The green breeze curdled, transforming into a blood-red, lethal gale that shrieked across the turf.
As the "pests" swarmed, Barbatos began to steadily close the gap on Symboli Rudolf.
"Within ten seconds, I can cut the lead to under a single length."
"But Rudolf won't just let me crawl up her back."
"If I can stay within striking distance before the final straight, even with her multi-stage finishing kicks, she won't be able to outrun my final burst."
Information flashed through Barbatos's mind with clinical precision.
Through countless races, mock trials, and post-race debriefs with Minamizaka, she was no longer the inexperienced fledgling who relied solely on raw instinct. She had become a seasoned veteran of the turf.
Thump.
With the faint sound of power exploding from her right foot, the "Emperor" ahead lowered her frame. Her arms pumped with increased vigor as she accelerated out of the bend!
The moment Symboli Rudolf surged, an ethereal light enveloped Barbatos's legs.
She triggered her Ghost summoner spell, and fueled by the synergy of her dual Zones, her velocity reached a new peak.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"I'll be glued to you until we hit that final stretch!"
In any other race, one runner's acceleration would trigger a chain reaction, forcing everyone to ignite their finishing kicks early in a desperate gamble of timing, burst, and stamina.
But this mock race was a game of strategic sacrifice—a trade-off between Barbatos and Symboli Rudolf where neither had yet revealed their full hand.
Only 200 meters remained until the final straight!
Despite Barbatos clinging to her back to negate wind resistance, Symboli Rudolf remained composed.
A flicker of genuine pleasure danced in her eyes; Barbatos was evolving at a pace that exceeded even her highest expectations.
Not since her days as the Undefeated Triple Crown winner had she felt pressure quite like this.
Narita Brian, Oguri Cap, and T.M Opera O had all given her glimpses of it, but this was different.
The Barbatos of now was reminiscent of Tamamo Cross during that famous Arima Kinen—the one who refused to conserve energy, opening her Zone early and nearly suffocating the likes of Dicta Striker, Super Creek, and the Oguri Cap.
But Tamamo Cross had been forced into retirement by her health after that race. Barbatos's story was still being written. She was still getting stronger!
"Perhaps... you truly are a worthy rival."
A faint, poised smile touched Rudolf's lips. In the world of Uma Musume, "running styles" were strategies born from the mutual caution of a dozen competitors—commonly known as Front-Runner, Pace-Setter, Late-Runner, or Chaser.
Even in a one-on-one duel like this, those ingrained habits usually dictated the flow.
But a duel also offered the chance to discard pretenses. This was a battle of raw, unadulterated strength, free from the interference of a pack.
"Barbatos, didn't you once say you wanted to see the gap between us?"
Rudolf's legs surged with sudden, violent power. The distance between them widened instantly, the gap stretching like a snapped rubber band.
"In the face of this, can you even keep up?"
Barbatos's eyes narrowed. The draft vanished as the gap grew, and the full weight of the wind resistance slammed into her once more.
This wasn't a speed she could catch simply by activating Highlander or Youmuu's Ghostblade.
To close this, she would need to stack two or three abilities simultaneously.
The gap seemed manageable, but who knew how long the Emperor could sustain this tempo? This was likely Rudolf's true limit—the "turn-based" sparring was over.
"Fine. I'll let you lead for a moment..."
Three lengths...
Four lengths...
By the time Symboli Rudolf hit the final straight, she had carved out a lead of nearly five lengths.
In a Grade 1 race, Barbatos's generation could overcome such a distance with ease. But the one holding that lead today was the Emperor herself.
The sidelines fell into a deathly silence. No one cheered; every spectator held their breath, eyes locked on the track.
Even though Rudolf had pulled ahead by five lengths, no one in attendance believed Barbatos was finished. Not with her legendary closing speed.
If Symboli Rudolf didn't have one last gear left, Barbatos still had a ghost of a chance.
That was the conclusion they had all reached after two months of watching Barbatos's meteoric rise.
"At this distance... I'll show you everything I have!"
Just as Barbatos was about to trigger every acceleration skill and item in her arsenal, Rudolf kicked again.
The sheer force of her stride drove her even faster than before—a burst far greater than her initial finishing kick.
So that's how it is...
Barbatos took a sharp breath, her expression grim. The dull thud of her hooves on the grass was the only sound she could hear.
Following that heavy thud, Barbatos launched like an F1 car screaming off the starting line.
She ate up the remaining distance to the final straight in a heartbeat, hurtling toward Symboli Rudolf like a bolt of jagged lightning!
On the sidelines, the usually unflappable Maruzensky looked on in shock.
Toujou Hana, who had been meticulously recording data, froze mid-motion. One by one, the legends gathered there wore expressions of pure disbelief.
This sprint... Barbatos was significantly faster than she had been even a week ago.
Even without having faced the legends of the international circuit, they were certain of one thing: in terms of pure terminal velocity, Barbatos was arguably the strongest in the world.
In the blink of an eye, the gap vanished.
Sensing the thunderous footsteps behind her, Rudolf's composure finally shattered.
Her eyes turned fierce. A shroud of deep blue fighting spirit, distinct from her Zone, flared up to coat her body, granting her one final surge of speed.
"I was hoping to save this for the Winter Dream Cup..."
Fifty meters to the finish. Barbatos was a shadow on Rudolf's shoulder.
The final fifty meters passed in a blurred heartbeat.
Hishi Amazon, acting as the finish line judge, couldn't even blink in time. Toujou Hana stood dazed.
Silence followed.
Rudolf crossed the line, a fine sheen of sweat on her brow.
Barbatos doubled over, hands on her knees, gasping for air. The strain of that hyper-velocity sprint had taken a brutal toll on her body. Between ragged breaths, she looked up at Amazon.
"Well... what was... the result?"
They had hit the wire so close together that even the runners couldn't tell who had claimed it.
"Huh? What?"
Amazon snapped out of her trance. It had happened too fast; to her eyes, they had crossed as one.
Toujou Hana looked down at her notes, her expression heavy.
Without a photo finish, it was impossible to call. But in a moment like this, did the winner even matter?
Clap... clap... clap...
A rhythmic clapping broke the silence. Maruzensky, the most senior among them, was smiling as she applauded.
It might have been a draw, but the spectacle was nothing short of magnificent.
Soon, the rest of the legends joined in, their cheers and applause echoing across the field.
Barbatos vs. Symboli Rudolf.
The result: A draw.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.