Chapter 1: A Meeting, a Beginning, and the Season of Reincarnated Cheats

Let me start with the conclusion:
I was reincarnated—into the world of a mobile game I used to play.

…Yeah, I know. I get it. Anyone would think, “Is this guy insane?”
Reincarnated into a mobile game world? How do you even enter a bunch of data? And does reincarnation even exist?

I completely understand wanting to make fun of me. Honestly, I still sometimes wonder if this is all just a dream.
But it happened. It actually happened. Reincarnation is real! My proof? Me.

---

Over twenty years ago, a boy was born into the Horino household of this world.
From the moment he could think, he clearly remembered his past life—and not just the memories. His values and personality were basically identical to his old self.

Yeah. That was me.

Back then, I was completely confused. I tried to leave the house to “understand the current situation,” and at one point even tried to off myself because I assumed it was a dream.

A one-year-old kid did that.

…Looking back on it, I feel genuinely awful. I caused my parents and brother a ton of worry and trouble.
I’m sorry, and thank you. I’ll make it up to you from here on, so please forgive me.

Once I became convinced that this was reincarnation and felt relieved that the afterlife was real after all, I finally managed to stand up, and my line of sight rose just enough to catch a picture frame displayed in the house.

It was a photo of my father in his younger days, with a beautiful girl beside him.

The beautiful girl… had animal ears and a tail.

…Wait. What? Dad, is that your thing? I mean, I won’t judge as a fellow man, but…
Even if that is your thing, why would you frame it and put it on display? Mom definitely sees this all the time.

N-no, calm down. The issue is not what this is, but what I’m supposed to do about it.
I’ve caused enough trouble already—it’s a child’s duty to correct a father’s mistakes.

Even if he kicks me out of the house… I won’t regret it.

However, that dramatic resolve of mine was completely and utterly wasted.

When one-year-old me knocked on my father’s study door with the picture in hand, my father rested a hand on his chin and said something unbelievable.

"Already interested in Uma Musume? Truly, blood doesn’t lie."

Uma Musume.

I remembered that name. Actually, anyone who played mobile games back then knew it.

Uma Musume Pretty Derby—a juggernaut that absolutely blew up in the 2020s.
To put it simply: a game where you raise anthropomorphized Uma Musume. Players act as trainers, guiding an Uma Musume through three years of races.

I myself played it for a while after launch.
Specifically until Swimsuit Maruzensky came out. Real life got busy—plus my precious Seiun Sky kept getting demolished, which made me cry a little and step away.

Man, that game was fun. Each Uma Musume had her own story tone, but the whole “high-energy youth sports drama” vibe sucked you right in.
When I won the URA Finals for the first time, I embarrassingly teared up a bit. It felt like everything finally paid off.

…No, no no no, that’s not the point.

Uma Musume?
That girl in the photo?
Well, if I look at it as an Uma Musume, she definitely is one, but… huh?

A flood of possibilities flashed through my mind.

A prank? Too elaborate.
A dream? No—the years I’d lived already were too real.
Dad trying to trick me? There’s no benefit in that.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Calm down. If you don’t understand something, stay calm and ask someone who does. That was a crucial skill I learned as a working adult.

"Father. What exactly is an Uma Musume?"

"Hmm… Yes, I suppose it’s about time I teach you."

Everything my father explained proved without a doubt that I had truly reincarnated into the world of Uma Musume.

Girls who inherit the names and souls of legendary horses from another world, surpassing humans by far in sheer ability.
They compete in races, and people are intoxicated by the frenzy they create.

It was exactly the Uma Musume I knew. Exactly the world the game portrayed.

…I really reincarnated. Into a game world.

I’m a man; I’ve had fantasies like that. Fighting monsters in a game world, sitting around a bonfire with companions, eating cartoonishly huge meat slabs, building cities, running ranches—anything.
These impossible dreams are one of the curses of being born in the modern world.

But somehow, I ended up in a position where I could actually live that dream! Heck yes!

And not only that—

"Our family has served as Uma Musume trainers for generations. If you have no objections, you will likely serve as a trainer at the Central Tracen Academy."

Apparently, the Horino family was a prestigious trainer lineage.
Not quite on the level of the Tōjō or Kiryuin families, but still among the top—easily within the top ten in the entire country.

I was born as their second son. The much older first son chose a different career path.
Which meant the family expected me to inherit the trainer expertise.

This was destiny.

Why did I reincarnate into this world?
Why was I born into a prestigious trainer family?
Why do I possess knowledge about Uma Musume?

There’s only one answer that connects all of that.

This world is telling me to become a trainer!

So, to become one, I worked like crazy.

The app didn’t talk about it much, but Central Tracen is an absurdly elite school.
Whether you’re entering as an Uma Musume or a trainer, the acceptance rate is brutal.

Even with memories of my past life, getting in was no easy feat.

Honestly, I’m dumb. Even in my past life, I wasn’t exactly sharp or quick-witted.
If I didn’t give it everything, I’d betray the expectations of both my family and the world.

Besides:

My past-life memories end around five years into working adulthood.
Meaning, counting my college days too, I’d gone over ten years without studying anything high-school level.

At this point, I’d even forgotten most of middle school. I wasn’t even sure I could list all the prefectures correctly.
And considering this world wasn’t identical to the old one, I needed to relearn everything thoroughly.

Yeah. I’ll say it myself: I’m weirdly disciplined when it counts.

Once I have a goal, I go straight for it. I may be dumb and slow, but I don’t mind running forward one tiny step at a time.

So.

After declaring to my father on the spot that I would “absolutely become a trainer,”
I spent over twenty years polishing myself—

And finally achieved my dream.

It was March. The cherry blossoms were just about to bloom when I stepped through the academy gates.

Central Tracen Academy.
From this year onward, I would be a rookie trainer.

Alright—time to give it everything!

---

A few months after starting at Tracen Academy.

I finished the rookie training course with excellent grades.

Normally, a trainer with no achievements starts as a sub-trainer or instructor for a while before being allowed to take on their own Uma Musume.
But apparently, my abilities were rated very highly, and I was allowed to take on a charge right away.

…Honestly, it feels a little suspicious. Maybe someone in my family nudged the academy? My older brother is overprotective—hope he didn’t do anything weird.

But anyway, being allowed to have an assigned trainee means my real trainer life is finally beginning.

Watching the Uma Musume doing voluntary training on the grounds, I let myself feel sentimental for a moment.

It took a long time… but I finally made it here.
And this isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of everything.

Then something caught my eye and pulled me back to reality.

"…Hmm."

That girl is incredible. Her distance aptitude is insanely broad—everything except sprinting is her specialty.

And the girl over there—her stats are wild. Her Speed is a D. A D!
…Oh, she’s probably a Classic-grade student. If a Junior had that speed, rumors would be flying nonstop.

"………."

Being able to see things others can’t is… deeply unsettling.

See? No, it’s more like somehow understanding it.

Because yes—I can see it.

An Uma Musume’s stats, aptitudes, running style, skills—and even their motivation level, condition, stamina, and accident rate.
Essentially, I can view all the data that appeared in the app.

This mysterious ability confused me just as much as anything else.

This isn’t VR, right? If it’s not, then why can I see app data? I seriously have no idea.

Well, I’ve thought about it for years and still don’t get it, so I’ll set it aside for now.

Being able to see an Uma Musume’s stats might sound low-key, but in reality it’s a completely absurd power.

Numbers that normally only appear after the results come out—I can see them beforehand.
…Which basically means I can predict, with near-perfect accuracy, who’s going to win the next race.

My brother and sister back home used to be shocked by it. Some even joked that I was cheating.

Well, even if an Uma Musume’s numbers are high, there are still times when she’ll lose—that’s the harshness of the Uma Musume world. My predictions did miss now and then, and whenever that happened, my siblings roasted me alive for it.

I call this ability “App Reincarnation,” purely for convenience.

Because I reincarnated with the app’s functions intact.
Yeah, the naming sense is as awful as it was in my previous life.

So that’s how it is: I have a power so blatantly unfair it may as well be cheating, and on top of that I’m from a distinguished elite trainer family.

Knowledge-wise, I’m confident I rank among the top in Tracen. I never slacked on my own training either, so my physical ability is pretty high too.

Experience is the only thing I lack, but I’m a rookie—that can’t be helped.

Not to brag, but as a trainer candidate, I should be considered a premium pick.

Which is why I never doubted that I’d find a trainee to take on.

Ideally, I want to work with a strong Uma Musume.

I’m not asking for an undefeated Triple Crown winner, but even one historical G1 crown would place her among the top-class. It would be an honor to be her trainer.

The one I want most—of course—is Seiun Sky. My favorite in the app, my partner… no, she was my beloved Uma Musume.

How many times was I saved by Seiun Sky’s overwhelming acceleration on the final corner, pulling away from everyone behind her?

If I could take charge of Unsu—well, Sky—in this world too, I’d be over the moon.

…But yeah. Reality doesn’t work that conveniently.

Seiun Sky is one of the pillars of the golden generation.
There’s no way an inexperienced rookie like me would get to scout her—she’d be taken by a top-tier veteran trainer for sure.

And Uma Musume have “generations.”
Sky might have debuted before I got here, or she might be debuting next year. There’s no guarantee she’s even among this year’s incoming students.

On top of that, an Uma Musume gets to choose her trainer too. If that free-spirited girl doesn’t like me, there’s no universe in which I’d get to be her trainer.

So, yeah. Honestly? Anyone’s fine.

“Anyone’s fine” doesn’t mean it negatively—in fact, it’s the opposite.

No matter what the girl’s abilities are, I intend to stay by her side for the next three years and support her with everything I have.

Sure, I’d love to polish a raw gem. But if fate ties me to someone—whoever she is—I’ll devote myself to her.

Because that’s what a “trainer,” the role I admired, is supposed to be.

With that mindset, I spent my days watching the mock races, scouting horse girls who had that spark of talent.

And time passed like that.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Hi, I’m the fool who, until a few weeks ago, was casually saying things like, “If possible, I’d like a strong horse girl~.”

Right now, I’m repeating the same miserable cycle: scout → rejected → scout → rejected.

At some point, my fellow rookie trainers stopped laughing and started giving me genuine sympathy.

Ahhh… I can feel the confidence I spent twenty years building crumbling into dust.

Why is this happening? I’m pretty sure I’m a decent catch.

My specs are good, and my face… isn’t terrible, right? So why does everyone look at me like, “Ugh… no thanks”?

Is it some Uma Musume-specific thing where they can smell something humans can’t? Do I need cologne?

Or maybe their sense of aesthetics is so different that a face like mine looks grotesque to them?

Ughhh, I have no idea what the problem is… and I can’t fix something I can’t identify.

Seriously, what do I do? The tiny Chairwoman specifically told me to “secure at least one trainee.”

If I keep failing, will that count as negligence? Doing that in my first year… I wouldn’t be able to face my family again.

“What should I do…”

I need to find someone to take on. This is a serious emergency.

But dragging an unrelated horse girl into my mess for convenience? Completely unacceptable.

Somehow, I need to find a girl who thinks, “I’m fine with this guy being my trainer”…

No—that’s wrong. I have to become someone a horse girl would choose.

…Fate works in strange ways.

The day after I had that dusk-colored epiphany, I witnessed something unbelievable.

---

The New Student Mock Race.

It’s a chance for incoming students to compete in a real race setting, sharpening each other through genuine rivalry. For trainers, it’s an invaluable unofficial event to observe their potential.

And among the runners, there was one horse girl.

Her bay-colored hair streamed behind her, one streak of black trailing like an afterimage. Her build wasn’t especially large, but her stride carried more force than anyone else in the race.

To be honest, I didn’t even know her name.

Among trainers, we’d already shared the names of this year’s exciting newcomers. Meaning, this bay-colored girl wasn’t on the list—she wasn’t considered a contender.

In this industry—sometimes mockingly called a “blood sport”—someone without the right pedigree simply doesn’t have the foundation to win G1 races.

Or… that’s how it should have been.

“…Blood sport, my ass.”

Before I realized it, the curse I usually keep locked away slipped out. She captivated me so thoroughly I couldn’t look away.

The racers crossed the finish line.

She placed second. One length behind the winner.

Meaning, she lost with a fair margin to spare. The girl who placed first was definitely strong, but nowhere near the level of this year’s true standout, Tokai Teio.

So most trainers watching probably overlooked the bay-colored girl completely.

…Which means it’s perfectly fine for me to approach her.

“You. The bay-haired girl.”

Even though she’d lost—even if it was just a mock race—she didn’t change her expression. She simply began stretching.

After confirming she wasn’t surrounded by other trainers, I approached her.

“…Yes?”

A cold, pale glow pierced straight into me—an intense, unwavering gaze.

…Ah. She isn’t expressionless because she lacks emotions. If anything, she’s fiercely competitive.

At Central Tracen—the top academy in Japan—only the absolute best horse girls from across the country are accepted.

Which means it’s common for the undefeated queens of their hometown circuits to arrive here, get crushed, fail to place even once, and spiral into frustration or despair.

But this girl… she already knows how to steer her emotions.

The anger and frustration she carried from the race—she was already converting it into training motivation.

That’s one of the key traits needed for a horse girl to become great.

It’s not easy. And doing that from the very start of academy life… that’s a huge advantage.

…Though honestly, the emotions flickering in her eyes still betray just a touch of the youthful immaturity you’d expect.

I hide a faint smile behind my usual calm and speak again.

“May I ask your name?”

“…Yes. I’m Hoshino Wilm.”

…?

Hoshino Wilm? Never heard of her.

I thought she’d be based on some insanely famous real-world horse even I would know, but apparently not.

Well, I’m not exactly knowledgeable about real-life racing. She might be a horse with an impressive legacy—I just never heard of her.

Because…

This bay girl—Hoshino Wilm—

Is unbelievably strong.

Status.

Her Speed is already high enough to compete in Classic-grade G1 races. Her Intelligence trails slightly behind that, but even then, it’s absurd. Passing 300 at this stage is just… unreal. As for Stamina and Guts—she has more than enough to run not just the Kikuka but even the Spring Tennō Shō. Power is comparatively low, but that’s only because everything else is too high. Breaking 200 right after enrolling as a Junior is more than enough—or rather, far too high.

How are her base stats this insane? Sure, you can raise them a bit before enrollment, but I’m pretty sure they were never supposed to reach numbers this broken.

Next: distance and running-style aptitude.

Compared to her stats, this part looks fairly mild—well, compared to, anyway.

Grass S, Dirt C. Short-distance D, Mile C, Middle A, Long S. Running style: Escape S, Front-Runner B, Stalker D, Closer G.

First, her spread is ridiculously wide. Not unheard of, but extremely rare.

The real insanity is having S-rank aptitudes at this stage.

Back in the app, raising an aptitude required inheritance. And to get an S-rank, you needed to land the right one during “Emotional Inheritance,” which only happened twice in three years. I remember struggling like crazy for Champions Meetings. No matter how high your stats were, if your aptitude wasn’t S, that was it.

Skills… looks like she hasn’t learned any.

In this world, skills seem to be something learned only through dedicated practice under a proper trainer. They’re less “skills” and more specialized techniques. Training alone won’t grant them.

At least she isn’t that overpowered in that category. …Though she’s far enough gone everywhere else.

And lastly: her conditions.

Sharp-Minded, Charm ×, and… Life-or-Death.

Right, Sharp-Minded lowered skill-point costs by 10%, I think. Pretty strong. Why does she already have that at enrollment? …No, I really should be used to this by now.

Charm ×. I’ve never seen a × before. Maybe it was added after I quit the app? If 〇 made bond gain easier, × is probably the opposite. Honestly, it’s comforting to see she has at least one flaw.

And then Life-or-Death. …Was this even a thing? Maybe I just forgot? Judging by the name, it can’t be anything good. Too bad I can’t check the exact effect.

…Yeah.

Overall, Hoshino Wilm is a monster.

Stats way too high. Running-style versatility beyond reason. Entry-level conditions already learned.

Put her in a race where most new students have stats around F to G, and she simply cannot lose.

And yet earlier, in the mock race, she finished second.

That’s why the other trainers—who can only read results, not raw numbers—failed to notice her absurd potential.

So why did she lose?

I know. Or rather—only I know.

“Hoshino Wilm. Why did you enter a mile race… and why did you run it as a Stalker?”

Exactly. This chestnut.

She entered a mile race—and ran it as a Stalker.

Her Mile aptitude is C. Her Stalker aptitude is D. On top of that, Power is the one stat she’s lacking—the stat that determines late-race acceleration, the explosive kick needed to come from behind.

Short and mile races are already too short for Stalkers and Closers to fully unleash their finishing kicks. Even if she tried to surge late, she didn’t have the acceleration to break out of the pack. Zero power to push through traffic. You couldn’t design a worse strategy if you tried.

And despite that, she brute-forced her way forward with raw stat violence, blasted past multiple runners, and clawed her way to second—all while running the wrong distance in the wrong style.

…What kind of self-sabotaging battle plan is that!?

Mock races are extremely important.

Right now, the girl who finished first is surrounded by trainers. Even the one who placed third already has someone negotiating with her.

Meanwhile, Hoshino Wilm ran Stalker-style, muscled her way into the results, and was probably written off as a precocious back-runner with no real finishing kick. Every trainer except me ignored her.

If she doesn’t get a trainer, she can’t enter official races. Well, technically there are loopholes, like borrowing a trainer’s license, but that’s beside the point.

For an Umamusume, being scouted early is a massive head start.

She—Hoshino Wilm—threw that away. She picked a bad distance, chose the wrong strategy, lost, and lost her chance to get picked.

Why? Every Umamusume shares the instinct to win. Is her drive weaker?

As I pondered that, she stared back without flinching—her gaze cold and unwavering. After a brief silence, she answered.

“The mile race was the soonest one.”

………??

“The soonest”? What?

I mean, I can interpret that.

Today’s mock races go in order: short-distance in the morning, mile around noon, middle-distance in the afternoon. There are prep gaps between each.

So taking her literally, it means:

“I didn’t really care about the distance. The mile race was just the next one scheduled, so I went with that.”

…Who makes decisions that casually?

This is supposed to be your first step into your entire future, you know?

Or… maybe…

Maybe she never even considered the possibility of losing.

At her level, she probably never lost back home.

So she picked a race at random, without ever imagining she could fail.

If that’s the case… that’s some impressively sheltered, frog-in-a-well thinking.

Hard girl to read, this prodigy.

As I muttered to myself, she continued.

“I’ve never used any strategy… other than this one.”

No, seriously—HOW?

A pure Escape-type Umamusume… who has only ever run as a Stalker?

Isn’t there supposed to be some instinctive ‘Uma-Soul’ that guides them toward their optimal running style? Or was that only referring to form? Even then, how did she not notice she can’t accelerate from the back?

Individual differences? Exceptions? What is going on?

No—wait. Why am I thinking about that now?

I talked to her for one reason.

Confusion can wait. I can solve it later.

Right now, as a trainer of this academy, there is only one thing I should be doing for a promising Umamusume standing in front of me.

And for her, having just run a mock race, there is only one thing she should want.

In a way… maybe this was destiny.

Me, who can see Umamusume stats thanks to “App Reincarnation,” and her, a blooming prodigy unaware of her own brilliance.

There could not be a more perfect combination.

Hoshino Wilm and I were meant to meet—and from here, we would blaze through the Twinkle Series together.

“Hoshino Wilm. How about you make me your trainer? I’ll take you to the Twinkle stage.”

“I’m sorry. I refuse.”

Why??????????

---

That night.

I walked alone, hunched over.

…Why am I failing so many scouting attempts? Do I really have something about me that’s unbearable for Umamusume?

I bought deodorant and perfume for now. I’ll try them once they arrive. If I still get rejected afterward… I might not recover.

“…Experience, huh.”

Maybe they can sense my lack of experience.

I’ve never taken charge of anyone. I don’t even have experience as an assistant trainer or instructor.

Maybe I should have built up that experience before coming here.

…The real reason I was feeling down was the gulf between my ideals and reality.

I wanted a charge as soon as possible—more specifically, I wanted to secure one quickly so I could reassure my father—and honestly, I’d gotten arrogant thinking that with “App Reincarnation,” I could handle anything.

“App Reincarnation” is an incredible power. It might even let me guide an Umamusume more effectively than most veteran trainers.

But it’s not omnipotent. Clearly, right now, I’m stuck before even reaching the starting line. I need to collect myself again.

…Huh?

The roads in this world are divided into sidewalks, car lanes, and Umamusume-only lanes.

My eyes caught a silhouette running down the opposite Umamusume lane.

I frowned.

Night was already deep. It was much too late for students to be out. She might have had special permission, but as faculty, I had to call out.

“Hey, you—stop right there!”

My voice came out rougher than usual. But that was unavoidable.

Because as she approached, one piece of information flashed across my vision.

[Accident Risk: 59%]

It meant she was likely to get into an accident—or possibly… suffer a breakdown.

I have two fathers I respect deeply.

My father from my previous life: bold, carefree, and able to forgive any mistake with a single punch.

And my father in this life: practical, sturdy, the one who guided me onto the path of becoming a trainer.

“Listen, I don’t expect you to win G1s. I’m not asking for graded-race victories. You simply need to stand by your Umamusume. And at the same time, be a guiding light for her. That is what the Horino family considers the ideal trainer.”

Those words from my father in this life are still carved into my heart.

“You don’t need to win. Just let your charge run the way she wants. Fame and fortune don’t matter. Just make sure that one day, when she looks back on her active years, she can smile. …And at the same time, always strive to bring out her best and help her win.”

Those countless golden truths built the core of my mindset as a trainer. Having lived a second life, I understand now how incredible my father was—and how much he believed in me. I also understand how rare and valuable those teachings are.

So I will remain a trainer worthy of the Horino name.

“You! Do you have a trainer? Your self-training has gone too far! Stop running and return to the dorm immediately!”

I shouted, rushing toward the Umamusume who had stopped in the darkness of the night.

…Honestly.

Part of the reason I didn’t notice who she was earlier was the poor visibility at night, but more than that, it was my own carelessness. I’d been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn’t properly looked ahead.

If I can’t even secure a charge, all I’m doing is giving my father more reason to worry. Realizing that I was prioritizing my own convenience just shows how inexperienced I still am.

And now, in front of me, stood another immature being.

Chestnut hair plastered to her skin with sweat, a single streak of black running down like a tear, a small frame still steaming as sweat dripped from it even after stopping. She looked utterly spent—far more exhausted than she had been that morning.

“…Hoshino Wilm.”

“…………”

Even when I called her name, she didn’t respond.

Her shoulders rose and fell in ragged breaths, her legs trembled, and her gaze was fixed on the ground. …Earlier today, she’d looked me straight in the eyes.

Clearly, she was shaken.

Was she reeling from the morning’s results? Or had something happened afterward? No—this isn’t the time to speculate.

Breathe. Be the proper Horino trainer.

What words should a trainer offer to a despondent, trainerless Umamusume?

“Hoshino Wilm, the dorm curfew has already passed. Wandering around at this hour is a disciplinary issue. And more importantly, you’ve already exceeded your limit. Pushing further could cause an accident. I’ll escort you back to the dorm—follow me. Any consequences can be dealt with by the dorm supervisor.”

Logical. Cold, if someone wanted to interpret it as ignoring her feelings.

But right now, I simply need to extinguish the fire burning inside her. Even if that fire lashed out at me, anger would be easier to handle than a closed heart.

Yet she didn’t get angry.

“…I’m sorry, I can’t go back. I still need to become faster.”

She knew she was doing something wrong. She also had the presence of mind not to lash out blindly.

But her reasoning was misguided.

“Running right now will only drain your strength and damage your health. If you want to get faster, learn how to run properly. And above all, find a trainer who understands your worth.”

Accident risk: 59%.

Sure, if everything went well, that would be fine.

But that would only be hindsight. There was a six-in-ten chance she could injure herself—or worse, shorten her career.

In the game, as an app, maybe a 59% risk was something you could accept. Trigger three Friendship Training events, and you could pray for the lucky 41%.

But here—this is reality.

I have a father I respect, a reliable mother, an overprotective but caring older brother, and a blunt little sister who swore she’d follow after me. I have a family I treasure in this life.

In a world like this, within my reach, I cannot allow an Umamusume to be crushed by injury and despair.

“Let’s go, Hoshino Wilm.”

I turned my back and began walking.

…But no footsteps followed.

She neither ran away nor came after me.

Relieved that the worst-case scenario—her bolting—hadn’t happened, I turned back with a slightly stern expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I have to win.”

“I understand. Even though I’m not your official trainer, I’ll say this as a trainer: if you want to win, go home.”

For a moment, she lowered her gaze.

Then she lifted her pale eyes again, now filled with unmistakable determination.

“You said it, didn’t you? That you would take me with you. Will you… make me win?”

“I will. You have the strength for it.”

I replied without hesitation. There was no need to doubt it. She had the talent to win not only graded races, but G1s—and even the Classic Triple Crown. No—her talent went far beyond that.

If I let her run free without restraint, making her win would be easy…
…Of course, that’s only if she were my charge.

She held her gaze steady, then slowly placed her right hand over her chest.

“I am willing to stake my life to win. Are you prepared to take that responsibility?”

So that’s what she meant by “putting her life on the line.”

Her stamina was almost completely drained. She hadn’t been this exhausted when I saw her in the morning.

She must have been training the entire time since then.

…I underestimated her. Her resolve was far stronger than I imagined.

A will that pushes herself without mercy, and the grit to turn defeat into progress.

Combined with that extraordinary innate talent, she is an Umamusume born to stand at the top.

And I, regardless of who stands before me, remain the same.

As a trainer of the Horino family, I will fulfill my duty.

“If this is your wish…
…then of course, I won’t let it go to waste.”

Hearing that, she stepped forward and extended her hand.

Under the quiet glow of the pale moon.

I will never forget the way she looked at me in that moment.

“I give you my life.
…Please, my trainer, take care of me.”

Her cold eyes now burned with a definite heat.

…Wow, that was insanely cool…!

The line “I give you my life” hit me so hard that my seriousness almost evaporated on the spot.

Hoshino Wilm is small, delicately built, a beauty whose expressionless face gives her an ethereal air.

And she said, “I give you my life”!

Ugh… that was electric!

“…Trainer?”

“Ah—sorry. I just… wasn’t expecting that. It surprised me.”

Close call. I nearly let my true self slip out.

I’ve always been a bit scatterbrained—my father and brother say it often, and my sister mocks me for it.

I usually keep that hidden behind my “Horino trainer” mask—but her cool delivery almost tore it off.

The last time my mask nearly slipped was last week when I was overwhelmed by a crepe. It was just so good…

Alright, I need to say something back!

After receiving something that cool, I have to respond in kind.

Something that doesn’t ruin the moment… something worthy…!

No time to think. I opened my mouth desperately.

“…Fine. I will guide your soul faster and brighter than anyone else.
I’m counting on you, my charge.”

…Hmm. Yeah, I really don’t have that kind of flair.

I couldn’t come up with anything as short, sharp, and powerful as “I give you my life.”

So instead, I poured into it all my resolve to support her with everything I have.

I took her outstretched hand.

Cold, with a burning core. Small like a child’s—but firm.