Time rewinds to the moment when the first leg of the race began—the location being the starting point of the second leg.
A week earlier, the street and the highway before and after the starting point were like parallel lines: they did not intersect.
This was a design made for tourism. Most vehicles are unsuitable for driving on sand, and on beaches packed with holidaymakers, cars are naturally not allowed to enter.
Yet, under Akikawa Yayoi's direction, after expending considerable manpower and resources, the two road sections were connected.
All for the sake of this relay race.
The relay zone was a specially marked stretch of road, where the asphalt pavement gradually transitioned into sand.
After that came a 3,000-meter-long beach track.
Just like the road section, the beach track was flanked by fences and spectator stands on both sides.
Farther away from the shallow sea, there were also specially made multimedia buses.
One side of these buses was equipped with a setup like a concert screen. Whether stationary or moving, they could broadcast various programs in real time.
Most of the time, these vehicles were used to slowly drive through busy downtown streets, displaying all kinds of advertisements on their screens.
At this moment, what was being played was the opening of the relay race that had just begun.
"So cool, President! Wow!"
With stars sparkling in her eyes, Tokai Teio clutched her chest, her nostrils flaring as her wide-open mouth let out cheers while she gasped for air.
She looked as if she were short of breath and about to pass out at any moment.
This diehard fangirl of Symboli Rudolf was standing inside a large tent near the second leg.
Through a window on one side of the tent, she stared unblinkingly at the huge screen on the bus outside, utterly intoxicated by the heroic sight of Rudolf Symboli running on it.
In a daze, it felt as though she had returned to several years ago.
Back then, she was still in elementary school, yet already a well-known prodigy both near and far.
Her academic performance was excellent, but what drew the most attention was her achievements in various training programs.
Training for horse girls often starts in elementary school. While the intensity isn't high, the professionalism is pushed to the limits of what elementary school instructors for horse girls can provide.
There are also plenty of competitions—within schools, between schools, and even national elementary school leagues for horse girls.
In those competitions, Tokai Teio never encountered any real opponent.
Over time, she sometimes felt bored because her opponents were simply too weak.
For a while, she couldn't even find the meaning of racing.
If victory was guaranteed, then why not just find some random place to run by herself?
With no rules, no messy opinions or gazes—running like that would be the freest and most exhilarating of all.
However, she was soon taught a lesson.
She had never seen such dazzling, awe-inspiring running.
That's right—after truly witnessing what powerful running looked like for the first time, she never again saw any running that could compare.
She wasn't a trainer, and from elementary school to the Central Tracen Academy, the theoretical knowledge she learned was limited. But she was a horse girl—a horse girl with top-tier talent.
With just basic theory, she could think it through on her own: what exactly made the powerful running she saw back then so different.
For example—stride.
The vast majority of horse girls must adopt different strides depending on factors such as race distance, whether the track is left- or right-turning, and their chosen running style.
There are four types of strides for horse girls. The movement of left and right legs and the swing of both arms form different rhythms, and stride classifications are distinguished by rhythm and stride length.
Two-beat, three-beat, four-beat; shortened, medium, extended—combining these two dimensions yields four professional strides.
Walk, trot, run, and gallop.
Which stride to use depends not only on the track but also on one's own physique.
Generally speaking, setting aside dance-like strides used in training or showcases, the priority of strides used in competition is: gallop first, then trot, run, and finally walk.
In other words, the gallop is the most commonly used stride for horse girls.
This stride usually follows a clear sequence and is repeatedly drilled in special training.
Within a single stride cycle, after the left foot pushes off the ground, the right foot does not immediately touch down. The entire body enters a brief airborne state.
At this moment, although the right foot hasn't contacted the ground, it has already completed its retraction and forward extension, preparing for the landing and push of the next stride cycle.
During this time, the tension formed by the airborne legs has not yet been released, and the body naturally adopts a posture where the head and upper body lift slightly, while the torso and abdomen contract slightly.
The arms swing in the opposite trend to the legs—when the left foot and left leg push off, the right arm swings forward.
And vice versa.
This is to maintain balance.
This stride has undergone long-term theoretical validation and practical testing, proving to be the one that best allows horse girls to unleash their speed on most sections of a race.
Especially during the three most crucial stages: the start, cruising, and the final straight sprint.
Trot, run, and walk are used to handle turns, position changes, and evasive maneuvers, and are also influenced by different distances, such as short, mile, middle, and long-distance races.
Even the most commonly used gallop itself can be divided into "left gallop" and "right gallop."
This relates to whether the track is left-turning or right-turning.
Take a left-turning, counterclockwise track as an example.
The side with the turn and the fence is the inside. When running close to the inside, a horse girl's high speed forces her to lean inward to counteract the inward component of force and balance the centripetal force.
This requires the inner leg to extend forward more during this phase, allowing the body to sink inward and better maintain balance.
This inclined gallop on a left-turning track is called a "left gallop."
Its counterpart is the "right gallop."
How to maintain different strides during the start, early phase, middle phase, turns, and final straight—and whether to keep the original stride—are all determined by the specific conditions of the race.
Still taking a left-turning track as an example, in most cases on such tracks, horse girls will adopt a left gallop, making corresponding adjustments during turns and other situations.
In other words, every race for every horse girl actually involves a different stride pattern.
But Symboli Rudolf was different.
In every one of her races, her stride was fixed: left gallop.
Not just during cruising—at the start, through turns, during overtakes, evasions, and sprints, she used left gallop for everything.
Tokai Teio was certain of this after watching hundreds of race recordings.
Left-turning Japan Derby—left gallop.
Right-turning Yayoi Sho and Satsuki Sho—left gallop.
A 2,000-meter race—left gallop throughout.
A 2,400-meter race—still left gallop.
After realizing this, Tokai Teio finally understood what true strength was.
No need for stride changes, no need for fancy techniques or tactics, no matter what happened before the finish line.
No need to fuss over the trainer's instructions, no need to worry about anyone else's opinions.
At the finish line, relying purely on overwhelming strength to accelerate all the way to the end, crushing everything in one unstoppable sweep to claim victory.
That was an undeniable strength.
This strength intoxicated Tokai Teio deeply, and at the same time made her realize that it wasn't that there were no strong opponents—only that her own perspective had been confined to elementary school for a very long time.
She wasn't yet a true horse girl, just a kid with good talent who hadn't seen the world.
Outsiders all thought she had no ideas of her own, that she merely followed behind Rudolf Symboli step by step like a rabid fangirl.
Just like most of Symboli' Rudolf's fans.
But she herself knew clearly—that wasn't just an idol.
Back then, when she saw that military-green figure standing proudly on the Tokyo racetrack, the bright red ribbon fluttering in the wind, the raised arm and the two fingers held high—she saw a world.
A world called supreme, ultimate strength, a world that contained all the meaning of a horse girl's career.
Without exaggeration, reaching that world through her own effort and her own legs had already become her life's ultimate goal.
So now, seeing once again the figure that had shown a world to her younger self, running on the track once more—how could she not be so excited that she lost all coherence?
And just as she was swept up in excitement, a very blunt splash of cold water was poured on her from the side.
"I say, haven't you watched enough already, Teio?"
It was Mejiro McQueen's helpless voice.
Inside this tent, it wasn't just Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
All the third-leg runners were here, as well as Oguri Cap and the other second-leg runners.
Besides them, there were also Special Week and Opera O, two horse girls still in elementary school.
After learning that many familiar senpais—legendary senpais from Central Tracen—would be participating in this relay race, the two of them had traveled all the way from Hokkaido just to be here.
When Yuzuhara told Kitahara to rest assured before, it was also because these two kids weren't just here to watch—they were also helping as cheer squad members and logistics staff.
This kind of work wasn't unfamiliar to them. Back when they followed the Eternal Team, they had done this plenty of times.
"We agreed we were just going to take a quick look at the senpais' condition, but you—once you saw the President racing, you couldn't move at all."
As she spoke with resignation, Mejiro McQueen walked over, reached out, grabbed Tokai Teio's constantly waving hand, and tugged on it firmly.
"Alright, the President and the others have already started racing."
"It won't be long before they reach this section."
"Oguri-senpai and the others will start soon, too, and they won't be slow."
"If we don't go back to the third-leg starting point now, we'll definitely miss it."
Actually, at first, Mejiro McQueen felt that Tokai Teio's behavior was far too childish.
Although this race wasn't an official Twinkle Star event, its level of attention was no less than one.
Her two sisters hadn't told her much, but from the news, videos, and friends' posts she saw on her phone, she knew very well just how many people were paying attention to this unofficial race.
And now, there was less than a month left until the time that would decide the outcome.
After the race ended and some time passed, with media coverage and public opinion fueling it, the surge in popularity was easy to imagine.
Faced with such a competition, she didn't need her sisters' reminders. From a young age, intending to bring glory to the Mejiro name, there was no way she would treat it lightly.
And Teio stopped halfway, getting absorbed in the race like an ordinary spectator and completely forgetting that she herself was also a competitor—this was undoubtedly negligence in her eyes.
What made her even more helpless—and secretly annoyed—was that, as if influenced by Teio, Narita Brian, Mihono Bourbon, and Rice Shower, who were also competing, ended up stopping as well, despite originally agreeing to just take a look and leave.
She admitted that watching a race at the level of her peak-class sister was hugely beneficial.
But if that caused them to delay their own race and leave a stain on the Mejiro family's reputation, then the loss would far outweigh the gain—and that was absolutely unacceptable to her.
So she couldn't help but continue persuading them, her tone growing a bit urgent.
"Don't you realize? For the senpais, 4,000 meters only takes about four to five minutes to finish."
"It's already been going on for a while, which means they'll be here very soon."
"If we don't hurry to the third-leg starting point to prepare now…"
"Relax, relax, McQueen, don't be so tense."
Tokai Teio didn't turn around, but pleaded in a coaxing tone, "Just a bit longer—just a bit more, okay? Just… just two minutes. Two minutes."
"No, no, one minute is fine. One minute."
"Just let me watch for one more minute, okay? Please?"
"Wow! Maruzensky-senpai accelerated!"
"Huh? But it's not to take the lead—th-this… this is kind of strange, isn't it?!"
Originally planning to keep persuading them, upon hearing this, Mejiro McQueen couldn't help but look at the screen outside as well.
"…That's true. If it were to seize the lead, the speed should be even faster. But if it's not for that, then why speed up…"
After all, she was a horse girl too. Although she wanted to hurry to her starting point to prepare, seeing a race she cared about like this, Mejiro McQueen couldn't help but get drawn in.
No matter what, it was a competition far beyond her own level—one that could even be said to represent the very pinnacle. There was no way she could be completely indifferent.
Especially since her sister was among the competitors.
At that moment, a low voice came over.
"Ah, that's the strategy Maruzensky-senpai talked about before… ah! O-oh no, why did I say it out loud… ah…"
Also watching the race intently, Rice Shower responded to Mejiro McQueen almost reflexively.
But as soon as she finished speaking, she remembered that after arranging the strategy for this race, Maruzensky had said it should be kept secret from their partners.
Even though that gentle-looking senior had been smiling the whole time she mentioned secrecy, Rice Shower still decided to take it seriously.
Now that she had accidentally let something slip, she immediately lost all interest in watching the race.
Like a child who had made a mistake, she quickly lowered her head, curled her body inward, hugged her head with both hands, and let her slender ears droop down.
"Wuu… Rice Shower caused trouble for everyone again…"
"Ah… that's not it, ah, no, that's not right…"
Originally just glancing at the race subconsciously, Mejiro McQueen was still aware of her surroundings. She quickly comforted Rice Shower with a sentence, then changed her wording:
"Huh? Wait, Rice Shower, did you just say something?"
"…Ah? R-Rice…"
Flustered, Rice Shower quietly raised her head, met Mejiro McQueen's smiling gaze, then quickly lowered it again. "Rice Shower doesn't know either…"
After spending time together recently, McQueen had come to understand Rice Shower's sensitive and introverted personality. Afraid of stimulating her further, she shifted the topic.
"Then let me put it this way, Teio."
It wasn't that she hadn't heard Rice Shower's words—the implication had also reminded her of something—so she turned to provoking another companion.
"You want to become a horse girl like President Rudolf, don't you?"
"After President Rudolf's debut, she basically never lost."
"If you think pre-debut races don't matter, then there's nothing I can do."
"But I'm going to the starting point to prepare."
"Running over now won't cost much stamina, and it's perfect for warming up."
"So then, bye-bye…"
"Wait! McQueen, don't you dare run off!"
Mejiro McQueen's words hit Tokai Teio right in the heart. She instantly lost the desire to keep watching her idol's race.
It wasn't that she had no expectations anymore—but the dream born from her idol made it impossible for her to accept the possibility McQueen had deliberately suggested.
She knew it was provocation.
But no matter what, she had no intention of losing to anyone at any time.
Especially not to Mejiro McQueen, whom she had secretly acknowledged since they first met.
Not only her—Narita Brian and Mihono Bourbon beside her also twitched their ears. Though just as silent as they had been while watching the race, they reluctantly turned their gazes away from the screen.
They, too, had their own reasons for not wanting to lose.
And just as Mejiro McQueen had said, heading over now would perfectly satisfy both warming up and timeliness. Waiting another minute or two really would be cutting it close.
However, when they were about to say goodbye to the second-leg seniors and leave, they unexpectedly noticed that something seemed off over there.
Special Week and Opera O, temporarily serving as logistics staff, were both over there, glancing left and right with confused expressions.
Especially Opera O—normally carefree and unfazed by anything—looking like this now made it clear that the situation was rather unexpected.
And among the five active members of the Eisei Team whom they were watching, the usual relaxed and cheerful atmosphere was gone.
Instead, the air was filled with sharp confrontation—much like the provocation Mejiro McQueen had just used on Tokai Teio.
(End of Chapter)