Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, summer break was already over.
Now it was September.
Today, Ireland's sky was still a gloomy slate of clouds. Fine threads of rain came and went, soaking the turf until it felt heavier and heavier underfoot.
Gildune Manor, First Training Ground.
"Nggh…!"
On the track, Haitoshi clenched her teeth. At the instant she entered the corner, she tried to forcibly twist her center of gravity and switch her dominant leg.
But even though the command fired in her brain, her muscle memory lagged half a beat behind.
"Tap."
There was a clear hitch in her stride—no longer the half-step stumble and loss of speed she'd had at the beginning.
Still, that stiff, jerky pause made the corner far from perfect.
"Still a bit slow…"
At trackside, Lisi watched the stopwatch and let out a quiet sigh, then immediately raised her voice to encourage her.
"It's fine, Haitoshi! Way smoother than last lap! Keep that feeling!"
Off to one side, Kuroha watched in silence and shook his head slightly.
He'd taught her everything about "dominant legs"—the theory and the technique—without holding anything back. But talent was the kind of thing that sometimes just refused to be fair.
It wasn't that Haitoshi lacked talent. As a future Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe horse girl, her aptitude was absolutely above standard.
But in a high-level technique that demanded extreme coordination and split-second response, her inertia started to show—awkward, stretched thin, unable to keep up.
Even with Lisi and Kuroha coaching her together, it took ten full days of targeted special training just for her to barely grope her way to the door and show a sliver of visible progress.
And that was still miles away from using it in real combat.
At this pace, to truly carve "switching feet" into her bones—and use it freely under G1-level, high-intensity pressure—she'd need at least another one to two months of grinding.
That was the wall between ordinary people and geniuses.
And it was also the invisible gulf between Haitoshi and her little sister, Haito Star.
As for why Kuroha was so sure?
His mind drifted back to that night after dinner, when he'd整理ed a full project plan for "switching-feet" training.
He'd explained it in detail in front of everyone.
And then—just three days later—
While Kuroha was taking Haito Star on a post-dinner walk, she casually put on a show that practically slapped him in the face.
That smooth, flawless "switching-feet" technique… it wasn't even close. She crushed Haitoshi by more than a whole tier.
…
Meanwhile, at the far end of the track—
A completely different scene was playing out.
"Boom—!!"
Mud sprayed up as two figures shot forward like arrows loosed from the string, tearing through the damp air side by side.
One of them was Super Creek—full-figured, elegant in form, yet hiding a frightening burst under that graceful stride.
Right now, with Kuroha's Blessing Power layered over her own deep stamina, she was perfectly playing the role of a parallel-running sparring partner.
And biting right behind her—
Was Oguri Cap.
Neither of them was doing that frantic, competitive push-and-pull.
Instead, like two parallel lines, they flew down the track day after day, steady and locked in.
Oguri Cap felt the opponent's calm, weighty footsteps ahead, and the turf beneath her that was as heavy as a swamp.
Yet the ash-gray-haired girl looked utterly at ease.
"Thump—!"
Into the corner—her center of gravity dropped, and then her body sprang out like a coiled spring.
Smooth as flowing water, not a trace of strain, as if she'd been born and raised on Irish soil.
"…Beautiful."
At trackside, Nase Fumino watched and couldn't help the heartfelt admiration.
Her own Creek was forcing her way through this heavy going with raw stamina—and even so, the stamina cost was enormous.
But Oguri Cap now… treated this heavy ground like it was nothing at all, light and agile, running wherever she pleased.
It was genuinely unbelievable.
Beside her, Berno Light held a stopwatch and a small notebook, her big eyes unblinking as she followed the two horse girls on the track. There was a quiet satisfaction on her face, too.
During this stretch—
Kuroha coordinated the whole picture, Nase Fumino executed with precision, Berno Light supported with meticulous detail, and Super Creek served as a powerful sparring partner.
With the chemistry of all four working together, Oguri Cap's adaptation to this foreign turf was approaching perfection at a jaw-dropping pace.
"Hah…"
Crossing the finish line, Oguri Cap slowed gradually. She was only breathing a little, her eyes bright—clearly still holding plenty in reserve.
Super Creek, on the other hand, swayed slightly.
The girl pressed a hand to her head, shook it once, and drew in a deep breath to calm the violent rise and fall of her chest.
Even so, her face was lit with joy she couldn't suppress.
Ever since the Blessing of the Three Goddesses had faded, she hadn't felt this kind of overwhelming strength—or this kind of unblocked mental speed—in a full four months.
Deep inside her, the power of Domain churned—an abyssal, endless stamina surging and roaring out.
That long-lost sensation of returning to her peak nearly made even the usually calm, refined Super Creek slip and let a sound out.
"Once every half month… is that possible?"
Super Creek's beautiful eyes glittered. She lightly clenched her fist, closed her eyes, and savored the feeling of being whole and flawless again, then let out a soft laugh.
"That's amazing…"
Even if it was only for one run every half month—just for that chance to sprint to her heart's content—she'd never get tired of sparring like this, no matter how many times she did it.
…
Not far away, seeing Oguri Cap's near-perfect performance, Kuroha nodded. He was just about to step forward and say something—
"Ding—"
His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket, cutting off his movement.
…
He pulled it out. The email notification on the screen made his brow lift slightly, and his finger flicked quickly as he skimmed the message.
Beside him, Lisi also took out her phone. After reading, surprise flashed across her face, and she exchanged a look with Kuroha.
"To all trainers and horse girls who have traveled from afar:
Leopardstown Racecourse will open three days of public acclimation training to all horse girls participating in the Irish Champion Stakes, beginning September 8…"
"Public training?"
Kuroha looked at the date on the screen, eyebrows rising.
Just like how the Central URA Association would open Tokyo Racecourse in advance for public training when hosting the Japan Cup—
As one of Europe's top international G1 races, the Irish Champion Stakes had a similar tradition.
During the week before the race officially began, the organizers would set aside a few days and open the main venue—Leopardstown Racecourse—to foreign entrants from all over the world for acclimation training.
It was for fairness.
And it was also to give those overseas powerhouses—who'd come all this way—a real chance to measure the land with their own legs before deciding victory and defeat.
September 8.
Tomorrow.
Kuroha put his phone away, lifted his head to the cloud-choked sky, then looked at Oguri Cap—standing there like a blade that had already been honed to completion.
"Perfect timing. It's time to show this country properly."
"And let them see what you call—"
"The 'Grey Monster' from the Far East!"
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]