"Is she still holding back?!"
Maruzensky felt a pang of discomfort upon realizing this.
After this initial shock came an even stronger surge of joy.
Whether it was Sakura Baimu's repeated bursts of power in the earlier match, which made even Maruzensky feel her heart pounding, or that final burst at the finish line, each moment brought Maruzensky a wave of delight.
From the opening to the end of the middle stages, Maruzensky had already derived the expected pleasure from Sakura Baimu.
But the final stretch brought a series of unexpected surprises.
It could be said that from the moment Sakura Baimu's momentum exploded, the subsequent developments completely exceeded Maruzensky's expectations.
From that point onward, Maruzensky no longer had time to consider keeping pace with Sakura Baimu.
Her attention shifted from Sakura Baimu to the race itself.
Sakura Baimu's second burst of momentum made Maruzensky feel threatened in terms of speed for the first time, forcing her to unleash her own power.
The final sharp kick before the finish line was also the first time Maruzensky felt the race slip out of her control, and she began to panic, fearing defeat.
If, during the early and middle stages of the race, Maruzensky still treated this race as mere entertainment, then from the final stages onward, she was completely immersed in the competition.
For her, this was a novel experience she hadn't felt in a long time.
The unknown, the tension, the excitement, the adrenaline.
This mixture of feelings was what made racing so captivating.
Today, Maruzensky finally experienced it all with a new Umamusume.
"Can we go again? I know you can keep going!" Maruzensky said impatiently to Sakura Baimu.
"I can tell you still have energy left. You really surprised me, you really delighted me! Let's race again!"
Maruzensky's eyes sparkled as she looked at Sakura Baimu.
To Sakura Baimu, this expression was like that of a little girl excitedly discovering a new toy.
"Alright, let's call it a day. We'll do it next time," Sakura Baimu waved her hand.
"No way. You think you can just run off after winning? I haven't even gotten serious yet! Let's keep going! There's still plenty of time tonight!"
Maruzensky had just lost the race due to carelessness, and she couldn't accept that result.
She couldn't wait to have another match with Sakura Baimu.
To win back what she had just lost.
Sakura Baimu, of course, understood Maruzensky's thoughts. She deliberately snorted, waved her hand, and spoke.
"It's because Miss Maruzensky didn't take the match seriously and so easily gave away her undefeated streak that I don't want to compete with you anymore."
"Eh—?!"
Maruzensky's expression froze upon hearing Sakura Baimu's words. The excitement on her face vanished instantly, leaving her stunned and speechless.
Her dazed and dejected appearance...
In Sakura Baimu's eyes, it was exactly like that of a girl about to receive her beloved doll, only to find out she had fallen one point short of her parents' expectations and missed the reward.
"Pfft—"
Maruzensky's eyes flickered at the sound of laughter, and she saw Sakura Baimu covering her mouth, desperately trying to suppress her laughter.
She suddenly realized that Sakura Baimu's words were just a joke.
"Ms. Maruzensky, do you have to be so upset? You said it yourself, I still had some leeway. Why did you take my words so seriously?"
Sakura Baimu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Maruzensky looking at her.
Realizing that she had been teased by Sakura Baimu, a faint blush instantly appeared on Maruzensky's cheeks. She feigned anger and said:
"Ms. Sakura, why are you like this? I really thought you were angry because I went easy on you!"
"Hahahaha." Sakura Baimu laughed heartily.
She picked up her backpack from the ground, took out a notebook, a timer, and weighted wristbands, and put them on.
"Let's talk about the competition another time. I'm here today, so I'm going to train. Maruzen-san, you should go home and rest early."
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Maruzensky asked, surprised.
"No."
Sakura Baimu chuckled, pressed the timer, and dashed off.
Maruzensky stood there, watching Sakura Baimu run off, a gleam of admiration returning to her eyes.
"Mejiro Sakura, you really surprise me~"
Maruzensky felt this was the first time she had ever seen an Umamusume like Sakura Baimu.
There weren't many Umamusumes in the academy strong enough to make her use her aura, but most of those who were, were extremely serious.
For example, Oguri Cap and Symboli Rudolf.
While Maruzensky got along well with them, their serious personalities often left her feeling like she was punching cotton—they didn't give her the feedback she wanted.
As for the younger Umamusumes whose skills were far inferior to hers, although Maruzensky was always approachable and humble in her interactions with them, they still couldn't fully open up around her.
Maruzensky always felt a distance between them.
But Sakura Baimu was different.
While Sakura Baimu's personality differed from Maruzensky's, both of them were clearly the type who enjoyed having fun.
Being with her was much easier than being with Symboli Rudolf and Oguri Cap.
Most importantly, besides Symboli Rudolf and Mr. CB, she was probably the only Umamusume with whom Maruzensky felt completely at ease, someone she could joke and tease with.
This dynamic between Sakura Baimu and Maruzensky made Maruzensky feel very comfortable.
At this moment,
Maruzensky suddenly felt fortunate.
Even after Golden Crown Eagle was taken to the hospital by Sakura Baimu, and Symboli Rudolf had stopped staking out the track, she had chosen to continue waiting for Sakura Baimu.
If she hadn't overheard someone calling out "Obey Your Master" on the track,
Maruzensky would never have known Sakura Baimu's true identity.
And naturally, she would never have met this Umamusume whose real name was Mejiro Sakura.
Her gaze followed Sakura Baimu as she sped along the track, watching her navigate the bend, climb the hill, and cross the finish line once more.
Beep
Sakura Baimu pressed the timer, then wrote the result down in her notebook. She looked up at Maruzensky and teased.
"Ms. Maruzensky seems quite calm. That puts my mind at ease. I was worried she'd come crying to me after her undefeated streak was broken."