The girls enrolled at Tracen Academy, like Urara, wear school uniforms, attend classes, and sit for exams. In that sense, they look like any other students, but in reality, they are something else entirely.
The school motto, which champions excellence in both the literary and martial arts, is "To be peerless; to stand alone at the summit." Whether it's true or not, rumor has it that a framed inscription hangs in the Student Council Room with the English translation: "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere."
The primary difference between these girls and the general student population lies in their "vacation." While they do have long breaks like summer holidays, they don't spend them idling away. Instead, they devote every single day to grueling, desperate training.
Some trainers might grant their runners a break for the Obon festival, but even that is a week at most. No matter how mercilessly the summer sun beats down, the Horse Girls pour their heart and soul into their practice and their races.
Following Urara's fifth-place defeat in her recent Maiden Race, I intended to use this summer heat to push her development even further.
Even though Horse Girls possess physical capabilities far beyond those of a normal human, heatstroke is still a very real threat during summer training. Most trainers take precautions by moving their sessions to the pool or indoor facilities. However, I chose the outdoor track.
I say "chose," but in truth, I didn't have much of a choice at all.
Using the pool or indoor tracks requires an application process, and every other trainer has the same idea. Those facilities have capacity limits; not everyone who applies gets in. Priority is naturally given to the powerhouse teams and the high-ranking girls. A rookie trainer like me and a winless girl like Urara rarely see our names called.
I've even heard that the academy's strongest team, Team Rigil, rents out an entire resort hotel for their summer camp, spending the season at a private beachside training ground.
It's a privileged environment, certainly, but I don't see it as discrimination. Trainer Tojo and Team Rigil have earned that privilege by delivering results. I'd at least like access to the pool, but if it comes down to it, I can just pay out of my own pocket to take Urara to the public city pool.
So, for these reasons, Urara and I found ourselves out on the open track. Even under the blistering midsummer sun, Urara was a ball of pure energy. It's not that she doesn't feel the heat, but her ability to simply shrug it off is one of her greatest strengths.
Training in a harsh environment doesn't always guarantee results. Normally, the most effective path is a balance: the right amount of the right exercise followed by proper rest. However, it's also true that enduring a struggle builds mental fortitude.
Of course, I'm not some old-school "guts and glory" coach who'd withhold a single drop of water in the heat. I intended to keep a sharp eye on her condition and take every precaution to prevent heatstroke while we worked.
"Alright, Urara… It's incredibly hot today, too, but from here on out, we're doing intensive daily training for the next Maiden Race. Ready?"
I spoke as I pulled a white cap onto her head. It was a handmade gift—a store-bought hat I'd stayed up all night modifying, carefully cutting holes for her ears to poke through.
"Yup! Okay! I'm gonna do my best!"
She seemed to love the hat, looking even more fired up than usual. I watched her with a wry smile, but she tilted her head curiously as she took in my own appearance.
"By the way, Trainer? You're dressed kinda funny. What's up?"
Usually, I'm in a tracksuit when we train. Today was different. I was wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and track shoes. I even had on a matching white cap—though mine, obviously, didn't have ear holes.
"Heh heh heh… Good question, Urara. You could call this outfit my 'Secret Weapon.'"