Training cannot be interrupted; the passion is still burning.
"Everyone, let's run four thousand meters first, just to warm up."
Haru Urara raised her hand high, "Trainer, is today's training the same as yesterday?"
"Not the same, this four thousand meters is just a warm-up, to get everyone moving... If you really want to run very fast, it's not impossible." Lu Jue scanned the three of them, revealing a mysterious smile.
"Then let's not..." Lu Jue's smile made Special Week feel scared.
"Silence Suzuka, what about you?"
"I... I will also run slowly."
Lu Jue withdrew his gaze.
It's good that they are scared...
Training starts from scratch; if they don't follow the arrangements, they get extra training.
"Silence Suzuka, later you lead them, pay attention to your arm swing posture."
...
Four thousand meters is just the beginning for an Uma Musume, but for some, it's already the end.
Lu Jue held a whistle in his mouth and a stopwatch in his right hand.
After the three of them returned from their warm-up, he began to assign tasks.
"Today, we're running 30 sets of 400 meters. Each set must be completed within 50 seconds, followed by a 100-meter slow run interval. Adjust yourselves back, and try to keep the 100-meter time within one minute."
After Lu Jue finished speaking, he looked at the three of them, "Did you understand?"
It wasn't that he thought they were stupid, but rather that this running method he was practicing was uncommon, even completely different from Tojo Hana and Nishizaki Ryu.
"Reporting, Trainer, I didn't understand!" Haru Urara raised her hand.
"You didn't understand, and you're still so proud?"
Special Week also weakly raised her hand, "Trainer, I don't quite understand either."
Lu Jue was about to explain, but Silence Suzuka interjected, "It means running four hundred meters as required, then running another one hundred meters, and this one hundred meters is for rest."
"That's great, today you are 'Especially Smart.'"
"Trainer, what about me?" Haru Urara pointed to herself.
"You are 'Especially Clear.'"
When it was Special Week's turn, "Trainer, what about me?"
"You are Special Week, have you forgotten your own name?"
Special Week puffed out her cheeks and raised her clenched fists, "Trainer always makes fun of people."
"Alright, alright, let's start. Completing four hundred meters within 50 seconds should be easy for you, right?"
In reality, no matter how intense the training, Lu Jue would never tell them it was difficult.
It was a simple psychological suggestion for them.
Whether it was difficult or not, they would find out as they ran.
...
During this training, Silence Suzuka and Special Week both ran obediently.
For the first dozen sets, the formation of the three was very neat.
Special Week also learned the skill of following in such training.
However, Silence Suzuka, who was 'breaking the wind' in front, would also get tired, so Special Week and Silence Suzuka would take turns leading the run.
As for Haru Urara, forget it; if she led, the person behind her would also be leading.
But by the last few laps, the three's stamina was clearly running out, and they could only run in over fifty seconds.
"Haru Urara, come on, keep up with Xiao Te! Don't give up!"
"Trainer! I'm so tired!"
"Keep going, keep going."
What do you do with lazy horses?
Of course, you use a whip.
But Lu Jue didn't have a whip, and no one in the team was being lazy.
He was proud of their perseverance.
If the key to a certain race truly relied on the immeasurable power of faith and belief.
Then Lu Jue felt that every step they took now was accumulating for such a moment.
In other words, without such seemingly insignificant day-to-day effort, even if there really were abilities like 'domains,' they wouldn't be very strong.
...
Soon, the three of them reached the last set.
Lu Jue shouted, "This is the last set! You can rest a bit longer this time, then run all out to get under 50 seconds."
This final four hundred meters was crucial for breaking through their limits, so Lu Jue extended the interval time.
"You can run when you're ready! Haru Urara, keep up, come on!"
In these final four hundred meters, the three's running postures were severely deformed; they could only focus on breathing.
...
When the training ended, the three of them rested ungracefully on the grass.
Haru Urara lay sprawled out, while Silence Suzuka sat on the grass, panting heavily.
Special Week was kneeling, sweating profusely, the droplets constantly falling from her rounded chin onto the grass.
Among the three, only Silence Suzuka met the requirements in the end, but Haru Urara and Special Week were also very good.
"Trainer, you lied! You said it would be easy!"
"Oh, did I say that? I don't quite remember." Lu Jue tilted his head up and directly played the rogue.
"Xiao Te, how do you feel?" Lu Jue turned to Special Week.
"Trainer... now I 'Especially want to wash.'"
He then looked at Silence Suzuka.
Silence Suzuka waved her hand, "'Especially tired.'"
"Rest for a bit, then go to the training room to change. I've also put water in the training room."
...
"Xiao Te, what did you eat to get so big? Carrots?" In the training room, Haru Urara looked at Special Week, who was still changing, and said something startling.
"Eh... Eh!?" Special Week shyly covered her chest, "Haru Urara-chan, can you please not focus on strange places?"
"Strange? I just think I'm too short." Haru Urara tilted her head, looking innocent.
"You're talking about height..." Special Week said.
So she had just been overthinking it...
She had thought Haru Urara was talking about 'that.'
"Otherwise? What else besides height?"
"Xiao Te, I also want to know, how did you grow so big? Was it carrots?"
"Eh!? How could even Silence Suzuka..." Special Week's reaction was a few seconds late. Silence Suzuka was clearly about the same height as her. "Silence Suzuka, are you asking about height?"
"I don't know." Silence Suzuka asked seriously, then withdrew her gaze, leaving Special Week in disarray alone.
At this moment, a glowing object caught Silence Suzuka's attention.
It was...
The whistle Lu Jue had blown.