Correspondingly, a normal lead and a forward lead also needed targeted special training and an adaptation process.
Preparing so many running styles and tactics wasn't so she could use all of them in Kikuka Sho.
It was so that when different situations came up, she'd have more ways to respond.
Every race has old rivals, and it also has new rivals. That meant even if the track was the same and the distance was the same, there were still countless variables.
All those countermeasures existed for those variables.
Kikuka Sho would start in two weeks, and the entry list was already set.
Factoring in withdrawals, next-in-line alternates, and draw-based alternates, Yasui Makoto had already done what he did before every race—he'd analyzed every opponent.
He'd even run "dress rehearsals" based on their recent performances.
Musee Alien, Jun Tsubasa, Satono Rasen went without saying—at St. Lite Kinen, they'd taken second, third, and fifth.
By the rules, the top three in this Kikuka Sho trial race got priority entry rights, so Musee Alien and Jun Tsubasa would definitely be in.
Satono Rasen hadn't placed top three, but her past results were solid, her name recognition wasn't small, and her fan support was even higher than the top two Uma Musume.
Plus, with the Satono family's stance, she was absolutely entering too.
Based on the three of them's past performances—and on having personally witnessed Kitasan Black's Big Escape at St. Lite Kinen—they'd most likely adjust their tactics.
Most likely, they'd run farther forward—closer to Kitasan Black—so they could read her intentions.
Musee Alien might even consider a Big Escape or a fast lead, paying her back in kind with the tactic Kitasan Black had used.
Besides those three—or rather, besides St. Lite Kinen—Kikuka Sho also had another trial race: Kobe Shimbun Hai.
With the same "top three get priority entry" rule, at least three Uma Musume from Kobe Shimbun Hai would show up on the Kikuka Sho stage.
In fact, in the entry list, there were even more Uma Musume coming off Kobe Shimbun Hai.
So compared to Musee Alien and the others, Yasui Makoto placed more importance on that group.
Especially one named Lia Fail.
She'd run a fast lead in Kobe Shimbun Hai, and her pace had been quite fast. Unless something went wrong, she'd definitely fight for speed in Kikuka Sho.
After referencing St. Lite Kinen, she might even gamble on a Big Escape in Kikuka Sho.
If that really happened, then from the moment the gate opened, Kitasan Black would be facing an extremely fierce battle for the lead—and the entire race's pace would be blazing.
Kikuka Sho's 3000 meters already tested stamina to the extreme. If the pace was too fast, even Kitasan Black might not be able to keep relatively ample strength through the whole race.
And when it came down to the end…
It might turn into an incredibly grueling kind of race.
A battle of guts—of sheer will.
And beyond those Uma Musume, an old rival like Verxina still needed analysis and a response plan.
With her many clashes against Kitasan Black, she would definitely have targeted tactics. Whether Kitasan Black could guess them or not was one thing—running simulations to prepare was a must.
Yasui Makoto was sorting his thoughts at high speed, and before he'd even finished, Kitasan Black had already completed her warm-up.
He reined in his mind. After Kitasan Black got water, wiped off her sweat, and rested enough, Yasui Makoto didn't say much—he simply arranged a running-style review drill.
Very quickly, a black figure that kept bursting again and again appeared on the track.
Every time she stood at the start line, Kitasan Black's mind replayed it all—training after training, the senpai's guidance, race experiences, Yasui Makoto's instructions.
When the "ready count" came from the side of the track, those thoughts gradually scattered like smoke, and she locked her eyes forward, every muscle tightening.
The moment the sound of "one" fell, her mind flashed back to the start at St. Lite Kinen, and her back foot slammed into the ground.
She could feel the explosive power surging through her whole body—each stride huge, each step eating distance.
On the straight, she sprinted with everything she had, leaning forward. Her ponytail flew wild behind her, slapping apart the grass and dirt kicked up underfoot.
On the curve, she switched her driving leg in a blink—cutting sideways, snapping her body out toward the opposite direction.
Standing beside the track, eyes fixed on the figure flashing past, Yasui Makoto's peripheral vision never left the tablet in his hands.
It recorded every sprint time, every step frequency, every speed curve.
"Her start reaction really is over 30 milliseconds faster… Silence Suzuka's ultra-high-speed Big Escape… it really lives up to the name."
As he looked at the data, he muttered under his breath:
"But the step frequency in the first 100 meters… looks a bit strained. It's probably a weight issue. Copying it exactly is still too much for Kita-chan."
"Then we have to slow it down a bit more…"
"Mm. With Kita-chan's instant burst power and stamina level, it shouldn't be a problem."
"But I need to confirm how many times she can do bursts like this within 3000 meters…"
After reaching a conclusion, once Kitasan Black finished a set, Yasui Makoto quickly explained the new approach and instructions.
After confirming she understood, and after she'd rested, he waved his hand—and she charged back onto the track again, full of energy.
This time, sweat was already beading slightly at Kitasan Black's temples, her cheeks flushed red, but her breathing was remarkably steady.
She started again. She could still feel that powerful burst—and then immediately reined it in, adjusting her rhythm.
On the straight, she tried slowing her step frequency, and at the same time, she worked hard to memorize that rhythm.
When she reached the curve, she leaned farther inward. Her leg strength increased instead of dropping—still feeling that burst, still adjusting her timing.
"Seems… workable."
Watching everything unfold and comparing the numbers, Yasui Makoto nodded slightly.
"Her curve handling has improved too. Looks like this kind of burst… at least the first straight and first curve are fine.
"Then next is confirming it across the whole race…"
After another set, just like before—adjust the training instructions again, and start training again.
That day, and for days in a row, Yasui Makoto and Kitasan Black kept digesting every bit of their past training and racing results on the track, analyzing, rehearsing, and confirming every detail for Kikuka Sho.
At the same time, Yasui Makoto also explained, one by one, the opponent info for Kikuka Sho, the race scenarios that might appear, and the targeted measures for them—completing the corresponding training step by step with Kitasan Black.
By the time Friday afternoon's training ended, Yasui Makoto already had a clearer grasp of Kikuka Sho.
"Okay. At this pace, there shouldn't be any problems."
Putting away his tablet and helping Kitasan Black tidy up the training equipment, Yasui Makoto said casually:
"By the way, Kita-chan—where are you planning to go have fun tomorrow? Kyoto? Or are you going back to Tokyo for a bit?"
These past few days, besides the Kyoto campus's Uma Musume, Musee Alien, Jun Tsubasa, Satono Rasen, and other Uma Musume who were running Kikuka Sho—like Real Steel—had been arriving one after another.
The Central Uma Musume normally attended the academy in Tokyo. Once they had a race coming up, they'd arrive at the relevant campus ahead of time to adapt to the food, customs, and the track conditions.
Quite a few of these rivals were also Kitasan Black's good friends. She'd arrived the earliest, and once those Uma Musume came, she often made plans to go out and play with them during breaks.
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T/N: OKAYYY I DID SO MUCH RESEARCHHHHH amakaze is Jun Tsubasa (80% sure), and ill be going back later to change that prob idk depends if i forget
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