Chapter 88: A Sense of Powerlessness
The instant they stepped into the final corner, Vodka slowly lowered her posture.
Unlike Daiwa Scarlet and Kitasan Black's front running rhythm, her strides were firm and steady, carrying a sense of composure, as if she had already foreseen Daiwa Scarlet's acceleration.
And in truth, she had.
Having raced against her countless times in her career, she knew Daiwa Scarlet all too well.
Her goal was crystal clear: before the final stretch arrived, use the corner to close the gap as much as possible, laying the groundwork for the last burst.
And while keeping her eyes fixed on Daiwa Scarlet, she did not neglect Kitasan Black.
A glance out of the corner of her eye at the junior on the inside drew a faint smile from Vodka, before her focus immediately snapped back forward.
"Not bad, Kita-chan… to be running at this level already…"
Murmuring under her breath, she locked her gaze on the familiar figure at the exit of the corner.
At the same time, her peripheral vision caught two figures storming up from the outside and just behind.
"So they've caught up too, huh… Spe-chan, Golshi…
"But if you both run like this—"
"You're not going to beat Scarlet!"
With a low growl, she pushed her body down even further, muscles that had been coiling since the start of the corner snapping into motion. Her long brown ears and tail whipped back sharply, and with a sudden swing to the left, she drew a swift arc.
Her speed surged in an instant, and she charged straight at the figure ahead—Daiwa Scarlet.
On the inside and slightly ahead, Kitasan Black felt a shiver of déjà vu.
Just like Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka's timing for her acceleration was flawless—yet there was also something else, something subtle and indescribable about her movement.
In that instant, the same stifling sense of being pinned down that she had felt earlier swept over her again. Instinctively, she wanted to repeat the maneuver she had used at the start to break free, reflexively trying to mimic her senpai's burst through the corner.
But this time, it didn't work. She couldn't imitate it.
The strength that usually overflowed within her body now felt locked away. Though her mind barked out commands, her legs and waist refused to obey, and she could only watch helplessly as her senpai swept past her from the left.
From the speakers, Tokai Teio's voice suddenly shot up in pitch.
"She's caught up! Vodka has caught up!"
"She's passed Kitasan Black at the corner exit and is going straight for Daiwa Scarlet! Could it be, just like the old days, she's throwing down the gauntlet to her eternal rival?!"
Mejiro McQueen's voice, by contrast, was calm.
"Daiwa Scarlet's finish is different from most front runners—she has a certain closing kick as well. You can't just wait until the home stretch to take her down like you would with others. Vodka's tactics are perfectly tailored for this. As expected of a lifelong rival." Yet, even she could not hold back a hint of excitement by the end.
Teio then shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka have entered the final straight! Vodka has pulled up alongside!"
"They're side by side now!"
"Of course! Vodka would never give her rival any breathing room! The two of them are neck-and-neck! Neck-and-neck!"
"This is a true one-on-one duel!"
The stands erupted, the crowd roaring in frenzy as all eyes locked onto the two figures at the very front, charging into the final stretch together.
From the side, their forms seemed almost perfectly overlapped—Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, their twin chestnut ponytails streaming straight back in the wind, as clumps of turf flew wildly in their wake.
Falling behind the two senpai, Kitasan Black reeled in shock—only to feel the suffocating restraint vanish in the same moment.
She vaguely realized that it was precisely because of the senpai' wealth of experience and their more refined abilities that she had been forced into a passive role from the very start of the race until now.
Especially now, on the final straight—whether in practice or in actual races—her greatest strength had always been taking the lead and staying there all the way until the finish.
But sitting in the awkward position of third place, too many of her familiar techniques and strengths couldn't be brought out. At this moment, even her normal closing kick felt clumsy and uncomfortable.
The last time she had briefly broken free from being on the back foot was by striking first. So now—she had to take the initiative again, and chase them down.
However, just as she adjusted her breathing and stride, the rapid, explosive sound of footsteps came from the left, making her pupils shrink in shock.
Involuntarily, with disbelief in her eyes, she turned—and saw it: as though the air itself had been torn open, a figure like a shadow streaked past in an instant.
At the same time, Tokai Teio's live commentary faltered.
"Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka are still locked in their duel, they— but! But!"
"Suddenly bursting in from the outside—Special Week has caught up!"
"Three hundred meters left!"
"Special Week is maintaining distance with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka! Those two are still tangled in battle, but Special Week has already overtaken them!"
"As expected of the team's captain!"
"As expected of her legendary finishing burst!"
"But Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka won't accept defeat so easily! They're both closing in on Special Week!"
"Vodka is faster! She's closer to Special Week!"
"A clash of finishing speed!"
"This is a battle of finishing bursts!"
"Two hundred meters left!"
"Will this three-way brawl last to the very end, or… wait!"
"Of course—it's her!"
"Gold Ship— she's finally making her move!!"
The moment Teio cried out Gold Ship's name, even Mejiro McQueen could not hold back her rising excitement.
"As expected of Gold Ship—she always brings a surprise!"
"Her stamina preservation is the best among them, and her finishing power is on par with the leaders. Choosing this timing to accelerate is brilliant!"
"She's closing in!"
"Only four lengths now— no, three— two!"
"As expected of Gold Ship!"
And then, bizarrely, the racecourse fell into a strange silence.
In every pair of eyes shone astonishment. For a brief moment, all were struck dumb by the dazzling flurry of clashes on the final stretch.
The very next second, astonishment turned to elation, and an unprecedented cheer erupted over Tracen Academy's racecourse.
Moments ago, the crowd had been split, each shouting support for their idol. But now their voices had merged into an indescribable roar, indistinguishable in who they supported, united only in their awe.
Because for the audience of this race, it no longer mattered who they cheered for. What mattered was that before their eyes, they were witnessing the legendary figures—those names etched into racing history—once again storming across the turf in fierce rivalry.
On the racecourse, in Kitasan Black's vision, the three senpai who had been ahead were locked in their furious clash. And then, a fourth figure thundered past her side.
That tall, silver-gray-haired figure surged forward, cutting through the storm of battle ahead, and with unshakable momentum, charged straight toward the finish line.
And whether it was one figure or another, all of them gave her a feeling utterly beyond reach.
Uncontrollably, deep within her chest, a faint thread of powerlessness welled up.
But that powerlessness lasted only for a heartbeat.
The race wasn't over yet—
She hadn't lost yet!
'I haven't lost!'
Her nails dug deep into her palms, strength spreading through her entire body in place of that weakness. Her breathing grew shorter and shorter, until she was holding her breath entirely. Then Kitasan Black slammed her hooves against the ground, straining with all her might to chase after the figures ahead.
Moments later—
"The finish line! The champion of this training race… is Gold Ship!
"Thank you, thank you, thank you all for this magnificent race!!"
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