed March's racing history over the past six months. The two girls immediately began poring over it. In their nervous haste, their heads accidentally bumped together, but they didn't have time to care. They followed every line with absolute intensity.
At first, they felt their assumptions were confirmed. March's initial races were small local events in Kasamatsu. She was consistently either the winner or the runner-up—a stable, even excellent performance that would make anyone sigh and say, "As expected of Kasamatsu's top student."
During this stage, March had only ever lost to Oguri Cap and Eperlan. She was, for all intents and purposes, the "Number Two" of Kasamatsu.
But as they read further, the girls' expressions shifted from familiarity to confusion, and then from confusion to pure incredulity.
Fujimasa March had left Kasamatsu—and she had gone quite far. According to the records, her footsteps had gradually moved across the map: exchange races in the Tokai region, selection trials in Shikoku, and even several open races in the South Kanto region...
Some races were obscure, suggesting a journey to see the world's heroes; others were heavyweights in the regional circuit, known for fierce competition.
What truly made their eyes widen was her record:
Tokai Exchange Race (Nagoya Racecourse) — 3rd Place
Hokuriku Exchange Race (Kanazawa Racecourse) — 1st Place
Saki Memorial (Kawasaki Racecourse) — 3rd Place
Sakura Open (Funabashi Racecourse) — 2nd Place
Autumn Prize (Mombetsu Racecourse) — 1st Place
Her tracks spanned almost all of Japan, and her results were nothing short of spectacular. She had never fallen out of the top three and had frequently claimed the crown. To date, her record stood at seven wins out of twelve starts.
Crucially, it seemed she had specifically tailored her training for the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun. Most of her races were miles, and she had secured her right to compete in the main event by winning the necessary trial races.
Those solid rankings were the result of Fujimaru Ritsuka's guidance and the proof of March's grueling effort. However, until this moment, no one aside from the two of them knew this news.
Nor did anyone know that Fujimaru Ritsuka had looked at the focused girl and said:
"March, Kawasaki is the best stage to validate the results of this past half-year. Here is the data and simulation analysis for your opponents. I only want you to remember one thing: your opponent isn't just the others on the track..."
Ritsuka paused, leaving the thought hanging.
March had responded immediately, her gaze sharp and clear, her face ablaze with fighting spirit: "Yes! My opponents are not just the other Horse Girls running on the field, but myself—my 'limits' up until now—and that vast sky you've shown me, Trainer-san!"
Ritsuka didn't offer empty platitudes about "competing without regrets." In racing, there is usually only one winner, and the others are left with the bitterness or even the agony of defeat—the very source that drives a Horse Girl forward. He knew March didn't need that kind of comfort.
March had simply smiled at Ritsuka, her reddish-gold eyes overflowing with the light of excitement.
Their bond had begun with a "fleeting glance," blossomed through silent labor in the shadows, and was now finally approaching its first special inspection under the spotlights of Kawasaki.
They were both looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, everyone else in Kasamatsu—including Luster and Mini Lady, who had just discovered the "anomaly"—was completely in the dark. They had no idea what kind of "surprise" was waiting for them.
The room was draped in silence, save for the faint hum of the computer tower.
Mini Lady blinked once, then twice. After a long while, she pointed at the file, her voice sounding a bit airy. "Wait... Is this... is this the 'March' we know? That super-serious top student who always takes first or second in Kasamatsu?"
"The Trainer did say that 'if nothing goes wrong, this strength is limited to Kasamatsu,' but..." Double Bell Luster felt dazed, almost losing her filter. She wondered if Ritsuka had misjudged something, because March had clearly stepped out of Kasamatsu and achieved great things.
Did this mean Ritsuka had been wrong about her?
Luster felt even more bewildered. Under Ritsuka's daily analysis, they had been influenced by his perspective; they were no longer just focused on their own small corner of Kasamatsu. Their horizons had expanded significantly.
They knew well that while there was a massive gap between the floor and the ceiling of regional racing—and certainly no comparison to the Central circuit—the regional waters were still very deep. Every region had its own specialties and its own corresponding powerhouses.
March's "strength" in Kasamatsu was built on stability, diligent training, and rock-solid fundamentals. However, she lacked Oguri Cap's absolute talent and explosive power to shatter the ceiling. By all logic, she might place well in certain regional races, but to consistently campaign across different regions and place in the top tier every time... that difficulty was immense.
Not to mention, she had successfully qualified for the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun—the absolute summit for debut-year Horse Girls in the regional circuit!
Just how much effort had that girl put in?
No—could effort alone really achieve this much?
"This... this isn't logical," Luster murmured. "March's running style and technique are indeed impressive, but how did she adapt so quickly to different regions, varying tracks, and rivals with completely different styles? And the intervals between these races..." She scrutinized the dates, finding them bizarre.
Starting from a certain point, March had been racing every two to three weeks. It was an incredibly dense schedule. Where did she get the time and energy to plan, travel, adjust, and maintain her condition? Without an elite team behind her, March couldn't possibly have managed such a process on her own!
Therefore, someone must have planned everything for her, providing the most precise guidance and support!
Uncharacteristically, a thick cloud of worry reappeared in Double Bell Luster's eyes.
The last time she felt this way was when Le Glorieux arrived at Kasamatsu Tracen.
Because the weather was turning cold, Fujimaru Ritsuka had moved the evening lessons indoors. The lamplight cast their shadows against a whiteboard covered in data charts. Ritsuka stood at the board, while the Horse Girls—led by Oguri Cap and Eperlan—sat across from him like "good little girls"... or rather, like ordinary students.
Oguri Cap clutched an energy bar, nibbling on it as her eyes remained glued to the figure at the whiteboard.
Ritsuka posted data on the rivals one by one, using a projector to play race footage.
In the quiet room, his voice was exceptionally clear: "The Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in Kawasaki is a 1,600-meter dirt race for debut-year regional Horse Girls. It is a JpnI event, one of the highest-rated races in Japan. Therefore, not a single opponent can be underestimated."
To use a loose comparison, the regional Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun was the equivalent of Central's Hanshin Juvenile Fillies or the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. In the UK, it would be the Hopeful Stakes; in the US, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (split between dirt and turf). They were all the ultimate stages for debut-year girls to prove themselves.
Ritsuka began his point-by-point analysis. From Northern Kyushu's "Volcanic Surge," a dirt specialist with staggering explosive power, to the Kansai region's "Yodogawa Rainbow," known for her high stamina and late-stretch surges, and the Hokkaido-born "Snow Country Will," who thrived in foul weather and complex terrain...
Ritsuka didn't just point out their strengths and preferred styles; he deconstructed the logic behind their tactics and their potential weaknesses. He would pause the video frequently to explain what a subtle tilt of the body meant, or how a change in breathing rhythm might signal an upcoming acceleration or shift in pace. His explanation was incredibly detailed yet easy to grasp.
Oguri Cap listened intently, her silver-gray ears twitching occasionally as she committed the key information to memory. When she encountered a particularly thorny simulated situation, she would frown, the energy bar still in her mouth as she asked muffled questions: "What if she suddenly crowds me outward on the corner here?"
Ritsuka would pull up another clip and offer advice, but he always added a caveat: "Tactics are static; the race is alive. Remember their habits, but don't be shackled by anyone's predictions. Sometimes, split-second judgment is more important than pre-match analysis."
When Fujimasa March's data and highlight reels appeared on the screen, Oguri's chewing slowed. A sharp glint flashed in her deep blue eyes.
This was one of her most familiar rivals and the first true challenge she had ever faced. She had long ago acknowledged this girl who once made her feel the pressure of competition. However, due to Ritsuka's arrangements, she hadn't encountered March in a long time. She never expected they would meet again in the upcoming race.
Ritsuka's expression and tone remained unchanged, continuing in his objective, analytical voice: "Oguri, this is Fujimasa March. She is an old rival of yours. You should already be very familiar with her data. Her fundamentals are exceptionally solid, and her control of pace is surgical. However, Horse Girls like this aren't rare—almost every region has one, or even several, such 'Fujimasa Marches'."
"But in the last six months, her cross-regional performance has been remarkably stable. She has shown immense adaptability and a rapid rate of evolution. This is what sets her apart from the 'Fujimasa Marches' of other regions, and it is the direct reason she warrants your vigilance."
Ritsuka played several clips of March's away races, highlighting how she handled various corners and different crisis situations.
"In Nagoya, when faced with pressure from the inner track, she didn't fight it head-on. She sacrificed a bit of position to lull her opponent, quietly conserving her strength for the final straight, eventually pulling off a complete reversal."
"In Kanazawa, facing terrible weather and a muddy track, she adjusted her power output and displayed an astonishingly stable rhythm to successfully claim victory."
His analysis was based entirely on what March had shown in the races—meticulous and accurate, pointing out her technical improvements and the deeper tactical logic behind her wins.
However, he didn't breathe a word about the secret practices targeting specific opponent types, nor the "growth path" he had personally mapped out for her. He acted as if he had no idea he was the one who had given March the secret weapons to deal with Oguri Cap.
But this was exactly the challenge he had created for Oguri.
"It is worth noting," Ritsuka said, his pen tapping lightly on March's name as his gaze shifted to Oguri, "Oguri, because you are both from Kasamatsu and know each other inside out, she has likely studied you more intently and specifically than any other opponent."
"The details you show in a race, your habits, your preferences, even the tiny deviations in your movement when your emotions fluctuate... she has likely analyzed all of it repeatedly."
Hearing this, Oguri's ears stood bolt upright, and her gaze became solemn.
She felt that if it were Fujimasa March, she really might do such a thing.
"On the track, she might use that knowledge to design unexpected tactics or psychological interference specifically for you," Ritsuka continued calmly. "It could be a change in positioning at the start, a sudden shift in pace during the middle leg, or a line choice on the final corner that you never anticipated."
Oguri Cap set down her energy bar, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. She could feel that if things were as Ritsuka described, Fujimasa March would become a very troublesome opponent—far more so than those who were simply strong or fast.
Seeing the battle-lust and vigilance in Oguri's eyes, Fujimaru Ritsuka allowed himself a small smile. He was starting to look forward to the final race of the year.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (122 Chapters – Ongoing)
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