"Agnes Tachyon, Agnes Tachyon is just too fast! She's completely left all the other competitors in the dust!"
The commentator's voice boomed across the racecourse, but Agnes Tachyon paid it no mind as she galloped across the track.
Leaving the other racers far behind—wasn't that just how it should be?
Dantsu Flame and Jungle Pocket trailed distantly behind Agnes Tachyon, desperately trying to close the gap.
—How pathetic. Agnes Tachyon knew it was impossible. According to her meticulous calculations, neither Dantsu Flame nor Jungle Pocket had any chance of catching up to her.
Having already secured her advantage by the mid-point of the race, she wouldn't make any mistake that could allow them to overtake. Besides, she still had enough stamina left for a powerful final sprint.
Of course, her own final kick couldn't compare to theirs—she'd been leading the entire time. They, having conserved their strength, were undoubtedly planning to overtake her on the final straight.
But that was impossible. She had built up an insurmountable lead in the early stages. They would never catch up.
Platinum gritted her teeth, a sense of awe and dread washing over her.
This wasn't running! Agnes Tachyon was practically flying across the ground!
Her form was a perfect curve, her legs moving with a golden ratio's precision—flawless, every single step landing with perfect accuracy. The result was sheer, unadulterated speed and absolute dominance.
If Platinum was like light in flight, then Agnes Tachyon was a tachyon herself!
The entire training ground fell into a hushed silence. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the two of them—the level of this contest had far surpassed anything the spectators were capable of.
The turn!
Platinum had no choice but to slow down, her path curving visibly wide as she drifted to the outer lane. Because of this, the gap between her and Agnes Tachyon widened further, now about two lengths.
And this was with Platinum employing an all-out, front-running strategy—even so, Agnes Tachyon remained firmly in the lead.
What's more, Platinum faced an even sterner test. The indoor training track was much smaller than an official one, meaning running 2000 meters involved navigating roughly eight turns.
—What to do?
"Following behind Agnes Tachyon are Dantsu Flame and Jungle Pocket—they're starting to accelerate, they're finally accelerating! They've shaken off the other challengers on the final turn and are now charging towards the massively leading Agnes Tachyon!"
Dantsu Flame took the inner lane through the turn beautifully, as light and graceful as a swallow. Puffs of steam shot from her mouth as if she were breathing magma.
"In first place, still holding a commanding lead, is Agnes Tachyon! In second is Jungle Pocket, and third is Dantsu Flame—the two of them are locked in a heated parallel run—"
They were catching up.
They were catching up!
Dantsu Flame charged headlong up the slope—this was the battleground she had chosen. She had been waiting, dreaming of overtaking Agnes Tachyon right here!
"—They're catching up!"
Around the indoor training track, a crowd of spectators had unknowingly gathered along the rails. One of the Uma Musume gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Catching up? Agnes Tachyon's ears twitched, and she glanced back.
A streak of platinum light was clinging stubbornly to her heels.
Since when? No, the real question was, how had she managed it?
Even though it had been a long time since she'd last raced, Agnes had never forgotten what it felt like to run. In fact, she felt she was in peak form today.
It sounded arrogant, but Agnes was willing to bet her stride today was as concise and irrefutable as a mathematical theorem. Even the Symboli Rudolf herself couldn't manage a better pace.
So—just how had Platinum caught up?
First, one had to understand that Platinum's legs were excellent, truly exceptional. What she lacked was the ability to control that innate talent.
Ever since her race with Tokai Teio, Platinum had developed a subconscious habit of holding back her speed. Ironically, it was this very restraint that had kept her from being completely thrown off the track earlier.
But facing a powerhouse like Agnes Tachyon, continuing like this would never earn her recognition.
To hell with it, this was a matter of life and death! Even if the great Eclipse herself descended onto the track today, Platinum was determined to drag Agnes Tachyon back!
So, after the first turn, Platinum immediately changed her strategy: all-out sprints on the straightaways!
As long as her stamina held out, as long as she didn't run herself into the ground, she would push herself to the absolute limit.
Of course, it wasn't just mindless charging. Platinum consciously controlled her speed, accelerating at the start of a straight and then decelerating towards the end to enter the turn.
So Platinum knew that while it looked like she'd temporarily caught up to Agnes Tachyon, it couldn't last. By the next turn, she'd be left behind again.
Therefore, Platinum wasn't pinning her hopes on overtaking mid-race. She was saving herself for a final showdown with Agnes Tachyon on the last straight!
"The race is entering its final phase! Agnes Tachyon still holds the lead, hitting the slope first. Once she clears this slope, it's a clear path between her and the finish line. In other words, this is the last chance for Dantsu Flame and Jungle Pocket!"
This is it.
"Agnes Tachyon————!"
Forcing the last dregs of air from her lungs, Dantsu Flame let out a guttural, almost savage cry.
'Please, my body, give me just a little more. Squeeze out the very last bit of strength you have.'
'Because I... I really, don't want to lose!'
"She's fast, Dantsu Flame is so fast! She's overtaken Jungle Pocket and is heading straight for Agnes Tachyon!"
Dantsu Flame's legs became a blur, her hooves touching the ground only to lift again instantly, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, yet each light step left a deep imprint in the dirt.
The moment she hit the slope, Dantsu Flame changed her running style, her cadence increasing to its absolute limit in an instant, despite the tremendous strain it put on her stamina.
She wanted to accelerate on the uphill. Not just accelerate—she wanted to overtake Agnes Tachyon on the slope!
"The gap between Dantsu Flame and Agnes Tachyon is shrinking! Dantsu Flame has unleashed an incredible final kick! Can she do it? Can Dantsu Flame overtake Agnes Tachyon?"
"They're almost done," someone in the indoor training ground observed, seeing how the race was unfolding.
Platinum still hung persistently behind Agnes Tachyon, sticking to her like glue.
Heh... She's got some endurance, I'll give her that. Agnes Tachyon chuckled inwardly.
But it didn't matter.
Everything was unfolding exactly as calculated.
You will lose to me, Platinum.
Jungle Pocket, Manhattan Cafe, Dantsu Flame.
And you too.
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T/N: A Certain Scientific Railgun Fanfic Up!
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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.