"The final turn! Will Mihono Bourbon maintain her lead, or will Rice Shower catch up here? The other competitors' performances are also worth watching!"
After Taiki Shuttle rallied, the trailing pack surged forward with impressive momentum toward the two leaders.
After all, those two had expended too much stamina early on. By now, both were inevitably slowing down.
Though the gap remained substantial, it wasn't completely hopeless. If they faltered, the trailing competitors still had a chance to catch up.
The instant they entered the turn, golden light appeared around Mihono Bourbon—but the black aura surrounding Rice grew even more intense.
[Professor of the Arc (Gold): Turn speed increased!]
The exact same skill with the exact same effect. So how do you determine who's stronger in this situation?
The competitor's own ability and current condition, of course!
Mihono Bourbon's face was drenched in sweat.
I can't shake her!
Forget shaking her off—that girl was glued to her side. She could feel that Rice could overtake her at any moment.
Mihono Bourbon was completely out of options.
The competitor who'd followed her the entire race still had the stamina and mental fortitude to mark her even now. She'd never imagined such a thing was possible.
So strong...
At this point, Mihono Bourbon had no choice but to admit it: Rice was strong. Stronger than herself.
But thinking of Master's wish, she couldn't stop.
Master's dream was to nurture a true legendary racehorse—a horse girl who could claim an undefeated Triple Crown. She wanted to prove she was that horse girl in Master's heart!
For that reason, she couldn't stop. She couldn't stop here!
I can't lose!
Mihono Bourbon thought with absolute conviction.
But cruel reality wouldn't change just because of Mihono Bourbon's feelings.
And she hadn't noticed—the moment she wavered, she could no longer maintain her Flow state.
As for ZONE, that wasn't a realm dreamers could simply enter.
Without an intense obsession with victory, without the confidence and desire that you will win, ZONE's doors would not open.
Mihono Bourbon was certainly strong. She undoubtedly possessed the qualifications to enter the supreme domain. But so far, she showed no signs of awakening to ZONE.
To enter ZONE, her mindset couldn't be "I can't lose"—it had to be "I must win."
Though both sought victory, the mental states behind these thoughts were completely different.
Moreover, a horse girl running for someone else's sake could never enter ZONE.
That was a world only greedy monsters could step into. Not a place ordinary horse girls could easily access. Otherwise, ZONE wouldn't be the symbol of the strongest.
...
In the spectator seats, Marvelous Sunday wore an expression of admiration.
Incredible, Rice.
Honestly, it was terrifyingly impressive.
That stamina and guts—even she found it somewhat frightening.
This was absolutely an opponent no front-runner wanted to face.
To be able to complete a race while burning stamina through ZONE—that kind of endurance could only be described as monstrous.
With such terrifying stamina, even if her skill acquisition lagged behind Mihono Bourbon's, she was overwhelmingly powerful.
As expected of a monster who'd entered ZONE before even debuting. Common sense simply didn't apply.
Symboli Rudolf, watching the broadcast, also smiled.
Mihono Bourbon, Rice, and Taiki Shuttle—the emergence of these three newcomers delighted her.
As expected, the Chairwoman's prediction came true. A golden age for the young generation is about to begin.
She felt a twinge of envy.
Because her own era hadn't had this many excellent rivals. In fact, she'd never encountered a true rival back then.
But the young ones coming up wouldn't face her situation.
Ahead were Teio and McQueen; behind them, Rice and Bourbon. And the next generation seemed to have talented youngsters as well.
Show me, then—the absolute champion who will emerge from this era!
Rudolf hoped that champion would be Teio, but from the current situation, Teio didn't quite possess that level of dominance yet.
Besides, if things went smoothly on the Chairwoman's end, overseas prodigies would come for exchange races.
But that was all for later. For now, her attention returned to this race.
Though the outcome had already been decided.
Symboli Rudolf knew clearly: unless Mihono Bourbon awakened ZONE, she had absolutely no chance of turning things around.
But Mihono Bourbon showed no signs of ZONE awakening.
The Chestnut Express still hadn't grasped what was necessary for victory.
...
In the race, Rice's cold gaze remained unchanged. Her skill had locked onto Mihono Bourbon, ready to activate at any moment.
I won't let you escape.
That intense presence stung Mihono Bourbon's cheeks.
The gap between them was now just a neck. A distance that could be broken at any moment—but not yet.
If she passed Bourbon now, Rice wouldn't be able to activate the skill she'd trained for.
That skill only reached maximum effectiveness when chasing an opponent.
Though overtaking now might still lead to victory, Rice wasn't swayed.
She didn't want a possible victory. She wanted guaranteed victory!
"The final straightaway approaches! This course's straight is quite short—will the outcome be decided here?!"
The instant Mihono Bourbon burst out of the turn—
Both Mihono Bourbon and Rice showed signs of skill activation, but Mihono Bourbon's prismatic light was nearly swallowed by Rice's black aura.
[G00 1st.F∞ (Flash): Straightaway hyper-acceleration, speed increased! If leading, speed greatly increased further!]
[Kiss of the Rose (Flash): Drain stamina from the target ahead, increase own speed!]
Mihono Bourbon, about to enter overdrive for one last push, suddenly felt resistance. The stamina that was already in the danger zone was abruptly siphoned away.
What?!
That chill had already engulfed her entire body.
Mihono Bourbon felt cold all over. She turned to look at Rice beside her, eyes filled with disbelief.
Completely shut down.
So this is the Black Assassin!
Master's suspicion had been correct. The Flash skill Rice had used in previous races was an interference-type skill that could affect opponents.
And then—
Mihono Bourbon's eyes went wide as Rice's black aura intensified once more.
[Pursuer of Blue Roses!]
Target locked!
Guts burning!
The explosive power converted from willpower erupted in that instant.
Accompanied by terrifying footsteps, the black shadow caught up to Mihono Bourbon in a flash—and charged ahead without slowing at all.
"Final straight! Rice breaks through!"
"The Black Assassin has successfully slain the Chestnut Express! She takes the lead!"
The announcer's voice rang out.
Mihono Bourbon gritted her teeth. The frustration drove her to keep running, refusing to let herself sink.
But the black figure ahead was still advancing.
Too fast. Why can you still run this fast at this point, Rice?!
Mihono Bourbon recalled Rice's eyes from just moments ago.
Those eyes that seemed to stare only at the finish line. That gaze was blindingly brilliant.
Rice...
Repeating that name in her heart, Mihono Bourbon didn't know what this feeling was.
What was this intense emotion beyond frustration?
But one thing she knew for certain.
I don't want to accept defeat like this!
I want to catch up!
...
Up in the stands, Trainer Kuronuma had been about to close his eyes.
But seeing Mihono Bourbon's current performance, his eyes suddenly widened.
With her stamina nearly depleted, Bourbon still hadn't lost speed!
Bourbon... I see. You haven't given up yet!
Trainer Kuronuma rallied his spirit, his gaze never leaving Mihono Bourbon.
They'd lost this race, but they hadn't lost. Bourbon hadn't lost!
You've taught me a lesson, Bourbon.
Then keep racing, Bourbon. Even if you've lost to the Black Assassin, don't give up second place!
...
By now, nearly every competitor's stamina was almost depleted—Rice included.
Though she'd used a Flash skill to drain stamina from Bourbon, Bourbon barely had any left, so the amount absorbed proportionally was pitiful.
And ZONE's burning effect wasn't a fixed consumption rate.
This technique of burning stamina for speed increased its drain over time and based on condition.
In fact, Rice had turned off the stamina-burning effect when entering the final turn. Even she couldn't sustain burning for an entire race.
If Teio or McQueen had tried this burning effect, they'd probably only last one or two hundred meters before giving out. That's why Marvelous Sunday found Rice so terrifying.
So at this point, it really all came down to guts.
Mihono Bourbon's breakaway had destroyed everyone's rhythm.
Her breakaway was different from this world's usual breakaways.
That speed was simply too terrifying. The trailing competitors couldn't conserve any stamina at all.
A typical breakaway was fast and affected the race rhythm, but at least the trailing competitors could keep up while only expending a little extra stamina.
But Mihono Bourbon's breakaway was different. At that speed, the trailing competitors couldn't leisurely follow along—they had to grit their teeth and push hard together.
This was why Rice felt Mihono Bourbon's running style resembled McQueen's.
Both dominated races with absolute speed. That kind of breakaway wasn't a mere tactic—it was overwhelming power.
Mihono Bourbon simply lacked McQueen's stamina and speed to lead all the way to the finish.
"Rice Shower's pace hasn't weakened at all! Still sprinting! Still sprinting! A commanding lead!"
The trailing competitors—including Mihono Bourbon, whose performance had been stellar—were all visibly slowing.
Though everyone gritted their teeth and ran, their severe stamina depletion was obvious.
But Rice, who'd been pushing hard the entire race, could still maintain this terrifying speed in the final stretch. This ability stunned everyone.
You've got to be kidding—the Black Assassin is this strong?
Mihono Bourbon's earlier performance was incredible, but looking at it now, the Black Assassin is on another level entirely.
This was what many spectators were thinking.
Because in the final stretch, Rice's ability showed a tier-breaking gap from the rest of the field.
Don't say Rice's top speed was inferior to Mihono Bourbon's—because only those who could run to the very end, who could reach the finish line, were winners.
Strong stamina was strength. True strength.
And Rice's speed wasn't slow either. While it couldn't match Mihono Bourbon's peak, it still surpassed her contemporaries.
With this kind of ability, could it be...
An undefeated Triple Crown, born again in one year?
Many felt shock and excitement. They had a premonition that the coming era would see increasingly powerful races and even more spectacular competition between horse girls!
And at that moment, the black figure in the race crossed the finish line with an overwhelming lead.
"She's crossed! Rice Shower finishes with a commanding lead! Today's Satsuki Sho victory belongs to this horse girl!"
"Second place is Mihono Bourbon, finishing six lengths behind!"
"Third place is Taiki Shuttle! In the final seconds, this horse girl persevered to complete the race!"
Seeing her name appear on the giant screen, Taiki Shuttle—face drenched in sweat but beaming with joy—looked toward the stands and waved to her team, trainer, and fans.
"Hehehe..."
I can't believe it—I actually took third behind those two!
Maybe I'm actually pretty strong?
A warm, sunny aura seemed to radiate from Taiki Shuttle. That smile healed countless fans.
But back at her team's section, Twin Turbo destroyed the beautiful moment with a single comment.
"What's that? Taiki's totally hopeless! Finishing in the last second? The gap between her and those two is way too huge."
"Uh..."
Everyone nearby stared at Twin Turbo with exasperated expressions.
...
In the spectator seats, Trainer P clenched his fist excitedly. Though he'd firmly believed Rice would win, this race had kept him on the edge of his seat.
After all, Mihono Bourbon's performance had been incredible.
But even against Mihono Bourbon in that state, Rice had still won!
At that moment, Trainer Kuronuma suddenly appeared before P.
"Kuronuma-senpai?"
P looked at Kuronuma nervously, completely unsure why this senior was seeking him out. Had his secret training sessions with Rice been discovered?
Kuronuma's next words confirmed his suspicion.
"You're that child Rice's trainer, aren't you? This time, you've won."
Leaving those words behind, Kuronuma turned and left. For now, he couldn't discern anything special about P—couldn't tell if Rice's victory over Bourbon had anything to do with this young trainer.
P remained where he was, pondering the meaning of Kuronuma's words.
So it's not over. Neither Kuronuma-senpai nor Bourbon have conceded.
...
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