Time passed.
The light drizzle gradually became a downpour.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
The pounding footsteps of sixteen Umamusume echoed across the course.
Above them, serpents of lightning danced wildly through the heavens. Below, thunder exploded beneath the runners' racing shoes!
Yet as the race continued, the world-class champions at the rear felt their hearts sinking lower and lower.
They stared at the two distant figures ahead, silhouettes that seemed forever beyond their reach.
These Umamusume had been virtually invincible in their respective countries ever since their debuts. For the first time in their lives, they understood what it truly meant to be weak...
"The runners have passed the eight-hundred-meter marker!"
The commentator strained to make herself heard over the roar of a hundred thousand spectators.
"McQueen remains in the lead, with Suave Dancer half a length behind in second!"
"Elmaamul is third, seven lengths back and leading the second pack! Generous is fourth, still running alongside Elmaamul. Is she really not ready to accelerate and begin her pursuit?"
After briefly reporting the positions of the runners, the commentator focused her attention on the front once more.
"McQueen and Suave Dancer continue their relentless battle for the lead! However, their pace has eased somewhat compared to their explosive start. It appears they intend to preserve some stamina for their final showdown!"
"The two of them are now charging toward the third turn at the top of the long uphill stretch at a truly terrifying speed!"
The race had now entered its middle phase, bringing the runners to the section of the course roughly one kilometer from the finish line.
A long slope stretched upward before them.
The course began to rise gradually here.
The incline itself was not particularly steep.
However, for Umamusume who had already been sprinting at high speed for nearly a kilometer, every inch of elevation drained even more of their stamina.
That was especially true under these terrible conditions.
It was almost as though the heavens themselves were determined to heighten the drama surrounding this legendary race.
"Rumble!"
Thunder suddenly boomed.
Rain poured from the sky, forming a vast curtain like a waterfall descending from the heavens. Every spectator and Umamusume at the racecourse furrowed their brow.
Water flowed down the sloping turf, gathering into shallow puddles in the lower sections of the course.
The rain did not merely rob the runners of body heat.
Every time their feet struck the ground, their racing shoes sank deep into the muddy turf.
They needed twenty to thirty percent more strength than they would on firm ground beneath clear skies just to wrench their feet free and take their next step.
All these factors combined meant that the runners had expended far more stamina over this first kilometer than they normally would.
At the end of this long slope lay the entrance to the third turn.
The turn was rapidly approaching.
Yet the two figures at the front showed no sign of slowing down.
"Huff... Hah..."
Perhaps because of her earlier struggle against McQueen, Suave Dancer's breathing had become slightly ragged.
However, the smile on her face only grew more exuberant.
She could feel that her body was in unbelievably good condition.
Every muscle contracted and relaxed without the slightest resistance. Every time she kicked against the ground, she could feel an abundance of force surging back through her legs.
"Thank you, Trainer Kuroha. And... McQueen!"
She whispered the words within her heart before turning toward the girl beside her.
McQueen's stride remained perfectly steady.
Her breathing had not fallen out of rhythm in the slightest. Her long purple hair streamed behind her in a straight line amid the howling wind.
Mud had splattered across her pure-white racing outfit, yet it did nothing to diminish her effortless elegance.
"So you still have plenty left."
Suave Dancer glanced at her from the corner of her eye and sighed softly.
The race was nearly halfway over, yet she still could not see through McQueen's running style at all.
The gap between them remained half a length.
That mere half-length felt like an uncrossable chasm.
If this continued, Suave Dancer would undoubtedly lose!
"Haa..."
Having realized that, Suave Dancer slowly exhaled, and her gaze gradually sharpened.
"Then let's give it a try!"
Drip.
A single droplet struck the surface of a pitch-black lake.
Suave Dancer's figure appeared within the lake of her heart once more.
The moment she emerged, the dark inner lake underwent a sudden transformation.
Black and white surged into existence, intertwining with one another.
Then, like boiling magma, a brilliant crimson-gold radiance emerged from the singularity where those two colors converged.
The light transformed the once-monotonous inner lake into a dazzling spectacle.
Yet Suave Dancer paid no attention to the changes around her.
Her gaze remained fixed upon the colossal gate standing at the center of the lake, an immense structure that radiated an ancient, desolate presence.
She was different from Generous and the others.
Only when their convictions and willpower burned to their absolute limits could they summon this gate and attempt to force open the smallest crack.
But Suave Dancer could kick the stone gate wide open whenever she wished!
"If I enter [World] now, I might be able to catch McQueen during the middle phase... but I'd still lose, wouldn't I?"
Suave Dancer placed one hand on her hip and raised her head to gaze at the towering gate with a smile.
Wasting precious stamina at the wrong moment merely to seize an advantage that could never guarantee victory was utterly foolish.
Suave Dancer was no fool.
Therefore, there was only one thing she wanted to do...
Tap.
Suave Dancer placed her palm against the stone gate and closed her eyes.
The streams of light surrounding her suddenly erupted into violent motion!
"I only managed to stand here because of your help, McQueen."
"If I don't show you everything I'm capable of now, how could I ever repay the faith you placed in me?"
"Just this once, lend me your power!"
...
Back in the real world, at the highest level of the grandstand...
Noticing the change in Suave Dancer, Kuroha furrowed his brow and turned toward the gray-haired girls beside him, each of whom wore a diamond-shaped headpiece.
"Oguri?"
Oguri hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Mm! It's very similar. She's using it differently, but it's fundamentally the same thing."
"I see..."
Understanding dawned on Kuroha's face. He turned back toward the front of the race, staring in astonishment as Suave Dancer's aura continued to swell.
"To think she could reach this stage entirely on her own..."
"You really have surprised me, Suave Dancer."
"However..."
Kuroha sighed softly and shook his head.
"Even this advantage won't be enough to completely overcome the difference in technique."
"And even if it could, how long would she be able to maintain it?"
Kuroha looked at Oguri's adorably blank expression.
"After all, we already have a proven example right here."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]