Nakayama Racecourse.
"Queen Berry's high-kicking stride—did Barbatos say something to her before the race?!"
"A huge gap from that poor start—can Queen Berry possibly close the distance?!"
Barbatos was racing in second-to-last place, keeping a clear view of every move the other Uma Musume ahead of her were making.
But this time, it wasn't like her debut race, where every single one of them had been marking her.
She began calculating the right moment to start her acceleration, tracking the sound of hoofbeats to gauge Queen Berry's position behind her. Not within five lengths yet—not even close.
Just as Minamizaka and the commentator had pointed out, Queen Berry was the opponent she needed to watch most carefully in this race.
Not because she'd run in Grade 3 races before, but because she was downright ruthless.
Whether it was stomping the track to spray mud in the faces of those behind her, or bumping into other racers mid-race—any of it could spell serious trouble for Barbatos.
After all, one of her passive abilities still granted extra movement speed when out of combat.
She hadn't quite figured out exactly what would trigger a 'combat' state, but if she got caught in one, how long would it take to disengage again?
Even without that extra movement speed from her passive, Barbatos was confident she could win this race. But she wasn't about to test that theory—every possible chance of failure had to be eliminated, one by one.
From the moment she stepped into the starting gate, only one thought occupied her mind:
Victory.
"800 meters to go!"
"Barbatos remains in second-last place, seemingly waiting for the right moment to make her move."
"Queen Berry is struggling to close the gap from behind!"
"That terrible start likely cost Queen Berry any real shot at winning. Is this where Barbatos begins her charge?"
"Or will the current leader hold on all the way to the finish?"
"Don't you dare look down on me!"
Hearing the race commentator's voice, Queen Berry gritted her teeth. How could she lose here? She hadn't even had her showdown with Barbatos yet—was she really going to lose this race just because of a few words from her?
She wouldn't allow it! She was an Uma Musume who had raced at G3 level!
How could she fall here?!
800 meters—it was only 800 meters! She was still four lengths behind Barbatos. If she just pushed with everything she had, held nothing back for the entire 800 meters—she could still beat Barbatos!
It was only 800 meters—who did they think she was? She was a G3-level racer!
Queen Berry unleashed her full speed, closing in rapidly on Barbatos. If she could maintain this pace, she still had a chance to overtake the leader before the finish!
"Incredible speed! Has Queen Berry started her all-out sprint with 800 meters still to go?!"
"She's now three lengths behind Barbatos!"
"Two lengths!"
"One length!"
"Two lengths again!!!"
The commentator slammed the table and shot to his feet. "Barbatos! Barbatos is accelerating too—she's pulling away from Queen Berry once more!"
Queen Berry, already at her absolute limit, felt her eyes widen in disbelief as Barbatos rapidly widened the gap between them.
How could this be?!
This was impossible! She was already running flat out—how could Barbatos so easily pull away again?
She'd brought her A-game today, the kind of condition that would have placed her in the top five even in a G3 race. So why was the gap still growing?
Barbatos was just a rookie—this was only her second official race! Hadn't she gained her fans through some other kind of hype?
The roar from the stands—gasps, cheers, screams—washed over her.
Queen Berry gritted her teeth and tried to push past her limits, to find another gear.
It was just like in those G3 races—all the cheers were for other racers. She wanted to run on her home turf, to hear the crowd shouting her name and no one else's!
But why was it always like this in the end?!
Emotions churning, frustration burning—it seemed to fuel a tiny burst of extra speed.
But it was a drop in the bucket.
This wasn't a manga or a light novel—this was reality. There was no such thing as a miraculous, last-second power-up.
Even running faster than before, even as a G3-level racer, she could only watch helplessly as Barbatos kept extending the lead.
She was still accelerating, passing the former leader!
Even though the distance between them could still be measured in horse lengths, to Queen Berry, that receding back felt utterly untouchable.
"Some rookie Uma Musume she is…"
"Even in a G3 race, she'd be among the very best!!"
"Hah… a prodigy of our time. We're not even in the same league."
"Those of you in the G-series races… are you ready for a monster like this?"
--+--
"A monstrous comeback run! Barbatos takes the wire!"
"Next is…"
"Queen Berry, despite her poor start, crosses in third—only two lengths behind second place!"
"Barbatos wins by a staggering 16 lengths! She claims the Canna Stakes with another overwhelming victory!"
"Her record now stands at two races, two wins!"
--+--
Barbatos stood past the finish line, bathing in the cheers and applause of her victory.
Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a voice shouted, "Prodigy of our time!"—and soon the whole stadium seemed to echo with the chant. Even though she hadn't won a G2 race yet, hadn't even entered a G-series event, at that moment, it was as if every spectator there had already crowned her.
Though Barbatos figured it was mostly a bunch of hype-loving fans egging her on, she felt no fear or resistance to the title. She embraced the roar of "Prodigy of our time!" that filled Nakayama Racecourse.
Alright then—new small goal: win a G2 race in November.
"Hey!"
She turned toward the voice. It was Queen Berry, face like thunder.
Maybe she was here to pick a fight over that trash talk that messed up her start.
"You're strong. But next time we meet, I won't lose to you."
"That might be a little difficult," Barbatos shrugged helplessly.
"You heard them. I'm aiming for the G-series next—doubt I'll be running in beginner races anymore."
"Hmph! I'll be in G3 races too. Next time, I'll crush you!"
Having delivered her parting shot, Queen Berry turned and strode away.
Even if she knew her chances of beating Barbatos were close to zero, she still had to say it.
--+--
The young couple in the stands cheered and clapped enthusiastically, feeling the trip had been more than worth it.
Their college friends, meanwhile, sat in stunned silence, completely shaken by the sheer terror of Barbatos's sprint. It took them a long moment to snap out of it.
Only when the cheers and applause had finally died down, did they pull out their phones and turn to the couple. "So… where do we go to vote for Barbatos?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.