Uma Musume Pretty Derby: From Getting Knocked Ten Meters Away [101]

When Yasui Makoto agreed, he saw Almond Eye’s surprise flicker through her eyes, and Kitasan Black was practically bouncing with excitement.

“That’s great! Then we can run together with Almond-chan again, just like today!”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it too,” Almond Eye replied, unable to suppress a smile.

Yasui Makoto smiled along, though inwardly he remained composed.

It was certainly a pleasant surprise that Almond Eye had asked him for guidance.

In truth, he was eager to train this Uma Musume.

Even disregarding memories from another world, her performance in today’s race alone was enough to showcase her exceptional talent.

He was confident he could nurture that talent, guiding her to reach new heights.

But this didn’t guarantee he would be able to formally sign her as his assigned Uma Musume in the future.

Earlier, while chatting with Doctor Agnes Tachyon, he had casually asked about Almond Eye’s honkaku-ka period, and learned she would likely enter that competitive maturation phase in one to two years.

That was still a considerable amount of time; many changes could occur in the meantime.

Even Kitasan had mentioned that Almond Eye’s family wanted her to focus on short to mid-distance races.

Attempting to “steal away” a child upon whom her family had placed so many expectations could become complicated.

Rather than worrying about distant possibilities, right now his priority needed to be Kitasan Black.

After reminding Almond Eye to rest properly, Yasui Makoto took Kitasan back to the sports field.

Even after the Mini Satsuki Sho had concluded, the spectators didn’t disperse.

Just like a proper Winner’s Concert, various performances were currently taking place on the same field where the races had been held, performed by the elementary students, including Almond Eye herself.

Having been examined and cleared medically, Almond Eye and the other participants had returned to the field, presenting a song and dance as the finale of the event.

Kitasan stood eagerly beside Yasui Makoto, eyes glued to the stage. When Almond Eye appeared, she immediately began clapping and cheering enthusiastically.

“Wow! Almond-chan is amazing! She looks so pretty, and her outfit is super cute too!”

Yasui Makoto applauded along with Kitasan, smiling in agreement.

Blessed by the Three Goddesses, every Uma Musume naturally possessed outstanding looks.

Yet even among these beautiful girls, Almond Eye was remarkably eye-catching.

Though still very young, her beauty was already refined, accompanied by a unique, captivating aura.

At first glance, her presence seemed serene, but a closer look revealed a hidden, fiery passion beneath.

The striking contrast made Yasui recall the fierce final sprint Almond Eye had shown during the earlier race.

True talent really can’t be hidden… She’s already grasping at the edge of a powerful late kick at such a young age.

Lost briefly in contemplation, Yasui suddenly felt a tug at his sleeve.

He glanced down to meet Kitasan’s bright, crimson eyes.

“Hey, Trainer, what Almond-chan showed in the race today, that was her late kick, right? I heard the commentators and everyone else saying so.”

Surprised by the question, Yasui Makoto considered briefly before answering.

“To be precise, it was just a prototype. She still has many fundamentals and techniques left to master… but yes, you could think of it that way.”

“I see…”

Kitasan nodded thoughtfully, relaxing her shoulders as she took a deep breath.

“Who would’ve thought Almond-chan would already be this incredible. I wonder just how amazing she’ll become when she makes her official debut…

“Well! With such a talented kouhai chasing me, as her senpai, I definitely can’t afford to slack off!

“Trainer, after the event ends, how about we head back to the Academy and keep training?”

…

Of course, training was absolutely out of the question. In Yasui Makoto’s mind, training on a rest day was a definite no-go.

In his carefully designed regimen, each task assigned to Kitasan Black had a precise measure:

Too little and the intended results wouldn’t materialize; too much would only burden her body unnecessarily.

Still, seeing the girl so eager was undoubtedly a good thing. After all, this enthusiasm was exactly what yesterday’s event aimed to inspire.

After gently placating Kitasan, Yasui Makoto casually suggested they could start earlier the following morning to get some extra training in.

Thus, early the next morning, Yasui arrived at the Tracen Academy track and, as expected, found Kitasan already waiting. He didn’t waste time with small talk. After warming up, they immediately began their final specialized training.

Pointing toward the track, Yasui asked, “Do you remember what we previously identified as your weaknesses?”

“Yes! My sprinting ability, especially my acceleration on the final straight!” Kitasan answered swiftly.

Yasui Makoto nodded.

“Exactly. And since you guided Almond Eye yesterday, you should be even more aware of how advantageous a rival with a strong late kick can be in the final straight.”

“From now until the Satsuki Sho, you’ll be practicing strategies to address this.”

“First, curved positioning; second, gradient acceleration; and finally, mid-air lead-change.”

“We’ve practiced them separately before. Now, try running the full 2000 meters, combining them all.”

After giving his instructions, Yasui watched the fired-up Kitasan rush eagerly to the starting line. He adjusted his stopwatch and raised his hand, beginning the countdown.

Soon, the girl’s swift figure raced along the track.

Each of the tactics Yasui had prepared was tailored specifically to Kitasan’s racing style, strategically designed for the Satsuki Sho, with the critical focus being on the curves.

Curved positioning would ensure she’d secure an ideal front-runner or stalker position right from the early stages.

Judging from previous training races, it wasn’t unlikely her opponents would try gate-blocking at the start.

In other races, jockeying for position early on was common and usually done on straightaways.

However, the Satsuki Sho featured a sharp uphill curve immediately after the gate. Historical footage showed that, instead of directly competing for position, efficiently navigating that slope was key.

Opting out of direct competition by running a carefully arced route would save stamina otherwise wasted in head-to-head clashes, channeling that conserved energy into tackling the uphill curve more effectively.

Gradient acceleration involved progressively ramping up speed through the curve, extending slightly into the following straight.

Initially, as she entered the turn and approached its apex, she’d leverage steadily increasing centrifugal force for the initial acceleration.

Then, right at the turn’s midpoint, she’d raise her pace further, building speed inertia.

Finally, upon exiting the turn, she’d utilize that built-up inertia and residual centrifugal force for one final acceleration burst.

This segmented acceleration avoided draining her stamina with a single explosive sprint, instead capitalizing efficiently on momentum coming out of the curve, thus reducing overall energy consumption.

Ideally, this strategy was best employed on the first and second curves.

Executing it effectively there would grant her a substantial distance advantage.

Using it again at the final turn would further widen that lead.

The mid-air lead-change, more precisely, was a technical skill necessary to realize gradient acceleration’s full potential.

During the straight-line sprint phases, an Uma Musume typically maintained a fixed leading leg, but during curves or directional adjustments, she had to proactively switch legs.

Upon entering a curve or changing directions, shortening stride length with the inner leg effectively reduced lateral inertia, while the torque difference generated by switching legs improved turning speed.

“Mid-air” meant precisely that—executing this lead change at the moment both legs were off the ground simultaneously.

Performing it mid-air not only maximized effectiveness but also avoided any frictional resistance from the track.

—

This is a fan translation of 赛马娘：从被撞飞十米开始 by 百升飞上天 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!