For the longest time, that single draw-and-strike of the demon blade had been Dream Weaver's ultimate trump card.
Whether it was against Orfevre or T.M. Opera O, that momentary loss of power would sap their speed, allowing Dream Weaver to seize the path to victory.
But now, things were different. Narita Brian had nearly a full extra year of training under her belt compared to the Orfevre and Opera O of that time.
Her body and her Zone had matured rapidly under the effects of her honing. If the Narita Brian of today were to face her Japan Derby-era self, she'd undoubtedly leave that version in the dust by five lengths or more.
And that wasn't even accounting for the differences in their Zones. The Zones of Opera O and Orfevre, at most, drained stamina.
But Narita Brian was similar to Dream Weaver in this regard—their Zones carried greater risk, but in return, granted far greater power.
It was this very Zone, balancing extreme risk and extreme power, that Dream Weaver had relied on time and again to defeat Opera O and Orfevre.
As for Rice Shower, she hardly needed any introduction. Not only was she a seasoned veteran of the track, but she was also currently the Uma Musume most familiar with Kyoto Racecourse's long distances. Facing the demon blade's strike, she naturally had her own methods to deal with it.
Now, the demon blade had been drawn.
The residual stamina-burning effect couldn't be ignored by Narita Brian or Rice Shower, but whether through conserved stamina or an evolved Zone, maintaining a full-speed dash to the finish line was still within their grasp.
Bolstered by their Zones, Narita Brian and Rice Shower closed the gap to Dream Weaver at a startling rate. As they cleared the final turn and entered the home stretch, the distance between them was at most a single length.
The massive lead Dream Weaver had built through her front-running tactics had been utterly exhausted. Facing two opponents with their Zones fully unleashed, it seemed she had no path to victory left.
"Miss Dreams..."
In the stands, Seiun Sky's knuckles were white, her fingers clenched with unbearable tension. She'd long since stopped feeling any pain, pouring her entire being into watching the race.
The few Uma Musume who had been chattering nonstop since before the race had also fallen completely silent. Their gazes were locked on the track, the only sound between them the heavy rhythm of their own breathing.
"Narita Brian is charging! So fast! She's almost overtaken Northern Dreams!"
"But Rice Shower is right on her heels, matching her pace stride for stride! Is she aiming to wash away the defeat of last year's Arima Kinen with a victory in this Tenno Sho Spring?!"
The commentary box, the stands—almost every eye in Kyoto Racecourse was fixed on Narita Brian and Rice Shower.
To most, having lost the advantage of her big lead, Dream Weaver no longer had any chance of winning.
Over three hundred meters remained to the finish line. Having spent all her strength earlier, where could Dream Weaver possibly find the power to defeat Narita Brian and Rice Shower now?
But just as Sugimoto Kentaro fell into a grim silence and Seiun Sky tightened her fists, the scorching air that had hung over the track suddenly vanished.
"What hap—?"
Before Rice Shower's surprise could even form, the demon blade—more intense and blazing than before—was drawn once more from Dream Weaver's embrace. With an unstoppable momentum, it sliced through the air towards Narita Brian and Rice Shower.
This shocking turn of events stunned both Narita Brian and Rice Shower for an instant, but their muscle memory kicked in just in time, reacting before the blade's edge could reach them.
Rice Shower once again used her intimate knowledge of the course to evade the blade's sharp edge. But unlike last time's effortless dodge, this evasion was a hair's breadth from disaster, nearly sending her crashing into the side railings.
Narita Brian, meanwhile, met the demon blade head-on with her Zone once more. Another deafening crash, like fangs grinding against steel, echoed across the track. She managed to maintain her full speed, using her Zone to neutralize Dream Weaver's assault.
This time, however, the shadow at her feet no longer seemed solid and deep. Instead, it wavered and twisted, unstable.
But before either of them could even catch their breath, the raging, scorching wind that had filled the track vanished yet again.
"What—?!"
Narita Brian's pupils dilated. Before she could even process it, another metallic shing, like a sword leaving its scabbard, reverberated across the course. As the scent of iron and fire filled the air once more, Dream Weaver drew her demon blade for the third time.
Her crimson cape flashed like the chilling gleam of a honed edge, burning itself into the vision of Narita Brian and Rice Shower.
As that bone-deep sensation of danger grazed their necks once more, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and employ their previous methods to evade the strike again.
This time, they couldn't maintain their original, all-out sprinting speed. Forced to slow their pace slightly to withstand Dream Weaver's slash, the distance they had painstakingly closed was instantly opened right back up!
"Just who will be the victor, Narita Brian or Ri— Wha... What?!"
"Why have they slowed down together?! Could it be their stamina is failing? But how can Northern Dreams, who led from the start so hard, possibly maintain her speed?!"
"What in the world is going on?!"
The shocked cry of Akasaka Rin voiced the thoughts of everyone in Kyoto Racecourse.
They had seen Dream Weaver on the verge of being overtaken, only for the situation to reverse so dramatically. Many spectators who had backed Narita Brian for the win found it hard to accept.
However, nothing outside the track could change the reality on it. And as they watched in shock and dismay, Dream Weaver drew her demon blade for the fourth time.
Now, in the eyes of Narita Brian and Rice Shower, that crimson streak of light had solidified into Dream Weaver's very form.
Her deep eyes were as cold as ice. Her fingertips lightly brushed the demon blade's edge, where a mist-like aura swirled along the steel, the cold gleam radiating a ferocity that seemed to burn away all life. Holding the blade before her, she seemed to wordlessly declare to Narita Brian and Rice Shower:
'You may come this far, but no farther.'
A suffocating sense of peril instantly enveloped Narita Brian and Rice Shower. As the phantom declaration fell, the demon blade was drawn and struck once more!
Already pushed to their limits by the previous assaults, Narita Brian and Rice Shower had no hope of resisting this one. Their speed dropped again, and in mere moments, the gap between them and Dream Weaver widened to three full lengths!
"First the punishing lead... and now unleashing her Zone at full power so many times... Just how much stamina does she have left?!"
Rice Shower stared in disbelief at the red streak of light ahead. The depth of Dream Weaver's stamina seemed bottomless, an abyss she couldn't fathom.
Her own carefully accumulated reserves were nearly depleted from weathering the repeated slashes, yet Dream Weaver looked as if she could unleash another one at any moment!
'I will catch you! I will catch you!'
Under the influence of her Zone, the golden pupils of Narita Brian had narrowed completely into the vicious, vertical slits of a wolf.
The bloodlust and lethal pressure radiating from Dream Weaver's blade didn't make her retreat a single step. Instead, it was like oil poured on flames, igniting her battle lust, making it burn hotter and fiercer.
And Dream Weaver's answer to her was the demon blade being drawn yet again!
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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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