Though I'd seen it happen once before, this feeling was really...
From a deserted corner, without any warning, a black Uma Musume appeared out of nowhere.
Those golden eyes made Hishi Amazon feel as if a knife were pressed against her spine, sending a chill through her entire body.
Was this what Narita Brian had experienced?
No... that's not it, it's completely different!
Last time, this Uma Musume had been charging far ahead at the front, but this time, she was clinging to the very back of the race, with an enormous gap even between her and the last runner in the main pack.
Fifteen... seventeen, yes, seventeen lengths! That same Uma Musume who had led so dominantly in the [Japanese Derby] was now trailing the last-place runner by seventeen lengths!
What in the world was she trying to do?!
--+--
Meanwhile, the security guard standing in the entrance tunnel nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the Uma Musume suddenly appear on the track.
A crackling sound came from the communicator on his belt, followed by the frantic, almost hysterical shouting of the racecourse manager.
"Holy crap, holy crap! Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
The voice grew louder as if the manager was running closer, then he yelled into the radio:
"You idiot! What are you doing! Why is she here again—!"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on the guard's forehead. A sense of dread creeping over him, he hurriedly explained, "I've been stationed here the whole time, I haven't seen anyone pass through. I have no idea how she got there."
"No idea? Did she sprout out of the ground or something!?"
The manager was clearly beside himself with rage. "After the race, don't let anyone leave, you hear me? Anyone!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
With that, the other end cut off, presumably rushing to the scene.
The fallout from the last incident hadn't even settled, and now the same thing had happened again. As the manager of this racecourse, he could talk until he was blue in the face and no one would believe him.
Damn it all! Why did it have to be Tokyo Racecourse? Why not go to Hanshin, or Hakodate, or Nakayama, anywhere else! With so many racecourses in Japan, why did she have to pick on his!
Before the manager could take more than a couple of steps, his cell phone rang.
The sound was like a vengeful spirit coming to claim him, freezing him in his tracks.
He didn't even need to check the caller ID to know who it was.
Who else would be calling at a time like this...?
His hand trembling uncontrollably, he pulled out the phone and stared, shakily, at the screen.
— 'Chairman of the Central Association'
I'm done for! Completely finished! It's all over!
It was easy to guess now what the 'assistant staff' the Central Association had sent to Tokyo Racecourse after the last incident were really there for.
He hadn't even filed a report yet, and they had already gone over his head and reported directly to his superiors.
Staring at the incessantly ringing phone, the manager gritted his teeth, his finger hovering over the 'decline' button.
Just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and hang up, the thought of his unfinished mortgage payments flashed sharply through his mind.
Beep—
"M-Mr. Chairman..."
"Listen, and do exactly as I say!"
"Yes—!"
--+--
Out on the track, after the initial wave of shocked cries from the crowd, the race settled back into a rhythm.
The runners in the back of the pack had also noticed the uninvited guest.
After a moment of surprise, they recognized her as the mysterious, unnamed Uma Musume who had crushed everyone with her overwhelming power in the Derby.
She had actually appeared again!
But why was she in that position?
It was so far back...
An immense distance behind the last runner in the pack.
She had broken from the starting gate a full five seconds after everyone else.
Although whether she even needed a starting gate was debatable, the time deficit was very real.
Averaged out, by the time she started running, the pack was already over sixty meters ahead. Even with the burst of acceleration she'd used to catch up somewhat, she was still maintaining a gap of about ten lengths to the last runner—and nearly thirty lengths to the leader!
Even for a strong closer, it would be incredibly difficult to make up such a terrifying gap.
Especially on a slippery, heavy track like this, where accelerating was tough.
What was the point of joining the race under these conditions?
Moreover, the farther back you were, the worse the track conditions got.
The ground, churned up by the hooves of nine Uma Musume, was already rough and pockmarked. The slightest misstep could mean twisting an ankle on a divot or a bump.
And when Uma Musume ran at such high speeds, the damage from a twisted ankle was far more severe than anything a human could imagine. Didn't she understand the danger?
Hishi Amazon glanced sideways, watching the black figure chasing behind.
As her foot landed, her body wobbled sharply, but she used her upper body to stabilize herself, dissipating the sideways momentum, and then proceeded to take the next stride without losing any speed.
This girl...
Hishi Amazon's heart gave a sudden, powerful thump.
She had thought that dazzling speed displayed in the Derby was the full extent of her ability. But to think—
She even knew how to handle a heavy track.
What a promising rival!
Hishi Amazon's heart began to pound faster and faster. A fiercely competitive light shone in her crimson eyes.
She had been so fired up watching Narita Brian's race!
And now, finally, she had her own chance to compete against the Uma Musume who was the talk of the town. How could she not be excited?
A five-second delay was unfair, but still!
I would never go easy or wait for you in a race!
The battle at the front of the pack was heating up.
In the stands, spectators who had been hoping to see the black Uma Musume were chatting excitedly.
"No good, I can't see her at all!" a voice cut through the crowd, frustrated.
No one pays attention to the starting gate after the break; all eyes are on the runners on the track.
By the time anyone noticed, she had already appeared at the rear of the field.
"Dammit..." The journalist ruffled his hair in frustration, then forced his focus back onto the official race.
After a few moments, the buzz surrounding the black Uma Musume died down considerably.
Unlike her stunning front-running debut, she was now lurking at the very back of the pack, maintaining her distance without showing any intention of accelerating or overtaking.
"Isn't she going to move?" people asked, confused.
"Pass them! Black Uma Musume, use that speed you're so proud of!"
"Go on—!" they shouted.
But such cheers quickly drew disapproval from others.
"Hey! She's an unauthorized participant! How can you be cheering for her?"
"Regardless, this is an official race. She shouldn't even be on the track in the first place."
"That's right. This kind of behavior, randomly disrupting order, should be condemned."
It wasn't just the fans; even the race commentator completely ignored the suddenly-appearing black Uma Musume, focusing his commentary solely on the other competitors.
"They are now entering the first uphill section. Biko Pegasus is accelerating! Biko Pegasus overtakes her rivals to take the lead! Truly worthy of our 'Hero'! 'The Great' Hishi Amazon remains positioned in seventh place, biding her time."
It seemed the Central Association had decided to ignore the black Uma Musume entirely, using this method to minimize the impact of her presence.
--+--
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.