[Sorry for only 1 chapter today guys]
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On the racetrack, as the jet-black figure surged forward with blinding speed, the screams and cheers inside and outside the venue rose to an unprecedented climax for this relay race.
Just like Yaeno Muteki and the others watching the broadcast far away in the north, none of the spectators on site—or even the commentators who had taken over from Kitahara and Akikawa Yayoi—had anticipated that the final leg of the race would be just as thrilling and intense as everything that came before it.
In their minds, the biggest highlights of today's competition were supposed to be the return of legendary figures like Symboli Rudolf, and the clash among the strongest active racers such as Oguri Cap.
As for those who hadn't even debuted yet, most people assumed they were simply here because of encouragement from Trainer Kitahara and others, or as part of training arrangements. As long as they finished the race properly, that would be enough. Almost everyone thought this way before the race began.
However, when they actually witnessed the situation in the final leg, they realized that these youngsters—who hadn't yet debuted—were in no way inferior to any of their senpais in terms of strength, fighting spirit, or perseverance.
"T-This is incredible!"
At this moment, the commentary had already switched to an off-site broadcast, and this tone of astonishment hadn't stopped since the beginning.
"Mejiro McQueen has already demonstrated superb front-running technique, and running almost side by side with her, Mihono Bourbon's performance is equally outstanding!"
"If it were only these two racehorse girls, that alone would be impressive, but—"
"But! Suddenly charging out from the middle of the pack and closing in on the two leaders, Rice Shower's performance is just as astonishing!"
"Although she doesn't have much of an advantage in terms of physique, her powerful and resolute strides at this very moment clearly tell us that physical size isn't what matters!"
"Like a long, slender black razor, she cut through obstacles in an instant and pressed tightly toward Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro McQueen!"
"Excellent timing! A spectacular sprinting overtake!"
"Now… the distance between them is incredibly small! They're practically running neck and neck!"
Perhaps because they were so stunned by what was happening on the track, the commentators used much more emotional descriptions than usual.
And indeed, in just a few short seconds, Rice Shower—who had been in fourth place—activated her acceleration, overtook Tokai Teio in the blink of an eye, and then, in almost the same amount of time, caught up to the two racers at the very front.
Yet on the screens inside and outside the venue, Rice Shower—who was suddenly displaying such brilliance—looked remarkably calm.
R-Rice… Rice knows she's an unlucky child…
B-But… but Oguri-senpai worked so hard, and Maruzensky-senpai kept smiling and telling Rice not to feel pressured, just to comfort me…
Rice… since I always seem to bring misfortune to everyone…
Then I'll give everything I have to make up for it…!
Gone was her usual timid and weak demeanor. As she thought this, Rice Shower radiated an unprecedented firmness throughout her entire body.
Her lips were tightly pressed together, a strand of black hair blown loose by the rushing wind caught between them. Her long black bangs covered her right eye, but the exposed left eye—its purple iris—was as clear and bright as a mirror.
From the reflection in those purple eyes, the spectators staring intently at the screens seemed to see two silhouettes right within reach.
One chestnut-colored, slightly closer.
One pale purple, a little farther away—but not by much.
"…Wow, that kid Rice Shower can actually burst out with such astonishing strength. Interesting~"
The one marveling like this was Maruzensky.
At the moment, she was standing beside a large medical vehicle. Inside the compartment, Kyoko Miyamura was leading several medical staff in performing preliminary checkups on Oguri Cap and the others.
Standing outside the vehicle together with Symboli Rudolf and the rest, Maruzensky occasionally glanced inside with concern, while also keeping an eye on the race displayed on the vehicle's monitor nearby.
After watching the race at the starting point of the second leg, this group of senpais had quickly moved on to the third leg as well.
With their rich experience, just like Kitahara and Akikawa Yayoi, they could tell how fierce Oguri Cap and the others' race had been.
Objectively speaking, they knew that their current selves could handle competition of that level—but if it had been back in their own active years, such a race would have been an enormous burden.
That was why they rushed over out of concern, and also why they hadn't paid too much attention to the final leg of the race at first.
"True… speaking just for myself, I was still more optimistic about Teio and Narita Brian."
"Of course, it's not that I think the other kids lack talent or strength. It's just that I know Teio better, and I've interacted more with Brian through the student council."
"Originally, I felt those two had a slightly higher chance of winning."
Hearing Maruzensky's words, Symboli Rudolf nodded in agreement. "But looking at it now, it seems hard to predict who will ultimately win this race."
After sharing her view, she turned her head. "What do you think, Kitahara?"
Kitahara hadn't followed the medical staff into the vehicle. It was full of racehorse girls, all female, and the examination required removing clothes—him being inside as a grown man would have been rather inappropriate.
Yuzuhara was in the same situation. Hearing Symboli Rudolf's question, he couldn't help but nod and ask as well.
"Yeah… the kids' performance right now has exceeded my expectations too. I think Komiyama might feel the same. Brother Kitahara, what do you think?"
After asking, he instinctively looked at Kitahara—then froze.
Kitahara was staring blankly at the screen, completely lost in thought.
How could they be… so similar?
Even though I know that maybe, as fate would have it, sooner or later you'd backstab Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro McQueen…
But why are you planning to backstab both of them at once this time…?
[Please Rice Shower, I need this my triple crown is homeless, I have double crown and bring the third on home
Rice Shower chan I'm watching the race on the big screen why are you trying not to laugh bruh]
A sense of helpless amusement spread through his heart.
There was no helping it—the entanglement between Rice Shower, Mihono Bourbon, and Mejiro McQueen was simply too famous.
In some sense, it was even more renowned than the grudges between Symboli Rudolf, CB, and Katsuragi Ace.
First came the Kikuka Sho.
In that Kikuka Sho where both Rice Shower and Mihono Bourbon participated, the former pulled off a massive upset and defeated the latter.
Before that race, Mihono Bourbon had already gone undefeated with seven consecutive wins, claiming top-tier Grade 1 races such as the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, the Satsuki Sho, and the Japanese Derby without a single loss. Going into the race, she was the unquestioned top favorite.
If that were all, it would have been one thing—but coincidentally, Tokai Teio, who had gone undefeated to claim the two crowns the year before, was absent from the Kikuka Sho due to a fracture, while Mihono Bourbon was in perfect health.
At that moment, almost all fans were anticipating the rebirth of the legend of an undefeated Triple Crown on the Kyoto course.
However, abnormalities appeared right from the start of the race.
Mihono Bourbon's front-running adaptability was extremely strong, and in past races she had almost always won by leading from start to finish. This style—winning while holding first place the entire way—was highly entertaining and one of the reasons for her immense popularity.
But at the start of that Kikuka Sho, the one who first burst out of the pack was not Mihono Bourbon—it was Kyoei Bowgun.
For one of the rare times in her career, Mihono Bourbon failed to secure the lead and instead held second place, several lengths behind.
Then the anomalies continued. Due to Kyoei Bowgun's explosive pace, the overall speed of the field was extremely high, and the distance between racers stretched out significantly—something that seemed to affect Mihono Bourbon.
Approaching the uphill section near the finish, although Kyoei Bowgun slowed down, and although Mihono Bourbon seized the chance to move into first place as her opponent tired, her sprint this time was clearly not strong enough.
Mihono Bourbon had a very famous nickname: "The Genius of the Slope."
This wasn't just because of her rigorous uphill training that strengthened her cardiopulmonary ability and forcibly broke through her limitations in distance adaptability.
It was also because she genuinely possessed exceptional strength on inclines.
So failing to display her expected performance on the slope that time not only disrupted her overall rhythm, but also undermined her front-running strategy.
The key significance of front-running lies in compensating for a relatively weaker finishing kick compared to opponents—which requires opening up a sufficient lead before the finish line.
And Mihono Bourbon failed to do so.
It was precisely at that moment that Rice Shower—who had been hovering around fourth or fifth place—launched a perfectly timed long-distance sprint, overtaking Mihono Bourbon and ultimately winning the Kikuka Sho with a record-breaking time of 3 minutes 5 seconds.
Knowing all this, Kitahara couldn't help but feel that it was a strange coincidence that in this race, Mihono Bourbon had once again failed to secure the lead.
Although this time she was facing Mejiro McQueen rather than Kyoei Bowgun, although she hadn't yet developed her adaptability to middle- and long-distance races, and although this wasn't the Kikuka Sho—nor even part of the Twinkle Series…
Still… it was just too similar.
A similar resemblance also existed between Rice Shower and Mejiro McQueen.
In the Tenno Sho (Spring), Mejiro McQueen had already achieved back-to-back victories. Just as fans once anticipated Mihono Bourbon's undefeated Triple Crown, they now eagerly awaited Mejiro McQueen's historic three-peat.
And then, that expectation was ended by Rice Shower.
Ending two highly anticipated streaks in succession, Rice Shower was once engulfed in controversy and criticism because of it.
"Villain or hero, nightmare or miracle"—even the "commendation" given by the officials carried an ambiguous tone.
This controversy lasted for a long time.
To be precise, it lasted a full 728 days—until Rice Shower won the Tenno Sho (Spring) again, and people finally realized that the so-called villain or nightmare on the racetrack was simply someone who wanted to win.
Just as the post-race commentary said, she deserved her own applause and glory as well—"Bourbon and McQueen would be happy for her."
Thinking of all this, Kitahara wasn't merely feeling sentimental.
He suddenly realized that, without noticing it, aside from changes in the races themselves, he had subtly changed many other things too.
In the parallel world, Rice Shower had lacked standout performances early on, and coupled with Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro McQueen's more dazzling records, she ended up being criticized as a villain.
But now, having faced powerful opponents even before debut and displayed clearly visible talent, Rice Shower likely wouldn't suffer a fate of blame and harsh judgment in the future.
Someone like her—just like her name "Rice Shower"—should truly be able to bring happiness to everyone.
"…Brother Kitahara? Brother Kitahara…?"
"Ah… huh?"
Only after being called several times did he come back to his senses. Kitahara then noticed that Yuzuhara beside him, and Symboli Rudolf a bit farther away, were both looking at him.
"…What's wrong?" he asked instinctively.
"Oh, nothing," Yuzuhara waved his hand with a smile, not paying much mind to Kitahara's lapse. "I just wanted to ask what you think about this race."
As he spoke, he turned back to the screen. "From the looks of it, the competition among these kids is intense. McQueen has always had the upper hand, but now she's facing pressure from Rice Shower… and Bourbon as well, ah…"
"Bourbon has slowed down. Looks like the next battle will be between McQueen and Rice Shower… right?"
Somewhat uncertain, Yuzuhara looked over again. "What do you think, Brother Kitahara?"
Before Kitahara could answer, Symboli Rudolf nodded slightly. "At present, it does seem that way."
"At this stage, there are still more than 600 meters to go. Both McQueen and Rice Shower have strong long-distance adaptability. If they start accelerating now, they'll have a speed advantage at the finish and won't need to worry about stamina."
"It's similar to the mid-race acceleration tactic Eisei often uses. If I remember correctly, Super Creek is very good at this."
"So if that's the case… hmm. Even though I just said I'm more optimistic about Teio and Brian, given the current race situation…"
She hesitated slightly.
Favoring 'your own son'—ah, no, 'daughter'—Rudolf, I can understand you supporting Teio. But Brian…
Is it resonance between fellow Triple Crown winners?
Suppressing a chuckle, Kitahara focused his attention back on the race.
Mihono Bourbon had indeed slowed down, which didn't exceed pre-race expectations.
At present, she wasn't good at distances beyond short races. Facing a 2000-meter race now, being able to exert enough pressure on Mejiro McQueen within the first 1400 meters was already no problem.
But after 1400 meters, continuing to keep up—let alone overtake—was unlikely. Adaptability affected too many aspects, and there was little chance of a breakthrough in such a short time.
Hypothetically speaking, the only way would be for the first two legs—Katsuragi Ace and Super Creek—to establish a sufficient advantage.
In other words, relying on the seniors to erase the 600-meter gap.
But if the opponents were weaker racehorse girls, that might have been feasible. Unfortunately, Katsuragi Ace's opponents were Symboli Rudolf and the others, while Super Creek faced Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.
At best, those two might have gained slight stage-by-stage advantages—but a large lead was almost impossible.
And reality confirmed this. Mihono Bourbon's start wasn't great; she wasn't even the first to dash out of the relay zone.
In this regard, Kitahara largely agreed with Tao Yuan and Symboli Rudolf's speculation.
However, on the rest, he held a different view.
"Using long-distance acceleration tactics in a middle-distance race is indeed a good strategy…"
As he said this, his gaze had already shifted away from the leading Mejiro McQueen and Rice Shower, as well as the gradually slowing Mihono Bourbon.
He looked toward the back of the pack, at two figures running one ahead of the other.
One shorter, brown.
One taller, black.
"But that's built on being thoroughly familiar with long-distance acceleration tactics and having ample training and race experience."
"McQueen and Rice Shower do have strong long-distance adaptability, but their experience is still too shallow. I'm worried that… they may not have managed their stamina properly."
"And aside from experience, for long-distance acceleration to work, it also requires that the opponent not be absurdly strong—especially at the distance they excel in…"
Although Kitahara spoke these last words aloud, Yuzuhara and Symboli Rudolf didn't hear them clearly.
Because the sudden surge of excitement from the commentators and the audience completely drowned out Kitahara's voice.
"T-This really isn't a Twinkle race?! Why are we seeing three matchups of truly top-tier level in a single relay race?!"
"Mihono Bourbon has slowed down! What was supposed to be a duel between Mejiro McQueen and Rice Shower—"
"But!"
"The racetrack has suddenly been split into two dimensions!"
"Another equally spectacular showdown has appeared!"
"It's Tokai Teio! It's Narita Brian!"
"Near the bend in the latter part of the race, the two of them have charged up from the rear in one go!"
"They've closed the gap from behind all at once!"
"Tokai Teio, who previously adopted a pace chasing position, is slightly ahead! Narita Brian on the inside is slightly behind!"
"The two of them, just like Rice Shower earlier, are surging forward almost side by side!"
"The atmosphere in this open-air venue has once again climbed to its peak… wait, why 'again'? Anyway! The crowd is completely boiling over!"
"The pursuing racehorse girls are battling for position at the bend, but it doesn't last long!"
"Mejiro McQueen seems to have spent stamina first contending with Mihono Bourbon for the lead, then dealing with Rice Shower's pursuit—her stamina distribution wasn't optimal, and her speed hasn't increased noticeably!"
"The same goes for Rice Shower—she and Mejiro McQueen failed to withstand the sudden chase from behind!"
"Tokai Teio and Narita Brian—one ahead, one behind, one inside, one outside—have completed the overtake simultaneously!"
"The gap keeps widening—now onto the final 200-meter straight!"
"The two racehorse girls are running shoulder to shoulder! Just as everyone imagined, the situation has completely turned into a one-on-one duel, but—"
"But it's a one-on-one between Tokai Teio and Narita Brian"
"Completely unpredictable! Impossible to foresee! Impossible to imagine!"
"It's unbelievable that such brilliance is being brought to us by five children who haven't even debuted yet! They're not treating this race as a game because of their youth or inexperience—they're running with resolve no less than that of their seniors, giving everything they have in the same race!"
"This is what racehorse girls are! This is everything we love! This is the hope and dawn we can see now—and the brilliance and excitement we'll see in the future!"
"Mejiro McQueen and Rice Shower are still fighting hard—they have no intention of giving up completely! Mihono Bourbon as well—even though she has clearly slowed, she's still chasing, still moving forward!"
"And now, at the very front, it's still Tokai Teio and Narita Brian! Less than 200 meters remain—they're drawing level, charging toward the finish line!"
"Neither willing to yield! This is absolutely not a childish game born of confusion—this is already a fight to the death, with everything on the line!"
"A slight gap appears—Tokai Teio is in the lead… no, Narita Brian is rapidly catching up! Now Narita Brian is ahead!"
"100 meters! The battle continues!"
"Narita Brian leads… now it's Tokai Teio again!"
"They're level! Side by side!"
"Still side by side! 50 meters to go!"
"A lead appears once more—this time it's… Tokai Teio or Narita Brian ?!"
"Too fast—it's side by side again!"
"Is it going to keep going like this?! Will this deadly duel, this shoulder-to-shoulder battle, continue all the way?! Who will win this race—"
"W-Wait!!"
"They've already crossed the line?!"
"R-Replay?!"
(End of Chapter)