One month later.
A new round of Uma Musume debut races was about to begin.
Every time, countless Uma Musume stepped onto the racetrack through these races.
Would their futures consist of victory after victory, standing beautifully beneath the stage lights?
Or defeat after defeat, until they eventually left the track in obscurity?
Either way, the debut race was their starting line.
Debut races received little media attention.
Compared to unknown newcomers making their first appearances, reporters naturally preferred chasing famous Uma Musume.
Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Less attention also meant less pressure.
At least, that was what Nice Nature thought.
Looking around the waiting area, there didn’t seem to be any famous Uma Musume here.
The most popular not-yet-debuted Uma Musume recently was probably Tokai Teio.
Not only had her performance in academy training been exceptional, she had also earned the recognition of Student Council President “Emperor” Symboli Rudolf.
Some people outside the academy were even calling her the “Second Coming of the Emperor.” Apparently, someone like that had already announced that she would debut next month.
When Nice Nature first learned that, she’d secretly felt relieved.
At least she wouldn’t have to race against a genius like that.
But how could she think like that?
If she wanted to become champion, then eventually she’d have to compete against that “genius” again and again.
If her spirit broke before they even raced…
What would she do in the future?
And so Nice Nature was currently tormenting herself over that problem.
“Excuse me.
Are you Miss Nice Nature?” “Mm?
I am.
And you are…?” While Nice Nature was lost in thought, someone appeared in front of her.
An Uma Musume she didn’t recognize.
Chestnut-brown hair.
Brown eyes.
Refined features and a faint smile.
At first glance, she looked like an ordinary Uma Musume.
Yet she also felt strangely unique.
Though she smiled warmly, as though reducing the distance between herself and others, there was still a subtle sense of detachment hidden inside that smile.
She was the sort of person you wouldn’t forget after seeing once.
She’ll definitely become a powerful rival.
Nice Nature’s instincts as an Uma Musume told her that much.
“Me?
You can call me Natsume Reiko.
I’ve heard quite a lot about you, Miss Nice Nature.” “Y-You have?
Thank you…” Nice Nature became flustered by the praise.
Someone already knows me even though I haven’t debuted yet?
A tiny spark of happiness welled up inside her.
“I hope you’ll go easy on me in the upcoming race.
Ah, looks like we’re about to enter the gates.
Too bad our numbers aren’t adjacent.” “Then please go easy on me too, Miss Natsume Reiko.” “Really?
I don’t think I’m in any position to go easy on anyone.” The unfamiliar Uma Musume showed a puzzled expression.
For her, running on turf was something she’d only begun doing within the past month.
And now, suddenly, she’d stepped onto a real racetrack.
It felt like being a student who’d crammed for only a month before the college entrance examination.
She was nervous.
Uneasy.
And yet, in another sense…
She didn’t care that much.
Whether she took first place or not didn’t seem especially important.
Nobody expected anything from her.
Including herself.
Soon, it was time to enter the gates, and their brief conversation came to an end.
If she could go back in time, Nice Nature would have liked to punch her past self from this day.
Because this would become the beginning of her “nightmare.” Standing inside the starting gate, the cramped space gave off an oddly lonely feeling.
No wonder racehorses in his previous world had required special gate training.
The Uma Musume named Natsume Reiko silently thought to herself.
And naturally, the person who could use that name was none other than Li Ze.
As for why he’d ended up standing on a racetrack in the body of an Uma Musume…
That story began one month ago.
That night, he’d confirmed that his cheat ability was nothing more and nothing less than the ability to transform into an Uma Musume.
But would an ordinary man really accept becoming an Uma Musume so easily?
It wasn’t just a change of sex.
His entire physical ability changed too.
What normal person’s running speed needed to be regulated by law?
More absurdly, the speed limit imposed on Uma Musume was higher than the speed limit for cars.
The psychological journey he’d undergone during that month was known only to himself.
Confusion.
Pain.
Sadness.
Struggle.
All sorts of emotions tangled together into something unforgettable yet impossible to fully describe.
In the end, he’d still chosen to rely on his cheat ability.
He’d chosen to stand on the racetrack not as a Trainer…
But as an Uma Musume.
And the reason was simple.
They paid too damn much.
“They,” of course, meant Uma Musume races.
Li Ze had known almost nothing about horse racing in his previous life.
He wasn’t part of that audience.
But in this world, simply participating in official races granted Uma Musume a respectable allowance.
It might not support luxurious meals every day, but it was more than enough to keep food on the table.
There were also royalty shares from merchandise.
Low popularity?
Who cared?
It just meant he’d earn less.
Even mosquito meat was still meat.
Combined with the system’s assistance, Li Ze had made his choice.
And once he’d made that choice, he needed to act.
He had deliberately reserved some time to familiarize himself with his transformed body, then selected today as his debut.
He hadn’t deliberately waited until next month to debut alongside Tokai Teio.
He wasn’t interested in crushing what little confidence he currently had.
He simply wanted to know what it felt like…
To run across the turf in a real race.
Besides, what if Tokai Teio left him seven or eight lengths behind?
His thoughts wandered for only an instant before the announcer suddenly mentioned Nice Nature.
“We will now introduce the final popularity rankings.” “Third favorite, Number 3, Nice Nature.
She appears to be in good condition today.” …
Li Ze didn’t bother listening to first and second favorite.
He didn’t recognize either of them anyway.
As a player who couldn’t read Japanese, his knowledge of Uma Musume beyond the main cast had always been shallow.
Outside the main group, the ones he remembered best were probably Nice Nature and Haru Urara.
One was the perpetually persecuted “third-place girl.” The other was the eternal losing “challenger.” Oh, right.
And Twin Turbo.
That should be her name.
There weren’t many idiots capable of running such an extreme runaway strategy that they exhausted themselves halfway through the race.
As the final announcement ended, the already sparse spectators around the racetrack grew even quieter.
The venue felt almost deserted.
As if this debut race had no audience at all.
Nice Nature used the opportunity to glance past two or three other runners toward Natsume Reiko, who stood farther away.
That strange Uma Musume stood there perfectly calmly.
There was no obvious emotion on her face.
She seemed utterly unconcerned about her own debut race.
Why?
No Uma Musume refused to care about her debut.
And no Uma Musume could remain this calm before one.
Even Silence Suzuka, whose temperament was famously quiet, concealed a volcano beneath that stillness.
But Nice Nature had no time left to investigate.
The countdown had already begun.
Only a few seconds remained before the gates opened.
That voice reached not only Nice Nature’s ears, but Li Ze’s as well.
The scene before him…
Felt strangely familiar.
He remembered the most important turning point of his previous life.
A bright sunny day.
Warm sunlight without oppressive heat, as though the heavens themselves wished to grant every student a good mood.
Countless students had traveled lightly, carrying their weapons, stepping into examination halls beneath their teachers’ gazes and their families’ expectations.
They faced the most important challenge of twelve years of schooling.
The college entrance examination.
Yes.
This was the same.
This race was his own entrance examination.
Only now did Li Ze understand the difference between training and standing on the actual racetrack.
It had nothing to do with the audience.
Nothing to do with prize money.
Nothing to do with the track itself.
Simply standing here…
Hearing the starter’s call…
Was enough to make his blood surge.
She adjusted her posture.
Even someone who’d only crammed at the last minute should at least have learned proper starting and running form after a month.
She had that much patience.
She looked ahead at the turf she was about to race across.
And silently recited: Two thousand meters on turf.
Clear weather.
Track condition: good.
Then another memory surfaced.
Would she fail again…
Just like she had during the entrance examination?
That moment of distraction lasted only an instant.
The announcer’s voice rang in her ears.
The gates exploded open.
Countless figures burst forward!
Nearly every runner launched simultaneously.
Only one was half a beat late.
Yes.
That single moment of distraction had caused Li Ze to lose at the start.
For an Uma Musume, that tiny gap wasn’t fatal.
But it could still become the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
I won’t lose.
The instant her feet struck the turf…
The instant the ground’s feedback traveled into her body…
Li Ze already knew the result.
Her eyes fixed ahead.
The system interface opened before her!
A whole screen of crimson skills appeared.
Her finishing move—her ultimate technique—remained grayed out.
But just looking at all these sinister debuff skills was enough.
The Goddess of Victory had already wrapped her arms around her.