Uma Musume: Rising From the Countryside to Legend!!

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It had been several days since the group dinner, and in that time, both Fujimasa March and Inari One had made solid progress in their training. Today, Kuroha had finally finished preparing the application materials for the Central Trainer License.

After giving some instructions to the two horse girls, Kuroha made his way alone to the Central URA Association.

The URA building in Tokyo stood tall and solemn. The marble floors reflected the faint light streaming in from the windows.

Clutching a neatly compiled stack of documents, Kuroha walked straight to the service window, ready to submit his application for the Central Trainer Exam.

Though technology had advanced rapidly in recent years, the Central Tracen Association still insisted on handling applications with traditional paperwork.

After going through a series of tedious steps, signatures, and stamps, Kuroha finally completed the complicated procedure. He submitted the documents at the window and let out a long breath, resting for a moment in the lobby.

He wore a well-fitted formal uniform, and his youthful face stood out strikingly in the otherwise serious atmosphere.

While he was taking a break, a familiar and somewhat weary voice called out behind him:

"Yo, kid. Here to take care of business?"

Kuroha turned around and saw an older but still spirited face—it was Kitahara Jou.

The trainer of Oguri Cap, his eyes were marked by the passage of time, but they still held a sharp gleam.

Kuroha's heart stirred. He hadn't expected to run into him here. This was only the second time they'd met since that Pegasus Stakes where Oguri Cap had competed.

"Kitahara-senpai, you remember me," Kuroha said with a slight bow and a smile. "I'm here to submit my application for the Central Trainer Exam."

Kitahara Jou raised an eyebrow at that, scanning Kuroha from head to toe. A complicated expression flickered in his eyes.

"Hasn't been long since I last saw you, and now you're already applying to go Central... Time really waits for no one."

He sighed with a tinge of emotion.

Back when he had finally qualified to apply for the Central Trainer Exam, he was already 26. By the time he passed, he was pushing 30.

And now, this kid—who trained Fujimasa March—wasn't even 19 and already eligible. What a genius.

Seeing the fatigue on Kitahara's face, Kuroha grew curious.

"And you, Kitahara-san? What brings you here today?"

The old man's eyes briefly darkened, his gaze drifting toward the tightly shut office door at the end of the hall. He sighed again.

"I'm here for one last attempt," he said hoarsely, leaning on his cane, emanating a quiet steadiness.

"One last attempt?" Kuroha repeated, confused—until a flash of insight struck.

"Is it about Oguri Cap's Classic Series?"

The Satsuki Sho was just around the corner, and yet no news had come out about Oguri Cap's participation in the Classic Triple Crown.

And Kitahara Jou was already semi-retired, with only Oguri Cap left in his team. It wasn't hard to guess.

"Kuroha, you should understand better than most… what the Classic Series means to a horse girl."

Kitahara's gaze drifted into the distance, as if he could see a girl running far, far away.

"It's their one and only chance in life. If there's even the slightest possibility… I can't just stand by and watch her miss it."

His face remained calm, but the white-knuckled grip on his cane betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

But soon, he sighed once more.

"Unfortunately, even if I throw away my pride, the Central Association folks won't listen to a word I say."

Kuroha's heart sank. He knew Oguri Cap's situation well. In racing history, it had always been a story that left people full of regret.

Even when the "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf had stepped in, it hadn't been enough to sway the stubborn old men of the URA Central Association.

In the original manga, Kitahara Jou had always played the part of a calm observer—never interfering in such matters.

But now, it was clear the old man had tried. He had fought, in his own way. And failed.

Kitahara lightly tapped the floor with his cane, adjusting his sunglasses to hide the tired sorrow in his eyes.

He turned to Kuroha with a faint, kind smile. "Since you're already here, how about taking a tour of Central Tracen Academy with me?"

"Who knows? Maybe you'll pass on your first try and end up training here."

Looking at this old man—worn down but still dignified—Kuroha hesitated briefly. Then he nodded.

"All right. I'll take you up on that."

...

With Kitahara leading the way, Kuroha had no trouble entering Central Tracen Academy.

It was class time, and the campus was quiet.

As they passed one of the academic buildings, Kuroha's eyes landed on a familiar figure.

A refined, mature woman with a gentle face walked quickly down the corridor, eyes fixed on the tablet in her hands. She wore a tightly-wrapped skirt and a green hat that concealed much of her head.

Tazuna?

That distinctive outfit immediately rang a bell in Kuroha's mind.

The woman once affectionately nicknamed the "Green Devil" by players in his previous life's game—some lore buffs even speculated she was a "phantom horse girl" from the ancient era—Overwhelming.

Overwhelming: Ten races, ten wins. Seven national records broken. In one 1200-meter race, she left the runner-up trailing behind by an absurd margin. An undefeated double crown winner.

Yet this legendary horse girl had been forced into retirement only two weeks after the Derby due to tetanus and resulting complications. Her career ended before it could ever truly begin.

In the game, during the fourth event of Tazuna's support card, she had a panic attack over delayed medicine for an injured horse girl.

"This academy… not every child here gets to chase their dreams to the end."

"They stake their whole lives on being able to run. If the day comes when they can't feel the wind again…"

"How desperate must that feel?"

She was one of those who could no longer run. Could no longer chase her dreams.

And so she passed those dreams onto the next generation, watching over them as they chased what she no longer could.

With that realization, Kuroha stared a bit longer at her hat and the area behind her, wondering if he might catch a glimpse of horse ears or a tail.

But the hat and skirt were wrapped so tightly, there was no way to tell whether she truly was a horse girl.

(End of Chapter)

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