While most of the Uma Musume were quietly biding their time, and Rice Shower was building power with her opened Zone, the front-running Dream Weaver had already crossed the long uphill straight and was about to charge into the third corner.
It was at this very moment that Narita Brian, having surrendered her entire being to wild instinct, began her acceleration.
For the spectators whose passion for the races was ignited by Narita Brian, and who watched for her alone, their viewing experience told them that once Narita Brian accelerated, the victory was as good as sealed.
Besides, from the stands, it was clear the race was entering its final stages. Wasn't accelerating at a time like this just common sense?
However, in the eyes of others with rich experience in racing, Narita Brian's acceleration at this moment seemed just a little too hasty.
"There are still two consecutive curves before the final stretch! Accelerating before them is too risky! The slightest misstep, and her own speed could drag her down into a fall!" Merci Stage shouted anxiously, watching the track.
Even though she saw Narita Brian as a rival, she didn't want to see an Uma Musume get injured right before her eyes.
Especially since she'd heard rumors earlier about Narita Brian being injured after the Hanshin Dai Shōten. Though her two companions had scoffed at this gossip, a thread of worry had still taken root in Merci Stage's heart.
Beside her, Fujino Makken O narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the sudden shift on the track and muttering to herself.
"This scene… it feels familiar…"
After a moment's thought, her eyes widened in realization, and she couldn't help raising her voice in astonishment.
"I see! It's exactly like the Kikuka Shō! Narita Brian is choosing to accelerate on the uphill straight again, just a tiny bit later this time! No wonder it looked so familiar!"
Hearing her companion's words, even Star Man, who had kept her gaze fixed on Rice Shower, couldn't help but shift her attention.
"You mean Narita Brian wants to use the same running style to beat Northern Dreams? Because she lost the Kikuka Shō, she wants to defeat Northern Dreams with the same method in the Tennō Shō (Spring)?!"
Fujino Makken O nodded, her eyes burning with intensity as she watched the track.
"I get it! It's because Northern Dreams is using the same Great Escape she used in the Kikuka Shō that Narita Brian is accelerating now! For her, this isn't the Tennō Shō (Spring) anymore—it's—"
"A second Kikuka Shō."
A strange voice suddenly cut into their heated discussion.
The three turned their heads in unison to find an Uma Musume with short, blueish-teal hair who, by her looks, hadn't even undergone her Maturation yet.
"But wouldn't that mean Narita Brian is doomed to lose? She already lost once under the same conditions in the Kikuka Shō. What difference would it make here in the Tennō Shō (Spring)? She's improved, but so has Miss Dreams!"
Seiun Sky excitedly shook the back of their seats as she spoke. As a devoted fan of Northern Dreams, seeing her idol triumph under such heavy pressure was incredibly thrilling.
But before Seiun Sky could celebrate for long, the seasoned Uma Musume in front of her, who had all competed in Grade 1 races, shook their heads. Star Man addressed her.
"It's different from the Kikuka Shō. Back then, Narita Brian hadn't awakened her Zone. Facing Dream Weaver, who possessed one, made victory very difficult for her."
As rivals who had raced alongside them in the Kikuka Shō, Star Man remembered the scene vividly.
"But now it's different. Never mind the momentum Narita Brian has built with her winning streak versus Northern Dreams' disadvantage from her long absence from racing. Just in terms of their Zones, they are now on equal footing."
"Even if Narita Brian's acceleration is a bit early, her chances of winning are still actually higher than Northern Dreams'."
That's right. As Uma Musume who had competed at the G1 level, all three of them could see the source of Narita Brian's explosive speed.
"Why?! Aren't they on the same level? At most it should be fifty-fifty, right?!"
Seiun Sky asked urgently. She still didn't know what a 'Zone' was, but she had no mind to ask now, desperate only to hear more about the race's situation from the experienced Uma Musume before her.
"It still comes down to tactics. Compared to the front running style, Narita Brian, who chose a closing position, undoubtedly has more stamina in reserve."
"And there's a subtle difference in Northern Dreams' Great Escape this time compared to the Kikuka Shō. This time, instead of maintaining a fluctuating distance from second place, she's going all out to create a gap. That undoubtedly drains her stamina much more fiercely."
Fujino Makken O watched the two on the track, analyzing coolly.
Right now, facing Narita Brian's acceleration, Dream Weaver had chosen to accelerate as well.
Even with her Zone boosting her, as Narita Brian surged past the other Uma Musume, she still couldn't immediately close the gap on Dream Weaver.
The two or three horse-lengths separating them were the result of Dream Weaver squeezing every last drop of her stamina in a desperate sprint.
"But honestly, the outcome is still uncertain," Merci Stage interjected, patting Seiun Sky's shoulder reassuringly. "Judging by the other Uma Musume's performances, Northern Dreams hasn't opened her Zone yet this time, so her stamina should be better than it was in the Kikuka Shō."
"And remember, at the end of the Kikuka Shō, she managed that miraculous second acceleration, didn't she? So it's really still anyone's game."
As one of the rare Northern Dreams fans present, this child must be under a lot of pressure. It was better to be gentle with her. Thinking this, Merci Stage shot a fierce glare at Fujino Makken O and Star Man, as if to accuse them with her eyes of not knowing how to be tactful.
Hearing Merci Stage's comforting words, Seiun Sky, whose small face had been twisted with tension, finally relaxed her expression a little. Watching the intense race, she gripped the seat in front of her and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Miss Dreams! You can do it!"
Whether her encouragement reached Dream Weaver was uncertain, but it definitely reached the ears of Narita Brian's fans nearby. Hearing someone cheer for Dream Weaver, they exchanged glances and then joined in, raising their own shouts of support for Narita Brian.
Seiun Sky's voice was instantly swallowed by the rising wave of noise, but she wasn't discouraged in the slightest. She stared resolutely at the track, her eyes fixed on that dazzling stream of red light.
Since the senior Uma Musume had said the outcome between Miss Dreams and Narita Brian was still unclear, she was willing to believe. She would believe that Miss Dreams could seize this fleeting chance for victory.
Right now, on the track, Dream Weaver and Narita Brian were about to rush past the third corner. Beyond the brief fourth curve ahead lay the final straight.
But at the same moment, Rice Shower, who had been gathering her strength and biding her time in the shadows, finally, shing, unsheathed her dagger.
Ethereal blue rose phantoms silently bloomed around her. A point of cold, starlight-like brilliance suddenly erupted along the blade's edge.
Zone, fully unleashed!
The instant Rice Shower drew her blade, she shot out from the pack, charging straight towards Narita Brian and Dream Weaver!
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.