The crowd roared, and the world went white as dozens of camera flashes erupted at once.
Oguri Cap frowned slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "Bright…" She wasn't sure why everyone was so excited; all she'd done was wear a new outfit. Was it really something that incredible?
But Uncle Musaka had told her that this was important, so she didn't complain.
"Oguri-san."
"...?" She turned and saw Yaeno Muteki walking towards her. She too was dressed in her special racing outfit; a cross between a yukata and a battle-ready gi. She tilted her head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"
Muteki's lips twitched for a moment, but she then took a deep breath. "I will defeat you." She said with confidence. Her claim was clearly heard, because the parade was suddenly beset by another onslaught of camera flashes.
"Oi, oi. Don't go hogging her to yourself!" Dicta Striker said as she boldly stepped onto the stage, also dressed in her own special racing outfit—a bright yellow punk-style hoodie over a black crop top. "You're not the only one with a score to settle?"
Oguri blinked. "We had a score?"
Dicta just snorted. "It's a metaphor, you doof." She grinned as she pointed a finger straight at Oguri. "Anyway, don't think this'll be easy, Oguri! We'll show you the power of Central!"
"...but I'm also a student of Tracen Central…?"
Dicta sighed. "Man, everything just flies over you, huh?"
Sakura Chiyono O giggled as she stepped onto the stage, dressed in a free-flowing sakura-themed kimono. She quickly backed away when Dicta glared at her. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to laugh!" She then shook her head before giving Oguri a determined smile. "You're amazing, Oguri-senpai. But I'll be the one to win!"
Oguri stared at the three. They were…friends? Yes, friends. She liked them. Liked talking and running with them. And now she was going to race them.
Slowly, a smile curled her lips.
A wide, fierce smile.
Immediately, a powerful pressure filled the air. The crowd felt a chill creep up their spine at the powerful pressure Oguri exuded, and only the boldest reporters were capable of mustering enough courage to snap a few images.
"All runners are now to head for their gates!"
Dicta smiled with grit teeth. "There it is." She returned a cocky smile of her own. "Let's battle it out on the track, you monster!"
Yaeno Muteki nodded solemnly. "Let us go."
Sakura Chiyono O smiled. "Let's go together, Oguri-senpai!"
Oguri nodded. And together they made their way to the gates. The other participants were in the midst of stretching when they arrived, and all eyes immediately turned their way. Oguri met them fearlessly, causing many to quickly look away.
They all separated as they headed for their own gates. Oguri did a few quick stretches before she headed for the third bracket. Being the No. 3 wasn't the most favorable position, but she'd dealt with worse.
The gates clicked shut behind her, and she took a deep breath. The warmth of the midday sun, the smell of the turf, the slow winds that blew by;
She grinned.
This was what she lived for.
"All runners have entered their gates!"
Dicta Striker leisurely cracked her neck as she glanced at Oguri. She smirked when she saw the smile Oguri had, and she felt her own excitement rising. Just like others, she wanted nothing more than to beat Oguri in this race. To be the first to topple The Beast herself. And if she happened to win the [Satsuki Sho] while doing it? Even better.
Yaeno Muteki kept her eyes closed. She knew full well that this would be a challenge unlike any others. Oguri had been indomitable when they last raced in the [Mainichi Hai], and she knew Oguri had only grown stronger since. But, though victory seemed near impossible, she would not back down.
Sakura Chiyono shook slightly, having been placed in the gate right next to Oguri's. She could feel Oguri's overwhelming presence at full force, and she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. "I can do this." She whispered to herself, before she quickly gave her cheeks a light slap. "I can do this!"
"The race is about to begin!"
The crowd fell silent. Eager. Anticipating. The winds went quiet, and the short grass turf stilled. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
One.
Two.
Bang!
"The gates have opened! All runners have gotten to a good start!"
12 umamusume charged forward the moment the gates slammed open. Some immediately began vying for the lead, while the rest remained at the back, carefully observing one another as they got into position.
And inevitably, their eyes soon fell onto Oguri Cap, who'd settled right at 9th place.
They knew Oguri Cap was undoubtedly the most dangerous in this race. If she was allowed even a single moment to unleash her devastatingly powerful acceleration, the race was essentially over.
Which meant the only way to attain victory was to stop her from moving at all!
"We've just reached the first corner!"
"No.9, Dicta Striker has just taken the lead!"
Dicta grinned as she passed the previous first place. "Too easy!" Her heart swelled as she settled into the lead, but she didn't let herself grow complacent. She knew that the real monster was still lying in wait, and she needed to conserve as much stamina as she could for the final straight.
Muteki was just behind her. She focused on maintaining her breathing as her ears turned, anticipating for the moment when that thundering step would sound like a war drum. She'd experienced Oguri's incredible last spurt first-hand, and so she knew how important it was to prepare for that moment.
Chiyono O was right in the middle, taking fifth place. Her eyes remained fixed forward, her mind clear of anything but all the things her trainer had taught her before this race. It was still early in the race—she just had to maintain her speed until the third corner!
Oguri remained in ninth place. She seemed entirely unbothered even as the runners in front of her practically formed an uncrossable wall.
"We've finally entered the second straight!"
"Dicta Striker remains in the lead, with Yaeno Muteki just behind her!"
"Oguri Cap is in ninth-, no, tenth place!"
Oguri furrowed her brows. Even now, a few of the runners remained right in front of her, refusing to accelerate even though they were about to enter the third corner.
Were they trying to block her, even if it meant losing themselves?
So be it.
"We're entering the third corner! Right now-"
"Oguri Cap has fallen to last place!"
Dicta Striker felt her heart jump as she heard the announcer's words. "Oh, that's not good." She chuckled, though she felt no joy. The news might sound good for her, but she knew better. If Oguri had chosen to fall to last-
She grit her teeth. Her previous plan could no longer work. She needed to accelerate now!
"What's this!? Dicta Striker has begun accelerating!"
Yaeno Muteki's eyes widened as she saw the gap between her and Dicta grow. But the surprise didn't last long, and though the gap continued to widen, she refused to accelerate. She needed all that stamina she had for the final straight.
Meanwhile, Chiyono O began advancing, though not because she'd begun accelerating. Rather, some of the other runners had begun slowing down, either to conserve stamina or because they'd exhausted themselves entirely.
Oguri remained in last. Her eyes gleamed.
"We're in the fourth corner! 600m is left!"
"Dicta Striker is 6 lengths ahead! Is she trying to leave everyone behind!?"
Dicta scoffed. As if! She'd rather not burn through her stamina like this, but she needed to extend her lead as much as possible before-
Then, every runner on the track felt it.
An oppressive weight pressed down on them all. Those who'd been preparing to accelerate suddenly felt their legs stiffen, as if their feet had turned lead. Meanwhile, those who were running fumes suddenly gasped, their legs and minds suddenly beset by an otherworldly presence.
Nearly 3 lengths behind the 11th place, Oguri leaned forward, her body nearly perpendicular to the ground. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath. The world seemed to narrow.
Her right leg lifted.
And down it went.
STOMP!
The turf behind her cracked apart as she exploded forward. Oguri flew forward at terrifying speed, and in mere moments, she began overtaking the other runners.
11th, 10th, 9th, 7th-
6th, 5th, 4th-!
"I-Incredible! Oguri Cap has reached 4th place just as we're entering the final straight!"
"It didn't matter that she was blocked! It didn't matter that she was last!"
"The Beast advances!"
Chiyono O's composure shattered, and her eyes trembled just as she caught sight of Oguri running past her, the sunlight bending around the debris she left behind with every stomp, seeming to twist into rings of light. "I-, won't…!" She began accelerating to try and catch up, but her pupils shrunk in terror when she realized that the gap wasn't shrinking in the slightest.
"300m left! Oguri Cap continues to accelerate!"
Muteki screamed as she ran as fast as she could. She could her Oguri's thundering steps growing louder and louder by the second, and though her legs burnt, she forced herself to run-
But it was too late. Oguri Cap ran right past her, and the sheer winds that blew as she went past nearly caused Muteki to stumble. Thankfully, she managed to keep herself from falling, but it caused her to fall to 4th place.
"200m left! Oguri Cap is still accelerating!"
"Just how fast is she!?"
Dicta laughed as she heard the announcer's words. "Real fast, that's what." She whispered. The exhaustion from her early acceleration had finally caught up to her, and she could only scoff at her own foolishness as she watched Oguri run right past her.
She clicked her tongue, a somber smile on her lips. "Man, this sucks."
"100m left! Oguri Cap is in the lead-!"
"S-She's still accelerating! She's going even faster…!"
Even though she'd finally taken the lead, Oguri didn't slow down. Didn't think about slowing down for even a moment.
"They'll try to block you." Musaka had told her a few days back. "You're the star everyone needs to drag down. Even if they have to lose, if they can stop you for even a moment, that would be more than enough."
"So blow them right from the outside." Musaka said with a smirk. "Get yourself enough space, and then run as fast as you can."
Oguri smiled. "It's a good thing the tracks here are so wide."
Then,
"Oguri Cap crosses the finish line!"
"An astounding lead of nearly 7 lengths!"
"A true monster has taken the [Satsuki Sho]!"