Umamusume: Jujutsu Kaisen System! [4]

“King, I’ll probably remember this race for the rest of my life.”

Choosing the wrong Style…

This was a textbook example of what not to do!

How could Kashimo, future “Jujutsu Scholar”—no, future Umamusume Scholar—possibly forget it?

Almost the instant Kashimo overtook King Halo, a faint cry reached her ears.

“Ghk…”

It was the distinctive sound of an Umamusume reaching the end of her strength.

An involuntary cry that escaped a runner when her stamina ran dry—or when her desire to win vanished in the middle of a race.

When Seiun Sky overtook her, King Halo had still clung to the hope of fighting for victory afterward.

But then Kashimo—an unknown Umamusume ranked near the very bottom of the favorites—overtook her. A runner King Halo had once defeated had passed her.

Her determination to claim the Derby title shattered.

The moment Kashimo heard that cry, she left King Halo behind with even greater ease.

Then she charged straight after Seiun Sky.

…

Spe-chan?

Running at the very front, Seiun Sky filtered out the spectators’ cheers and the commentator’s voice. She could just barely make out two sets of footsteps behind her.

Had Spe-chan caught up?

No.

Spe-chan’s footsteps weren’t that light.

Which meant…

Based on the positions she had seen around the final corner, it had to be Kashimo!

The instant she realized what was happening, the commentator confirmed it for her.

“WAIT—KASHIMO IS CATCHING UP TOO! IT SEEMS KING HALO’S FRONT-RUNNING PACE FAILED TO DRAIN MUCH STAMINA FROM THE RUNNERS BEHIND HER!”

“CAN SHE OVERTAKE KING HALO?”

“THEY’RE LEVEL!”

“IS KASHIMO ABOUT TO AVENGE HERSELF IN THE JAPANESE DERBY AGAINST THE RUNNER SHE COULD NEVER CATCH IN HER DEBUT RACE?”

“SHE’S PAST HER!”

“KASHIMO HAS LEFT KING HALO BEHIND AND IS NOW CLOSING RELENTLESSLY ON SEIUN SKY AT THE VERY FRONT!”

“THIS IS UNEXPECTED—BUT SOMEHOW, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE!”

“KING HALO, ONE OF THE TOP THREE FAVORITES, IS ALMOST CERTAINLY OUT OF CONTENTION FOR THE DERBY TITLE! SO WILL KASHIMO PULL OFF A STUNNING UPSET?”

“OR WILL SEIUN SKY HOLD THE LEAD TO THE FINISH?”

“OH!”

“THAT’S—!”

Even without deliberately listening to the commentary, both Seiun Sky and Kashimo—the runners occupying first and second—went on full alert an instant before that startled cry rang out.

THUD.

It was the sound of something heavy striking the turf as it overtook them.

The heavyweight of the new generation on turf.

The miraculous Umamusume, Special Week, had broken free from the pack at this crucial moment and truly entered the battle for the Derby title.

King Halo had now been overtaken for the third time!

Seiun Sky assessed the situation in an instant.

Did Spe-chan increase her cadence?

But Spe-chan struggled on inclines. Sky had to open a gap before the crest—enough to compensate for not controlling the pace herself and for the difference between their final spurts once they reached the flat.

Kashimo, who knew everything, understood what those rapid footsteps meant.

That English P-something running style!

The only question was which of them would be faster: Kashimo, whose wheel had adapted her to the incline, or Special Week using that running style.

“I can still run!”

“Uphills are all about—”

“SPIRIT!!!”

Special Week roared the second line with nearly all the strength she possessed, right beside Kashimo. Kashimo’s pupils contracted.

Wasn’t she afraid she would throw off her breathing?

No—more importantly, she had already caught up to them!

Kashimo was still about one length behind Seiun Sky, but Special Week had charged up from behind as a Late Surger and unleashed enough speed to overtake both of them!

This level of strength!!!

Now that is seriously powerful!

Judging by this, even if King Halo had not made the wrong tactical decision and Seiun Sky had successfully dictated the pace from the front, Special Week still would most likely have overtaken them.

Special Week, as she was now, wasn’t even in the same league as the other two prodigies of her generation!

And in this race, neither King Halo nor Seiun Sky had managed to capitalize on their own strengths.

Kashimo believed that without her participation, Special Week would have won the Derby by at least four lengths.

A lead of three lengths in a race often meant that the runners were not even on the same level.

Among the competitors in this Derby, the current Special Week was on the Gojo–Sukuna tier!

Her strength stood in a class of its own!

“OHHH!!!”

“SPECIAL WEEK, KASHIMO, AND SEIUN SKY!”

“SPECIAL WEEK HAS CAUGHT THEM!”

“SHE DOESN’T EVEN STAY LEVELLED!”

“AFTER PASSING KASHIMO, SPECIAL WEEK DOESN’T HESITATE FOR AN INSTANT—SHE SWEEPS PAST SEIUN SKY JUST AS EASILY!”

“SPECIAL WEEK IS THE FIRST TO CLEAR THE INCLINE AND HAS ENTERED THE FINAL FLAT STRETCH!!!”

“OH!”

“THERE IT IS! SPECIAL WEEK’S MIRACULOUS FINAL SPURT! SHE’S ACCELERATING AGAIN!”

“IS THERE ANYONE LEFT WHO CAN STOP SPECIAL WEEK NOW?”

“ONLY THREE HUNDRED METERS REMAIN!”

The commentator’s voice blazed with excitement. Special Week’s arrival upended the duel between Seiun Sky and Kashimo and sent the stands into an eruption of cheers.

Everyone who had come to Tokyo Racecourse…

Every spectator watching the race…

Anyone in the racing world familiar with the new generation understood that when it came to the final spurt alone, no one in this Derby could rival Special Week.

In other words…

Special Week had won the Japanese Derby!

The members of Team Spica—Special Week’s team and one of the two best Umamusume teams in Japan—were already on the verge of breaking out the champagne early.

Their Trainer also heaved a tremendous sigh of relief, a victorious smile appearing on his face.

They could no longer imagine any way Special Week might lose!

…

“Guh!”

After clearing the incline and entering the final flat stretch, Seiun Sky continued gritting her teeth, desperately trying to run faster. Her face had twisted with effort into an expression that was both fierce and strangely adorable.

Her body had voiced its exhaustion almost instinctively.

All Seiun Sky could do now was watch in frustration as Special Week pulled farther and farther ahead, stretching the gap between them with every step.

On this final straight, every trick and every scheme had become meaningless.

Only genuine strength could reverse the outcome now. From here on, it was a fair, direct contest of final spurts.

And that was precisely where Seiun Sky was at her greatest disadvantage against Special Week!

It’s over.

However from behind Seiun Sky came a sound powerful enough to make the earth tremble.

Heavy and terrifying.

As though every step might shatter the ground beneath it.

The next instant, white lightning flashed before her eyes, only to vanish into the air so quickly that it might have been an illusion.

A blue-and-white figure streaked past Seiun Sky.

Along with it came a roar from the girl, loud enough to shake the soul.

“SPECIAL WEEK!”

“LET’S SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!!!”

This is a fan translation of 赛马娘，但系统是咒术回战 by 肥伦 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!