Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 549 They definitely did it on purpose!

The Eastern Sea Emperor was greatly encouraged by McQueen's words and was about to speak in agreement when the commentator's voice pierced through the rain, interrupting her:

"The Emperor's autumn viewing at the Tokyo Grand Prix 2000m grass track is finally about to begin!"

"The 16 players who have entered the arena are striding confidently toward the gate. Each and every one of them is one of the strongest lineups in the current competition. The lineup is so luxurious that it makes people hesitate!"
"But at this moment, the focus of everyone's attention is undoubtedly her!"
"Carrying the glory of their two consecutive G1 victories at the Emperor's Spring Festival and the Takarazuka Memorial, they are aggressively aiming for the 'Autumn Triple Crown,' which can be considered the pinnacle of glory. Even the light rain cannot conceal their overwhelming momentum..."

"Northern Black Horse!!"

As soon as the commentator shouted this, the audience erupted into a thunderous cheer, like a powder keg that had been lit.

Following the cheers towards the arena, the Emperor of the East Sea smiled slightly and couldn't help but sigh:

"What a star-studded lineup! It's almost as exciting as the Kinema Kinen..."

"How about we just treat today as if it's Arima? What do you think, McQueen?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? There's no such saying..."

Unable to resist making a comment, Megumi McQueen immediately fixed his gaze on the racehorses entering the gate, and nodded slightly.

"And there's another advantage, which is that Xiao Bei's draw for this race... happens to be on the central track."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of the East Sea was taken aback at first, but then he realized that his friend was referring to the topic that had been interrupted by the commentator earlier, and he nodded to himself.

The Emperor's Autumn Viewing Tournament was notoriously hampered by the outside gates.

First, the starting line is in the outer lane, but the finish line is in the inner lane.
This race course design means that after about 130 meters from the start, the female racehorses will immediately be caught up in the battle on the curves.

Next comes an uphill slope with a drop of 1.5 meters, where the competition will be just as fierce.

With two consecutive stamina-consuming checkpoints, if the racehorses on the outside want to secure a good position, they will have to engage in an even more intense battle for position in the early stages. Otherwise, they will face the double challenge of wasting their speed on the outside and the uphill climb.

Moreover, the final stretch features the second longest final straight in the Japanese circuit, as well as two uphill drops of 1.5 meters and 2.1 meters before and after the bend, which undoubtedly further exacerbates the physical exertion of the outside riders.

The Emperor's Autumn Viewing Competition she participated in that year had a total of 18 participants. She happened to be on the outside of gate 15, so she had a firsthand understanding of the difficulty involved and was well aware of the advantages of starting in the middle.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"That's why I said Xiao Bei wasn't as unlucky as me, and look, it's been proven right away."

McQueen chuckled at her childish words, then pondered for a moment before speaking seriously:

"Indeed, no one can predict what will happen in the game, but judging from the current situation, Xiao Bei is in pretty good condition in all aspects."

As she spoke, she gazed into the distance at the figure of the black-haired girl who had already stepped through the gate.

A triple crown in autumn? It truly is a magnificent achievement that inspires awe and longing...

Just as the two female horse racers were discussing their views on the race, the cheers and commentary echoing in the rain grew even louder:
"Okay, all the racehorses have entered the gate."

"So, in Tokyo, at the Fuchu Circuit on the grass, 2000 meters, G1, the Emperor enjoys the autumn scenery..."

"Tens of thousands of spectators eagerly awaited the autumn journey of the 16 racehorses that would grace this era, and now..."

"Start!"

The words announcing the opening were still echoing in the air when, on the track, the gates opened and a dozen agile figures sped out like lightning.

The cheers that suddenly erupted in the stands reached a climax in an instant.

The commentator, caught up in the enthusiastic atmosphere, couldn't help but raise his voice and shout with passion:

"Very good, all the racehorses have made a beautiful start."

"The first to rush out is contestant number 1, 'Glory of the Nation,' followed by the most popular contestant of the match, 'Northern Black Steed'... Oh no!"

The commentator suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his voice filled with astonishment:
"The Northern Black Steed... is facing difficulties! The Northern Black Steed is facing difficulties!"

"Number 9, the Northern Black Horse, was positioned in the middle of the gate in this race. After she exited the gate, the riders on both the inside and outside sides adopted the same strategy and moved inwards."

"The Northern Black Steed... its direction of advance was affected, and it failed to secure the lead position!"

As the commentator exclaimed in surprise, on the large screen directly in front of the stands, raindrops fell heavily to the ground like a dense drumbeat, splashing water droplets.

In the center of the procession, the Northern Black Steed stood like a trapped beast, flanked by two racehorse girls who were like shadows, tightly sandwiching her between them. Their eyes gleamed with determination and fervor, and every swing of their legs and every stride carried a do-or-die spirit, aiming to seize the initiative in this ultimate showdown.

Visibly, the Northern Black Horse gritted its teeth, its leg muscles, encased in black stockings, taut as it strained against the ground, trying to squeeze a path through the narrow gap.

However, their opponents did not give in easily.

They adjusted their pace rapidly, their bodies forming an impenetrable defensive line.

Sweat mingled with rain, sliding down the cheeks of the racehorses and dripping onto the track, only to be trampled and crushed by themselves or their rivals behind them.

In the stands, the previously unified cheers instantly crumbled, replaced by a cacophony of noise and chaos.

The audience's eyes were filled with anxiety and worry, their gazes following the figure of the Northern Black Horse as if it were the only light of hope in their hearts.

Some people, like commentators, were astonished that the northern black horse failed to secure a lead position, their mouths agape and they exclaimed in disbelief.
Some people comforted themselves, muttering to themselves, repeatedly saying that the Northern Black Horse was not only good at leading, but also excellent at leading, trying to calm their inner anxiety.

Others, however, gave it their all, shouting their hearts out to cheer on the Northern Black Horse...

All sorts of sounds mixed together, converging into a powerful wave of sound in the wind and rain, surging towards the stadium wave after wave.

Standing in the corner of the stands, the East Sea Emperor and Megumi McQueen were also full of surprise.

The two exchanged a glance instinctively, then nodded in unison. The Emperor of the East Sea spoke solemnly:

"It wasn't that easy after all, it seems now..."

However, before she could finish speaking, she was abruptly interrupted by a childish yet angry voice from the side.

"It was definitely intentional! The racehorse girl next to her was definitely doing it on purpose! How could she treat Northern Senior like that!"

The voice was filled with indignation and resentment. The Emperor of the East Sea and McQueen were both startled and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.

To avoid attracting too much attention, the two of them deliberately chose a corner spot in the stands.

Not far to the diagonal front, near the corner of the corridor, stood two tiny racehorse girls.

One of them had short chestnut hair tied in a neat short ponytail at the back of his head. He was holding an unopened drink with the Northern Black Horse pattern clearly printed on the cup.

At this moment, she was looking at her companion with a mixture of surprise and helplessness.

The racehorse girl next to her also had a ponytail and was holding a drink with the logo of Northern Black Horse, but she had already drunk quite a bit of her drink.

She had black hair and a white fringe on her forehead, and at first glance, she actually looked a bit like the Northern Black Horse.

However, compared to the Northern Black Horse, her white bangs were wider and longer, making them quite eye-catching.

Like her companions, she looked to be in elementary school, with a delicate and slender figure and a childlike appearance, yet she exuded a sense of tranquility.

Her demeanor suggests that she has a good upbringing.

However, his anger at this moment undoubtedly ruined that sense of tranquility and composure.

She glared angrily at the racetrack, forcefully pulling on the chestnut-haired racehorse beside her, and shouted:

"Right? It must be what I said, right? It must have been on purpose, right, Xiao Chu?!"

Perhaps due to being shaken so violently, the racehorse girl, called "Xiao Chu," whimpered for a while before managing to utter a few words that were audible:
"No, stop shaking me! You're making me dizzy, Xiaofen..."

"And how could you talk about our seniors like that?"

"This kind of thing... must have been an accident, right...?"

"What accident could there be?!"

The horse girl, nicknamed "Little Score," immediately retorted indignantly, "Even if it was an accident, then tell me what kind of accident it was?"

"How...how should I know..."

"That was intentional! Definitely! They... Yes! They must have planned it all along to target the Northern Senior!"

(End of this chapter)