"What a dramatic race! I'm getting excited!"
On the commentary stand, Tamamo Cross, who was providing live commentary, was also quite delighted by the many changes on the track. According to her rank at Tracen Academy, unless it was a race like the Arima Kinen, which completely disregarded age, she would almost certainly not be able to compete on the same stage as most of the Uma Musume present, many of whom hadn't even participated in a Debut Race.
However, even though this was just a Friendship Race with no ranking, the fierce competition displayed on the track and the Uma Musume's mutual thirst for victory had already shown Tamamo Cross and many senior Uma Musume something.
This year's new Uma Musume are definitely not to be underestimated!
"Ladies and gentlemen, I, Tamamo Cross, can tell you as an Uma Musume myself! While this year's new Uma Musume are still very green in my eyes, the talent they are displaying now definitely surpasses what I had at that age!"
"Oguri? Oguri, say something! You're a commentator too!"
"...If I have the chance, I'd like to compete with them on the same stage once they've grown." Oguri Cap's expression at this moment was quite solemn and serious. Although she didn't feel that the Presence of these new Uma Musume could threaten her, the talent they were now displaying had greatly piqued Oguri Cap's interest.
Among them, Oguri Cap's gaze was mainly focused on a few intensely competing individuals at the front of the race. While she was initially slightly amazed by Curren Chan's burst, she quickly lost interest when she realized Curren Chan only had the explosive power of a sprinter—after all, Oguri Cap's specialty was middle distance.
Mejiro McQueen, Meisho Doto, and Tokai Teio were the three Uma Musume Oguri Cap was most interested in at the moment, the ones she felt were most likely to be able to compete with her on the same stage... However, Tokai Teio's mental fortitude still needed a lot of tempering. Otherwise, Oguri Cap felt that if she went all out on the track with Tokai Teio's current mental state, she would scare the young Teio into trembling all over.
"Hmm, it looks like Oguri and I share the same feeling! So, everyone should now understand how high the caliber of this year's new Uma Musume is, right?"
Tamamo Cross also nodded in approval, then turned her gaze back to the track. At this moment, the outcome of the race also seemed to be becoming clear.
"Now, we've passed the final turn, and next is the final straight sprint to the finish line! After Curren Chan led through the first three turns but then lost speed and fell back, the Uma Musume have all started to unleash their Last Spurt! But none have yet overtaken Meisho Doto and Mejiro McQueen!"
"Currently, Meisho Doto and Mejiro McQueen are almost neck and neck! But Meisho Doto seems to be slightly ahead! Can Mejiro McQueen achieve the final victory in this last straight sprint?"
"And in the back—ah, has Tokai Teio lost speed? Is there no hope left to seize this last chance? You have to pull yourself together, Teio!"
However, just as Tamamo Cross said, perhaps due to the immense stimulation from Mejiro McQueen and Meisho Doto, Tokai Teio was still slow to recover from the earlier excitement. Tokai Teio, who could have fought with McQueen and Doto, slowly decelerated from the front of the pack, even dropping almost to the middle, being caught up by the Uma Musume behind her.
Tokai Teio remained immersed in the scene where she had been successively overtaken by McQueen and Doto, unable to extricate herself, watching with wide eyes as the distance between herself and the two women grew, her unfocused gaze seemingly unable to accept such a fact.
How could this be... It was only a week ago that I raced with McQueen and Doto, and back then, I was clearly two Horse Lengths ahead of them... Why is the gap so huge now? Tokai Teio didn't understand. Although she knew she still had many things to learn, she was very clear about the growth rate over a week—there shouldn't be such a huge difference!
Even if she had been a bit lax this past week, a little overconfident, she shouldn't have been pulled so far behind all at once!
How far are McQueen and the others from me now? Three Horse Lengths? Four Horse Lengths? If I burst now, can I still catch up to them?
Teio was lost, and her pride began to waver. She even had a moment where she thought that perhaps she wasn't as strong as she imagined... Was everyone just going easy on me before because of my good relationship with the President? Was I not really that strong?
"—Don't give up, Teio!"
Suddenly, a female voice came from beside Teio, pulling her out of the whirlpool of self-doubt she had fallen into. She instinctively looked to her side and found Special Week, who had started late, watching her from a position slightly behind her.
"Special Week? Why are you here?"
Teio asked instinctively, then immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and anxiously asked, "Special Week, where am I? Am I at the back of the pack now?!"
"No, Teio, you're still in the middle of the pack. Only McQueen and Doto-san are competing at the front." Special Week, however, was gradually finding her rhythm on the track. Unlike Teio, her initial late start had caused her to perform poorly, leaving her stuck at the back of the pack unable to break through.
But Special Week grew stronger with each stride, even with a late start, she overtook several Uma Musume and successfully passed the decelerating Curren Chan at the last turn, now reaching the front of the middle of the pack for the sprint.
"Teio, let's sprint together, we still have a chance!" Special Week encouraged Tokai Teio, who was slowly regaining her Last Spurt, and said with a smile.
"Still... a chance..."
However, at this moment, Tokai Teio's gaze instinctively looked forward. It was already the final charge, and the collision between McQueen and Doto at the front was like two raging beasts, their Presence alone enough to inspire awe.
"...I can't catch up." Teio bit her lower lip slightly, saying with extreme reluctance:
"This me, I can't compete with them on the same stage. I'm too far behind..."
"—That's not something Teio would say."
However, Special Week was also a little surprised. Teio, who had been so confident before the race, was now so dejected, but her eyes were still bright and she said without any fear:
"The Teio I know is confident even when facing strong opponents, an Uma Musume who isn't afraid of any powerful rival. Now, why have you become like this?"
"Look, everyone is striving for victory. How can you stop here, Teio?"
"Everyone..."
Tokai Teio was slightly stunned by these words and instinctively looked behind her—although she had lost some speed due to the previous impact, she was still at the very front of the middle of the pack.
Therefore, she could see the Uma Musume constantly chasing behind her. Many of them had already lost speed due to the previous changes in rhythm, panting and looking distressed, but they were still moving their legs.
Whether it was Twin Turbo, stuck at the back of the pack unable to break through due to a poor position; or Matikanefukukitaru, who had long since exhausted her Last Spurt like an oyster; or Seiun Sky, who was clinging tightly to Special Week and Tokai Teio, always on the verge of bursting forth... No one had given up like her... Did they not realize they couldn't possibly win? Of course not, it's just that giving up just because you know you can't win is not something these proud Uma Musume would do.
"If Teio doesn't keep up, then I'm going to! Teio, you can do it!"
No sooner had Special Week finished speaking than she finally unleashed her long-accumulated Last Spurt on the sprint straight! Although still slightly inferior to McQueen and Doto, Special Week's Last Spurt also allowed her to pull away from Tokai Teio and close in on the front!
Watching Special Week pull away from her, Tokai Teio was also slightly stunned. Others might not know, but Special Week had only recently enrolled, and it was Teio who had given her a tour of Tracen Academy.
Although the two women hadn't spent much time together, and this was their first time competing on the same stage, she didn't think Special Week would be stronger than her.
Special Week was a new student who had only arrived at Tracen Academy a few weeks ago, while she had been systematically training at Tracen Academy for a long time. In terms of both experience and strength, she was stronger than Special Week.
But now, Special Week, who was sprinting ahead of her, reignited the flame that had begun to die out in Tokai Teio's chest—she didn't want to lose.
"I..."
I don't want to lose! I don't want to lose! I don't want to lose!
"I won't lose!!"
Finally, accompanied by Tokai Teio's roar, as if breaking free from a prison, her extremely flexible legs compressed like springs and then shot out! After a small pause, she unleashed an unprecedented and astonishing Last Spurt, charging forward fiercely!
"Finally! Tokai Teio! As expected of the one I'm rooting for! She unleashed an amazing Last Spurt! Overtaking Special Week in one fell swoop! She's closing in on Mejiro McQueen and Meisho Doto!"