On Friday, "Dream" held its weekly simulated race.
With seven Uma Musume, it was increasingly feeling like a formal competition.
For this, Lu Jue even brought over the starting gate from within the campus.
"Focus, everyone! Only by giving your all can you improve, and it's also a sign of respect for your opponents."
Before the simulated race, everyone went through some basic training; although a bit tiring, their bodies were thoroughly warmed up.
"Got it, Trainer!"
The moment the gate opened, the Uma Musume immediately surged forward.
However, there were also the two little ones, Rice Shower and Tokai Teio, who, being new, weren't as nervous and had a slightly delayed start.
But the two of them quickly adjusted, overtaking Uralala in front.
Nimble Beret utilized her advantage, squeezing into the inner lane while also securing a good position.
From this position, she could gain a significant visual advantage, giving her ample time to react to opponents who suddenly accelerated.
This was also something Lu Jue had guided her on; at the same time, Lu Jue wanted to simulate some race situations to improve the Uma Musume's judgment on the track.
Silent Suzuka was still in a Great Escape, continuously widening the distance between herself and the Uma Musume behind her.
Seiun Sky was ahead of Nimble Beret, in second place, while Special Week was one position behind Nimble Beret.
"Accelerate here... no, the front is blocked."
Special Week found herself in a predicament; she wanted to overtake Nimble Beret, but the path ahead was blocked by Seiun Sky.
If she forced an overtake, she would run parallel to Nimble Beret, creating unnecessary risk.
Her only options were to wait for Seiun Sky to accelerate or to go around from the outer lane.
Going the outer lane meant running a greater distance, but she couldn't guarantee she would overtake Seiun Sky after doing so.
At this moment, Tokai Teio shook off Rice Shower and caught up.
She looked at Nimble Beret, Special Week, and Seiun Sky ahead, her gaze gradually growing serious.
There was a feeling of powerlessness, as if even a full acceleration here would make it difficult to overtake...
But this was normal; Tokai Teio and Rice Shower's physical conditions had not yet reached their peak state.
Soon, they entered the final turn.
Nimble Beret was the first to tire and lose speed, gradually being overtaken by Special Week and Tokai Teio behind her.
"Seiun, Emperor, Xiao Te, charge boldly! If you don't charge now, you won't get another chance!" Lu Jue shouted loudly from the lawn.
Silent Suzuka was now leading by about eight horse lengths, a significant advantage.
However, her running style also had a weakness: under normal circumstances, she couldn't perform a second acceleration, and it became more strenuous the further she ran, possibly even slowing down.
Upon receiving Lu Jue's reminder, Seiun Sky and Special Week began their final sprint.
Tokai Teio was stunned; she had already used all her leg power, yet she watched the gap between herself and Special Week gradually widen. "How can this be! Why can't I catch up!"
Lu Jue was not too surprised by the situation on the track. "Oh? Here it comes."
The dream-like glow reappeared, covering Special Week and Seiun Sky.
It was clear they really wanted to win against Silent Suzuka!
However, there were also differences among G1 Uma Musume; that dream-like glow wasn't exclusive to them!
Perhaps feeling the strong pressure from behind, Silent Suzuka suddenly burst forth.
A bluish-green glow enveloped her and further expanded, forming a powerful vortex.
Countless flowers and leaves were carried by the wind, and though soft, they were like sharp blades, forcefully cutting through the momentum of Seiun Sky and Special Week.
The distance between them and Silent Suzuka could not be shortened any further!
"Is this... the second stage?"
The shocked Lu Jue even forgot to time them with his stopwatch.
"Sure enough, I still can't beat Silence Suzuka," Special Week gasped, bent over, large drops of sweat falling from her chin.
Seiun Sky walked slowly with her hands on her hips, pondering, "What am I missing...?"
During the chase just now, she felt as if she was about to touch Silent Suzuka, but the next second, something separated them again.
However, this simulated race made her feel like she had improved quite a bit.
Behind them, Tokai Teio, Nimble Beret, Rice Shower, and Uralala also successively reached the finish line.
"Are the seniors really that amazing? This is a G1-level Uma Musume..."
This race undoubtedly stirred up a storm in Tokai Teio's young heart.
However, a genius has her pride, and she would not admit defeat because of this.
"Do you want some water?" Rice Shower walked up to Uralala.
"Uralala will rest for a bit first before drinking."
Day after day of systematic training, Uralala didn't seem to notice that she no longer collapsed on the grass from exhaustion after a run, like she used to.
It was Rice Shower who felt it. "Uralala seems to have gotten much stronger."
"Of course! Uralala always gives her all to complete the training arranged by Trainer."
"Next time, I'm going to Kochi for a race again, and win big!"
And next time, Uralala also wanted to go with Lu Jue and then sleep with Lu Jue.
"So that's how it is." Rice Shower glanced in the direction of Seiun Sky and the others, her fighting spirit subtly ignited.
Lu Jue watched this scene with satisfaction; healthy internal competition was beneficial for improving the team members' strength.
He was about to say some encouraging words when he noticed Silent Suzuka's steps were unsteady, and her small face was slightly pale.
"Silence Suzuka?" Lu Jue calmly diluted the glucose with water in his hand, then ran to Silent Suzuka and supported her.
"Lu Jue-jun, I feel a bit... dizzy."
"Drink this water first." Seeing Silent Suzuka's weakened state, Lu Jue directly fed her. "You can lean on me and rest for a while."
"Mm."
The others also noticed the situation and gathered around.
"Uralala, please bring out the small stools from the lounge. Thank you."
"Okay, I'm going right now!" Uralala scurried away.
Special Week looked worried. "Trainer, what's wrong with Silence Suzuka?"
"She probably ran too hard, leading to insufficient blood supply, and her body couldn't adapt temporarily." Lu Jue understood that Silent Suzuka had challenged her limits and successfully broken through them.
However, he also needed to be mindful of whether any other conditions were occurring.
"What should we do now?" Special Week asked again.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
Lu Jue's words were like a calming pill.
As they looked at Silent Suzuka leaning against Lu Jue, their unease and worry gradually disappeared.
(Please support with power for love~ one power-up is one dime, three is three dimes~ three people is equivalent to one yuan)