One month after the Satsuki Sho, the second leg of the Classic Triple Crown—the Japan Derby—began as scheduled.
The top two in popularity remained Mihono Bourbon and Rice, though their positions had switched.
Rice, having won the Satsuki Sho, had successfully risen to become the race's number one favorite.
"Rice, go for it!"
Unlike last time, when nearly the entire venue had cheered for Mihono Bourbon, this time the crowd chanted Rice's name from the very beginning.
It wasn't that Mihono Bourbon's fans had defected. This was simply an unwritten rule.
At the opening, most cheers went to the top favorite.
Because everyone expected that competitor to win.
So it wasn't fan betrayal—it was just that other competitors' fans chose to stay quiet for now.
This spectacle was both the honor and burden of being number one. Only the top favorite could enjoy this glory.
But could a competitor bearing this honor truly race without any pressure?
Carrying so many expectations, the pressure of losing would be far greater than for other competitors.
But this was the weight of the crown.
"..."
Rice gazed at the stands, committing this scene to memory, then walked toward her gate.
Rather than pressure, what she felt more was motivation.
She was drawing closer to her dream.
The instant she entered the gate, her pitch-black aura erupted. The terrifying presence made all the other competitors flinch.
Mihono Bourbon glanced toward Rice's direction. Though she couldn't see her opponent from inside the gate, that image surfaced in her mind again.
At the end of the Satsuki Sho, when Rice had caught up—the look she'd shown.
She could feel it emanating from Rice: that obsession with victory, that resolve to never let go.
Mihono Bourbon looked down at herself. Her legs were trembling. She didn't know if it was from fear or excitement.
She wasn't supposed to have these emotions.
But facing a race against Rice, she couldn't run like she usually did.
...
The race began.
All competitors burst from the gates together. Their starting speeds were clearly faster than usual—not the normal pace.
"The competitors are off! The race has begun! Let's see... Mihono Bourbon has an unexpected slow start! What's happening?"
Unlike the Satsuki Sho, where her gate break had been perfect, Mihono Bourbon fell behind at the race's start.
The surrounding competitors all showed surprised expressions.
They'd chosen to run faster than usual right from the start specifically to counter Mihono Bourbon's breakaway.
While Rice was supposedly the strongest competitor in this race, her running style posed no threat to others in the early stages. Mihono Bourbon's breakaway was different—once successfully deployed, it would disrupt every competitor's rhythm.
But just as they focused entirely on blocking Mihono Bourbon's breakaway tactic, she'd fallen behind on her own.
Has she still not recovered from her Satsuki Sho defeat?
This thought crossed many competitors' and spectators' minds.
A slow start was devastating for a front-runner.
Mihono Bourbon, now stuck in third place, seemed to have lost any chance to perform.
"How could she have a slow start?"
In the stands, many of Mihono Bourbon's fans couldn't help but sigh, feeling today's race was already hopeless.
Last time, Mihono Bourbon in perfect condition had lost. Could an off-form Mihono Bourbon really get revenge today?
What they hadn't noticed was that neither Mihono Bourbon nor Trainer Kuronuma had made any victory declarations for this race. In pre-race interviews, they'd uncharacteristically said they would give their all, but hadn't claimed certain victory like before.
Because neither Kuronuma nor Mihono Bourbon herself was confident of winning this race.
As for the slow start—that was indeed Mihono Bourbon's own mistake.
But even without that mistake, she hadn't planned to use the breakaway today.
On this 2400-meter track, using the breakaway would only result in a worse loss than last time.
After all, on the Satsuki Sho's 2000-meter track, she'd completely lost speed in the final 100 meters despite using the breakaway.
She'd still secured second place only because her early advantage had been so massive that no one could catch up.
But if she used the breakaway on today's 2400-meter track, she'd likely fall back to last place.
So from the beginning, she hadn't planned to run like last time.
However, this was her internal situation. Spectators who didn't know these details could only see the surface.
So when they saw her slow start and began predicting her failure—that was perfectly normal.
Impressive—she's already recalibrated from her defeat this quickly.
Marvelous Sunday sat in the stands, ignoring the sighs around her, a light smile crossing her face as she watched the race intently.
She could tell that while Mihono Bourbon's gate break had indeed been flawed, her subsequent handling was fine.
Moreover, Mihono Bourbon didn't seem affected by last race's defeat—her performance remained strong.
Though she was behind two other front-runners, that composed demeanor didn't look like someone who'd given up.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Mihono Bourbon's racing rhythm had never required taking the lead from the start.
Last race's strategy was probably a tactical plan specifically designed to counter Rice. Now that they knew even the breakaway couldn't counter Rice, using that tactic today would be foolish.
After all, the 2400-meter mid-distance track was even more disadvantageous for the stamina-deficient Mihono Bourbon.
"The race reaches the middle stretch. Mihono Bourbon is still in third."
"The number one favorite, Rice, is currently in sixth place, followed closely by Taiki Shuttle..."
Though the race rhythm hadn't changed dramatically, all the competitors seemed somewhat tense.
Taiki Shuttle's expression was anxious.
She could feel the air around her turning piercingly cold.
The other competitors all seemed to be suppressing something.
Am I being targeted?
Taiki Shuttle looked at the narrow space around her, realizing she had no opening to break through.
She looked up at the black figure ahead.
No, they're not targeting me—they're targeting Rice.
By mid-race, the surrounding competitors had clearly been trying to box them both inside.
Knowing they couldn't outrun Rice in that state, they planned to seal off her window for acceleration?
Damn it, but why am I getting sealed in too?!
This tactic wasn't unfair, but what frustrated Taiki Shuttle was being caught up in it.
After all, she didn't consider herself someone worth such treatment.
But she'd forgotten.
As someone possessing a Flash-rank recovery skill, she was already an opponent other competitors had to take seriously in mid-to-long distance races!
The Black Assassin is boxed in!
Seeing the turn entrance ahead, the other competitors gathered their focus.
This was the most dangerous moment.
If they couldn't maintain the blockade on the Black Assassin through the turn, everything they'd done would be for nothing.
...
In the stands.
P's expression was grim.
Though he'd anticipated this before the race, the actual situation was even more dangerous than he'd expected.
Rice, whose strength was now fully exposed, had become the target of concerted opposition.
Were they planning to keep Rice trapped on the inside until the final straight?
Elsewhere, Trainer Kuronuma straightened up in surprise upon seeing the race situation.
Could this be... an opportunity?
Originally, when entering this race, neither he nor Bourbon had expected to win.
Because the Black Assassin was simply too strong.
But the current situation was unexpected.
Seeing that Bourbon's performance wasn't as dominant as before, the other competitors had begun a unified blockade against the Black Assassin.
It was fortunate there were no interference-skill specialists among them, or he was certain the Black Assassin's situation would be even worse.
And Bourbon? Though she wasn't in the lead, her position allowed for a breakthrough!
How unexpected.
Come to think of it, the Black Assassin does have a reputation for bad luck.
And the Japan Derby had always carried a certain saying.
Only sufficiently lucky horse girls could run this race without injury or illness.
Unlucky competitors couldn't win this race. Even if they won, they'd be unable to attend the Kikka Sho due to injury or illness afterward.
Though this was just hearsay, not entirely reliable.
But right now, the Black Assassin's situation seemed to confirm it.
Meanwhile, Rice's fans in the stands also sensed something was wrong.
"What's going on? I feel like Rice is going to lose!"
"This is bad—she can't break out from that position!"
At the same time, at Team Canopus's section.
They watched Taiki Shuttle trapped inside, their expressions equally troubled.
"This is terrible—Taiki's done for!"
"Why did she choose to run behind Rice?!"
Twin Turbo and Fine Motion were both animated in their reactions. Trainer Nanban's expression was equally grave.
This was the gap in race experience.
Racing wasn't just about who ran fastest or had the strongest skills. Without the absolute power to lead wire-to-wire, situations like this would arise. Rhythm control, position selection—these were things horse girls had to constantly consider during races.
Rice and Taiki Shuttle hadn't handled this well, which was why their opponents had found an opening.
"Final turn! The competitors are making their moves, but the number one favorite, Rice, seems to still be blocked."
Ignoring the announcer, Rice looked at the competitor beside her.
The next moment, Rice's forward momentum seemed to suddenly halt. The black aura around her exploded.
Affected by that pressure, the surrounding competitors all showed surprised expressions.
What?!
The competitors near Rice hadn't expected her to suddenly stop.
A sudden stop at this speed—that was beyond the rules.
Less than a breath's time passed.
The instant a gap appeared in the blockade, Rice burst through.
This is bad!
The competitors who realized what happened broke into cold sweat.
Just now, they couldn't even be sure if Rice's speed had actually stopped at all.
That reaction speed and balance control were simply abnormal!
Plus her small frame—in this moment, it became an advantage.
It's over—Rice broke through.
That black aura had fully erupted!
Just like in every previous race.
"Wait—Rice has broken out!"
The announcer hadn't expected things to change so quickly.
The blockade formation had been completely shattered by Rice's breakthrough. Taiki Shuttle watched with a dumbfounded, surprised expression.
Huh? I think I can get out now.
The instant the surrounding competitors were demoralized by Rice's breakthrough, Taiki Shuttle actually seized the opportunity to break free.
Because she'd already figured it out—she couldn't beat monsters like Rice and Bourbon. She just needed to focus on running her own race.
It was precisely this mindset that kept Taiki Shuttle from being affected by Rice's presence.
"The final straight approaches! Currently leading is Mihono Bourbon!"
In the stands, Mihono Bourbon's fans began cheering loudly.
There's a chance!
Because of the earlier blockade, the Black Assassin was still some distance behind Mihono Bourbon.
And apart from the slow start, Mihono Bourbon's subsequent performance had been surprisingly strong—her condition today was actually quite good.
"Go, Express!"
"Show us your speed, Bourbon!"
Mihono Bourbon herself hadn't expected to be this close to victory. She stared intently at the finish line ahead.
Condition good. No problems. I can do this!
Prismatic light flashed between her running legs. Mihono Bourbon's aura turned red as her speed surged explosively.
"Final straight! Mihono Bourbon still leads, pulling away from second place!"
The competitors behind glared at Mihono Bourbon's back, their expressions ugly.
Damn it—how? Why can she still generate this kind of speed now?!
Many viewers watching on TV wore surprised expressions.
Could it be that Mihono Bourbon, after her Satsuki Sho defeat, would win back at the Japan Derby?
"Mihono Bourbon leads! Rice is currently in third! Has the outcome already been decided?!"
Rice's expression didn't change at all.
In her Flow state, she had no extraneous thoughts. As skills activated in succession, the black aura around her grew even more intense.
Second place couldn't hold for even half a second before Rice broke past.
That's—!
Watching the Black Assassin flash by, that competitor's expression was like someone who'd seen a monster—pure terror.
At the very front, Mihono Bourbon felt that familiar chill.
She'd caught up.
Without even turning around, just by instinct, she knew Rice had caught up.
Soon—in just a moment of distraction—those ghost-like, weightless footsteps appeared beside her.
"She's caught up!"
"The Black Assassin has caught up!"
Mihono Bourbon gritted her teeth, trying to accelerate, but the next instant that black figure had already shot past. There was no contest at all. The moment she tried to match Rice, Rice was already ahead of her.
"Crossing the line!"
"Rice wins by one length over Mihono Bourbon again!"
The two who'd finished one after another gradually slowed, standing on the grass, catching their breath.
Mihono Bourbon couldn't help but look at Rice, who was bowing to the spectator stands.
After this race, she was certain once more: she couldn't outrun Rice as she was now.
Not enough. My speed still isn't fast enough.
Setting aside stamina issues, even in final-stretch explosiveness, her speed couldn't match Rice's.
Stamina and explosive power.
If she couldn't solve these two problems, she would never beat Rice!
...
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