The Next Day
Hayato called all three of his horse girls to the training grounds. The morning air was crisp and cold, with that fresh grass smell lingering after the groundskeepers finished their early rounds.
"Starting today, we're switching things up a bit." He watched their reactions carefully. "First, we're doing extra practice focused on actual race content. No basic training until you finish what I assign. Only after you complete everything early can you move on to the basics."
King Halo's ears perked up slightly. Race content? Her tail swished once, giving away her interest even though she tried to keep her face neutral.
"So today we're focusing on corners. You three will have a practice race every fifteen minutes." Hayato gestured toward the track. "Don't worry about anything else. Just focus on your own running."
"We'll start with the 1600-meter track. Warm up for ten minutes first. While you're warming up, listen to what I tell you."
The three horse girls didn't waste time talking. Each headed to the side to warm up, their movements practiced and smooth. King Halo rolled her shoulders, feeling her muscles loosen up. They needed to prepare their bodies for what was to come.
Since it was practice, winning or losing didn't really matter that much. But there was still value here. Good competition, a chance to test what she'd learned, to push herself against the others. Multiple benefits at once.
The training grounds had these automatic folding gates set up specially for horse girls. The gates even had wheels underneath for easy moving, the metal catching the morning sunlight. Whatever track distance you wanted, you could adjust it yourself. Pretty convenient setup, honestly.
After ten minutes of warming up, King Halo stepped up to her gate. Her heart started pounding harder against her ribs, that familiar pre-race feeling kicking in. She shook out her legs one last time.
BANG!
The gates flew open. Three bodies shot forward at the same time, hooves hammering against the track.
Silence Suzuka surged straight to the lead, doing her thing like always. King Halo watched her pull away, kind of mesmerized despite herself. Suzuka's hooves barely seemed to touch the ground, each stride so smooth it looked effortless. Like watching water flow downhill. The gap just opened up naturally.
Five lengths. Six lengths. Seven.
King Halo's eyes locked onto Suzuka's back. Every instinct screamed at her to chase.
Too fast. I need to focus on my own pace right now.
She forced herself to look away, to concentrate on her own rhythm instead. Behind her, she could sense Seiun Sky's presence.
Seiun Sky hung back in third, her breathing controlled and steady. Her chest rose and fell in that practiced pattern she'd perfected over countless races.
Be patient. Let them burn out early, then strike when they're gasping for air.
The familiar weight of strategy settled over her like a comfortable blanket. Just like always.
But something felt different today as she watched King Halo's form ahead of her.
King Halo's running looked sharper somehow. More confident. Each stride had purpose behind it. Not that wild, messy running from before when she'd flail around the track like she had no idea what she was doing.
The first corner came up at 400 meters, rushing toward them faster than expected.
Seiun Sky watched King Halo's positioning closely as they hit the straightaway, her mind already working through the angles. Here's where she always messes up. She'll drift wide, waste energy, and I'll catch up easily.
King Halo exploded forward.
Her acceleration came out of nowhere, sudden and sharp. She surged ahead with this controlled power, each stride eating up the track, her form tight and clean.
What?!
Seiun Sky's eyes went wide. Her stride faltered for half a step. That wasn't the King Halo she knew. That wasn't the technique of someone who'd always been fumbling through straightaway.
"Seiun, you think I'm still the same King Halo from before? The one you could easily trick?" The words floated back on the wind, light and teasing.
King Halo shot out of the corner like she'd been launched from a cannon. The gap between them stretched out fast. Two lengths now.
Seiun Sky's chest tightened, her breath catching. When did she learn that?
The presence coming from King Halo's back felt different. Stronger. Sharper. Like someone who'd finally broken through a wall they'd been slamming against forever.
What happened to you, Halo-chan?
No time to think about it. The backstretch opened up in front of them, the track stretching out endlessly.
Silence Suzuka stayed way out front, eleven lengths clear now, running in her own world as nobody else existed on the track. The real battle was for second place.
Seiun Sky pushed harder, forcing more power through her legs. Her muscles started burning as she dug deeper. She closed half a length. One length. Her hooves pounded the turf harder, faster.
Good. I can still catch her.
King Halo surged again, unleashing another burst of speed.
The distance between them is locked at five lengths. No matter how hard Seiun chased, it wouldn't budge.
"I can't believe I let her get ahead like this!" Seiun Sky gritted her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. She forced even more power through her legs, her whole body straining against itself.
The 1300-meter marker flashed past.
Her lungs burned. Not from being tired, her stamina was still good, still holding strong. But something felt wrong. Like running with the parking brake on. Like her body was refusing to cooperate fully. She could feel more power coiled up inside her muscles, but it just wouldn't come out properly no matter how hard she tried.
Why?! Move! MOVE!
Her legs screamed at her. Not from pain but from pure frustration. The power was right there, trapped inside, refusing to come out when she needed it most.
This is what distance aptitude feels like...
King Halo had used her stamina perfectly across 1600 meters. Nothing is wasted on bad positioning or sloppy technique.
Seiun Sky still had plenty of fuel in her tank. Her stamina gauge wasn't even close to empty. But the tank didn't fit this race distance. She was a long-distance runner trying to sprint in a mile race, stuck in some awful middle ground that left her at a disadvantage no matter what.
100 meters left.
50 meters.
The finish line came.
First place went to Silence Suzuka. Five lengths clear, just like everyone expected. Running in a completely different dimension from the rest of them. Untouchable as always.
Second was King Halo. Breathing hard, chest heaving, but grinning so wide it looked like her face might split in half.
Third was Seiun Sky. Five lengths behind King, gasping for air, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.
King Halo slowed to a trot, then spun around with her tail wagging so hard it was basically a blur. The joy radiating from her was almost painful to look at, like staring straight at the sun.
"Seiun-san! Looks like you've fallen behind! Oh, ho, ho, ho..." King Halo's laughter rang across the training grounds, thick with satisfaction. The sound scraped against Seiun's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
Seiun Sky bent over, hands planted on her knees, pulling in desperate breaths that burned all the way down her throat. Each one felt like swallowing fire.
I lost. I actually lost to King Halo.
"Don't get too cocky, Halo-chan. You're just better suited for mile tracks than me, that's all." The words came out between gasps, her chest still heaving. She tried to sound casual about it, like it didn't bother her, but the sting of losing was too fresh.
Yesterday's theory was right. Mile B versus Mile C. The difference is real.
"Hmph! Even on medium-distance tracks, I won't lose to you!" King Halo's confidence practically blazed off her, her whole body vibrating with energy.
The two of them kept going at it like this, competitive energy crackling in the air between them like static.
Hayato drew a chart and recorded their results, his pen scratching steadily against paper. A small smile played at his lips as he watched them bicker.
Good. This is exactly the kind of rivalry they need.