Breaking Through Fate's Blockade

Zhou Yuang extended his pinky toward Silence Suzuka.

Making this kind of promise was quite common everywhere.

Silence Suzuka stared blankly at his pinky for a moment, then extended her fair little hand and hooked her thumb around Zhou Yuang's.

Zhou Yuang shook his finger first, indicating that this was their promise.

Silence Suzuka looked a little dazed, but she quickly caught on.

After talking for a while, Silence Suzuka and Zhou Yuang began their picnic.

Once they had finished eating, it was time to rest.

Zhou Yuang did not hold back during their break, discussing his plans for the Tenno Sho Autumn with Silence Suzuka.

He went over things like the track conditions, as well as how she should run during the race.

Since Silence Suzuka's running style was Front Runner, she did not need to worry about the other Uma Musume behind her.

Zhou Yuang had also remembered the running styles and changes of the other Uma Musume participating in the race when he watched it before.

If it had not been for Silence Suzuka, Zhou Yuang definitely would have used this information gap to tell his trainee how to respond to the other opponents' tactics.

Silence Suzuka pricked up her ears and listened to her Trainer's explanation, while the Uma Musume in the comments were somewhat surprised.

[Invincible Lord of Seaside]: Got it. I can win the Tenno Sho Autumn next time too.

[Tracen Version Higuchi Madoka]: I think your brain learned it, but your legs didn't.

[Uma Musume Fan]: I just had an out-of-body experience and woke up. What? Why did I have a class the moment I came back?

[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: You won the resurrection match. Hurry up and keep eating candy.

[Uma Musume Fan]: Wait... I need... insulin!

"An arrangement like this... I have to write it down."

Outside the screen, Silence Suzuka hurriedly took a pen and paper from her drawer and immediately wrote it down.

With the atmosphere resembling a class, some of the Uma Musume in the comments were fooling around, while others were freeloading off the lesson.

Maybe they could use it in a race.

Zhou Yuang did not pay much attention to it anymore, because Silence Suzuka was listening right in front of him.

After seriously listening to Zhou Yuang's arrangements and getting enough rest, Silence Suzuka wanted to do some extra training.

Zhou Yuang naturally agreed to this +5 training, since her stamina bar was still quite full.

To avoid misfortune, they had to work hard bit by bit.

Although each effort only shifted things by an insignificant amount, with continuous hard work, she would eventually move farther and farther away from that misfortune.

Silence Suzuka ran lap after lap without feeling tired from the training at all.

Because she knew that her Trainer, who watched over her at every moment, was accompanying her and facing that gradually approaching future together with her.

Whenever Silence Suzuka ran a lap, Zhou Yuang would wave to signal her to speed up or slow down at the appropriate moments, allowing her to simulate the plan they had discussed earlier on the Turf.

After a day of training, the sky gradually grew dark.

At the same time, the story gradually came to an end.

After returning to the main interface, Zhou Yuang let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm saying, couldn't you have told me before suddenly pulling something like that?"

An IF-route story had suddenly been inserted, and he had thought there was something wrong with his Training technique.

"That's what makes it entertaining. Besides, a lamb that knows nothing isn't qualified to keep being a Trainer."

Darley said it without any reservations, and Zhou Yuang did not bother arguing with this older sister.

After all, he had only been watching a story. It was not as if they were really going to spring some strange surprise on him.

Still, the feeling of being unable to move during that story had been awful.

He turned around and continued training Silence Suzuka.

At this moment, the comments realized that the story had ended and also breathed a sigh of relief.

But when they saw the few turns remaining until the Tenno Sho Autumn displayed above the game, they grew tense again.

[Unbreakable Glass]: There isn't much time left until the day that checks whether this is a Bad Ending.

[Tracen Cold-Joke Master]: No matter how hard you work, without the final test, it will always be nothing but empty talk.

[Tracen Cold-Joke Master]: Still, that track analysis from earlier was quite interesting. Would you be interested in discussing it in detail with me? In person?

Recalling what had happened earlier, Rudolf grew increasingly curious about who this Trainer was.

His voice sounded young, but he was quite talented...

"If he isn't hiding his abilities, this Trainer is definitely highly educated. Heh heh, I have a pretty good range now."

Rudolf, who also liked slacking off right before the finish line, formed a clear idea.

"Sorry, I don't casually go on dates with other Uma Musume. There's only one sun in my heart, and that's Silence Suzuka."

Zhou Yuang rejected her with a declaration that sounded extremely loyal. But hadn't he previously said that his dream was to marry thirty Uma Musume? And now he was saying there was only one sun in his heart?

Hmph.

After Rudolf's straightforward hook was rejected by Zhou Yuang, she was not in a hurry.

Someone with this kind of talent would be discovered sooner or later anyway.

Zhou Yuang continued clicking, and the few short turns ended just like that.

The Tenno Sho Autumn turn arrived.

Zhou Yuang opened the preview. After seeing nothing but circles, he went to the skills section and learned a few skills instead.

"All right, it's time to see the results. I wonder whether any of this will work."

Practice was the sole standard for testing truth. There was no need to deny that.

[Uma Musume Fan]: Is it finally time to check whether we'll enter the Bad Ending? Come on! Silence Suzuka, don't lose to the Bad Ending!

[Unbreakable Glass]: Come on, don't lose.

[Festival Girl]: Charge! Charge!

"Has that time finally come?"

The audience was nervous, while Silence Suzuka herself was even more so.

If she could defeat that bad ending there, perhaps she would not need to fear anything in reality either.

Zhou Yuang directly clicked to enter the race. Amid the Uma Musume's nervous atmosphere, they entered the story once again.

It was still the same corridor, but this time there was no filter. This was the moment when that possibility could appear at any time.

"Trainer, the day has come."

Silence Suzuka looked at the familiar corridor, then turned toward Zhou Yuang.

She was a little worried that such a tragedy would happen again.

"Are you still afraid?"

Zhou Yuang looked at Silence Suzuka and reached out to continue stroking her head.

"Trainer, I'm not a child anymore."

Although Silence Suzuka's words were somewhat defiant, her voice gradually grew quieter.

It seemed that she had tacitly accepted what Zhou Yuang was doing.

She now trusted Zhou Yuang with all her heart. She obeyed this Trainer who kept working hard for her.

Silence Suzuka was actually an innocent girl who was clingy and easy to win over.

Zhou Yuang wondered whether it would not be too difficult to elope with Silence Suzuka in reality, either.

What if he ended the livestream and went to find Silence Suzuka?

Oguri Cap probably would not mind... No, this girl, who even got jealous of her own stuffed toys, would definitely mind him clinging to another Uma Musume.

But her affection for me isn't very high yet. Given Oguri Cap's personality and how much she likes making friends, she'll definitely be able to bring Silence Suzuka into the group easily.

Would Oguri Cap still be angry then?

A win!

"I know."

Silence Suzuka placed both hands against her chest. She knew she was carrying everyone's expectations, and she desperately wanted to break that nightmare.

Although the sight of running alone at the front was beautiful, she always felt that something was missing.

"Trainer, I long for the scenery at the very front more than anything."

Looking at Zhou Yuang in front of her, Silence Suzuka lowered her head.

She felt that she had to say something. If she did not, she would definitely regret it.

Besides, if that unavoidable bad ending appeared again, at least... she would feel a little more at ease.

"It sounds a little selfish, but I've always wanted scenery that belongs only to me. However, I want to share it with you, Trainer. There are even other things I want to..."

Silence Suzuka raised her head and gathered her courage, wanting to tell Zhou Yuang her thoughts. But when she looked at his face, her little cheeks inevitably flushed.

"Tra... Trainer, after the Tenno Sho Autumn, we..."

Zhou Yuang raised a hand and pressed one finger against Silence Suzuka's lips.

It was better not to set up any flags. Something unlucky might really happen.

"There are some things I'll wait until you come back to say, all right?"

"...All right. I understand. I'll tell you when I come back."

Silence Suzuka froze for a moment. After Zhou Yuang moved his hand away, she smiled helplessly.

"I'm going over there now."

"Good luck. I'll be waiting at the finish line... No, I'll be waiting for you in the scenery at the very front. So you must come back safely. Please come back safely."

Zhou Yuang did not lower the hand he had moved away. Instead, he extended only his pinky.

"Let's make a promise."

"I will. No matter what happens, I'll come back safely. I promise... We've made a promise, all right?"

Trainer, you made a promise for my sake, so now it's my turn to make one too.

Silence Suzuka nodded and extended her hand.

Her pinky hooked around Zhou Yuang's. After they shook them once, Silence Suzuka smiled.

She felt much better.

Chapter Sixteen: Breaking Through Fate's Shackles

Silence Suzuka looked up at Zhou Yuang for a moment, then glanced behind him.

She blinked, then decisively turned and walked toward the track.

She knew that even if she ran far away, Zhou Yuang would still stand there like he had that day, watching her.

Even if she ran to a place that was difficult to return from, he would definitely wait for her—perhaps even go and bring her back.

Thus, Silence Suzuka had no reservations. She decided to follow the plan Zhou Yuang had given her and focus completely on showing their efforts in this race.

Silence Suzuka walked toward the track, but the story did not end there. Zhou Yuang discovered that he could still move and planned to go somewhere else.

But when he turned his head, he saw Special Week standing behind him.

She wore an expression that seemed to say, "I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked."

She stood there like a stunned wooden chicken.

"Special Week? When did you arrive?"

Looking at the silly little cutie behind him, Zhou Yuang walked over.