What was that?
An illusion, or just pressure…
Sunday Serenity couldn't quite say.
At the trainer's signal, Manhattan Cafe began to accelerate, gradually closing in on the two fillies ahead, Ten Point and Tosho Boy.
But right at that moment, her pacing footsteps suddenly slowed.
Something had appeared, right as she sped up.
So close!
Close enough to hear the other's deep breaths, close enough to hear the blood pulsing through her veins.
Green Grass had, at some point, pressed herself tightly against Manhattan Cafe's back.
Their skin felt almost glued together, the intense pressure making it hard for Manhattan Cafe to breathe.
This was completely different from the usual senior who yearned to care for her juniors, sought connection, and was always a bit hesitant and timid.
On the racetrack, Green Grass had transformed, becoming a hunter wielding a blade.
Her sky-blue eyes were sharp and piercing, as if she intended to obliterate everything in her path.
Just what was this…?
Manhattan Cafe's heart pounded nervously, her jaw clenched tight.
Her body felt so stiff, her movements so rigid—
Her mind was stretched taut.
Her arms and legs, her entire body, simply wouldn't obey her!
"How on earth is she doing this?" Sunday Serenity murmured, watching from a distance, her brow furrowed.
The gap between Green Grass and Manhattan Cafe was less than a fist's width, and yet, she maintained that exact relative position, perfectly still compared to Cafe.
That posture, that movement, reminded Sunday Serenity of someone hiding in the shadows, slowly drawing a sharp blade, waiting for the moment you let your guard down to deliver a fatal strike…
"An assassin."
Someone voiced Sunday Serenity's thought aloud.
Behind her, a group of Uma Musume had gathered, drawn in to watch the race.
Closest to Sunday Serenity was a petite girl with long bangs covering her right eye, wearing a round hat adorned with a blue rose.
She gazed at the track, watching Green Grass clinging close behind Manhattan Cafe.
"So that's… an assassin…" the girl whispered to herself, her hands twisting together anxiously. Unintentionally, she glanced at the black-haired girl with sunglasses standing nearby.
Immediately flustered, she bowed her head.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry! I must be disturbing you! I'll leave right away!"
With that, the girl scurried off in a panic.
…A strange kid.
But as she had said, Green Grass's movements were exactly like those of an assassin—holding a fixed position perfectly still, then striking with lethal precision the moment it mattered.
Right now, Manhattan Cafe was the one firmly in the assassin's sights, feeling her life was under threat, every cell in her body screaming in alarm.
"Hey, do you know about the pressure the front-runners feel?" Sunday Silence suddenly asked.
"The pressure on the front-runners…?"
She didn't really understand.
"Right, every Uma Musume experiences it," Sunday Silence explained. "The ones leading the pack bear the risk of being overtaken, so they're under significant pressure."
"The advantage of being in front depends on the gap you build. The bigger the lead you have over those behind, the more advantage you secure, and the less pressure you feel. And vice-versa."
"If, at a time like that, you encounter a horse girl who sticks right on your tail, no matter how much you accelerate, just clinging to you… you can imagine the immense pressure that creates."
"Cafe isn't a front-runner right now, but the fact that she can't shake the girl behind her even while accelerating is still a heavy burden for her."
And Green Grass was using this psychological pressure to steadily wear down her opponent's will.
It sounded simple, but executing it was incredibly difficult.
First, you had to be close enough to generate that sense of oppression.
Second, you must avoid physical contact.
Colliding would waste your own stamina, a major disadvantage in middle to long-distance races.
This required constantly observing your opponent's movements during the run, perfectly timing your accelerations and decelerations.
The assassin's blade remains sheathed until the decisive moment, then strikes with shocking speed.
This was the green assassin who had defeated numerous rivals, claimed victory in the fiercely competitive [Kikuka-shō], the one who raced on the track.
How terrifying. What skill.
But no, it wasn't just Green Grass.
From the very start, Ten Point and Tosho Boy had shown astonishing speed. Even with the trainer's assistance, they had disrupted Manhattan Cafe's rhythm.
The Heavenly Steed and the Noble Scion, using their experience, had completely deceived Cafe.
What spectacles must the races of these three seniors have been in their day.
The three powerhouses, known by the acronym from their names, the ones who commanded the scene, the legendary 'TTG Three Swords'.
Indeed… their techniques were on a completely different level from ordinary horse girls.
The trainer kept making gestures, signaling Cafe to accelerate.
But Manhattan Cafe, now completely fixated on Green Grass, was already drenched in sweat.
She was so tired.
The 2000-meter race hadn't even reached its final stages; it was just when Cafe should be finding her stride, yet her body felt unusually weary.
No good… can't go on like this…
She had to shake Green Grass off her tail, and fast.
Her nerves stretched to the limit, Manhattan Cafe could no longer make rational judgments. She began an intense acceleration, unsuitable for a middle-distance race, desperately chasing after Ten Point and Tosho Boy, who were pulling further and further away.
But no matter how hard Cafe ran, that dark brown figure remained clinging to her back like a phantom.
The cold blade pressed tighter and tighter against her neck.
"This is no good, absolutely no good…"
Cafe's rhythm was completely shattered.
Having studied to be a trainer, Sunday Serenity realized that Cafe had fallen into a very bad state.
Agitation and confusion.
She had already wasted most of her stamina, unable to perform even half as well as she normally could.
At this point in the race, Cafe should still have had plenty of leg strength left.
But now, she was running on sheer willpower alone.
Glancing back slightly, Ten Point and Tosho Boy, running ahead, saw Cafe catching up, and with her, Green Grass stuck to her back.
The two exchanged a look, nodded, and poured on the speed.
Now was the time for the final stretch acceleration.
But Manhattan Cafe, her strength spent, no longer had the power to compete with them. She could only watch helplessly as they drew further and further away.
And the blade that had been pressed firmly against her neck finally swung down.
In that instant, blood seemed to spray. Manhattan Cafe's eyes widened.
The dark brown figure flashed past her side, while she, like a lifeless corpse, fell behind.
It's over…
A full second after the three seniors crossed the finish line, Manhattan Cafe finally followed.
"This… this is the absolute gap in experience and technique," Sunday Serenity's expression was grave.
She knew that even if there was a gap between Cafe and them, it should never have been a full second.
From the very beginning, from the moment they stepped onto this track, the race had been under the complete control of the Three Swords.
"You girls, take a rest for a bit. Cafe, wait here, I need to go over the mistakes and shortcomings from that run," the trainer called out to the four fillies.
Manhattan Cafe lay on the ground as if all her strength had drained away.
Senior Green Grass pulled out a handkerchief, her expression now back to its usual gentle self, and thoughtfully wiped the sweat from Cafe's brow.
Ten Point took out a water bottle and offered it to Cafe.
"Overall, your performance was still pretty good," Tosho Boy comforted her from the side.
The intense atmosphere of the race vanished without a trace. Shedding their roles as rivals, they became Cafe's caring seniors once again.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.