"The chance is right here!"
Dancing Traveller unleashed every ounce of energy she'd been saving up, her speed skyrocketing in an instant, leaving the other Uma Musume around her in the dust.
"Dancing Traveller! Dancing Traveller is charging forward! She's accelerating right in the middle of the turn, slipping through the gaps as the pack loosens up!"
"What a brilliant and clever move! The other Uma Musume were completely caught off guard."
"It's no use!"
Watching Dancing Traveller blaze past them, they could do nothing but watch helplessly.
In this situation, there was no way to block her or hold position. Swerving recklessly on a curve wasn't just risky—it could cause a collision, kill their momentum, or even lead to a disqualification for a foul.
So all they could do was watch as Dancing Traveller kept building speed, steadily pulling away from them.
"Oh! Dancing Traveller has broken free from the pack! She's now taken the lead position! Only a handful of Uma Musume remain ahead of her!"
"Southern Maiden is still holding on! But her form doesn't look as sharp as before, and the gap is closing! Can she maintain her current placing?"
"Just 400 meters to the finish line! Can anyone pull off a comeback in these final 400 meters?"
"And Nearl is still way out in front, running all by herself. Honestly, there's not much to comment on—just watching her run fills you with a sense of reassurance."
"Reassurance about the tickets you bought on her, you mean?"
"You jerk, don't just say that out loud!"
"Wait, look! Dancing Traveller has exited the turn and overtook six Uma Musume in one go! Incredible speed! She's now right on Southern Maiden's heels!"
"!"
'Oh no, don't you come any closer!'
Southern Maiden felt like crying inside. Well, she was already crying.
As a front-runner by nature, it was tough enough having an even faster front-runner like Nearl in the race—it completely threw off her rhythm.
Just when she thought she was seeing a glimmer of hope, another Uma Musume came charging up from behind.
"I'll be faster than you! Even if I can't beat Nearl, I won't lose to you."
Gritting her teeth, Dancing Traveller pushed even harder, closing the distance between herself and Southern Maiden.
"These two certainly have the competitive spirit, but their skill level just isn't there yet," Dicta Striker remarked, shaking her head.
"But it's a regional race after all. Just getting to see Nearl in action is worth the price of admission."
She watched Nearl, who had already built such a massive lead over her rivals, and let her mind wander to the future.
"My juniors might be unlucky to face a miracle like her in their era, but for the spectators, it's a blessing. They're witnessing history."
"Whether it's lucky or not depends on how those juniors see it," Ardan chimed in from beside her. "Having a rival like that changes everything."
"After the race, Dicta Striker, are you going to go see Nearl?"
"...We'll see later."
"The final 200 meters! Nearl has started to accelerate noticeably! The others can't catch up at all!"
"The gap is widening mercilessly! Nearl is calmly approaching the finish line! Is anyone going to catch her? Anyone? No! They've been left too far behind! Let's congratulate Margaret Nearl!"
"She's done it! Margaret Nearl secures her second career victory! But we all believe this is just a small step in her journey—her future is bound to be even brighter."
"She's too strong, absolutely incredible. We can see Nearl already making her way along the stands, greeting the fans—and the second place hasn't even been decided yet! What an outstanding Uma Musume!"
"And here it is! Second place goes to Dancing Traveller! Third is Southern Maiden! Ah, what a shame—in the end, Southern Maiden couldn't hold on to second."
"But Dancing Traveller really gave us a thrilling surprise today. Even after that early incident forced her to fall back, she charged through in the final stretch, showing incredible tenacity and drive."
"Now for fourth place…"
--+--
"Hahaha… Third place."
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Southern Maiden felt a pang of disappointment.
"Um, are you okay?" Dancing Traveller asked cautiously, edging closer.
"I'm fine. Third place isn't so bad—it's still above my minimum goal. You don't have to look so worried."
Seeing Dancing Traveller's timid, almost fearful expression, Southern Maiden put on a brave face and assured her she was alright.
But then her gaze shifted to Nearl, who had finished acknowledging the crowd and was now slowly making her exit. A wave of admiration washed over her.
"But that first place… she's on another level. I couldn't even see her tail. I couldn't even muster the thought of trying to overtake her."
"She's really in a different league," Dancing Traveller agreed. "She's definitely headed for the central circuits, isn't she? I envy that. I want to go too. I want to run more races on turf."
The two Uma Musume stood side by side, sighing quietly.
"That was a beautiful race, Nearl. This time, don't forget about the Winner's Stage," Kitahara Jo said, waiting backstage. He'd made sure to remember it this time.
"Don't worry, Trainer. It might be a bit different from what the audience expects, but I think they'll accept it," Nearl replied, her tone slightly complex.
"Anyway, you've always been steady, Nearl. I'm sure you won't cause any trouble," Kitahara said, sounding unconcerned. He gave her shoulder a pat and turned to leave. "Go on stage. Don't keep the audience waiting."
"I will."
After Kitahara left, Everlamp came rushing over, carrying a long, rectangular box in her arms.
"Nearl-senpai, the thing you asked for."
"Thank you for your help, Lamp-chan. Wait and see my performance."
Giving the little grey filly a pat on the head, Nearl took the case and headed off to change.
Meanwhile, outside the venue, a crowd had gathered, waiting for Nearl's Winner's Stage. Among them were a group of trainers and five other Uma Musume.
"I heard Nearl had to cancel her last Winner's Stage due to an emergency, so this is her first time performing. Do you think anything will go wrong?" Symboli Rudolf wondered, sounding a bit concerned.
Mr. C.B., standing beside her, was completely relaxed. "Relax, the audience just wants to see us move around on stage a little. No one's going to be too critical. Besides, don't you want to see little Nearl—usually so serious—dancing up there on stage?"
"Senpai, you have such a mean streak…"
"Hey, look! Nearl-chan's coming on stage! That outfit suits her so well, she looks beautiful! And with her hair down like that, she looks even gentler." Mr. C.B. called out excitedly, but her expression soon turned puzzled. "Huh? What's that little Nearl is holding? A violin?"
"Well, well," Symboli Rudolf chuckled, a playful smile on her face. "It seems our Miss Nearl has a new trick up her sleeve."
--+--
T/N: A Certain Scientific Railgun Fanfic Up!
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.