Chapter 35: The Front-Runners Alliance? The Fool's Alliance!
"Are you the one they call [Oguri Cap ll]? That was amazing!"
A bright, cheerful voice sounded beside Stardust Mirage. She turned to see one of the leading quartet from the race: Daitaku Helios.
Helios's smile was radiant. Although she was also drenched in sweat and wearing workout clothes, trendy girly accessories were visible everywhere—as if she hadn't come to run at all.
Bracelets, eyeshadow, fake nails... it made one wonder if carrying so many stuff on her would hurt or hinder movement while running.
In short, don't question horse girl matters. Just pray to the Three Goddesses.
"I'm Daitaku Helios, nice to meet you~"
The lively girl playfully made a V-sign with her right hand in front of her forehead, her movements cute and charming, full of the unique youthful flair of a high school girl.
"Uh, nice to meet you," Stardust Mirage could only respond politely to this overly familiar horse girl.
Based on her understanding of this world's information, Daitaku Helios should be a senior who debuted two years ago. However, the girl before her showed no seniority; instead, she familiarly hugged Stardust Mirage's arm and said with a slightly ingratiating smile:
"Do you want to join our Front-Runners Front? Everyone is good at front-running! You definitely won't lose out!"
"Front-Runners Front?"
Stardust Mirage was taken aback. Before she could ask what this 'front' was, Toyama Hikaru had already stepped forward, her five fingers gripping Daitaku Helios's head:
"Can you not come here trying to trick my horse girl into joining your fool's alliance? Daitaku Helios?"
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!!!!" Helios cried out in pain and struggled.
Finally breaking free from Trainer Toyama's grip and retreating to a safe distance, she complained with lingering fear:
"What's that about! Calling it a fool's alliance is so rude! We're seriously researching front-running techniques!"
"You all gather to listen to your nonsense, and then no matter what race it is, you just want to make a mad dash for the lead, right?"
Toyama Hikaru pointed out the essence of the so-called Front-Runners Front with exasperation, then waved her hand to shoo Helios away from the rest area:
"First you tried to trick Bourbon into playing along, and now you're after Stardust Mirage? I'll go have a good talk with your trainer later to figure out whose problem this really is!"
"Ah! Don't go see my trainer! The young lady will find out!!!" Daitaku Helios was forcibly driven from the scene, leaving only a trailing shout:
"Stardust Mirage, I really think you have the talent to join us! If you're interested, come find me at Team Sprinters! But don't let the young lady know!"
"Interesting, isn't it?"
Old man Musaka had somehow walked up beside Stardust Mirage. Together, they watched Daitaku Helios leave. "In this academy, you won't be bored in the future. Your life won't truly be just about running."
"I never said I'd only think about running from now on," Starry Fantasy pouted. "I promised my sister long ago that I'd seriously enjoy life. Racing is just one part of it. Don't worry about it so much, old man."
She knew exactly what the old man meant—another warning not to focus entirely on training to the point of ruining her body.
"Hahahaha, as long as you know. I'll just keep saying it, and you'll find this old man annoying anyway," Musaka Ginjirou laughed heartily. He waved to Oguri Cap in the distance, signaling for her to come over, then continued:
"Since you've met Trainer Toyama, Oguri and I are about to leave. Come on, walk us out."
"Alright!"
Having rested a bit, Stardust Mirage felt mostly recovered. She stood up from her seat without hesitation and followed the two towards the school gate.
None of the three spoke along the way, and the atmosphere grew somewhat silent.
After a while, it was Stardust Mirage who couldn't stand it first. "Old man, if you have something to say, say it. We're almost at the gate."
"Haha, Stardust Mirage, you still need to practice patience," the old man chuckled, amused by the horse girl's complaint. "Alright, I won't tease you. I just wanted to talk about the race before I leave."
"Couldn't you have said this back then?" Stardust Mirage asked, puzzled.
"Knowing some things too early isn't good either. If you weren't progressing so fast that it's hard to imagine what level you'll reach in a few months, I wouldn't need to tell you now," Musaka Ginjirou said with some helplessness. It was just a training race to test her level, yet he hadn't expected to witness Stardust Mirage's on-the-spot breakthrough again.
He had to adjust his plans, telling Stardust Mirage about the next steps ahead of time to prevent her from going down the wrong path in training:
"I told you last time that Oguri Cap broke through during the previous Arima Kinen, awakening a power called the 'Limit-Breaking Realm,' right?"
"Yeah, and when I asked you what the Limit-Breaking Realm was, you wouldn't tell me," Stardust Mirage replied.
"That's because I didn't think you needed to know so much at the time..." Musaka Ginjirou explained casually, then continued:
"For horse girls at the current stage, their strength is primarily composed of five factors. First is foundational attributes. Currently, trainers generally categorize them into Speed, Stamina, Power, Guts, and Wit for easier understanding. You've deeply experienced the importance of foundational attributes, right?"
Stardust Mirage nodded upon hearing this.
In just seventeen days, through specialized foundational attribute training that boosted her stats, she felt completely reborn the next time she stepped onto the track.
"The second is technique. This includes experience in running styles and the accumulation of technical knowledge across various aspects, which is further divided into two schools.
The first is the theoretical school. These horse girls enhance themselves by mastering sufficient theoretical knowledge, choosing the most suitable methods to run in appropriate situations. Representatives include the legendary horse girl Rudolf Symbol you just met, and Super Creek, who once competed against Oguri Cap.
The second is the instinctive school. Although they may not understand the pros and cons of different running styles, relying on talent and animal-like intuition, these horse girls can achieve the unimaginable. Representatives include Oguri, Tamamo Cross, Inari One, and others.
To be honest, I rarely see anyone able to learn others' abilities in this aspect, but you are one of them.
When using Oguri's unique style, you can even mimic most details of her running. This is exceptionally rare. However, in the end, your own unique style is the most suitable."
"The third factor, you've already touched the edge of it. Honestly, it's strange that you've developed to this extent with your current physical condition..." Musaka Ginjirou's expression was complex.
"What is it? Back then, I..." Stardust Mirage recalled the final moments of the training race.
At that time, due to unfamiliarity with the short-distance track and the situation of lagging behind while trying to lead, she couldn't catch up. But then, a mysterious energy suddenly erupted throughout her body. This explosive enhancement allowed her to accelerate sharply, seizing first place in the final 200 meters.
"That was...?"
"That is the fighting spirit of a horse girl—but some horse girls lean more towards the other side of fighting spirit, the demonic nature."
Musaka Ginjirou spoke while turning to look in Oguri Cap's direction. At the moment, Oguri Cap was idly gazing up at the sky, daydreaming without a care in the world.
"Oguri Cap faced the challenge from Tamamo Cross, along with Super Creek and Inari One. The four of them chased each other across different racecourses, which brought out Oguri Cap's extraordinary competitive spirit and unleashed unimaginable energy—the fighting spirit."
"Fighting spirit is like an additional ability transformed from a horse girl's will to survive. It can briefly enhance all your physical functions, but it can only be used at the most critical moments. Usually, after using it, you fall into a state of extreme weakness, so if you use it too early, you may end up completely losing speed."
"On the other hand, some horse girls possess another trait: the demonic nature. Such horse girls can unleash an aura that disrupts their opponents—you might have felt disturbed by Oguri Cap while running at times, but that's nothing compared to facing an opponent with a demonic nature."
"They can drain your stamina, slow you down, and weaken your strength. They use various methods to weaken all their opponents. If you ever encounter one, you must be extra careful."
"Lastly, there is the realm. This is the ultimate manifestation of power, and only a very few horse girls can even begin to grasp it. Each time the realm is activated, it greatly consumes their stamina and even their physical endurance. Many horse girls have suffered injuries directly from activating their realm, causing their racing careers to plummet... However, it is undoubtedly the ultimate means to decide the outcome of a race."
"As for Oguri Cap's breakthrough into the realm, my research is limited... In fact, before Oguri Cap, there was no consensus in Japan on whether such a state even existed. All we know is that it seems you must shatter your own realm to touch it."
Listening to Old Man Musaka's detailed explanation, Stardust Mirage compared the knowledge from her past life with his words, gaining a clearer understanding of a horse girl's capabilities.
With that in mind, she asked, "How do you activate the realm?"
"I can't tell you that." Old Man Musaka chuckled. "Telling you would only interfere with your judgment. Activating the realm requires each horse girl to personally experience that state. Even if you've activated it once, it doesn't mean you've mastered it. It's just that troublesome."
"Is it about intense concentration?" Stardust Mirage pressed, unwilling to give up. But Musaka Ginjirou remained silent, smiling.
She turned to look at Oguri Cap, who was still gazing blankly at the sky, and pointed at her. "Oguri Cap always seems lost in thought. Is she preparing to use her realm?"
"Me?" Hearing her name mentioned, Oguri Cap turned around and pointed at herself, looking confused. "I'm just looking forward to going back to Kasamatsu."
"Huh?"
"You don't need to think of Oguri as too complicated." Old Man Musaka laughed heartily. "The shape of clouds, the folks back home, the city's experiences, a feast in a dream, Oguri-chan and fluffy things—most of the things she thinks about are these nonsensical matters. Hahaha, isn't she adorable?"
"Well, that's enough for now. I told you all this because you've already touched the edge of fighting spirit. So, I explained it to you. From now on, don't worry too much about it. With your will to win, as long as you train hard and race well, you'll eventually reach even greater power."
With that, Old Man Musaka put on a straw hat and sunglasses, waving to Stardust Mirage. "Well, we're heading back to Kasamatsu now. See you later. Remember to give me your answer about the Three Goddesses Dream Cup."
"...Yeah."
Watching the two of them wave goodbye, Stardust Mirage felt a mix of emotions. But she didn't show any childish sentimentality, instead waving back vigorously.
As their figures gradually faded from sight and disappeared beyond the gate, she slowly lowered her gaze.
"Mr. Musaka Ginjirou has already trained many powerful horse girls at our academy. It's time for him to take a break now. Don't feel too sad."
Somehow, the green-hatted Hayakawa Tazuna had walked up behind Stardust Mirage, comforting her.
"Me? Sad? I'm not sad at all! I'm going to train hard and surprise them with my strength!"
Hearing the voice of the green hat, Stardust Mirage shuddered, hurriedly wiping her face with her sleeve.
Hayakawa Tazuna was used to such scenes. Pretending not to notice Stardust Mirage's behavior, she extended her right hand in invitation.
"Then come with me. You must be tired after the training race. I'll show you to the dormitory. Also, Trainer Toyama asked me to pass on a message: gather at the training field tomorrow at six in the morning."
After saying this, she led the way, explaining as she walked.
"The uma musume sharing your dormitory is currently recuperating in the hospital due to health reasons and won't be back for a few days. You don't need to worry about it, Stardust Mirage."
Upon arriving at the dormitory area, Stardust Mirage realized that Central Tracen Academy's facilities were truly impressive. Although the dorm room was a double, it was nearly 70 square meters and fully equipped with a bathroom, as well as various appliances like a TV, telephone, and computer.
Notably, against the wall in the center of the room was a workbench specifically designed for shoeing running shoes.
The windowsill was clean and bright, and the floor was carpeted. Compared to any other place Stardust Mirage had lived in this world, the conditions here were far better.
Hayakawa Tazuna briefly explained the dormitory rules, then had someone deliver a change of clothes and daily necessities before leaving.
Stardust Mirage didn't need her to stay. Ever since deciding to pursue racing, she had lived independently, even mooching meals wherever she could—her previous 17-day stint with Oguri Cap was proof.
After making the bed, putting away her clothes, and glancing at the empty bed across the room—which only had a Rudolf doll on it—Stardust Mirage tidied up briefly and stopped.
With everything in order, she stood by the window, looking at the gradually darkening sky. Deep down, she knew:
From the moment she arrived at Central Tracen Academy, new challenges were about to begin.
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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