Chapter 69: Come Chase Me—If You Can Catch Up
The moment Special Week spoke, Makoto, who had been keeping an eye on the track with his peripheral vision, immediately shifted his full attention.
Just as she said, across the track from the grandstands, a girl with short black hair was visibly accelerating, her speed now obvious to the naked eye.
At the same time, Makoto quickly glanced at the distance markers and speed sensors by the track.
1200 meters in 1 minute 14.6 seconds.
That meant her pace had increased by 0.98 meters per second compared to the previous 200 meters.
Excellent. The timing and control of this acceleration were spot on.
'Yes! Keep applying pressure to the front—go, Kitasan!'
As if hearing his thoughts, on the track, Kitasan Black leaned lower into her stride, eyes locked on the figure ahead of her.
'The one in front... is running way too relaxed, huh?'
'At this pace… I'm barely spending any stamina at all.'
'Why couldn't it have been this easy when I was running against Scarlet-senpai…?'
'Whatever. I'll think about that later.'
'Right now…'
'Sorry, but a front runner like youisn't winning this race.'
Her thoughts fired off in an instant. She pushed hard with her back legs—and the silhouette ahead of her grew steadily larger in her field of view.
The commentary and the crowd ignited with energy.
"Once again! Just like before, Kitasan Black is the first to make a move!"
"We're now on the third curve, and Susan Muse's lead is shrinking fast!"
"Two lengths… one length…"
"Susan Muse doesn't seem willing to give up first place! She's holding on—she's speeding up too!"
"But! Kitasan Black is accelerating as well!"
"They're getting closer—can she overtake?!"
"She does!"
"In the middle of the third curve, after two acceleration bursts, Kitasan Black overtakes Susan Muse!"
"Now in the lead—Kitasan Black! In second place now is…It's Number 10, Danon Fantasy! Danon Fantasy is surging forward!"
"Susan Muse falls to third!"
"Right behind them is Noda Gold! Then it's REAL STEEL!"
"Are the top fan favorites finally starting to push forward?!"
The excited commentary only fueled the atmosphere further, and the already-electric crowd exploded with cheers, their voices rising into the sky above Nakayama Racecourse. The race had reached its most thrilling moment so far.
The next part of the commentary, however, was much more analytical and calm:
"It seems the battle between the front runners has triggered a chain reaction, the entire pack has clearly picked up their pace."
"But choosing to follow the front runners now may not be wise."
"With how slow the pace was earlier, Kitasan Black likely still has plenty of stamina."
"She can accelerate even more."
"Let's hope the other runners aren't getting anxious, and that they've judged the situation correctly."
And at that exact moment—just as the commentary described—Kitasan Black, now running in front, felt full of energy. It was as if the race had only just begun.
She could even sense, through the subtle rhythms of the track and her finely tuned instincts, three or four sets of approaching footsteps behind her.
For a fleeting moment, a wave of tension gripped her.
She'd been chased like this before. In her last two races, the final corner had brought the same kind of pressure from behind.
But none of those earlier pursuers had felt this sharp, this intense.
To her ears, these hoofbeats were like drums, each pounding rhythmically, striking at her heart like drumsticks.
And yet, in the very next breath—she relaxed.
She still has stamina.
Plenty of it.
Enough to keep accelerating every single meter until the finish line.
More than anything, compared to the crushing pressure she'd felt during training when running alongside Vodka, the "drumming" footsteps behind her now felt like raindrops falling into a puddle—completely negligible.
So, even if she can't beat her two senpais, it doesn't mean she can't beat the Umas behind her!
A strange shiver and surge of excitement exploded in her crimson eyes, and that excitement instantly spread through her entire body. What followed was a strength that felt magnified a thousandfold.
With that shiver, that excitement, that power—she couldn't help herself.
Her head and gaze dipped briefly, and when she looked up again, her hind legs pounded the ground with explosive force. Uncontrollably, Kitasan Black let out a low roar:
"If you think you can catch me— THEN JUST TRY!!"
Only the few Umamusume closest behind her could make out the words. For those farther back, it was just a raw, powerful "Aaaahhhh!!"
Off the track—in the stands, the commentary booth, in front of TVs, computers, and phones—all the audience saw was the black-haired girl suddenly bursting forward like a rocket.
The commentator's voice soared.
"We're nearing the end of the fourth curve! Nearing the end of the fourth curve!"
"The competition is intense! Absolutely intense!"
"Kitasan Black is still in the lead—but! But! Susan Muse hasn't given up on the inside! Danon Fantasy is hot on her heels on the outside!"
"Kitasan Black is caught in the middle! She's under pressure from both sides!"
"From behind—Noda Gold is on the fourth lane outside! REAL STEEL is even farther out on the sixth lane!"
"They're both chasing Kitasan Black down!"
"They're coming out of the curve!"
Kitasan Black is still leading! What endurance! What superhuman stamina! She's still accelerating!"
"Susan Muse is falling behind! She's lost speed!"
"Kitasan Black is pulling ahead! She's extending her lead!"
"Danon Fantasy is slowing too! Danon Fantasy is losing speed!"
"Kitasan Black is breaking away!"
"One length! Two lengths!"
"The gap is widening! Kitasan Black is running alone in the lead!"
"Final stretch—200 meters left! Kitasan Black still holds the lead!"
"But! But!"
"Noda Gold has broken free from the two slowing Umas—she's coming for her!"
"On the far outside—REAL STEEL is coming too!"
"Is the race favorite finally unleashing her signature closing kick?!"
"She's fast! REAL STEEL is incredibly fast!"
"100 meters!"
"REAL STEEL overtakes Noda Gold! She's up to second place!"
"But! Kitasan Black still has a one-length lead!"
"One length! Can she hold on?! Can she do it, Kitasan Black?!"
"Half a length! Half a length!"
"Only 50 meters left!"
"Can REAL STEEL catch Kitasan Black?!"
"Can Kitasan Black fend off REAL STEEL?!"
While the commentary reached a fever pitch, Kitasan Black—mere meters from the finish line—heard none of it.
In her ears, in her heart, there was only one sound and one thought.
The sound: a raging storm of pursuit, the thunder of hoofbeats closing in behind her.
The thought:
Not enough…
Not enough…
Not enough not enough not enough!!
This closing kick…
"You're not making me give up!!! AAAAAHHHH!!"
With that roar, suddenly—like a balloon losing air—Kitasan Black felt her speed drop noticeably.
Panic and confusion engulfed her in an instant. She stumbled slightly, eyes wide as she desperately looked around.
And that's when she heard it—
From the grandstands came a deafening, earth-shaking roar.
Just like when she heard the results of the Hanshin Daishoten race before—those roaring voices all echoed a single name.
Her name.
And from the broadcast came the ecstatic announcement:
"A quarter-length!"
"Three wins in a row!"
"Three consecutive victories!"
"Let's congratulate her on winning this Spring Stakes!"
"Congratulations—Kitasan Black!!"
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 98: Even If It's Only This One Time, 2000 Meters[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed