Completely backed into a corner.
Even though Gentildonna hadn't given any direct signal, Almond Eye clearly realized her disadvantage from the moment Gentildonna accelerated.
The Uma Musume now racing in front of her was graceful, fierce, without even a shred of hesitation. Even the wind stirred violently around her galloping figure.
Almond Eye gritted her teeth. The current situation had an eerie sense of familiarity, didn't it? It was exactly like the previous race at the Oka Sho…
Just like before, she was behind, and Gentildonna ran ahead with every advantage firmly in hand. Just like before, Verxina had lost any chance at victory. Once again, the final winner of this race would be decided solely between Almond Eye and Gentildonna…!
But this time, this time's result absolutely wouldn't be handed to Gentildonna as easily as before. Did she seriously believe the same method would defeat Almond Eye twice?
Don't look down on an Uma Musume…!
Almond Eye's expression twisted fiercely. Although she'd wasted unnecessary stamina by moving out wide to follow Gentildonna's strategic repositioning, it still wasn't anything unbearable.
The course was 2400 meters, and there were still 1200 meters left—exactly halfway. If she abandoned all caution and launched her sprint from this point onward… it would just barely stay within her limits.
How could Almond Eye possibly let Gentildonna win so easily?
How could she surrender so quickly? She was Almond Eye, an unrivaled Uma Musume destined to reclaim the glory of the Japan Cup, to save the URA, and to someday defeat even Gotham Song herself…!
And to think she might lose so casually to one of Gotham Song's team members… don't even joke about something so absurd!
"It's an exact replay of last time's scenario—just like the Oka Sho at Tokyo Racecourse again! But last time, Almond Eye-san fought desperately yet couldn't overturn such a huge disadvantage. What about this time? Can Almond Eye-san achieve a reversal, settling the debts from the previous loss alongside today's?!"
Settling two races at once? Heh, it might not be completely appropriate to say here, but… I like the sound of that. And since that's the case, why not go ahead and do just that?
Even from the far outside, Almond Eye anchored herself, locking eyes on that irritating figure ahead. Launch!
"Ooohhh—just as expected, Almond Eye-san is determined to claim this race at any cost! Right here! Right now! Almond Eye-san has launched her assault, responding directly to Gentildonna's challenge! The outcome of this race will be decided right now!"
"Will it be Verxina-san, who's maintained the lead until now, who takes first? Or will Gentildonna-san, who made the second decisive acceleration, emerge victorious? Of course, there's always the possibility that Almond Eye-san overtakes both!"
Almond Eye overtaking both of us? That certainly sounds believable, doesn't it?
Most casual viewers might assume so.
Unlike those who immersed themselves entirely in their races—so deeply focused they lost all awareness of their surroundings—Gentildonna remained exceptionally conscious of everything around her while running. Naturally, that didn't mean she wasn't serious about racing; on the contrary—!
The more intensely she focused, the clearer her perception of everyone around her became.
The reason was simple: Gentildonna understood clearly that she wasn't one of those legendary, unstoppable Uma Musume like her Trainer-sama. Without possessing that overwhelming strength, she approached racing from an entirely different angle.
She wouldn't dominate her opponents through sheer, crushing force alone. Instead, she calmly perceived her surroundings and seized victory in more refined, efficient ways.
Thus, even at such a critical moment, Gentildonna had ample time to calculate how to proceed from here.
Indeed, Almond Eye's acceleration was ferocious. Although she'd initially lagged slightly behind, she rapidly closed the gap within mere seconds, placing herself directly behind Gentildonna once more—already threatening to overtake.
Yet Gentildonna felt no panic. She simply accelerated further, faster, pouring every ounce of her strength into her stride.
Run with all your speed—this alone is the greatest guarantee of victory in this race…!
Verxina was undeniably strong. Given a different track or more favorable conditions, she might indeed have had a chance at victory. But unfortunately, at the Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse, that chance didn't exist for her today…!
Front-runners always sought to build their advantage early, preserving just enough stamina to secure victory in the last few hundred meters.
Yet even then, countless front-runners had watched helplessly as their lead melted away in those final few hundred meters.
Now, with still 1200 meters left yet already under heavy pressure, Verxina's defeat was practically guaranteed…!
If that's the case, I just need to maintain this pace, right?
Just hold steady…
No further surprises awaited in this race.
As the remaining distance shrank from 1200 meters to just 600, Verxina clearly began to fade. Stamina had always been her weakness, and facing such sudden, intense pressure, sustaining her top speed for even 600 meters had already stretched her limits dangerously thin…!
Yet Verxina still struggled bitterly, unwilling to give in. Biting down on her lip, she forced herself forward despite already reaching her physical limit. Even so, somehow, she still found strength to keep running…!
It wasn't that she'd surpassed her limits; rather, it was pure guts and burning determination fueling her struggle!
"Verxina-san continues to hold on desperately, unwilling to accept her inevitable defeat—but even so, Gentildonna-san has already soared ahead! Almond Eye-san follows closely! With only 600 meters left, Gentildonna-san and Almond Eye-san are running neck and neck, while Verxina-san has begun to fall slightly behind…!"
"The final outcome of this race has become impossible to predict! Just who can endure until the very end? Who will claim first place in this thrilling battle?"
"The finish of this year's Japanese Oaks is so intense, it's impossible to foresee who will win…!"
Indeed, at this very moment, nobody could clearly determine how this race would end. Even Gotham Song, legendary though she was, couldn't provide a definitive answer.
Even Dancing Brave, despite her vastly superior racing experience, wouldn't be able to confidently call the result, would she?
Ultimately, tactics could only maximize the possibility of victory.
Strategy could summon victory—but whether that victory actually appeared was something strategy alone could never guarantee.
So then, where exactly did the true, decisive turning point of this race lie?
To be honest, willpower is a terrifying thing—so vast it could almost be called infinite. Gotham Song knew this better than anyone. After all, it was only through sheer willpower that she'd been able to stand again and complete that world-shaking Great Escape in the rain. And clearly, every Uma Musume who could reach the pinnacle of competition possessed an unbreakable will.
Which meant that even Verxina, now looking utterly spent, might still somehow maintain that overextended state all the way to the finish line and seize victory.
Of course, Gotham Song didn't actually believe Verxina could accomplish such a miracle… because when it came to willpower—
Even if no Uma Musume was weak in spirit—her own Gentildonna's will was so strong it bordered on the unimaginable…!
"Four hundred meters remaining! Verxina-san is still holding on—unbelievable! She hasn't fallen far behind, she's still clinging to a chance at victory! But Gentildonna-san has already begun her charge for the win! There's not a trace of fatigue in her stride—even while maintaining this incredible top speed! What stamina—what a monster of endurance…!"
"But Almond Eye-san won't give up when victory's already within biting distance! Is she going to break through now—force a final surge to escape from Gentildonna-san's side and snatch the win she's been chasing so desperately…?!"
Of course I am!
I'm Almond Eye—the proud Almond Eye, the one who never stops charging toward victory!
Gentildonna… I will defeat you!
A roar.
Almond Eye let out a furious roar that split the air—as if her very will had ignited into fire. At last, she stopped holding herself back, unleashing everything she had. Her acceleration turned savage, so fast it was as though she'd fling the whole world behind her.
Flames—yes, flames—burst suddenly from beneath her hooves, scattering across the grass with each pounding step, blazing proof of her strength in that instant.
At this moment, the one who was invincible—was Almond Eye!
Gotham Song wasn't surprised. Or rather—what was truly surprising wasn't that Almond Eye had triggered a miracle of willpower in this race, but that it had taken her this long to ignite her Zone.
Still, it didn't matter. It wasn't that the Zone was irrelevant in tactical terms—it was just that…
Did you think you were the only Uma Musume with a Zone, Miss Almond Eye?
Every possible outcome had already been calculated for. If Almond Eye intended to open her Zone now and stake everything on one final, all-out duel—then what reason could there be not to answer in kind?
Gotham Song knew Gentildonna perfectly. When faced with a situation like this, her Uma Musume had only one possible response.
If you wish to fight… then fight.
"Gentildonna-san is accelerating too!!! Has Almond Eye-san's determination ignited the battle spirit sleeping within her?! What a scene—look at these two! Such speed, such ferocity—can you even imagine this is the aftermath of over five hundred meters of sprinting already?!"
"If someone had told me this an hour ago—no, even today, before this very moment—I'd have thought they were joking, or insane! But here, at Tokyo Racecourse, in today's Japanese Oaks—audience, witness this miracle with your own eyes! It's real—two Uma Musume, racing at this impossible pace, leaving every other competitor in their dust, battling only each other for victory…!"
"So—who will emerge victorious in this final stretch? Almond Eye-san? Or Gentildonna-san?! It's anyone's guess! Don't blink! The final thirty seconds to decide everything are upon us!!"
Almond Eye's speed was terrifying. Gentildonna's was no less. The two of them—each surrounded by the flames only Uma Musume could see, each blazing with the miracle born of their wish—raced side by side down the track. With just 200 meters left, Almond Eye still held a slight lead.
But Gentildonna showed not a hint of panic. Her expression was calm—so calm it was as if she'd forgotten her own existence.
In truth, the gap between them was slowly shrinking. It wasn't just that Gentildonna was gradually accelerating—Almond Eye's speed was also, imperceptibly, beginning to drop.
Even after igniting her Zone, her stamina and grit had already reached their limits. You're truly a worthy opponent, Miss Almond Eye.
In that case—if this is our first true, all-or-nothing head-on battle, there's only one answer I can give you.
For the first time, Gentildonna let out a piercing, primal roar mid-race. The flames around her body surged to their peak—then suddenly, the chestnut-red figure accelerated even more!
Her powerful body sliced through the air, and even the world around her seemed to shriek under the pressure—
She can still accelerate?!
Almond Eye's eyes widened in disbelief. Yet she clenched her teeth and tried to follow, though her body screamed and her strength was already gone.
She didn't want to face defeat—she couldn't!
But up ahead, Gentildonna—sensing her rival's desperate acceleration—allowed herself a tiny, invisible smile.
Up in the stands, Gotham Song had already risen to her feet, preparing to head to the waiting room to greet her Uma Musume.
Because in that instant, the strategy they'd built against Almond Eye had finally reached its end.
The ultimate killing blow wasn't Gentildonna's sudden burst of speed. That was only the catalyst.
No—the true reason for Almond Eye's defeat…
Was the very same thing every Uma Musume possessed—an unyielding, burning will to win.
You, already burning at your absolute limit—just how much further can you accelerate? For five more seconds? Or for a single, dazzling instant?
It's time, Miss Almond Eye.
Do you still have the reserves—of willpower, of stamina?
Or have you already gone beyond your limits… and begun to collapse?
Heh.
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