Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 552 The Final Bend and the Sword's Cry
Although the fast-twitch muscle fibers of the Northern Black Horse have strong explosive power, it will be in the lead from the start in the 2000-meter middle-distance race, and its phosphagen system will be depleted prematurely in the final stage.

Conversely, players like Manle, who come from the mile race, are able to capitalize on their momentum and overtake their opponents in the final stages.

"We can't let her get caught up in the habitual thinking of being a leader."

She shook her head at Yasui Makoto's initial tactical draft, pointing to the curve diagram on the screen and explaining:

"Look, the drop from the third corner to the final straight is 2.1 meters. The friction coefficient of the track will decrease by 0.3 in the rain. The leading driver needs to expend more than 7% of his energy to maintain balance here, while the trailing driver can use the inertia of the slope to accelerate."

"Then why not do the opposite and let her 'retreat' to the 'buffer zone' at the end of the process?"

This idea did not come from nowhere.

She pulled out the post-race report of Genko Kita from the Takarazuka Kinen race and found that when she adjusted her pace in the middle and later stages, her cardiopulmonary function recovered at least 15% faster than that of her peers.

This means she can conserve energy in the "buffer zone" while observing weaknesses in her opponents' running patterns.

Moreover, the water accumulation in the inner lane during rainy days acts as a natural barrier. In order to avoid the mud, the inner lane riders will inevitably squeeze into the fixed tangent, which in turn leaves room for lateral adjustments for the middle and outer lanes.

This is precisely the best area for the Northern Black Horse to utilize its endurance advantage.

Next came the specific tactics, in which she completely agreed with Yasui Makoto's opinion.

The first step is to adjust the pace of the game.

The Emperor's Autumn Viewing Race is very likely to be faster than any race the Northern Black Horse has ever run. At this time, it is necessary to adapt to the new speed and try to develop one's own rhythm.

Secondly, we need to expand the means of acceleration. Any training method is acceptable, whether it is conventional, unconventional, or something that Yasui Makoto figured out himself. The key is to enable the Northern Genko to accelerate to the maximum extent possible under any conditions, even with a slight incline.

This way, when exiting the final corner, you can cut into the inside tangent, using all the saved energy for the final sprint.

Finally, there's the burst of speed after exiting the corner.

She got involved in this step again, not only spending a lot of effort to determine the condition of the Northern Black Horse, but also estimating the impact of wind speed in advance.

"Even if it's a full-length turn, even if her last step is fast, it still takes 33 seconds for the last three waves. As long as Xiao Bei can gain half a horse's length advantage when exiting the turn, he can wear her down with endurance."

"At that time, it won't be Xiao Bei who has to solve the problem of a full horse's length, but her opponents who will have to solve the problem of a half horse's length."

After calculating the data, she told Yasui Makoto with such confidence.

At this moment, as she watched the teams on the track gradually approach the third bend, the smile on her lips became even more pronounced.

She was waiting, and Yasui Makoto was waiting too.

They were all waiting for the next step in the plan, waiting for the Northern Black Horse to tear a breakthrough from the "buffer zone".

Thinking this, Alice smiled and turned her gaze from Yasui Makoto to the track:

"So far, everything is going smoothly, and if things continue like this..."

Before she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, and she pursed her lips.

They all looked towards the runway, and Yasui Makoto's expression changed as well.

On the track, a restless atmosphere spread like ripples among the racing teams about to enter the corner.

The racehorse girls in the front row arched their backs, their streamlined figures taut like a bowstring ready to be released.

They precisely adjusted their pace, their horseshoes striking the rain-soaked grass, the splashing water droplets refracting tiny rainbows, vying to move closer to the inner golden track.

The competitors from the other lanes were equally impressive, their taut muscles barely concealed beneath their final outfits, their heavy breathing mingling with the whistling of the wind as they cut through the air.

As they swung their arms suddenly, the air currents generated by their acceleration whipped up the rain, launching a fierce outside attack like an arrow released from a bow. In an instant, the track transformed into a smoke-filled battlefield, every inch of space simmering with a tense and scorching atmosphere.

The audience was a beat or two slow to react before bursting into gasps of surprise at the sudden tension.

The timely and enthusiastic commentary faithfully transmitted the live sound throughout the entire stadium.

"They've taken action! Finally, a racehorse girl couldn't hold back any longer and took action!"

"The one who made the first move was...Yan Sheng, the strongest!"
"After entering the bend, Shan Sheng's strongest driver, number 13, accelerated instantly and is now close to Lang Ri Qing Tian and Rong Jin Zhi Guang!"
"Following closely behind is Manleshi, Manleshi is also moving forward, Manleshi is also moving forward!"

"Then came Satomi Kouko, who was not to be outdone, and she also launched an attack on the leading player!"

"The iconic horse lagged behind a bit, but she reacted quickly and caught up in this contest of speed and fighting spirit, followed by Satomi Noble behind her!"
"Unyielding Steel was not to be outdone. She... surpassed Northern Black Steed and joined the melee at the front!"
"We've passed the halfway point of the bend, the column is getting crowded, and the leading group is becoming bloated!"
"And the Northern Black Steed, which was previously surpassed by the Unyielding True Steel..."

"No action has been taken yet! No action has been taken yet!"

"What are they waiting for? What is the Northern Black Steed waiting for?"
"At this very moment... what is the Northern Black Steed waiting for?!"

Amidst the commentator's noticeably off-key high-pitched voice, at the very front of the stands, Yasui Makoto and Alice Soko seemed to be caught in a time loop, exchanging another knowing glance before nodding emphatically.

However, unlike before, both of them had a relieved expression on their faces.

As if time were repeating itself, the audience, like a powder keg that had been ignited, once again descended into turmoil and chaos, just like in the beginning.

The cacophony of sounds surged like a tidal wave, one after another, seemingly threatening to engulf the entire Tokyo stadium.

However, even amidst the storm on the field, the Northern Black Horse remained calmer than the autumn rain.

She ran with all her might in the wind and rain, each step splashing high into the water.

She silently controlled the rhythm, her breathing steady and powerful.

Despite the constant changing of her opponents, her crimson eyes remained fixed on what lay ahead.

More precisely, it firmly locks onto the exit of the final bend.

There, the iconic beech tree at the final corner of the Tokyo circuit stands silently, quietly watching this fierce competition.

The moment it flashed across his field of vision like lightning, the Northern Black Steed's heart tightened, and he began to count down in his mind.

The sound initially burned quietly in my heart like a faint flame:
"three……"

Immediately afterwards, the flames leaped up and grew even more intense:

"two……"

Finally, like a volcanic eruption, it exploded in her heart:

"one……

"Right now!!!"

The long-dormant volcano was ignited at this moment, and the northern black horse blasted open the barrier formed by the rain curtain.

The fine raindrops changed course, scattering in all directions like a flock of startled birds.

In that instant of piercing through the clouds and breaking through the rain, she transformed into a black heavy sword, slashing out a near-right-angle line at the exit of the bend behind the beech tree.

At the same time, as if it had been pre-arranged and rehearsed countless times, all the opponents who were originally surrounding him miraculously made way for this sword strike, leading to the first place.

(End of this chapter)