"A sense of resentment??" Tamamo Cross, closest to Road Royal, instantly picked up the emotional turbulence ahead. "Did she get pushed into emotional collapse by the pressure from me and Oguri?"
Once the thought formed, Road Royal's behavior in her eyes became completely irrational.
"I get it. It is uncomfortable to be marked the whole way," Tamamo Cross muttered lightly, glancing back toward Oguri Cap through the curve of the track. "Just being stared at by Oguri for a full minute is already making me nervous."
Her smile now carried a sharp edge.
"But I can still endure it. I'm curious when Oguri will begin her sprint—but for now, I just hold."
Behind her, Oguri Cap remained steady and unshaken. Unlike Tamamo Cross, she had experience running with an aggressive senko tactic. Even though her current placement was unusually aggressive, she had done similar things before.
"Back in Kasamatsu, March was exactly like Tama now." The Gray Filly's thoughts drifted to the distant Kasamatsu Racecourse. "Tama is much stronger than March, but… as long as I run at my own pace, I will win this."
Meanwhile, in the VIP box, Shuta An's gaze rested on Tamamo Cross. Although the race was unfolding precisely according to what he had predicted for Oguri Cap, he couldn't fully relax. That "secret weapon" still existed.
"I didn't bring up the 'secret weapon,' but Miss Komiyama's reaction—how shocked she was when Oguri switched to an aggressive Senko strategy, to the point she stood up and came to ask me that means the weapon was prepared by Tamamo Cross herself. Miss Komiyama probably doesn't know the details either."
He let out a quiet, amused breath.
"How interesting~ I'm getting more and more curious about what that 'secret weapon' is."
"Road Royal has passed the big zelkova tree! The first thousand meters clock in at 59.6 seconds!" The commentator's voice shook with excitement. "Unbelievable! Road Royal has set a blistering pace—59.6 seconds in this Autumn Tenno Sho middle-distance battle! Can she maintain this and lead all the way?!"
In the VIP box, Road Royal's Trainer looked utterly stricken.
"Crushed by the pressure from Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap. After this race, I'll have to take her for a medical checkup. Then I need to figure out how to help her with psychological stress."
He clenched his fists.
"And if Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross are in the same race again— perhaps Road Royal should avoid entering at all."
Nearby, Miss Komiyama stared anxiously at Tamamo Cross in second place, her heartbeat unable to steady.
"Tama-chan has encountered high-speed paces of 59.6 before—but she was always waiting at the back—back then. Running behind the leader now means the physical strain is on another level entirely. Will she really be okay?"
She clasped her hands over her knees, fingers curling tightly as if gripping her own kneecaps.
Tokai Teio stepped out from behind Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf, quietly moving to Shuta An's side.
"Trainer, besides Oguri-senpai—who else are you paying attention to right now?"
Shuta An shot a subtle glance at Symboli Rudolf before answering with a grin.
"With a pace this fast, of course I need to watch the Uma Musume holding back for the chase. In this race, the one with the strongest late burst should be Miss Material, right?"
The moment that name left his lips, the calm atmosphere around Symboli Rudolf sharpened. The Emperor turned her head toward Shuta An. She said nothing—yet her eyes clearly reacted. Shuta An met her gaze with an unchanged, easy smile.
"I heard Miss Material is your cousin?"
"That is correct," Rudolf replied, voice flat, as though speaking of a distant acquaintance.
"The Emperor's cousin—the expectations from fans must be huge," Berno Light didn't say. She knew better than to speak right now.
"Well then, Miss Symboli Rudolf must be paying closer attention to her cousin's race today, right? That's only natural," Shuta An continued without hesitation.
"I don't want fans to project their expectations for me onto Material." The Student Council President finally spoke in explanation. "It would place too much pressure on her."
"But maybe she thrives on that pressure?" Maruzensky murmured, lightly taking over.
Symboli Rudolf closed her eyes. "Or perhaps that identity restricts her."
"If she weren't restricted," Shuta An added calmly, "I think Miss Material should be positioned right behind Oguri right now. I've studied her race videos—I don't think she's well-suited for a late-surger strategy."
Symboli Rudolf remained silent.
"Although I don't know why you treat her so coldly," Shuta An went on, "I can't help but wonder if this isn't—too cruel to Miss Material."
"Cruel—?" Symboli Rudolf whispered—this was the first time an outsider had labeled her actions that way.
Tokai Teio sensed the shift and instantly regretted her question.
"I probably shouldn't have brought up this topic…"
So she quickly forced the topic away.
"Road Royal is already entering the final straight!"
As she said, Road Royal—still leading—became the first to surge into the Tokyo Racecourse's final stretch. This five-hundred-twenty-five–meter straight was a divine stage for explosive finishers to "make up ground." Many Uma Musume with late bursts had created miracles here. But—
"Road Royal enters the final straight! Tamamo Cross is right behind her! Oguri Cap too!"
The two monsters with the greatest firepower in this Autumn Tenno Sho were already positioned frighteningly close to the front. When Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap entered the Tokyo Racecourse's final straight one after the other, both Shuta Ann and Miss Komiyama immediately fixed their eyes on the two Uma Musume.
"The last 500 meters—the last half minute!" Komiyama clasped her hands together, eyes wide and trembling with tension. She wanted to follow the only Uma Musume under her care with her gaze until the very moment she crossed the finish line. "Tama-chan, you must hold on! That 'secret weapon' should be starting to activate now, right?!"
Shuta Ann's expression remained outwardly calm, but the chestnut-haired support girl gripping his left arm knew better.
Ann's arm muscles won't stop tensing…
Berno Light suppressed a sigh. Even though he had told her before the race that he was prepared for defeat in this Autumn Tenno Sho—if victory was within reach, there was no way he would willingly accept a loss. And just as she expected—Shuta Ann still hadn't detected any sign of Tamamo Cross's "secret weapon." Which meant his mind was racing.
Could Oguriactually have a chance to win?!
———
After all thirteen Uma Musume stormed into the final straight, the live commentator needed only a single glance at the formation before making his judgment:
"It looks like the Uma Musume in the back will have a hard time catching up!"
"Agreed," Symboli Rudolf murmured, her gaze sharp. "This is why I told you to abandon tactics you can't execute well, Material."
Tokai Teio shook her head and gently took Rudolf's hand. "Kaichou, if I were Material-senpai even if I lost this Autumn Tenno Sho, I wouldn't give up on the chase strategy."
"Teio…" Rudolf blinked in surprise.
"Because from Material-senpai's perspective, the more Kaichou ignores me, the more I'd think I wasn't good enough. The colder Kaichou becomes, the more I'd want to imitate her." Teio's grip tightened slightly. "I don't know why Kaichou would become cold—so I'd just keep searching for my own flaws."
"I think that's exactly what Material-senpai is feeling," she concluded with unwavering certainty.
Symboli Rudolf didn't respond—her gaze drifted blankly into the distance.
———
On the track, Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap surged forward, overtaking Road Royal even before she reached the 400-meter mark.
"Tamamo Cross takes the lead early! Following closely is the French Derby winner, Oguri Cap! The two 'Gray Uma Musume' are pulling away from the pack! Is Road Royal giving up?!"
The commentators' shouts thundered through the racecourse. In the VIP box, Trainers and teammates of other Uma Musume shifted their attention between Shuta Ann and Miss Komiyama. Everyone wanted to know who would claim the 98th Autumn Tenno Sho—the undefeated spring champion, or the foreign-returning prodigy.
"Rudolf-chan, who do you favor now?" Maruzensky asked lightly, unconcerned with the outcome but curious all the same.
"I don't know," Rudolf answered flatly. "Both are possible."
"What a vague answer," Maruzensky pouted. "Then who do you think will win, Maruzensky?"
This time, Maruzensky faltered.
Because to her eyes—Separated into different years, either of those two would be the absolute favorite for victory.
Meanwhile, on the track below, the two gray fillies had already shut out the rest of the world.
Neither noticed how large the gap behind them had grown. In truth—only Oguri Cap was completely consumed by the duel now.
Can I close this half-length gap in these final hundreds of meters?
Unlike the Prix du Jockey Club, she was the one chasing today. And the clock was merciless.
I've already run this far—there's no reason to hold anything back.
Realizing this, Oguri Cap lengthened her stride without hesitation.
Faster. Even faster!Tama—show me that 'secret weapon' you were so confident about! If it's not strong enough—don't blame me for taking the victory right here!
Her focus sharpened to a razor's edge, the gap shrinking with every pounding stride.
Meanwhile, Tamamo Cross's thoughts ran in the opposite direction—
There's still a half-length left. But Oguri's footsteps feel like they're slamming against my heart—Is this what they call a "monster"?
The Tokyo Racecourse's final straight was notoriously long—and between the 400- and 200-meter marks lay a 2-meter uphill slope that crushed most runners' spirits. But Oguri Cap was anything but "most runners."
My plan was to lead so I could respond to Oguri's final burst…but I didn't expect her to position herself right behind me. That caught me off guard—Oguri really is incredible.
Lowering her center of gravity, Tamamo Cross forced her concentration back into a single point.
"The final 200 meters! Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross are nearly side by side! Can the spring queen, the 'White Lightning,' hold on to this tiny lead?! Or will the returning 'Gray Monster' unleash the overwhelming aura she brought back from overseas?!"
The commentator's voice exploded across the stadium. The 120,000 spectators held their breath as the two gray silhouettes battled stride for stride, four or five lengths ahead of the pack.
"It's a duel!" Tokai Teio whispered—speaking the sentiment in everyone's hearts. Shuta Ann opened his mouth to respond—
—and froze.
A sharp jolt of intuition stabbed through him. His body moved before thought, his gaze snapping back to the track—seeking the source of the alarm ringing in his nerves.
"Is Tamamo Cross finally going to reveal her 'secret weapon' here—?" The realization struck instantly.
Shuta Ann rose to his feet, eyes locked forward.
"Let me see it—the thing Miss Tamamo Cross was so confident about during summer break."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>