"Barbatos is catching up!"
"Barbatos takes the lead from position three, overtaking the still-lagging Mejiro Bright and charging toward the front of the pack!"
Akasaka Misato's passionate commentary filled the air. "Could this be the moment Barbatos surges past all twelve rivals?"
Even though she hadn't been the one calling Barbatos' earlier races, after reviewing every single one of them, she knew all too well the sheer terror of that Uma Musume's late charge when running from behind.
"She's launching her sprint at the third turn—this really is Barbatos' first time in a long-distance race, after all."
The veteran commentator let out a soft sigh.
Objectively, she believed Mejiro Bright would win, but part of her still hoped to witness Barbatos pull off a miracle.
Most of the crowd roared as Barbatos pushed forward, erupting in cheers the moment she activated her domain.
But the Spring Tenno Sho wasn't anything like the Satsuki Sho course.
Even the final stretch after the slope was much longer than in middle-distance races.
No Uma Musume in history had ever managed to accelerate from the third turn.
Well, maybe some of the legends could have done it—but even they never chose to kick in that early.
This was a clear sign of Barbatos' lack of experience.
She was applying middle-distance tactics to a long-distance race—a full 3200 meters, no less!
After the early pace forced by the front-runners, which had already drained stamina, now she was pushing even earlier at the third turn.
At this point, the commentator could already picture Barbatos' defeat.
It wasn't that she lacked faith in Barbatos—it was just what years of experience in the commentary booth had taught her.
She was sure the old matriarch of the Mejiro family and that trainer from Canopus could see it too. Even Akasaka Misato, who was cheering Barbatos on over the microphone right now, probably knew it as well.
Her words were broadcast live.
The spectators at the venue and those watching the livestream—all who had been cheering for Barbatos—suddenly felt their hearts clench with worry.
They feared Barbatos might lose, that her undefeated record could end here. They all wanted to see her work a miracle.
--+--
In the Rigil dorm, El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder, both still injured and unable to train, were watching the live broadcast.
Hearing the commentator's expert analysis, they didn't feel anxious for their friend.
"Can't accelerate from the third turn, huh?"
El Condor Pasa asked confidently—less a genuine question and more a challenge.
Applying common Uma Musume sense to Barbatos? That might not work at all.
Was the rival who had defeated her really being underestimated like this?
Grass Wonder didn't respond. Instead, she kept her eyes on the screen, where Mejiro Bright was still hanging back at the rear, showing no sign of moving yet.
She frowned slightly. "If Mejiro Bright doesn't pick up the pace soon, even if Barbatos fades, she'll have a hard time closing the gap."
"What is Mejiro Bright thinking?"
Even though she didn't know Mejiro Bright personally, as a fellow Uma Musume, she couldn't understand why Bright remained so calm now.
Even if she wasn't going all out with her finishing kick, she should at least try not to let Barbatos pull too far ahead.
Was she waiting for Barbatos to tire out too early?
--+--
Kyoto Racecourse.
On the track, the front-runners who had pushed the pace relentlessly were beginning to flag on the slope, their speeds gradually dropping.
Their only hope was that Barbatos and Mejiro Bright, chasing from behind, had already burned too much stamina because of their early pace—that even a late charge wouldn't be enough, and the gap they'd built would hold.
Just then, a suffocating pressure swept up from behind.
The powerful, rhythmic pounding of iron-shod hooves rang out as Barbatos blew past them.
It was as if the slope at the third turn did nothing to slow her, as if the earlier fierce pace hadn't drained her stamina at all!
Right now, Barbatos seemed to be at her peak, leaving everyone else in the dust.
Heavy footsteps, exhausted bodies, ragged breaths—the moment Barbatos overtook them, someone let out an involuntary groan, and soon the track echoed with cries of "No way!" and "I'm done!"
Barbatos cleared the slope and surged onto the final long straight!
The gap between her and the others behind began widening rapidly.
Seizing the chance, Barbatos glanced back, searching for Mejiro Bright.
She wanted to see where her most serious rival in this race was—to understand what had given Bright the confidence to use a come-from-behind strategy like her own earlier.
But when she looked, she saw Mejiro Bright only gradually overtaking others on the slope, still not going all out.
'Is something wrong with Mejiro Bright?'
The thought flashed through her mind.
If that wasn't the reason, then this wouldn't just fail to be a clash of elite versus prodigy—keeping the gap under ten lengths might even be impossible.
As for her own stamina…
Barbatos' steps still felt light. While her Zone accelerated stamina drain, compared to running the Oka Sho with it active the whole way, she was actually using less energy now—even in this 3200-meter Spring Tenno Sho.
She glanced toward the finish line.
The white lightning around her began tinged with red, her strides transforming into something monstrous as [Ghost] and [Highlander] quietly activated.
The finish line… is within my range.
Further back.
Mejiro Bright, who had kept her eyes fixed on the finish line instead of on Barbatos, finally gave in to the pressure.
She started her full sprint earlier than planned, driving toward the end.
The true deciding point should have been the final straight after the slope—that was what experience from countless long-distance races had taught her, the most effective way to run.
If she'd been watching Barbatos, maybe she would have pushed earlier and not let the gap grow.
But after hearing her grandmother's story about "The Tortoise and the Hare," she had chosen to focus only on the finish line, sticking to her own running style—and in doing so, allowed Barbatos to build an irreversible lead.
"Congratulations to Barbatos as she crosses the line, claiming the Spring Tenno Sho in a dominant victory!"
"Second place—Mejiro Bright!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.