"What an unexpected turn! Even I'm getting excited!"
On the commentary stand, Tamamo Cross, who was providing live commentary, was also delightfully surprised by the continuous changes on the track. Due to her seniority and rank, 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 Racetrack 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 mock race with no official grade, the fierce competition displayed on the track and the Uma Musume's mutual thirst for victory had already impressed Tamamo Cross and many senior Uma Musume.
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 these Uma Musume might still be very green in my eyes, the strength they are displaying definitely surpasses what I could do 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 Racetrack once they've grown." Oguri Cap's expression at this moment was quite solemn and serious. Although she didn't feel that the Aura these Uma Musume currently possess 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 the few individuals that were intensely competing at the front. While she was initially slightly amazed by Curren Chan's burst, she quickly lost interest when she realized Curren Chan was a sprinter—after all, the races Oguri Cap ran in were all mile or longer.
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 if they were racing... However, it seems like Tokai Teio's mental fortitude still needed a lot of tempering. Otherwise, Oguri Cap felt that if she went all out against Tokai Teio, she would scare the young Teio into not wanting to race anymore.
"Hmm, it looks like Oguri and I share the same feeling! 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 corner, and next is the final straight to the finish line! After Curren Chan led for the first three corners and fell to the back, the Uma Musume have all started to unleash their final spurt! But none has yet to overtake 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 overtake Meisho Doto in the final straight?"
"And in the back—ah, it seems like Tokai Teio has lost speed? Is there no hope left for the favorite to win? You have to pull yourself together, Teio!"
However, just as Tamamo Cross said, perhaps due to the immense shock from Mejiro McQueen and Meisho Doto, Tokai Teio has yet to recover from her befuddled state. Tokai Teio, who could have fought with McQueen and Doto, slowly decelerated from the front of the pack, even almost dropping 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 girls 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 lengths ahead of them... Why is the gap so huge now? Tokai Teio didn't understand. Although she knew she still needed to learn a lot, she was very clear about how much someone could grow over a single week—there shouldn't be such a huge difference!
Even if she had been a bit lax and overconfident this past week, she shouldn't have been left this far behind!
How far are McQueen and Doto from me now? Three lengths? Four lengths? If I use my final spurt 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 her before because of her relationship with the President? Was she not really that strong?
"—Don't give up, Tokai Teio!"
Suddenly, a 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 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 corner, now reaching the front of the middle of the pack to start her final spurt.
"Teio, let's accelerate together, we still have a chance!" Special Week encouraged Tokai Teio, who was slowly regaining her speed, and said with a smile.
"Still... a chance..."
However, at this moment, Tokai Teio's gaze instinctively looked forward. It was already the final straight, and the battle between McQueen and Doto at the front was like two raging beasts, their Aura 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 Racetrack. I'm too far behind..."
"—That's not something Tokai Teio would say."
However, Special Week was also a little surprised. Tokai 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. There's no way she'll give up like this."
"Look, everyone is still running to win. How can you stop here, Tokai Teio?"
"Everyone..."
Tokai Teio was slightly stunned by these words and instinctively looked behind her—although she had lost some speed due to her previous shock, 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 her poor position; or Matikanetannhauser, who had long since lost her ability to unleash a final spurt due to exhaustion; or King Halo, who was clinging tightly to Special Week and Tokai Teio, on the verge of unleashing her final spurt at the right opportunity... 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 Uma Musume would do.
"If Tokai Teio doesn't keep up, then I'm going to! Tokai Teio, you can do it!"
No sooner had Special Week finished speaking than she finally unleashed her long-accumulated final spurt on the straight! Although still slightly inferior to McQueen and Doto, Special Week's final spurt also allowed her to pull away from Tokai Teio and close in on the two!
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 even Tokai Teio herself who had given her a tour of Tracen Academy.
Although the two girls hadn't spent much time together, and this was their first time competing on the same racetrack, she didn't think Special Week would be stronger than her.
After all, 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 running with all her might 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 LOSEEEEE!!!"
Finally, accompanied by Tokai Teio's roar, as if breaking free from the chains that binded her, her extremely flexible legs compressed like springs and then shot out! After a small pause, she unleashed an unprecedented and astonishing final spurt, charging forward fiercely!
"AND THERE SHE GOES! TOKAI TEIO! As expected of the one I'm rooting for! The final spurt she is currently displaying is simply astounding! She has managed to immediately overtake Special Week! And now, she's closing in on Mejiro McQueen and Meisho Doto!"
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Girl has main character energy fr fr.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.