The moment Fujiwara Shirayuki made her move, a brown figure followed close behind.
Blue eyes as sharp as blades. Long hair streaming in the wind.
As they entered the turn, Grass Wonder seized her chance, shifted into the outer lane, and began accelerating without hesitation. Her eyes had been fixed on Shirayuki the entire time. From the start of the race, Grass Wonder had never once let her attention stray.
A cold chill surged into Shirayuki's heart. The pressure coming from behind was so intense it felt almost tangible, like a naginata had been brought down toward the top of her head, the word death hanging right above her.
Turning toward the source of that pressure, Fujiwara Shirayuki finally found the Grass Wonder who had hidden herself for the entire race.
So it really was you, Grass!
The other girl's steps were frighteningly fierce.
Nase Fumino had said that Grass Wonder's performances were unstable. Sometimes she ran brilliantly, and sometimes she underperformed. If her condition were split into "good," "average," and "bad," then without question, the current Grass Wonder belonged in the "excellent" category. She had even broken past the upper limit of that state.
Why are you suddenly popping off right now!? Is it because your opponent is me!?
As Fujiwara Shirayuki watched Grass Wonder charging at her with that invisible naginata clenched tight, she saw a powerful emotion burning in Grass Wonder's eyes as they stared directly at her.
Yuki-chan, I've always been watching you.
Fujiwara Shirayuki could read that feeling clearly.
And also: I'm going to utterly surpass you!
This is way too scary. She's like some kind of yandere!
Grass Wonder's feet moved with terrifying speed as she gradually closed the distance behind Shirayuki.
I have no intention of letting you pass me!
Enduring that sharp, intense pressure, Fujiwara Shirayuki bent lower.
From the stands came Special Week's voice.
"Shirayuki!! You can do it!!"
"Special Week, at a time like this you're supposed to call her Snow Dancer."
"Eh!? It should be fine if I don't use the full name, right?"
"Well..."
"Yuki! Go for it!!"
The moment she heard Special Week's voice, Shirayuki's eyes sharpened.
Thanks, Spe-chan. I'm in top form too right now!
Shirayuki kicked forward, her body moving like a silver wolf charging into battle, springing across the turf with incredible agility.
Grass Wonder narrowed her eyes and cast a look toward Special Week in the stands that carried a trace of killing intent before lightly biting down on her lip.
Shirayuki is mine. The only one allowed to surpass her is me. The only one allowed to give her strength is me too!
Without losing even a fraction of her edge, Grass Wonder stayed locked onto Fujiwara Shirayuki's stride.
At this point, the two of them had reached the very front of the pack. Hishi Amazon's voice rang out across the track.
"The final turn! Right now Snow Dancer is in the lead! Right behind her is Grass Wonder! Both runners are charging for first place. Amazing! Is this the level of the new generation of Uma Musume!?"
Grass Wonder stopped holding anything back.
Yuki-chan, can you feel it!? This is the burning passion I have for you!
A cold sensation pierced into Shirayuki's chest, and scalding blood seemed to burst through her body. In her mind, she could see that sharp naginata piercing clean through her.
I feel it...
Looking at Grass Wonder now running shoulder to shoulder with her, Fujiwara Shirayuki wiped the sweat from her brow.
What an incredibly intense feeling. In that case, I have to answer you seriously too!
Then came a thump. Grass Wonder heard the sound of a heartbeat. Even though Shirayuki was still half a meter away, she could hear that pounding coming from her body.
Shirayuki lowered herself, her ears standing high.
Grass Wonder's eyes widened. She saw that Shirayuki's eyes were filled with a kind of beastlike ferocity. Her body seemed to have truly become a white wolf, and for a brief moment Grass Wonder thought she could hear a long wolf's howl bursting out from within her.
Bang!
Her foot dug into the earth. Glittering sweat drew a shining arc through the air. Putting all the strength in her body into one motion, Fujiwara Shirayuki twisted her ankle and felt blazing heat rise from her foot as she lunged toward the finish line one final time.
"It's Snow Dancer!!" Hishi Amazon shouted from the commentator's stand. "She hasn't let Grass Wonder overtake her! Snow Dancer surges again and opens the gap! Only fifty meters left to the finish!!"
Seeing that beastlike figure in front of her, Grass Wonder clenched her teeth.
Can I go any faster!?
She looked at her own legs.
No. Her stamina was already at its limit. Every breath came with a wave of weakness. No matter how hard she pushed, Grass Wonder could only barely touch the tip of Shirayuki's tail.
Sorry, Grass...
Fujiwara Shirayuki drove herself forward.
I'm winning this race!
"Finish!! It's Snow Dancer! In the first mock race, the winner is Snow Dancer!!"
A huge wave of cheers erupted from the stands.
After crossing the line, Fujiwara Shirayuki stood there gasping. Her whole body was burning, and her feet were burning even more.
Every time she finished running, her body became unbearably hot.
It's so hot. I want to take my shoes off so badly...
She felt as though heat were rising from her whole legs, and her feet were stifling from the sweat.
But taking off her shoes in front of all these spectators would be far too unladylike, so she could only endure it for now.
Fujiwara Shirayuki panted for breath.
"Congratulations on your win, Yuki-chan."
Grass Wonder came over, clapping softly.
Just like Shirayuki, her forehead was covered in sweat, and loose strands of hair clung to her cheeks. The murderous aura she had radiated a moment ago was now completely gone, and she once again gave off her usual gentle, graceful presence.
Even so, that yandere-like expression from moments ago had already rooted itself deeply in Shirayuki's mind. There was no way she was forgetting it.
"A hard-fought win, Grass." Shirayuki forced out a very strained smile.
She had just been feeling proud of how much she had improved, and then in the very first race she ran straight into a Grass Wonder who suddenly popped off. I really don't want every race to be some high-level deathmatch. Can't I get one easy low-tier round where I get to stomp someone?
Teio, Special Week, Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa, TM Opera O, and now Grass Wonder too. None of them were weak. Fujiwara Shirayuki could already imagine just how brutal the coming races were going to be. Her generation was absolutely packed with talent.
"Oh right, Shirayuki, there's something I'm curious about."
"What is it?"
"At the very end, when you were crossing the finish, I saw your movement change after you heard Spe-chan's voice. Was that really what happened?" Grass Wonder asked with a gentle smile. "Could it be that Spe-chan's voice changed your state of mind?"
For a split second, Shirayuki thought she saw a naginata in Grass Wonder's hand. Startled, she immediately took two steps back, and when she looked again, she realized it had only been her imagination.
Swallowing hard, Fujiwara Shirayuki explained, "That was part of it..."
"Hmm?"
"The bigger part was you." Shirayuki steadied herself. "I felt your feelings. That burning-hot emotion, like fire. So I had to answer you with the same intensity. I held nothing back. It's just that Spe-chan happened to shout at the perfect moment. That final acceleration drained everything I had. If you'd managed to catch up after that, the winner would've been you."
At those words, Grass Wonder's eyes widened, her beautiful sky-blue pupils shimmering. She took out a handkerchief, stepped close to Shirayuki, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"...I see." Grass Wonder's lips curved upward.
"I felt the same way, Yuki-chan. The fact that you raced me without holding anything back means you have strong feelings for me too, doesn't it? I felt that very clearly." Grass Wonder tilted her head, smiling softly. "About our bet... is there anything you want me to do?"
Her expression remained gentle and sweet.
"As long as it's your request, Yuki-chan, I'll grant it, no matter what."
"The bet... I haven't decided yet. Can I keep it in reserve for now?"
"Of course. As long as you..."
"Shirayuki!"
At that exact moment, Special Week came dashing over and threw herself into Shirayuki's arms.
"You were amazing, Shirayuki! At the very end, I could feel the bond between me and you!"
One of Grass Wonder's brows twitched.
"Spe-chan, has no one ever told you it's rude to interrupt people while they're talking?"
"Oh, so it's Grass Wonder, the one who lost to Shirayuki. You worked really hard and ran a great race, but I'm Shirayuki's rival. The only one who can beat her is me." Special Week said proudly.
Heh... what a lovely thing to say. Next time I should just cut your head off, Spe-chan.
"Next group of runners, please prepare."
"It's my turn, Shirayuki! You better watch my race properly!"
"Yeah, I know..."
"Don't worry, Spe-chan." Grass Wonder smiled as she took Shirayuki's hand. "I'll watch it together with her very, very carefully. Do your best in the race, alright?"
With that, Grass Wonder pulled Shirayuki over to her side and led her toward the stands.
Before leaving, Grass Wonder glanced back at Special Week, her eyes carrying a thick, almost choking amount of provocation.
Grass! That girl!
Special Week clenched her teeth in fury, but in the end she could only head helplessly toward the runners' preparation area.