Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 473 The Only Chance
Following closely behind the Northern Black Steed, the Emperor of the East Sea kept his gaze fixed on the figure ahead, precisely capturing every movement of this junior:
Each touch of the ground unleashed astonishing explosive power; even, long breaths drowned out the howling wind; the curves of muscle bulging and contracting were remarkably smooth…

She had already glimpsed this aesthetic of combining speed and power in Yasui Makoto's training reports, feedback from training and competition videos, and firsthand observations.

Running together now, she experienced firsthand the astonishing growth that had occurred within her.
"In terms of physical strength and endurance, it can be said that he has fully utilized his abilities, and his explosive power has also improved significantly..."

"His control of rhythm and his handling of curves are also superb, and he has his own understanding of rhythm..."

"Well, he's not the same kid he used to be, who just charged ahead blindly anymore..."

While she may admire her, as a racehorse girl, she naturally wouldn't hold back in any race.

Taking a few deep breaths during the transition between steps, she felt the dust and grass filling her nostrils. She arched her back slightly to allow her core strength to spread better throughout her body.

I tried to get closer at the bend, but as expected, the person ahead of me easily blocked my path.

She was not discouraged, but rather very pleased. She then focused her gaze and became even more serious.

The Northern Black Steed is indeed growing very well, and she has to go all out to deal with it; the test just now was proof of that.

However, in an official competition, this stage is only the beginning, and there are still many areas to compete in...

As she approached the middle straight section, she analyzed the situation while adjusting her breathing and pace, preparing for cruising speed.

People enjoying themselves at the racetrack finally noticed that there were two female racehorses "racing".

A sudden commotion arose from the crowd, and then someone recognized the horses speeding along the track as the renowned racehorses, the East Sea Emperor and the Northern Black Steed.

Instantly, exclamations and whispers began to spread.

"Yes, it's the Emperor of the East Sea! And the Northern Black Steed!"

"Really! They...are they having a competition? I'm so lucky to see them competing here!"

"Go, Emperor of the East Sea!"

"Charge! Northern Black Steed!"

People who had realized what was happening cheered them on. Many children jumped up excitedly, while adults put down their picnics, stood up, and took out their phones to take pictures.

Some, however, remained calm and were puzzled by this sudden "competition":
"What are these two doing here? Are they here to hang out? Shouldn't they be at the academy if they're going to train or have a match?"

"Why worry about so much? Don't you think it's incredibly lucky to see this? Hey—good luck, you two!"

Those more familiar with the game have already started discussing the "game" situation, and even the outcome, with their teammates:

"This speed... must be over 16 meters per second, right? Are they running a middle distance? Then this speed... is definitely race pace, isn't it?"

"In the mid-range, Donghai Diwang should have a bigger advantage, right? Her main victories are almost all mid-range games."

"It's hard to say, isn't it? Northern Black Horse just won the Takarazuka Memorial, so its mid-range strength is definitely not bad... But the East Sea Emperor has been retired for a long time, so... it's hard to say."

"It's probably because they don't know what distance they're running, otherwise they could make a better judgment..."

"That's true... but you'll see if you keep watching. I'm still keeping track."

The cheers and chatter from the crowd grew louder, but they did not cause any disturbance to the two female racehorses on the track.

Running in the familiar lead position, the Northern Black Horse stared intently at the stage ahead, filled with excitement and an unprecedented sense of anticipation.

The Emperor of the East Sea admired her greatly; she could clearly sense it, and he had never shied away from this, openly acknowledging it. However, this senior was always swamped with student council work, making opportunities to run freely together like this extremely rare.

Running alongside her idol was something she had dreamed of since childhood, and she always felt excited and lucky every time she ran like that.

Even now, my excitement remains.

Besides, a strong desire to defeat her opponent quietly grew in her heart.

From the very first moment, she was acutely aware of this desire, so much so that she was uncontrollably taken aback by it.

But now that the competition has progressed this far, she has no time to think about why she suddenly had such a thought.

Instead, he let his mind race, rapidly analyzing his own situation and that of the Emperor of the East Sea.

The 2400-meter track design at the Tokyo circuit is extremely rare in the entire Shining Series.

The Japanese Derby, the Oaks Tournament, the Aoba Sho, and the Metropolitan Championship have all concluded.

The only match we can compare it to next is the one in November of the second half of the year:
Japan Cup.

She had been preparing for the match with Yasui Makoto for a long time, and even without deliberately memorizing it, she had clearly understood all the details of the match by listening to it repeatedly:

The starting point is located in the middle of the straight section in front of the grandstand. There is not much buffer space after exiting the gate, so there are not many tactics and skills that can be used. If you want to get a spot, you can only rely on your strength.

About 350 meters from the first bend, this is the best opportunity if you failed to position yourself before.

The next step is to complete a full lap of the track, which will be a balanced test of cornering skills, straight-line cruising, and other aspects.

The final straight is 525.9 meters long, the longest of all G1 matches, and 50 meters longer than the Takarazuka Memorial match they just won...

With this race schedule design, the 2400 meters in the Tokyo venue will basically start slowly, saving as much energy as possible for the final straight and competing in the last leg.

Such events include the Japanese Derby, the Oaks Grand Prix, the Aoba Sho, and the Metropolitan Championship.

However, of those four matches, the first two were limited to the Classic Year, while the last two were against G2 and OP respectively.

The Japan Cup is the only event in this venue and schedule that takes place in the Year of the Horse, and it cannot be treated the same as the previous four. Many aspects need to be considered separately.

From the very beginning, she was competing against Tokai Teios at a level truly comparable to that of a Japan Cup participant.

First, they quickly seized the lead thanks to their outstanding explosive power;

Then, during the acceleration process, maintain a relatively stable pace, respond to the actions behind you, and do not make any unnecessary movements;
We are currently cruising, so we should minimize energy consumption to save enough stamina for the next acceleration later in the game.

That speed boost was her best, and perhaps only, chance to win this match with only two competitors!
They were confidently conducting their analysis and judgment, and the opposite straight line was more than halfway through.

In that instant, she felt a surge of energy.

As if countless tiny springs were bursting in the joints, the power of the whole body poured into the legs, and a familiar tingling sensation came from the knees.

That's the unique vibration of muscle fibers when they contract at high speed.

A powerful shock came from her feet, and she took a deep breath, expanding her chest to its limit, forcefully filling her lungs with the scent of grass.

It's now!

(End of this chapter)