Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 474 You Will Definitely Surpass Me

In the instant of acceleration, the hem of Beibu Genko's trousers was lifted by the airflow, revealing his calf muscles that were heaving at an astonishing frequency.

The whistling of the wind in my ears suddenly rose a notch, and the gasps of the crowd and the rustling of the grass that I could just hear clearly were now torn into a series of faint noises.

All she could see was the ever-shortening track ahead, and out of the corner of her eye, the fences, the crowd, and the empty stands in the distance were receding at a visible speed.

At the same time, gasps of surprise erupted from the crowd that gradually gathered inside and outside the track.

"It's open! It's open!"

A little boy holding a cotton candy jumped up and down, nearly throwing the treat at an elderly man's face.

"Sister Xiaobei...so fast! She's left the Emperor behind!"

A little further away, someone was recording with their phone, the camera intently focused on the leading figure.
"Wow, this explosive power... watching a match up close really makes a difference!"

There were also discussions among veteran fans:
"She's really strong! It's only the halfway point of the Year of the Horse, and the Northern Black Steed... I'm afraid it'll be hard for anyone to go head-to-head with her on the track...?"

Amidst the murmurs, the northern black horse had already charged towards the entrance to the bend.

She could feel the wind resistance had changed, as if she had bumped into an invisible wall, and her cheeks felt slightly numb from the wind.

As she entered the third bend, she used the momentum of her leaning body to quickly glance behind her.

The sunlight slanted across the track, and it was difficult to judge the distance of the figures behind them in the light.

But roughly speaking, it should be about six horse lengths long.

"Why...why haven't you made a move yet..., senior...?"

As his toes traced a smooth arc at the apex of the bend, a strange doubt welled up in the Northern Black Horse's heart.

Her idol was known for his terrifying late-game sprints; she had watched the footage of him overtaking her opponent in every game countless times on the training room videotapes.

That's why she adopted one of her best strategies: accelerating from the middle of the race.

She was confident that her stamina was absolutely no problem. As long as she could convert that advantage into a long enough distance, even someone with the same level of endurance as her senior would probably not be able to catch up in one go.

The problem is, given how well the older generation knew me, they couldn't possibly be unaware of these things.

Based on his understanding of his senior, he knew that his opponent... would not hold back in such a competition.

So letting the gap widen at this point... that's not something the other side would do at all...?
Despite being filled with doubts, the Northern Black Steed's steps were not affected in the slightest.

Just like on the opposite straight and into the curve, she smoothly rushed out of the curve and entered the uphill section before the final straight.

The soreness caused by lactic acid buildup spreads upwards along the tendons; this is a fatigue signal from the muscles, but it's not unexpected.

On the contrary, in her estimation, physical fatigue should have started at this point.

This shows that all analysis and judgment are under control.

This also indicates that the final decisive moment has arrived... It's here!
Next is a downhill section, and at this point... you should take the opportunity to sprint across the finish line in one go!
Ignoring the changes in her body, she increased the frequency of her arm swings by half a beat.

Just then, an unusual gust of wind suddenly came from behind.

That was the sharp sound of air being torn apart.

It was more like some heavy, colossal beast awakening, its every stomp causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Northern Black Horse's heart clenched. Those moments of overtaking that had once amazed her suddenly transformed into real pressure, surging from behind like a tidal wave.

This rhythm, this sense of pressure... it's the senior!

Yeah, those competitions our seniors competed in... weren't they all started around this time?!

The reason we didn't take any action before was because... now is the decisive moment for our seniors!
A surge of adrenaline rushed to his head, and the Northern Black Steed felt as if the blood in his body was boiling.

A surge of scalding heat coursed from her heart to every limb, and she mustered every last bit of strength, slamming herself onto the track. In the blink of an eye, the final straight downhill section vanished.

Like a surging tide, the presence behind them drew ever closer, unstoppable.

The rapid, powerful strides, like the beat of war drums, pounded against the eardrums of the Northern Black Steed. She felt the sound almost chasing after and drowning out her wildly beating heartbeat.

When that overwhelming sense of oppression came from behind and then instantly caught up to her side, it felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her throat, and she even felt a sense of suffocation.

But it was precisely this near-fearful illusion that ignited her deepest stubbornness and unwillingness, causing her to suddenly unleash all her potential.

At this moment, only one thought was echoing wildly in her mind:

"We absolutely must win! Even if it's an emperor... we must win even more!"

She clenched her teeth, her face contorting slightly from the effort.

Her eyes were wide open as she stared intently at the finish line, her gaze seemingly trying to burn a hole through it.

The wind howled shrilly in my ears, and the scenery on both sides of the runway rushed past like blurry light and shadow.

Sweat poured down her forehead, cheeks, and neck like a burst dam, but she was completely unaware, her mind and body fully immersed in the fierce competition.

A moment later, she suddenly felt a brief blank in her consciousness, as if her brain had suddenly crashed, leaving only mechanical running movements.

Just then, she heard a somewhat teasing and panting voice coming from behind her:

"...Hey, Xiao Bei, where are you going?"

She paused for a moment, unconsciously slowing her pace. Turning her head, she saw that the Emperor of the East Sea was covered in sweat, panting, and looking at her with amusement.

"Huh? Is it... already over...? Oh, right..."

She stammered again, then rushed over and anxiously asked:

"Are you alright, senior? Or... should we go get checked out...?"

"Well, I didn't expect it to be this intense, but a check-up is still necessary..."

Smiling and nodding, the Emperor of the East Sea, catching his breath, said:
"But before that, I need to go find the money I lost."

"Huh? Senior... you lost money?"

Northern Black Horse tensed up immediately, his eyes widening as he anxiously asked, "A lot? Then...should we call the police?"

The Emperor of the East Sea paused for a moment, then chuckled and turned to leave.

After walking about 200 meters, she looked around and her eyes lit up.

She bent down and picked up a hard object, then grinned and showed it to the Northern Black Steed that had followed her:
"It's this coin."

Then, she wiped the dirt off the coin and, with a look of satisfaction, handed it to the Northern Black Horse that had followed her:

"Here, this is for you, Xiao Bei."

"Huh...? This..."

Completely unprepared for the Emperor of the East Sea to give him a coin, the Northern Black Steed took it blankly and nodded subconsciously:

"Thank you, senior..."

"Um……"

Smiling and nodding, the Emperor of the East Sea raised his hand, wiped the sweat from his face, and looked up at the sky.

Then, she lowered her head and looked at Beifang Xuanju, her expression of relief growing stronger, her eyes gradually becoming serious:
"You ran really well, Xiao Bei, you... will definitely surpass me."

(End of this chapter)