"Based on first impressions, who do you think will win between the two of them?"
Toujou Hana looked at the assembled contestants, who were already prepared and waiting for the signal, but her question was directly aimed at these two.
Kazuo pondered for a moment, then shook his head, looking a bit helpless: "I really don't know…"
Toujou Hana was silent for a moment, then nodded in response: "Even I, as their Trainer, don't know how the race will end. It wouldn't be surprising no matter who wins or loses between them."
Beep—
The moment the traffic light flashed, the gates opened, and everyone started at almost the same time. Yet, despite this, as they burst onto the track, one figure suddenly surged ahead.
With her fiery, long, wavy hair flying in the wind, Maruzensky was like a sports car speeding on the track, pressing the accelerator to the floor from the very beginning. This unreasonable speed created an exaggerated distance from the others in a short amount of time.
"This is!"
It was a completely Subverting cognition leading running style. It gave the impression of not running particularly fast, yet the distance between them was visibly widening—
"This speed…!?"
It was completely incomprehensible; this was the most terrifying speed Kazuo had ever witnessed, and it was different from Mihono Bourbon's. Although she firmly held the lead position, Maruzensky was as different from her as heaven and earth.
If Mihono Bourbon used rhythm and endless stamina to meticulously pull her opponents into her own pace with her leading running style, then Maruzensky was definitely an anomaly.
For no other reason than that, compared to her opponent, she was more self-reliant.
This was a gap born from pure strength and talent—
"It's not that she adopted a leading running style, but rather that her own speed was simply too fast, and it gradually turned into this…"
Yoshida looked at the red figure soaring across the track, filled with both regret and admiration.
"Maruzensky… I almost misjudged her back then. She is a monster that exists solely for running."
After some time, the gaps between the contestants gradually widened. Maruzensky, leading the pack, had created a significant distance from everyone else.
Her footsteps were incredibly light, her arm swing posture and acceleration were top-notch, and among all the contestants, she was one who pushed her running talent to the absolute limit.
Even at this moment, she still held back some of her strength.
With such an advantage, she quickly reached the second segment, while the Emperor remained in the latter half of the pack. Unlike Maruzensky, the Emperor had given up on competing with her from the start, not fully engaging in a speed battle.
Choosing a stalker running style, she intended to challenge Maruzensky in the latter half of the race.
This move was undoubtedly risky. Giving up an advantage could sometimes be the key to turning the tide for Uma Musume of their caliber, even a single second. A slight oversight could cost them the hope of winning the championship.
But this was the Emperor, a decision made by her as a contestant in the moment.
And at this time, she had even completely hidden her sharpness, moving alone in eighth place, biding her time.
However, Kazuo also noticed something.
Even though Maruzensky maintained an absolute advantage at this moment, there was no hint of a relaxed expression on her face. She vigorously swung her arms, attempting to bring the race completely under her control.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, in eighth place, had a serene expression, completely unaffected by the current situation.
As if none of this concerned her.
The moment he saw the Emperor, Kazuo felt as if time had slowed down infinitely.
That surge of adrenaline, that tingling sensation throughout his body, began to ignite a fire within him.
Her fluttering bangs, and the sharp eyes hidden beneath them.
This was the gaze of a king, a proud king looking down from a lofty position.
Even if the race was tilted, making her the disadvantaged party, her gaze, from beginning to end, was searching for the distant future.
Kazuo felt as if, in a certain moment, he was in sync with the Emperor on the track, and then—
He could also feel the Emperor's perspective on the track and her true thoughts.
"Before entering the next turn… she will accelerate."
Kazuo seemed to be talking to himself. Toujou Hana looked at him in surprise, but only understood what he was saying a few seconds later.
3, 2, 1—
Then, a reversal.
Boom—
The moment the Emperor accumulated power, after stabilizing her body at a baseline, she suddenly pushed down with force, and her body shot out like a propelled cannonball.
Her body fully stretched out, and her speed, as if released from restraints, instantly reached its maximum in that moment.
The turf on the track was literally kicked up by her. With pure power, in a mere instant, the Emperor overtook four positions on the bend, reaching the top three.
And at this point, the distance between the two had already been reduced from thirteen lengths to within seven lengths.
Only six hundred meters of the track remained. After the bend, it would be the final straight sprint.
As the Emperor surged into second place with absolute dominance, all the competition, the final four hundred meters, condensed upon the two of them.
The Emperor's speed had now picked up. She was sprinting with unstoppable Kiai (Fighting Spirit), desperately chasing Maruzensky.
Maruzensky's speed showed no signs of slowing down either; on the contrary, in the final four hundred meters, her body erupted with energy once again.
The red and blue rivalry instantly entered its final sprint phase.
Only three lengths separated the two. Everything had happened after the Emperor accelerated, a display of dominant performance achieved over one bend and a straight track segment.
The race was not over yet; everyone's eyes were fixed on the two of them.
Both were champions of their generation, both were outstanding, and both possessed the absolute strength to dominate everything of their generation.
Even though it was just a mock race, both unleashed their full power at that moment.
Almost simultaneously—
Their speeds in the final sprint were surprisingly consistent.
Four hundred meters, three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters, fifty meters!
Three lengths, two lengths, one length, neck and neck—
Under immense pressure, amidst the howling storm, both of them crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. Maruzensky led the entire race, perfectly controlling the situation. However, the Emperor, with a dominant performance, completely took over the race in the final stretch, achieving a comeback and overtaking with her own strength in the last segment—
The Emperor successfully crossed the finish line with a half-length advantage, reigning over the track like a true monarch.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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