Chapter 109: Once Again, Gradient Acceleration
With the commentator's excited voice echoing, the long line of Umamusumes had already entered the far-side straight.
The race had passed its halfway mark, and the broadcast continued faithfully reporting the situation.
"Let's confirm the current positions."
"Out in front is Kitasan Black!"
"Behind her is Clear Sky. She hasn't given up yet—still working hard to chase down Kitasan Black, though she's trailing by four lengths— no, she's closed it to three lengths now!"
"The most popular contender, Satono Crown, is positioned toward the back of the middle pack. During the battle for early positioning, she didn't push forward too much, so it's clear she's going for a late surger's running style for this race."
"Third in popularity, Duramente, is following right behind her—also likely aiming to win with a late surger's run."
"The second most popular, REAL STEEL, is positioned very far forward—around fifth or sixth place. She's about six lengths behind Kitasan Black, but she shows no sign of pressing ahead yet."
"The choices of the top-supported runners are clear: each has stuck to their specialty running styles."
"The pace remains steady and cruising, without the bold moves of the opening stage. It seems the decisive clash will come at the upcoming turns—or the final stretch!"
Compared to earlier, the commentator's emotions had noticeably calmed.
Inside the racing pack, however, the Umamusumes' minds were racing.
Amid her rivals, with more than ten bodies between them, Satono Crown fixed her eyes firmly on Kitasan Black, who was twenty to thirty meters ahead.
'So that's Kita-chan's strength… it's even greater than I imagined.'
'But accelerating that many times so early—can her stamina really hold out…?'
'No, I can't think like that.'
'Trainer had said it before: Kita-chan's speed and explosive bursts may not be top class, but her stamina is beyond extraordinary. That's not something I can ignore.'
'So for her, this level of stamina consumption… shouldn't be a problem.'
'But just looking at the current gap… Can I really catch up?'
'No—the ones I really need to watch are these…'
Her gaze left Kitasan Black and swept quickly over several opponents before locking onto one behind her.
In her azure eyes, a black-and-gold figure reflected back. Within Duramente's pupils, faint ripples of tension stirred.
And by coincidence, the foremost rival Satono Crown kept in mind—REAL STEEL—also had her eyes fixed on Kitasan Black.
From the start of the race until now, Kitasan Black's performance had been completely different from the Spring Stakes.
In that race, her running style was the usual slow front Running—barely leading at all, only a shade faster than the leading Umamusume.
But now, not only had she already opened up a three-length lead over second place in the mid-stage, she was using techniques that hadn't been seen in the previous race.
That puts REAL STEEL in a bind.
In the Spring Stakes's final straight, she had only been three lengths behind Kitasan Black.
She had faced that kind of gap before—in training too—and she had always been able to close it with her powerful closing kick.
Yet Kitasan Black had somehow endured her closing kick with sheer stamina and tenacity, taking the stakes.
And now, the gap wasn't three lengths—it had doubled to six.
If she had lost by the slimmest of margins with three… then what about six? Could she just let that be?
As she wavered, her ears unconsciously picked up the sound of pounding hooves from behind.
The problem was this: if she went after Kitasan Black now, how would Satono Crown, Duramente, and Danon Platina respond?
Without enough stamina, she wouldn't be able to fight them head-on in the final straight…
'No, I can't waste my legs here—'
'There's still a little distance before the third corner. If I unleash my speed once we enter it, it'll still be in time!'
'Hold back… wait for the moment!'
'This time… I will take the championship!'
'I must win the Satsuki Sho!'
The instant she made her decision, REAL STEEL's gaze hardened with resolve.
But in the very next second, her ears caught the sudden increase in forceful hoofbeats at the very front. Her pupils shrank to needle points, unable to restrain themselves.
Who— Kitasan Black?!
Impossible!
She's accelerating now—at a time like this?!
That stride again?!
She still has the stamina to unleash that stride?!
…
As her vision locked on the entrance of the third corner, Kitasan Black plunged in without the slightest hesitation, stomping down with the sprinting step she had switched into several times before.
From her right hoof, the explosive recoil of mud scattering was clear; faintly, she even seemed to smell the fresh green scent of crushed grass.
From the grandstands, the crowd's roar swelled like a rising tide. The noise blurred into a familiar hum, but this time, she could distinctly separate out the sharper, closer pounding of hooves behind her.
Her rivals hadn't reacted yet!
They hadn't realized how much she had prepared for this battle, or just how much speed she could endure!
They had no idea that after countless drills, she had long since been conserving energy for this very moment after the last straight!
That stamina—all of it—was for this final acceleration!
To run away as far as possible.
Every one of her rivals' closing kicks was devastatingly fast.
Which meant she had to keep pulling away from the opening stride, all the way through the final straight, until she created a gap so large that no one could ever close it.
Kitasan Black completely understood her strategy.
She didn't need to—she couldn't—leave the decisive clash for the final straight.
Her true battlefield was here, in this curve, long before the finish line was even in sight!
With that in mind, she locked her main vision onto the inside rail of the corner. Pouring every fiber of her being into control and power, Kitasan Black felt her body being stretched into a line by the pressure of the wind.
As if to fling her right off the track, the powerful centrifugal force yanked at her, and in illusion or truth, she could hear the cries of her straining muscles and bones.
But this wasn't the limit yet!
She hadn't reached her limit!
She could still accelerate!
Revealing her daily-honed tactic in full for the second time, the girl surged forward like a jet-black storm, tearing into the wide right-hand curve with unmatched ferocity.
Only when she unleashed this second-gradient full release did she hear the spine-prickling sound behind her.
It was the rumble of thunder.
No—more precisely, it was the tremor of the ground as her rivals all accelerated together.
They'd finally reacted!
"Breakaway! Breakaway! Kitasan Black unleashes another unbelievable charge in the third corner!"
The commentator's voice shot up an octave, his screaming making the microphone buzz with harsh static.
"Her second impossible acceleration! Her second impossible surge forward!"
"The other Umamusumes are all starting to move as well!"
"Clear Sky is pressing forward! Bright Emblem is chasing too!"
"REAL STEEL has launched! Satono Crown swings wide on the outside! Duramente is right behind her!
"But!"
"The gap is still widening!"
"Four lengths… five lengths… six lengths!"
"Kitasan Black's lead is still expanding!"
"It's the final corner!"
"Kitasan Black is the first to dive into the home turn!"
"Who will seize the crown in the first jewel of the Classic Triple Crown—the Satsuki Sho?!"
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