Osaka Racecourse.
"Just 1000 meters left to the finish line!"
"Sakura Rambler, despite a troubled start, has surged to the lead!"
"She's incredibly fast!"
"It seems she has no intention of slowing down—is she trying to completely break away from Barbatos?"
The commentator's voice rang out.
While Freedom Soldier lacked experience as a front-runner or true escape artist, Sakura Rambler was a genuine escape-style runner with ample experience, possessing excellent control over her stamina.
Yutaka Take kept a close eye on Sakura Rambler's position.
"The only question now is, can she maintain this all-out sprint to the very end?"
That faulty start must have cost her quite a bit of stamina, forcing her to charge from the back of the pack all the way to the lead.
Even with her reserves, there was still a real risk she might fade in the final stretch.
Yet, Sakura Rambler on the track seemed unconcerned with such thoughts.
As an Uma Musume from the Sakura family, she had undergone rigorous training since childhood and had complete confidence in her endurance.
If an Uma Musume's top speed is something decided at birth, then stamina knows no such limit—it can be pushed ever higher through training, right up to the very edges of one's potential!
All she needed to do now was go faster, stretch her lead over Barbatos to a point where it could negate Barbatos's feared late kick.
Her cherry-blossom-colored racing silks fluttered in the wind as Sakura Rambler steadily widened the gap on the runner-up, showcasing the true power of the second-favorite in this race!
But still…
--+--
In the spectator stands.
"Sakura Rambler really is fast, isn't she!" Ikuno Dictus exclaimed, mentally placing herself into the race.
If she were in this contest, could she overtake Sakura Rambler in the final stages?
It would likely be quite difficult.
A testament to the caliber of Uma Musume competing in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, she supposed.
Beside her, Matikanetannhauser opened her mouth, then closed it, her gaze shifting to the seemingly lackadaisical Seiun Sky, who showed no sign of tension over Barbatos's race.
During that earlier match, Matikanetannhauser had been sidelined by "injury," so she hadn't participated.
That made her, as an observer, perhaps the clearest witness. Dictus said Sakura Rambler was fast.
But compared to Seiun Sky, who had employed a similar escape tactic back then, Sakura Rambler seemed... just a touch slower...
Sakura Rambler had debuted half a year earlier than Seiun Sky, yet Matikanetannhauser couldn't shake the feeling that Seiun Sky was actually stronger!
So, was that why Seiun Sky—arguably the closest to Barbatos—seemed so unenthused and untroubled now?
That was the conclusion she'd drawn as an onlooker.
She had no intention of voicing it. Maybe her judgment was off.
But Barbatos and Seiun Sky... they truly seemed to be on a different level altogether from the Uma Musume of their generation...
--+--
"700 meters remaining!"
"Sakura Rambler in the lead has opened up a gap of seven lengths over the second-place runner!"
"Can Freedom Soldier and Barbatos catch up?"
"Freedom Soldier?!"
"Freedom Soldier is starting to accelerate from the back, charging forward—what incredible speed!"
"600 meters to go!"
"Freedom Soldier has joined the front group, now in fifth place!"
"She overtakes again!"
"Third place!!! Freedom Soldier has moved into third! Can she chase down Sakura Rambler in the lead?!"
"She's now six lengths behind Sakura Rambler!"
"Can she close the gap?"
Freedom Soldier's running style was bold and unrestrained, like a bulldozer "plowing" past the Uma Musume ahead of her one by one.
Her eyes narrowed, her speed kicked up another notch as she overtook the new second-place runner, launching her assault on Sakura Rambler not far ahead.
'Sakura Rambler...'
'Your stamina and speed are among the rarest I've ever faced in an opponent!'
'But using that endurance for a mile race—that's your biggest mistake. When it comes to the final kick, I'm stronger!'
She pushed again, power surging in her thighs, her stride strengthening, her speed increasing just enough to slowly but surely close in on Sakura Rambler.
'The winner will absolutely be me!'
Noticing the pursuit, Sakura Rambler gritted her teeth, trying to quicken her pace. 'I won't fall here!'
'My goal is to become a Triple Crown Uma Musume!'
Just 300 meters left. She absolutely could not let Freedom Soldier pass her!
Locked in their duel for speed, the other Uma Musume seemed reduced to supporting roles, left behind as the commentator's camera focused solely on the two of them, capturing their final showdown.
The others appeared to fade into the background of this race; these two were its protagonists.
This was the creed of Tracen Academy: Eclipse First, The Rest Nowhere.
Even among G1-level Uma Musume, the gap between individuals could be immense—sometimes greater than the difference between a rookie racer and a G2 contender!
"Freedom Soldier is now just three lengths behind Sakura Rambler!"
"Only 200 meters to the finish line!"
Both Freedom Soldier and Sakura Rambler gritted their teeth, pouring out everything they had, pushing to levels that seemed to surpass their limits. The sweat on their brows and the ache in their legs couldn't slow their strides.
'I absolutely have to win!' The thought was identical in both their minds.
And then.
A terrifying pressure bore down on them from behind. Heavy footfalls seemed to pound directly on their hearts. Someone was closing in on them with frightening speed.
"!!!"
"Barbatos!"
A revenant from hell had sounded the war horn.
A figure wreathed in a haze of crimson energy shot past them like an arrow through time, darting between the two contenders in an instant.
Sakura Rambler and Freedom Soldier's pupils constricted sharply. At that speed, there was no chance for a duel, no opportunity for a challenge.
If their competition was a clash between peers on the same level, then Barbatos was a monster from another realm entirely—offering no opening for a one-on-one contest at all.
Only by facing Barbatos directly could one truly comprehend her power.
Barbatos's figure flashed past them, crossed the finish line just ahead, and came to a stop, declaring the outcome of the race.
Drawing on their seasoned experience, the two managed to resist the oppressive aura Barbatos had cast moments earlier and resumed their struggle.
Only now, they were no longer fighting for first, but for second.
A phrase Barbatos had uttered before the race instantly resurfaced in their minds:
["If by 'victory' you mean second place, then yeah, you might just have a shot."]
'So... that wasn't just trash talk...'
'So... I was never the main character...'
--+--
T/N: 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.