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Kitasan Black finished a lap of the training track and checked her time.
The numbers were a far cry from what she could do in her own body—but for this body's stats, it was an impressive result. And this had been a baseline run without skills.
"Finally got this body tuned to peak condition before race day."
The process had taken longer than she'd initially estimated. The damage wasn't recent—it had been accumulating gradually since long before she'd arrived.
From the day this body's original owner had reached maturity, Kita-chan had never once treated her own body well. She'd relied on raw talent and winged everything. If that recklessness had at least maximized her potential, fine—but it hadn't. She'd wasted her gifts while running herself into the ground.
Just look at how the internet evaluated this body's original owner.
Despite having a natural aptitude for stamina and speed, with mid-to-long distance being her optimal range, the public consensus on Kita-chan was: a short-distance front-runner who lacked explosive power.
Kitasan Black had no idea when "she" had become a sprinter.
She knew perfectly well that this body's base template was A-rank in middle distance and A-rank in long distance, with +20 Speed and +10 Stamina modifiers. Sure, the mile-distance aptitude was C, but short distance was E. How had anyone concluded she was a sprinter?
That alone told you how badly the original owner had been performing.
She'd completely failed to showcase her own talent.
Kitasan Black had also reviewed the previous training regimen.
What she found beggared belief: Kita-chan had been doing stamina training.
She couldn't comprehend it.
This was the plan the trainer had designed?
Apparently, the trainer had also assumed Kita-chan was a sprinter who needed stamina reinforcement to survive the Classic Triple Crown route—since the Japan Derby and Kikka Sho both demanded high endurance. When Kitasan Black saw this training plan, her first thought was to wonder whether Nishizaki Ryu had been kicked in the head by Special Week-senpai at some point.
How else could he fail to identify this body's actual aptitude?
She'd previously thought her negative opinion of Nishizaki Ryu was just bias.
Now she realized she'd been overestimating him.
Or rather, this world's Nishizaki Ryu was even more useless than she'd imagined.
This body's strongest stat was stamina.
When she'd first arrived, the stamina attribute had been nearly B-rank even with all the debuffs dragging it down. Once those were cleared, it had recovered to nearly A-rank—at least 700 points in numerical terms.
Among Classic-year runners in this world, that was top tier. That stamina could handle the Japan Derby easily—even the 3,000-meter Kikka Sho would be no problem.
And yet despite this, the original owner had been doing more stamina training? Was she preparing for a marathon?
Every other stat was genuinely lacking.
Speed below 500. Power below 400. Guts below 500.
Wisdom had been overwritten when Kitasan Black took over, so she couldn't measure it—but if this was truly the anime timeline's Kita-chan, then Wisdom was probably nothing special either.
Anime Kita-chan had always struggled academically.
On top of that, this world's skill ecosystem wasn't widely developed yet. The world's overall power level was comparable to her original world.
Meaning Kita-chan probably hadn't acquired many useful skills.
With stats like these against Duramente—a genius on the verge of entering ZONE—winning would take a miracle.
Kitasan Black had observed Duramente's training.
By her estimate, Duramente's Speed and Power were both at least 600 right now. Add ZONE's prerequisite skills, and in this world's Classic-tier races, Duramente was an absolute monster.
Even the original Tokai Teio, transported here, would probably lose.
And against that, the original owner had been doing stamina training.
How wonderfully diligent of her.
And if she remembered correctly, after losing the Japan Derby, the original Kita-chan would then—under her trainer's guidance—undergo Extreme Training with Rice Shower and Mihono Bourbon.
Supposedly it was the ultimate training program, designed by Mihono Bourbon-senpai's trainer.
But unless she was mistaken, that program had been custom-built for Mihono Bourbon specifically. Its primary training effect was—once again—stamina enhancement.
Because Mihono Bourbon-senpai was a genuine speed-specialist. Her gift was extraordinary velocity, so her trainer had designed targeted stamina reinforcement. If Bourbon-senpai had completed it back then, she'd have had a real shot at the Kikka Sho.
But that didn't mean every uma musume needed that program.
Kitasan Black couldn't fathom what Nishizaki Ryu had been thinking, sending Kita-chan to that training. Sure, stamina reinforcement before the Kikka Sho was standard practice—normally it made perfect sense. But for this body, it was absurd.
Kita-chan's stamina was already more than sufficient for the Kikka Sho.
And all the original owner had gained from that ordeal was a further bloated stamina stat and Imperial Dance—a skill that boosted her burst capability. But what was the point?
If Duramente hadn't gotten sick, the original Kita-chan might not have even won that Kikka Sho.
Honestly, if she couldn't use her own skills, Kitasan Black had zero confidence in challenging Duramente with this body. A nearly 200-point stat gap, plus Duramente's ZONE prerequisite skills—using only the original owner's abilities, it was an impossible task.
With training this misguided, no wonder anime Kita-chan had ended up so frustrated.
Every subsequent race was a desperate struggle. Speed never improved. Power stayed lacking. Her only burst option was Imperial Dance.
If not for Kita-chan's innate talent carrying her through, Nishizaki Ryu's haphazard training approach would've ruined a less gifted uma musume entirely.
But ultimately, Kita-chan had chosen this trainer herself. Not Kitasan Black's place to say much.
All she wanted was to finish the race and get back to her own world.
Whether Kita-chan learned anything from watching her race—that was Kita-chan's problem. A girl who never questioned her trainer's competence, who never considered whether her losses might be partly her own fault, had significant issues of her own.
A shred of independent thinking would have changed everything.
Someone who didn't even know how to take care of herself didn't deserve sympathy.
"I know you're watching. Pay attention tomorrow. I don't particularly care what happens to you afterward, you fool—but since we're both Kitasan Black, I'll demonstrate my way of running. Just once."
She spoke to the empty air.
She couldn't see Kita-chan.
But based on McQueen-senpai's experience, Kita-chan should be conscious right now. And even if she was wrong, the only thing wasted was words.
Kita-chan stared down at her own body, confused.
Was she talking to her?
What did she mean?
What did "we're both Kitasan Black" mean?
And that attitude was insufferable. What did she mean, demonstrate?
Fine, she was strong—Kita-chan would admit that. But that didn't make her running style superior!
Kita-chan huffed.
She did not like the current "her." This interloper had been rude to Diamond, disrespectful to her senpai—when Teio-senpai and the others had come looking for her, this person had given them the cold shoulder. If Kita-chan could reclaim her body, she would've done it in a heartbeat.
"I don't need your demonstration! Just give me my body back!"
Kita-chan shouted at the top of her lungs.
Tomorrow was her race.
And her body was still occupied by this stranger, who apparently intended to run it for her.
What a joke. This was her race.
She wanted to scream that—but in the end, she could only clench her fists in frustration.
Because, unsurprisingly, she watched "herself" show absolutely no reaction. After several days of testing, even someone as slow on the uptake as Kita-chan had confirmed the truth: her voice couldn't reach anyone.
The panic and fear from the first day had given way to something duller. Numbness.
Kitasan Black, unaware of any of this, gathered her towel and water bottle and left the training grounds.
The race was tomorrow. She wasn't going to overtrain today.
After she was gone, several figures emerged from the edges of the training field.
"Kita-chan's behavior has been strange, for sure—but her ability has improved dramatically." Tokai Teio looked at the others. "Given the circumstances, should we really intervene?"
"She hasn't been socializing with anyone lately, though." Mejiro McQueen was concerned about their junior's mental state. Improvement was good, but the personality shift was too dramatic. And it didn't look like something that toggled on and off—Kita-chan had been like this for days. If this was permanent, could they really just stand by?
"Did anyone catch what Kita-chan was saying to herself just now?" Daiwa Scarlet asked.
"From that far away? No chance." Vodka was blunt.
"I heard it. Didn't quite understand what she meant, though." Gold Ship raised her hand.
All eyes turned to her.
Gold Ship repeated what Kitasan Black had said.
Everyone fell into thought.
...
The next day.
Kitasan Black took a car to Tokyo Racecourse on her own.
After presenting her student ID to the staff, she was admitted as a competitor.
The trainer's side couldn't find Kitasan Black. After Satono Diamond told them she'd already left, they rushed to the racecourse with the rest of the team.
Kitasan Black waited in the back lounge. Only when the earlier races were done and the Japan Derby's start time approached did she emerge and walk toward the competitor tunnel.
"At last! The Japan Derby is about to begin!"
"What kind of uma musume will emerge this year? What running style, what kind of race—whose gallant form will be seared into our memories?"
"I'm Akasaka Misato, your commentator for today. Yamamoto-san, I'll be in your care once again."
"Likewise. Let's have a great show."
Yamamoto took the microphone.
"Winning the Derby crown is proof that you are your generation's strongest—its undisputed number one."
"I hope they'll give everything they have and deliver an outstanding race."
The runners began emerging from the competitor tunnel.
Duramente walked out with her distinctive gait.
Akasaka spoke into the mic: "All eyes are on this runner today—the one who dominated the Satsuki Sho with overwhelming power: Duramente!"
"Her goal is the Triple Crown!"
"That astonishing acceleration she showed us on Nakayama's final straightaway—will it erupt again on this Fuchu course with its long home stretch?"
The stands buzzed with discussion.
"Duramente really does look strong. Just like Tokai Teio back in the day."
"With Duramente in this form, she should win comfortably, right? Just like Teio did. Satono Crown is strong too, but I just can't see Duramente losing."
Two spectators—the ones who'd appeared multiple times in the anime—said nothing.
While everyone around them debated Duramente versus Satono Crown, their eyes were fixed on the underdog: Kitasan Black.
"What do you think?"
"I heard she trained incredibly hard for this race."
"Yeah. Her aura is completely different from the Satsuki Sho."
"Can she win?"
"No idea. But I want to see her win."
"Same here."
They quietly raised their cheering sticks.
And all around them, the section was packed with Kitasan Black supporters—residents of the shopping district near Tracen Academy.
Down by the front railing, Nishizaki Ryu watched Duramente. "Kita-chan's opponents keep getting stronger."
"They really do," Tokai Teio agreed wholeheartedly. She saw her former self in Duramente—the genius at the absolute height of her powers.
The others felt the same uncanny resemblance.
Tokai Teio's successor was supposed to be Kita-chan. Spica's newest member was Kita-chan.
And yet it was Duramente who truly evoked the old Tokai Teio.
The same signature footwork. The same genius. The same dominant Satsuki Sho victory.
By comparison, Kita-chan resembled neither Tokai Teio nor Mejiro McQueen.
"Hey, stop focusing on the opponent." Gold Ship's voice was unusually serious. "I've got a feeling today's Kita-chan is going to surprise everyone. Because right now, she's giving me the same vibe I get from those monsters."
Duramente was strong, no question.
But Duramente didn't give Gold Ship that suffocating sense of pressure.
Today's Kita-chan did.
The same feeling as standing before Orfevre and Gentildonna.
"You feel that?" Nishizaki Ryu asked, puzzled.
He looked at Kitasan Black and felt nothing of the sort. His Analysis Eyes showed numbers below Duramente's. He couldn't break stats down to individual attributes, but he could estimate an overall figure.
"I don't see Kita-chan being stronger than today's opponent."
"No—Trainer, I also think today's Kita-chan is strong." Mejiro McQueen sided with Gold Ship.
Nishizaki Ryu was baffled.
The data clearly showed Kita-chan at a major disadvantage.
Tokai Teio turned her gaze to Kitasan Black.
"Trainer, do you really feel nothing at all?"
Nishizaki Ryu fell silent. When even Tokai Teio was saying it, he couldn't push back.
If his entire team sensed it, then something about Kita-chan right now defied numerical measurement—and whatever it was made them believe she was strong.
Could it be ZONE?
It was the only possibility he could think of.
"Next up—Satono Crown!"
"Carrying the burden of her family's long-sought GI dream, what kind of race will she show us today?"
Satono Crown stood before her gate doing warm-up exercises. Hearing the announcement, she looked toward her trainer and Satono Diamond in the stands, her eyes blazing with silent determination.
I can't lose. I will win.
I will break the Satomi family curse!
Kitasan Black finished her warm-up and walked past Satono Crown toward her own gate.
A faint aura rippled from her body.
Satono Crown whipped her head around, startled. That unsettling pulse had come from Kitasan Black? She must be imagining things.
Everyone knew Kitasan Black had no mid-to-long distance aptitude. The 2,000-meter Satsuki Sho was probably her ceiling. This was common knowledge.
So Satono Crown didn't consider Kitasan Black a threat today.
Yamamoto was still introducing her:
"Based on past results, today's distance puts her at a disadvantage. But if she can find her natural rhythm, there's still a chance. We're hoping to see her true potential today."
Satono Crown finished warming up and walked toward her gate.
Finally, Kitasan Black's introduction.
"Next—Kitasan Black, third place in the Satsuki Sho. We hear she's put in considerable training for today."
"She looks fresh—no signs of fatigue, plenty of energy. Let's see what she can do."
Compared to the extensive coverage given to Duramente and Satono Crown, the commentator's introduction was perfunctory.
Because even the broadcast team didn't think she could win.
Inside the gate, Kitasan Black lightly slapped both cheeks.
No problem. The stats are against me, but I cannot lose.
Floating above, Kita-chan wore the expression of someone resigned to their fate.
She'd had almost no confidence in this race to begin with. She hadn't believed she could win.
And now someone had stolen her body and was running it for her.
She wouldn't even get to experience the loss firsthand.
Could this body-snatcher actually win?
She'd admit the interloper was better than her. But the odds were still terrible.
The stat gap with Duramente was just too massive. Whatever improvements this person had coaxed out of her body, the gains had to be limited.
No matter how she looked at it, this was unwinnable.
"The race that crowns a generation's champion—the most important event in the Flash series!"
"The Tokyo Yushun—the Japan Derby!"
"Eighteen runners, each carrying their own dreams, now loading into the gates!"
One by one, the runners entered.
Soon every gate was occupied.
The ground crew signaled. The system operator received confirmation, sealed the gates, and the signal lights activated.
"All set!"
"Do everything in your power and await glory—no. Seize victory through sheer force of will!"
As the commentator finished the opening call, the countdown reached zero. The gates burst open.
Every runner exploded from the start.
"They're off!"
A streak of golden light shot from the pack.
The surrounding runners—the crowd in the stands—all stared wide-eyed.
Kitasan Black charged onto the track expressionless, accelerating past every opponent in a single surge to claim first position. Unlike the original Kita-chan's haphazard skill usage, today's Kitasan Black deployed the optimal skill combination:
Breakaway (Gold)
First Strike (Gold)
Focus (Gold)
Solid as a Rock (Gold)
Posture, speed, burst, rhythm—everything pushed to absolute maximum efficiency.
"What a surprise—Kitasan Black takes a commanding lead! Will she maintain it?!"
A sudden cheer erupted from one section of the stands.
Kitasan Black paid it no mind—but Kita-chan, floating behind her, noticed. The shopping district residents were cheering for "her." Her expression grew complicated as she looked down at "herself."
The runners behind her watched Kitasan Black's back with surprise.
Her start had been fast—even dazzling.
But their preconceptions about Kita-chan ran deep. After the initial shock, most still assumed she was nothing special.
Ribbon Victory steadied her nerves.
Kitasan Black? You're not taking the lead from me!
She pushed harder to close in.
"Ribbon Victory is chasing Kitasan Black!"
What's going on?
Ribbon Victory stared at the figure pulling farther ahead, shock returning to her face.
She'd activated her skills—pale blue light glimmering at her feet—and still couldn't close the gap?
She'd been sure she could catch up. Instead, she watched Kitasan Black's silhouette grow smaller and smaller.
"The treacherous first turn is coming up."
"Kitasan Black still leads."
"But isn't this pace a bit too fast? This is a 2,400-meter race."
From the stands, Nishizaki Ryu couldn't help frowning.
"What is Kita-chan doing? At this rate she'll run out of stamina before the final stretch!"
In his assessment, Kita-chan didn't have exceptional endurance. That was precisely why he'd focused her training on building stamina.
The Classic Triple Crown route demanded it: the Japan Derby had numerous slopes and a long final straightaway that taxed endurance, while the Kikka Sho was a 3,000-meter marathon.
Hearing their trainer's concern, Tokai Teio and the others tensed up.
None of them seemed to know that Kita-chan was actually a stamina-specialist.
The reason Kita-chan's endurance had always looked mediocre was entirely because of her debuffs.
Right now?
Kitasan Black wasn't worried about stamina in the slightest.
Her strategy for this race was the breakaway.
Not because she was overwhelmingly strong and could afford to run away with it.
But because she was at a disadvantage—and needed to build an early lead while she could.
The instant she entered the turn, she deployed another skill without hesitation.
Golden light flashed again.
She pulled even farther ahead of second-place Ribbon Victory.
"Unbelievable—Kitasan Black surges again on the turn! Is this some kind of strategy?"
Yamamoto said nothing, watching Kitasan Black with furrowed brows.
A mistake?
But if it were a mistake, her expression was far too composed.
Could this be... that tactic?
The breakaway.
Not a particularly powerful strategy. But definitely a rare one.
Few runners chose it, and its effectiveness was generally limited. Front-runners already burned more stamina than anyone else; the breakaway burned even more. You had to push to your limits from the start, spending your ability early. By the final stage, both stamina and skill reserves would be nearly empty. Unless you built a massive lead in the opening stages, you simply couldn't win.
And Kitasan Black—
Does she really have the stamina? Isn't she supposed to be a sprint-to-mile type?
While Yamamoto pondered, the race continued.
Through the first and second turns.
Kitasan Black held a steady five-length lead over second place.
Then, as the middle stage began, blue starlight rippled across her body. She drew a deep breath, and her stamina—which had dropped to roughly half—recovered to about seventy percent.
There we go...
So this is what an evenly matched race feels like? No—I refuse to call this even.
It ends here. Right now, I declare the outcome of this race!
Her legs drove down. Racing plates bit into turf. Iridescent rainbow light erupted.
Kitasan Black went to full throttle.
The gap exploded open in an instant.
"What?!"
"Kitasan Black is still accelerating—and this speed! She's so fast!"
"I see it now—Kitasan Black's strategy this race is the breakaway!" Yamamoto finally confirmed.
The crowd gasped.
A breakaway? In the Classic Triple Crown? In the Japan Derby?
This was a once-in-a-lifetime race. Was any runner really bold enough to gamble like this?
Most people thought Kitasan Black was being reckless. Based on this world's Kita-chan's previous performances, there was no reason to believe the breakaway could carry her to victory.
Even with her current lead looking terrifying.
The common expectation was that by the third turn, the chasers would begin closing in. By the final straightaway, her advantage would evaporate—and she'd be overtaken.
Even Kita-chan's own trainer, Nishizaki Ryu, thought so.
"A breakaway..."
"This is insane. It's the Japan Derby! It's 2,400 meters!"
"Tch, Trainer—can you just watch the race quietly? Kita-chan's already committed." Gold Ship cut in, exasperated.
Nishizaki Ryu had no rebuttal.
She was right. There was nothing he could do now but cheer.
But he genuinely couldn't understand it. Why had Kita-chan chosen this strategy?
Where did she get the confidence to attempt a breakaway at this distance?
In the stands, two spectators quietly conversed while waving their cheering sticks.
"The Derby is a race won by the luckiest uma musume. And historically, the third-place finisher of the Satsuki Sho has the best record of winning it."
"Why bring that up?"
"Do you know who placed third in this year's Satsuki Sho?"
"...!"
Even as most people—including Kita-chan's own trainer—doubted her, there were those who still believed.
The uma musume they were cheering for was technically the Kita-chan currently floating around as a spectator.
But Kitasan Black would answer their hopes.
And not merely answer them.
Akasaka, hearing Yamamoto's analysis, exclaimed: "A breakaway?!"
"That's right. A breakaway. But does Kitasan Black have the ability to sustain it? Honestly, based on her track record, this seems like a gamble."
Kitasan Black's expression didn't change.
So what if they didn't believe?
She'd never settled for just winning.
Even in someone else's body. Even with her power limited.
She was still the strongest—bar her senpai.
A simple victory wasn't enough to prove the strength she'd inherited.
As she accelerated, a white surge of wind materialized before her.
Surge—activated.
The white gale ignited into golden-red flame.
Aura—activated.
"On the scorching Tokyo turf, the fourth turn approaches—the point of no return! Kitasan Black still leads, now a full seven lengths ahead of second-place Ribbon Victory! Can she hold this to the finish, or will someone break through from behind?!"
"Satono Crown is making her move! Satono Crown is making her move!"
Satono Crown cut from the inside to the middle lane, weaving through gaps in the pack, launching sprint after sprint.
I have to win! I absolutely have to win!
Driven by unwavering determination, she began overtaking runner after runner.
"The final straightaway!"
By the time the commentator said those words, Kitasan Black had already burst out of the turn.
Rainbow light blazed. Pure white wings unfurled.
To the Edge of the Sky (Flash)
"Satono Crown breaks free of the pack—but Kitasan Black at the front is still accelerating!"
Duramente had planned to launch her charge at the turn's exit, but watching Kitasan Black's advancing silhouette, her instincts screamed that she couldn't wait any longer. She shot toward the outside lane, black aura flaring, and surged forward—blasting from the rear of the pack in the blink of an eye.
That explosive power was terrifying for their generation.
"Duramente makes her move!"
The stands erupted.
"Go, Duramente!"
"Satono Crown, don't give up!"
"Hang in there, Kitasan Black! You can do it!"
Trainers and friends added their voices to the roar.
Near the finish line, Spica's members cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted: "You're almost there, Kita-chan—push!"
Nishizaki Ryu's face was alight with emotion.
He didn't know how Kita-chan was doing this. But right now—
She can do it!
Just a little more and she wins!
Come on, Kita-chan!
Floating in midair, Kita-chan's face was a mask of disbelief.
How...
"Herself" actually had a chance to win?
Kitasan Black's eyes had entered the focused clarity of Flow.
Her brain automatically filtered the crowd noise. All she could hear was her own footsteps and the hammering of her heart. The only thing in her vision was the finish line, its gates thrown wide open.
"Satono Crown and Duramente are still chasing!"
"But Kitasan Black is only 200 meters from the finish! Can she hold on?!"
Akasaka leaped to her feet.
Yamamoto watched Kitasan Black with a severe expression.
Remarkable. Isn't this runner supposed to be a sprint-to-mile type?
This kind of stamina belongs on a long-distance track.
Though she does look like she's hitting her limit... Can she win? Probably a narrow victory?
Second place was now Duramente.
The gap: nine lengths. Even if Kitasan Black faded here, odds favored a razor-thin win.
But Duramente's burst power was extraordinary. Yamamoto couldn't guarantee anything.
Then—
The composed analyst's eyes flew open.
On the track, rainbow light erupted beneath Kitasan Black's feet once more.
Stake It All on Being the Strongest (Flash)
Her stamina gauge, nearly empty, froze in place.
And Kitasan Black—whom everyone expected to decelerate—accelerated again before the finish line.
The entire venue went silent.
Duramente, who'd been brimming with confidence, felt her expression crack.
I'm... going to lose?
In that stunned silence, Kitasan Black—drenched in sweat—crossed the finish line. The victory cannon boomed. Confetti cascaded down, settling on the body of the champion. On the display screen, a flash of gold—and Kitasan Black's name blazed in first place, not just claiming victory but shattering the course record.
"She's crossed the line!"
"The uma musume who conquers the Derby is Kitasan Black!"
"A stunning breakaway, an overwhelming victory! Kitasan Black sweeps away the shadow of the Satsuki Sho and delivers an unforgettable race! Let's hear it for Kitasan Black!"
The silence shattered into a tidal wave of cheering that engulfed the racecourse.
Kitasan Black stopped, breathing hard. This was the first time she'd ever pushed herself to this extent.
Exhausting.
But she didn't hate the feeling.
Duramente crossed the line in second, nine lengths behind.
Satono Crown finished less than a second later.
Since first place hadn't achieved an outside-placing margin, the placement countdown continued.
Kitasan Black looked up at the results on the jumbotron and sighed, slightly dissatisfied.
One second short.
But she'd truly given everything she had.
Unless she could awaken ZONE, this body's stats simply weren't enough to put Duramente into outside-placing territory. She knew that intellectually—but still felt a twinge of regret.
She was still a step behind her senpai.
But this should be enough. I should transfer back soon.
Though what's the deal with this world? It's not the original—otherwise my senpai would've found me by now. And the original world's Kita-chan is still in elementary school.
She walked toward the competitor tunnel.
The crowd and Spica's members stared in bewilderment.
Wait—had Kita-chan forgotten to interact with the audience?
They didn't know that Kitasan Black simply never did.
Duramente stared at the retreating figure, eyes boring into her back.
I... lost?
Even now, it felt unreal.
She'd been absolutely confident she would win this Derby.
Before the race, she hadn't considered any of her opponents a genuine threat. Not Satono Crown, not Kitasan Black.
To her, victory had been a foregone conclusion.
And yet—
She'd lost.
Not just lost—she'd come within a hair's breadth of being outside-placed.
A cold sweat broke out across Duramente's back.
If she'd actually been outside-placed, she didn't know what she would've done.
Unlike the Duramente in Kitasan Black's world, this Duramente was still the girl who assumed she was destined to become the strongest.
Satono Crown was equally stunned.
She'd gotten along well enough with Kita-chan, but she'd never imagined her as a threat today.
Even when Kitasan Black had shown abnormal power at the start and deployed the breakaway strategy, Satono Crown had been certain she'd be the one who faded.
Instead, Kitasan Black had nearly swept them all off the board.
...
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