"Ah, look, Nearl! It's the uphill running form I taught her!"
Suddenly, Berno Light exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the track while unconsciously tugging at the sleeve of Nearl, who stood beside her.
"That's Oguri Cap, right?"
Truth be told, Berno Light didn't need to urge her; Nearl had been closely watching the race all along.
"Quite a distinctive way of tackling the slope. Did you tailor it specifically for Oguri Cap's physique, Berno?"
After just a glance at Oguri Cap's posture, she understood everything.
"Extremely rapid stride, tucked knees, and a posture lower than anyone else's—this perfectly utilizes the flexibility of Oguri's knees. You've put a lot of thought into this, Berno-senpai."
Nearl didn't hold back her praise, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Berno Light, who had been quite spirited moments before, now looked utterly deflated.
"Haha, right. I guess I just don't have any talent after all. I spent the whole night preparing, carefully analyzing the data, and Oguri mastered it in a single run. And you, Nearl, are even more unbelievable—you understood it all with just one look."
"Not at all, Berno-senpai. You've put your heart into helping Oguri. Sincerity isn't something that can be measured in levels."
Nearl gently comforted her senior, whose confidence had taken a hit, all while keeping her eyes on the track.
"Dicta Striker... she's bleeding."
Nearl said with concern, and the moment the words left her mouth, the large screen broadcasted Dicta Striker's gruesome condition.
The spectators were stunned into silence by the sight, and for a moment, the entire racecourse grew noticeably quieter.
--+--
"Tch! The impact was worse than I thought."
Dicta Striker tried to wipe away the steadily flowing blood with her hand, but the wound was far more severe than she had anticipated. The bleeding simply wouldn't stop.
So, she gave up on the futile effort and focused entirely on the opponents ahead.
'Let it bleed. At least it won't affect the race for now.'
"All the Uma Musume have passed the second turn! The pace remains very steady."
"Still leading at the front, without a doubt, is Road Royal, holding a lead of a length and a half over the entire field!"
"Oguri Cap remains quietly positioned in the middle, while Tamamo Cross stays at the rear. Everyone is doing their best to maintain the rhythm."
'Maintaining the rhythm? What a joke. They're just trapped in the rhythm, forced to keep pace.'
Super Creek sneered at the idea. She knew the situation all too well.
"But even if I understand, there's nothing I can do. If I try to break this atmosphere, I'll instantly become everyone's target."
She bit her lip anxiously, cold sweat gradually trickling down her forehead.
'As expected of the Arima Kinen. Every one of them is among the strongest of the strong. Not a single opening.'
--+--
"But I believe in you, Creek."
Far away in the stands, Nase Fumino rested her hands on the railing, her expression calm.
"In terms of pure speed, you can't match Tamamo Cross; in explosive power, you're no match for Dicta Striker. But there are a few things where you rank among the very best, even among these thirteen Uma Musume."
"Endurance, positional awareness... and most importantly, judgment."
Fumino's eyes were locked on Creek's bounding figure, as if trying to send her thoughts across the distance.
"Don't let the race's atmosphere sway you."
--+--
Meanwhile, the Kasamatsu quartet.
"Strange, Oguri Cap doesn't seem to have any intention of accelerating?"
Fujimasa March voiced her confusion, and Mini the Lady beside her nodded in agreement.
"Right, her running feels odd. Tamamo Cross and Dicta Striker aren't speeding up either."
Regardless of what Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross were thinking, Dicta Striker truly had no energy left to consider a sprint.
'Dammit, I can't see the track clearly.'
Dicta Striker squinted in pain. The blood had stained her eyeball, casting a crimson haze over her vision.
'And blurred vision is the least of my problems. If I keep losing blood like this, even my breathing will be affected.'
"Hah... stay calm. Assess the situation."
She forced a deep breath, steadying her mind.
'Oguri Cap is in seventh place, with Creek right behind her. Tamamo Cross is just ahead of me, and Road Royal is still leading.'
'Should I make my move now? Or wait for the right moment? This is the final stretch. A misjudgment now...'
"Honestly, this is hard to watch."
A cold voice cut through the air from ahead. Though it was barely more than a mutter, every Uma Musume on the track heard that dissatisfied rebuke.
"You want to take it slow? Save your energy for the final turn? How pathetic! Just who do you think your opponents are?!"
Intense emotion and mental pressure exploded outward. A white lightning bolt seemed to strike down from the heavens, its thunderous roar shaking every competitor.
"If you lack the resolve to go all out, then don't stand in my way! I won't have my retirement race end in such a lukewarm fashion!"
[White Lightning]
Dazzling arcs of lightning crackled around her form. The electric light in her eyes felt tangible, a raw, naked violence that swept across the entire track.
"If you want to be timid, go ahead! But I'm accelerating! I'll tear this useless atmosphere to shreds!"
Power surged through her legs as if lightning itself were erupting beneath her feet. The grey figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
"Incredible! Incredible! Tamamo Cross isn't waiting for the final turn! She's accelerating right on the backstretch!"
"So fast! So fast! She's overtaking them one after another!"
"Eek! Stay away!"
The Uma Musume ahead of her felt their pupils contract. Some even began to panic, sprinting forward recklessly.
It was as if slowing down for even a second would mean being struck by that lightning.
"Oguri Cap! Still not speeding up? I've got my eyes on your spot!"
Her fierce gaze locked onto the only opponent she truly acknowledged ahead. Tamamo Cross grinned widely.
"It's been too long since my body felt this light. I'm feeling fantastic right now. Get complacent, and you'll lose badly."
"Heh."
It was as if Oguri Cap had heard Tamamo Cross's declaration. A knowing smile appeared on her face.
"Not gonna let you catch me."
Oguri Cap said abruptly. The seemingly random remark drew a confused look from Super Creek, who was running right behind her.
But Creek soon had no time for confusion.
[Grey Monster]
A sensation completely opposite to the startling thunder. A dark, oppressive terror swirled ahead, bringing a pressure entirely different from Tamamo Cross's.
"Why is there another one of them here?!"
The other Uma Musume screamed internally, wishing they had two extra legs to put as much distance as possible between themselves and these two monsters.
"Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap is starting her sprint too! As if they planned it together, they're gradually catching up to the others!"
"Come and settle this with me!" / "See? This is how I like to run."
Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap spoke in unison.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.