Chapter 203: I run comfortably. And I keep my juniors in line. Having to do both… that’s the hard part of being a reincarnated Uma Musume.

It’s been a while since November began in my senior year.

And at long last, my peak—Hoshino Wilm’s peak—is starting to come to an end.

This “peak condition” thing with Uma Musume is truly strange. Before it begins, you somehow get this feeling like, “Ah… it’s coming soon.” And before it ends, you can tell that too—“It’s about to be over.”

Lately, I’ve been sensing that same kind of ending premonition—the one that mirrors the feeling I had before entering Tracen, when it all first began.

According to Ayumu-san, the closer you get to the end of your peak, the more efficiently your physical abilities improve.

So these days, instead of focusing on acquiring new techniques, I’ve been putting all my effort into raising my base stats.

If I say so myself, our camp lately—Bourbon-chan included—has basically turned into a ridiculous, muscle-brained group that just runs nonstop.

By the way, Ayumu-san says he anticipated this, so he crammed all the technical training into the Classic year.

…Seriously, the way he trains his athletes is insanely smooth. I mean, I’m his first trainee, right? Is it normal to be this efficient?

Geniuses really are something else. Well, he’d never admit he’s one, though.

Still… I see. It’s been almost three years since I entered Tracen. My middle school life is coming to an end.

Normally, around this time, students would be stressing over high school entrance exams…

But Tracen has an integrated middle and high school system. Unlike my previous life, I don’t have to worry about that, which is a huge relief.

…Actually, as long as a racing Uma Musume performs well, she can get into university through recommendations anyway, so I might never have to deal with exams at all in this life.

Even thinking about it now, these past three years have felt both short and long.

Including my previous life, they’ve been the most intense, the most dramatic, and the most enjoyable days I’ve ever had.

I find myself idly thinking that I never would have had this kind of life if I hadn’t entered Tracen Academy.

…Yeah. I’m really glad I came to this school.

Or maybe, that I was born into this world at all.

“I”—Hoshino Wilm—have been incredibly, unbelievably happy.

—Ah, whoops.

I got a little sentimental there, but that’s not the main point.

That kind of reflection is something for when I retire—or much further down the line.

After all, I’m still going to keep running. In the Twinkle Series, in the Dream Trophy, and even beyond that in life. The road ahead is absurdly long.

Anyway, back to the point—my peak is nearing its end.

Lately, I’ve mostly been repeating basic training, and compared to classroom study or skill-focused drills, it eats up far more stamina.

Because of that, even my beloved self-training has to be kept light.

Well, “self-training” is just running, and even then, it’s much slower than my usual pace—barely above a jog. It’s not that intense to begin with.

But when I slow it down even more than usual… honestly, it gets a bit boring on my own.

What I want from self-training is the simple joy of running and the passion that comes from the heart. If the former is reduced, then I should lean into the latter—running with someone.

Ayumu-san also said, “I don’t really get the logic, but training with others is more efficient,” so if I can, I’d rather run with someone.

So as usual, I invited Rice-chan—who you could practically call my nighttime self-training partner at this point—and got an instant yes.

Then, while I was at it, I invited Souri-chan, who was lounging around the dorm entrance watching TV.

"Eh—self-training with senpai!? I-I’ll go!"

An immediate answer. Love it.

If it means spending time with cute juniors, I’m fully prepared to wield even the greatest authority in history without hesitation.

…And well, up to that point, everything was fine.

It’s not like anything went wrong after that, but…

Things definitely went in an unexpected direction.

Apparently—probably through Souri-chan—word got out that I was looking for people to run with under the name of “self-training.”

And as a result…

"Senpai! C-can I join too!? For self-training!!"

"I-I’m free tonight! I’ll do my best to keep up—what do you think!?"

"Um, I heard from Souri… I’m confident in my finishing kick, but… would it be okay if I joined?"

…Somehow, about three more juniors ended up tagging along.

Naturally, interacting with juniors is fun.

Seeing them work hard is endearing, and being able to help them makes me happy. Plus, being admired feels great—and if they’re future strong rivals, even better.

It’s what you’d call a win-win situation. I’ve got no reason to refuse.

…However, everything has its limits.

"Hmm… six people, huh…"

The problem is, the Uma Musume lanes on regular roads aren’t very wide.

Even in the relatively spacious areas near Tracen, you can only fit about three people side by side. Four is already cramped—any more and you risk spilling into the roadway.

The lanes are strictly left-side traffic, so unless someone’s coming the wrong way, collisions aren’t really an issue…

But with six people… yeah, we’d probably have to stick to two rows of three. Otherwise, we’d end up monopolizing the lane.

And that’s not exactly good manners—it could get in the way of faster runners.

Unlike me, a reincarnated Uma Musume, they’re normal teenage girls. Acting without thinking about others isn’t unusual.

If we’re going out as a group of six, someone needs to keep things properly under control.

"…Alright. Guess I’ll handle this."

I am, after all, someone these juniors look up to.

Well, I am the strongest in the world, and aside from Bourbon-chan, I do make sure to look cool in front of them.

If it’s me, they’ll listen. Probably.

Thinking calmly while running, adjusting positions, keeping track of everyone—that’s good training too.

Yeah… this kind of thing isn’t so bad once in a while.

---

About an hour later, we set out from the Tracen dorm.

"Okay, line up in two rows—don’t break formation.

If you feel sick or notice anything off with your legs, say it immediately—don’t try to match others. And if you’re too tired to continue, say that too. Got it?"

"“““Yes!”””"

Whoa, way too energetic.

The cute juniors gathered around me at the dorm entrance are completely fired up.

Rice-chan too—but this is just a run. They don’t need to be that pumped.

Well… given the situation, I guess it can’t be helped.

…Hmm. Actually, I should probably cool them down a bit—or more bluntly, make them understand their limits. If they get too excited, it could be dangerous.

"Don’t get too worked up. It’s just running—just self-training, okay?"

"We’ll do our best!"

"We won’t fall behind!"

"We’ll keep up!"

…Are they even listening?

And you there, Rice-chan—don’t encourage them. You run with me once every three days.

"…Well, whatever. Let’s go!"

That enthusiasm won’t last long anyway.

After leaving the main gate of Tracen Academy and running along the Uma Musume lane beside the road for several dozen minutes—

"Hngh… I-I can’t… anymore…"

We already have our first dropout.

Well, yeah—if G3- or Open-class runners try to match the pace of a G1-level runner, that’s what happens.

"Alright, there’s a park a bit further ahead—we’ll take a break there. Hang in there a little longer, everyone.

Ah, Niru-chan, you’re drifting too far right. You’re heading into the road—watch your footing."

"Y-yes!"

As I call out to the group, I listen carefully to the sounds behind me.

Only while running, but my hearing is ridiculously sharp. Even in the chaos of a race, I can distinguish footsteps up to ten lengths away.

For a simple jog, picking out five sets of footsteps and gauging how much energy each person has left is easy.

As for their condition…

Rice-chan, as expected, is totally fine. A natural stayer—no signs of fatigue at all, calmly keeping up with me.

Next is Souri-chan. She can still go, but her stride shows she’s starting to lose a bit of her margin. Still, G1-level, as expected.

The remaining three… are all about the same. Completely exhausted.

Yeah, the difference in class really shows.

They said they’d do their best, and mentally they’re fired up, but physical limits are unavoidable.

If you could win races through willpower alone, it’d just be a contest of guts.

In the end, over 80% of an Uma Musume’s performance comes down to physical ability. Technique and “zone” can only cover the remaining 20%.

…Though that 20% is huge, which is why G1 races tend to turn into mental battles, superpower clashes, or last-move wins.

Eventually, we slow our pace and arrive at a small park.

We sit the exhausted juniors on a bench, and together with Rice-chan and Souri-chan, we take care of them.

"Here—sports drink. You’re sweating a lot, so take a towel too."

"I-I’m sorry… I thought I could push harder… I didn’t expect it to be this much…"

"It’s okay. Calm down. Let’s lower the intensity a bit—slower running is still good training."

Once you actually run, the differences in talent and ability between Uma Musume become painfully clear.

The harsh reality.

The dark bay junior in front of me looks visibly down after experiencing it firsthand.

…Sorry, Deeds-chan.

I can imagine how miserable and painful this feels for you—but I can’t truly understand it.

Even in my previous life, I’ve always been on the stronger side.

The type who’s “good at things.” Most things, if I tried, I could manage—and I rarely experienced true failure.

So I’ve probably never really felt overwhelming inadequacy or reached my absolute limit.

Someone like me doesn’t have the right to sympathize.

So instead, I ruffle her sweat-soaked hair and say—

"Once you’ve calmed down, let’s try again. I’ll run with you."

"…Okay."

Yeah. That’s more like it. She hasn’t broken.

She’s an Uma Musume who made it past the “no wins” cutoff in Classic November and stayed at Tracen.

Her body and mind have both been honed.

"Souri… cough… you’ve really gotten strong…"

"Yeah! I worked really, really hard!"

"Rice-chan is amazing too… really… kind of like Hoshino Wilm-senpai…"

"Th-thank you… I’d be happy if that were true."

Beside me, Souri-chan and Rice-chan are also handing out drinks and towels.

The other two—Niru-chan and Famiya-chan—are frustrated, but not broken.

…I hope their efforts are rewarded.

May their racing lives be blessed.

---

For now, we take a break while they recover.

In the evening, with night approaching, we chat casually in the slightly chilly park, doing some light stretching.

"Yeah, during the Osaka Cup… yeah, Teio was just way too incredible.

I’m a front-running Uma Musume too, so I can get swept up in the momentum of others sometimes. Especially in the final stretch—when someone opens their Domain, it’s overwhelming…"

The Osaka Cup—that was already half a year ago.

When I bring up that memory—one that’s become something of a trauma—the juniors immediately perk up.

Of course, what caught their attention wasn’t my meltdown, but the word “Domain.” …Naturally.

"Domain… it really is something to admire! Rice-chan and Souri—you’ve both already opened yours, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Well… technically?"

"Wait, why do you both sound so unsure?"

"Um… compared to Onee-sama, Rice’s feels… how do I put it… dull, or fragile, or light…"

"I get that. Like in that mock race, Wilm-senpai—and the Dream Trophy senpais—their Domains felt like they could just blow ours away. Though… I couldn’t even open mine in the first place…"

"I-I see… so that’s how it is…"

Rice-chan and Souri-chan both nod with slightly bitter expressions.

The mixed Dream Trophy mock race the other day seems to have left a strong sense of defeat in them.

Well… it did the same to me, to be honest. It was my first third-place finish ever, after all.

Still, right now, I’m a dependable senpai. I can’t go showing any pathetic sides.

"There’s something called proficiency when it comes to Domains. You refine your inner world, your running, your soul—that’s what pushes you to the next stage.

By the way, according to my trainer, my Domain is level 5. Souri-chan and Rice-chan are at level 1."

"A difference of four… is that big?"

"Yeah. It’s big. With that much of a gap, it becomes the kind of difference you probably can’t overcome, no matter what you do."

Teio—the one I faced in the Osaka Cup—

She improved the precision of her Domain mid-race and even achieved a kind of evolution.

And that pushed both me and McQueen-senpai to the brink—overcoming differences in raw aptitude.

I said earlier that Domains and technique only account for 20% of a run—but that also means that 20% is decided here.

If I’m at 80%, then Teio’s physical specs are probably around 76 or 77%. That’s just a gap of 3 or 4—something that can easily be overturned. And that’s exactly how her Domain evolution cornered me.

Now imagine that same factor with a level difference of four.

Winning becomes extremely difficult.

Source: me. Back in June, and again recently—the Dream Trophy senpais’ Domains were simply overwhelming…

Even so, I still managed to close the gap to a near finish.

More importantly, Ayumu-san himself says I have, by far, the best physical ability in the world.

Unless someone surpasses me in Domain or technique, defeating Hoshino Wilm is basically impossible.

As I’m thinking that, one of the juniors hesitantly asks—

"U-um… by the way, how strong is Symboli Rudolf-senpai’s Domain…?"

"Mm? Rudolf-senpai? Let’s see… what did Ayumu-san say again… I think it was 10, 10, and 9?"

The reactions to my answer are split.

"…………?"

"Um… huh?"

"Three… oh, like, she has three, and used one?"

Deeds-chan, Niru-chan, and Famiya-chan look completely confused.

"So it wasn’t just my imagination…"

"S-she really used three… at the same time…!?"

Meanwhile, Souri-chan and Rice-chan… well, they look like they’ve just seen despair itself.

Understandable.

Even I was dumbfounded the first time I saw that, after the Takarazuka Kinen.

"Rudolf-senpai could originally deploy two Domains simultaneously. And now she’s grown to the point of using three. Amazing, right?"

Well, I can use two at the same time myself… but it’s not very efficient yet, so I’m planning to refine it. No need to mention that here.

"…………??? Simultaneously… Domains, at the same time?"

"Wait, then that weird thing in the latter half of the Dream Trophy was… huh?"

"I thought Domains were like a trump card for top Uma Musume… something only G1-level runners could barely unlock… and she has three of them?"

"…Ah, this is bad. I feel like my heart’s about to break again. The ceiling in this world is way too high…"

"……If Rice keeps pushing forward… maybe two… I might need at least that much to catch up to Onee-sama…"

Hahaha—listening to the juniors’ confusion is oddly refreshing. Go ahead, be as bewildered as you like.

…Well, I can only say that because I know they’ll stand back up no matter what.

Still, the fact that Rice-chan immediately aims higher the moment she sees the gap—that’s already the mindset of a true champion.

You all should come over to this side soon too. The battles here are sweet, you know~?

"By the way, senpai! What do you think about the upcoming Japan Cup?"

"Hm?"

I blink as I sip my sports drink, caught off guard by the sudden topic change—clearly an attempt to escape reality.

…Ah, I see. They’re curious about my predictions.

Honestly, my race predictions are only moderately accurate, even accounting for bias.

Besides, we’ve got a cheat-level trainer in our camp with absurd observational skills, so there’s no way I can afford to get arrogant.

More importantly, I’ve already heard most of the predictions from Ayumu-san anyway, so I’d just be repeating him.

Wait… am I even allowed to talk about the Japan Cup predictions?

I mean, Bourbon-chan’s running style doesn’t rely that much on strategy, but…

…Ah, no. That’s not the kind of look they’re giving me.

They just want to hear about her.

"Yeah, she’s strong. Ann-chan, I mean. Honestly, she’s probably the second strongest in the world after me."

"Ooooh!!"

What do you mean, “ooooh”… well, I guess that does deserve an “ooooh.”

Understandingble—the western Hero Princess I faced in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

She’s without a doubt the second strongest Uma Musume after Hoshino Wilm.

After all, she nearly caught up to me in just two years. If you look purely at raw ability and talent, she might even surpass me.

Well, I’ve got the world’s best trainer backing me, so I’m definitely not losing, though.

That said… her strength is the kind that’s hard for most people—even other Uma Musume—to truly grasp.

"She’s strong—but like Bourbon-chan, she’s the type who’s heavily influenced by the other Uma Musume around her.

Though in her case, it’s the complete opposite. Bourbon-chan gets fired up when she senses a powerful rival… but if Ann-chan doesn’t feel that presence, she can’t bring out her true strength. She’s got that kind of high-risk, high-performance nature.

That’s exactly why, under normal circumstances, she can only truly go all out in top-tier races like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe… but thanks to Nedirika’s efforts, even that got disrupted."

The ones who truly understand just how dangerous she is are probably limited to a few: Uma Musume like me who’ve faced her directly, those with enough talent to perceive it—like Teio—or analytical types like Ayumu-san or Nature who can break it down logically.

…In other words, most top-tier runners get it.

But for girls like these three juniors—those in the Open to G3 range—it’s a different story.

Ann-chan’s results are undeniably strong, but she hasn’t dominated every race, and she didn’t even win the Arc. So to them, she might just seem like “some insanely strong Uma Musume,” without a clear sense of why.

Actually, even Souri-chan doesn’t seem to have fully grasped it either.

…Well, there’s also that.

She’s being compared to me—someone who’s been winning G1s nonstop, sweeping races with overwhelming margins, claiming an undefeated Triple Crown, and even taking the Arc.

Honestly, it’s no wonder she ends up looking a bit overshadowed.

Meanwhile, Rice-chan looks troubled.

She’s the kind who can close in on Bourbon-chan physically—as long as she focuses everything into a single point. She might have grasped part of Ann-chan’s strength.

…This feels like the kind of insight you get right after a reality check.

Alright, let’s ask her.

"If it were you, Rice-chan, how would you beat Ann-chan?"

Caught off guard, her eyes widen for a moment. She flusters—then steadies herself and begins to think it through carefully.

"…Um… assuming it’s a long-distance race… if Understandingble-san gets buried in the pack… no, if she’s a bit further ahead… then maybe stay hidden behind someone, then at the third corner… but if it turns into a sprint in the final straight… maybe instead, take advantage of a shorter straight and overtake all at once…"

She hesitates, then lowers her gaze slightly.

"S-sorry… it’s… hard to picture it clearly."

"Yeah… figured as much."

I nod, satisfied with the answer I expected.

How do you beat Understandingble?

Anyone who can answer that instantly… is someone who doesn’t truly understand her.

No matter what you try, she’ll surpass it.

No matter what strategy you take, she’ll outdo it.

That’s the Hero Princess. The strongest in the West.

It’s like asking, “What’s a guaranteed way to beat Teio?”

There is no answer.

You compare your running and your strategy in the moment—and surpass your opponent outright.

It might sound like brute-force thinking, but that’s the only real answer.

"To be blunt, if we’re talking pure strength, Ann-chan is stronger than any Japanese Uma Musume besides me.

So even Teio—my greatest rival—or Bourbon-chan, who could become the strongest of the new generation… they’d both struggle against her."

"Th-then… does that mean they can’t win…?"

"I didn’t say that. Ann-chan might be the strongest in terms of raw ability, but races aren’t decided by that alone.

Japan’s turf, high-speed races, climate, food, water—every external factor chips away at her compatibility… well, actually, she might just adapt to all of that anyway."

"Seriously…?"

Well, I managed it too. With a bit of a cheat, sure.

But Ann-chan has the kind of talent that let her catch up to me even with that advantage. It wouldn’t be strange if she suddenly said, “My adaptability improved in just over a month!” That’s just how Understandingble is…

…Even so.

"Just like Nature became stronger—and more terrifying—in the Tenno Sho… Teio right now is both strong and terrifying.

She’s cast aside everything she doesn’t need to win—pride, composure, overconfidence—and is running straight toward a single goal.

That kind of hunger, that determination to win at any cost… it’s powerful. Powerful enough to stand against Ann-chan."

Even if we’re technically allies, I don’t fully grasp the entirety of Teio’s strength.

Ayumu-san probably has a solid read on her specs… but Teio isn’t the kind of runner you can measure on paper alone.

"Understandingble and Tokai Teio—the clash of Eastern and Western geniuses! And with Bourbon-chan joining them—there’s no telling what’ll happen!"

"Yeah. Bourbon-chan stands out even among the Classic class… heh. Just the fact that she can run alongside those two and have even the slightest chance—that alone is incredible.

I’m really looking forward to the Japan Cup. It’s going to be an amazing race. You should all watch it—it’ll be a great learning experience."

…Though if there are two things to regret about this Japan Cup—

One of them is that Bourbon-chan still isn’t complete.

Well, saying “incomplete” might not be quite right.

She still has room to grow. She’s only in the Classic class, and her peak is just about to begin. It’s hard to say her running has fully reached its pinnacle.

Having opened up new possibilities, she’ll continue to improve from here.

…If the timing were different—

If Mihono Bourbon had already finished her peak, refined her techniques, and gained enough experience to fully control her intensity…

If she had reached the level of being called the strongest of her era—

Would she have stood alongside Tokai Teio and Understandingble, competing for supremacy in the Japan Cup?

Ah… what a shame.

Such a shame.

If only I could crush all three of them at once…

I quickly smooth over the smile that almost crept onto my lips.

No, no—that kind of indulgent fantasy is for amateurs.

I’m a racing Uma Musume—with the best possible trainer by my side.

A partner who says, “The optimal way to train an Uma Musume is to prepare the strongest possible opponent.”

In that case, there’s no need for fantasies.

I’ll enjoy it in reality.

The battle against rivals powerful enough to make my heart tremble is right around the corner.

At the end of the year—the biggest race of the season.

One of the few chances left for Hoshino Wilm—

I’ll ignite this fire in my heart once more.

…And I’m not the only Uma Musume here.

That blazing-hot race. That future.

I’m not the only one whose heart has been set ablaze by the thought of it.

"Senpai! Let’s wrap up the break and get running again!"

One of the juniors—Deeds-chan—jumps to her feet.

"I’m an Uma Musume too! I can’t just mope around—I can’t give up!

I’ll run more, more, more—faster, further ahead!!"

She thrusts her fist into the air—her dark bay hair swaying.

That is indeed... ah, indeed.

It’s exactly what I love.

"Heh… yeah. Let’s go.

I was planning to lower the intensity, but change of plans. We’re pushing our limits now, everyone."

"“““Yes!!”””"