Chapter 47
[The two frontrunners, Mihono Bourbon and Stardust Mirage, are now tightly packed as they enter the track's fourth turn! The race is entering its latter half!]
[This is incredible, truly incredible! The strength of the front-running strategy is undeniable! They still maintain an absolute lead of over six lengths!!!]
[Following them in third is Taiki Shuttle. Running on the inside lane next to Taiki Shuttle is Mejiro McQueen, with Narita Brian close behind. The condition of these three racehorse girls isn't ideal. Further back is...]
[It seems all the runners on the track are in less-than-ideal condition now. The fast pace set by the front-runners has forced every competitor to fight with all their might, draining their stamina. Can the chasing group still catch up?]
[Who will make the first move against the two front-runners? Will it be Taiki Shuttle? Or Mejiro McQueen? Or perhaps Narita Brian...]
[Wait, someone is moving! Someone is accelerating! It's Taiki Shuttle!!!]
[This wild cowgirl from America is finally revealing her undeniably powerful finishing kick.]
[So fast, unbelievably fast! Almost in the blink of an eye, Taiki Shuttle has broken away from the other two runners in the chasing group and is gradually closing in on the leading pair!!!]
"Ooooooooooh!!!!"
The spectators' seats erupted at the intense race unfolding.
At the very front, Agnus Digital was watching with flushed cheeks and rapid breathing, the camera around her neck completely forgotten.
Such an exciting race was something not even every G1-level event could guarantee.
Agnus Digital's eyes were glued to the three racehorse girls at the front. Watching their faces straining with total effort, their figures vying for position almost made her suffocate—she felt she might achieve enlightenment on the spot.
Although, as a central-level racehorse girl herself, she had expected the front-running strategy wouldn't be so easily successful, witnessing the race firsthand made her throw all theory out the window.
Right now, she was just an ordinary fan, immersing herself completely in the competition.
She watched as Taiki Shuttle's fierce form drew closer and closer to the two front-runners, while the latter's acceleration began to falter.
Agnus Digital unconsciously gripped the fabric over her chest with one hand, her mind unable to stop praying for them:
Run! Don't give up here! Let me see you go further! Show me something even more spectacular!!!
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"The front-running strategy has completely failed."
Looking at Taiki Shuttle closing in on Stardust Mirage on the track, Air Groove made this judgment.
"Taiki Shuttle truly lives up to her name. Not only did she neutralize the disruption to her rhythm caused by the sudden front-running tactic, but she's now turning the pressure back on the two rookie runners..."
"President, I'll go contact the medical team, just in case anything happens."
Symboli Rudolf looked at Air Groove and nodded.
Although she didn't believe the race would end so simply, as Air Groove said, front-running was inherently a risky strategy.
It could lead to accidents due to pressure and potentially accumulate leg injuries, so contacting medical personnel in advance was a prudent choice.
Air Groove turned and left. Rudolf continued to watch the race unfold.
The situation indeed looked very unfavorable for the two front-runners. Sacrificing late-stage burst power to disrupt other runners' rhythms had indeed caused significant trouble for most competitors.
She could tell that even Taiki Shuttle, who still appeared composed, was probably nearing her stamina limit. She was just relying on her experience to put on a relaxed front, thereby applying psychological pressure on the two rookies ahead.
But was that really all there was to it?
The strategy crafted collectively by Team Draco wasn't just about front-running.
If only Stardust Mirage, that runner, could see the current situation clearly, she would realize...
—The chances of winning were now far greater than just ten percent!
——————————
"Our chances of winning are now a full 90 percent! Hahahahaha!"
In the competitor rest area by the track, Toyama Hikaru stood beside Ryu Nishizaki. Watching Taiki Shuttle gradually catching up to the two racehorse girls from her team on the screen, she showed no worry. Instead, she wore a triumphant expression and laughed heartily.
"90 percent?" Ryu Nishizaki frowned, unable to comprehend where Toyama's "90% chance of victory" came from. He asked:
"I understand that your dual front-running tactic wasn't just about disrupting everyone's rhythm with the fast pace. I assume that racehorse girl always hidden behind Mihono Bourbon—Stardust Mirage—still has some stamina left, right?"
"Though it's only a portion, compared to Taiki Shuttle, who forced herself to chase the front-runners and even started her sprint burst in such a place, her condition should be slightly better... But that's still Taiki Shuttle we're talking about!"
"With a best final three-furlong time of 33.0 seconds and an average around the 34-second mark, Taiki Shuttle's finishing kick—does the Stardust Mirage under your care really have the ability to compete with that?"
Hearing Ryu's words, Toyama Hikaru raised an eyebrow, temporarily putting down her stopwatch, and asked with a look of keen interest:
"You think my Stardust Mirage doesn't stand much chance even against a fatigued Taiki Shuttle?"
"I've seen her training records. Judging by the average final three-furlong times, Stardust Mirage lags behind Taiki Shuttle by nearly four seconds. That four-second gap is like a massive chasm."
"If the front-running tactic had succeeded, the huge lead might have given her a ten percent chance."
"But now that opportunity is zero. Unless Taiki Shuttle slows down on her own, how can Stardust Mirage avoid being caught?"
Ryu Nishizaki and Toyama Hikaru discussed, with Ryu speaking in a relaxed tone now.
Of the two racehorse girls under his care, Mejiro McQueen, not suited for short-distance tracks and disrupted by the sudden front-running tactic, had basically lost her chance to compete for victory.
As for Gold Ship... Gold Ship was slacking off.
She even had time to chat a bit with Mejiro McQueen beside her, running with apparent ease.
So Ryu Nishizaki had already entered pure match analysis mode, thinking about how to console McQueen later and help them review the race.
"That question you raised, I also personally asked Stardust Mirage. Ryu, how do you think she answered?"
Toyama Hikaru asked again. Ryu Nishizaki played along: "Did she say she could win?"
"No, she didn't quite say that. But at the time, Stardust Mirage, with a somewhat silly expression, told me: ['Maybe it's not completely impossible? If I run... if I try running on the track, perhaps I can beat her!']"
This female trainer, who seemed fairly pretty, now completely disregarded her demeanor and let out an undignified, hearty laugh:
"Hahahahaha! But precisely because she could say such foolish words to me, we decided to use this tactic! For the final stage of this race, Bourbon and I are leaving it entirely to Stardust Mirage."
In Toyama Hikaru's mind flashed images of Stardust Mirage undergoing 600m sprint training again and again over the past week.
After hearing about Taiki Shuttle's achievements, she was neither blindly arrogant nor showed even a hint of fear.
Stardust Mirage simply focused on how to improve herself to reach a level where she could compete with her opponent.
Faced with such a racehorse girl, how could she, as her trainer, have any other opinion:
"I believe in the possibility Stardust Mirage spoke of. I believe she can do it!"
——————————
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop!
The 200m distance passed almost in an instant before these high-speed racehorse girls. The sound of hoofbeats poured forth like rapid gunfire.
Stardust Mirage could clearly feel that she hadn't managed to widen the gap with Taiki Shuttle by even half a length.
And now, Mihono Bourbon, leading at the front, couldn't hold on any longer!
"200m distance reached. Master's command: lead and break wind in the first half of this race."
Bourbon's face was drenched in sweat, but her tone remained steady.
Her steps faltered suddenly, and her body shifted toward the outer lane, ceding the inner leading position to Stardust Mirage behind her.
Stardust Mirage watched Bourbon, her face now pale, gradually fall behind from beside her.
The muscles in her legs ached as if they were about to tear. She knew this was the result of going all out from the start.
Stardust Mirage gasped for breath heavily, unable to resist glancing back, trying to see Bourbon's current condition.
But before she could clearly make out Bourbon's state, she heard the other girl continue from behind:
"In the latter half of the race, I am responsible for blocking the pursuing competitors."
As the words fell, Mihono Bourbon squeezed out the last bit of strength from her nearly depleted body, sharply changing her course.
She directly inserted herself between Taiki Shuttle and Stardust Mirage. Though she could no longer keep up with their pace and was on the verge of collapsing, Bourbon still struggled to help her teammate by obstructing Taiki Shuttle's path one last time—
—No!
The moment Mihono Bourbon turned toward her, Taiki Shuttle seized the split-second difference to dodge, shooting past almost brushing against the slowing Bourbon.
Even Taiki Shuttle had to admire the determination of this racehorse girl who still thought of blocking for her teammate in such a state.
But a race was a race.
There was no way she could be hindered by such a slow move now. Without losing even 0.1 second to Bourbon's block, Taiki Shuttle evaded her with minimal movement and without hesitation.
There were no more obstacles ahead for Taiki Shuttle. The only one left to defeat was the final opponent: Stardust Mirage.
"You've truly surprised me. I acknowledge your strength."
Taiki Shuttle gritted her teeth, forcing the words out. She now completely abandoned any pretense about her condition, pouring every ounce of her terrifying power into her legs.
The essence of a finishing kick's explosive power lay in the body's control over strength and the process of converting that power into speed through the legs.
Taiki Shuttle's ability to achieve the best final three-furlong time among active racehorse girls stemmed most importantly from the immense power she possessed—something other racehorse girls found hard to match.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
At first, she thought it would be a peak showdown with Narita Brian and the others, galloping freely on this short-distance track.
Who would have thought the race would spiral out of control from the very start, with two front-runners bursting forth, almost snatching victory from their grasp.
But, she had endured!
Now that the front-running tactic was completely broken, in the latter half of the race, the pace had shifted back to a contest between the chasing group and the leader.
Currently, Taiki Shuttle also felt her stamina nearly exhausted. Her lungs burned as if she had swallowed hot coals, her muscles were on the verge of cramping, and her legs felt like lead, requiring immense willpower just to take each step.
But she could still keep running!
Taiki Shuttle looked at the figure drawing closer and closer ahead, squeezing out the last bit of strength and stamina from her body and blasting it all into the ground.
The tremendous acceleration brought by this high-frequency running style is simply no match for the horse girl known as Stardust Mirage before me.
Victory is right before my eyes...
Two lengths.
One length.
Half a length!
Stardust Mirage, Mihono Bourbon, perhaps I should even thank you for your front-running strategy that crushed all my other opponents. But now...
Sorry, little girl, blame it on your own strength not yet reaching its peak… Huh?
A sudden scorching sensation and an aura filled with frenzied beastly energy completely enveloped Taiki Shuttle, as if even the air began to carry a hint of blood.
The western cowboy's entire body stiffened involuntarily, feeling as if she had been locked onto by a ferocious beast.
What's going on? What just happened?!
Could it be that someone has caught up from behind?
…No, not from behind.
It's from ahead!!!
——————————————————————
When there were just over 700 meters left in the final stretch earlier, Stardust Mirage had already changed her running posture.
Festive Miracle—this innate skill once again exerted its full effect. Although it couldn't decisively secure victory like Oguri Cap's move, the boost in stamina, speed, and acceleration still provided Stardust Mirage with significant relief.
With each step, her feet now left solid imprints on the grass, and the swing of her arms took on a peculiar rhythm. Her running form, already corrected by the system, was evolving into an even more perfect shape.
As the race continued, Mihono Bourbon, who had been cutting through the wind ahead, broke away from the pack. Stardust Mirage could sense the current situation.
Her originally unremarkable stamina, pushed to the limit by the frantic acceleration of the front-run, was struggling to hold on. Even with someone breaking the wind ahead and triggering three white stamina recovery skills plus the Holy Night Runner, maintaining this pace for the entire distance was incredibly difficult.
Now, with Taiki Shuttle closing in from behind so effortlessly, Stardust Mirage suddenly realized: if she didn't have enough stamina left to forcefully block Taiki Shuttle's breakthrough, victory in this race would likely slip through her fingers.
How could Taiki Shuttle possibly have such incredible stamina? Even after having her rhythm disrupted, she could still cling so tenaciously to the front-run and remain this relaxed?
No, she must just be bluffing!
On the track, time ticked by second by second, but the sound of Taiki Shuttle's footsteps from behind grew closer and closer, impossible to shake off.
The two figures entered the final turn together. And in that instant, the locked-on feeling that had been lingering since earlier suddenly erupted!
Bang!
It was a gunshot as swift as thunder.
A bullet, fired from Taiki Shuttle's revolver with the intent to pierce her heart, shattered her chest completely...
Stardust Mirage didn't hesitate—she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, and the hallucination instantly vanished.
She had bitten down with such force that the taste of blood immediately filled her mouth. There was no time to dwell on it now.
Because even though she had only been dazed for a moment, right now… Taiki Shuttle's figure, accompanied by footsteps that sounded almost like a continuous line, had already entered the edge of her vision.
Less than a length away!
How is this speed even possible?!
Stardust Mirage sharply turned her head, only to be met with a gaze so sharp it felt like it could pierce through her eyelids.
It was the other's will, thirsting for victory!
This will seemed to solidify, loaded into the revolver named Taiki Shuttle, aimed directly at Stardust Mirage, who stood in her path, and the trigger was pulled.
Impossible, it can't be, it just can't be!!!
How could Taiki Shuttle, at this point, still have enough stamina to unleash such a terrifying, ferocious burst of speed?!
She's just the queen of mile races—how could she possibly have stamina comparable to a long-distance runner? She must be at her limit; she has to slow down!
Yet, no matter how much Stardust Mirage tried to deceive herself now, this gun was already pressed against her back.
She could even feel the muzzle flash from the fired bullet licking at her back—this scorching heat, this pressure…
This absolutely couldn't be explained away as mere bluffing. Taiki Shuttle was undoubtedly reaching out for the final crown of victory—
No, my current finishing kick isn't enough to shake off a top-tier runner like Taiki Shuttle.
Gritting her teeth, Stardust Mirage desperately racked her brain for a way to win. Should she block her? Use her positioning to hinder the other's sprinting strides?!
But the more she panicked, the less her brain cooperated. Forget techniques for blocking a runner from behind; she couldn't even recall the training and lessons from before. Her mind was almost blank.
Her running form began to falter, no longer perfect, further draining her already limited stamina. At this rate, she wouldn't even be able to complete the final sprint—
No, it's impossible…
To defeat a runner of Taiki Shuttle's caliber with just my legs, to seize that one and only chance!
How can I stop her now? Think faster, there has to be a way!
It hurts…
No, faster, I need to go even faster!
If she calmed down just a little, she could feel it—with every step, her muscles felt like they were tearing, and her lungs, gasping desperately for fresh air, felt pierced by needles with every inch…
Just keeping herself upright was already a struggle. How could she possibly keep running…
Run!!! My body, hold on just a little longer!!!
I can't… I'm too exhausted…
Even my consciousness is starting… to get… hazy…
Will I… lose......…
Huh?
That's strange, why did the sky suddenly go dark? I can't see anything…
.
.
.
In this pitch-black darkness, Stardust Mirage could not think of a way to win.
Her obsession with victory, her loathing of defeat.
Anger, sorrow, passion, responsibility…
All these emotions were numbed.
[You have already failed.]
[In a situation like this, even if you try a thousand times, you won't succeed once.]
[Right now, the more passion you pour into hoping for a miracle, the more you'll be drowned by the helplessness brought by defeat.]
Beside her ear, a voice full of temptation seemed to whisper these words, causing her to sink deeper into the darkness.
But… should she just give up like this?
Stardust Mirage didn't understand what she truly wanted now.
[Tokai Teio! Tokai Teio! To·kai·Tei·o da—!!!]
At that moment, she suddenly heard the familiar shout of the commentator.
The darkness before Stardust Mirage's eyes began to change, flashing with scene after scene.
She remembered those scenes.
It was the moment during the race when Bourbon fell back in the ranks—the expression on her face, utterly exhausted yet unwaveringly determined.
It was Toyama Hikaru, the trainer who had trained with her countless times over the past week, looking tired yet scolding her mercilessly.
It was the god-like runner on the Arima Kinen, tearing through the race, creating a victory that surpassed miracles.
It was during her debut race, the phoenix on the verge of losing her ability to run, yet erupting with blazing passion in a desperate situation.
What is this?
The searing heat from her chest jolted Stardust Mirage awake from the hypnotic whisper.
Give up just like that?
How could I—!
What that voice said might be true. Objectively speaking, the gap between her and Oguri Cap had indeed reached a point where even a thousand attempts might not yield a single success.
But that didn't mean success was impossible.
Run.
If a thousand efforts won't bring one success, then run for the possibility of the one thousand and first!
[Even if you manage that one thousand and first effort, reality won't change. Why persist so pointlessly?]
The voice questioned in her mind.
[That's because… I don't want to lose.]
Stardust Mirage tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth again. She grinned:
[Ever since that one defeat, I decided—from then on, I never want to lose again. I want to keep winning.]
[The me now carries so many obsessions on my shoulders. Countless people have worked hard for my career.]
[So I will win. I will become a runner who surpasses Tokai Teio, who surpasses all horse girls! I…]
"—I will absolutely not let the chance for victory slip away from before me!!!"
A violent gust of wind swept in from all directions, clearing away all of Stardust Mirage's chaotic thoughts.
Her heart had now become perfectly still, like a mirror-calm pond.
Her forcefully stomping right foot dug a deep rut into the turf, and an invisible shockwave exploded from the point of impact, radiating outward.
Time and space around her seemed to freeze in that instant, and Stardust Mirage's entire field of vision was covered in a cyan light.
From her perspective, a runner surged up beside her on the left—one whose form was almost pressed to the ground, carrying the pulsation of victory, streaking across the track like a fighter jet.
Running alongside Stardust Mirage, her figure was like a meteor, her wake transforming into a tornado that utterly destroyed the entire track.
What is going on?
Anyone suddenly seeing such a scene in the middle of a race would surely be filled with doubt, right?
But Stardust Mirage wasn't.
[If I maintain this current speed, Taiki Shuttle will definitely overtake me before the finish line…]
[So, I need to go faster, just a little bit faster!]
In her mirror-calm heart, that was the only thought.
Completely absorbed, her eyes saw only the scenery of the finish line.
The metallic taste in her mouth grew stronger. She no longer had the capacity to think about how to run or how to pace herself. Stardust Mirage handed over control of her body entirely to instinct.
Wind and thunder gathered beneath her stomping right foot. In the next moment, with force enough to crush everything, it erupted from her already depleted body!
Scorching gales swept the earth, chaotic thunder tore through the sky…
Clear Mind—
[Innate Skill: Drumbeat of Victory, activated.]
This apocalyptic scene completely shattered the landscape before her eyes!
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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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