The evening of the day Hokubu Genkoma and Yamato Akagi did a side-by-side training run.
"Eh—?! So I'm suited to running as an Escape Horse?"
In the nearly empty dance hall, Hokubu Genkoma cried out:
"Then why did Trainer have me run at the back in my Debut Race...?"
Sitting cross-legged across from her, Yasui Makoto scrolled through his tablet. Before he could speak, Yamato Akagi examined the resistance band Hokubu Genkoma had just used and casually remarked:
"He was thinking about your future, Xiao Bei."
"My future... What do you mean, Yamato-senpai?"
Hokubu Genkoma looked at Yamato Akagi, bewildered.
"Um... Trainer Yasui hasn't reviewed your Debut Race with you yet, Xiao Bei?"
Yamato Akagi looked at Hokubu Genkoma in surprise, then turned to Yasui Makoto with some embarrassment.
"I spoke out of turn. I'm very sorry for disrupting your training schedule."
"It's fine. I was planning to explain it to her after the side-by-side training anyway."
Yasui Makoto replied casually, then turned his tablet toward Hokubu Genkoma.
"Xiao Bei, you should've learned the basic requirements for an Escape Horse in class, right?"
"Yes!"
Hokubu Genkoma shot her hand up and answered confidently:
"At the start of the race, sprint with all your might, quickly take the lead, and hold on to it until the finish."
"Trainer, I got that right, didn't I?"
"Very good."
Yasui Makoto nodded with a smile, then added:
"This racing style demands a lot of explosive power and sustained speed. Beyond that, you also need a good sense of rhythm.
"When you're out in front on your own the whole race, if you can't tell how far you've run, how long you've been running, how far remains, or how much time you have left, you'll have trouble managing your stamina.
"Do you remember what I told you when we first started training?"
"Hehehe, that my stride was all over the place and my sense of rhythm was a complete mess..."
Hokubu Genkoma chuckled and scratched her head. Then her eyes lit up, and she looked delighted.
"So, back then...
"Trainer had already figured out which racing style suited me?!
"And you planned all the training afterward specifically for that?!"
At her words, Yamato Akagi's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Yasui Makoto.
Basic training like fixing one's stride was usually arranged right after a contract was signed...
If she remembered correctly, Hayabusa-senpai had said the two of them hadn't known each other at all before...
They hadn't known each other, yet he'd spotted Xiao Bei's ideal racing style at a glance and arranged training to match...
What kind of monster trainer was he?!
Yamato Akagi couldn't help being astonished.
Choosing a racing style was complicated. Physique, running form, strength, speed, explosive power, stamina—all of these factors influenced the decision.
Even a well-established trainer wouldn't dare claim they could tell at a glance which style suited a newcomer. They needed a great deal of training and at least a few races before reaching a conclusion.
Some trainers didn't find the most suitable style for their Uma Musume until a year or two after her debut.
Yamato Akagi knew countless cases like that, including among her friends and familiar seniors and juniors.
So, just what was this trainer...?
As Yamato Akagi marveled inwardly, Yasui Makoto patiently explained to Hokubu Genkoma:
"To be precise, it was only a guess at the time.
"I'd looked through the public records of trainees from the past ten years and assessed your explosive power and stamina. For a newcomer, your ability in those areas was quite good.
"From there, it was only natural to consider Escape and Lead as possibilities.
"As for why Escape suited you better, that was because..."
He paused to think.
"Your Final Speed isn't good."
"Final Speed..."
Hokubu Genkoma repeated the term, looked down at her feet, then instinctively glanced at Yamato Akagi.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Bei. My Final Speed isn't good either."
Yamato Akagi readily admitted her weakness, then spread her hands.
"But I didn't need Final Speed to win back then, except when I went up against...
"Ahem, anyway..."
She suddenly cleared her throat and awkwardly changed the subject.
"Final Speed is a very special ability.
"With it, you can focus all your remaining stamina into your legs during the Final Phase and keep unleashing an astonishing, terrifying burst of speed.
"In theory, every racing style would benefit from having this ability. But it's not something you can simply choose to have.
"By comparison, Escape Horses can gain a distance advantage through things like positioning awareness, so they can win even without high Final Speed.
"Your explosive power, as well as your ability to accelerate and maintain your speed over a certain distance, are both quite good.
"But you haven't developed enough control over your strength for us to even discuss Final Speed.
"So, all things considered, Escape and the more forward-positioned Lead are the best fits for you.
"Ah, I got carried away again. Trainer Yasui should be the one explaining all this to you..."
She looked a little embarrassed.
"It's fine. It doesn't matter who explains it."
Yasui Makoto smiled, unconcerned, then looked at Hokubu Genkoma and spoke seriously:
"Yamato's right. The racing style that suits you best is Escape, followed by Great Escape, Lead, and Free-style Lead.
"In other words, the tactic you used in your Debut Race wasn't the one best suited to you.
"It was a fairly risky tactic, and I was prepared for you to lose your Debut Race."
"Lose... my Debut Race?"
Hokubu Genkoma stared at him in shock.
"How could that be...? I felt really good running it, and I won in the end."
"That means my judgment was accurate, and that I didn't let down your trust in me."
Yasui Makoto smiled, then continued explaining:
"Before your Debut Race, your rhythm had already improved to a certain level, and explosive power and sustained speed were naturally your strengths.
"As for the level of competition in a Debut Race, neither you nor your opponents had much in the way of technique. So I figured a forceful breakaway followed by a long-distance acceleration would be enough to win.
"That's where the risk came in.
"If you'd performed poorly, failed to time it right, or gotten trapped in a chaotic pack and couldn't break through, there'd have been nothing I could do.
"But the risk was worth taking.
"You can't lead every race at every moment. You're bound to get overtaken sometimes.
"The more important races come later. We can't use those races to get you used to the pressure of being passed.
"Your Debut Race and the few races after it are different. The outcome doesn't matter as much, and plenty of top Uma Musume lost races at the beginning of their careers.
"So if it helps lay the groundwork for more important races later on, it's worth it even if you lose.
"Of course, I'm not saying all this to tell you that you can just lose whenever you want.
"Your next opponents won't be clueless newcomers. I'll adjust the details according to the situation.
"I didn't explain those adjustments in detail before because you had no experience yet.
"But from now on, I'll gradually explain more to you. Xiao Bei, you need to try to understand."
Without a moment's hesitation, Hokubu Genkoma nodded firmly.
"Yes! I said I'd listen carefully to whatever Trainer tells me to do, and follow his instructions to the letter!"
At that, both Yasui Makoto and Yamato Akagi smiled with satisfaction.
After smiling, the Uma Musume discreetly glanced at Yasui Makoto as he began explaining the specifics of the training.
...If she learned something from it, then losing the Debut Race would've been worth it.
That made sense, but to say it so casually—and put it into practice in the first race of his career...
This trainer... really was a monster.
Before you continue