So that's the effect of ZONE? But if that's all it is...
Rice's burst had caught everyone off guard. Trainer Kuronuma's brow furrowed tightly once more.
A critical miscalculation.
He'd assumed Rice was the type of competitor who lacked explosive power in the early and middle portions. He hadn't expected her ZONE to be this type.
Kuronuma, who had no real understanding of how ZONE's power worked, had simply assumed that Rice's current stamina-burning acceleration was her ZONE.
While that effect was certainly powerful, if this was all there was to it, it wouldn't be enough to stop Bourbon's breakaway!
...Bourbon still has the lead. Don't let your opponent's momentum affect you. Go, Bourbon!
Kuronuma's fingers dug into his arm.
As if sensing her Master's feelings, Mihono Bourbon made a new move in that very moment.
The announcer spoke rapidly: "The race has passed the halfway point! Currently competing at the front are these two competitors—Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower in a head-to-head battle!"
The two leaders had opened up a massive gap from the rest of the field. This was the rhythm of a complete blowout.
Mihono Bourbon's expression remained focused on the path ahead. In her Flow state, she completely ignored the pressure of Rice's aura from behind.
After all, it was just presence, not an actual effect. As long as she wasn't intimidated, it wouldn't affect her.
"Mihono Bourbon still leads, but Rice Shower is right on her heels!"
"The two have now opened up a nine-length gap over third place! If the others don't start chasing soon, this gap may become insurmountable! What will they do?!"
The spectator seats had fallen silent, everyone tensely awaiting the outcome.
No way—Mihono Bourbon was that strong and she still got caught?
I guess compared to the Chestnut Express, the Black Assassin's running style is better suited for this distance.
Symboli Rudolf and Mejiro McQueen couldn't tear their eyes from the broadcast. The two competitors' performances had exceeded all expectations.
Though those two challenging the Classic route wouldn't clash with them anytime soon, the sense of crisis—of being caught from behind—still left them feeling restless.
Mihono Bourbon's lead? No—Rice hasn't truly used ZONE's power yet.
This was something only horse girls who possessed ZONE would know.
Though Rice appeared to be using ZONE right now, that effect wasn't ZONE's true power. It was merely a technique of sorts.
Using ZONE's burning capability to intensify stamina consumption in exchange for acceleration—if you mistook this for ZONE's true ability, you'd be dead wrong.
What exactly is Rice's ZONE effect? Is it the same as the President's?
No—if it were that kind of effect, there'd be no reason not to use it.
What was the reason Rice was choosing to use ZONE to burn stamina instead of activating its true effect?
...
On the track, golden light flashed twice beneath Mihono Bourbon's feet. The aura before her shifted once again into the red of overdrive.
[Trailblazer (Gold): Reduced stamina consumption while leading!]
[Escape Artist (Gold): Speed increased again!]
In the middle stretch, Mihono Bourbon's momentum showed no signs of weakening. She entered explosive mode once more, instantly re-opening the gap with the stamina-burning Rice.
Rice gritted her teeth. Her speed didn't drop at all. Those terrifying eyes remained locked onto Mihono Bourbon's back.
"Unbelievable—Mihono Bourbon's speed increases again at this point!"
"Is this the speed of the Chestnut Express!"
The stunned announcer and the roar from the spectator seats proved just how shocking Mihono Bourbon's performance truly was.
A race of total commitment. A horse girl shining brilliantly. That was what Mihono Bourbon embodied right now.
"...!"
Watching that figure pull further away, Rice felt no anxiety or frustration. Instead, she was remarkably calm. Those usually timid eyes had become utterly cold and domineering in this moment.
Even Rice herself hadn't noticed that her current bearing was approaching that of her other self.
Chase her! Chase her! Chase her!
Terrifying pressure howled toward the fleeing Mihono Bourbon. Even as the distance between them widened, the pressure Mihono Bourbon felt only intensified.
[A Hero's Resolve (Flash)] activated!
Mihono Bourbon's instincts weren't wrong.
Because the instant she activated her overdrive, the black aura surrounding Rice behind her grew even more intense. A skill that could only activate during downhill stretches triggered in that moment.
What was originally the Gold-rank skill [Determined Descent] had now evolved into [A Hero's Resolve]—a Flash skill unique to Rice.
[Acceleration increased on downhill! When chasing opponents, charge forward based on willpower!]
The gap that had opened closed almost in the blink of an eye. Mihono Bourbon's middle-stretch burst in overdrive had failed to decisively break away from Rice. Instead, she felt as though she'd been marked!
Trainer Kuronuma watched this scene in shock. Behind his sunglasses, his expression had gone blank.
As I thought—Rice has also gone through hellish training. She's stronger than before!
"Rice is surging forward!" the announcer cried excitedly. "Rice hasn't fallen behind at all! Can even the Chestnut Express not escape the Black Assassin's pursuit range?!"
While Mihono Bourbon's solo lead had been spectacular, as an announcer, she naturally preferred seeing intense competition between horse girls!
The spectators who'd been chanting Mihono Bourbon's name were dumbfounded.
No way—even a Mihono Bourbon this strong couldn't establish a decisive advantage?!
"Go, Rice!"
In that instant, the Black Assassin's fans began cheering.
Honestly, Mihono Bourbon's earlier performance had stunned them into silence. Today's Mihono Bourbon was terrifyingly strong.
But now, seeing that even this powerful Mihono Bourbon couldn't shake Rice—and remembering that Rice specialized in final-stretch explosions—the fans could finally cheer with confidence.
Mihono Bourbon's failure to completely escape meant this race wasn't a one-woman show for the "protagonist"!
The outcome wasn't decided yet!
Seeing the rival cheers, Mihono Bourbon's fans refused to be outdone and resumed their chanting.
For a moment, the entire venue's cheers crashed like a tsunami.
Hearing both names echo from the stands, the trailing competitors felt bitter. As expected, today's stars were those two at the front.
...
Taiki Shuttle's expression was agonized.
Hah... hah... Is there really any point in continuing this race? I can't win! Forget winning—just keeping up with them is this exhausting!
If it were just about not winning, that would be fine. But right now, even chasing those two figures was this difficult. In the end, she might not even leave a decent result behind.
If she got lapped by a huge margin, whether she tried hard or not would be meaningless anyway.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!
The normally sunny and cheerful Taiki Shuttle was being pushed to the point of giving up.
The absolute gap in ability left her without a shred of hope.
And those cheers from the stands only reminded her—no one in this venue had come to see her.
That was only natural, right?
Of course everyone came to see Mihono Bourbon and Rice.
Because they were so dazzling!
Just as Taiki Shuttle was thinking this, her eyes caught sight of her trainer and teammates standing at the railing.
Twin Turbo had her eyes closed, shouting something at the top of her lungs.
Unfortunately, at this distance and with all the surrounding noise, she couldn't hear what that idiot was saying.
But just as Taiki Shuttle thought this, her teammates' voices somehow seemed to transmit directly through space. She actually heard them.
"Damn it, Taiki! What kind of running is that?! Sprint, you hear me?! SPRINT!"
"Go, Shuttle!"
"Don't give up!"
Those dim, lightless eyes regained their spark in that instant. Taiki Shuttle looked toward everyone in surprise. The thought of giving up vanished completely.
That's right—she had them too. People who wanted to see her cross that finish line!
"OOOOHHHH!!!"
Prismatic light flashed across Taiki Shuttle's body. The sight made the surrounding competitors' jaws drop.
That light...
A Flash-rank recovery skill?!
You've got to be kidding—there's someone like this among us?!
[Dum-da-da-dum! (Flash): Readjust posture, recover condition, restore spirit and stamina, slight speed increase!]
In an instant, Taiki Shuttle burst out of the pack and surged into third place.
Though a huge gap still separated her from the two ahead, she would close in on them bit by bit!
"Taiki Shuttle breaks through to third place! The pack behind is also starting to push! How will this race unfold from here?!"
The announcer didn't overlook the changes among the trailing competitors. In fact, she was always hoping for new challengers to emerge.
Meanwhile, Taiki Shuttle's teammates wore expressions of disbelief.
Fine Motion looked at Twin Turbo, puzzled.
"Could Shuttle really hear Twin Turbo's cheering from that far away?"
Surely not. If that were true, that kind of hearing would be absurdly superhuman.
Their trainer's face lit up with pleasant surprise.
A new Flash skill—and a rare recovery-type at that! Taiki Shuttle had grown stronger!
He hadn't expected that the girl who'd been so scared before the race could awaken this ability mid-competition.
That's right, Shuttle. Even in defeat, you'll gain something. That's exactly why I insisted you enter this race, even knowing you couldn't beat those two.
Horse girls who achieved their original dreams were one in a hundred at best—perhaps even rarer.
A horse girl's dreams evolved constantly through victories and defeats.
But there was one truth every horse girl had to learn: victory wasn't everything. Even in loss, there was something to gain.
The notion that victory was everything was mere arrogance.
Horse girls who thought that way were either absolutely invincible champions or meteors that blazed briefly and burned out.
Races and opponents constantly evolved. That's why every race—win or lose—had to yield something. That was the meaning of competition.
Give up just because you can't win? Anyone with that mentality would never grow stronger!
This was what Taiki Shuttle's trainer had wanted to teach her.
Witness the forms of the strong! Even if you lose today, that's fine. As long as you engrave today's frustration deep in your heart, you will definitely become stronger!
In this moment, he felt their participation in this race had already fulfilled its purpose. Whatever the final result, anything beyond this was bonus.
Though Taiki Shuttle's fans weren't as numerous as the other two's, they began cheering in that moment.
Because the girl running out there hadn't given up. So how could her fans be the ones to sigh first?
Many young horse girls in the crowd, feeling the venue's passion, found their dreams of becoming horse girls burning even brighter.
...
Meanwhile, the two at the front continued their battle.
"The final turn is just ahead!"
Mihono Bourbon's cold expression had turned grim. Rice was now at her side—close enough that she could see Rice's shadow on the ground from the corner of her eye.
This is nothing like what Master said! This girl caught up!
Completely incomprehensible. She was certain her performance had been flawless—even better than ideal. So why?
Why was this girl here, right now?
Master, what should Bourbon do to win from here?
She felt her limbs growing numb. Though she still had some reserves, her stamina had entered a critically dangerous state.
Even with a Flash-rank skill remaining, the speed she could generate in this condition was severely limited.
Am I going to lose?
The thought wouldn't leave Mihono Bourbon's mind.
Especially Rice's shadow on the ground—impossible to shake. Right beside her. Right there. The Black Assassin was about to catch up!
"Something's wrong with Mihono Bourbon's expression!"
Through the camera's close-up, everyone could see that Mihono Bourbon's face was different from usual. That crumbling, helpless expression had appeared for the first time.
Trainer Kuronuma watched Mihono Bourbon's face on the giant screen. He clenched his fist tight, but his expression revealed nothing.
I'm sorry, Bourbon. Master's tactical planning was wrong.
From the moment the Black Assassin had revealed her mid-race acceleration skill, Kuronuma had felt a sense of foreboding.
And his instincts had proven correct.
Just as Bourbon's stamina was nearly depleted, not only had she failed to shake Rice as planned—Rice had caught up completely.
Rice's stamina should be severely depleted too.
But Rice's endurance bar was just too deep. That small frame seemed to hide an inexhaustible wellspring of power.
...
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