This time, Gotham Song wasn't as brazen as she had been during the Yasuda Kinen.
At least, she didn't start off by making a throat-slitting gesture.
Yet, even without that provocation, she exuded an intimidating aura strong enough to silence the entire audience.
Although some foreign spectators cheered loudly, briefly disrupting the uneasy stillness, the atmosphere at the racetrack remained subdued.
Strange, wasn't it?
If something like this was happening, it must mean Gotham Song wasn't very popular.
Yet, paradoxically, she was the favorite who had entered last onto the stage.
How was that old saying supposed to go again?
It's impossible for Gotham Song to be this popular, yet equally impossible for Gotham Song not to be this popular.
So, why exactly was this situation occurring?
Was it because the people who voted for Gotham Song didn't actually enjoy the races?
No, that couldn't be it. Rather, even those who supported her didn't dare voice it at a moment like this.
After all, the Uma Musume they supported was about to do something completely insane.
Nevertheless, Gotham Song still took a small measure of comfort from that silence.
It doesn't matter. If you're afraid to cheer openly now, I'll simply deliver you an overwhelming victory.
Taking a deep breath, Gotham Song stepped down from the presentation stage and walked directly into the starting gate.
Gate number eleven—a mixed blessing for an Uma Musume who preferred to race from behind.
Her movements seemed like a clarion call. The other competitors, who had been watching her intently, promptly followed into their gates.
Gotham Song could clearly sense the gazes fixed on her even after they'd all entered their stalls, but…
Frankly, despite the prestigious lineage of Ruby #1 beside her, this wasn't the Uma Musume Gotham Song needed to worry about today.
It was simple—the real wild card was someone else entirely.
And who might that be?
"The Takarazuka Kinen is about to begin! Let's all watch these amazing Uma Musume closely as we start the final countdown!"
[Red]
The atmosphere was already growing restless. Extreme fans had even begun to openly urge other competitors to take down Gotham Song.
[Red]
"This Takarazuka Kinen will surely go down in history! How exciting! Will the Demon King conquer all and rule this era, or will an unknown hero appear from nowhere?"
"Oh, Hero, come forth and save us all!"
[Green!]
So, who exactly was this hero?
Of course—it was none other than Twin Turbo-sama herself!
A familiar, crushing pressure descended upon the track—one Twin Turbo had already experienced back at the Yasuda Kinen. And yet…
Yet, having prepared herself thoroughly, Twin Turbo launched forward the instant the gates flew open.
The oppressive aura erupted, but it barely affected her.
Her vivid, deep-blue twin tails carved two bright arcs in the turbulent wind. Amid cheers and startled cries from the crowd, Twin Turbo surged fearlessly ahead!
The interference and weird tricks that had caught her off guard before? Twin Turbo-sama had already endured them once and figured out a perfect counter!
The same trick would never work twice on a true "Hero"!
Today, Twin Turbo-sama will defeat you, Demon King of the racetrack! Arch-enemy of Tokai Teio! A villain destined for defeat!
Gotham Song! Here and now, I'll defeat you, proving what you taught me, proving Twin Turbo-sama's strength, proving—!
That the Great Escape method is the best in the world!
Run with me now! Grant Twin Turbo unrivaled speed, Twilight Song-sama!
"Whoa! There she goes! Twin Turbo is using her Great Escape! Incredible! All the other racers got completely delayed, exactly like last time at the Yasuda Kinen!"
"But Twin Turbo surpassed herself! An overwhelmingly powerful, uniquely styled frontrunner—Twin Turbo!"
Indeed, the situation unfolding on the racetrack was extraordinarily bizarre, something rarely seen in normal competitions.
Just how unusual?
Well, it was probably something like…
Twin Turbo, true to her Great Escape style, surged ahead alone, leaving every other Uma Musume trailing far behind, still sluggishly emerging from their gates.
Wait—why does this scene feel strangely familiar?
If one ignored the collective delayed start of the trailing Uma Musume and simply focused on the petite figure leading the pack...
Hiss—haven't I seen this race before? Twilight Song, is that you?!
But today's race differed in one crucial way.
Namely, the second frontrunner had panicked dramatically after her initial stumble at the gate.
So, what should an Uma Musume do when panicked and unsure of tactics?
Tactics? Are you kidding me? This is a Great Escape Uma Musume we're talking about!
Ahhh, forget it! Just sprint—full throttle!
Daitaku Helios had been overjoyed at competing in the same race as Daiichi Ruby, but—!
Even if Daiichi Ruby was here, she couldn't afford hesitation now. If she didn't sprint, she'd be left hopelessly behind!
Failure?
Absolutely unacceptable!
Even if her opponent was the Great Escape specialist Twin Turbo herself…
Twilight Song-sama, watch me—Daitaku Helios is taking off!
"Ohhh, there it is! Exactly as expected! The second Great Escape runner, Daitaku Helios, clearly missed her optimal moment—but she refuses to retreat!"
"She's boldly confronting this adversity, chasing down Twin Turbo at top speed! Can she pull off an upset, or will Twin Turbo sustain her explosive escape all the way to victory?"
"Will these two steal the entire spotlight of today's race? Demon King—aren't you going to make your move?!"
Gotham Song paid no attention whatsoever to the commentator's provocations, calmly holding her position.
There was nothing to worry about. Thus far, everything had unfolded precisely according to plan.
Dancing Brave hadn't taught Gotham Song many things. According to the legendary Uma Musume herself:
Gotham Song's racing instincts were already impeccable—she always made the correct decisions on the track.
If Gotham Song was a blank canvas, she was a canvas born to become legendary.
As long as she had sufficient information, she would never misstep. All Dancing Brave had provided her was a method to quickly gather everything she needed on the racetrack.
Simply put: conduct an individual race profile on every noteworthy competitor.
Every Uma Musume had her own unique habits and preferences when running, and beyond this, anyone capable of thought had subconscious patterns of decision-making.
This trait was especially pronounced in intuitive monsters or eccentric types.
So, who represented the biggest obstacle in this race?
The talented duo just slightly ahead—Nice Nature and Daiichi Ruby?
No, absolutely not.
Instead, it was those two reckless frontrunner idiots at the very front.
Of course, it was obviously impossible for those two to maintain such high-speed running for the entire race, but—!
Gotham Song had another, additional objective today.
So, when should she make her move?
The Takarazuka Kinen was a 2200-meter race with two large curves—but what was the defining feature of this track?
Two significant uphill sections—one in the early phase and another just before the final sprint.
In other words, the Takarazuka Kinen posed a considerable test of stamina, despite being merely 2200 meters in length!
Thus, pacing one's endurance was crucial for any contestant—but…!
As they approached the first incline, Gotham Song witnessed a completely baffling sight:
Those two frontrunner idiots, Twin Turbo and Daitaku Helios, were charging uphill at full speed, despite their limited stamina!
Have these two front runner idiots gone mad?
"The first uphill section has arrived—how will each competitor respond?"
"The trailing group has shown no signs of accelerating. At the front of the main pack, Daiichi Ruby leads, with Nice Nature second, and the still-inactive Demon King Gotham Song currently in fifth place."
"As for the frontrunners—Twin Turbo has nearly conquered the first uphill without showing the slightest indication of slowing down! Behind her, Daitaku Helios is struggling to catch up. Can she overtake Twin Turbo and seize the lead?"
What astonished Gotham Song was that Twin Turbo—the reckless frontrunner idiot—actually maintained her full speed through the grueling uphill climb and sustained her blistering pace into the subsequent curve.
And after all that, she still hadn't slowed down?!
You've really grown, Twin Turbo.
If this were a normal race, perhaps she could truly maintain this full-speed dash all the way to victory.
Twin Turbo really did work incredibly hard. Every time Gotham Song saw this frontrunner idiot, she was utterly exhausted from pushing herself to the limit.
She'd compressed every spare moment, forcing herself through training with almost inhuman determination.
But, in the end—for what reason?
"Twin Turbo-sama…Twin Turbo-sama is a Great Escape Uma Musume! The true successor of a legendary racing style that once conquered an entire era!"
Twin Turbo's energy consumption was actually far greater than it appeared. Yet even so, she stubbornly maintained her form, burning through her dwindling stamina with an endless reservoir of determination…
As an Uma Musume, who could easily accept their own defeat?!
Twin Turbo-sama could never accept it. No matter what…no matter what…!
Turbo will explode forward at full speed!
Twin Turbo maintained her astonishing speed, eliciting stunned admiration from the spectators—but the Uma Musume on the track saw even more clearly:
The engine roared!
At this moment, Twin Turbo's tiny frame shone brilliantly. Accompanied by the thunderous beating of her heart, every Uma Musume clearly witnessed the flowering of talent and desire blazing together:
This was Twin Turbo's [Zone]!
Surpassing her limits, Twin Turbo pushed relentlessly forward, accelerating once more…
A Great Escape Uma Musume didn't worry about stamina distribution. Body, spirit, stamina, and soul—all ignited completely. If she didn't burn brightly enough to leave ashes scattered across the track…
That would be the lifelong disgrace of a Great Escape Uma Musume!
Cheers erupted wildly from the audience. Already the second-most popular—no, perhaps now truly deserving first-place cheers—Twin Turbo offered boundless hope.
She'd even left second-place Daitaku Helios far behind. Her blue flames and roaring engine showed no signs of stopping. The halfway mark was already behind her—!
In this frenzied race that felt on the verge of taking flight, the 1100-meter marker was already left behind by Twin Turbo.
Would this unexpected Great Escape Uma Musume become the hope of all Japanese international races? She surely had it, didn't she? With such a massive lead, victory seemed certain.
Had they really defeated the Demon King?!
Twin Turbo continued sprinting forward, but Gotham Song silently adjusted her posture.
You've performed brilliantly, Twin Turbo. I've acknowledged your resolve. Such conviction and perseverance were truly admirable, weren't they?
However—since you've openly challenged the Demon King, wouldn't it be rude if I didn't respond seriously?
Eleven hundred meters.
That's enough. Your lead ends here. Because now…
Gotham Song is coming for you, you know?
"Twin Turbo continues accelerating! Our beloved Great Escape Uma Musume is about to enter the next curve. She's so close! Surely there's no suspense left—what an enormous lead!"
An enormous lead? I must say, treating my previous gentleness and mercy as your own advantage…isn't that a bit foolish and presumptuous?
Gotham Song—Ignite!
In an instant, the race shifted dramatically. Every Uma Musume in the audience fixed their eyes on the pitch-black Demon King, trembling instinctively.
A terrifying monster had awakened.
"Twin Turbo! Twin Turbo—eh? Gotham Song…Gotham Song, the Demon King has accelerated! So fast! Incredibly fast! Absurd speed! It's—it's terrifying, like something from legend!"
On the track, Gotham Song had become a dark demon, instantly accelerating to unimaginable speeds.
Amid stunned silence, she swept past Daiichi Ruby and Nice Nature.
Her strides summoned fierce winds; her charge crushed the earth beneath her feet!
Now the sole focus of the race, the Demon King bared a vicious smile.
What gap? What advantage?
I'm here to tear you all apart.