On a Pale Horse (Umamusume/Youjo Senki)

[drake_azathoth]

Smart Falcon says hi.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but Smart Falcon would be in rough shape if she went from the the Champions Cup in Early December to the Tokyo Daishoten later that same month. And even the prize for 2nd place isn't bad.

Of course, if Agnes Digital is also racing...

 

[Lyrista]

Problem is Dirt Races have a lot less attention to them, less spectators and fans, so the prize purses are smaller which would make Dirt Races less attractive to Shirogane.

 

[MikaShogo]

Why do I feel like Shirogane is gonna make up her short coming by being very attentive to other racers habit, like Diego Brando way of thinking in JoJo SBR? Like for example the breathing habits that he was able to get from Gryo's horse to immediately speed up his horse's pace. Like I get Shirogane could easily be put in front, but I feel like she just needs to see if there's a hiccup of a habit from racers just to get a pass on them, while conserving stamina. Plus with her passive of being really intimidating to umas that races against her, it's a very easy strategy to get used to.

 

[Crispy Taco Shell]

It's interesting how Shiro's first two official races has collisions that takes out half the competition and ends with the second place umas being carried away on stretchers. Combine that notoriety with her Robert Patrick T-1000 running style and you get an uma that is perfectly tailored as a heel character for all the hotblooded competitors to prove themselves against. With her stamina, resistance to injury, and self-imposed heavy racing schedule, Shirogane could be ubiquitous in most racing circuits, serving as a sort of gatekeeper boss battle for many umas for years to come.


Hotshot Newbie: I'm the greatest thing since canned bread!

Veteran Uma: Oh yeah? We'll see after your next race.

Newbie: If I win, you'd train me?

Veteran: You don't need to win. Just finish the next race and I'd train you.

Newbie: That'll be easy!

Veteran: Nononono. You need to finish the race with Her.

*Shirogane suddenly appears. Los! Los! Los!

 

[GarfRed]

*Shirogane suddenly appears. Los! Los! Los!

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I just remembered there was a comic where different umas faced off against vr counterparts of what they deemed the strongest or would be a different uma of the future. Like wonder acute racing agasint smart falcon on dirt. Silence Suzuka facing off Equinox and Bakushin facing Lord Kanaloa. Tsumaru Tsuyoshi facing off against the golden generation. Funilly enough Tokai Teio faces off against herself.

Imagining Shirogane being a subconscious enemy in the vr umalator by her friends would be fun to think about.

 

[MikaShogo]

It's interesting how Shiro's first two official races has collisions that takes out half the competition and ends with the second place umas being carried away on stretchers. Combine that notoriety with her Robert Patrick T-1000 running style.

Click to shrink...

Ngl I wanna see a fanart of that

 

[Ligoya]

About the race schedule, since Shiro's already did her Maiden, is the story chapter gonna be this ?

Slice of life -> picking track -> training -> training -> race -> back to slice of life

 

[0000000]

Spoiler

Translated using IA. If you find any inconsistencies, please keep in mind that English is my second language and grammar tenses are still a bit confusing for me.

Haru's trainer watched intently as Orzel competed in her twentieth race. She had been allowed to race once a week, but that wasn't Dai Muneishi's primary concern. What truly occupied his mind was his pupil's recent discovery: a method that could potentially grant her a first G1 victory or, at the very least, a spot within the top five.

"You remember the plan, right, Urara?" Dai Muneishi asked, trying to hide his own restlessness.

"Of course, Trainer!" she replied with a radiant, enthusiastic smile.

"Good. Remind me of the steps," he suggested, crossing his arms.

"Step one: follow Shiro-senpai. Step two: overtake her on the final stretch," Urara listed, though her fingers moved with a hint of insecurity as she counted, betraying a slight doubt.

Dai Muneishi let out a sigh, half resignation and half hope. At least she remembered the strategy; if everything went according to plan, Urara-chan would reach her best position to date.

Dai lost himself in his memories. He recalled how no one had ever noticed Haru Urara; to the rest of the world, she had no potential. She lacked top speed, her concentration was volatile, and her stamina was insufficient. However, he had seen that glint in her eyes—an attitude that reminded him of his own youthful idealism. Even so, he knew that training her would be an uphill battle.

Everything changed when his pupil seemed to find her center. She began training with renewed momentum, setting aside her usual distractions. When Dai asked her the reason, the answer left him stunned:

"Shiro-san told me to run up and down these stairs.""Shiro-san...""Shiro-san...""Shiro-senpai..."

That name had become the mantra of her progress. The heart of the problem was that, in his eagerness to help her, Dai used to overwhelm Urara with complex plans and a multitude of variables. By simplifying the training to general notions "run X laps" and applying quick corrections in between, the results were almost immediate. Urara had ceased to be an uncompetitive runner and had become an average Tracen athlete. It was accelerated growth, yes, but it was the fruit of finally finding the way to reach Haru Urara.

-----

—"Muneishi-senpai, why are we spying on Shiro-senpai?" Urara asked with evident confusion, trying to track her mentor through a pair of binoculars.

—"It's simple, Urara. We must verify if her motivation is where it needs to be; otherwise, we'll have to recalibrate the plan immediately," Dai Muneishi replied, without taking his eyes off his target.

—"But Trainer... the only one I know well enough to follow is Shiro-senpai," Urara insisted, a hint of insecurity in her voice.

—"True, the primary objective remains the same. But if she isn't at her peak, the margin for error increases and we'd have to find another reference. Could you do it if necessary?" he asked, casting an evaluative glance at her.

—"I think so..." she replied, though her fingers toyed nervously with the binocular strap.

At that moment, movement in the main building caught their attention. Shirogane was stepping out of Hana Tojo's office. Orzel wore that specific smile on her face the one Tracen's PR department had banned for being "too aggressive" but Dai Muneishi didn't care about aesthetics. He ignored the instinctive shiver that ran down his spine upon seeing her; what he sensed through his lens was an overwhelming presence. She didn't just want to run; she wanted to win.

—"Alright, Urara. The plan stands. Go out there and show them what you're capable of!" Dai exclaimed, standing up with a renewed burst of enthusiasm.

—"Right!" Urara shouted, caught up in her trainer's energy.

It was a moment of triumph and determination... that lasted barely a second. The branch supporting their weight was not designed for sudden movements. With a dry crack, the wood gave way under their combined weight, sending the strategist and his pupil straight toward the garden floor.

---

Announcer: Norisuke Akasaka

—"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kyoto Racecourse! The sun is shining down on the track, but the air is thick with tension. It's Tenno Sho (Spring) day! 3,200 meters that separate the legends from the mere runners."

—"In the number one position, it is our pleasure to present one of the favorites: Shirogane Orzel. This is her twenty-first professional race, and if she crosses the finish line in first place, she will claim her third G1 victory. Can the most tireless runner of this generation impose her pace and devour the distance in this Tenno Sho? The crowd roars at the presence of the 'Silver Eagle's'!"

—"In the number two position, we have..."

—"And jumping to the number four position... Listen to that ovation! It's Haru Urara! The runner from Kochi greets the entire crowd with a contagious enthusiasm that seems to ignore the pressure of the three kilometers ahead of her. Can Urara-chan's unyielding will pull off an upset on the Kyoto turf?"

—"In the position number..."

---

—Susuki Shirogane—

As we enter our starting gates, I allow myself one last moment to review the strategy. In my previous races, I stayed true to a specific role, maintaining a constant speed that secured me a place on the podium, usually between second and third. It was a calculated sacrifice; I needed the rest of them to grow accustomed to that predictable rhythm.

I mentally scanned my rivals. They are all seasoned veterans, but the true threats are Special Week and Seiun Sky. Both know me all too well as my teammates at Tracen; they know how to read my movements. Then there is Haru Urara, but based on her historical performance, she shouldn't represent a real danger at this distance.

The plan I devised with Hana is simple on paper, but complicated in its execution. Officially, I have clocked an average speed high enough that, if I decide to give it my all from the starting gun, I could outpace my more talented peers by a narrow margin. However, I know they haven't fallen behind; the pressure I applied in my second race forced them to evolve. If I execute my usual strategy, they will simply stay in my slipstream and devour me with a burst of energy in the final stretch.

That is why the answer is as simple as it is risky: pushing myself beyond my limits.

My goal is to maintain a pace close to a final sprint for the entire duration of the race. I have trained until my feet screamed in pain. Thirty seconds, one minute, two minutes... that was my wall. No matter how much I practiced, after two minutes of maintaining that excessive pressure, my feet would begin to bleed from the effort.

But today, it doesn't matter. I have to win.

With the prize from this Tenno Sho, I can pay off the investment my family made in me and begin to give back everything they deserve. This victory would secure sponsorships, endorsement deals, and, most importantly, the turning point I seek: an opportunity in the Middle East. If the rumors are true and a new league with astronomical prizes is on the horizon, I need to be there.

There is no other option. There is no guarantee that an opportunity like this will arise again. I have set aside the entire next month for my recovery; today, there are no excuses not to leave every last bit of myself on the track.

---

—Haru Urara—

"All runners to your stations!" the shout echoed through the loudspeakers, making the racetrack air vibrate.

I centered my gaze forward. The world grew small, reduced only to the space between the bars of my starting gate.

BANG!

I shot out the moment the gates swung open. Almost instantly, Shiro-senpai dove for the inner rail and began to accelerate with a force I had never seen from her at the start.

Step 1: Follow Shiro-senpai.

I locked my attention onto her back and tucked in right behind her. I tried to copy her rhythm, but my legs felt strange; for some reason, they started to ache very early on—a sharp pain shooting up from my heels. I ignored it. It didn't matter. Trainer said this was the plan, and I was going to follow it.

Follow Shiro-senpai.
Follow Shiro-senpai.
Follow Shiro-senpai.

The wind lashed at my face, but I could only see that silver silhouette in front of me. My lungs began to protest the frantic pace, but I clung to her slipstream. I MUST FOLLOW THE PLAN.

FOLLOW SHIRO-SENPAI.
FOLLOW SHIRO-SENPAI.
FOLLOW SHIRO-SENPAI.

---

Announcer: Norisuke Akasaka

—"What on earth are we witnessing?! Eyes on the track! Shirogane Orzel has decided to throw all caution to the wind, accelerating with everything she's got right from the starting gun! Flaunting a level of stamina that defies logic, she takes the absolute lead and begins to set a suffocating pace! The rest of the pack looks bewildered, trying to settle into their usual strategies... but Orzel's rhythm is devastating!"

—"Wait! Are you seeing this? This is unbelievable! Haru Urara has launched a completely unexpected counter-strategy. She has latched onto Orzel's slipstream like a shadow. You can tell she's struggling to keep up with that hellish pace her movements are tense but she refuses to let go of second place!"

—"Attention to the split time! 1,000 meters in 58.8 seconds!"

—"This is unheard of! That's a sprint pace in the longest stayers' race on the calendar! Orzel has decided to bet it all on a single card: she has turned the Tenno Sho into a final stretch from the very first meter. The favorites, Special Week and Seiun Sky, seem trapped in their own caution—all except Haru Urara! The little runner from Kochi is the only one withstanding the 'Silver Eagle's' onslaught. Are we witnessing the birth of a legend?"

---

—Susuki Shirogane—

The plan is progressing exactly as we designed it. No one seems to have noticed the subtle but lethal increase in my base speed. My competitors are burning through their stamina reserves just trying to hold their positions, believing this is my usual pace. But I cannot lower my guard; if any of them deciphers the deception and adjusts their stride ahead of time, they could hunt me down on the final lap.

In part, Haru Urara's positioning has played in my favor. The rest of the pack knows her general level is limited; seeing her glued to my heels gives them a false sense of security. They must be thinking: "If Urara can maintain that pace, it must not be that fast." It's the perfect camouflage.

But... wait a moment.

If my pace truly is that of a sustained sprint... how the hell is she keeping up with me?

Calm down, Shirogane. Breathe. I should have seen it coming. All the signs pointed to this: Haru Urara was a "sleeper agent," a hidden card that Tracen was keeping low-profile. I got complacent. Surely that heavy breathing and those erratic movements are just an act—a lie to make me falter.

You almost fooled me, Urara. Now, along with Special Week and Seiun Sky, you've become a priority target. I won't allow any of the three of you to surprise me on the final stretch. Not after everything it cost me to get here.

---

—Seiun Sky—

"Shit, shit... damn it!"

I can feel my lungs burning, but that's not the worst part. My legs simply cannot go any faster; they've hit their cruising limit, and yet, the gap just keeps widening. This is impossible. Shirogane-san isn't that fast—or at least, she shouldn't be at this stage of the race. What the hell is going on at the front?

I've spent months analyzing her times, preparing to counter her stamina, calculating the exact moment to launch my attack... and none of it is working! The breach between the pack and the lead is opening up step by step like an abyss.

What makes even less sense isn't just Shirogane. It's seeing that pink silhouette, Haru Urara, withstanding the onslaught right behind her. If Urara is there, the pace should be manageable, right? But it isn't! My muscles are screaming.

---

—Special Week—

The air burns my throat and sweat blurs my vision, but the roar of the racecourse has faded away. All that's left is a dull thudding in my ears and a single idea pounding against my chest with every stride.

I have to win. I have to win.

It doesn't matter that the pace isn't what was expected. It doesn't matter that my legs feel like lead or that Shirogane-san seems unreachable up ahead. I made a promise.

I have to win for my two moms.

---

Announcer: Norisuke Akasaka

—"Ladies and gentlemen, what we are witnessing at Kyoto Racecourse defies every single forecast! We are entering the final turn, and I can speak for everyone when I say this race has unfolded like nothing we could have imagined! Shirogane Orzel has maintained a maniacal pace since the starting gun, and against all odds, she hasn't faltered for even a single second!"

—"But look at Haru Urara! She's still there, holding onto second place, even though it looks like her lungs might burst at any moment. Her endurance is a miracle of pure will! Meanwhile, the favorites are reacting! Special Week and Seiun Sky have awakened from their lethargy; they've realized Orzel's trap and are closing the gap like streaks of lightning! The pack is being stretched to its absolute limit!"

—"Attention! We are heading into the final curve! Orzel is hugging the inner rail even tighter, and instead of slowing down to catch her breath on the downhill, she's accelerating!"

—"Hana-san, please, tell me I'm not dreaming! Are we seeing what I think we're seeing?!"

---

—Haru Urara—

The final turn.

Step two...

What was it?

Right.

Step two: Overtake Shirogane-senpai.

My legs don't feel like my legs anymore.

It's not just about following her now. Now, I have to surpass her.

Overtake Shirogane-senpai. Overtake Shirogane-senpai. Overtake Shirogane-senpai.

I began to move toward the outside.

Overtake Shirogane-senpai! Overtake Shirogane-senpai! OVERTAKE SHIRO-SENPAI!

---

—Shirogane Orzel—

Everything was under my control. I used the momentum from the downhill on the final turn to gain a definitive boost, leaving my direct rivals with empty tanks. The Kyoto finish line stretched out before me, bathed in sunlight, claiming my victory.

Special Week and Seiun Sky began their final sprint, but their strides were heavy; they had burned too much energy falling for my strategy. They were finished. All that was left was to cross the line.

But... where was Urara?

The constant presence of that pink blur at my rear had become white noise—a sense of security that led me to make the gravest mistake of my career: letting my guard down. I flicked my ears frantically, searching for the echo of her footsteps behind me, but the sound wasn't coming from the back.

I turned my head, and my eyes registered an impossibility.

Urara hadn't stayed trapped in my wake. She had swung wide on the curve with a risky trajectory, and instead of faltering, she had accelerated once more. Her figure appeared at my flank, ignoring exhaustion, ignoring logic, driven by a will that my analysis could not have foreseen.

In the blink of an eye, she was neck and neck with me. I could see the glint of absolute determination on her face before...

She surpassed me.

It was barely half a length—a minimal distance, but enough to sink my heart. In that instant, a stunned silence fell over the racecourse: Haru Urara had just snatched first place from me.

---

—Haru Urara—

OVERTAKE SHIRO-SENPAI!
OVERTAKE SHIRO-SENPAI!
OVERTAKE SHIRO-SENPAI!

---

Announcer: Norisuke Akasaka

—"THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! A turn of events that no one—absolutely no one—could have predicted! Haru Urara, the runner who arrived here as the long shot, has launched a final acceleration that seems to have the race in the bag! The crowd is in a state of shock, watching Kochi's 'Cinderella' prepare to claim the Tenno Sho crown!"

—"But wait! The drama isn't over yet! Special Week and Seiun Sky aren't giving up; they are squeezing out every last drop of strength for a desperate move from the outside. And in the eye of the storm... Orzel! Shirogane Orzel seems to have frozen in place! Urara's overtake has left her petrified—the psychological impact has been devastating!"

—"WAIT A SECOND! HOLD ON! WHAT AM I SEEING?!"

—"In a burst of pure competitive fury, Orzel is accelerating again! She hasn't said her last word! Ignoring every trace of fatigue, the 'Silver Eagle' finds her rhythm once more. Her eyes are bloodshot! She's charging back at Urara! The Kyoto home stretch has turned into a brutal battlefield between these two runners!"

---

—Susuki Shirogane—

It makes no sense. I had countermeasures for everyone except Urara. How is it possible for her to sustain this pace while Special Week and Seiun Sky are collapsing? Logic is crumbling. The gap is already a full length. This is my defeat. I grew careless... I've failed everyone.

Suddenly, the world stops. The roar of the crowd becomes a dull echo, and time seems to freeze.

"Shit. Is this a conspiracy of yours, Being X? Show your face! I'm not afraid of you!"

—"As much as I hate a bastard like that, it isn't him this time."

That voice... cold, authoritative, heavy with a veteran's weight that doesn't belong to this world of racing and applause.

—"Are you... Tanya Degurechaff?" I asked, observing the slowed-down surroundings. My vision of her was blurry—barely an outline recognizable by her blonde hair and the rigor of her military uniform.

—"The correct question would be: are you me? But I'll forgive you," my former life replied with a cutting calm. "I've come to give you the final push you need."

—"I can't go any faster..." I protested. "These are my absolute limits."

A low laugh, which soon became shrill and maniacal, escaped her silhouette.

—"Your limits? Don't make me laugh! It seems this era of peace has softened you. You call bleeding nails 'limits'? Where did our determination go? Remember: we were willing to implode at the rear just to reach our objective. Do not humiliate us by fearing such a trivial wound."

I remained silent. The weight of her words was more forceful than any physical training.

—"Susuki Shirogane... run! Run as if your life depended on it. Even if your nails tear off, run for those who trust you. I'm not asking you to seek death, but what is that small pain compared to your ambitions? What do you say, Shirogane?"

—"I'll do it..." my voice regained its edge. "I will run. I will win."

—"That's the spirit. But it looks like you need some extra motivation."

My former self adopted the stance I had used so many times in the past: arms behind the back, head held high, chin up. She barked at me in the tone that used to break the will of the toughest cadets:

—"Cadet Susuki Shirogane! You are to reach that finish line before anyone else! I want no excuses! Even if you have to crawl, you will finish first! No one gets there before you! IS THAT CLEAR?!"

—"YES, MA'AM! YES, MAJOR!"

—"THEN RUN, SUSUKI SHIROGANE, RUN!"

Time exploded back to normality. The finish line was the only thing left in my field of vision. I struck the turf with such inhuman force that the pressure finally overcame the resistance of my nails; I felt them tear away from the flesh, but the pain was nothing but fuel. I accelerated with an internal roar and pulled level with Urara.

She looked at me. I looked at her.

There were no words, only the sound of our breaths colliding. She picked up the pace again, and I did the same. It was just the two of us, one against the other. There could only be one winner.

---

Announcer: Norisuke Akasaka

—"I SEE IT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT! The two runners who have incinerated the stopwatch since the very first meter still have fire in their hearts! Who will take the glory? Who will etch their name into this Tenno Sho that has shattered every convention?!"

—"HARU URARA pulls ahead by what looks like a head! But SHIROGANE ORZEL reacts, she's clawing back the ground! It's a duel to the death!"

—"From behind, Special Week launches a desperate attack! She's coming with terrifying force, but the leaders' suicidal pace has taken its toll on her comeback! She's falling short by just a few lengths! Seiun Sky tries as well, but her legs have reached their breaking point! This battle belongs to only two!"

—"They're closing in on the line! Neither yields! Since they hit the stretch, they've done nothing but accelerate, defying everything and everyone! Who will win?! The Iron Eagle who refuses to fall, or the Hope of Kochi who doesn't know how to surrender?!"

—"Haru U...!"—"Shirogane O...!"—"Haru U...!"—"Shirogane O...!"

—"THEY'RE AT THE LINE! NECK AND NECK! THE WINNER IS...!"

Spoiler

Well, this is the end of this omake attempt. To be honest, I have no idea how it ended up being so long. If the author add it to the extras as canon, I'll finish it—MUAHAHA! No, just kidding, I'll finish it whenever I can. I don't even know at what point a "cute little moment" turned into 10 Word pages left to proofread and edit.(The initial plan was just a scene where, using Tanya, Haru would win a race and thank her effusively, and it just ended up turning into that.)

I'm very grateful to the author for creating such a lovely story. Truthfully, I read it often to purify myself from all the nonsensical atrocities I've had the misfortune of reading. Besides, it's one of the best Tanya fanfics out there, both because she's given a peaceful life and because they manage to integrate her into the universe without any major issues.

I guess this might be useful for others like me: if you want to download the UMA DERBY game, you'll need 10GB of storage. I wanted to try it out and play it to give this piece that extra "touch," but well, I need to buy a new phone first. So, if anything I wrote doesn't quite fit the canon or correct, I apologize!

 

[Argious]

Holy shit Haru Urara pulling a Rice Shower on the latter's "Holy Ground" but as the face is Peak.

 

[Darkwood]

demaniacal

Click to shrink...

This did not translate right, was it going for demonic or maniacal?

Otherwise it was a pretty good omake, though is that Tanya appearing to talk to herself?

 

[0000000]

Holy shit Haru Urara pulling a Rice Shower on the latter's "Holy Ground" but as the face is Peak.

Click to shrink...

I don't understand, some reference to the game?

This did not translate right, was it going for demonic or maniacal?

Otherwise it was a pretty good omake, though is that Tanya appearing to talk to herself?

Click to shrink...

Corrected error.
It's Shirogane speaking with Tanya Degurechaff I wanted to include the 'first life' aspect(Salary man), but my brain just wouldn't come up with any interesting or logical dialogue for it, so I decided to cut that part out.

 

[ILoveAGothGirl]

She realized there was dirt under the field lets go my precious baby

 

[d s]

I wanted to try it out and play it to give this piece that extra "touch,"

Click to shrink...

There is a website called umareader that documents all the characters stories etc

 

[Xenoxn]

I don't understand, some reference to the game?

Click to shrink...

It's a reference to both the anime and the game, since Rice "stole" Bourbon's third crown like that.

I guess this might be useful for others like me: if you want to download the UMA DERBY game, you'll need 10GB of storage. I wanted to try it out and play it to give this piece that extra "touch," but well, I need to buy a new phone first. So, if anything I wrote doesn't quite fit the canon or correct, I apologize!

Click to shrink...

Eh, it was a fun little omake, even if it is extremely unlikely that something like this happens in the fic itself since Haru has a turf and long aptitude of G rank.

 

[0000000]

There is a website called umareader that documents all the characters stories etc

Click to shrink...

It's not working; I'll keep an eye out to see how it functions.

It's a reference to both the anime and the game, since Rice "stole" Bourbon's third crown like that.



Eh, it was a fun little omake, even if it is extremely unlikely that something like this happens in the fic itself since Haru has a turf and long aptitude of G rank.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the info.

Indeed, it would be improbable, but technically Shirogane's existence is already breaking everything established, isn't it?

Leaving that aside, well, technically not, how will the 'predestined' races that are supposed to happen work if our Shirogane is present?

 

[Xenoxn]

Leaving that aside, well, technically not, how will the 'predestined' races that are supposed to happen work if our Shirogane is present?

Click to shrink...

In-game, in races where your trainee's rival is supposed to win, they have high stats. For example, in Mayano Top Gun's career Narita Brian has very high stats in the Hanshin Daishoten, compared to her stats in the Tenno Sho (Spring) which takes place 2 turns after, where she has significantly weaker stats.

Another example would be Win Variation, where during the triple crown races Orfervre will ALWAYS have higher stats than her.

 

[WrandmWaffles]

Chomping at the Bit ​

---

When the next day of class came, Shirogane found herself quite tired. Not from her debut race itself, which had not been too taxing compared to a day of running deliveries, but rather because her family had been incredibly excited about her victory, and had basically thrown a party once they returned home. This also included various friends who came by to congratulate her, such as Umeki-san's children and Steady Distance, who berated her for not giving her more notice.

Naturally, this meant Shirogane had not been able to sleep as well as she'd like, though she endured it for the sake of her family, especially her Polish grandparents, who had to return to Poland Sunday evening. The amount they had made her eat before they left had been comparable to some of the bigger eaters back at Tracen.

All this considered, going back to class felt a bit strange after all that excitement. Though she was content with all the noise being over with–

"Congratulations Shirogane-san!" A cheerful voice stopped her short as she entered the main building.

"Good morning, Special Week." She nodded at the excitable transfer student, who was waving her hands excitedly. "And thank you…though I'm surprised you know about it."

"We watched it on TV," Silence Suzaka explained, giving Shirogane a warm smile. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Ah, right, Suzuka-san must have told her roommate about it. It wasn't as if Shirogane had meant for it to be a secret.

"It's on the bulletin board too!"

Shirogane blinked, turning her gaze in the direction of said board, and saw, to her surprise, that there was a picture of her from her debut race and what looked to be a short article about it, though she couldn't read the details from this distance.

"Huh. Do they do that for everyone's debut?"

"As far as I remember, yes." Suzuka-san's ear flicked as she curled her hand under her chin thoughtfully. "But because you debuted at a strange time you're the only one up there right now."

"I see." Shirogane should probably have expected something like this. It made some sense to offer encouragement to the newer students as they made progress. "Do they post the winners of other races too?"

"The bigger ones, yes, I think."

"A place of pride then."

"Eh? Didn't you notice it before?" Special Week's tail swished questioningly. "You're usually the one who reads all the notice boards."

She had mostly paid attention to the other notices. "I must have missed it." Probably because it was among posters for various extracurricular events, mostly of the frivolous kind. It being a congregating point for some of her noisier schoolmates likely played a part too.

"Guess even Shirogane-san doesn't know everything, eh?" Special Week giggled, covering her mouth to hide her smile.

"Of course not," Shirogane scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "If I did, I would not need to come to school." And she would know what exactly the nature of her reincarnations was.

"Oh that's true…"

The three of them made their way towards their homerooms, with Shirogane striding forwards as the other two trailed after her, Special Week chattering about some dream she had about carrots, then about her training for tryouts, mostly towards her roommate at first, but it turned towards Shirogane once Suzuka-san split off to head towards her own homeroom.

"Do you think I can find a trainer, Shirogane-san?"

"Likely." Compared to the other members of the class, Special Week had decent speed and fairly high endurance, with more strength than she tended to realize she had. "I think if you win or place in a tryout you should attract the attention of a trainer without too much issue."

"Is that what happened to you, Shirogane-san?"

"Something of the sort." Her circumstances were a bit unusual, but from her observation, most runners that performed similarly to her found themselves recruited by a trainer in short order.

"Hmm!" Her answer seemed to alleviate some concerns from her dark haired classmate, making her stand straighter and her tail swish with determination, also having the additional effect of ending her stream of chatter as she focused more inwardly.

The two of them reached their classroom, a bit later than Shirogane preferred, but still on time, which meant that many of their classmates were already present–

"Shiiirooo!"

She stepped to the side as El Condor Pasa leapt at her, the masked uma flying through the air and crashing bodily into Special Week, sending the two of them crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and startled squawks.

Shirogane stared at this writhing pile of loud noises blankly, before looking back up at the rest of her present classmates and locking eyes with a perplexed looking Grass Wonder.

"Good morning."

A frown passed over her teammate's face for a brief moment, her ear flicking with muted agitation, but it was gone quickly, replaced by a the usual mild smile. "Good morning, Shirogane. I see you had a busy weekend."

"Indeed," Shirogane agreed, settling into her seat with less precision than she usually managed. "I had family visiting from out of the country, and they were very insistent that I am too skinny."

"Eh?" Seiun Sky picked up her head from her desk with a quizzical sound. "Didn't you have your debut race? I saw it on the board."

"That was a contributing factor to their insistence, yes." Why were her classmates looking at her that way?

"Shiro!" Pasa yelled out, having finally disentangled herself from a frazzled looking Special Week, bouncing over to Shirogane's desk and pointing at her accusingly. "Why didn't you tell any of us about your debut?!"

Shirogane blinked. "You didn't ask." Was there some kind of etiquette she had overlooked?

"Ehhh?! Oh yeah I guess that's true…" the masked uma paused briefly, partly accepting that explanation. "But it's kind of a big deal, Shiro! Your first real race!"

"That is true," Shirogane conceded. "I hadn't realized it was something you wished to take note of."

"Kinda wish you'd have told us," Sky chuffed, setting her head back down on her desk. "I wanted to see you run someone else down for a change." That had not actually happened this time.

"I thought we were friends!" Pasa cried, waving her arms frantically. "You'd tell your friends when you have a race, right?"

"Evidently not." Would it be accurate to call each other friends? Classmates, sure, but Shirogane didn't feel that close to most of them. Given the downscast looks on their faces, this was apparently not a shared sentiment. Now that she thought about it, Steady Distance had been rather upset she had not been informed earlier.

"As your teammate I wouldn't have minded offering my support," Grass Wonder added, looking rather disappointed as her ears drooped. "And I hadn't thought to ask because isn't this quite early for a debut?"

"From my understanding, yes it is. Trainer Toujou-san decided that it would be better for me to get more experience with official races." Among the aspects she was deficient in, this was the most easy to remedy.

"Hmm…then why didn't she mention my debut to me?" her teammate wondered, ears pulling back in agitation. "I haven't run on the national level here in Japan."

"You would have to bring that question to her." While Toujou-san had actually revealed some of her reasoning for that, it was not really Shirogane's place to discuss it out in the open. "Though I presume part of the logic is that you are more familiar with participating in a race than myself, so an early debut would be less useful in this regard."

Grass pursed her lips in thought, at least partly mollified by that answer, but Shirogane suspected there might be an awkward conversation later between her and their trainer.

"Hey, don't sweat it too much, Grass!" El Condor Pasa interjected. "None of the rest of us have debuted yet, so I guess Shiro's just early? She's in a lot of advanced classes anyways."

That was not–

"Oh! That makes sense!"

No, Special Week, that was not how it worked.

"Wait…does that mean I'm going to debut last?"

Again…that was not how that worked, Special Week.

"If you keep failing tests maybe," Sky chipped in, a sly grin on her face.

"Uwaah! I need to study then!"

"Yes, that would be wise, Special Week-chan."

And there was Nakashima-sensei.

"Waah!"

What a strange set of classmates she had.

---

"Ha…ha…haah…"

King Halo leaned forwards, propping herself on her knees as she caught her breath.

The sun was setting, its glowing red rays still casting the city skyline in what would be a stunning sight if she had been paying attention to it, but at the moment her attention was on the ground in front of her.

She checked her watch, frowning slightly. It was getting rather late, and she should really get some food before it got too late. Her tail twitched as she caught her breath, swishing back and forth in tune with her agitation.

Things…were not proceeding as well as she had hoped. She had a trainer–and quite a good one, even if he was a rookie–but she still felt like she was lagging behind her class. Not that she had expected her stint at Tracen to be easy.

It was not really fair to begrudge Shirogane-san for debuting so early. It made plenty of sense, as her taciturn classmate seemed to have an endless reserve of stamina, which meant that she and her trainer didn't need to worry about burning her out, while Halo and her trainer had to work with her own, much more limited endurance.

The pale haired uma was also far steadier and more mature than most of their classmates, and King Halo was not too prideful to admit this included herself. She remembered how frustrating the first few weeks of practice had been, finding her classmates to be such strong racers she struggled to keep up with. It still ate at her when she let herself think about it, combining with the nagging voice of her mother scolding her for reaching beyond her ability.

Shirogane-san, on the other hand, took being the slowest member of their class (in terms of top speed) with the same casual acceptance as someone with an umbrella observing the signs of rain.

Perhaps that was because there was clearly one thing she was better at than the rest of them, while King Halo wasn't sure if she could really say the same thing about herself. She was fast, with a top speed that was probably higher than most of her class, but she just could not keep it up for long enough to matter.

A memory of a mocking voice flashed across her mind and she grit her teeth. Her mother never let her train long enough to really test her endurance, and now it was coming back to bite her.

She had told Trainer-san that she would be finished for the day, but that had been a lie. With how far behind she was she needed all the practice she could get…but she also needed to eat…

"Kiiiing!"

"Urara-san?!" Her ears twitched in surprise at the sudden call, and she looked up to see her pink-haired roommate waving at her while running towards her.

"King! There you are! Urara was looking for you at the cafeteria but couldn't find you!"

"I…was just doing some training…"

"Eh?!" Urara-san slowed down as she approached… "But trainer-san said you were getting food–oof!" Before promptly tripping over her own feet and face planting in the turf.

"Urara-san!"

King Halo's thoughts of extra, and potentially self destructive training were swept away as she hauled her clumsy roommate to the nurse, who practically ordered her to eat once it was clear the pink-haired uma was perfectly fine.

---

Setting up a bank account was something the Salaryman and Soldier had been familiar with, but Shirogane, not being a legal adult, had required the assistance of her trainer and parents for largely bureaucratic reasons. Somewhat frustratingly, even after having it set up, she still needed to have one of her adult minders present for any real activity. This made sense, as she was nominally still not an adult, and it was probably wise for the often impetuous young umas to have someone reigning them in from expending all their winnings too quickly.

As she expected, after all things were deducted, she was left with around half of the nominal winnings, but even so, it was a notable amount of money. Much of it would likely disappear into expenses required for her career and tuition, but she should be able to afford expending some of it on improving the family business.

They could use a more functional air conditioning unit, for one.

"You don't seem to be bothered by how much was taken out." Toujou-san's comment took her out of her musings, and Shirogane blinked, glancing up at her.

"It was about what I expected from the research I did." The biggest part was taxes, but other parts went to the academy, and a portion went to the trainer. While she wouldn't say she liked it, it was understandable. Aside from the tax, that is.

Her trainer nodded. "I should not be surprised. This was one of your main concerns, after all."

Shirogane returned the nod. "Even so, you were still right that this is more money than someone my age could feasibly acquire legally." And hopefully, it would just be the start.

"Cousin Hana?"

The two of them turned towards the voice, and Shirogane narrowed her eyes at the nondescript young man. Simply groomed but neat dark hair, functional but professional glasses, and wearing clothes not unsuited for a businessman at leisure.

"Tensei-san?"

He also happened to bear some resemblance to Toujou-san.

"Ah, were you here for something regarding your parttime job?"

"Just so." The uncannily familiar young man nodded, his gaze meeting Shirogane's briefly, before politely returning to Toujou-san. "And I take it you are here in regards to your new trainee?"

"One of them," Toujou-san confirmed, a slight smile pulling at her lips. "She recently won her debut race, and we were just getting the prize money sorted."

"I see." The young man's eyebrows rose slightly, before he bowed slightly in greeting. "Congratulations on your victory then. I am Tanaka Tensei, Hana-san's cousin. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Suzuki Shirogane." Shirogane returned the greeting. "Or Shirogane Orzel. It is good to meet you as well."

"Isn't it rather early for a debut race?" Tensei-san inquired now that the pleasantries were dealt with. "Unless you are a year older than I assumed."

"It is. Toujou-san judged that getting more experience with racing would be the most beneficial to my progress, compared to honing my more limited physical talents."

"I see…" Tensei looked her up and down, eyes scrutinizing her with curiosity. "You lack speed or power, but are good at maneuvering, then? In such a case, more experience would likely be the most useful."

Toujou-san let out a small sound of exasperation, but Shirogane could not find fault with that assessment. "Essentially so."

"How did you determine that, Tensei-kun?" Toujou-san asked, sounding mildly impressed.

"Well…" Tensei-san began, gathering his thoughts as he adjusted his glasses. "Shirogane-san is shorter than most other runners, but quite solidly built, so with shorter strides that would make her better at turning but probably means a slower top speed. Raw speed is also more difficult to train, given physical limitations, and she looks fit enough I would guess she is able to reach near that limit already."

"Huh…"

"That is about correct." That was an accurate deduction based on available information in a short period of time, pretty good for someone with little apparent experience in the matter.

"You might make a pretty good trainer, Tensei-kun," Toujou-san remarked, adjusting her own glasses as she examined her cousin in a new light. "Is that part of what you are aiming for?"

He shook his head slightly. "While staff management has facets easily applicable to being a trainer, that does not appeal too greatly to me."

"Understandable." Shirogane did not envy Tazuna-san and her task of wrangling a whole school full of young umas. "While there are facets in dealing with umamusume that are simpler than dealing with humans, it is much more difficult to manage rowdy teenagers who can drag cars around by hand, doubly so if you lack that capacity yourself."

"Exactly so."

Toujou-san glanced between the two of them with a bemused expression, something that tickled Shirogane's sense of amusement slightly. Her trainer was in many ways alike with her cousin, so if Shirogane could get along with her, was it any real surprise that Shirogane would not find her cousin too bothersome?

"Not to mention that this job is a particularly perilous one for a reasonably good-looking young man." One of her ears twitched in jest as Shirogane smiled. "There are many runners that might make maintaining ethical boundaries…difficult."

"I suppose you would know better than me," Tensei-san deferred, clearly not understanding what she was implying. "I have not met many umamusume before I moved to Tokyo, after all."

"Really?" That was somewhat surprising, as the umamusume population was more rural compared to humans. "Which part of Tokyo?" Though he may have simply lived in another city.

"I am staying in an apartment near Tracen Academy while I attend Keio University, so I have naturally encountered some umamusume when commuting."

Ah, so he was one of those students her landlord had mentioned. "Hmm…perhaps we will encounter each other again, then." It seemed plausible, as she was also in an apartment building off campus, and he was related to her trainer. "I'll admit to being curious about what learning at a more traditional school is like." Had the Salaryman attended Keio? The memory was faint, vague impressions of red-bricked buildings. She could not recall clearly anymore.

"I can't imagine it would be very interesting compared to what Tracen is like," Tensei-san demurred. "It is certainly not as lively."

"Less noisy doesn't necessarily sound like a bad thing."

Toujou-san let out a slight sigh as she shook her head, though her expression suggested she was more amused than annoyed. "We should move elsewhere if you two want to continue this conversation. It would be rude to bother the other people here."

"That is a good point."

They ended up having a sort of impromptu family lunch, with Shirogane being a sort of third wheel.

---

Grass Wonder grit her teeth as she lost her footing and skidded the last few feet down the hill she was practicing on.

She paused for a moment to catch her breath, before turning around and running back up the hill, her legs burning from exertion needed to move up the incline.

Shirogane had been right about how this kind of training was very different from running on a flat, or even going up and down stairs. Grass wasn't sure if it would make a meaningful difference, but several of the major race courses in Japan had significant inclines, so practicing on a hill would help mimic that.

It seemed to have helped Shirogane, after all.

By the time she made it to the top of the hill, Grass found her lungs burning as much as the muscles in her legs.

Maybe she had been at this for too long.

She slowed to a walk, breathing in deeply through her nose before letting it out through her mouth, trying to center herself even as her thoughts started to wander.

Shirogane debuting all of a sudden had been a surprise. Grass wouldn't say it was a shock, since her overly serious teammate was among the first batch of their class to get picked up by a trainer, and from her own judgement she would have thought Shirogane pretty close to being ready to race as well.

But that was also what she felt about herself, and apparently her trainer had thought differently.

Or rather, Toujou-san had thought Shirogane was more ready, and that Grass still had some things to work on before she could debut, and that rankled her a bit.

She was faster than Shirogane by quite a wide margin, about as much as Shirogane had more stamina than most of their classmates. Grass had yet to beat her shorter teammate in a test of endurance, but she had never lost to Shirogane when the both of them were fresh.

So what was she missing?

It shouldn't be academics. Even if Shirogane was better than her at schoolwork, Grass was hardly bad at that, especially compared to the rest of their class.

Maturity? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she wasn't as put together as she liked to hold herself, this entire train of thought demonstrated that. But surely she was more mature than the rest of the class?

Just what did she need to do to make Trainer-san believe in her the same way she seemed to believe in Shirogane?

She shook her head, jogging over to where she had put her things and grabbing her water bottle, taking a swig before continuing her cooldown.

"Hey Grass!"

The sound of a familiar voice shouting drew her attention away from the hill she was on and she spotted her roommate running over to her, with Special Week following at a slightly slower pace.

"What is it El?" Grass raised an eyebrow at her masked friend, glancing over to their classmate briefly. "And what have you gotten Special Week-san into?"

"Since Spe is going to have tryouts soon, I thought maybe we should go see a race for inspiration!" El Condor Pasa exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air. "Seeing others race always makes me want to run too!"

"That isn't a bad idea." It was less silly than many of the antics her roommate got up to. "Are you just here to tell me about it, or do you want me to come along?"

"Weeelll…." she scratched the back of her head, sheepishly ducking her head. "I think I forgot how to get to the racetrack…"

Grass could not help but giggle. "Do you remember or not?"

"Hey! I definitely remember which train station to get off at."

Grass stared at her friend, her ears twitching in disbelief.

"Umm…isn't…the racecourse right next to the train station?" Special Week asked haltingly. "I got off at the wrong station when coming to Tracen on my first day here and ended up at the racetrack…"

"Wait! If you knew how to get there, why did you ask me how to get there?!"

"B-Because I only got there because I got lost!"

Grass covered her mouth with one hand, hiding her smile as she stifled her laughter. She couldn't stop her ears from wiggling in amusement, not that the other two umas noticed. For as good of a runner as she was, El could be very silly much of the time.

"Then I suppose both of you might need a chaperone…"

"Um…does that mean you want to go too, Grass-san?"

"I wouldn't mind that," Grass replied, giving Special Week a nod.

"Eh? I thought you said you were busy training?!"

"I've reached a pretty good stopping point, El. And also, since I haven't run very much on a Japanese track, checking out some races to see how things go would likely help with my training as well."

Perhaps that had played a part in how Shirogane debuted so early. Now that Grass had time to think about it, her precocious classmate was well aware of being slower, and she had picked out a place, time and distance that would make her weaknesses less relevant and play to her strengths. And since Trainer-san also trained Symboli Rudolf, maybe she was looking for some tactical thinking?

"Wait, really?!"

"Yes, El." Grass could not stop the exasperated sigh from escaping her. "It'll help us get a better idea of what a real race will be like here, and also give us a chance to examine the track up close." There were quite a few big races that took place on this track, so getting familiar with it would be a good idea.

"Wow, you're so smart Glass-san!"

"Why thank you, Special Week-san."

While she acted demurely on the surface, Grass Wonder couldn't help but feel a bit flattered by this.

---

"So how are you feeling, now that you've won your debut race?"

Shirogane's ear tilted towards her senior, letting out a thoughtful hum as she continued preparing the dough for some pierogis.

Air Groove and Mejiro Dober both came by her apartment to check up on her from time to time, and after the unexpected surge of well wishes following her debut, Shirogane was not surprised when the two older umas knocked on her door, but they were a little earlier than expected, so she was still in the process of making some food rather than having it ready.

"Relieved, I suppose." Was the answer she arrived at after some contemplation. "Winning the first race opens up more races to me, though the next hurdle would be getting enough points to qualify for graded races." She could now participate in most open races, but she would need to perform well in a few others before she could run in the races most of her classmates were aiming for.

"You'll need to win about two open races, or place in a few," Dober-san observed, tail swishing with interest as she watched Shirogane prepare the dough. "But I think you'll be fine. You have more time starting early."

"That was part of the calculus, yes. Though I may have overestimated the competition at the lower levels." Three of the runners in her debut race had failed to finish at all.

"Tracen accepts the best among applicants," Air Groove declared with some satisfaction, resting one hand on her hip as she stirred the soup she had insisted on helping with.

"There are plenty of strong racers at other academies too," Dober chimed in, ear flicking between the other two umas. "But yes there are also a lot of weaker racers out there, compared to here at Tracen, so I think you should be able to get into graded races pretty easily. Given you can compete with your classmates, I'd say your odds of winning a graded race aren't terrible either."

"Your confidence is appreciated, but given my limited success against them in training, that seems farfetched. Though placing seems a much more feasible possibility."

"I would caution you against that mentality, Shirogane-chan."

"Why? It is simply realism, Air Groove-san."

"It may be true nine times out of ten, but many things can happen in any single race, and that could turn in your favor."

"It seems equally likely that it would turn against me, wouldn't it?"

"Hard to say…I've seen more accidents in your races than most runners see in a year."

"Truly?" Shirogane paused, finally turning her full attention to Air Groove. "Aren't mistakes quite common for newbie runners?"

"Yes, but that's usually something like sprinting at the wrong time, or not navigating the pack right," Dober-san explained. "People crashing is pretty rare, especially crashing into the gate."

"Didn't Suzuka-san have an incident like that recently?"

The other two let out muted sounds of amusement at the reminder, but Dober-san shook her head. "I guess that's a bit similar, but that was her losing a shoe while fidgeting, which is a bit different then crashing into a perfectly functional gate."

"You're making it sound like I have bad luck in regards to the races I participate in."

"And you have performed quite well, no?" Air Groove pointed out. "Two first place finishes and a second place finish, one victory on turf wet enough a few of your opponents slipped and fell. This is quite impressive for a junior student."

"What we're saying is that you seem like you can…how do I put this? Roll with the punches."

"Ah…" Many of her fellows were quite prone to overreacting. "I suppose that is true…still, I can't exactly depend on this."

"Indeed," Air Groove conceded with a sharp nod of her head, "but the bigger point is that you can win, even if the odds aren't great, so going into the race thinking that there is no chance at all will not help you."

"Probably makes it harder to win," Dober-san murmured, ear flicking thoughtfully.

"Given the number of runners who hype themselves up and then lose, I am skeptical how much of a difference it makes…though I will admit that confidence does have a placebo effect."

"Hoh…Always about the numbers with you, isn't it?" Air Groove huffed, crossing her arms to shoot Shirogane a challenging look, which was somewhat undermined by her glancing at the now ready soup on the stove. "You might be right that since there can only be one winner in a race, most who go in confident they can win do not, in fact, win," her ears tilted down in sharp focus. "But the race is not in isolation, to even qualify for the Triple Tiara or Triple Crown races, a runner must have won at least a few other races, so when you look race by race, from the runner's perspective…"

She swept one of her hands to the side in a dramatic gesture, careful to do so in the direction away from the soup. "When they arrive at the big race, they will have succeeded several times while believing in themselves, proving that they have a right to stand among the others on the race track."

"Assuming they don't get into the race on a technicality," Shirogane shot back, unimpressed by her senpai's theatrics. "And while it is true that those who reach Grade One races at all are formidable to start with, that is still a vanishingly small percentage of aspiring runners."

"And you don't think yourself among that percentage? You are here, after all."

Shirogane shrugged. "My presence here at Tracen came about through a rather unusual pipeline. I hadn't even participated in an official foot race until my tryouts, so it remains to be seen whether this was a fluke or not."

"Doesn't that…" Dober-san's ears flicked in consternation as she frowned. "That means you're very talented, doesn't it? You got this far in a few months–you're the first member of your year to debut! And you won! That means you deserve to be here."

That was…huh…it did sound better when you put it that way.

"I suppose you have a fair point there," Shirogane conceded, flicking an ear in acknowledgement since her hands were busy. "With how my classmates keep talking about the Triple Crown I assumed that was the standard for success."

The two dark haired umas shared an exasperated look, before Air Groove tossed her head with a disappointed look as she turned off the heat for the soup. "Typical of runners these days."

Mejiro Dober hummed in agreement, tail flicking empathetically.

"You are only about two years older than them," Shirogane pointed out laconically. "Or has the behavior of young umamusume changed drastically in the elapsed time?"

"Not really," Dober-san sighed, shaking her head ruefully. "But it's not like the Classic Triple Crown is the only big achievement, there's also the Triple Tiara, and the Tenno Sho races, or the Arima Kinen."

"What exactly is the difference between the Triple Crown and Tiara races aside from their prize pools? It seemed incredibly arbitrary to me."

"The Triple Tiara races are shorter lengths," Air Groove explained. "And they are generally considered to be a chance to showcase more refined skill compared to raw power."

Ah…now that she thought about it, Air Groove had won the Yushun Himba, and Dober-san had run in this year's Oka Sho. That was why they took exception to the attitude of most members of Shirogane's class. "Hmm..then why are my classmates so focused on the Triple Crown circuit?"

"It's generally viewed as more prestigious." Dober-san sighed, tail flicking in disapproval. "The races have longer distances and have a more open selection process, while the Oka Sho circuit requires a higher level of preparation for the winning lives."

"The prize pools are similar, even though it's less prestigious." Air Groove stirred the soup, shaking her head at what she seemed to find frustrating.

"Similar prizes, you say…?" Shirogane pursed her lips in thought. "I don't remember the exact schedules for these races, but they aren't held on the same day as their Triple Crown counterparts, correct?"

"No," Air Groove replied with a swish of her tail, "the officials naturally would prefer the big races not compete with each other for spectators on the same day."

"Usually the equivalent leg is about a week apart." Dober highlighted the important point.

"I see…" That was the mandatory gap period between consecutive races as well.

The shorter distances for the Triple Tiara races were not in her favor, but if they had comparable payouts to the Triple Crown races…it was worth considering.

"S-Shirogane-san?!"

Shirogane blinked, looking up at Mejiro Dober in confusion, finding a startled look on her senpai's face. "Yes?"

"You just smiled…"

Shirogane blinked again. Had she been smiling? "And what of it?"

"Hoh? So you do have a game face after all." Air Groove smirked. "I can see why your dance instructor told you not to smile during your performances."

"...Surely my smile is not so grotesque…" Her family had never made mention of it.

"I-It's not that at all!" Dober-san denied quickly, shaking her head rapidly. "It was just…fiercer than I expected."

"I don't look that delicate, do I?"

"No…but…I just hadn't seen you smile before…"

"You are quite serious most of the time," Air Groove agreed. "It's made some of some of your seniors a bit worried. For a while Kiseki-san thought she'd upset you."

Shirogane's ear twitched in confusion. "Her concern is unnecessary. I am quite content with this life so far." Maybe she should smile more? She didn't want to worry other people for no reason.

"Why do I feel like we've made a big mistake?" Dober-san muttered under her breath.

---

AN. A lot less excitement happening in this chapter, but Shiro is only getting started. Some of her classmates are realizing how detached she is from them, which bothers the umas since they are very social creatures. Meanwhile Shirogane, Air Groove and Mejiro Dober are hanging out at her apartment because it's less noisy. The three of them are also all a bit dramatic so their interactions are funny to write.

 

[ActionJHW]

Well it looks like Tanya is starting to get motivated, even if it is just for money at the moment.

 

[Dionysius]

The inevitable investigation into Shirogane's insane race tempo is going to be hilarious. She might even end up being cited in the future as a reason for rule changes to prevent Uma crippling themselves trying to imitate her.

 

[Cadmus von Eizenbern]

The Reaper is smiling. Everyone, run!

Anyway, thanks for the chapter. It was nice to see how other uma are handling Shirogane's... well her-ness. Looks like some of them might need an intervention sooner or later, but for now a light application of Haru Urara seems sufficient.

 

[Lucksman]

I always love this story. As someone who does not know the slightest bit about umamasamune at all, you've consistently endeared me to it.

And of course, the thing that truly motivates Shiro is more money. The idea of winning the most prestigious races back to back? Not even in her mind. Getting the prize money from the most prestigious races, back to back?

Oh yeah, that makes her happy.

Edit: I forgot to even think about the obvious shipping set up with the trainers cousin. Heck yeah Shiro! Make a friend!

 

[InverseIota]

Shirogane would really be the strongest Make A New Track uma, reduced or no energy loss from racing.

The POVs of her classmates are great. It will be interesting to see how their character development and career journeys are shaped by her (unintended) influence.

 

[Miriallia]

Ah, beautiful, wonderful chaos shall soon befall all the big races!

 

[Mythantor]

I guess those Uma who interact with her a lot are starting to understand that she isn't hostile just taciturn. Also her focus on the material is easily excused as coming from a poorer family and feeling an obligation to support them. This also gives a reason for her more realist attitude, it's hard to be optimistic when you honestly have to worry about putting food on the table growing up.

 

[Drageos]

Meanwhile Shirogane, Air Groove and Mejiro Dober are hanging out at her apartment because it's less noisy.

Click to shrink...

I'm sure the food totally isn't part of the reason that Air Groove and Mejiro Dober are likely going to come back.