"Next up is the 1800m middle-distance turf race. The participants are all ready and entering the gates. And I have a very noteworthy report here: participant number eight, Mihono Bourbon, is undoubtedly the biggest favorite in this race. In the school's performance statistics, she and Inahoichi have both achieved an impressive four consecutive victories in their simulated races. So, in today's race, can she continue her record?"
This introduction undoubtedly ignited the excitement in the stadium. In an instant, almost everyone's gaze was fixed on her. However, at this moment, she was as usual, as cold and detached as ever.
It was as if none of this concerned her, and in her eyes, there was only the racetrack before her.
There was no one else in her gaze.
Listening to the live commentary, Kazuo couldn't help but be astonished: "Four consecutive simulated race victories...?"
After all, he still had his own studies to review, and he had only watched two of the A class's simulated races. But now, unexpectedly, there was such a powerful new star in Class C.
It was truly surprising.
Yoshida added from the side: "You haven't seen her races with your own eyes, after all. I watched all four of her previous races. I can only say it's like an untouched territory, like a high-speed operating machine."
He looked at Kazuo and used only one word to describe Mihono Bourbon.
"Monster rookie."
Kazuo's gaze returned to the track. The small figure was hidden behind the gate. Kazuo couldn't see her expression, but he could feel a sense of obsession.
A very strong obsession.
Rice Shower... The signal lights on the gate slowly extinguished, and the stadium fell silent, but this was only for an instant.
Then—
The moment the red light flashed, the gates instantly opened.
Accompanied by a loud "Start."
Everyone burst out in an instant.
"It's Mihono Bourbon breaking away! It's Mihono Bourbon! As expected, she immediately took the lead!"
Almost no one could see what happened in that instant, but Mihono Bourbon easily broke away and rushed to the very front.
"It's her leg style, her starting method..."
Before Yoshida could finish speaking, Kazuo, as if talking to himself, interjected: "A stomping sprint style, her jumping ability is terrifying..."
He stared intently at the race, completely oblivious to the slight change in Yoshida's expression as he looked at him.
A Kiai (Fighting Spirit) as if tearing through the air, from the moment of the start, she gradually widened the gap with everyone else.
It wasn't until everything that followed that Kazuo truly understood why Yoshida would describe Mihono Bourbon as being in an untouched territory.
"Participant number eight, Mihono Bourbon, is currently leading everyone, and it's clearly visible that she is slowly pulling away from participant number six, who is in second place."
In a flash, they had already entered the turn. A segment that, under Mihono Bourbon's lead, quickly brought them to the second lane.
The Uma Musume behind Mihono Bourbon were all driven by her pace. Because if they didn't accelerate and keep up, the distance would increase visibly at an alarming rate.
Mihono Bourbon did nothing, yet the entire race was under her control from the very beginning.
The wind roared, forming a strong vortex that spread backward.
An unstoppable momentum, she crossed the halfway point of the track without any suspense.
And at this moment, the distance she had opened up alone was already a full four horse lengths.
"How is that possible... From her initial acceleration... until now, it hasn't weakened at all..."
Kazuo finally noticed the anomaly.
The girl's speed, from the middle of the start, maintained an almost completely consistent stride frequency. It was as precise as a meticulously calculated machine, with her speed remaining perfectly level.
And in this rhythm, the others slowly began to be affected.
They simply couldn't adapt to such a presence, completely falling into Mihono Bourbon's rhythm. The high-intensity stride frequency and speed, in a middle-distance race, were clearly wearing down the Uma Musume behind her.
They simply couldn't achieve the single-minded focus that Mihono Bourbon did. Their breathing and stride frequency, in this intensity of rhythm, were clearly in disarray.
Second place, third place... and the Uma Musume behind them, all showed a certain degree of deceleration after the middle section. When they used to run middle-distance races, they never felt as strained as they did today, but—
On the track, there was only Mihono Bourbon, far ahead of everyone else.
In the final four hundred meters, the gap was already six horse lengths.
Mihono Bourbon continued to look straight ahead, maintaining her consistent, flawless operation.
Her speed showed no signs of decreasing; from the start until now, she seemed determined to maintain it all the way to the finish line.
"A realm of her own... that's exactly what people like her embody..."
Yoshida couldn't help but exclaim. She simply ignored everything else, following only her own stride. Her eyes were fixed solely on the finish line, so as a front-runner, she had no need to concern herself with other pursuers.
Others tried to close the distance, but unconsciously fell into a cycle of meaningless exhaustion, and the gap only grew wider.
All she had to do was run.
"No...!" Kazuo suddenly cried out, his eyes fixed on the rear of the race pack.
Among the many competitors, there was one girl who hadn't fallen into this strange trap.
Her small figure seemed on the verge of being swallowed up at any moment, but her gaze had never wavered from the start. While others slowed down, lacking the ability to accelerate, she steadily gained ground from the back.
"The final four hundred meters! Entering the last turn! Will Mihono Bourbon maintain her lead until the very end?!"
Everyone on the track focused their attention on her.
But Kazuo's gaze at this moment was fixed on Rice Shower, who had quietly moved into fifth place.
Even though she was in the trailing pack, her eyes had been locked on Mihono Bourbon from the very beginning.
Unlike the others, who were merely dragged into Mihono Bourbon's rhythm and thrown into disarray by chasing her, Rice Shower had been imitating Mihono Bourbon from the start.
Her stride, her frequency, even her starting motion!
She had managed to stay on the same level as Mihono Bourbon by this method.
Now, when others were out of breath and unable to accelerate, she could still push harder.
Even if her physical condition wasn't enough to contend with others, in terms of willpower and focus, she had done her absolute best.
However—
"Mihono Bourbon accelerates! The final two hundred meters! She can still accelerate! Seven horse lengths!"
The wind howled, the atmosphere stirred.
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, everyone felt as if they saw a beam of light flash by, followed by the electrifying voice of the commentator echoing above the track:
"Mihono Bourbon! She did it! Crossing the finish line with an eight-horse length lead!!!! Unbelievable! Like a flashing meteor! This will undoubtedly be a shining new star, and we look forward to seeing her gallop in future G1 stakes races!!!"
Crossing the finish line, and then the curtain fell.
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