Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 459 The Final Encirclement and Suppression
On the rain-washed track of the Hanshin Circuit, the long-accumulated power of the Northern Genko erupted completely at this moment.

The black and gold victory outfit fluttered fiercely in the wind, like a flag of victory, while the ponytail danced wildly behind her like black flames.

She was like a train speeding recklessly, or a long-awaited arrow, charging straight ahead with unstoppable momentum.

Each step she took was like a heavy hammer slamming into the ground, splashing up large amounts of mud that danced wildly in the air, as if cheering for her valiant charge.

Her muscles were taut yet relaxed, and with each exertion of all her might, her body sped forward like lightning.

Behind her, Satomi Noble was chasing after her with all his might.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes revealing resentment and determination, her legs moving rapidly, the horseshoes slamming heavily against the ground.

But as she chased after him with all her might, she was horrified to find that her strength was starting to wane.

Only then did she realize that she had given up leading and opted for leading in the first half of the race, and only switched to her signature slow escape in the second half.

This... is precisely the complete strategy of the Northern Black Steed!
By employing this strategy, the opponent conserved a considerable amount of energy.

For racehorse girls who excel at long-distance races, their extraordinary stamina is an advantage they can be proud of.

Now that it has been preserved, its potential is even more terrifying:
The footsteps coming from ahead were like precise drumbeats, with an outrageously steady rhythm. Each stomp of the foot carried a heart-pounding cadence, as if playing a battle song of certain victory.

In the hazy, muddy mist, the black and gold figure showed no signs of strain. The fluttering victory uniform billowed like waves in the wind, and the straight line of the ponytail that shot out in the air was as sharp as a knife.

It was as if every muscle exertion had been perfectly calculated; each push off the ground startled the earth, and the clumps of mud they kicked up traced parabolic arcs in the air, their trajectories so precise they seemed to have been measured.

Having witnessed all of this, she realized that her strategy... had failed.

That's right, I did follow the instructions and kept a close eye on the movements of the Northern Black Horse from the very beginning.

This opponent did not manage to run to his best position in the first half, and I should have performed quite well in the later stages.

However, in this situation, I was too focused on keeping a close watch after the gate opened, and I inadvertently overlooked the opponent's decisive tactic of continuous acceleration over a long distance, in addition to leading and slowing down.

Or rather, even if she had thought of it, she wouldn't have realized immediately that the other party would use such a method when there were still 1000 meters to the finish line, which was not normal!

Even if it's possible to accelerate over a long distance, normally... wouldn't it only start happening at the third corner at the earliest?!

But from another perspective, for long-distance female racehorses, the so-called third bend... is still nearly a thousand meters from the finish line, while Northern Black Horse is just a little earlier!
In short, I've figured these things out by now.

But it seems... it's too late to catch up.
Salty sweat stung my eyes like a handful of sea salt.

She wanted to raise her hand to wipe it, but she forced herself to hold back—every second at this moment was crucial to the outcome of the game, and she couldn't afford to make any unnecessary movements.

A rough, abrasive feeling rose in my throat, my chest felt like it was being gripped tightly by rusty iron clamps, my lungs felt like they were on fire, and my breathing became rapid and heavy.

Each breath felt like it was tearing his chest apart, and he couldn't help but let out a heavy hissing sound with each rapid gasp.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my thigh muscles; the lead-like weight of lactic acid accumulated in my blood vessels felt heavy, and every exertion felt like being cut apart by a dull knife.

And ahead:
One horse's length, two horse's lengths... three horse's lengths! As his stamina seemed to drain away like a broken balloon, Satomi Noble watched helplessly as the Northern Black Horse grew faster and faster, its lead snowballing out of control.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw several figures chasing after her from both sides like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.

"We've passed the final bend; now it's the final showdown before the glory of Takarazuka!"

The commentator's passionate, almost frenzied voice instantly resounded throughout the entire stadium:
"Northern Black Horse is currently in first place, leading by more than two horses!"

"She looks to be in great shape and is quite at ease, and her advantage is still widening!"
"It looks like Satomi Noble, who has surged to second place on the curve, is having some difficulty. She doesn't seem to be able to catch up with the Northern Black Horse!"
"but!
"Now in second place are Langri Qingtian and Shengzhishi. Shengzhishi has successfully squeezed out from the inside, while Langri Qingtian has caught up from the outside!"
"Also on the outer path is Takashi Junyi, followed closely by Satomi Crown!"

"Dongbao Lone Wolf and Tianxia Weiyi, who were previously in the lead, have not given up and are striving to catch up!"
"Further back! The thunderous roar indicates that they have completely escaped to the outermost lane!"
"She's going to start from the Great Outer Path and surpass everyone in one breath!"
"All the contestants' only goal is Hokuto Genko. At this moment, they only have Hokuto Genko in their eyes, only want to surpass her and win the championship glory of Takarazuka Memorial!"

“300 meters left!
"We are about to enter the final uphill section!"

This is the final battle!
This is the final encirclement and suppression!

"Can we withstand this level of offensive? Can we escape to the end like we have in the past victories?"

"The Northern Black Steed?!"

In the stands, the audience was already extremely tense. The entire stands were filled with a suffocating atmosphere of tension, and the pounding of their hearts seemed to converge into a powerful sound wave.

At the front of the stands, the East Sea Emperor and Megumi McQueen had completely lost their initial ease and elegance, their expressions becoming serious and focused.

Almond-eyed, her face flushed with nervousness, waved her light stick frantically and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Kibe-senpai! Go for it! You have to win!"

Her voice was hoarse from excitement, and Wang Ziding was equally nervous. She bit her slightly reddened lips tightly and stared intently at the track.

Yasui Makoto unconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He knew that the final and most difficult moment of the race was approaching, and he understood the immense pressure that the Northern Black Horse was facing at that moment.

His gaze was fixed on the Northern Black Steed, his eyes filled with worry and anticipation, and one sentence kept echoing in his mind:

"Xiao Bei, hang in there! You... you can do it!"

Amidst the splashing brown mist on the track, the Northern Black Horse led the way, riding alone at the very front.

Meanwhile, eight or nine meters behind, the pursuit of their opponents had already begun like a surging tide.

Their figures kept changing, and the distance between them and the leaders was slowly but steadily shortening.

Their gazes remained fixed on the black and gold figure ahead, their footsteps echoing on the muddy track with a deep, powerful sound.

It was as if this power was being transferred to the Northern Black Horse, attempting to pull her down from the lead.

(End of this chapter)