Chapter 8: Festive Miracle, Ignition!
"This technique... it's not just my imagination, is it?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Air Groove spoke uncertainly: "Could she know Oguri Cap?"
"With just this one acceleration skill, if this horse girl masters it, she's already qualified to enter Central for training," Rudolf affirmed, answering Air Groove's question.
She stood with one hand supporting her chin, gazing at the track as she explained:
"Moreover, she isn't just rigidly copying Oguri Cap. She used it abruptly after Teio accelerated to a critical point, forcibly reclaiming the advantageous position. That's not a judgment a horse girl who's only been racing for a month could easily make... I just wonder if it was truly a fluke."
Rudolf seemed genuinely surprised.
On the racetrack, many things cannot be faked. In the brief, full-speed sprint for victory, one must utilize all their abilities and techniques.
This horse girl, Stardust Mirage—although before the start, Rudolf couldn't detect any desire for victory in her eyes—that risky move just now clearly showed an unwillingness to let Teio pass her.
"It seems she just hasn't experienced a serious competition against others before."
Thinking this, Rudolf felt even more satisfied with Stardust Miracle.
Despite covering only 500-600 meters so far, her vast racing experience and keen eye allowed her to see that this horse girl likely possessed immense potential.
"In that case, Teio might actually be in danger..." Air Groove, watching Rudolf's excitement over discovering a promising talent, began to feel concerned.
Stardust Mirage displaying extraordinary ability was certainly cause for joy, but had the Emperor forgotten that this was Teio's debut race?
Did she not realize the seriousness of the situation? Facing such a strong opponent, if Teio failed to win her debut, who knows how long Symboli Rudolf would hide away, sad, in the student council room again.
But Rudolf had completely forgotten about that for now. Fully focused on the competition within the leading group, she kept thinking to herself:
Come on, Stardust Mirage. Show me more of your potential.
Do that technique again if you can. Let me be sure... that you truly have the potential to succeed the soon-to-retire Oguri Cap as the next Cinderella!
The race continued.
Tokai Teio, still running, wasn't affected by the momentary setback. Her face showed only the burning desire for victory.
With physical prowess surpassing all other horse girls present and her exceptionally strong legs, Teio steadily closed the gap that Stardust Mirage had just stabilized, pushing at full speed.
This time, however, Stardust Mirage didn't create another miracle and was gradually caught.
Having led for nearly half the race, she was now running shoulder-to-shoulder with the striding Teio on the turf.
She wasn't panicked.
Although Stardust Mirage had never run a formal race before, her long experience delivering newspapers and running errands for her family had taught her one thing:
When you take the first step, you must already have a plan for distributing your energy throughout the entire run.
Knowing her endurance was a weakness, she understood clearly that fighting for momentary pride by forcefully competing with Tokai Teio would only disrupt her own rhythm.
Even though she had just triggered both the "Straightaway Recovery" and "Corner Recovery" skills in quick succession, as a mere mortal, she couldn't afford to squander her energy recklessly if she wanted to finish the race.
Tokai Teio, I'll let you take the lead for now.
Thinking this, Stardust Mirage maintained her most comfortable pace, watching as Tokai Teio gradually passed her and ran ahead.
This prudent choice was also noted by Symboli Rudolf.
With her extensive experience, she could also tell that Stardust Mirage's stamina was relatively tight.
For a horse girl without systematic, scientific training, managing stamina distribution during a race is crucial.
Of course, once she arrives at Tracen Academy, we'll need to properly arrange training to address this shortcoming.
Rudolf had already decided she didn't need to see the final result; she now fully considered Stardust Mirage as a sure addition.
She was even starting to plan her training regimen and considering suitable trainers for her.
On the track, the group had now fully entered the latter half of the race. Stardust Mirage ran steadily, her position gradually aligning with the third-place runner, Nice Nature.
Meanwhile, Tokai Teio, leading the pack at the very front, showed no signs of stamina issues. Instead, she maintained her superior speed, gradually widening the gap.
"So, that earlier move was just a reckless coincidence after all?" Nice Nature thought to herself, watching Stardust Mirage draw nearer.
But Stardust Mirage was wholly focused on calculating the remaining distance. Keeping to her running rhythm, she followed behind Teio, approaching the third turn...
Almost there, just a bit more!
The moment they entered the turn, Nice Nature, running on the inside of Stardust Mirage, immediately slowed down to navigate the curve. However, Stardust Mirage maintained her straight-line sprint, cutting diagonally from the inner track towards the outside—
"Hey, you're not going to... again? Ugh!?"
Nice Nature's concerned voice came from behind Stardust Mirage, but it was cut short by her own gasp.
Trying to speak while maintaining this pace, Nice Nature suddenly lost her rhythm. Her breathing became chaotic, her steps faltered abruptly, her speed dropped sharply, and she fell back into the main group of the second echelon.
But by then, Stardust Mirage had already angled out to the wide outside lane—the position she had pinpointed earlier. As her next foot landed, her eyes widened suddenly—
I feel it! This is the spot!
Blue Skill: "777" Activated!
A warm current seemed to flow into Stardust Mirage's body, slightly alleviating the fatigue in her limbs. But that wasn't the most crucial part. As this stamina recovery skill triggered at the 777-meter mark, an image exploded in her mind:
A gray-white phantom flashed past the lights on a Christmas tree like lightning. That horse girl's gaze sharpened, and she slammed her foot fiercely onto the ground.
Festive Miracle, Activate!
In an instant, a palpable thrill swept over all the horse girls on the track. An indescribable sense of dread momentarily enveloped them.
A few runners at the back of the pack shuddered in fright, their steps faltering immediately, causing them to drop out of the running group entirely.
Those remaining in the pack weren't much better off. Although they kept running, their speed and expressions clearly changed. Only Nice Nature and Tokai Teio managed to maintain their form relatively unaffected.
What just happened?!
But Tokai Teio was also impacted. She distinctly felt the burden on her legs increase significantly, and a sharp, prickling sensation on her back made her dare not slow down even a fraction. Yet, she could hear the rapid, approaching footsteps closing in from behind—
Someone was catching up!
The thought had just crossed Teio's mind when, from the corner of her eye, a figure gradually entered her field of vision from the wide outside lane.
With each powerful stride, that figure seemed to carry the force to shatter the turf itself, and her speed was continuously increasing.
How is this possible...? There are still nearly 700 meters left, and we haven't even entered the final turn yet! Is someone starting their final sprint already!?
Gritting her teeth, Teio pushed her body to exert more power, her mind growing restless. Although she didn't know yet who this early sprinter was, having secured the lead, she absolutely refused to let anyone overtake her with a sprint.
If you're going to start your sprint here, then let's test it out... Don't think for a second that this is all the strength I have!
With that thought, Tokai Teio abruptly changed her running form.
She shifted directly into her final sprint!
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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