British Central Tracen.
"I see. No wonder the JRA's executive secretary came and went in such a hurry. So the negotiations broke down."
Seated behind her desk, a mature, elegant woman propped her chin on one hand and regarded the small silver-haired horse girl across from her with obvious interest.
This was the first time she had ever encountered a horse girl openly clashing with a racing association. It felt wonderfully novel.
"So then, would you like to come to our side? We welcome any horse girl or trainer with ideals and ambition." She folded her hands together and smiled with perfect warmth.
Though the other girls at Tracen had plenty to say about Xingyun Liuge—after all, she was building her reputation by stepping on the fame of British horse girls—what was Britain's traditional specialty?
Naturally, divide and recruit.
Setting aside whether Xingyun Liuge truly had the ability to seize the British Triple Crown, that ambition alone was enough to make Nijinsky look at her in a better light.
The British horse girls of the present day had all set their sights on specializing in single disciplines and on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At this rate, Nijinsky herself might end up being the last British Triple Crown winner.
As student council president, she should not interfere too deeply in students' choices. Even so, if possible, she naturally wanted countless new British Triple Crown winners to emerge from among the younger generation.
Better yet, ones like Xingyun Liuge—girls who would conquer the classic Triple Crowns of other countries through overseas campaigns and show the world the might of British horse girls.
Whether Xingyun Liuge truly possessed the absolute strength to seize the British Triple Crown was beside the point. If her arrival could ignite the competitive spirit of British horse girls and spur the birth of a new Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky would be satisfied.
"Miss Nijinsky?" Chihaya Yui's expression immediately turned grim. She had never heard of anything like this. What was this supposed to be? Fear that another country's horse girl might take Britain's own classic Triple Crown, so they were trying to recruit her on the spot?
No wonder Nijinsky had dismissed Sirius Symbol and Cuihe the moment they arrived. So this had been her plan all along.
Compared to this, Yui felt even the JRA's decision to harden Japanese turf seemed downright humane.
The awkward part was that, as a trainer, she genuinely could not bring herself to say anything to stop it. How could she stand in the way of Xingyun Liuge running toward a brighter future?
Nijinsky's hand was undeniably black, but her timing was just as undeniably perfect. The JRA's sincerity and preparation were lacking, which made this the ideal moment for an outsider to step in through the crack.
"Well then, little Xingyun, what do you think?" Nijinsky asked in a voice so sweet it bordered on seductive. "I can provide every form of help you could need. Your living and study environment, your overseas campaigns, all of it—I can arrange everything. Whether you want to go to Europe, America, or even Japan, there will be no problem. British Central Tracen will be your strongest backing."
Then her tone turned proud.
"And don't worry about whether I can actually do it. As the student council president of Central Tracen, my power is unlimited."
She even smiled with a trace of manic delight, making Chihaya Yui feel all the more pressured.
Xingyun Liuge, however, remained unmoved. She merely asked in return, "Not 'offering everything except actual help'?"
As she spoke, she reached back and took Chihaya Yui's hand. Her pale fingers slid easily through the gaps between Yui's, pressing firmly against the back of her hand in quiet reassurance.
Then Liuge continued, "First, survey the overall situation, coordinate every side, consider all aspects, then hold a meeting and write some reports. After that, sit down for a thorough, friendly discussion that fully respects everyone's opinions, then hold another meeting and write some more reports."
She was speaking in impeccable English. There was no chance Nijinsky would fail to understand.
Upon hearing that, Nijinsky visibly froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that tears gathered in her eyes, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
That only made Chihaya Yui more anxious. If Xingyun Liuge had already offended the JRA's executive secretary and then turned right around and offended Nijinsky too, things were going to become unbelievably complicated.
Fortunately, Yui's worry did not come true. Nijinsky had understood Liuge's grasp of Britain perfectly, and that was why she laughed.
Only after quite a while did she manage to stop, sticking out her tongue with a playful expression.
"Little Xingyun, I'm liking you more and more. Are you really sure you won't consider us? Yes, there are certain things that are a bit difficult to handle, but the help we can offer would absolutely be greater than what the JRA can provide."
Xingyun Liuge rejected her without hesitation.
"If Miss Nijinsky truly wants to recruit me, then wait until after the Two Thousand Guineas. By then, no one will be able to question your actions."
She sounded so confident it was as if she had already won the first jewel of the British Triple Crown.
Looking at the spirited girl before her, and recalling how just two days ago British turf had tangled itself around her shoes, Nijinsky found herself deeply curious. Where did this little girl's confidence come from? Had she really found a way to conquer this soft turf so quickly?
After all, Japanese turf was as hard as a motorway, and even Hong Kong's turf was quite different from Britain's. There were even British horse girls who had lived in Hong Kong for years and refused to return home because of that difference.
So what exactly was Xingyun Liuge relying on?
Nijinsky said no more. Delight sparkled in her eyes.
"Then I shall await good news."
Some time later, on the training grounds.
To her astonishment, before she had even worked out a countermeasure herself, Chihaya Yui noticed that Xingyun Liuge had already adjusted her running style. Grass stems still clung to the horseshoes from time to time, but compared to the beginning—when entire running shoes had nearly been tangled up—this was already tremendous progress.
That level of self-correction was simply absurd. Did she even need a trainer standing beside her?
Watching from above, Nijinsky noticed the same thing and sighed in admiration at Xingyun Liuge's excellence.
But if that was all...
Then Xingyun Liuge might well completely adapt to British turf before the Two Thousand Guineas began. Yet if they were talking about victory?
That still seemed impossible.
"The lightning is certainly powerful," Nijinsky commented, "but relying entirely on the power of a Domain cannot last forever."
After all, what household didn't have a few dazzling young talents of its own?
Nijinsky could not say with certainty that Central Tracen would produce a Triple Crown winner this year. Personally, she leaned toward unlikely. But if they were talking about a scattered Triple Crown—different winners taking different legs—then absolutely, yes.
So how was Xingyun Liuge supposed to defeat them?
No one knew.
Late at night, in the silence of her single dorm room, Xingyun Liuge's eyes flashed with a faint green glow.
Black mist lit by eerie emerald radiance surged from beneath the girl's feet, swallowing the room almost instantly. Twisted green tongues of flame licked at the cracks of the door, seeming eager to escape outside and revel in the night.
But seeming eager was all they did. They did not cross the boundary even a single step. Instead, they rolled back like a receding tide, then shot upward.
Vast black fog and ghostly emerald flame intertwined, transforming into thick, boiling waves of mist filled with countless sparks of green fire.
The walls vanished.
What appeared before the girl's eyes was a haze of dark green mist, as if frozen in place, yet also somehow flowing.
Above that haze, ghostly flames occupied eight different directions, blazing fiercely. They illuminated the entire space—while at the same time bringing with them a terrible pressure so heavy it felt almost tangible.
Everywhere was burning ash and echoes of despair.
This was a land of the dead where hope did not exist, where salvation had no meaning.
This—
was the Samsara Dead Zone.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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