"Shadow!" "Shadow!" "Shadow!" "Shadow!" "Shadow!"
…
The next moment, more than ten figures burst out of the starting gates in rapid succession.
They were rookies, after all. Whether it was their launch reaction, full-body coordination, or their grasp of race tempo, they were still only at an "entry-level" stage.
The scene at the start line was a little chaotic. They couldn't possibly be as clean and unified as Central's battle-tested seniors, exploding out in perfect formation the instant the gates opened.
"Block her!"
In the split second they sprang from the gates, several Uma Musume positioned near Gate Five had the same thought at once.
That pre-race provocation had turned them into sworn comrades.
Almost on instinct, they tried to squeeze inward toward the rail, aiming to form a "net" that would cut off Teio's route and seal her in.
Make her stumble right out of the gate.
Make her debut fail.
See if she'd dare to be that cocky ever again.
However, that thought had only just taken shape—before they could even turn their anger into action—
Boom—!!!
A heavy, muffled footfall—completely unlike the others—thundered across the turf, like a sledgehammer slamming down.
It was the pure sound of power colliding with the earth.
In the stunned eyes of everyone watching, a yellow figure shot out like a red lightning bolt tearing through the air, whipping up a harsh wind as she blasted straight through the not-yet-formed encirclement!
In the instant of the break alone, every calculation, every scheme, was brutally pulverized into dust before that absolute speed!
"Wha—?!"
The Uma Musume beside her only felt a blur in front of her eyes. A fierce gust slapped her cheeks, and then all that remained in her vision was a rapidly shrinking back.
Several girls stared, eyes wide, horror-struck beyond belief.
No—wait, this is only the prologue?!
What kind of cursed speed is that? Are you serious?!
Even a Front Runner shouldn't be that fast, should she?!
And didn't your aptitude display say you're only "fine" at this?!
Are you even human?!
…
At the very front of the course.
"Hah—!"
The girl's lips curled upward despite herself, her face splitting into a grin of sheer enjoyment.
For the first time in her life, she was truly flying down the track she'd dreamed about—wind roaring past her ears, turf flashing away beneath her feet. The exhilaration made Tokai Teio feel a kind of joy she'd never experienced before, body and soul.
"Good! A perfect break!"
Teio's strides were light yet powerful, every step feeling as if she were landing on airy clouds.
Deep in her pupils, a crimson afterglow flickered—like burning feathers flowing across the bottom of her eyes.
Right now, she felt absolutely perfect.
Strength surged through her body, seemingly endless. No matter what lay ahead, she was confident she could smash it to pieces with these legs.
Alright, according to the plan, I should find a lead runner to use as a windbreak, and then around the second-to-last corner—
Her thoughts abruptly froze.
She maintained her running form, but above her small head, it was as if a huge question mark popped into existence.
"Wait… what?"
She blinked, bewildered, staring at the completely empty track ahead.
"I started normally, didn't I? So why is there no one in front of me?"
Did I miss something?
Instinctively, she flicked her peripheral vision around her.
Left? No one.
Right? No one.
Behind…
"Their footsteps… why do they sound so far away?"
"What even happened?"
If you could look down at Chukyo Racecourse from above right now, you'd see a jaw-dropping scene.
The race had only been underway for a few seconds, and Tokai Teio had already broken free of the pack, leading alone at the front.
Between her and the main group behind, there was an outrageous gap of a full three lengths—and it was expanding at a visibly rapid rate!
…
"All Uma Musume have started cleanly—mm, it looks like a few racers made minor errors and were a bit slow out of the gate."
The commentator's voice came over the stadium speakers, describing the live situation as it unfolded.
"The current focus is the battle for the lead position. Which Uma Musume will seize the early initiative—"
The commentary suddenly cut off, then shot up in pitch with surprise.
"So fast! Teio's drive into position is incredibly strong."
"She's charged straight to the very front of the field, and she's still widening the gap!"
"What is this? Is she going for a Front Runner escape? In a debut race, Tokai Teio is actually choosing a Front Runner escape?!"
Hearing the echoed commentary around the venue, Teio couldn't help puffing out her cheeks and yelling in her mind.
"It's not an escape strategy!!"
"This is just normal cruising speed, okay?!"
On her honor, she hadn't deliberately accelerated at all. This was simply the most comfortable rhythm she ran at in training.
Who knew her opponents would be… this slow?
In that case—
Complaints aside, Teio's thoughts quickly steadied again.
Maybe all those side-by-side trainings with her team's senior Uma Musume had given her a warped impression of what her own generation's level looked like.
But now that things had come to this, she wasn't going to deliberately slow down just to match those "plodding" opponents behind her and play at being a Pace Chaser.
That would be completely irrational.
"No lead runner? Fine."
"Then I'll set the rules."
If no one was ahead to break the wind, then she would tear through the resistance alone.
If no one was controlling the tempo, then she would take the stage and command it herself.
In the wind pressure of high-speed running, even the dry theories she'd learned felt as if they'd come alive—stitching together at once under the thrill of real combat, rapidly clicking into place in her mind.
(End of Chapter)
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