Tokyo Racecourse.
"All competing athletes have now cleared the final turn and entered the home stretch!"
"In the lead is Maruzensky!"
"Close behind her, the imposing Oguri Cap follows with terrifying momentum!"
"Do they have a chance to seize the championship of this Dream Cup?"
"Behind Oguri Cap are the Centurial Overlord—Opera O—and the Empress—Air Groove!"
"Narita Brian and Hishi Amazon are battling Symboli Rudolf for position, nearly running neck and neck!"
"And at the very back!"
"At the very back is Barbatos!!!"
"She just cleared the fourth turn, moving incredibly fast though she seemed to struggle a bit through the curve?!"
"Is she not yet accustomed to taking turns at this sprinting speed?"
"As the only non-Legendary Uma Musume here, the fact she's managed to keep up to this extent already shows her remarkable strength. Surely, in another year or two, she will possess power matching her popularity and the capability to contend for victory in the Dream Cup!"
The race commentator narrated with fervent passion.
Her understanding of the Dream Cup far surpassed that of the average spectator or other Uma Musume.
The speed Barbatos was displaying right now was no worse than the other Legendaries, but without closing the distance, victory was impossible. And furthermore…
--+--
In the spectator stands.
Reporter Minamino Haruna kept her focus on Barbatos's movements.
During the earlier interview, she hadn't yet published the news about Barbatos's injury.
She wasn't sure how to report it either; perhaps it would be best to release it after this Winter Dream Cup.
And also...
The speed Barbatos was showing now was even greater than during the Tokyo Sports Hai Junior Stakes when she got injured. After this, she would likely need a period of rest.
Releasing the report now would be most appropriate.
This speed undoubtedly exceeded the physical limits Barbatos could endure.
Even someone as strong as Barbatos—even as a reporter who also admired this Uma Musume, and who emotionally wished for Barbatos to pull off an upset win in the Winter Dream Cup...
Such an outcome would make for excellent material.
It would satisfy both her needs as a journalist and the hopes of the fans.
But the problem now was that such a thing was nearly impossible. Barbatos should have already reached her limit, pushing at a speed that would harm her body, probably unable to go any faster.
"What?!"
Just as she made this judgment based on her Uma Musume racing knowledge.
The situation on the track changed. Barbatos's speed surged instantaneously, catapulting her past the forward group.
She rapidly closed the distance with Hishi Amazon, Narita Brian, and Symboli Rudolf.
Barbatos had gotten faster?!
Exclamations of surprise, shouts, and cheers erupted across the stadium because of Barbatos's acceleration, but only those aware of Barbatos's physical condition felt tension rise after their initial elation.
This was a speed far greater than what she had shown against King Halo in the Tokyo Sports Hai Junior Stakes.
What would be the consequence of running like this?
Another injury, requiring months or even a year of rest?
Or perhaps announcing retirement directly? The worst possible outcome wasn't even something she dared to consider.
--+--
Standing in the spectator area, at the finish line, Minamizaka gripped the railing tightly, feeling his breath grow short, unsure what to do at this moment!
This was his first time as a trainer. If something happened to Barbatos...
He should have outright stopped Barbatos from participating in the Dream Cup, yet as a trainer, he ought to respect the Uma Musume's own will.
Conflicting emotions churned within Minamizaka.
But then he heard the cheering voices of Urara, Twin Turbo, and the others beside him.
"Go, B-chan!"
"You've gotta beat Symboli Rudolf!"
Joining in the cheers were Seiun Sky and others. They seemed utterly unconcerned about Barbatos's condition, unworried about what state her body would be in after the race.
Minamizaka took a deep breath. An adult's wisdom dawned on him instantly.
Being nervous now was useless. It was better to cheer Barbatos on properly.
So he joined his Uma Musume charges, joined Barbatos's fans in the stands, and began shouting encouragement.
--+--
"So fast?!"
Hishi Amazon sensed the urgent footsteps behind her and couldn't help but grin.
She had wanted a one-on-one duel with Brian, but could Barbatos really catch up like this?
And at this speed, it was almost like facing the President herself.
Now this is more like it!
This is what the Dream Cup should be.
"An astonishing pace."
Narita Brian, also noticing Barbatos closing in from behind, expressed approval. And this position was about right too!
She drove her feet into the ground with sudden force. Also excelling in a late kick, she had chosen this spot to make her move, to test her final sprint against the President, while also accepting Hishi Amazon's challenge.
Only now, she had gained one more opponent.
Barbatos!
You are already an Uma Musume worthy of standing on the Dream Cup stage!
Narita Brian gave it her all, launching into the battle for the final stretch!
Under the acceleration of [Boots of Swiftness · Righteous Glory], Barbatos continued to close the gap with Hishi Amazon and Narita Brian even as they pushed themselves to the limit.
If calculating speed over just these few seconds, she could probably be considered Japan's number one Uma Musume!
Red lightning crackled around her, as if ready to destroy everything nearby.
The pressure she exerted surpassed even that of Tamamo Cross, but for Legendary Uma Musume, it remained within an acceptable range, not enough to truly unsettle them.
"My body feels like it's about to give out."
"I've used the Heal. Body, you have to hold on!"
Even though the pursuit capability of [Boots of Swiftness· Righteous Glory] was monstrous, its duration ultimately fell short.
It had only barely allowed her to catch up to Narita Brian and Hishi Amazon before the effect ended.
Even then, she could only barely match Amazon-senpai's pace. Was she running out of steam now?
Beside her, Hishi Amazon, and Narita Brian.
Symboli Rudolf observed the entire field, keenly aware that the pressure in this Winter Dream Cup was greater than in previous years.
There was Oguri Cap, seemingly surpassing her limits; Maruzensky, pulling ahead; and Barbatos, the non-Legendary.
"Eclipse First, The Rest Nowhere."
"Barbatos, even if you cannot become first now, you have already shone your light."
Symboli Rudolf acknowledged this inwardly.
But right now, you still lack that final touch of what makes a true Legendary Uma Musume.
At that moment, Symboli Rudolf's pupils dilated. An imperial Zone, like that of an emperor, instantly unfolded.
Compared to Narita Brian and the others, she typically only unleashed her Zone as a last resort, only when facing potential defeat.
It was a habit she retained from before becoming a Legendary Uma Musume, from before contending in the Dream Cup!
She was the Emperor of Japan's Uma Musume Racing World!
"The Emperor!"
"Symboli Rudolf begins her full-power sprint! A presence greater than Barbatos's, a final kick surpassing Narita Brian's!"
"Slowly but surely, she pulls away from the other Legendaries, chasing after Oguri Cap, chasing after Maruzensky!"
"Will the Emperor defend her glory?"
"Or will Oguri Cap, Maruzensky, and the other Uma Musume succeed in toppling the Emperor from her throne!"
The race commentator and analyst watched the unfolding scene.
This Winter Dream Cup was utterly unexpected. What seemed like it would be a one-sided affair, where the newly debuted Barbatos would be completely outmatched...
But both Oguri Cap's group and Barbatos had displayed speed and strength beyond anything seen before.
All to contend for victory in this race!
"At the very front, Maruzensky and Oguri Cap have only 200 meters left to the finish line!"
"The Emperor has drawn even with Opera O and Air Groove, showing clear signs of overtaking!"
"Narita Brian and Hishi Amazon are catching up too! Barbatos?"
"Barbatos's speed is dropping. Is it due to improper stamina management?"
"Most of Barbatos's previous races have been sprints and mile races. Though she's also won middle-distance events, giving the impression she's not weak at the distance..."
"That was likely due to her opponents."
"When all opponents are Legendary Uma Musume, when truly pushing beyond limits, stamina consumption becomes immense."
"It seems Barbatos will likely withdraw from contention for this Dream Cup."
Many who truly understood Uma Musume had already reached this definitive conclusion.
And judging by Barbatos's performance now—which was already overachieving, far exceeding expectations—even if she fell behind in the Dream Cup, regardless of the final results, many knowledgeable fans would likely cast a popularity vote for Barbatos.
Barbatos could completely be called an Uma Musume with a promising future.
An Uma Musume with the potential to challenge for a top-three seat in future Dream Cups.
After this race, even those who weren't fans of Barbatos would believe she was destined to become a Legendary Uma Musume in the future!
But standing on the track itself.
Barbatos, running, didn't think that way. No Uma Musume wanted to lose a race.
The future is long, but we seize the day.
Right now, she only felt her body sending signals of protest. Just as the doctor said, an Uma Musume's speed has an upper limit. Stamina can be trained, but speed is largely fixed from birth.
That's why the peak for ordinary Uma Musume is typically G3-level races.
While some Uma Musume become Legends, their names remembered for ages.
Her body protested, and with almost no stamina left—with 1000 meters remaining—activating [Sylas's Ultimate - White Lightning] consumed stamina like never before.
If before, Barbatos only had to worry about skill duration...
Now, even her base stamina was insufficient. This didn't feel like sprinting a few hundred meters at full power; it felt like having already run a long-distance course.
Such was the stamina drain of a Zone. Now, all she could rely on was guts! Using sheer will to keep running.
This was what Barbatos had already decided.
She couldn't just lose the Dream Cup like this!
The duration of [Boots of Swiftness · Righteous Glory] had long ended. Now, Barbatos was running mostly on momentum. In reality, acceleration skills gradually faded rather than vanishing instantly.
So now, she needed to layer other acceleration skills to replicate the effect of [Boots of Swiftness · Righteous Glory]!
Activate...
Even her vision began to blur, but Barbatos kept her eyes locked on the finish line.
Her mind, feeling somewhat numb, calculated which skills to activate, how to close the gap with the Legendaries ahead, how to win this race.
But... the acceleration skill she tried to activate didn't trigger.
Her speed showed no sign of increasing. The lightning around her began to lose its crimson hue, fading back to white.
Even the duration of [Unstoppable Onslaught] had ended. Her speed began to decay again.
"Why?"
"Why can't I activate my skills?"
Barbatos didn't understand. Before, a mere thought was enough to trigger the corresponding skill and accelerate to chase others.
Why couldn't she activate skills to accelerate now?
Was it the President's Zone? Was this one of the effects of the President's Zone?
Impossible. A Zone is just a Zone. From a human perspective, it's a state entered under extreme mental focus.
It could produce various effects only visible to Uma Musume who had unlocked Zones or were on the verge of doing so—that was due to the unique nature of Uma Musume.
It shouldn't be that after the President activated her Zone, she couldn't use her skills.
After repeated failed attempts to activate skills.
A system voice sounded in Barbatos's ears.
[Ding~ Host lacks stamina and cannot activate skills.]
Lacks... stamina...
So that's it? In previous races, she had finished utterly exhausted, but because most races were miles or sprints, she had never run out of stamina.
But now, under the consumption of [Sylas's Ultimate - White Lightning], she was only running on her desire for victory, on guts alone.
There was no stamina left to activate skills.
So, activating skills required stamina, like a mana bar in a game.
Now, all she could rely on was herself!
"Symboli Rudolf crosses the finish line! She wins the Dream Cup again, surpassing second-place Oguri Cap by two lengths!"
"Second place is Oguri Cap!"
"Third place is Maruzensky!"
"Fourth place is..."
"Ninth place is Barbatos."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.