Maintaining such a blistering pace, and she still hasn't reached her limit?
Everyone's eyes were glued to the track.
The leader, also known as the front-runner. Once, when chatting with her trainer, Maruzensky had said she didn't really have the power to dictate the pace for the whole field or break their formations.
The reason she ran at the front was simply that everyone else was too slow...
"It's like driving a car. Once your foot presses down on the accelerator, your whole body just surges ahead," Maruzensky had explained to her trainer.
For her, running was just like driving. And when you're driving, you naturally don't have any reason to slow down.
Maruzensky was born with a monstrously high speed—no, perhaps 'monstrous' wasn't even the right word here.
As she herself liked to say, she much preferred being called a 'sports car'.
That 'Red Supercar' galloping down the racecourse.
"Heh—"
A pleased smile graced her lips as Maruzensky, leading the pack, glanced slightly back at Tosho Boy and the others behind her.
'Facing you all, I think it's only fair I show a little of my true capabilities...'
Vroom!
Suddenly, Tosho Boy felt like she could hear the roar of a car engine.
Those rapidly moving legs transformed into sports car tires, and the turf churning under her feet became smoke billowing from a fiercely burning engine.
Thud!
The instant her foot slammed into the ground, an indescribable feeling shot through Tosho Boy's mind.
Click, like a key turning in a car's ignition, the sports car that had been idling for so long finally, at this moment, roared back to life.
Maruzen!?
"Today, I feel like putting my foot all the way down—"
VROOM!!
"She's accelerating!? Maruzen-senpai is accelerating!! Right before they enter the final stretch, Maruzen-senpai picks up the pace! Oh my god—!!"Hishi Amazon screamed excitedly.
She had thought maintaining this insane pace until the finish would be incredible enough, but how could anyone possibly find another gear under these conditions?
Do these runners have limitless stamina?
Hishi Amazon started to suspect the seniors on the track were actually monsters disguised as Uma Musume. Who could possibly keep up with this?!
"So, the pace at the start wasn't her full effort after all," Fuji Kiseki beside her remarked, her gaze sharp and fixed on the track.
Or perhaps even this current pace still wasn't her absolute limit.
While Maruzensky's strategy was to lead from the front, no one ever said the leader had to go at absolute maximum speed from the start.
Just how high could Maruzensky's top speed truly go?
Her blue-green eyes focused ahead, the wind whipping past her felt exhilarating.
The needle on the speedometer in her mind was spinning wildly, the pistons she called her legs pumping furiously.
With the engine's roar, the accelerator under her foot responded with immense, thrilling force.
The racecourse had become a highway.
And on it, a machine clad in red, a body of extreme streamlined perfection, powered by high-speed spinning tires.
"One length! Two lengths! The gap is still growing! Maruzen-senpai is pulling away from Tosho-senpai at an unbelievable rate!"
But—
VROOM—!!
Chasing after that red sports car was a king who had conquered the Arima Kinen, a King bearing the name 'Pegasus'.
"Tosho-senpai!! Tosho-senpai is accelerating now too—!"
Her legs flew across the turf. Tosho Boy's cadence seemed to slow, but her stride length expanded dramatically.
A single step now covered over ten meters.
That form, it was less like running, and more like...
"Heh, just like her namesake," Musaka Ginjirou voiced his admiration.
Those resilient and powerful legs seemed to carry her body, making her soar above the grass.
Two thousand meters was precisely the distance where she could unleash her full power.
Long enough that endurance wouldn't fail her, short enough that she could build up her devastating speed.
Who would have thought, after all this time, he'd see the 'Pegasus' take flight on the track once more.
"WOOOOOOHHHH—!!!"
The Uma Musume in the stands erupted into cheers and screams. The legends left behind by these retired seniors were still deeply engraved in their hearts.
Watching these legendary champions, these pinnacles of racing, display a glimpse of their prime form, everyone was utterly captivated.
Yet, it was a shame. Even if the running form was the same, Tosho Boy, who hadn't run an official race in so long, had lost a bit of the sharp, overwhelming aura she once possessed.
She was still formidable, but not quite what she used to be.
Even so, their sheer power was exhilarating.
"The time is ripe—"
While everyone's attention was fixed on the leading duo, Ten Point, who had been lying in wait in the middle of the pack, finally made her move.
Back then, in Tosho Boy's final race before retirement, the hugely anticipated Arima Kinen, it was Ten Point who had emerged victorious over Tosho Boy.
That all-out, head-to-head battle was something she would never forget.
Today felt just like a reenactment of that very race!
Her stored leg power was still ample. With her reserved stamina, she could definitely overtake her rivals on the final bend.
Recalling the method she used to defeat Tosho Boy back then, Ten Point mustered all her strength. Her body leaned forward as she shot across the track like a dazzling meteor.
"Ten Point-senpai is accelerating! Following Tosho-senpai and Maruzen-senpai, Ten Point-senpai is charging forward too—! Such speed! Why? I don't understand! How can the seniors still manage such unbelievable acceleration after this grueling pace!?"
"Did I miss something!?"
Hishi Amazon cried out in disbelief, completely forgetting her commentator role as she shouted her questions. It wasn't until Fuji Kiseki nudged her in the stomach that she regained her composure.
"Ten Point-senpai is closing in from the outside! Wait!? What's this—"
At that moment, Hishi Amazon's eyes widened.
"Green Grass-senpai!??"
On an even wider path than Ten Point, Green Grass was overtaking with equal speed.
Even with an acceleration like this, she still couldn't shake her off?
It was like a persistent shadow. Once targeted by this assassin, escape seemed impossible!
"All the seniors! All the seniors are accelerating!"
The Pegasus was closing in on the sports car, the meteor was streaking across the track, and behind them all, the assassin was on the move.
"Who!? Who will win this race!?"
It was impossible to tell. With Hishi Amazon's experience, she simply couldn't see who was truly controlling the flow of the race.
This was a completely evenly matched contest.
Or was it?
At the edge of the training field, in the stands, Symboli Rudolf crossed her arms.
Even at this speed, you're still holding back.
Aren't you, Maruzensky.
A wide, exhilarated grin spread across Maruzensky's face—the sublime smile of a driver in her sports car, slamming the accelerator to the floor, pushing speed to its absolute limit.
--+--
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.