"King Halo! It's King Halo!"
"King Halo, leading the pack, is pulling ahead again, widening the gap between herself and Seiun Sky!"
The commentator's voice echoed through the speakers, reaching every spectator focused on the Japanese Derby.
King Halo, still in the lead with five or six hundred meters to the finish line, accelerated once more.
She aimed to create an insurmountable distance between herself, Seiun Sky, and Special Week before the finish line!
--+--
Inside the student council room of Tracen Academy.
Symboli Rudolf stood with her arms crossed, a faint smile touching her authoritative face as Student Council President. "So King Halo has reached that point too."
"Indeed," Maruzensky agreed, a nostalgic gleam in her eyes.
"In past classic races, some have summoned the 'Zone' with sheer determination and an unwavering will to win. But Halo's talent is remarkable even among the generations of racers we've seen."
As a legendary Uma Musume herself, she had witnessed dozens of Classic Triple Crown events, watching many shine brightly in classic races only to fade away afterward.
The Zone was a mysterious thing. No one could say for sure what triggered it.
Some Uma Musume unlocked it through sheer, desperate resolve to win. Others relied on honed skill and extraordinary, innate talent.
But whichever the case, activating the Zone without sufficient physical conditioning often led directly to injury, or even the end of a career.
Those who glimpsed the Zone only once were always a source of regret.
Yet, among the legends gathered in the student council room, no one felt regret for King Halo. Because this wasn't a complete Zone. It wasn't the kind that would only bloom once before withering!
"To think King Halo would reach this stage in the Japanese Derby," Hishi Amazon grinned wryly.
"Even Oguri Cap only manifested her Zone in the Arima Kinen after those two epic battles with Tamamo Cross, didn't she?"
Even as a fledgling form, the mere sensation of touching the Zone was enough to boost King Halo's speed.
"I'd really like to race her someday. Looks like King Halo has the Derby in the bag," Hishi Amazon mused, her thoughts drifting to Barbatos.
If her... special someone lost the Derby, she'd probably be down for a while.
Silently, Amazon cheered for Seiun Sky, who was chasing hard behind King Halo.
"In the bag?" Air Groove shook her head at Amazon's assessment.
"While King Halo has manifested a preliminary Zone, there are still five or six hundred meters to go. The stamina drain from the Zone is no joke."
"If she goes all out now in the truest sense, she might end up being overtaken by Seiun Sky or Special Week in the final stretch."
This was the judgment of Air Groove, the Empress, a Legendary Uma Musume.
It was a consensus among the legends: the Zone consumed tremendous energy, especially the first time it was unlocked, almost by chance.
It wasn't just stamina; it placed an immense burden on the body itself.
Meaning, even if King Halo won this race, she might miss the Kikuka Sho due to injury.
"That's not necessarily certain," Narita Brian said with keen interest, watching the leading figure on the student council's large screen.
"I've run into her training several times by chance. We shouldn't underestimate the Uma Musume of this generation."
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
"Not just King Halo. Whether it's El Condor Pasa or Seiun Sky, their training volumes are downright monstrous."
One by one, the legendary Uma Musume in the room recounted seeing these racers training diligently.
Running into it once was nothing special—many Uma Musume trained hard before big events to peak their condition.
But King Halo's training had been relentless and consistent. If her recent training was for the Derby, and her training before the Satsuki Sho was for that race... what about last year?
"Was it the pressure from Barbatos?"
"Probably not entirely."
In every generation, there was either one gifted Uma Musume dominating all rivals, or several who were virtually unbeatable in their respective specialties.
The others would chase, trying to catch up to those geniuses. But most, after pushing hard and seeing no hope, would give up, lowering their goals.
That was the harsh reality, the reason some G1 races saw contenders avoiding each other.
In G3 races, most central Uma Musume had a shot at the title.
But G1 and G2? They truly demanded innate talent. Effort came second. It was a cruel truth.
King Halo's lineage and talent were outstanding. After her debut last year, she faced the then-rising Barbatos in a G-series race, and that defeat likely fueled her intense training regimen.
Well, that loss during Spica's entry test was probably another reason.
Not to mention El Condor Pasa, Special Week was also a highly talented Uma Musume.
So King Halo trained relentlessly. And through that training, she was closing the gap with the others. Perhaps in this Japanese Derby, King Halo might stage a comeback and seize the championship!
She was a genius, just not a standout one. Could that effort, that belief in victory, help her bridge the final gap with Seiun Sky and Special Week?
--+--
"That feeling is..."
"The Zone!"
Barbatos stared, slightly stunned, at the leading King Halo. Even if it was incomplete, the Zone was something of legend among Uma Musume, a mark of the legendary racers.
At the very least, using it once made it possible to use it again, to master it fully.
One thing was certain: King Halo had manifested a prototype of the Zone now.
Even if she wasn't aware of it, being informed and training after the race meant she had a good chance of wielding the Zone in June's Takarazuka Kinen.
"The Zone?! King Halo?" Minamizaka had his suspicions when King Halo overtook Seiun Sky, but as a human, he couldn't see the Zone. Barbatos's words confirmed it.
He furrowed his brows, sensing the situation was turning unfavorable. "This is troublesome now!"
"Huh? What's troublesome?" Twin Turbo asked dismissively. "Isn't the Zone pretty common? Sei-chan just needs to activate hers too!"
Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus twitched at the corners of their mouths. The Zone? They couldn't even see it, let alone activate it.
How did Twin Turbo make it sound like cabbages at a market?
"Oh, right!" Matikanetannhauser, who had been worrying for Seiun Sky, suddenly relaxed upon hearing Twin Turbo.
As for Urara, she was waving her arms and cheering loudly—though she probably didn't know if she was cheering for King Halo, Seiun Sky, or maybe just all the runners together.
Seeing the team's reaction, Minamizaka couldn't help but facepalm.
Maybe he should hold a strategy meeting to properly explain what the Zone was. It wasn't something you could just turn on! Every Uma Musume capable of activating it was one in a million...?
His thoughts trailed off as he glanced at Barbatos not far away.
Then again, maybe Twin Turbo and Matikanetannhauser weren't entirely wrong. Thinking about the racers who competed against Barbatos, it almost seemed like you needed the Zone just to show up.
Especially Barbatos herself, who basically treated the Zone as her default state when running.
It was probably because of Barbatos that Twin Turbo and the others had gotten this mistaken impression.
--+--
"So that feeling... it really is the Zone."
Seiun Sky watched the peculiar aura around King Halo ahead, her expression more serious than ever before.
Through her training since the start of the year, tempered by the Yayoi Sho and Satsuki Sho, she had reached a level where she could perceive the Zone.
No time to dwell on it. The final kick she had been saving for the homestretch could no longer be reserved. She poured everything into her pursuit of King Halo.
Judging by King Halo's appearance and the nature of her Zone, this was likely her first time using it.
That aura, like being cloaked in glory, like a temporary saint-king, spread palpably around her, emanating an overwhelming, invincible presence.
But there was no way she could fall here!
"Seiun Sky is putting on a burst of speed! Can she catch up, draw even, or even surpass King Halo?!"
"Only 500 meters to the finish line! Ahead of them is the final uphill slope before the homestretch! Will Seiun Sky claim her second classic crown, or will King Halo break the curse of perpetual runner-up and become the Derby's champion?"
King Halo and Seiun Sky were undoubtedly the top contenders for the Japanese Derby. In the Yayoi Sho and Satsuki Sho, King Halo had lost to Seiun Sky but taken second place both times, the gap between them not large, making her the undisputed second favorite.
"This!"
"What's happening?!"
The commentator's voice was filled with shock. "Seiun Sky, who seemed about to catch King Halo, has failed to close the distance!"
"King Halo! King Halo enters the uphill slope first!"
"Could this Derby be where King Halo shatters her runner-up curse and wins the race?!"
The cheers from the stands didn't falter with King Halo's lead, nor did they cease with Seiun Sky's failed pursuit.
The audience longed to witness the birth of a Triple Crown winner, but a fiercely competitive Triple Crown series with its wins and losses was equally enthralling.
Races where one racer crushed all others, where the outcome seemed predetermined—fans enjoyed those, loved witnessing miracles being born.
But that had already happened in the fillies' Triple Tiara, just days ago in the Japanese Oaks.
Now, the Japanese Derby held a different kind of intrigue!
"Special Week! It's Special Week! She's also surging forward! With an astonishing burst of speed, she's launching her chase against Seiun Sky and King Halo ahead!"
"What an incredible final sprint!"
"Wait, commentator-san, don't you find Special Week's stride familiar?"
The play-by-play announcer asked his partner, puzzled. Matters of technique were the commentator's domain. This final kick, this chase... it was definitely half a step stronger than Special Week in the Satsuki Sho!
"That stride..."The commentator pondered for two seconds.
"It bears some resemblance to how Barbatos runs when she's chasing others in a race. It seems Special Week has studied Barbatos's chasing technique."
"Barbatos's chasing technique?"The announcer couldn't process it immediately. In fact, most listeners were probably equally confused.
In their minds, Barbatos was firmly a front-runner. Whether in the Oka Sho, the Spring Tenno Sho, or the Japanese Oaks, she had taken the lead from the start and won decisively.
It was hard to imagine any scenario where Barbatos would need to chase someone down.
"Indeed. While Barbatos hasn't used such a running style this year, when she first debuted, she displayed a sprinting and chasing ability we couldn't ignore."
"Special Week's stride resembles Barbatos's from back then. They've likely had some private exchanges and guidance."
As soon as the commentator said this, many found it plausible.
"Guidance, my foot!" Barbatos, focused on the race, couldn't help but curse aloud.
While she was on good terms with Special Week, she had absolutely no intention of aiding the enemy.
Why would she tell Special Week how to run, how to chase others, making Seiun Sky's opponent even stronger?
Besides, if it were about guiding on other matters, Barbatos had her own insights.
But chasing others, making her sprints faster? Those were thanks to her system skills. As long as the speed boost was big enough, she could catch any Uma Musume!
Yet, Special Week had managed to learn from her running form, achieving a partial effect. It wasn't as potent as a real skill, but it seemed to work.
If Barbatos weren't so intently watching the race, she'd have marveled at Special Week's incredible learning ability.
It seemed many techniques, once seen, could be incorporated.
Like how during Spica's entry test, she had defeated King Halo back then after just once seeing Silence Suzuka run. And now, she was even converting skills into learned techniques?
She was practically a veritable big boss.
If Special Week had another card up her sleeve, Seiun Sky was in serious danger now!
No, scratch that. The biggest threat right now was King Halo, who had already awakened the Zone!
--+--
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.