Chapter 456: 568

Time flowed quietly onward.

Before anyone knew it, years had slipped by.

Tokyo, in the Far East.

The city had changed considerably since the dawn of the Chasing Light era.

Sleek high-rises lined the streets, with futuristic animated billboards fitted between them.

As the years passed, technology in the world of Umamusume had advanced at a remarkable pace. In little more than a decade, the city had taken on an entirely new appearance.

Now, outside the gates of Central Tracen Academy, a girl in white over-the-knee socks came to a stop on the stone-paved walkway.

Carrying her schoolbag, the black-haired girl raised her head slightly and studied a campus that looked quite different from the way it had yesterday.

"Hehe…"

She let out a small laugh.

"Everything looks different from up here. This really will take some getting used to."

She wore the standard Central Tracen Academy uniform.

A small, white, crescent-shaped streak marked her bangs, and a delicate ornament adorned her right ear.

Behind her, her long black tail swayed gently with her mood.

One glance was enough to tell that she was bursting with energy.

"Kita, good morning!"

A gentle voice sounded beside her.

A small head peeked out from behind her shoulder.

It belonged to a little girl with long brown hair and golden eyes.

The white, diamond-shaped streak in her hair was especially distinctive. With her delicate, doll-like features, she looked every inch a young lady from a distinguished family.

Still very much a child, she looked like Kita's little sister standing beside her.

Just as the golden-eyed girl appeared, another Umamusume with black hair and green eyes stepped forward with a soft laugh. She tilted her head toward Kita.

"Good morning."

"Huh?"

Startled by the sudden appearance of her two friends, Kita blinked, then smiled brightly.

"Diamond, Crown! Good morning!"

She paused and took another look at Crown.

"Crown, did you mature too?"

Crown smiled and blinked.

"Mm-hmm. This morning."

"I thought I'd surprise you, but it looks like you beat me to it."

Beside them, Diamond lowered her head and sighed.

"You've both matured… I'm the only one who hasn't grown up yet."

Crown waved a reassuring hand.

"It's only a matter of time, Diamond. You're hardly any younger than we are."

Then she looked Kita up and down, rested a hand against her chin, and gave an appreciative little hum.

"Just what you'd expect from Chasing Light's ace of the next generation!"

"If we meet on the track, do remember to go easy on me, oh great Kita-sama."

"Oh, come on…"

Kita immediately blushed and waved her hands.

"Great? I'm still nowhere near my seniors! I haven't earned a title like that."

"Well, whether you've earned it is something we can decide later."

Crown chuckled.

"But you are the only one our age who's been accepted into Chasing Light."

She glanced at her watch, then seemed to remember something.

"Oh, right. Aren't you going to your training base to tell Kuroha-san that you've matured?"

Kita nodded.

"Trainer's on campus today. Sometimes Chasing Light does morning practice here so it's easier to get to class."

"Oh, I see."

Crown nodded, then gracefully adjusted her shoulder bag and started toward the campus.

"All right, then. I should go tell my own trainer. I'll see you both later!"

"See you!"

Kita waved with a bright smile, watching her friend disappear into the campus.

Then she lowered her gaze to the golden-eyed girl beside her.

Yesterday, they had been the same height. Today, Diamond barely reached her waist.

"Come on, Diamond. Let's go too."

"Okay."

Diamond stared at Kita's smiling face for a moment, briefly at a loss for words. Then she reluctantly followed her friend.

After all, she was still the little one.

The two entered the campus and followed the paths to a relatively quiet shared training ground.

Even from a distance, Kita could hear the steady pounding of feet against the turf.

She turned toward the sound.

Someone was already running on the track.

The girl moved with light, springy strides, her short brown hair streaming behind her. Every footfall was crisp and precise.

And beneath that effortless-looking stride lay extraordinary speed!

Kita could see that she wasn't using the power of her [Zone] at all.

That speed came from physical ability alone.

Beside the track, two expressionless Umamusume stood near a young man, apparently lost in thought.

"Trainer!"

Kita's face lit up when she spotted him.

The instant her voice rang out, both girls turned toward her.

For a heartbeat, Kita forgot how to breathe.

When she had still been a child, she had never really felt anything like this.

But now that she had matured, her senses had become far keener.

Every senior standing there seemed to radiate a terrifying black-and-crimson aura.

As she approached, overwhelming pressure and fighting spirit surged toward her, crashing against her slender body like an endless tide.

One of the two had brown hair that reached her waist.

Her features were delicate and cool, her complexion fair. Though slender, her body held astonishing explosive power.

She wore almost no expression, looking utterly calm.

Yet simply standing there, she seemed surrounded by an invisible weight.

The other girl had golden hair and red eyes.

She was tall and long-limbed, with distinctly Western features and a fuller build that Kita couldn't help envying.

She merely stood with her arms crossed, looking almost indifferent.

Even so, the pressure she exerted was greater than that of the quiet girl beside her.

Fortunately, that towering menace lasted only a moment.

Once they recognized Kita, the two gave soft murmurs of acknowledgment and withdrew their oppressive auras.

Kita's steps briefly faltered, but she still made her way over to her teammates.

She looked at the young man at the center of the group, then at the two very different legends beside him.

In recent years, both had swept through the racing world and earned reputations as invincible champions.

Sea the Stars.

And… Frankel!

They had come from different countries, but Kuroha had brought both of them to the Far East when they were still little girls.

Under his guidance, they had grown into champions who dominated the world's racetracks.

Apparently, some of the Umamusume who had raced against them still shuddered at the mere mention of their names.

Kita shifted her gaze away from the two seniors and toward the girl currently running on the track.

She had only entered her Senior year this year, yet she already stood at the top of her generation.

Treve.

Brown hair, bright eyes, and exquisite features full of French charm.

And ability that was every bit as remarkable.

Kita had heard that Trainer had brought her over from France when she was still a little girl, too.

According to his plans, Treve-senpai would be returning to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe this year.

She was going to defend her crown.