"After another year, another group of umamusume gathers to run on this special day!"
"It's time for the [Oka Sho] to begin!"
The cheers that followed shook the entire racecourse. The excitement was no less compared to the [Satsuki Sho] that'd just happened a day ago. If anything, the crowd that'd gathered was even larger in comparison—something that'd never happened previously in history.
And the reason for that was--
"She too had begun together with Oguri Cap, tearing through Kasamatsu with an impressive 10-win streak!"
"The Comet of Kasamatsu, our top favorite—No. 9, Blossom Star!"
Step. Step. Step.
The crowd fell silent as steps echoed from the athlete's tunnel. Powerful, domineering—there wasn't even the slightest of hesitation as the steps slowly grew louder. The reporters who'd prepared their cameras found themselves twitching with anticipation, their fingers trembling as their patience thinned.
And then, out she came.
Blossom Star stepped out of the tunnel, dressed for the first time in her G1 outfit. A white coat draped across her shoulders, nearly extending down to her calves. A belt around her waist, adorned with bronze carvings. Metallic pauldrons on both her shoulders, with a short blue cape flowing behind her as she walked forward.
The entire crowd was frozen solid. Star's outfit was different from what they were used to. Regal, powerful, striking—an outfit more befitting of a hero.
Then the camera flashes came. Dozens of cameras snapped at once, filling the small stage Blossom Star had stepped onto with bright white. The crowd cheered with excitement, their hearts stoked by the new outfit Star wore.
Star didn't offer them a response. She neither flinched or acknowledged the dozens of camera flashes, and her expression remained stoic even as the announcer began introducing the other runners. She simply stared at the race track that lay in the distance, her blue eyes as bright as the clear skies.
But the contrast was what made her all the more striking.
"The [Oka Sho] is soon to begin!"
"All runners are to head for their gates!"
The runners made their way down to the racetrack. The journey was silent with tension. Normally there'd at least be a few sparse conversations, perhaps a few jabs thrown here and there. But instead all eyes were on Blossom Star, and the heroic visage her new outfit granted her.
None of them could manage to stare at her for too long. Some even found their cheeks warming, their hearts unsettled by a new feeling they'd never felt before.
As Blossom Star made it to her gate, she seemed entirely unbothered that she'd been placed into the outer brackets. Normally such a thing would be a detriment to a Frontrunner like her, but everyone knew something so simple wouldn't hold her back. Her Great Escapes remained as dazzling regardless of the circumstances she found herself in.
"All runners have entered their gates!"
At that moment, as the crowd's cheers quieted down, a silent consensus was shared between all the runners.
Blocking Blossom Star was impossible. Forcing her to slow down was impossible. The only way they could attain victory,
Was to overtake her during the final straight!
"1600m in length, a Good track, with clear skies."
"A perfect day for the first leg of the Triple Tiara!"
As for Blossom Star herself, she simply closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.
She had to admit that she was…nervous. Not because she feared loss—she'd never been afraid of that. Rather, it was the fact that she was even here in the first place. Donned in this new outfit she'd gotten made a few weeks back, facing the first leg of the dream she'd gained nearly a year ago.
The world truly worked in strange ways.
"The race is about to begin!"
The racecourse fell entirely silent. The world itself held its breath, waiting for that destined moment when the gates would open.
One second.
Two seconds.
And then--
Bang!
"The gates have opened-!"
"No. 9, Blossom Star immediately takes the lead! She's immediately charging ahead!"
"The Comet soars forward…!"
As expected, Blossom Star began her race with her usual Great Escape, immediately leaving behind the rest of the runners. Merely seconds after the gates slammed open, she'd built a lead of 3 lengths over the 2nd place. And that gap continued to grow as Star kept charging forward at maximum speed.
The crowd cheered at the impressive display. Just like always, watching Blossom Star throttle forward never got boring! Not only that, but her new outfit added a heroic valor to her figure. She practically looked like a heroic knight, charging forward to face her enemies!
"We're entering the second straight!"
"Blossom Star is still 4 lengths in the lead!"
Ara Hotoku—currently in 2nd place, narrowed her eyes as she watched Blossom Star's back.
Something was…different. She'd spent many days watching previous recordings of Blossom Star's victory—she was more than familiar with the soul-crushing scenes her Great Escape creates.
The Great Escape was a powerful tactic, but it was equally risky. It was perhaps the most stamina-intensive way an umamusume could race, and not only that, the immediate acceleration that occurred meant that they would quickly reach their maximum speed, usually around the middle of the second straight.
Blossom Star was no different. She normally reached a stable speed the moment she entered the second straight, and only began accelerating again during the last spurt.
But-!
"She's…still going faster?" Ara Hotoku whispered. She didn't understand how. How could she still run even faster!? The acceleration was minor, but added over the entire second straight, the effect was more than noticeable!
And then a thought appeared in her mind, and a deep chill coursed through her veins.
Runners who employed a Great Escape would've reached their maximum speed by this point of the race. Blossom Star was not exempt from this.
Unless this wasn't a Great Escape.
"We've entered the third corner!"
It sounded impossible, but it became more and more likely the more she thought about it. And with that in mind, she realized that her chance of victory was essentially zero if she remained as passive as she was now.
She needed to accelerate!
"No.2, Ara Hotoku is accelerating!"
"The lead Blossom Star built is quickly shrinking!"
Ara Hotoku quickly shot forward, and at her speed, she would overtake the lead just as she and Blossom Star were to enter the fourth corner. She could spot a few runners behind her beginning to accelerate as well, but they were still too far to make any difference.
Blossom Star kept slowly accelerating, seemingly unbothered even as only one length remained between her and Ara Hotoku.
And so, inevitably, Ara Hotoku took the lead for herself just as the two entered the fourth corner.
"Ara Hotoku has taken the lead!"
"Can Blossom Star retake the lead!?"
But just as she took the lead, she felt only dread. It was too easy. Blossom Star offered no resistance in the slightest! Her acceleration didn't change even as Ara Hotoku continued running forward, widening her lead.
No, something was very wrong…!
"We've entered the final straight!"
"200m left! Can Blossom Star-?"
Then, something shifted.
Unseen by everyone, the air around Blossom Star's armored boots seemed to warp, as if twisted by some powerful source of heat. The turf below curved like putty every time her foot hit the ground, as if the dirt itself was on the verge of melting.
Only Ara Hotoku felt the change, though even she was unknowing as to why. All she knew was that the air suddenly felt incredibly hot, as if she was standing right next to a heater.
A breath left Star's lips,
And then she grinned widely as she stomped down hard.
{Competitive Spirit ◎}, {In Body and Mind}, and {Front Runner Savvy ◎} all activated at once!
"Blossom Star finally accelerates-!"
"T-That's-! She's running like-!"
"So fast! She's retaken the lead!"
To Ara Hotoku, it happened in an instant. One moment she was just about to begin accelerating, then suddenly a white blur had sped right past her. The next thing she knew, Blossom Star had retaken the lead, their gap growing with terrifying speed. She could hardly believe her own eyes.
"100m is-! 50m left!"
"Heh…" Ara Hotoku could only sigh ruefully, watching as Star shot forward. She thought all her studying and training could've prepared her to at least try and challenge The Comet of Kasamatsu.
Alas, it was her folly to believe she could catch up to a shooting star.
"Blossom Star crosses the finish line!"
"The [Oka Sho] has its victor!"
For a moment, the crowd couldn't even make a sound, too stunned by what they'd just seen. The acceleration Blossom Star had shown was nothing like she'd shown before. It was too fast, too sudden, too domineering.
Then, as Blossom Star slowed to a stop, she turned to the audience that'd watched her victory.
She smiled as she raised a single finger into the air.
It was a pose many were familiar with; a pose Symboli Rudolf had shown when she achieved her victory at the [Satsuki Sho].
Blossom Star had declared her intent to the world.
She aimed for the Triple Tiara!
The racecourse immediately shook as thousands of people cheered at Blossom Star's daring declaration.