Chapter 6: running on the Outside Lane is Truly Fast
"My debut race and I run into someone like that..."
Stardust Mirage turned to look. In the gate to her left, a pink-haired horse girl was muttering with a face full of resentment.
"What are you looking at! You're no different! You're destined to become a stepping stone for Tokai Teio too!"
She seemed to have noticed the gaze, turning her head sharply to glare at Stardust Illusion with a fierce expression.
The girl's eyes blazed with anger, her fluffy ears on top of her head were pinned back forcefully, clearly in a state of maximum aggression.
"Whatever! You, anyone else, how could you possibly compare to a central genius like that!?"
"Not necessarily."
Stardust Mirage paid no mind to her attitude, instead speaking to the horse girl gently:
"Who can know without actually running? My name is Stardust Mirage. And you?"
"You—! Tch, you can afford to act all calm now." The pink-haired horse girl didn't accept her kindness, instead continuing with a resentful look. "I guess it's because you're just a country bumpkin horse girl who hasn't seen the world that you can be so relaxed, right? Once the race starts, you'll understand what an absolute difference in strength means!"
An absolute difference in strength?
Stardust Mirage knew inwardly that she was, of course, referring to herself and Tokai Teio. After that childish race this morning, she truly recognized the chasm that existed between them.
But now it was different. Although the system hadn't made her an invincible runner overnight, even this bit of assistance allowed Stardust Mirage to have some expectations for the upcoming race.
Perhaps, this time, she could outrun that genius?
"Perhaps this time I can outrun that genius? Is that what you're thinking?" The horse girl from the other gate seemed to have telepathy, voicing Stardust Mirage's inner thoughts.
"Countless local horse girls have had that naive thought." She laughed with utter disdain. "Once you've witnessed the aces of the central region... you'll realize how foolish that kind of wishful thinking is."
"So you... are planning to give up?"
Stardust Mirage was somewhat puzzled. Why was this person in front of her, who kept saying winning was absolutely impossible, still standing on the track?
"None of your business! I only found out about this after I registered!"
The person before her seemed provoked by this statement, her emotions becoming even more agitated. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gritted her teeth and shouted:
"But, but... I still want to try and run! If I give up without even trying in my debut race, then what was the point of all my training until now?!"
"So, let's do our best."
Hearing the race staff's announcement that the race was about to begin, Stardust Illusion offered one last word of comfort, then turned her head, making final preparations within the narrow starting gate.
"My name is... Denko Setsuka." The pink-haired horse girl, Denko Setsuka, had calmed down a little. She finally told Stardust Illusion her name, as if apologizing for her earlier outburst.
Both simultaneously entered a state of intense concentration, taking their stances within the gates...
On the field, as if sensing the approaching race atmosphere, most of the audience held their breath, leaving only the commentator and announcer's ardent voices, amplified through the speakers, echoing around the Nakayama Racecourse:
[The cerulean sky stretches endlessly. Although it rained heavily not long ago, and the turf condition isn't at its best, it still doesn't dampen our anticipation for the excellent performances of the fourteen horse girls!]
[All contestants are in the gates and ready. Today's third favorite is number 11, Denko Setsuka, who seems to have shown sufficient fighting spirit.]
[The second favorite is over here—number 3, Nice Nature, who also looks well-prepared and ready to go.]
[And today's main attraction is undoubtedly this horse girl, the top favorite, number 2, Tokai Teio!]
[It feels like Teio's strength holds a considerable advantage. Just standing there, she has an imposing presence. We hope she can deliver a brilliant performance over this 1800-meter distance!]
Bweeeee——!!!
With a loud blast of the steam whistle beside the track, the indicator lights inside all the gates turned green simultaneously. The gates swung open, and fourteen figures burst forth in the same instant, charging onto the track and galloping forward!
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In the VIP room, Rudolph and Air Groove watched the race scene intently.
"Teio's start should be good." Air Groove assessed, having immediately discerned the condition of that horse girl in the gates.
"Mhmm, this child's flexible body is a natural gift. It helps her explode with powerful force in a short time, reaching her critical speed in the minimum time. This allows her to quickly seize an advantageous position at the start."
Rudolph Symbol also nodded in agreement, but her gaze involuntarily shifted to the short-haired horse girl in gate number 7.
Her eyes still held confusion. After this horse girl entered the gate, Rudolph felt the strange atmosphere even more strongly.
This horse girl named Stardust Mirage—her eyes still didn't show much obsession with victory, but her standard movements and a vaguely familiar aura firmly held Rudolph's attention.
"Number 7... Stardust Mirage. Her movements don't seem like she plans to run meekly," Rudolph commented.
In her eyes, this horse girl's starting posture had leaned forward to a dangerous degree. This kind of starting stance could easily lead to poor control of her center of gravity the moment the gates open, causing a delayed start...
However, if she could master this small technique, she would unleash an initial acceleration capability more powerful than the others, possibly even surpassing Tokai Teio!
Stardust Mirage... Can your running surprise me next?
Rudolph pressed her lips together, a slight feeling of worry for Tokai Teio beginning to stir within her.
Although she kept saying she hoped Teio would face some pressure, that someone would pose a threat of defeat to her, the thought of how heartbroken Teio would be if she didn't win her debut race made Rudolph's heart ache.
Perhaps this is the pain of a parent?
"The race has started," Air Groove reminded.
Both looked down simultaneously. On the track, fourteen figures leaped from the gates together. Tokai Teio, like a dazzling flame, directly broke through the main pack, emerging from the inner lane!
In horse racing, the inner and outer lanes make a significant difference. Simply put, even on a 100-meter curve, the distance run in the inner lane is generally at least 5 meters less than in the outer lane.
Therefore, most horse girls, to secure this advantage, try to seize the inner lane early. Under this premise, to prevent themselves from being blocked, they need to fight for the leading position.
Firmly grasping these two advantages was the decision Tokai Teio made from the start. By achieving these two points, she could avoid being surrounded or squeezed by others, which would affect her subsequent running style.
However, as Tokai Teio ran, feeling slightly proud of her successful decision, a bluish-white figure flashed in her peripheral vision.
Tap!
Accompanied by the sound of a foot splashing water, this figure shot past like lightning, charging out fiercely from the outermost lane.
This sudden sight caused Teio's steps to falter slightly. How could someone accelerate from the extreme outside lane right from the start?
Even if she managed to seize the lead, wouldn't she fall back once they entered the curve?!
Who is she?
[The race is officially underway! All horse girls had a perfect start. Let's see who can seize the lead in the early stages!]
The announcer's voice continued to resonate around the racecourse:
[Tokai Teio, Tokai Teio is battling for early advantage on the inner lane with number 1 Koneko Ranhou and number 3 Nice Nature! Teio's acceleration is ferocious... As expected of Teio! Tokai Teio has seized the initiative!]
[Wait a moment! Catching up from the extreme outside lane at such high speed is... number 7, Stardust Mirage! Stardust Mirage, ranked 13th in popularity for this race, is displaying an unimaginable early speed, forcibly joining the fight for the lead from the outside lane!]
[This is, this is truly! An unexpected assassin! Someone has caught up to Tokai Teio right from the start... No, not just caught up, she's in the lead!]
[Stardust Mirage has taken the lead position from the highly anticipated Teio!!!]
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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