Horse Girl, Your Friend is Fighting Her Way Out of the Horse Racing Track

"Hey, where's that popular Diamond Treasure from number 7?"

A young audience member sitting in the back row of the poetry and wine show held up binoculars and searched the herd of horses for a long time.

"It's completely buried in the herd of horses...it looks like it's having a hard time running."

"That's normal."

The companion next to him took a sip of tea from his thermos, his tone carrying an air of nonchalant disdain.

"With that position and pace, he's probably just barely keeping up. Once he enters the famous Yodo no Saka, that kind of guy without any real strength will fall behind instantly."

"After all, she's a Chrysanthemum Appreciation Horse Girl who snuck in; it's already quite good that she's managed to stick with us this far."

The surrounding air became somewhat scorching.

What hurt more than malicious mockery was that many audience members genuinely felt that "the Diamond Treasure Trove has come to an end."

Poetry and wine did not turn back to refute.

She simply sat there, her eyes beneath the brim of her hat fixed intently on the grey figure through the crowd.

……

On the track

'It's been so long...'

The wind whistled past my ears, but it couldn't take away the burning heat on my skin.

My lungs felt like they were filled with dry sand, each breath accompanied by a burning sensation. The muscles in my thighs began to stiffen and feel heavy, as if they were filled with lead.

This is the test of the 3200 meters.

"One and a half laps left, really?"

Everyone's backs look so tall, Tsurumaru-kun too, and everyone else too.

As Lingzuan Qibao watched the figure speeding ahead, her inner weakness began to resurface.

'That's good enough, isn't it? I've tried my best. Anyway, everyone thinks I can't win, so losing to Tsurumaru-kun isn't shameful...'

The instinct to escape pain is like a pair of gentle hands trying to grab her ankles and stop her endless running.

only…

The scene from twenty minutes ago suddenly flashed into my mind without warning.

and also……

Diamond Treasure instinctively reached out to touch her ear, even though it was empty.

She remembered a silver hair accessory.

'No, absolutely... we can't stop here.'

His previously somewhat cloudy, light green eyes suddenly became clear.

'Xiao Jiu is watching.'

If we sink here, and lose in disgrace like before...

That hair accessory... won't sparkle anymore.

"call--"

Diamond Treasure exhaled a deep breath.

She suddenly raised her head, her gaze passing over the overlapping figures in front of her, and landing directly on the distant horizon.

'Wait for me.'

in the audience.

"Ok?"

Poetry and Wine, whose fingers were resting on their knees, flicked.

She saw the gray figure, who had been swaying precariously among the horses, suddenly change its aura.

Poetry and wine reached into the paper bag and gripped the flagpole tightly.

The real competition has only just begun.

On the field

The race has entered the most crucial and dangerous third bend at Kyoto Racecourse.

The famous Yodo-no-saka downhill slope lies before us.

In order to conserve energy for the final sprint, racehorses will control their speed very carefully here, using the inertia of the downhill slope to glide.

However, just as everyone was carefully holding back their strength...

The gray figure moved.

Without any warning, the Diamond Treasure seemed to have suddenly broken some kind of seal. Instead of slowing down, it took advantage of the downhill momentum to begin an incredible long-distance acceleration.

[Travel a thousand miles] [A straight line is difficult to travel]

"Hey! What's that Diamond Treasure doing?!"

The audience gasped in surprise after the poetry and wine performance.

"Accelerate at this point? There are still over 600 meters to go to the finish line!"

"Are you crazy?"

The uncle next to him, holding a newspaper, looked at him with a disappointed expression.

"That's because he's completely exhausted! Running like that, his legs will break soon after he enters the straight!"

An uproar erupted in the audience. A cacophony of doubts, laughter, and sighs of regret filled the air.

No one believed that an ordinary athlete with mediocre previous results could complete the Spring Royal Prize in such a difficult way.

Only Poetry and Wine sat up straight, staring intently at the figures on the field, the paper bag in their hands rustling loudly.

After turning the corner, we entered the final straight.

Kyoto's straight roads are flat and long, a true test of strength.

Those who had initially mocked Diamond Treasure for "rushing ahead too early" were horrified to discover—

The gray figure not only didn't lose speed, but instead got faster and faster!

The silver miracle crashed down relentlessly from the outside world.

Fifth place... Third place...

【lv.4 Bang☆A miracle occurs!】

"It's up!! The Diamond Treasure is up!!"

The commentator's voice was already cracking from shouting.

"What incredible endurance! Such a long acceleration starting from the third corner! She didn't lose speed! She's still accelerating!!"

"In second place is Taitaku Batram, while on the other side is Tsurumaru Kid! But—Diamond Treasure is even faster!!"

On a straight road in Kyoto.

The gray-haired girl, who usually claimed to be an ordinary person and was always thinking about how to slack off, was now radiating a light that made it impossible for anyone to look directly at her.

What slump, what losing streak, what seventh place in popularity?

She left them all behind.

Diamond Treasure gritted her teeth, her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her vision was already blurred due to lack of oxygen.

Dark Meteor: Chapter 220 Crossing the Finish Line

At the edge of her blurry vision, she saw a black-haired girl in the stands.

then……

The gray-haired girl squeezed out the last bit of strength from her legs, and with an indomitable momentum, she completely shook off the herd of horses behind her.

"Cross the finish line!"

"The winner—the Diamond Treasure!!!"

"She won the Spring Emperor's Prize with absolute strength despite being underestimated! That's the power behind Chrysanthemum Prize Uma Musume!"

"This is the second miracle of a bleak spring!"

……

Corner of the audience

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted instantly, with countless people standing up to applaud or wave their fists.

Amidst this chaotic tide, poetry and wine also rose to the occasion.

Everyone around was celebrating wildly, and no one noticed the girl in the corner wearing a hat and all black.

She took a deep breath and, while everyone else had raised their hands, quickly reached into the paper bag and pulled out the crudely made little handmade flag with loose threads.

The silver star pattern that looked like a potato swayed slightly in the wind.

Poetry and Wine raised the flag to slightly above chest level, their arms stiffly maintaining the position.

This is the limit of what she can do.

'Seriously, this flag is hideous.'

Although she was complaining to herself, she held on tightly and didn't let go.

On the field.

The big screen is showing a close-up of the victor.

Diamond Treasure was receiving cheers from the entire audience. She was covered in sweat, her chest heaving violently, and she looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

She didn't respond to the camera immediately, but instead turned her head anxiously on the field, her eyes quickly scanning the vast sea of ​​spectators.

Until her gaze swept over a secluded corner.

Although she was far away and surrounded by a huge crowd, she still managed to spot a black figure.

There was also a small flag, held up somewhat awkwardly but firmly, nestled in the gaps of the crowd.

The close-up on the big screen captured this scene.

The gray-haired girl, covered in sweat and with disheveled hair, instantly relaxed from her anxious expression, revealing a gentle, relieved smile in that direction.

The stout-haired horse girl raised her hand and waved vigorously towards that corner.

The Emperor's Spring Festival Gifts – Domination!

Poetry and Wine looked at the silly-smiling girl on the big screen, quickly stuffed the flag back into the paper bag, pulled the brim of his hat down, and turned to walk out with the departing crowd.

"...See that, you idiot?"

She muttered something under her breath, and a faint smile finally crept onto her lips, which had been hidden in the shadows.

"Isn't this cool?"

……

Evening after the Spring Emperor's Appreciation Competition

Inside a Shinkansen carriage on the Kyoto to Tokyo line.

The setting sun painted the fields and distant mountains outside the car window in a warm and intoxicating orange-red hue.

The train's base slid along the tracks, emitting a drowsy hum.

Compared to the journey there, the atmosphere on the return trip was exceptionally relaxed and leisurely.

Poetry and Wine sat by the window, his black hat pulled low, hiding most of his face in shadow.

Meanwhile, in the seat next to her, Ryūzō Kibō, who had just won the G1 Emperor's Award at Kyoto Racecourse, was now sleeping soundly, his head lolling against Poetry and Wine's shoulder, just like a cat whose bones had been removed.

"Huff... huff..."