After the announcer's declaration, Narita Brian released her grip on Dream Weaver's collar. There was no need for further words. The Spring Tenno Sho was about to begin, and she would use the most brutal victory to sear herself into Dream Weaver's memory.
Watching Narita Brian's retreating figure, its intimidating aura growing even more menacing, Dream Weaver expressionlessly smoothed the wrinkles from her collar. To her, Narita Brian's challenge meant nothing.
No matter what anyone said, the champion of the Spring Tenno Sho would be her.
Without a word, Dream Weaver turned and walked towards her starting gate.
Rice Shower, who had witnessed the entire exchange, silently tightened her grip on the dagger at her side. Narita Brian's ferocious presence was even more overwhelming than it had been during the Arima Kinen.
And for Dream Weaver to remain utterly unflinching under such pressure… she too must possess formidable power hidden beneath the surface.
As a veteran of the track, Rice Shower had begun to sense her own future. This Spring Tenno Sho would likely be her last. For this special final battle, she too had her own reasons she could not afford to lose.
Thinking this, the blue flame in Rice Shower's eyes burned ever more intensely. Clenching the dagger at her waist, she strode resolutely towards her own gate.
Spurred by the three of them, the remaining Uma Musume filed silently into their gates. Perhaps they had sensed something ominous in the earlier confrontation, but now, there was no room for retreat.
The racetrack was a battlefield. Every Uma Musume who set foot upon it with determination was a warrior.
And a warrior has no excuse for cowardice or retreat.
Amid the silence of the Uma Musume and the eager gaze of the crowd, Sugimoto Kentaro stared intently at the ticking clock before him.
Beside him, Akasaka Rin swallowed hard, unable to calm the frantic drumming in her chest. Under their watchful eyes, the Spring Tenno Sho was about to commence.
BANG!
A gunshot, sharp as a thunderclap on a clear day, echoed across the field. In an instant, sixteen gates flew open.
The ground trembled as sixteen figures exploded onto the track, a white wave of sound kicking up countless clods of turf and grass. Every inch of hoofprint carved into the course symbolized the Uma Musume's unparalleled power.
This was the Spring Tenno Sho, a race one only qualified to enter after their classic year.
Each competitor had undergone at least two years of training and growth since their debut and classic seasons. Every single Uma Musume standing on this G1 stage was exceptional, a standout among standouts.
Its ferocity, its intensity—it surpassed even the triple crown battles of many classic generations. Any one of them, placed in a classic triple crown race, would be a contender for the top spots. A few among them could even challenge for the shining champion's seat itself.
Yet, within this pack of formidable contenders, a single, stark crimson blur shot forth, reaching the forefront of the entire group in just a few breaths.
An undisputed lead. An unprecedented, all-out dash from the start.
At this moment, the eyes of every Uma Musume on the track locked onto that leading crimson blur. In their hearts, a wave of sheer astonishment surged.
"A Great Escape over 3200 meters?! She's insane!"
Akasaka Rin, the rookie commentator in the booth, slammed the desk in surprise, shouting in disbelief at the crimson blur charging ahead on the track.
This was the Spring Tenno Sho, the longest-distance major race. Any Uma Musume aiming for victory would never choose a Great Escape—it was simply impossible to sustain.
This was the same Kyoto Racecourse as the Kikuka Sho, with its notoriously long final curve and uphill slope. To imagine winning here with a Great Escape was nearly unthinkable.
While the Kikuka Sho had a precedent from decades ago, the Spring Tenno Sho had never, since its inception, been won by a front-runner who led from the start.
Choosing a Great Escape here could only mean one was mad.
"No,"Sugimoto Kentaro interjected, frowning. "She won the Kikuka Sho using the same Great Escape, even securing a massive five-length lead over Narita Brian."
"The conditions here are the same as the Kikuka Sho, just 200 meters longer. If Northern Dreams could create a miracle like that in the Kikuka Sho, why not here in the Spring Tenno Sho? And remember, it was actually raining during the Kikuka Sho!"
Even as he spoke, he knew his words sounded unconvincing. Two hundred meters, added to the final stretch, was a vast, daunting chasm.
Often, victory was decided by mere tens, or even single-digit meters. Two hundred meters?
The variables were immense. A Uma Musume who could power through the final straight of the Kikuka Sho might not necessarily hold on for the Spring Tenno Sho.
But Dream Weaver had already shown him so many miracles. From the Kobe Shimbun Hai to the Kikuka Sho, every time Sugimoto Kentaro was ready to give up hope, Dream Weaver would burst through the pack and pull him from the mire with her victory.
So this time, he wouldn't hesitate. He spoke his mind directly into the microphone, addressing the entire audience at the Kyoto Racecourse.
Even knowing he was but a tiny, insignificant rock amidst the tide of public opinion supporting Narita Brian, a rock that would be submerged in an instant by the overwhelming wave, Sugimoto Kentaro felt no fear.
He had found courage in Dream Weaver's races. If he no longer feared retaliation from the Mejiro family, why would he care about the opinions of others?
Right here, right now, in the commentary box, Sugimoto Kentaro would make it clear to everyone.
The Uma Musume he supported was Dream Weaver!
Faced with Sugimoto Kentaro's support for Dream Weaver against the mainstream opinion, many in the Kyoto Racecourse audience who backed Narita Brian reacted with furrowed brows, scornful laughs, or even began discussing the commentator's lack of professionalism amongst themselves.
"Ha! That commentator's lost his mind! He really thinks that 'Northern Dreams' can maintain a Great Escape all the way to the end?"
"Exactly! The outcome is obvious already. The winner will either be the long-distance queen, Rice Shower, or Narita Brian, who's on a winning streak. But honestly, I think Narita Brian's chances are higher. She did beat Rice Shower in the Arima Kinen, after all!"
"Sugimoto... Hmph, I always thought he was unprofessional. He was like this during the Kikuka Sho too. Who knows what under-the-table benefits that so-called 'prestigious Northern family' has given him for him to support her so much."
To these fans, who had become Narita Brian's supporters after her consecutive victories, she was currently the strongest Uma Musume. If she was racing, the championship was a foregone conclusion.
That 'Northern Dreams' must have already accepted her defeat. Why else would she employ a Great Escape here? She was probably just making excuses in advance for her impending loss!
But regardless of their attitudes, the audience was just the audience. They could never truly feel the turbulent storms raging on the track. And naturally, they could not influence the race in the slightest.
While they were busy with their mockery, Dream Weaver had already led the pack into the second curve.
Now, the distance between her and the second-place Uma Musume was—
Seven lengths.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.