At the very instant Special Week spoke, Yasui Makoto’s attention immediately shifted toward the racetrack across from the stands.
Exactly as the Uma Musume had observed, the black-haired girl on the far straight visibly increased her pace.
Simultaneously, Yasui swiftly glanced at the trackside timer.
1200 meters in 1 minute, 14.6 seconds… That’s nearly 0.98 m/s faster over the last 200 meters.
Excellent pacing—exactly as planned.
Just like that, keep the pressure on, Kita-chan!
As if hearing his silent encouragement, Kitasan Black lowered herself further, eyes locked firmly on the figure ahead.
The one in front… isn’t she running a bit too leisurely?
At this rate… I’m barely even tired.
Why was chasing Daiwa-senpai never this easy…?
Well, never mind that for now.
But right now…
I’m sorry—but running like this, you won’t win this race.
Resolving herself instantly, she pressed hard with her hind legs, closing in rapidly on the leader.
The announcer’s voice erupted, igniting the spectators’ excitement:
“Once again! Just like in previous races, Kitasan Black makes the first move!”
“They’re entering the third turn, and Susan Muse’s lead is quickly shrinking!”
“Two horse-lengths… one horse-length…!”
“Susan Muse isn’t giving up the lead! She’s holding on and also accelerating!”
“But Kitasan Black accelerates again as well!”
“They’re close—can Kitasan Black pass her?!”
“She’s done it!”
“Midway through the third turn, after two accelerations, Kitasan Black overtakes Susan Muse!”
“Kitasan Black now leads! And second place is…!”
“Number 10, Tannhauser Sonata! Sonata is moving up quickly!”
“Susan Muse now sits in third!”
“Just behind her is Noda Gold! Then Unyielding True Steel!”
“The two top favorites are finally making their moves!”
The commentator’s excitement sent the already energized audience into a frenzy, cheers echoing across Nakayama Racecourse and elevating the atmosphere to its peak since the start.
However, the analyst’s commentary quickly returned to calm analysis:
“It appears the positional battle among the front-runners has triggered a chain reaction, significantly increasing the overall pace.”
“However, chasing the front-runner at this point might not be wise. With the previous slow pacing, Kitasan Black still has plenty of stamina left for further acceleration.”
“Let’s hope the chasing pack hasn’t grown impatient and fully understands the current situation.”
At this moment, exactly as the analyst noted, Kitasan Black—leading the pack—felt utterly fresh, almost as if she’d barely run at all.
Yet through her ears and sharpened senses, she felt three or four rivals closing in behind her.
For an instant, she couldn’t suppress a pang of nervousness.
She’d experienced being chased before—in the final turns of her previous two races, opponents had surged after her similarly.
Yet those previous pursuers’ strides had lacked the fierce sharpness she now heard behind her.
The footsteps behind her sounded like pounding drums, each beat resonating deeply in her chest.
Yet in the next instant, she relaxed.
Her stamina reserves were more than ample—enough for her to continue accelerating through every remaining meter.
And compared to the overwhelming pressure she’d felt training alongside Vodka, the “drumbeats” behind her were like mere raindrops, utterly negligible.
Even if I can’t beat my senpai yet…
Do you really think I can’t defeat all of you?!
A thrilling shiver surged through her crimson eyes, electrifying her entire body. It brought with it exhilaration, adrenaline, and power multiplied a thousandfold.
Driven by this surge, she involuntarily lowered her head and gaze for a brief instant. Then, raising them again, she hammered her hind legs fiercely against the ground and shouted uncontrollably:
“Come chase me if you think you can!!”
Her challenge barely reached the ears of the closest pursuers. Further behind, only the final, defiant cry could be faintly heard.
From the stands, commentary booth, and the audiences watching on TV, computers, and phones, all they saw was the black-haired girl suddenly exploding forward.
The announcer’s voice rose feverishly:
“Exiting the fourth corner now! Exiting the fourth corner now!”
“It’s fiercely competitive! Fiercely competitive!”
“Kitasan Black still leads! But—but!”
“On the inside, Susan Muse hasn’t surrendered! On the outside, Tannhauser Sonata is chasing hard!”
“Kitasan Black is sandwiched tightly between them, under severe pressure!”
“Behind them, Noda Gold takes the fourth lane outside, and Unyielding True Steel, even wider in the sixth lane!”
“They’re all closing in on Kitasan Black!”
“They’re out of the corner!”
“Kitasan Black still leads with incredible determination and exceptional stamina—she’s still accelerating!”
“Susan Muse is dropping back! Susan Muse has lost speed!”
“Kitasan Black is pulling ahead! She’s pulling ahead!”
“Tannhauser Sonata is also slowing down! Sonata’s pace has faltered!”
“Kitasan Black runs unchallenged!”
“One length! Two lengths!”
“She’s opening the gap! Kitasan Black is pulling away!”
“Final stretch—200 meters left! Kitasan Black runs alone!”
“But—but!”
“Noda Gold has slipped past the faltering runners, surging forward!”
“On the outside, Unyielding True Steel also picks up speed!”
“Is the top favorite finally unleashing her renowned late kick?!”
“She’s fast! Unyielding True Steel is incredibly fast!”
“100 meters left!”
“Unyielding True Steel overtakes Noda Gold! She’s now in second place!”
“But Kitasan Black still holds a one-length advantage!”
“One length left! Can she hold it?! Can Kitasan Black hang on?!”
“Half a length! Just half a length now!”
“Only 50 meters remain!”
“Can Unyielding True Steel catch Kitasan Black?!”
“Can Kitasan Black withstand Unyielding True Steel’s charge?!”
Amid the frenzied commentary, Kitasan Black—now mere steps from the finish line—heard none of it.
All she heard, all she felt, was a single, overwhelming sound—a raging storm of approaching footsteps—and one desperate thought:
Not enough…
Not enough…
Not enough, not enough, still not enough!
A finishing kick like this…
“—Will never be enough to make me surrender!!”
As she roared those defiant words, all at once, like air escaping a balloon, she felt her speed suddenly falter.
…
…
…
Instantly, panic and confusion gripped her. She stumbled momentarily, eyes widening in frantic disbelief, desperately glancing around.
At that instant, deafening cheers rolled in from the stands like waves crashing upon the shore.
Just as earlier, when she’d heard the results from the Hanshin Daishoten, the thunderous applause carried only one name:
Her own.
And an excited, triumphant voice echoed over the speakers:
“A quarter-length lead!”
“Three consecutive wins!”
“Three consecutive victories!”
“Let’s congratulate her for winning the Spring Stakes!”
“Congratulations…”
“Kitasan Black!!”
—
T/N: HEH HAD YOU IN THE FIRST HALF!
This is a fan translation of 赛马娘：从被撞飞十米开始 by 百升飞上天 All 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!
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