The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

"Watch closely as I make my entrance."

A flash of red light suddenly appeared in those dark eyes. The fear surging through her body drove Nan Ye Jin to retreat instinctively. She stared at Xiu Xingmeng in astonishment, unable to utter a single word.

They could only watch helplessly as Xiu Xingmeng's figure walked out of the gate step by step.

Testimonials

Wow, it's already on sale in the blink of an eye. I never thought so many people would read it before I started writing it, and I was even mistaken by readers and other big-name authors as the reincarnation of Lao Deng.

I fantasized again, imagining that I was actually the reincarnation of Lao Deng, with a bunch of fans eagerly waiting to read my new book, without having to worry about whether the readers would like it or not.

However, that's not the case. I once wrote a Dragon Raja fanfic that no one read, and it was published without even a trial run. I never expected that this Horse Girls fanfic would advance three times in the trial run, all thanks to everyone's support. Seeing so many people urging me to update every day makes me really happy.

I read every single post and book review, but unfortunately, I'm too introverted and don't know how to reply to many of the comments.

Having so many readers puts a lot of pressure on the author. Every day, the author worries that the new chapters might not be well-written and readers won't like them. Plus, the author is still a student and has limited time to write each day, and is constantly chasing deadlines. But pressure can be a motivator, and everyone's enthusiasm can also motivate the author to build the plot.

Finally, because the book was about to be published, the author hadn't blinked for three seconds, constantly thinking of what to say to everyone. But words have to end, and after thinking it over, only four words came to mind—

Three chapters today! (Maybe I can write a fourth chapter later.)

Oh no, it's—

Thank you for watching!

Chapter Fifty-Nine Heartbeats

"All players are in position."

I could hear the listless voice of a staff member. Could it be that Kasamatsu Racecourse can't even find a good commentator now?

Chizuru Haibara thought to herself with a hint of irony, but she quickly shook her head.

There will still be commentators for matches with big prizes, it's just that there aren't any for this match.

The staff must have known about Kasamatsu Tressen's situation by now. Apart from Oguri Roman, what other racehorses are worth watching here? The debut races of the remaining racehorses didn't even have a single other spectator. Is there any need to have a commentator?

Thinking of this, Chizuru Haibara chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Yes, even the racetrack staff know what kind of people we are.

What's the point of staying here? It's just asking for humiliation.

Chizuru Haibara stood up, turned around, and made as if to leave.

"Don't you want to read it?"

Oguri Roman, who was standing next to her, noticed Haibara Chizuru's movements, but instead of looking at her, she lowered her head and asked softly.

"What's so interesting? Recently, even the rules for the local debut competition have been changed. It's no longer the first place winner who debuts; you have to achieve a certain score to debut. Don't you understand why?"

Oguri Roman remained silent for a moment; the question seemed somewhat difficult for her to ask.

"Because in the local debut competitions now, many of the first place winners are also incredibly slow. They can win not because they are strong."

"It's just not as bad as it used to be, right?"

Sato Takeru, who had been gazing at the sky, seemed to have overheard their conversation and responded lazily.

Is there any point in watching such a ridiculous match?

"Why don't you go train? It's just one defeat. You can win it back next time."

After Chizuru Haibara finished speaking, she looked at Roman Oguri and said something, but she just lowered her head and didn't respond.

"As educators, we should at least witness every game our students play."

Koutarou Haibara gripped the railing tightly, his back to the crowd, and spoke in a deep voice, which seemed to be hoarse from the weight of the pressure.

Kasamatsu Tressen has been able to maintain its current level thanks in no small part to the support from the community, much of which comes from local Kasamatsu residents who sponsored Oguri Roman. I wonder if the defeat in the Autumn Wind Youth Cup will disappoint everyone and cause them to give up on the support.

In that case, Kasamatsu Tresson's life will inevitably become even more difficult.

After learning of the defeat yesterday, Koutarou Haibara had to comfort Roman Oguri while also worrying about how to maintain everyone's trust. He was under immense pressure to keep Kasamatsu Tressen going.

Looking at her father like this, Chizuru Haibara pursed her lips, her hands turning white from clenching them tightly. She couldn't bear to watch Koutarou Haibara bear such pressure, yet she couldn't truly help him in any way.

Perhaps it's more accurate to say that her own depravity is also a burden on her father.

After giving a self-deprecating laugh, Chizuru Haibara turned around and waved to the crowd.

"I'm going now."

The instant Haibara Chizuru finished speaking, a crisp whistle signaling the start of the match rang out. A tremendous roar suddenly erupted behind Haibara Chizuru, like thunder, like a howl, a huge sound that shook the hearts of everyone present.

"What?!"

Sato Takeru, who was usually lazy and frivolous and seemed to care about nothing, opened his jaw wide, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

"How can this be!"

Koutarou Haibara's face flushed with excitement. He gripped the railing tightly, not from pressure, but from an overwhelming sense of awe.

"So dazzling—"

Oguri Roman, who had been keeping his head down as if detached from the world, also raised his head and stared intently at the arena. His eyes, which had become somewhat dull due to defeat, seemed to become dazzling as they reflected the brilliance of the arena.

"Peng."

"Boom bang bang."

Her heart was pounding wildly; Chizuru Haibara's heart was pounding uncontrollably, as if she had received some great news and was overjoyed.

A figure kept replaying in her mind, and a terrifying yet incredibly real conjecture kept multiplying in Chizuru Haibara's mind.

Such a commotion, such a shock, that could elicit such exclamations from the three racehorse girls watching the arena—the only person Chizuru Haibara could think of was her—

Embroidered Star Dream.

Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweating uncontrollably, and Chizuru Haibara's pupils shrank with excitement. The truth was within her grasp; she only needed to turn around to see everything.

It was so real, so close, all I had to do was turn around.

However, Chizuru Haibara was also a little scared. What if things weren't as she imagined? What if her expectations were dashed again?

Chizuru Haibara swallowed hard, her throat burning as if it were on fire. Even swallowing water was of no use; her long-dormant passion had transformed into tangible heat, scorching Chizuru's reason.

It's impossible for Kasamatsu Tressen to produce a racehorse like that. Hidehoshi Yume is just a racehorse who hasn't even debuted yet; she's never even had proper training.

An adult's rationality may arise in their heart, but in the next instant, it is burned away by passion.

I want to see it! I must see it! I have to witness this match!

Chizuru Haibara turned around abruptly, her gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone in front of her. They were shocked, they were surprised, and they felt themselves shining because they had witnessed the brilliance.

Those familiar figures were running on the track. Haibara Chizuru strained her eyes to look ahead, but she still couldn't see Xiu Xingmeng. She swallowed her saliva, which was as hot as molten iron.

With each glance forward, Chizuru Haibara's heart pounded, and even though her chest was still throbbing with pain, she found that pain to be pleasurable and delightful.

Five horse bodies, ten horse bodies, twenty horse bodies, thirty horse bodies?!

The units used in the competition could not describe the shock Chizuru Haibara felt, but when she used the horse's body as a unit of measurement and found that it had already reached three digits, Chizuru Haibara gave up on the calculation.

She turned her gaze directly to the racecourse. The debut race at Kasamatsu Racecourse is about 1200 meters, and Minamino Sumire and the others are currently at around 400 meters.

Meanwhile, Xiu Xingmeng, that streak of shadow carrying with it gales and dust, had almost reached the latter half of the competition.

The distance between them is 300 meters.

Converted to the size of a horse, it would be—

One hundred and twenty horse bodies.

Chapter Sixty: Unwilling to Accept It

Her hot breath flowed through her nasal cavity and lungs, and the flying gravel seemed to glide across her body like molten steel. On the track between sand and dust, Minamino Sumire's eyes were filled with confusion.

She had considered that Xiu Xingmeng might be more talented and better than them. How could they, who rarely went to the training ground, possibly be faster than Xiu Xingmeng, who trained every day?

Before talking to Xiu Xingmeng, Nan Ye Jin had already anticipated the difference; it could be twenty horse lengths or thirty horse lengths.

This is an unimaginably exaggerated number in serious races, but it's just right for my group of female racehorses who hardly ever go to practice.

Even after the competition, he could still speak to Xiu Xingmeng in a casual tone.

"You've surpassed us by a great deal, but so what?"

"The only reason we can achieve such a gap is that we, as the opponents, are too incompetent."

"If you were to participate in a more formal competition, even just the debut competition at the Central University, you would immediately blend into the crowd."

But now, Minamino Sumire can't say those words.

The difference between Xiu Xingmeng and them is not the difference between self-discipline and decadence, nor even the difference between excellence and mediocrity, but rather—

The difference between racehorse girls and ordinary people.

As a horse girl with a body naturally more suited to running, she was no different from an ordinary person compared to the speed of Embroidered Star Dream.

How could a racehorse like that possibly appear in a place like Kasamatsu Tressen?!

Minamino Sumire gritted her teeth and thought to herself.

But for some reason, this racehorse girl, who had long given up on becoming a racehorse girl, did not give up as usual despite such a desperate gap. Even though her lungs were burning and every step she took made her want to give up, Minamino Sumire did not stop.

She could no longer see Xiu Xingmeng's figure, but it seemed as if she was still running after something.

Not only her, but the other three racehorse girls were the same.

Even though their bodies were groaning from lack of exercise, their steps did not falter at all; they even gritted their teeth and picked up their pace again.

They hadn't run like this in a long time. After giving Oguri Roman the last bit of hope, they felt as if they had already completed their task and could sit in the audience and watch with a clear conscience.

But when they actually stepped onto the field and witnessed Xiu Xingmeng's swift figure, they inexplicably wanted to catch up with her.

Like moths drawn to a flame, no matter how unattainable or foolish they may seem, they still want to get close, to approach that brilliance.

The racetrack is a battlefield, and only one winner can be chosen from all the racehorse girls.

At this moment, these losers who had given up before even stepping onto the field were still gritting their teeth and running despite knowing that the outcome was hopeless. Their instinctive passion for the race was being rekindled, and even though they knew they couldn't win, they still wanted to run with all their might.

As rivals to Embroidered Star Dream, and fellow travelers to that shining light, they subconsciously refused to allow themselves to cross the finish line with that self-destructive mentality again.

Time and distance seemed to stretch endlessly in their agony, but they eventually crossed the finish line. The figure that had passed everyone else was now standing quietly in front of the track, watching them.

"what--"

Minamino Sumire supported herself on her knees, breathing heavily. Sweat streamed down her face, blurring her vision. If it weren't for that inexplicable sense of resentment, she would have collapsed to the ground long ago.

"A long-awaited run?"

Xiu Xingmeng's figure appeared in the blurry vision. Her voice came from above, sounding to Nan Yejin like a condescending mockery.

"Mocking the losers...is the right of the victors."

"I... have nothing to say."

Panting, Minamino Sumire spoke with difficulty. Strangely enough, even though she thought she would no longer have any emotions because of the race, her heart was still aching as she said those words.

This must be the pain that comes with running, she thought reluctantly to herself.

When Minamino Sumire thought that Xiuxingmeng would further mock her for being blind, she simply smiled and said...

"I thought you wouldn't last until the end."

"Didn't you say you'd given up running? Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

Minamino Sumire pursed her lips. She couldn't understand why she was doing this either; her body had already started moving before she could even think about it.

"I have a very proud friend who likes to call himself a king."

"She told me that it's not just racehorses that can feel the brilliance in running."

"…What do you want to say?"

Hearing Xiu Xingmeng's words, Nan Ye Jin had already realized Xiu Xingmeng's thoughts, but she still stubbornly refused to accept them.

"As a king, one must shine one's brilliance upon all the audience."

"Only when the audience can also feel the glory can one be called a king."

“In the past, I was chasing victory and couldn’t understand the meaning of this sentence. But after coming to Kasamatsu Tressen, I feel that I understand it a little.”

"The brilliance on stage extends beyond just Uma Musume Girls."

"Even the competitors and the onlookers can feel that brilliance."

As she gradually caught her breath, Minamino Sumire slowly straightened her back. She looked into Xiu Xingmeng's eyes and spoke in a somewhat unnatural tone.