Chapter 99: The Relentless Charge to the End
After overtaking Almond Eye, Shining Star caught sight from the corner of her eye that many others on the inside track were being left behind just like her. Yet instead of delight, her heart was filled with confusion.
They were all students about to graduate, and according to the doctor's predictions regarding their specialization, in a year or two they would need to start thinking about moving on to higher schooling.
Their family backgrounds were also similar, both hailing from lineages known for producing famous Umamusumes, so their families had long since set out their plans.
Although Almond Eye wasn't in her class, Shining Star remembered clearly that she had never participated in middle-distance events before. The word was always that her family forbade it.
So seeing Almond Eye show up at this event was honestly quite surprising.
But then she brushed the thought aside.
She herself had always aimed at middle-to-long distance races, trained from a young age for them, with the classic races as her future goal.
Her results had always been stellar—she'd taken first place many times in similar contests and practice runs.
When the racecourse is 2000 meters or above, few of her classmates could match her, let alone someone like Almond Eye who had only ever run short-distance until now.
'So… was this girl just here to mess around?'
'What the heck, that's way too unserious!'
'Forget it, it doesn't matter what she's thinking—this race's winner will definitely be me!'
Her spirit lifted, Shining Star focused entirely on the track ahead.
More than half the distance had already passed, and in just a few hundred meters they would reach the entrance to the final two curves.
Thinking quickly for a few seconds, she gradually leaned forward, lowering her gaze.
She decided to start her final push for victory from there.
After her earlier surge, Shining Star now ran ahead of the pack.
When she picked up speed again, the little Umamusumes behind her all faltered for a moment, and then many of them, faces unwilling, also accelerated to follow.
But for the trainers and the experienced Umamusumes watching, keeping pace with the front runner here wasn't a wise move.
In truth, ever since the race began, it was obvious to any keen eye that compared to the level of the Twinkle Series, the tactics in this race were hardly sound.
But that was only natural.
All the participants were still young children. Even if they had trained for admission into Tracen Academy, their speed and skill were still far off the mark.
So whether it was trainers, Umamusumes, or the spectators and commentators, what they focused on was the spirit of these young runners striving desperately to take the lead.
And in that atmosphere, the commentator's tone grew more professional by the moment.
"There's been a major shift in the lineup mid-race. Almond Eye, who led the charge early on, has been overtaken again and again and is now stuck in the middle pack."
"She doesn't seem to be panicking about it though—she's still running hard."
"Currently in the lead is Shining Star. She launched a fierce sprint coming out of the second curve onto the straightaway, overtaking many rivals at once."
"Her speed is still high, and she's accelerating yet again—it seems she wants to hold first place to the very end."
"Can she pull it off? Let's wait and see!""
The stands began to roar, the crowd thrilled by the intensity of this event. Almost without thinking, they followed the commentator's lead, clapping and cheering for Shining Star at the front.
Hearing the steady, unified cries, Shining Star couldn't suppress her pride.
From childhood, she had never lacked moments like this under the spotlight.
Races had always been that way.
True, none of those races had ever drawn attention like the Twinkle Series—most had only been school competitions or community events.
But that feeling of being the center of attention—she could never get enough of it.
She had thought about it many times: once she truly debuted, she would surely receive even more passionate attention.
Filled with pride and excitement, she dashed into the third curve, leaning forward again.
'It's here! From here I'll dash all the way to the finish line!'
With a shout in her heart, she poured the last of her strength into her legs.
Third curve, fourth curve, out of the bend! Perfect! Just like that—?!
As she burst out of the final curve into the rushing headwind, Shining Star's eyes flew wide.
Suddenly, the legs that had felt so powerful before now seemed to lose their strength.
Even though she willed herself on, the scenery in her vision no longer fell away as fast, and the headwind pressing against her didn't feel as sharp.
Uncontrollably, panic welled up inside her.
'D-damn it… was my pace too fast earlier? Do I not have enough stamina left…?'
At that very moment, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure surge past her on the inside.
It was Satono Hakuro, a classmate of Almond Eye's.
She had heard of her not long after entering school, knowing she was another widely admired standout, and had always considered her her greatest rival in secret.
So when she had managed to overtake her earlier, Shining Star had been thrilled, convinced victory was hers—only to be overtaken again so soon.
For a moment, she turned her head away.
Even if no one knew what she was thinking, the pride she'd shown just before now felt unbearably embarrassing.
But when she turned her head, her eyes widened again.
Almond Eye was overtaking her from the outside.
That speed—it carried an aura of being utterly unstoppable, as if she hadn't just run over 1000 meters already, as if her stamina were still flowing without end.
But in Almond Eye's own perception, her body was like a balloon with a leak, her already meager reserves of energy spilling away wildly through some unseen hole.
And yet she didn't panic. Instead, she was more exhilarated than she had ever been.
She didn't know if she had disappointed Kitasan Black by running like this, but she was certain of one thing—this was the kind of race she wanted to run.
The position didn't matter, being in the lead didn't matter.
She had no real experience in middle-distance anyway, so she would just run however she wanted—run her own race.
Take a good position early, cruise in the middle to conserve energy while watching her opponents, and now in the final stretch…
She would charge forward without hesitation, all the way to the end!
This was the race she wanted—not the endless bursts and sprints her family demanded of her!
As she gave her all in that final sprint, Almond Eye felt a strange illusion.
The deafening cheers of the crowd and the pounding footsteps of her rivals all vanished, leaving only herself and the finish line ahead.
But she could still feel it—her thighs, arms, chest, abdomen, and back muscles all straining and surging together, her swift steps carrying her forward without pause.
And in this moment, she had only one thought left!
Sprint! Sprint! Sprint again!
Isn't this what you're best at, Almond Eye?!
Keep pushing! Accelerate again! You can still go faster! Sprint again!
Keep leaning forward, keep your head down, keep driving your legs!
The finish line—It's right there!!
Those wild, tangled thoughts raged like vines spreading through her mind, until at last the finish line in her vision vanished—and only then did they stop.
Losing her target, Almond Eye jolted as if waking from a dream, instinctively wanting to halt her legs and see where she was.
But the immense momentum carried her on another hundred or two hundred meters before she finally slowed down.
An overwhelming exhaustion and suffocating dizziness surged into her mind, leaving her dazed.
And yet, even in her haze, she could clearly hear the eruption of the crowd and the commentator's ecstatic voice.
"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! What an astonishing late charge!
"Let us congratulate Almond Eye—the champion of today's race!"