It had been decided they would talk about it the next day, but when Yasui actually met Kitasan Black again, it was already Monday morning.
She must have taken his advice to rest early. In any case, when they saw each other, the girl had regained her usual boundless energy.
"I give up!"
The moment she spotted Yasui, Kitasan Black exclaimed with bright excitement.
"I can't figure it out on my own at all. So whether it's risking everything or winning no matter what… I'll leave all of that to you, Trainer!"
"I trust you, Trainer!"
Yasui took a moment to process what she meant. He pinched his chin and lowered his head in thought.
Although the wording was different, Deep Impact had said something similar when they reviewed the race. It wasn't just her—Special Week and the others had expressed the same feeling.
Drawing from those experienced insights and the data compiled from the Training Race, he had already formed a new idea for special training.
However, compared to the plans already in motion, he couldn't be certain this one would prove effective.
So when he looked at Kitasan Black again, he simply pointed to the track on the sports field and told her to begin regular training.
In the Training Race, although her performance had been abnormal in the first half, Kitasan Black had clearly shown the results of her special training on the slope after the third bend.
The slopes on the track weren't perfectly straight up and down, but after strengthening her vertical movement ability, even the gentler angles of real racecourses became much easier to handle.
Still, in the previous special training she hadn't yet mastered the heights that matched the actual slopes of the Japanese Derby. Now was the perfect time to build on the gains from the Training Race and raise her proficiency.
Techniques she had already mastered—curve positioning, gradient acceleration, and mid-air leg changes—couldn't be neglected. They needed to be refined to suit the unique demands of the upcoming race.
There was no shortage of tasks, but with roughly two weeks left until the Japanese Derby, there was more than enough time.
Soon, Kitasan Black's spirited "Heiya!" shouts echoed across the sports field track in the early morning.
…
That night, in the dance hall at Tracen Academy.
In the empty hall, Yasui had spread a large soft mat several meters square across the center. A single chair stood in one corner of the mat.
The chair was unusual. Its upper half was an ordinary high-backed chair with armrests, but it had only one leg supporting the seat. At the very top of the backrest was a metal pull ring with a thick rope—about as wide as a wrist—tied to it.
The rope stretched more than ten meters long, running through the hall's central crossbeam before leading to a pillar. Yasui had secured a pulley system with a buckle to the pillar, then fastened the other end of the rope to it.
After finishing the setup, he waved Kitasan Black over. She approached with curiosity, and he pointed to the one-legged chair.
"Come. Sit."
"This… Can you even sit on this chair?"
Kitasan Black asked doubtfully, but obediently leaned over and sat down.
Her feet touched the ground first, then she rose onto her tiptoes, gripping the armrests tightly as the chair wobbled beneath her.
"It's completely unstable, Trainer…"
"Unstable is exactly what we want."
Yasui nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"Simply put, this is a very special kind of training."
"Special training specifically for the Domain."
"Domain?"
Kitasan Black's eyes lit up.
Yasui had never hidden the term "Domain" from her. She had asked her seniors about it and learned that in that state, one could unleash power far beyond their usual limits.
Neither the Uma Musume who had experienced the Domain nor the Trainers and researchers could fully explain how to enter or master it.
She hadn't been particularly disappointed. Trainer had also said that no matter how powerful the Domain was, it wouldn't completely transform someone. As long as her everyday training was solid and her strength was sufficient, she could still win races without relying on it.
But what she hadn't expected was that Yasui, who had previously seemed uncertain about how to approach the Domain, now looked completely confident.
She didn't doubt her Trainer's abilities in the slightest and immediately grew excited.
"Trainer, do you know how to master the Domain?"
"Master it?"
Yasui paused, then shook his head with a small smile.
"No, not that."
"It's too complex to explain in words. I'll demonstrate, and you'll understand."
"Do you remember the posture I taught you? Sit cross-legged on the chair, keep your balance, and look straight ahead."
Practicing those postures every morning upon waking and before bed had already become Kitasan Black's habit.
At his instruction, she obediently tucked her legs in and gazed straight forward. At the same time, her ears twitched curiously toward him, eager to know what would happen next.
Soon, familiar footsteps faded for a moment, heading toward the pillar where the rope was secured.
The rope…
Wait… Could it be…?
Her heart skipped. Kitasan Black instinctively raised her eyes toward the rope running through the crossbeam.
Before she could see clearly, a sudden, familiar sensation flooded her entire body.
It felt as if her blood had been drained away. A chill spread from her fingertips to her torso in an instant, then surged upward to the top of her head.
This is… the Domain?!
The thought flashed through her mind. Then her blood returned, and she realized her guess had been correct.
Just as Yasui had said, the one-legged chair was designed to be unstable. The moment the rope loosened, it would tip over, sending her falling backward without warning—and in that split second of falling, she would experience a sensation similar to the Domain.
"Trainer, this…?"
Once she understood, Kitasan Black scrambled up from the soft mat and stared at Yasui with wide eyes.
"It's exactly as you felt."
Yasui nodded, his voice low and serious.
"I've asked your seniors, and I've asked you. Whenever anyone mentions the Domain, they all bring up the same word."
"Fear."
"I can't race like you do, and I've never truly understood why that fear appears."
"This Training Race reminded me of something."
"Why the fear exists isn't important. And I still don't know how to teach you to master the Domain."
"But I can teach you how to face fear."
"Because…"
He paused suddenly, his gaze drifting toward the night visible through the dance hall window.
Perhaps I am the person in this world who understands fear the most…?
For a moment, he was lost in thought. Then he looked back and continued in a casual tone.
"In Extreme Stunts, many performances happen at high altitudes, on cliffs, and over deep seas."
"Fear of falling. The visual cliff effect. Suffocation…"
"These are fears no living creature can ever truly escape in its lifetime."
"This special training now mimics the fear of falling."
"If you can adapt to it, then no matter what happens in the Japanese Derby or in future races, you won't be shaken."
"Because…"
He met Kitasan Black's gaze directly.
"You will have already faced fear countless times."
Kitasan Black looked back at him in silence.
That momentary fright, the blank mind from the Training Race and the Satsuki Sho, replayed in her memory like scenes from a film.
Among those flashbacks was also the figure of a towering mountain—his back, which had once filled her with unwillingness and regret.
Facing… fear?
So at that time, it wasn't just unwillingness or regret…
Was I also afraid…?
Her fists clenched silently, nails digging crescent shapes into her palms.
She took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, then quietly helped the fallen chair upright again and sat down.
"I'll be in your care, Trainer…"
"Again."
---
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