Halfway through the race, Myriad Dreams kept her gaze locked firmly on the agile figure ahead.
At the 1200-meter mark, she keenly sensed that Marvelous Sunday's breathing remained steady and her running form hadn't faltered in the slightest, displaying an incredibly solid foundation and abundant stamina.
Even more startling was that several Uma Musume ahead had already attempted to restrict Marvelous Sunday's path by boxing her in, yet she didn't seem flustered at all.
A faint, effortless smile even played at the corners of her mouth.
"What's wrong, Myriad Dreams?!"
Sensing the gaze from behind, Marvelous Sunday's clear voice drifted back, carrying a confident provocation.
"You won't beat me if this is all you've got!"
Before her words even faded, she suddenly accelerated!
The Uma Musume ahead trying to block her reacted instantly, closing inward to form a solid barrier.
However, Marvelous Sunday simply took a light sidestep.
With footwork as graceful as a dance, she sliced into a fleeting gap on the left, instantly tearing through the seemingly airtight defense!
"Trying to stop me? It won't be that easy!" Her words scattered into the wind.
The announcer's voice jumped an octave: "Brilliant! Marvelous Sunday has broken through the double blockade with exquisite footwork! Now, the only one ahead of her is the pacesetter, Starshine!"
Facing a leader whose stamina was already mostly depleted, Marvelous Sunday didn't hesitate.
Like a streak of galloping light, she overtook her opponent cleanly, leaving behind nothing but a frustrated sigh.
"No way!" Starshine watched helplessly as her opponent pulled away, unable to do a thing to turn the tide.
Myriad Dreams felt a slight tremor in her heart.
This was the first time she had truly felt such a powerful sense of pressure on the track. Marvelous Sunday's strength was beyond imagination.
As the race entered its final stretch with only 600 meters to the finish, Marvelous Sunday had leveraged her series of overtakes to expand her lead to a staggering thirteen lengths!
"Myriad-san... is she really going to be okay?"
Below the stands, Special Week gripped the railing nervously, her palms drenched in sweat.
The gap between Myriad Dreams and Marvelous Sunday wasn't narrowing, it was widening.
Furthermore, Myriad still faced layers of obstacles. The Uma Musume fighting for position would never let her through easily.
"At this point, we can only believe in her, Spe-chan."
The Trainer's voice remained somewhat steady, but the faint sound of the lollipop being crushed in his mouth betrayed his inner anxiety.
Just as the race reached the critical 500-meter mark, Myriad Dreams finally made her move.
Her accumulated power exploded in an instant, and her speed spiked!
"Don't think you're getting past us!" The Uma Musume immediately organized a tight zone defense, intending to lock her in behind them.
[Target 'Lightning Flash' ahead will move to the right flank in 2.5 seconds. Advice: Host should accelerate through the gap on the front-left in 3 seconds.]
The System's prompt in her mind was clear and cold. Myriad Dreams focused her gaze and counted silently.
Sure enough, Flash shifted precisely to the right in an attempt to block her.
At almost the exact same moment, Myriad Dreams sliced perfectly into the narrow space that had just opened on the left, brushing past Falsh in a flawless evasion!
"What?!" Lightning Flash's face was a mask of shock. She never expected her intentions to be read so easily by a newcomer.
[Detection: Uma Musume formation ahead is shrinking, intending to surround you. Advice: Immediately pivot to the outside lane and utilize the track width.]
Without a shred of hesitation, Myriad Dreams shifted to the outside.
This unexpected decision caught the Uma Musume who were preparing to squeeze inward completely off guard.
In the split second they spent dazed, Myriad Dreams swept past them like a whirlwind.
One, two, three... all their figures were overtaken in rapid succession!
In a sprint of just a hundred meters, she cleared every obstacle ahead with the force of a hot knife through butter!
The situation on the track reversed in a flash!
"Unbelievable! Myriad Dreams! She's charging out from the outside lane! Like cutting through a tangled knot, she's broken through! She's broken through every blockade!"
"Now, only Marvelous Sunday remains ahead of her! But there is still a massive seven-length gap between them! Can she create a miracle?!"
The announcer's voice was nearly hoarse with excitement.
The spectators in the stands were all on their feet, and the members of Team Spica held their breath.