August 21st.
Silence Suzuka’s one-win mile race was taking place today.
The venue: Nakayama Racecourse in Chiba Prefecture.
Home to major G1 events like the Arima Kinen and Satsuki Sho, it was one of URA’s flagship tracks.
But since this was only a condition race, attendance was thin.
After all, one-win races were packed with rookie Uma Musume just starting out.
There were dozens held every fall, watching them all would literally require moving into the stadium.
Even hardcore racing fans couldn’t manage that, let alone regular folks who had jobs to go back to.
Debut races actually drew bigger crowds than condition races.
They were a racer’s first public stage… your chance to witness the birth of a monster rookie.
Top-tier Uma Musume were usually strong from day one, and Suzuka was no exception.
Most people in attendance had come after being blown away by her front-running debut performance.
These veteran racing fans were Suzuka’s first batch of hardcore supporters.
Whether they’d stay loyal depended on what she did next.
Even with a light crowd, there were several heavyweight spectators in the stands.
Among them: Emperor Symboli Rudolf and Empress Air Groove
For the past month, both had been quietly keeping tabs on Kenji and Suzuka… but they’d rarely seen either of them training, so they were skeptical about his results.
“She’s entered an August condition race… Is she really ready?”
Air Groove rested her chin on her hand, worry etched across her face.
Symboli Rudolf peered through binoculars at Suzuka standing in the paddock… and smiled.
“…Looks like he’s done his homework.”
Earlier, Air Groove had said she saw Maruzensky’s shadow in Suzuka; Rudolf thought it was exaggeration.
But seeing her today made her reconsider.
Still… Suzuka seemed a little too attached to her trainer.
Could this also be… the influence of seed?
Meanwhile, Kenji stood by the paddock fence with his trainer ID around his neck, doing final checks with Suzuka.
“Suzuka, how are you feeling?”
“Great.
I’m in my best shape right now.”
“Cleats?”
“No issues.
They’ve been swapped for ones that match the new racing shoes.”
“Alright… I won’t overdo it.
Today, you’re going to prove that all our training hasn’t been in vain.”
“I already know that.”
Suzuka took both his hands, bowed her head slightly, and spoke like she was making a vow.
“I used to think my only job was to run freely on the track…”
Because Suzuka had always believed running was all she could do.
But meeting Kenji changed that mindset.
She looked up, met his eyes, and flashed a radiant smile.
“But today… I’m going to bring you victory.”
“Yeah!
Go get ’em!”
After watching her head toward the starting gate, Kenji returned to his seat.
Pretending not to be nervous would be a lie… What if they ran into some genius Uma Musume who was literally untouchable?
Kenji really wanted to lick every competitor’s feet today just to check their stats against Suzuka’s… but obviously, that’d be inappropriate.
(TL: Bruh)
At this point, there was nothing left for him as a trainer to do… Only pray with folded hands that Suzuka pulled it off.
“All racers are in the gate.
The race is about to begin… Hold your breath…”
Suzuka stared silently at the gate ahead.
The crowd’s noise faded into nothing.
Her focus was absolute.
Just like during charades… Focus on one thing, and that’s enough!
All thanks to her trainer’s lessons!
Bang!
“Race is underway!”
The moment the starter pistol fired, Suzuka was already off, bursting through the gate in perfect sync.
The commentators lost their minds.
“What?!
Number 5!
Silence Suzuka!
That’s an insane gate reaction!
She’s shot out like lightning and already taking a huge early lead!”
In the stands, Air Groove was equally stunned by the flawless break.
“Is that…!
Is she in her Zone?”
With arms crossed, Symboli Rudolf narrowed her eyes and murmured:
“No, not a Zone… Just from the gate alone, she’s already at top-tier level?”
Sitting beside Kenji, Special Week gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
“Whoa!
Suzuka!
That focus is insane!
Did you teach her that too, Kenji-san?!”
“Mhm.
For a front-runner, the start is everything.”
This was Kenji’s first trump card for Suzuka.
[Skill: Concentration] [Effect: Improves starting performance; reduces gate delay time.]
It was a gate skill she already had.
Kenji spent 30 Uma Coins, completed the charades task behind her back, and made it a guaranteed passive trigger.
For a pure front-runner, winning at the start meant half the race was already won.
No need to fight for position, no wasted energy from collisions, and she’d immediately pull distance on the pack.
A perfect opening.
But not everyone was smiling at this development.
Up in the VIP section, an ice-cold beauty in a business suit with her hair in a high ponytail sat with legs crossed, watching sternly.
She was Suzuka’s former trainer, Hana Tojo, head of Team Rigil, one of the academy’s strongest squads.
“Still sticking with a pure front-running strategy… Let’s see if this is blind stubbornness or calculated planning.”
A trainer’s biggest sin was letting an Uma Musume race purely on instinct.
Because the last person who truly understood their own body was often the racer herself.
Injuries… The nightmare of every Uma Musume.
One second you feel like you’ve reached your peak; the next, your legs fracture under the strain.
That’s why Uma Musume legs, despite their terrifying speed, earned the nickname “glass legs.”
If Kenji couldn’t give her a solid reason to trust this approach… even if Suzuka won today, she’d file a formal protest with the academy.
Even if it meant resigning on the spot, she’d do whatever it took to ensure Suzuka had a safe career exit.
She’d seen too many racers destroyed by injuries…
Results mattered, and she knew these three years were the most critical period of an Uma Musume’s life.
But sacrificing their entire future just for those three years?
The cost was too high.
As a trainer, she knew this mindset was technically unprofessional.
Trainers were “tools” meant to deliver victory for their charges.
If winning required sacrificing anything else, so be it.
But… she never wanted to see another racer’s face twist in despair ever again.
The elite trainer Hana Tojo, known for her cold discipline and zero tolerance for anything that didn’t contribute to victory… secretly harbored this soft spot.
A secret no one knew.
On the track, the other racers weren’t discouraged by their slow starts.
A pure front-runner couldn’t possibly maintain top speed until the end!
That was common knowledge among all racers present.
The moment she hit the bend, her pace would drop!
But…
“We’re approaching the first bend!
Silence Suzuka is still leading, she’s looking to hold it all the way!”
The commentators were spot-on: as she entered the curve, her speed didn’t drop… It actually increased!
“Her form… has stabilized!”
Hana Tojo shot to her feet in shock, staring at the track.
This was a clockwise course!
Not Suzuka’s usual counter-clockwise layout!
This was Kenji’s second trump card.
[Skill: Clockwise ○] [Effect: Slightly improves performance on clockwise tracks.]
Suzuka originally had the passive skill [Counter-Clockwise ○], which was also what put heavy strain on her left leg.
So adding a matching clockwise skill balanced it out completely.
Plus, investing in guaranteed passive skills was far more cost-effective than betting on uncertain active ones.
True to her elite status, Tojo spotted it immediately.
“Dual-leg adaptation…!
He’s fundamentally rewritten Suzuka’s habits!”
She’d considered correcting Suzuka’s bad habit before, but changing something ingrained since birth was nearly impossible.
It’d been more efficient to ditch the front-running style altogether from day one.
Yet this rookie had chosen the path she abandoned… and succeeded!
“In such a short time… How did he pull this off?!”
The race continued.
Suzuka monopolized first, now five lengths ahead of second place.
The other racers were so focused on tracking her that the rear pack collided in a chaotic mess at the bend.
But those near the front refused to give up… They were convinced Suzuka’s pace would eventually crack.
Racing worked like that: even if you led ninety-nine percent of the time, nothing was decided until the finish line.
There were no absolutes on a racetrack.
Their last hope lay ahead… The uphill slope.
As everyone knew, Nakayama had a steep incline before the finish line.
Once racers hit it, stamina drain spiked and speeds dropped, perfect for closing gaps!
Please…!
Come on… Slow down just a little!
It felt more like prayer.
Begging the girl in front to give them even a sliver of a chance to catch up.
“Time to show off those yoga ball drills, Suzuka.”
Kenji watched the slope, a death sentence for most front-runners, and smiled with absolute confidence.
This was a mile race.
Suzuka’s stamina could handle it, but to avoid fading at the finish line, he’d added one more recovery skill.
[Skill: Moxie] [Effect: Slightly reduces fatigue on uphill slopes [Strategy/Front-Runner].]
A stamina-recovery skill exclusive to front-runners… Triggered flawlessly.
“She’s not…!
Slowing down!”
“How is this possible…!”
“Why can she keep this pace…!”
But just as the chasing pack began to despair over the unbridgeable gap… Real despair was about to begin.
A skill activated.
[Skill: Final Push] [Effect: If leading in the final bend, acceleration slightly increases [Strategy/Front-Runner].]
Another front-runner-exclusive skill she already possessed… A brutal closing burst that left zero chance of being overtaken.
No Zone needed.
Her base stats alone were enough to dominate the field.
“Muri~~~”
“No… Impossible…”
“Is she… a monster?!”
There was no way they’d catch her now.
No… In fact, the moment Suzuka broke from that gate ahead… The race had already been over.
Even before crossing the finish line, tears were spilling from racers’ eyes.
How far… how far are you willing to crush our pride!
They were all rookies fresh off their debut races… Why was the gap so damn huge?!
“She’s crossing the line————!!”
Silence Suzuka.
Among all competing racers today.
She alone stood at Japan’s absolute highest level.