The previous evening, mess hall.
"How are you going to run tomorrow? You can't be that nervous."
Rokuhei eyed her oddly.
Seeing her awkward look, he burst out laughing.
"Ah—you're afraid of failing a second debut? Hahahaha!"
"Hey, Coach! Isn't it normal to ask your trainer for race plans?!"
She knew she was fretting, but if anything went wrong and she really failed again, it could derail her Triple Crown path.
After all, G1 entries require prize money and specific placings in lead-up races; the G2 Wakaba Stakes entries open in February.
Meaning, if she waited till January to debut, she might not accrue enough to enter the G2 Wakaba—and then it's all over.
"Haha, I remembered something happy," Rokuhei waved it off, then asked:
"What matters most in a race? Physical advantage? Tactics? Some other hard factor?"
"Overall physicals," she answered per her mobile-game intuition.
Every build needed base stats. That was the foundation of victory.
"So you do grasp that?" He nodded.
"Exactly. Unless two runners are evenly matched—"
"In this sport, higher base stats are an absolute advantage."
"Don't overthink it, Stardust Phantom. Once you're on track, choose the run that feels best to you."
————————————————————
"Choose… the run that feels best to me?"
Bursting out of the gates, Stardust Phantom glanced back diagonally. The giant's long legs ate ground, closing bit by bit.
As Daita claimed, long legs are a huge plus—like a constant mini–"Shortening the Gap," stealing distance with each stride.
But only if—
"No—completely different!"
Feeling the pressure behind her, Stardust Phantom's face lit with excitement.
She could almost feel Tokai Teio's scorching heat on her back again—but this wasn't Teio. It was Daita Tiantong, bellowing as she tried to close.
"You and Tokai Teio are from two different worlds!!!"
[Skill: Shortening (Shukuchi)], activates!
[The chase is over! No. 7, Stardust Phantom, unleashes that peculiar technique! She drops the giant behind and seizes the lead!]
The call hit just as Stardust Phantom let the wind slap her face, each thunderous footfall feeding her acceleration.
Not merely taking the lead—she'd already decided at the break how she'd declare herself today.
[…Pace lines are forming. In front is No. 7, Stardust Phantom, followed by—
No, she's still accelerating! Already in front, and widening the gap!]
[Two lengths… three… five!]
[She's not just leading—she's going for the big escape! Stardust Phantom has chosen a full-blown front-running breakaway!!!]
The commentator went hoarse; the stands erupted.
[The Big Escape] and [Last-to-First from 16th] are the two most beloved wins in the fandom. Now the former was unfolding.
The same announcer who'd called her debut was beside himself:
[Swaggering out front! No. 7 Stardust Phantom is now eight lengths clear!]
[She's so fast! Without Teio's pressure, she's like a gale!]
On the course, Stardust Phantom understood: this was the fastest she'd ever run.
Her running career was short; before this, she'd only run against monsters like Tokai Teio and Oguri Cap—making her misjudge herself.
Lost to Teio's will to win?
Record against Oguri: 0 wins, 871 losses?
So what? Today's rivals weren't those titans, but the fifteen others in this field.
She sank into the run. No obstacles ahead; no breath on her back—just like the countless reps from the past 17 days.
Every step hammered full power, her body drinking in a seemingly endless well of stamina.
That was why she could choose the Big Escape—her base stats already far outstripped the field.
Horseshoes bit and pounded the turf. The chain of booms swallowed the runners behind.
It sounded like… a death drum.
"This race is already over."
In the stands, a petite figure in cap and shades smiled.
"Huh? But we're only halfway," a nearby uncle said.
"I don't mean that. Look at the ones behind her."
He looked—and saw the chasers relaxing, form breaking. Even the giant, so fierce a moment ago, was now running mechanically…
"What are they—?"
"In racing, once your opponent fears you, you've already won."
Her smile widened at the lone leader.
"Stardust Phantom—you're worth taking seriously. But stopping me in the Classics? I'll sweep all rivals like the President and win the undefeated Triple Crown—just watch!"
"Ah!!! You're Tokai Te—"
"Shhh. Please don't blow my cover," she whispered, and the uncle clamped his mouth shut.
Back on course, the end was at hand:
[…No. 7 Stardust Phantom—first past the post!]
[The gale that failed last time returns to Chukyo and blows everyone away! A ten-length, wire-to-wire, big-escape victory!]
[If your blood's pumping, give it up for today's champion—her name is—
—Star! Dust! Phan! Tom!]
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