Fuji Kiseki POV
Announcer: "The skies are high, and the Horse Girls are ablaze with passion! One month has passed since the arrival of autumn; the Classic races have concluded safely, and now begins the battle of the Senior Class! Today, the strongest warriors ranging from milers to middle-distance specialists have gathered here! They fought through spring, surpassed the autumn, and now the season of battle has arrived once again! Who will claim the traditional shield?! It is time for the Tenno Sho (Autumn)!!"
Color Commentator: "In this year's Tenno Sho, we have a surprise entry: Fuji Kiseki, who just claimed victory in her previous race, the Sprinters Stakes. Jumping from a short-distance sprint straight into a middle-distance bout is quite the leap, but I'm certain she will show us a magnificent run."
Announcer: "There are many Grade-stakes Horse Girls in this G1, but only two G1 Horse Girls in the lineup! Will the G1 winners display their dominance?! Or will the Grade-stakes girls show us how much they've grown?!"
The Tenno Sho (Autumn)... even among G1 races, it holds a particularly high prestige. If one can win it in the same year as the Spring Tenno Sho, they achieve the Spring-Autumn consecution. Furthermore, if one wins the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen consecutively—a feat Air Groove has already accomplished—it is hailed as the complete conquest of the Autumn Senior Triple Crown.
I cannot challenge those two specific feats this time around, but I do want to win this third shield and present it to Hachiman-san in my own name. After all, the first and second shields were from Air Groove.
"Fuji. It's been since spring that we ran together, hasn't it?" Genuine approached me. "I may have lost the Yasuda Kinen, but I'm definitely taking this Tenno Sho. I won't let you win."
"Fufufu! Please, go easy on me," I replied with a smile.
♫♫
Among the field, Genuine—who just spoke to me—is my only classmate. Everyone else is senior to us. It seems there are no participants from the Classic Class this year, so perhaps I should run with the intention of learning from my elders?
Well, not that I have the slightest intention of handing over the victory.
Genuine is the second favorite this time, making her my rival. The third favorite is Irish Dance, a Horse Girl who won two graded stakes in Niigata.
Now then, Hachiman-san and I decided on a strategy: stay on the inside, then break away in one burst.
Ah, all the even-numbered frames are in. Alright, time for me to enter as well. It's finally time...
Announcer: "Now, only Sugano Oji in the outermost 17th gate remains. She enters smoothly, and the field is set! Who will take the Emperor's Shield of Autumn?! The Tenno Sho (Autumn)..."
Clack—!!
Announcer: "The gates are open!! It's a beautiful, clean start across the line! Genuine and Toyo Lyphard are off to a great start! Behind them follow Inter My Way and Ayrton Symboli, and hugging the rail on the inside is Fuji Kiseki!! The Triple Crown Horse Girl, Fuji Kiseki—what kind of run will she show us today?!"
Good, it's exactly as Hachiman-san predicted. There are only two girls in front of me. On this course, I can break out from the inside in a single strike. Plus, there's a bit of distance between me and the frontrunners, so I have a reasonable amount of breathing room.
Announcer: "And here comes Hokuto Vega moving up from the outside! They pass the 1000m mark at 59.6 seconds! It's an average pace! The leader is Toyo Lyphard; one horse-length behind, Genuine and Hokuto Vega are running neck and neck. They are entering the third corner and rushing toward the Great Zelkova!! Now the pack behind them begins to make their move!!"
Alright, from here, I'll gradually advance... and the moment we round the fourth corner and hit the straight, I'll take the lead!!
Announcer: "Toyo Lyphard is still leading, but the gap is closing!! Genuine and Hokuto Vega are closing in on second place, but Fuji Kiseki is lurking ominously on the inside! From the back, Sakura Chitose O and Posey are surging forward! They've rounded the fourth corner and are facing the final straight!!"
"Aaalright, I'm taking this all at once!!" I shouted internally.
Announcer: "The field spreads out wide as they hit the straight, but Fuji Kiseki is slipping through seamlessly on the inside!! Fuji Kiseki has taken the lead!! Chasing from behind is Genuine, and charging from the outside is Sakura Chitose O! Toyo Lyphard is hanging tough in second!! Remaining 200 meters!! Fuji Kiseki is still in front!! She's pulled away by two lengths! Toyo Lyphard is second!! And here comes Sakura Chitose O, charging in with a massive burst of speed from the outside!!"
"I won't... let you pass!!"
Announcer: "But the gap isn't shrinking!! Fuji Kiseki crosses the finish line, maintaining her two-length lead!! A majestic race by Fuji Kiseki!!! From 1200 meters to 2000 meters, it was absolutely no problem for her!! Is Sakura Chitose O in a favorable position for second place?! Ayrton Symboli takes fourth, and Toyo Lyphard takes fifth!!"
"Yes, I won!!"
Announcer: "The winner is Number 7, Fuji Kiseki! A truly powerful race!! And with this, Team Polaris is five for five entering the autumn season—undefeated and in peak form!!"
"Ahaha! Thanks for the cheers!" I beamed, waving to the crowd. Smile!
Yes, truly, the best victory!
Hachiman POV
"..."
"...? What is it, Hachiman?" Air Groove asked, glancing at me.
"No, it's nothing."
"It didn't look like nothing... but fine. Just don't show that face to Fuji."
"Yeah. I know."
But... what is this feeling?
The moment I saw that smile on Fuji's face, a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. But... I couldn't honestly rejoice. To put it plainly, I found myself thinking that I didn't want to show that face to the others.
To be even more precise...
"..."
I was irritated.
Hachiman, something is changing...
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