This chapter release is all thanks to everyone who had contributed to the astounding 350+ power stones throughout the last week! I had to delay the release of this chapter a little bit due to tweaking some more on the Satsuki Sho, making sure that everything is in order and deliver the best result that everyone wants.
For now, I currently have more than 10 advance chapters backlogged, I will up the required power stone for the week from 20 to 100 power stones per user for an advance chapter, and for every 300 power stones accumulated for the week, I will also post an advance chapter corresponding to the complete amount in the week's end.
So gift more Power Stones to advance the chapter schedule. Thank you very much for your support and enjoy the chapter!
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Word Count: 4,9631
The day had finally come.
Inside Team Spica's club room, the television broadcast filled the air with the formal cadence of the ceremony. It was the final confirmation and gate lottery for the Satsuki Shō.
Diamente sat quietly among the others, eyes fixed on the screen.
Everyone was present—except for Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, who were currently in the conference hall itself as representatives of Central Tracen Academy's Student Council.
Their absence only added to the sense that today wasn't just another normal pre-race event.
On-screen, the racing commentator began calling out names.
"…Now confirming the umamusume officially slated to participate in the upcoming Satsuki Shō—"
One by one, the list rolled on.
Special Week leaned forward slightly. "I wonder what gate Kita-chan will get."
"To be honest," Daiwa Scarlet crossed her arms. "The inner gate would be ideal. For a frontrunner like her, especially in the Satsuki Shō, that's the most stable placement."
Vodka glanced sideways. "What about you, Diamente-chan? If it were you, what gate would you want?"
Diamente answered without hesitation. "Inner lanes, if possible. If you're running at the front, minimizing wasted movement matters the most."
She paused briefly.
"But if Kita-senpai can't break cleanly from the pack at the start," she added, "then lanes four to seven would still be a good soft spot. Enough room to maneuver without getting dragged too wide."
Silence Suzuka nodded. "That sounds reasonable."
Diamente resisted the urge to smile.
'Coming from someone who mastered the Great Escape tactic,' she thought, 'that's a careful way of agreeing.'
Silence Suzuka's ability to keep her insight grounded in practical positioning—without revealing too much—was proof enough. She wasn't just fast but also was quite sharp in races where speed is the focus.
Diamente's focus returned to the television as the gate lottery began.
The commentator announced each name in turn, and the umamusume stepped up to the podium, reaching into the opaque box filled with numbered balls.
The ceremony was orderly, almost theatrical.
"…Next, Kitasan Black."
Diamente straightened slightly.
On-screen, Kitasan reached into the box, withdrew a ball, and raised it for the cameras.
"Gate Number—One!"
A wave of satisfaction rippled through Team Spica's club room.
"That's perfect," Daiwa Scarlet said with a grin.
Diamente, however, froze.
'Gate One…?'
Her fingers tightened unconsciously.
'No way… That's not how it should go.'
From what she remembered in her past life, clearly, Kitasan Black was in Gate No. 7 and Duramente was in Gate No. 2 during the Satsuki Sho.
The order had been in disarray.
Before she could dwell on it further—
"…Duramente."
The dark-haired umamusume stepped forward and a ball was drawn from the box.
"Gate Number—Seven."
Diamente let out a quiet, breathless chuckle.
Of all the things that could change… this was the one that changed.
'So it's like that,' she thought wryly, irritation carefully buried beneath amusement.
'This must be because of the flapping of my wings… or maybe the Three Goddesses having their own fun of their own.'
The remaining gates fell into place soon after.
Real Steel claimed Gate No. 5.
Bright Emblem, the final racer to draw and was supposed to be in Gate No. 1, took the last unclaimed spot—Gate No. 2.
With the lottery concluded, the broadcast shifted seamlessly into the press conference segment, cameras panning across the confirmed racers.
Diamente leaned back slightly.
Everything was set now.
And yet—something felt different.
The Satsuki Shō ahead would not unfold the same way she remembered.
==== 🐎Legend Changer🐎 ====
Satsuki Shō — Live Paddock
The giant screens surrounding the Nakayama Racecourse paddock flickered to life, transitioning from sweeping crowd shots to the raised platform where the assembled umamusume would soon appear.
"…Good afternoon once again, everyone," the first commentator announced, his voice steady yet brimming with anticipation.
"We are live at Nakayama Racecourse for the G1 Satsuki Shō, the first leg of this year's Classic Triple Crown."
"This is the moment many of these umamusume have been preparing for since their debuts," the second commentator added. "And now, just minutes before the race, we begin the live paddock event."
The camera shifted.
Beside the live feed, the large screen displayed each racer's name, gate number, and popularity ranking as they approached the paddock stage.
"Let's begin with today's popularity rankings."
One by one, the contenders emerged, their footsteps measured, expressions composed—or their nervousness carefully masked.
Soon, the atmosphere shifted.
"…And here comes the 1st Favorite," the first commentator announced.
"Assigned to Gate No. 8—Satono Crown."
A dark green-haired umamusume with a crown placed on her right ear, and with a side ponytail, stepped forward with calm confidence and her gaze unwavering. The crowd's murmur swelled subtly.
"She's entering today's race undefeated," the second commentator read. "She has won both the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes and the G2 Yayoi Shō with three wins from three starts."
Satono Crown moved with restrained elegance, her posture disciplined, her breathing even.
"She looks composed," the first commentator observed. "Very composed. A really strong contender for today's first crown."
Satono Crown exited the stage, and the paddock air shifted once more.
"…Next up, the 2nd Favorite, assigned to Gate No. 5—Real Steel."
The familiar umamusume stepped onto the platform, her black-dominated with yellow and red-bordered outfit reflecting her unwavering confidence as cheers rose from sections of the audience.
"She is the winner of the G3 Kyodo Tsushin Hai," the second commentator continued, "and placed second in the G2 Spring Stakes. She has two wins from three starts."
"She has already proven herself against top-tier competition," the first commentator added. "And she appears relaxed today, perhaps even confident."
Real Steel offered a small smile as she made her round before exiting backstage.
The screen refreshed.
"…Now, the 3rd Favorite, assigned to Gate No. 1—Kitasan Black."
The reaction was immediate.
Applause rippled across the stands as Kitasan Black walked onto the paddock platform, her black hair swaying lightly with each step. Her outfit bore the bold red, black, and orange with a lot of festival-themed decorations that accentuate her outfit.
"She enters today as the winner of the G2 Spring Stakes," the second commentator stated. "Three wins from three starts with her first graded race victory coming just last month, three weeks ago, to be exact."
"For an umamusume once considered a late bloomer," the first commentator remarked, "She has shown remarkable growth in a very short span of time."
Kitasan Black looked ahead calmly, her expression bright yet focused.
"And notably," the first commentator added, "she has drawn the inner-most gate, which is Gate No. 1. An advantageous position for a frontrunner like her in this race."
Kitasan exited the stage to a warm wave of cheers.
"…Up next, the 4th Favorite, assigned to Gate No. 7—Duramente."
The atmosphere tightened.
Duramente stepped forward, her presence sharp, eyes burning with quiet intensity.
"She placed second in the G3 Kyodo Tsushin Hai," the second commentator said,
"with two wins from four starts overall."
"Many see her as a late surge threat today," the first commentator added. "And her three-way rivalry with both Kitasan Black and Real Steel here adds another layer of intrigue."
Duramente left the stage without a glance to the crowd.
"…For the 5th Favorite, in Gate No. 3—Danon Platina."
The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner appeared next, her movements smooth, confidence tempered with focus.
"She placed third in the Spring Stakes," the second commentator recited, "and carries three wins from five starts, including last year's G1 victory."
"An experienced contender," the first commentator said. "And certainly not one to overlook."
After going through 13 more umamusumes and with the final favorite presented, the paddock sequence began to conclude.
"All runners have now been introduced," the second commentator announced. "The live paddock event for the G1 Satsuki Shō has concluded."
The screen transitioned to a full list of the eighteen confirmed runners.
"The race will begin shortly."
When the live paddock had ended, Diamente, Trainer Okino and the entirety of Team Spica went to the racecourse tunnel to see Kitasan Black.
After the live paddock event concluded, Team Spica made their way toward the racecourse tunnel.
The air there felt different with cooler, tighter, and heavy anticipation.
That was when they saw her.
Kitasan Black was walking toward the entryway leading out to the turf, already focused, her steps light but purposeful. The moment she noticed the familiar cluster of faces, her expression brightened instantly.
"Everyone!" she called, hurrying over.
Numerous 'good luck' were exchanged in quick succession. Some with firm nods, smiles, and also brief words meant to steady the heart before the storm.
Diamente stepped forward last.
She looked up at her senpai, offering a light smile that didn't quite hide the concern in her eyes.
"Kita-senpai… promise me you'll be okay after the race."
Kitasan blinked in a subtle surprise.
"I know you're the one who can pull this sudden change of plans," Diamente continued softly. "But more than anything—I want you to come back safely, senpai."
For a moment, Kitasan simply stared at Diamente. Then she smiled at her, filled with unwavering warmth.
She reached out and gently patted Diamente's head. "I promise, Mente-chan. I'll win and I'll be just fine after this race."
Turning to the others, she lifted a hand. "I should go now, everyone."
And with that, she jogged toward the bright opening leading to the turf, her figure quickly swallowed by the light.
As Team Spica walked back toward the front row of the audience area, Trainer Okino glanced sideways.
"…Is it really okay to change tactics this late?" he asked quietly. "Especially to something that extreme."
Diamente answered without hesitation.
"If the world's foremost Great Escape artist approved it," she said, "then even a 2000-meter race can be won that way."
Okino let out a slow breath.
Start of Flashback…
The day before the Satsuki Shō.
Diamente stood in the club room, arms folded, and her gaze serious.
"The gate placement that Kita-senpai had got worries me," she said plainly.
Trainer Okino yawned from his hangover state before nodding. "I thought you might say that, Diamente."
That same afternoon, he called Kitasan Black and Silence Suzuka to the room. With the race just a day away, it was technically a break day—but no one complained.
"What's wrong, Trainer-san?" Kitasan asked.
"There's going to be a change in tactics," Trainer Okino replied.
"This late, Trainer-san?" Suzuka tilted her head. "What kind of change?"
Diamente answered.
"Kita-senpai will have to abandon the pseudo–Great Escape plan that I devised."
Both of them looked at her.
"This time," Diamente continued, "she'll have to perform a true Great Escape in this race."
Silence settled between the two of them.
"Kita-senpai needs to accelerate early and achieve a leading status by the 1st corner," Diamente explained evenly as she held a whiteboard pen and pointed it at the drawing of the Nakayama Racecourse and the racing line for the Satsuki Sho on it.
"Then, Kita-senpai should open a gap immediately, maintain a lead of 10-15 lengths while controlling the pace during the second straight. After that, she can slow down her pace a little bit when entering the 3rd corner but the final spurt after exiting the 4th corner needs to be done according to the previous plan."
Suzuka's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is it because of Kita-chan's gate placement?"
"Yes," Trainer Okino confirmed. "In mine and Diamente-chan's minds, gate placement changes everything."
With Real Steel's late kick and Duramente's explosive closing speed, being on the outside is advantageous to them.
And beyond that—
"There's also the threat to Kita-senpai's Triple Crown prospects," Diamente added quietly, her gaze steady towards Kitasan Black.
She continued, "Her stamina and pace control are ready for the race. But the instantaneous transfer of her leg power is still a risk. Normally, a Great Escape tactic at 2000 meters is dangerous."
'Too dangerous.'
Diamente didn't say the name, but Suzuka knew what Diamente meant by that.
The Autumn Tenno Shō. 1998.
Different race course, much steeper, and a different race direction than the Satsuki Sho, but they're the same distance.
"I couldn't do it back then," Suzuka said softly. "I don't know whether Kita-chan should be able to do that."
Diamente met her eyes. "But Kita-senpai isn't you, Suzuka-senpai."
She paused. "She is incredibly durable for an umamusume, which is why it's even possible for me to exploring this route."
That earned a small, humorless smile from Suzuka.
"…If everyone ensures the plan is executed perfectly," Suzuka said at last, "then I'll agree with it."
Trainer Okino turned to Kitasan. "What about you, Kita-chan?"
Kitasan listened in silence, absorbing the weight of it all.
Then she nodded.
"If that's what it takes to win," she said simply, "I'll do it."
End of Flashback…
Back in the present, Diamente watched the track beyond the fence, sunlight glinting off the turf.
"We'll see for ourselves," she said quietly.
Trainer Okino nodded.
It was then that the giant screen in front of the audience area across the turf track lit up as the 15 racers went out towards the turf track.
"All participating runners have entered the track," said the commentator for the race.
On the massive field of the Nakayama Racecourse, with the warm spring sun permeating across everyone.
At the same time…
"Kita-chan's here! Let's give it all we got, everyone!" Gold Ship invited as they all started posing like focusing their inner luck and projecting it to Kitasan with their hands.
"Win… Win… Win… Win…" they chanted.
Diamente looked at them again while her eyebrows twitched from all the shenanigans that they're doing, before chuckling quietly and decided to do the same with everyone.
"Win… Win… Win… Win…" Diamente muttered as if she's delivering all her luck to her Kita-senpai.
When Kitasan Black saw this, alongside an awkwardly-laughing Okino, she couldn't help but chuckle from it.
It was then that she heard someone calling out her name.
"Kitasan Black."
After turning her head towards the source of that voice, she saw the familiar brown-haired umamusume with a red bow that had outlines, while also wearing red and white ear covers and a red hairband just for the head accessories alone, not to mention the yellow-black racing outfit that she recognizes.
Her tone seemed pretty serious from the way she had just called Kitasan Black.
"Real Steel-san…"
It's the same umamusume that had been bested by Kitasan Black from the Spring Stakes, Real Steel.
But the next words that came out of her weren't any challenge.
"Is your father, by any chance, the famous enka singer Kitajima?" Real Steel asked.
"E-Eh?" Kitasan got taken aback for a moment before nodding, "Y-Yes. That's my father."
"R-Really?!" Real Steel exclaimed excitingly. "My parents are huge fans of him, can I, by any chance, get some autographs for my Ma and Pa?"
Kitasan awkwardly chuckled from the excitement and the fangirl energy that Real Steel has, before nodding.
"Of course, I'll get some for you when we return back to Tracen." Kitasan smiled.
Real Steel made a celebratory guts pose with a really happy smile. She then raised her fist and pointed it at Kitasan Black.
"Let's be friends, Kita-chan, but our new friendship won't impede the victory that I want to get for the Triple Crown." she declared.
Hearing her unwavering confidence, Kitasan Black nodded and made a fist bump towards Real Steel and said, "Yes! The same goes for me as well."
It was then that the sound of the trumpets and clapping of the audience started to fill the air.
The Nakayama Racecourse fanfare has started playing which means that it is time for them to go on the gates.
Kitasan Black and Real Steel went in different directions as they all entered their gates.
For a few moments, Kitasan Black swiped her fingers on the cold metallic struts of the gate before looking at the track with focus.
When the fanfare and the subsequent clapping of the audience had ended, silence had followed as Kitasan then slowly steadied herself and posed her body in the starting position, waiting for the gates to open.
"Seems like every umamusume has entered their respective gates now," the race commentator remarked. "Nakayama Racecourse's weather today is sunny, with excellent turf condition. The distance is 2,000 meters. This is the first leg of the Triple Crown—."
The gates then flew open.
"And the 75th Satsuki Sho has started!"
The crowd roared as all 15 umamusume sprang out of the gates at an instantaneous moment.
"Everyone has started off very cleanly today, with both Clarity Sky and Kitasan Black vying for 1st Place," the racing commentator announced, "...and Kitasan Black has taken the lead in this battle between them two early on."
"We still got 300 meters for the early straight before we reach the first corner," the second commentator remarked.
Meanwhile, Kitasan Black ran ahead of the 2nd place as she then furrowed her eyebrows and exhaled deeply before delivering a powerful kick to the turf.
"Kitasan Black has started her acceleration," the first commentator announced before realizing what she had just witnessed and exclaimed, "Huh?! Really?! Kitasan Black has accelerated early! Half a length! 1 length!"
Immediately, the audience went audibly confused as to what they were seeing before they cheered up.
"It has started…" Diamente muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, Satono Diamond and her trainer, Satomi, were in a different part of the audience area when they were watching the race.
"Crown-san…" Satono Diamond muttered as the race started with Satono Crown settling near the back.
When the giant screen zoomed in on Kitasan Black doing a powerful kick at the turf and started accelerating early, she could hear the crowd cheering from such an exciting action.
But Satono Diamond was rather surprised and said to her Trainer Satomi, "Trainer-san, do you see what Kita-chan just did?"
"Yes," Satomi, the one wearing a maid outfit with a sling bag on her shoulder, replied with a serious look on her face before adding, "If I remember correctly, what she's attempting right now might be something I didn't expect."
"It's a Great Escape," shifting from the perspective of Satono Crown's trainer, Hana Toujou from Team Rigil remarked with her ever-stoic serious look on her face.
"I'm not even sure what that guy's thinking now I'm sure he won't half-ass something like this... What do you think, Air Groove?"
Toujou then looked at a nervous Air Groove, as her eyes glued at the giant screen.
"But," Air Groove said with a serious tone, "I was thinking that Kitasan Black might have been the one wanting to control the pace from the lead in this race.
"I suppose, this would serve as an advantage for Duramente to catch up once Kitasan Black starts to lose her energy in the last homestretch." Air Groove added.
"Is that really the case there?" Toujou asked.
"What are you trying to say, Trainer-san?"
"I'm just saying," Toujou averted her gaze away from Air Groove, pushed her glasses up her nose bridge, and added, "that guy's training regiment went up a notch qualitatively for a reason, after all.
"As to why, that guy spilled proudly to me and others in his drunken state that the effective insights he got were because of a certain young newcomer's numerous pieces of advice." Toujou added.
"The young newcomer?" Air Groove asked, "Who's the young newcomer you're speaking of, Trainer-san?"
"The youngest prodigy and the last hope of the Symboli family." Toujou opened her eyes and stared at the giant screen across the turf track once more. "Symboli Diamente."
As the racers entered the first corner, the race commentator had started announcing their current rankings.
"We got Kitasan Black accelerating steadily from 5 lengths and counting even after entering the first bend, followed by Clarity Sky, who has since settled in front of the main pack and setting an unusually high pace for everyone," the race commentator announced as he added, "After that is Real Steel, followed by Danon Platina, while both Duramente and Satono Crown settled from the back."
After exiting the first and second curve, ahead of the main pack by more than 10 lengths, Kitasan Black continued to pace herself as fast as she could at the second straight.
'Kitasan Black, just what are you doing…?' Satono Crown thought to herself.
'Isn't this pace way too fast?! Are we doing this again??' Real Steel said to herself in frustration.
"Going on the second straight now, there's no particular change in the current placements of the runners," the race commentator said as he then read the time for the first 1000m.
At the same time, Diamente clicked her stopwatch and looked at the time. At the same time, both Trainer Satomi and Trainer Toujou clicked their respective stopwatches as well.
"The time for the first 1,000-meter is… 57.4 seconds?!" the race commentator exclaimed, "An extremely fast pace of 57.4 seconds! It's Kitasan Black's Great Escape!"
The audience went up in excitement once again after hearing the 57.4 seconds on the first 1000 meters.
"57.4 seconds?" Air Groove asked, "Isn't that…?"
"That's right. It's her magic." Trainer Toujou smirked as Silence Suzuka watched Kitasan Black running alone ahead by such a great distance against everyone with a light content smile on her lips.
"It's her Great Escape! It's like Silence Suzuka's Great Escape! Even though she's starting to slow down after entering the third corner alone, she's still in the lead by many lengths!" The race commentator exclaimed.
Meanwhile, upon noticing that Kitasan Black's view ahead had appeared much larger, realization has hit deep in Real Steel's eyes.
'It's now or never!'
Immediately, Real Steel started her slow acceleration to overtake Clarity Sky in second place. Noticing this, Danon Platina had also started her advance.
Both Satono Crown and Duramente furrowed their eyebrows before starting to advance from the back as well, overtaking many racers after exiting the 3rd corner.
"Kitasan Black has started to slow down! 10 lengths! 9 lengths! Real Steel and Danon Platina have started to advance, overtaking Clarity Sky!" the racing commentator reported.
"I can see the first-favorite Satono Crown and Duramente advancing from the back as well!"
Meanwhile, Kitasan's breath starts to slowly get heavy. Each stomp to the turf dents the dirt underneath it as her strides keep up its pace while her mind starts to cloud a bit.
'I… I cannot lose here… for Teio-senpai, to Trainer-san, and to Diamente-chan!' Kitasan Black says to herself in her mind as it starts to clear again, 'I WILL NOT LOSE HERE!!!'
Just as Kitasan Black was approaching the 6-length gap from the others just as she was exiting the last corner, Kitasan's feet pushed over the turf with such unimaginable power.
"The one who exited the last bend first is Kitasan Black! She has started her acceleration once again!! Satono Crown and Duramente have passed over Danon Platina and are dueling with Real Steel for second!" the racing commentator exclaimed, "But there's only 350 meters remaining, is it enough?!"
Duramente's eyes looked over to Kitasan Black's back in a petrified state. She didn't expect for such an umamusume to possess such vitality and be strong enough to employ a dangerous tactic like that.
'Kitasan Black… You're a very strong rival.' Duramente said to herself inwardly, 'But I have vowed to take the Triple Crown, even if it means defeating you.'
After Duramente blinked, a fiery of emotion surged through her eyes as a powerful kick was delivered by Duramente to the ground, suddenly accelerating her and immediately getting ahead by the shocked Real Steel and Satono Crown.
A black jet glinted from Duramente's blue eyes as Duramente increased both her acceleration and speed with a serious look in her face.
"Duramente has passed over Satono Crown and Real Steel! She's now gunning for Kitasan Black real fast! It's now 300 meters from the finish, will she be able to run away until the end?!"
The racing commentator exclaims again.
"She actually produced a domain…" Diamente muttered to herself as both Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen saw the jet black trail emanating from Duramente with serious looks on their faces.
After all, only those with the talent for the domain could see the domain of others.
"Will the umamusume at the back catch up to her?! The rest are leaving the 4th corner and to the final stretch!"
The audience roared as everyone sped up.
"8 lengths! 7 lengths! 6 lengths! Will Duramente be able to catch up to Kitasan's Great Escape?! 200 meters to go! Will she catch up?! Will she catch up?!"
'My legs… They're feeling heavy…' Kitasan said to herself as she saw a glint of black from the corner of her eye, which made her shocked.
"Duramente on the outside! 4 lengths! 3 lengths! 2 lengths with 100 meters to go!" The race commentator continued to call out very fast, "Will Duramente catch up?! Will she catch up?! 50 meters and she's a length away!!"
"40! 30! 20! DURAMENTE HAS CAUGHT UP!"
"AND BOTH KITASAN AND DURAMENTE PASSED THE GOAL TOGETHER IN A PHOTO-FINISH!" The race commentator exclaimed as the audience celebrates the close finish with a resounding celebration.
"Real Steel in 3rd, Satono Crown in 4th,and Danon Platina in 5th! Such a race in 1:55.9 seconds?!?! Am I seeing this correctly?!" the racing commentator exclaimed as the LED time monitor showed 1:55.9 on the time, and underneath it was a red indicator with just two letters.
WR. World Record.
It's the 2000-meter Turf World Record which was held by Tosen Jordan during her Autumn Tenno Sho win in her senior year, while also setting a world record in the Tokyo Racecourse at Fuchu.
Now, whoever has won will hold the World Record for 2000-meters in Nakayama now.
The commentator then added, "The judges will now check the slow-motion footage to determine the winner."
After slowing down, she started to pant heavily for a little bit before turning towards Duramente, who was panting heavily while kneeling on all fours to the ground.
Kitasan Black, while panting not as heavily as it is now, looked at the racing monitor.
While the race scoreboard beside the giant screen showed the numbers 15, 8, and 5 for Danon Platina, Satono Crown, and Real Steel for their 5th to 3rd placement respectively, the 2nd and 1st slots were devoid of number with the length placement for those two blanks showed the kanji for "In Deliberation".
"Who do you think might have won there?" McQueen asked as the audience started murmuring upon themselves.
"Kita-chan must have won it, of course~!" Teio confidently grinned.
Trainer Okino then looked Diamente and asked, "Kid, what do you think?"
Diamente is deep in thought about it, before exhaling in exasperation.
"It's Duramente."
At the same time, the 1st and 2nd place monitors turned on, displaying numbers 7 and 1 respectively.
Gate No. 7, Duramente.
Gate No. 1, Kitasan Black.
And for how short the gap was, the monitor that arrowed from between the 1st and 2nd place monitors lit up.
NS. It stands for Nose.
"We have confirmation! Duramente had bested Kitasan Black's Grand Escape by a nose in length! In the end, it's the strike of the genius, Duramente!"
When the racing commentator announced it, the audience went into an uproar as everyone celebrated this very exciting race.
Air Groove sighed heavily, letting out her nervousness and only relief filled her mind at this moment.
Meanwhile, Trainer Okino huffed a sigh from his nose and said to Diamente, "Looks like you're right, as always."
Diamente didn't look back at Trainer Okino, but stared directly towards where Duramente was, who's now shrugged off a bit of her heavy panting and her legs now having the power to stand up from her four-legged stupor.
Duramente looked at the crowd and slowly raised a single finger out of her right hand.
It's the sign which means that Duramente has conquered the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Meanwhile, Kitasan Black can't help but marvel at the wall that Duramente has now built herself upon, from winning against her by a nose gap, a mere few inches away.
But at the same time, she can't help but feel both happy and regretful that she didn't win. Happy because she saw the same audible celebration that she had felt when she's watching Tokai Teio racing in the past from the old video records of it. But also regretful since she also wanted to win as well.
The Satsuki Sho ended on a very complex note for everyone involved.
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