At the instructor's signal, the Uma Musume burst into motion. This wasn't a real race. There was no commentary, no audience, and no stakes beyond evaluation. It was simply a periodic assessment used by Trainers to measure overall performance. Even so, some students formed their own cheering groups, calling out encouragement from beyond the rail. Their voices grew too loud and eventually annoyed the evaluators, forcing the supervising Trainers to send them away.
Near the railing, Chiya stood a short distance behind the evaluators, quietly observing the first-years.
"Watch me!"
A lively voice caught his attention. A small figure bounced across the field with light, springy steps, each landing clean and controlled. Tokai Teio moved with effortless grace. Beside him, Naze Fumino remained silent, calmly watching.
At the command, Teio launched forward. Her stride flowed like a continuous curve, smooth and precise. Within three hundred meters, she had already created distance, and by the finish line she crossed ahead by two lengths.
"Yay!" Teio jumped in celebration, dancing just past the line.
"She's incredible," Chiya said honestly."That's her natural ability," Naze replied. "I only taught her how to use it."
"Top-tier talent paired with a top-tier Trainer…" Teio would become a serious rival in the future. Naze allowed herself a faint smile, though Chiya didn't notice. Aoi, however, did.
"My Uma Musume aren't weak either…" Aoi murmured, her gaze shifting toward Happy Meek and Special Week.
After several groups had run, it was finally Shirayuki's turn. She stepped onto the track and faced T.M. Opera O.
"Hahaha! White kitten, at last, the moment we share the stage!" Opera O declared theatrically. "Let us sound the charge and sing beneath the full moon!"
"Group F, prepare."
The instructor marked his sheet. Shirayuki clenched her fist. "Opera O, I'll show you that victory doesn't belong to a ruler alone."
"Oh?" Opera O's eyes gleamed with interest.
"On your marks, ready, run!"
They took off as one. Opera O quickly secured a leading position near the front. Shirayuki settled into the middle of the pack.
Outside the rail, Meisho Doto watched anxiously. "Shirayuki… can she win…?" Elsewhere, Gold Ship, Rice Shower, Matikanefukukitaru, Special Week, and even Mejiro Dober had gathered to watch.
"Shirayuki, do your best…" Special Week whispered, hands clenched.
"Here we go! Contestant Two accelerates! Contestant Three hugs the rail!"
Gold Ship suddenly began shouting commentary.
"…What numbers?" everyone thought. There was no numbering system, yet her voice carried clearly across the track.
"They're entering the first corner! Mid-pack is getting crowded, positions are shifting! Oh! Shirayuki moves inward, dropping slightly back, does she really not intend to advance yet?!"
Shirayuki ignored everything except one thing. Opera O. The others didn't matter. They were just obstacles. Her focus was fixed. Her eyes tracked the distance markers along the rail. Not chasing, not holding position, just waiting. Timing was everything. When the right number passed her, she would run without hesitation.
But then her vision blurred.
"Huh?"
Strands of hair fell across her eyes. She blinked and realized something was wrong. The runners ahead had slowed. Not dramatically, but enough. They weren't accelerating anymore, just maintaining a steady pace.
And she was surrounded.
Front, side, rear. Every direction was blocked.
"What?!"
She was trapped in the middle of the pack.
Opera O glanced back, watching the "white kitten" caught in the formation. "You still don't understand this race."
Why had she pushed the pace early? Because these runners weren't trying to win. They were trying to pass. By forcing them to burn stamina early, she made them cautious. They slowed, stabilized, and unintentionally formed a barrier. Shirayuki, focused only on timing, had been caught inside.
"A ruler understands the use of troops."
Right now, those runners were her formation.
Inside the pack, Shirayuki scanned rapidly. No path inside. Then outside?
Chiya leaned forward anxiously. "She's in trouble.""If she stays calm, she might find an opening in the turn," Naze said.
No. That was too late. Against Opera O, accelerating in the turn wouldn't be enough. Shirayuki needed something else.
Nearby, Oguri Cap narrowed her eyes. She had seen this before. Surrounded on all sides. There was only one way out.
She calmly picked up a piece of sushi and took a bite.
"My food friend…"
The answer was already there. The way to break free was hidden within.