Kitasan Black felt incredibly nervous.
She was no stranger to races. She had seen her fair share of grand events with her grandfather and father.
But she had never been the center of attention in those moments. Only the winner standing on the victory podium drew every eye.
Even now, she still didn't feel like the focus.
She could see that every banner and cheer from the stands was aimed at her seniors. They were clearly the stars of this Training Race.
At the same time, she sensed many envious glances subtly coming her way as she stood among those renowned seniors.
After worrying for a while, she quickly tried to shift her focus.
This was a technique both her grandfather and her trainer had taught her.
Her grandfather had told her long ago that even after countless performances on stage, there were times when he would suddenly feel anxious for no clear reason.
Whenever that happened, he would drink his favorite soda.
According to him, once he finished the bottle, he could snap right back into the performance ahead.
Her trainer's advice had been much the same.
To become a truly legendary Uma Musume, it was important to hold on to your original passion no matter what.
For an Uma Musume, nothing mattered more than running and competing.
So when a race drew near and she felt nervous or uneasy, she should focus on how she would run instead.
With that in mind, Kitasan Black pressed her lips together, quietly clenched her fists, and let her gaze rest on Special Week and the others.
Yasui Makoto noticed her change in demeanor and gave a small, satisfied nod.
Mindset was everything in a race.
Thanks to Air Groove's arrangements, Duramente had trained with Kitasan Black often over the past few days. The goal had been to help steady her easily excitable nature.
Kitasan Black did not have any major issues in that area. Her bright personality made it easier for her to regain her composure.
Yasui Makoto had reminded her of this many times and taught her practical ways to adjust.
Looking at her now, he could tell she had been nervous for a moment but had already pulled herself together.
Once he confirmed that, a new idea occurred to him. He turned his attention to Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
"Still, it's nice to have such a big crowd watching," he continued their earlier conversation. "This will be valuable experience for both Kita-chan and me."
"I still want to go over a few more things with Kita-chan. Would you two mind handling the drone monitoring?"
After the previous review and input from the University Division, drones had been officially approved as a new training tool.
Their performance had been improved as well. They were smaller than the first models, with better hardware and software.
The exterior had also been painted a special light green and given an extra coating. At high speed, the color and finish made them almost invisible to an Uma Musume.
On top of that, Yasui Makoto had ordered three more drones at the University Division's suggestion.
With four drones working together, they could capture footage from above, both sides, and behind all at once, giving far more detailed and high-definition race footage than before.
The University Division had already tested the setup with excellent results. Today they would see how it performed in actual race conditions.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen had been interested in the drones from the start.
They had come today both to cheer for Kitasan Black and to catch up with old friends. Another reason was to check the drones' effectiveness for themselves.
"No problem at all," Tokai Teio replied with a nod. "McQueen and I have both read the evaluation reports and operation manuals from the University Division. We'll take care of it."
She pointed toward a temporary platform set up just outside the track near the stands. It had tables, chairs, microphones, and all the necessary equipment.
"We'll head straight over there and get ready," she added. "And since we have such a big audience today, the two presidents might as well try our hand at commentating."
Yasui Makoto nodded gratefully as he watched the two Uma Musume head toward the stands. Then he turned back, thought for a moment, and spoke first to Special Week and the rest of the group.
"If President Tokai Teio and the others are doing the commentary, just follow their instructions once the race starts."
"You can all head to the gate and get ready first."
"Kita-chan and I just need a quick word."
All the Uma Musume present except Kitasan Black had taken part in many races, including plenty of top-tier graded stakes, so lining up at the gate was second nature to them.
Special Week and the others nodded, waved to Kitasan Black, and started toward the gate with playful teasing and a touch of nostalgia.
"A race, huh… If I'd known there was going to be one today, I would've started preparing the moment I got back. Actually, make that half a year ago."
"…Daiwa Scarlet, don't you think that's a little much? This is just a Training Race…"
"Who cares if it's a Training Race? As long as it's a race, I'm going for first place! Even if I didn't prepare much, I still won't lose. Just you wait and see!"
"Looks like Daiwa Scarlet's competitive spirit is as strong as ever, haha…"
"Special Week, have you been training these past few years?"
"Training… Well, I usually run everywhere anyway. Whether I'm delivering goods in town or heading up the mountain, I always run."
"Oh? Sounds like nobody's been slacking off. Excellent! This is going to be fun! Give it everything you've got. And be careful not to get blown away by Gold Ship-sama in one breath!"
As the seniors made their way to the gate, Kitasan Black kept her eyes fixed on them, her gaze full of longing and fighting spirit.
Then she turned to Yasui Makoto, looking curious.
"Trainer… what did you want to talk about?"
Even as she asked, her mind raced, wondering if she had missed something in her preparations.
Yasui Makoto thought for a moment.
"Following the running style I set for you earlier, this will be very difficult… but have you ever considered trying to win against your seniors in this Training Race?"
Kitasan Black's ears shot straight up.
A second later…
"Eh?! Win… win against my seniors…?"
She stared at the gate in shock, stammering.
"This… this…"
"What's wrong? Do you think it's impossible, or is there something else on your mind?" Yasui Makoto asked with a smile.
"Possible or impossible…"
Kitasan Black scratched her head, still stumbling over her words.
"I don't even know what to say… It's just… so sudden. You never mentioned anything like this before…"
"It is sudden," Yasui Makoto admitted. "But the goal for this Training Race has already been set for you."
"I also checked Daiwa Scarlet and the others' running styles and tactics with them personally."
"Looking at it from every angle, the chance of you beating them right now… is probably zero."
"However, Kita-chan, do you remember what you said before?"
Kitasan Black blinked.
"What I said before…? What was it?"
"'At least let me beat my seniors once.' Those were more or less your exact words."
Looking into the black-haired girl's surprised eyes, Yasui Makoto's voice filled with praise and encouragement.
"I thought you would be extremely nervous facing your seniors in an actual race, but you handled it really well."
"So maybe I'm pushing my luck… but I want you to go beyond simply staying calm. I want you to take one more step and actually win against them."
"At least once. Right now, isn't this the perfect chance?"