Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 403 The Final Straight Line Behind the Beech Tree

The large beech trees at the Tokyo circuit have huge canopies; from the spectator stands, about 200 meters of the track are enveloped in their canopies.

As the tree canopy completely obscured the figure of the Northern Black Steed, the once silent racetrack seemed to be activated by some hidden switch, instantly becoming agitated.

From the group behind the trees, a golden figure was the first to launch an attack.

She was already at the front of the group, and in the blink of an eye, like a sword drawn from its sheath, she suddenly tilted her body, cutting through the air with unstoppable momentum, and ran towards the big beech tree.

At that moment, even from a distance of hundreds of meters, the muffled sound of a tank starting up could be faintly heard.

As if in response to the sudden acceleration of the racehorse girl, on this side of the track, the Golden Ship slammed its hand on the railing.

Then, with a loud bang and a continuous buzzing sound, ignoring the startled looks on the faces of those around them, the golden ship shouted towards the direction of the racing teams:

"It's finally here! I thought the master was going to slack off this time!"

Startled by the sound of the golden ship slamming against the railing, Yi Lutong was about to complain when she heard what followed, and her expression turned strange:
"Slacking off... How could that be? Do you think you're some kind of master craftsman? Besides, the Emperor and the others are all here. Even if you wanted to slack off, you probably wouldn't have the guts, would you?"

Under normal circumstances, the Golden Ship would definitely refute Yi Lu Tong's statement in a sharp rebuttal.

For a fleeting moment, she wanted to grab her friend by the collar and shake her around, demanding, "What do you mean by thinking that the master craftsman is me?"

However, on the track, after the Golden Master took the lead in accelerating, the speed of the entire team suddenly increased. She couldn't help but suppress the urge to argue and looked at the track.

The first thing you notice in the procession is the iconic knitted hat of the Zhongshan Celebration, which is constantly swaying.

Based on his familiarity with the Zhongshan Celebration and his own racing experience, Golden Boat immediately recognized that it was a running style that used the curve of the bend to cut into the inside lane.

This running style is not uncommon; on the contrary, it is a catching-up technique that any female racehorse must master.

Especially at the final corner, if you can't switch lanes smoothly, whether you get blocked off course or are forced to take the same route and waste your energy, you will undoubtedly lose your chance to compete for the finish line.

Because of familiarity, even though the game screen wasn't used extensively in this training match, Golden Ship was still able to judge Zhongshan Qingdian's current intentions and even imagine the opponent's current state.

Like a gambler who has gone all in, the leisurely pace of the first half suddenly tightened.

The whole person was like a giant spring, compressed to the limit in an instant, and then bursting out with amazing acceleration the moment they cut into the curve.

Mud splashed backwards from his running shoes, leaving a deep brown trail like an insurmountable chasm behind him. He chased after the leading Northern Black Steed and the Golden Master who had accelerated first, while leaving his opponents behind in one fell swoop.

The image of the Zhongshan Festival cutting into the bend flashed through his mind like a video, and Golden Boat couldn't help but raise his index finger and scratch his nose:

"Have you been holding it in until now, finally wanting to let it all out...?"

She muttered something under her breath, then slammed her foot on the railing with a thud, clenched her fist, and roared towards the final bend of the track:
"That's it! The celebration! Don't underestimate Xiao Bei! And don't let that master craftsman get away so easily!"

The loud shout drew stares from those around them, and Lu Tongze rolled her eyes helplessly. She was about to tell Golden Ship to be quieter when her expression suddenly turned serious. Like Golden Ship, she stared at the final bend and muttered to herself:

"First it was the Master Craftsman, then the Festival Celebration, and now... the Great Shock Celebration and Toho Lone Wolf have also started their pursuit?"

As Yilutong said, on the track, following the Golden Master and Zhongshan Celebration, Da Zhenhan, who was in the second row as the leader of the special training group, also accelerated.

Unlike its two opponents who cut in from the inside, the lion, having found its prey, with its ears pressed tightly to its head and its running posture low and crouched, chose the outside path.

The previously steady pace of walking suddenly increased several levels, and each step on the ground caused the splashed mud to visibly vibrate.

The racehorse girl with long black hair chose an outside pursuit route that was full of pressure, like a black torrent of steel, with the momentum to crush everything, and caught up with the Golden Master and Zhongshan Festival in just a few breaths.

Behind her, with remarkable precision, Dongbao Lone Wolf charged towards the bend along the outer diagonal line of the Great Shock. Her waist and abdomen, which had previously appeared somewhat relaxed and at ease, tensed up like a bowstring at this moment. She disappeared into the shadow of the beech tree almost one after the Great Shock.

Subsequently, one after another, the racehorse girls that were originally in the sight of the spectators disappeared, or were simultaneously obscured by the shadows of the trees.

This is one of the most famous sights at the Tokyo Stadium. At this time of year, even the noisiest stands seem to lose several degrees of noise.

The same was true at this moment. The crowd of spectators almost held their breath, their eyes fixed on the exit of the final bend. Even the Golden Boat, which had been making a ruckus just moments before, fell silent, its eyes wide open.

A moment later, the silence was broken once again by the golden ship:
"Oh my god! It's here! No matter how many times I've seen it, the impact... is still amazing!"

This shout was louder than before, but no one looked at the golden ship; everyone was focused on the racehorse girls who rushed out from the shadows of the beech tree and onto the final straight line.

The first to appear in everyone's sight like a black lightning bolt was still the Northern Black Steed, which had taken the lead when entering the bend.

Now that they were closer, her agile and swift figure became exceptionally clear.

Some racehorse girls and trainers with binoculars could even see the beads of sweat on her face and body, every fully stretched muscle line, and every movement full of power and speed.

Mud splashed out in sharp arcs at her feet. At this moment, the black-haired girl was like a lonely pioneer, ploughing out an inviolable leading line on the dark brown track.

Unlike before, the crowd's amazed gazes lingered on the Northern Black Steed for only a moment before they looked further back with excitement.

First came a series of deep, rumbling sounds that made one's heart pound, and then, in an instant, a dark, surging wave suddenly emerged from the previously silent shadows of the trees.

More than ten figures, like a torrent pulled by a rope, formed a swift and powerful wall, leaping out of the bend and rushing into the straight at almost the same moment.

Their necks and shoulders were all lowered, forming a faint line when viewed from a distance.

Behind and below that line, the taut tails of the wind seemed to entangle together as they shifted, while mud splashed from between the staggered footsteps, forming an impenetrable curtain.

The entire pursuit formation, stretching across the runway, silently formed a shrinking iron net, exuding a subtle yet suffocating discipline, like a group of organized falcons hunting.

(End of this chapter)