The gates flew open, and the race began. Fourteen runners burst forward all at once.
Thanks to the training under the crushing weight of those horseshoes, Fujiwara Shirayuki's leg strength had improved considerably. Her start came easily, and before long she had secured a position near the front.
With her current power, she could handle either a front-running or pace-chaser style with ease. She had already developed an aptitude for both. If the pressure in the front was low, she could run up front. If it was crowded, she could fall back. She was now able to judge according to the conditions of the race itself.
In truth, aside from having Chiya as a third-person perspective, Shirayuki possessed another advantage: she had training knowledge that ordinary Uma Musume did not. Depending on how the race developed, she could improvise a race plan on the spot and adjust her rhythm as she ran. As long as it stayed within the bounds of what she knew, she could try it.
Thanks to Nase Fumino, the experience in her head regarding races was no longer remotely comparable to what it had once been. Her judgment of race situations had improved enormously too. If she could use that ability well, it would become something capable of turning the entire tide of a race.
So even without Chiya's multi-angle support, Shirayuki alone could still produce excellent results.
She quickly judged the positions of the Uma Musume around her. Two were directly ahead, one at the forward diagonal, and two at the rear diagonal. Among them, there was no sign of Grass Wonder.
Where did she go? Based on Shirayuki's understanding of Grass Wonder, if the front was at a disadvantage, she would retreat to the back. She was the kind of Uma Musume who judged the situation carefully. And just like Shirayuki, Grass Wonder was also suited to both front-running and mid-pack styles.
Don't tell me she's hiding behind me like El did...?
When an Uma Musume was running, the one place she absolutely could not see was directly behind her. Only during turns could she catch the slightest glimpse of a shadow.
No way, Grass. You're targeting me too?
Fujiwara Shirayuki had a bad feeling about this.
Two horse-lengths behind Shirayuki, Grass Wonder remained hidden in the middle of the pack.
Through the gaps between runners, she could see Fujiwara Shirayuki glancing left and right.
Are you looking for where I am? Too bad. I'm not like El. I'm not going to wait in some obvious corner.
Grass Wonder's goal in this race was perfectly clear: Fujiwara Shirayuki. All she needed to do was overtake her at the right moment, and that timing needed to be exact. Just as Shirayuki had said, she had always been watching her. And in the same way, Grass Wonder had always been watching Shirayuki too.
From the moment they entered school, that one line Shirayuki had spoken — "I want to truly understand Uma Musume" — had drawn Grass Wonder in. And everything Shirayuki had done afterward proved she had meant it. In only a few short months, Shirayuki had become a bond connecting the class, and had even joined the student council.
Good grades, helpful to others, serious in training, and excellent race results as well. While her personality had once been a little rough around the edges, recently Shirayuki had become very ladylike. Even with a very strict eye, it was hard to find flaws in her now.
How many people could tolerate Meisho Doto's tendency to turn everything into a mess? How many could tirelessly become the teacher of those students with terrible grades? And how many could stay by a fellow Uma Musume's side when she was sad after a loss, encouraging her again and again until she regained her confidence?
As a classmate, Fujiwara Shirayuki always gave people the dependable feeling of a trainer and a teacher. It made others want to rely on her without even realizing it.
Of course, those things were only bonus points in Grass Wonder's heart.
What mattered most was that Shirayuki truly cared for and looked after her friends.
When she heard Shirayuki say that she had watched every single one of her races, Grass Wonder had become so emotional she could hardly contain herself. She had many friends, but whenever she raced, they either thought it was too much trouble and did not come, or else came and did not watch seriously.
Even worse, some of them would completely fail to notice that she had even raced at all.
Grass Wonder could not forgive such awful behavior. That kind of friendship was as fragile as glass. People said "friend," but really they were only "familiar people."
But Shirayuki was different.
She really had been paying attention to her.
Grass Wonder always went to watch her friends' races. But among all those people, only Shirayuki had ever truly responded to that. For the first time, Grass Wonder felt that what she had given had been returned to her. A burning fire rose in her heart, and passionate emotion swelled in her sky-blue eyes.
She wanted to win this race.
Not only because Shirayuki was her closest friend, but also because there was something she wanted Shirayuki to do if she won.
Truthfully, she had long felt that Shirayuki carried a kind of sun-like warmth about her, something gentle that made others feel at ease. Someone like that would be perfect for learning tea ceremony. The two of them could brew tea together, drink tea together, and deepen their friendship.
Grass Wonder was no longer satisfied with being treated as just an ordinary friend by Shirayuki. Since she herself had already placed Shirayuki in the most important place in her heart, then naturally, she wanted Shirayuki to place her in that same position too.
That was her selfish desire.
That was her secret she could not speak aloud.
Grass Wonder kept herself hidden in the pack.
Ahead of her, Fujiwara Shirayuki felt a chill run down her spine.
Where exactly was this strange cold pressure coming from?
Fujiwara Shirayuki nervously looked around. She was now completely certain that someone had their sights set on her, and yet she still could not identify the source.
Could it be Grass Wonder?
But when Shirayuki had deliberately looked back during the last turn, she had not been able to spot Grass Wonder at all. Clearly, Grass was somewhere in the back of the pack.
Even so, could Grass Wonder really pressure her this much from that far away?
Probably... yes.
For Uma Musume, their faces on and off the track were entirely different. No matter how cute an Uma Musume might seem in daily life, once the race entered the final sprint, she would emit an overwhelming pressure. Grass Wonder was exactly that type. Though she was gentle in everyday life and always spoke in a calm, unhurried voice, once the race began, she exuded an astonishing sharpness.
That feeling was like someone swinging a gleaming naginata and slashing straight at her opponent. No one could endure that kind of pressure.
At least, in Shirayuki's eyes, defeating Grass Wonder when she was backed by that aura was extremely difficult.
The race entered the final turn, and the cold feeling of being watched grew stronger and stronger.
With her current leg strength, Shirayuki could fully accelerate all the way to the finish. So long as she still had stamina to spare, the turn was actually the best place to overtake. Everyone would instinctively drift toward the inner rail, leaving the outside lane open. Conveniently, there were very few runners in front of her blocking that route, so she would not need to spend much energy moving out.
The only problem now was the identity of the one giving her that cold pressure. Shirayuki still had not found her.
Forget it. If she won't come out, then I'll force her out!
Her opponent's target was her. The moment Shirayuki made her move, that opponent would have to move too.
With that thought, Fujiwara Shirayuki lowered her body. Her flexible physique took on a wolf-like form.
Just as she was about to accelerate, a gleaming naginata came slashing down from above her head.