"Still, this is a rare experience. Hearing those urgent footsteps right behind me gives me the motivation to push even harder."
The power of the Domain continued to pour into Suzuka's body.
Normally, this would have caused the Domain to shrink rapidly, but Nearl's constant infusion of energy maintained it.
This, of course, consumed her own stamina and focus. While the toll wasn't significant enough for Nearl to pay it much mind, the slight drain was undeniably real.
If she had to support the Domains of ten or more Uma Musume simultaneously, that's when Nearl would face a burden too substantial to ignore.
So compared to that, her current, relatively slower running speed was the real source of Nearl's frustration.
Unlike Centaurea, Nearl's top speed was actually just on par with that of a normal Uma Musume—well, the legendary ones, anyway.
It wasn't exceptionally outstanding.
Her key advantage lay in her seemingly endless endurance, which allowed her to maintain her limit speed throughout the entire race, unlike other Uma Musume who could only sprint in bursts due to stamina constraints.
On the other hand, she required a considerable distance to accelerate and reach her peak speed.
Based on her own experience, she needed about 1300 meters—a not-so-short stretch.
That's why this mile race was arguably the hardest distance for Nearl to adapt to.
With a total length of 1600 meters, Nearl needed to use 1300 of them just to hit her top speed.
Compared to those races of 2000 meters or even 2500 meters, this was far too brief.
But for Silence Suzuka, this was her strongest distance.
'The trainer said speed is my greatest asset, but my stamina isn't plentiful enough to let me do as I please. That's why the mile is my specialty—a distance where I can fully unleash my speed to build a lead, without exhausting myself and hitting a wall.'
'Now, only 600 meters to the finish line. That earlier breather let me store up a good amount of stamina, enough for the final sprint.'
Her posture lowered, her arms swung with greater amplitude, and her strides lengthened and quickened.
In that moment, Silence Suzuka seemed to be charging straight into the wind.
One length, two lengths... the orange figure chased after the golden presence ahead. The final chase scene of the Kikuka Sho was replaying itself right here.
But unlike the 2200-meter Kikuka Sho, this time Nearl wasn't pulling further away. Instead, Suzuka was gradually closing the gap.
'I can do it! I'm almost there!'
Her vision filled entirely with gold, Suzuka pushed forward with everything she had.
"Oh! Silence Suzuka begins her sprint! What incredible speed! The Uma Musume behind can't keep up at all!"
"Meanwhile, Nearl's pace seems to be faltering slightly! The distance between her and Silence Suzuka is shrinking! Six lengths! Five lengths!"
"Is this really happening? Could the Radiant Knight be facing her first defeat here?!"
The commentator's words sparked panic. In the stands, complaints, cries of disbelief, and cheers all mingled into a chaotic uproar.
The media broadcast naturally reached viewers outside the stadium as well, including the spectators' reactions.
"Tch. No matter how much time passes, these so-called fans are always so annoying—placing their own expectations on others, shamelessly claiming the Uma Musume's glory as their own, and then feeling betrayed when they fail."
Mr. C.B. looked at the spectators with disdain.
In her career, she'd seen more than enough of their kind. No Uma Musume understood the pettiness and ugliness of such people better than she did.
"Yeah. All the glory comes from these girls' own hard work. But some people, after loudly proclaiming themselves fans, have the gall to treat it as their own personal honor."
"They even feel entitled to criticize other Uma Musume. And now, at the first sign of possible failure, they're the first to complain."
A staff member nearby grumbled in agreement. And it wasn't just her; everyone around was nodding along.
"But speaking of which, what's going on here?"
The staff member who had scolded Mr. C.B. earlier reluctantly tore her eyes away from the TV, a look of confusion on her face.
"Why is everyone crowding around to watch the TV? It's so cramped! Is it really okay for all of you to just abandon your work like this?"
"Look who's talking. We're all Uma Musume here—no need to nitpick."
"Urk!"
She was left speechless.
"Hey, look! Has Suzuka stopped gaining? Did she slow down, or did little Nearl speed up?"
Suddenly, an employee who had been glued to the race shouted, drawing everyone's attention back to the screen.
Back on the track, the situation had shifted.
'The distance... it's increasing?'
Suzuka, who had closed the gap to four lengths, suddenly realized something was wrong.
The figure ahead wasn't getting any larger, which meant the distance was no longer shrinking.
'Did my speed drop?'
But the unexpectedly smooth, effortless feeling coursing through her body denied that thought.
Before today, Suzuka had never experienced such ease in a race. She was certain this was the peak of her performance so far.
'So if it's not me... then Nearl got faster?'
Realizing this, a sour tang rose in her throat, even though she'd known from the start her chances of winning weren't great.
"Looks like this race is still Nearl's victory. If even Suzuka's sprint can't catch her, then there's no chance. I thought 1600 meters would be enough, but it seems we'd need to shorten the distance even more to have a shot at beating Nearl."
In the spectator seats nearby, a man sucking on a lollipop let out a resigned sigh. His earlier excitement had vanished the moment he saw Nearl's speed surpass Suzuka's, bringing him face-to-face with reality.
"1600 meters still isn't enough? What if Suzuka improves a bit more?"
"Or maybe we should look for even shorter races, like 1400 meters? Though if it's too short, Suzuka will struggle too..."
"I don't think Nearl will participate in another mile race."
A woman's voice suddenly cut in, though the man showed no surprise.
"Oh, it's you, Hana. Well, I don't think so either. At least not before she completes the Triple Crown."
"Kitahara Jo is probably going to face a lot of criticism after this. After all, he made the entry decision that nearly cost Nearl her Undefeated Triple Crown honor. Public opinion won't let him off easy."
"Ha! Let the kid sweat it out. It won't kill him. Consider it the price for his luck."
Okino said with a tone full of bitterness.
As the two conversed, the race reached its conclusion. Just before the finish line, the golden radiance flashed as usual.
"Nearl! The Radiant Knight crosses the line first! As expected, first place still belongs to the Radiant Knight! There was never any other option!"
"Even with a lead of only nine lengths, it was still a breathtakingly thrilling race!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.