Against all odds, Sirius Symboli chose to accelerate right there in the middle of the pack.
What was she thinking!? Was she trying to force her way through?
She's insane, Sirius Symboli has lost her mind! She'd get herself killed! Colliding with other Uma Musume is no joke!
"Heh, as if I'd do something that reckless."
The girl sneered.
Even the strongest fortress can't stop a single spark. You understand that, right?
To ensure safety, Uma Musume always keep a small distance from each other while running.
For them, this gap provides a buffer on turns, preventing collisions and conserving energy.
But for anyone trying to come from behind, that narrow space between two runners, with their arms pumping at high frequency, is like a pair of grinding machines. A single bump from their elbows could cause unimaginable damage.
There had been numerous incidents reported of Uma Musume accidentally getting struck by an elbow, rushed to the hospital with fractures and internal bleeding—serious injuries.
So, they weren't packed together tightly.
The path directly behind an Uma Musume was blocked, and the gaps between them were far too dangerous. That was the heart of this predicament.
Yet, the one facing it was Sirius Symboli, an expert at finding a way out of countless impossible situations.
And against this solid wall, Sirius had already seen it.
That narrow sliver of an opening—
"Sirius Symboli! She's moving between Long Live Free and Bold Northman!! Wait, that stance—!"
She turned sideways and accelerated.
Running normally, there was no way to safely pass through that gap. The only chance was to minimize her profile.
In that moment, Sirius Symboli's body became like a blade, slicing straight into the nearly imperceptible space between the two walls.
Both Long Live Free and Bold Northman on either side widened their eyes in sheer disbelief.
You've got to be kidding...
How is this possible?
"She made it through…"
The spectators murmured, almost in a daze.
"Did you see that?"
"She went right through—"
"That was…"
"Incredible!!"
A tsunami of cheers erupted from the stands.
"SIRIUS!! SIRIUS!! SIRIUS!!!"
"Haha!" The brunette girl laughed.
"The brightest star in the sky has shattered the enemy's iron defense! Sirius Symboli moves to the front of the pack!! What a magnificent breakthrough!!"
The commentator was shouting excitedly.
It might have looked simple, but having watched hundreds, thousands of races, she knew this wasn't something just any Uma Musume could pull off without extensive practice.
It required immense control over speed, power, and most critically, timing.
She had to accelerate powerfully the instant the two leading Musume crossed their arms, bursting into the narrow space ahead of them in a split second.
Too fast or too slow, and it would fail.
Moreover, Sirius Symboli had done it while tilted sideways, a position terrible for acceleration. Her mastery of this technique was nothing short of perfect.
Having slipped through the gap and emerged ahead of Running Free and Bold Northern, Sirius Symboli straightened her posture.
Seeing this, the two had no choice but to grit their teeth and create distance between themselves and Sirius.
The encirclement, once so formidable, now showed signs of cracking with Sirius's arrival.
What do you think of that, you black-clad fiend—
Sirius Symboli shot a glance sideways.
A playful smile tugged at the corner of her pale, snow-white face.
'How amusing…'
--+--
"So that's the star who returned from overseas? Not too shabby!"
Having stopped in the middle of the street, Tamamo Cross glanced at the large screen, her earphones plugged in, streaming the live broadcast from Tokyo Racecourse.
Not wanting to miss a moment of the race, she'd specifically talked Komiyama into lending her phone to listen to the commentary via the announcer's voice.
Three Musume trapped by ten others.
As Tamamo Cross crossed Central Street, she happened to see the exact moment on the screen when Sirius Symboli shattered the defense.
Not bad at all.
Tamamo Cross offered generous praise.
But for her, it was still far from impressive.
After all, breaking through an encirclement of that level was something Tamamo Cross could do too.
"Ta-Tama… Tama… haah… huff…"
Komiyama Masami, completely out of breath, finally caught up, leaning on the railing to steady herself.
"What's up, Komiya? You're totally winded."
She looked like she was about to keel over.
"You… run… so fast…" Komiyama Masami swallowed with difficulty, trying to catch her breath.
She'd taken a taxi to chase after Tamamo Cross.
After the other girl stopped, she'd hurried from the parking spot to here.
Just finding a cab and running over had drained half her life away.
In contrast, Tamamo Cross, who was faster than the car, looked completely unfazed.
This was the insurmountable gap between an Uma Musume and a human.
"Komiya, why'd you follow me? Isn't the cafeteria showing the broadcast?"
"Of course, it's because I wanted to see her too, the one who might become your rival someday."
She pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"If someday, Tama-chan, you have to face her, then as your trainer, I will definitely help you defeat her."
"So, I won't miss a single race! I'll observe her closely and formulate a training plan!" Komiyama Masami declared with determination. "I'll be your strongest support! No matter what difficulties we face, I'll help you overcome them, without hesitation!"
Hearing Komiya's unwavering voice, Tamamo Cross's eyes widened slightly.
She turned her head away, scratching her cheek a few times with her finger, before turning back.
"Then you better plan it out properly for me. After all, I'm the White Lightning of that track—"
Two blocks away, Hishi Amazon and Narita Brian watched the race intently.
Seeing Sirius Symboli break through, Hishi Amazon seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
"With this, the net they formed will probably be broken by Sirius Symboli, right?"
They just needed to wait quietly for the enemy to fall apart.
"Wait?"
Narita Brian narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about, Amazon? Why wait?"
"Huh? Isn't that how it is?"
Apart from the highly skilled Sirius Symboli, the Black Uma Musume and Oguri Cap probably didn't have the ability to break out on their own.
They could only wait for Sirius to set the pace and force the others to change their running style.
"It seems you still don't quite understand."
Narita Brian shook her head.
"For her, this encirclement never existed in the first place."
"What… are you saying?"
"In this world, is there anything that can truly hold her back?"
Narita Brian curled her lips into a fanatical smile.
Just like that black Musume trapped in the center.
'This is the solution that belongs to me, and me alone—'
BOOM—!
With a tremendous sound, a huge spray of mud and turf erupted from the grass field. But unlike usual, this time the turf didn't fly backward; it flew...
To the side!
--+--
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.