Rhythm Training

Hearing this, Anjing Zhen fell into deep thought.

Horse Girls possess a very unique developmental phase known as "Full Maturity."

During this period, they grow at an explosive rate, gaining the physique and ability to participate in high-intensity training and races within a short span of time.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is not uncommon for a Horse Girl to look like an elementary school student one week, only to appear as a graceful young maiden the next time you see her.

The "Full Maturity" phase varies for every Horse Girl, as does its duration.

Based on his simple analysis over the past few days, Kitasan Black has just entered this stage.

Satono Crown, meanwhile, was clearly in the early stages of her Full Maturity last year and is currently developing steadily and rapidly.

"Satono Crown... if I recall correctly, her last race was the Tokyo Sports Cup."

Lost in thought, Anjing Zhen looked at Kitasan Black, whose expression was filled with longing and excitement.

"Her debut race was the same distance as what you practiced this afternoon: an 1800-meter turf maiden race at the Tokyo Racecourse.

"Interviews suggest she hasn't raced in the last two months, and in March, she will be participating in the Yayoi Sho."

Kitasan Black looked over immediately, her ears perking up sharply.

"Yayoi Sho... isn't that...?"

"Yes, the first leg of the Triple Crown, and a prep race for the Satsuki Sho."

After nodding, Anjing Zhen said with a pointed tone:

"The Satsuki Sho almost inevitably follows the Yayoi Sho; it seems she is undoubtedly on the classic route.

"I haven't applied for your race schedule after your debut yet, but if you also want to challenge for the Triple Crown, then this young lady from the Satomi family will, in the future...

"No, I should say that in two months, she might become your rival."

Kitasan Black held her breath.

A moment later.

"Me?"

Dazed, she pointed at herself.

"Crown-chan?"

She pointed again toward Satono Crown in the distance.

"I'm going to be rivals with Crown-chan?!"

She shrieked.

In an instant, the teachers and students on the Other Side were drawn by the exclamation, all casting dissatisfied glares in their direction.

Melancholically catching the gazes directed from across the Dance Hall, Anjing Zhen made a secret decision.

...Next time she gets startled and starts shouting, he would just cover her mouth in advance.

It wasn't that he had never been the center of attention before, but this was his first time being the subject of such disdainful stares, so after making his silent resolution, he let out a low sigh.

"...Train properly later, and don't make a scene."

"...S-sorry, I'll be careful, Trainer..." Kitasan Black hurriedly covered her mouth.

"...I hope you remember that."

Nodding, Anjing Zhen adjusted his mindset, apologized to the teachers, and then indicated that they would continue their training quietly on the other side.

Such occurrences were common in the Academy; the teachers were surprised for a moment by Anjing Zhen's youth, but they didn't make things difficult, simply reminding him to maintain training order before signaling that it was fine.

Returning to Kitasan Black's side, Anjing Zhen rummaged through his shoulder bag, took out a pair of Bluetooth sports earphones, and tucked them into Kitasan Black's two long, furry black ears.

"Do you remember what I told you about the sense of time and distance?"

Seeing Kitasan Black nod repeatedly, Anjing Zhen nodded as well.

"A stride with a clear rhythm will help you master time and distance.

"Because the beat of a gallop is fixed, once you are familiar and adapted to it, your lap times will also become relatively consistent.

"This way, you will have a basic grasp of how long each cycle takes and how far you can run, even without looking at a stopwatch or indicator signs.

"Following that, you will have a much clearer understanding than before of when to conserve stamina, when to sprint at full speed, and how to handle cornering and breaking through the pack.

"This is one of the special training items you need to focus on next.

"We'll discuss the other one later; for now..."

He walked to the storage area of the Dance Hall, set down his shoulder bag, took out a few items, and then brought over a ladder, a three-tier training step, and a set of resistance bands.

"Hip Flexion Step, have you practiced this before?"

"Hip Flexion Step...?"

Repeating the words, Kitasan Black shook her head.

"I haven't even heard of this name..."

"They haven't covered it in class yet... I see."

Anjing Zhen nodded and held up the strap that looked like a wristwatch, which he had taken out of his backpack.

"Stand up straight, raise your arms, and then do as I say."

Once Kitasan Black obediently raised her arms, Anjing Zhen wrapped the strap around her wrist.

He then placed a step in front of her and handed her the belt and harness he had also retrieved from his backpack, helping her put them on.

Next, he secured the resistance bands to the back of her waist and the sides of the belt and harness, then fixed the other ends of the three cords to the floor, the ceiling support beam, and a pillar, respectively.

In this way, viewed from behind, the Horse Girl looked as if she were being held in place in front of the training step by a "cross" made of ropes.

"I'll play the music now."

Raising the tablet in his hand and pointing to Kitasan Black's ears, Anjing Zhen said:

"There are clear rhythmic cues in this music. Just follow those beats and step up and down continuously, while also coordinating the swing of your arms.

"Do you understand?"

With a curious expression, she looked at the step in front of her and tugged at the resistance bands on her waist. Kitasan Black had just nodded when she quickly heard the "da, da, da" rhythmic beats coming through her Bluetooth earphones.

Without the slightest hesitation, she instinctively stepped onto the step with her left foot, then hurriedly put her left foot down and switched to stepping up with her right.

"Trainer, I think I..."

She wanted to say she hadn't kept up with the rhythm.

"Don't worry about mistakes."

Before Kitasan Black could finish, Anjing Zhen interrupted:

"You haven't practiced this Hip Flexion Step before, so it's perfectly normal to make mistakes at the start.

"Don't dwell on initial errors; focus on following the rhythm of the music as you step up and down.

"Also, a reminder: this rhythm will get faster and faster until it approaches your usual training speed."

"O-okay!"

Quickly agreeing, Kitasan Black took a deep breath and focused entirely on maintaining the stepping motion.

Seeing this, Anjing Zhen nodded to himself and watched the training intently, occasionally fiddling with the tablet.

In this type of training, Kitasan Black only needed to keep stepping, but as her Trainer, he had much more to consider.

First, he had to ensure that the Horse Girl's posture was accurate and flawless; any error had to be corrected immediately, or there would be a risk of injury or hidden damage.

Furthermore, that "Black Wristwatch" was actually a wrist-worn heart rate monitor, which could track heart rate, respiration, and other data in real-time, as well as indirectly calculate the maximum heart rate maintenance ratio and estimate oxygen uptake.

The monitor was connected to the tablet, allowing him to accurately judge Kitasan Black's condition and precisely control the training.

In addition to the Hip Flexion Step, related training included Step-Flexion Running, Glute Bridge Training, and Step-Down Hip Extension.

Just like the Hip Flexion Step, all training consisted of a certain number of repetitions per set, with a full training session forming several sets interspersed with rest periods, all synchronized to corresponding musical rhythms.

These exercises shared a common feature: they made it easier for the trainee to experience the force and explosive power of individual joints or muscles.

Combined with the music, it was exactly what was needed to improve Kitasan Black's current primary issues.