Overspeed: The user enters an accelerated state.
Speed that transcended time.
Tokai Teio instantly caught up to Kitasan Black. In that world where the rotation of time had stopped, only a small number of chosen people could move. Although Kitasan Black could use Mimicry to switch to Teio's style mode, because she was currently in McQueen's style mode, Kitasan Black's ability to act in the Overspeed world was limited.
Compared to before, after the current Tokai Teio used Overspeed, her condition still remained composed and unhurried. The current her could use Overspeed multiple times in one race, and the time she could accelerate lasted as long as ten seconds.
This was Teio's strength.
And just now, Teio had only used three seconds of Overspeed.
"What was that just now?!"
"I feel like my time was stolen!"
"A time-stop skill?"
"No, is this really a skill an umamusume can have? Are we sure this isn't cheating?"
"As expected of President Teio!"
"Hah?"
The spectators discussed one after another.
The runners were also incomparably shocked.
When Overspeed happened just now, although they could not move, for some unknown reason, they could observe Tokai Teio's movements. Therefore, they knew what had just happened. Otherwise, they might really have suspected that Tokai Teio had used Flash Step.
"Skills can actually do something like this?"
"Interesting!"
"How beautiful."
The race continued.
Tokai Teio caught up to Kitasan Black and completed the overtake. That posture looked so clean and decisive. Although it did not give people the feeling that she could not be defeated, it was as if she had long since grasped victory, giving people a sense of reassurance that this runner would certainly win.
In Kitasan Black's unfocused eyes, purple flames swayed.
"I was overtaken?"
Because she had never considered this possibility at all, she failed to react for a moment. Senior Teio had not erupted with an aura that could threaten her either. She had not even sensed danger before she was taught a lesson by Senior Teio. Was that reasonable?
"Not yet."
"I haven't lost yet!"
The purple flames surged. A pitch-black aura bloomed like something from the abyss. That was the power of the Conqueror that ruled darkness.
The invincible Fusion activated.
Terrifying gravity instantly captured its target.
Do not dream of struggling.
This was a power that could devour the world.
Rice Shower, in the spectator seats, watched this scene in admiration.
The radiance on Tokai Teio's body was instantly swallowed by darkness until nothing remained. Then Kitasan Black, wrapped in black dominance, chased back. Their eruptions took some time to describe, but in the race itself, it was only the blink of an eye. After Tokai Teio completed her overtake, Kitasan Black very quickly chased back again.
But this was not over yet.
Because this was not the end, but the beginning.
Tokai Teio looked at Kitasan Black's figure rushing out, and instead of showing surprise, she revealed a confident smile.
A brilliant light shone from Tokai Teio's body.
In the next moment, her condition was restored.
However, her position relative to Kitasan Black did not change. Perhaps she still had not completely mastered this power, but she had indeed grown. She already knew that power was not strongest only when fully unleashed. Only by controlling power so that it was neither one bit too much nor one bit too little could she become the strongest umamusume.
Time reversal?
No.
It was timeline reset.
The future I hold in my hands is infinite.
She changed a time reversal of up to five seconds into an instant of time jumping. By doing this, she could reduce the consumption of this ZONE to the absolute minimum and change the original restriction of only being able to use it once per race into an ability that could jump a total of five seconds of the timeline during this race.
But although it seemed like five seconds, in truth, it was infinite.
Through this method, Tokai Teio also obtained absolute resistance, gaining the same invincible effect as McQueen in a different way. It might even be a little superior to McQueen's, because McQueen's untargetable state could still be hit under the sun god's divine skill state. But Tokai Teio's move ate the opponent's interference, then reset her own condition through a time jump.
No matter what interference skill it was, even divine power could not interfere. She was an umamusume who truly grasped the future.
Before Tokai Teio, there was no longer anything impossible. This was Tokai Teio after breaking through her upper limit and evolving once again.
"What an intense exchange! Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black are competing against each other for first place. At present, Kitasan Black has retaken first place and holds the lead by a slight advantage, but Tokai Teio has not fallen behind. The race has now reached the 2000-meter marker, with the final 1000 meters remaining. Victory and defeat have not yet been revealed! Will the one who wins this race be Kitasan Black? Tokai Teio? Or another umamusume?"
The excited commentator shouted.
This race's intensity was rarely seen among all the races over these two days. Because of the vast number of participants, the probability of super-first-rate runners matching with one another was too low. Moreover, each participant's race times were different.
The spectator seats shouted the names of various participants.
However, unlike normal races, in this event, participating runners found it difficult to receive the bonus of a bond burst. Hearing the encouragement of Trainers and companions clearly during the race was far too difficult. This was a tournament to decide the strongest umamusume, not the strongest team.
Looking at the two ahead, whose gap from the rest was somewhat terrifying, the runners behind had already given up competing with those two monsters. Even a world legend as powerful as Secretariat felt that she had fallen behind the times.
Those two monsters were not merely powerful in physical ability and racing experience. Both had their own exclusive, rule-breaking abilities.
Secretariat was confident she could fight those two monsters if abilities were not used. But after seeing the various cheating skills these two monsters used, she said that she truly could not keep up with the era. Unless she could obtain a divine skill, she probably had no way to fight such monsters. And divine skills were on the bodies of three other monsters. This was rather helpless.
The third section turn.
Kitasan Black maintained two lengths.
Tokai Teio's gap from third place was already almost twenty.
The final turn.
The gap between Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black reached one length.
"Ahead is the final straight!"
Their footsteps crossed out of the turn at the same time.
Kitasan Black was covered in sweat, and the frequency of her breathing visibly grew heavier. Continuously switching between two seniors' ZONEs had pushed the burden on her body to its limit. But she had still not given up. While maintaining Senior Rice Shower's style mode, she used Fusion to absorb her own skills, displaying various powerful, cheating Flash Skills.
But Tokai Teio's figure followed close behind.
It could be clearly seen that Tokai Teio's condition was much better than Kitasan Black's. The degree of sweating was also much lower.
Even so, Tokai Teio was also covered in sweat at this moment and looked to have consumed more than half her stamina.
After all, this was a long-distance race.
And the two of them had been showing off all sorts of techniques from beginning to end.
Their stamina consumption was equivalent to running two races.
However, many people could now see that the scales of victory were already tilting toward Tokai Teio.
Kitasan Black also sensed things were not good.
Her intuition told her that if this continued, she would lose.
Even possessing Senior Rice Shower's power, she could not win.
"Huff... huff..."
As expected of Senior Teio.
Clearly, before, she had been completely no match for me. But now... now that I have become even stronger, you can actually catch up? You can actually make the current me feel danger?
Kitasan Black truly found it hard to believe, yet also felt it was within expectation. Because that was the perfect Senior Teio, after all.
"But even if Senior has become stronger, I have no intention of losing!"
The final Mimicry.
Can you endure it, my body?
No.
Endure it for me!
She harshly whipped her body and mind.
Kitasan Black's gaze shattered, and she completely entered a frenzied state. Her body sent intense warning signals to her brain, but the brain, fallen into madness, ignored them all. Terrifying mental power turned tangible and surged outside her body. Deep purple dangerous flames were filled with aggression. A completely new style instantly finished switching.
Tokai Teio's eyes flickered slightly.
That was...
The horseshoes on the soles of Kitasan Black's shoes pierced into the turf. In the next moment, every clock entered a stopped state. That was the Overspeed Tokai Teio had used before. Without a doubt, the final style mode Kitasan Black switched to at this moment was precisely her opponent, Tokai Teio.
Come.
Kitasan Black's will said this with such intensity.
Whether you are ultimate or whatever else...
I have already surpassed ultimate.
I have surpassed everything.
Tokai Teio excitedly unfolded Overspeed as well.
"Good!"
Everyone could only watch helplessly as the two competed for first place in that world of extreme speed. The participants behind them looked ashen. Even Secretariat's eyes were full of shock.
Wait.
How can both of you use this move?
And don't skills have use limits?
How can Tokai Teio still use this move now?
Shock, questions, and awe before the strong.
Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black's performance broadened everyone's horizons. It was a strength that shattered their understanding. If divine skills could be understood by everyone as powerful because they were divine power, then the current Kitasan Black and Tokai Teio were showing them a strength not inferior to gods through their own power.
Three seconds of Overspeed passed.
Kitasan Black exited the accelerated state.
At this moment, there were still 200 meters to the finish line.
But her body could no longer continue enduring.
None of her abilities could be used. Being able to keep running was already her spirit forcing her to hold on. Yet even under these circumstances, the madness in her eyes had not disappeared. She still maintained that state, driving the strength of her entire body and advancing toward the finish line.
At this moment, there was nothing in her heart except victory.
But unfortunately...
Tokai Teio had not yet exited Overspeed.
In the blink of an eye, she caught up to Kitasan Black and turned into a streak of light charging toward the finish line. Countdown: 3, 2, 1. Overspeed's time was exhausted. At this moment, the gap between the two had already reached five lengths.
Flash Skill activated.
Tokai Teio used the last of her strength to burst.
Kitasan Black could only watch her back from behind.
"Across the line!"
"Victory and defeat have been revealed!"
"First place is this umamusume: Tokai Teio!"
Standing beyond the finish line, Tokai Teio faced the spectator seats. Her right hand slowly rose, her finger pointing toward the sun in the sky.
The entire venue erupted with passionate cheers.
Tokai Teio's performance in this race conquered countless spectators. That powerful and handsome figure was like an undefeated white prince. Just standing there made a wave of coolness hit people head-on. Even alternate versions of Tokai Teio from various timelines were captivated by this show-off.
"Second place, Kitasan Black!"
Cheers that were similarly not low rang out.
Although Kitasan Black lost again in this race, her performance also greatly attracted the spectators. Losing to Tokai Teio did not mean Kitasan Black was weak. It only meant that Tokai Teio was currently stronger than Kitasan Black. Therefore, there were still many spectators supporting Kitasan Black.
A certain black-haired girl wearing something like festival clothing looked at Kitasan Black with sparkling eyes. She was a runner from an era after Kitasan Black, and her appearance looked similar to Kitasan Black's.
"So this is Senior Kitasan's strength!"
Another Kitasan Black nearby, after hearing this junior's admiration, could not help shaking her head in denial and loudly said, "No, no, no, little Equinox, don't think every me is that kind of monster. That girl is absolutely a mutated me!"
Her friend Satono Diamond beside her could not help laughing after hearing this.
But that Kita really was cool.
I wonder what the me from that world is like?
The life-winner young lady Satono Diamond did not know that the her from that world had lost everything.
The people from Kitasan Black's world looked at this result in surprise.
"That Kitasan Black actually lost."
"As expected of a tournament deciding the strongest across dimensions. Even that Kitasan Black encountered opponents. When she lost to that Demon King before, I thought it was because divine skills were too unfair. But now it seems that even without divine skills, the monsters in this tournament are extremely terrifying. That Teio really is too strong."
"Kitasan..."
Everyone was focused on first and second place.
Because their strength, even in this tournament, was not on the same level as other participants. People simply could not move their eyes away.
Secretariat, the world legend who should have received everyone's attention, was third at this moment yet remained obscure. Although she was third place in this race, and although there was a gap between her strength and that of the runners behind her, the gap between her and those two was still far too great.
"This feeling of defeat is my first time experiencing it. It isn't just that I lost the race. Even my heart submitted. The current me cannot win against them. What a clear and disheartening understanding."
Secretariat, who had originally felt that she could compete for the championship in this tournament, now felt that during this tournament, no matter what she did, she probably could not catch up to these monsters.
In the spectator seats, Demon King Gold Ship watched this scene, silently closed her eyes, and snorted coldly.
"Meaningless struggle. This tournament has one protagonist and only one protagonist. That is this Demon King!"
King Halo fell silent.
"Tokai Teio... as expected of you, perfect genius."
Rice Shower looked at Sister McQueen with admiration.
"It really happened just as you predicted, Sister McQueen."
McQueen did not speak. She only smiled.
Everyone has become stronger.
That really makes the coming final something to look forward to.
...
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