"Wow! Senior Oguri Cap has taken the lead with incredible speed and ferocity! Her relentless momentum and unwavering determination are truly worthy of a senior!
But Spe-chan isn't to be underestimated either! She's chasing Senior Oguri Cap with equal ferocity!
Let's check on McQueen... Oh my! What's wrong, McQueen? She seems to be struggling."
At the start of the race, Oguri Cap surged ahead with astonishing speed, devouring food without pause and employing her signature "hamster-cheek" chewing technique.
Special Week, while using a more conventional approach, maintained an equally astonishing pace. Though slightly behind Oguri Cap, the gap remained minimal.
"Hmm? Impressive! Special Week is actually keeping up with Oguri Cap?" Rudolf exclaimed in admiration.
But when the camera shifted to Mejiro McQueen, the mood changed completely. McQueen stared at the delicious food in her bowl as if facing a formidable enemy, hesitating for an eternity before finally taking a bite.
Of all times for this! I already snuck a pudding earlier during training. I can't possibly eat any more.
"Oh no! McQueen seems to be having trouble getting started. What do you think, Suzuka?"
"Hmm, I guess she's had her fill?"
"What?! Is Suzuka-chan saying McQueen didn't even consider Oguri Cap and Special Week her rivals? She just ate her fill and came over! How arrogant of McQueen! Truly worthy of an elite!" Sakura Bakushin O exclaimed.
"I didn't mean to..."
Sakura Bakushin O, you really know how to hype things up.
As if one Sakura Bakushin O wasn't enough, Kousei had to be there too.
"Yes! That's the spirit, McQueen! Crush them all!"
Kousei's cheers from the sidelines quickly drew everyone's attention.
"She's not even afraid of Senior Oguri Cap and Special Week!"
"Is this the confidence of an Elite?"
"Elites really are different, huh?"
"Ooh-ooh-ooh!" Sakura Bakushin O exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "This means the King is dethroned! The crown returns! This is a clash between generations!"
"It's just a trivia game!" McQueen thought miserably.
Suzuka mused inwardly, I refuse to believe there's no personal animosity involved here.
In this Tracen, Suzuka seemed abnormal precisely because she was so normal.
Special Week watched Oguri Cap intently as she ate, noticing she was completely focused on her meal, oblivious to the commotion around them.
"This is the Umamusume hailed as a national idol, unwavering no matter what the world throws at her. And the other, the elite of the prestigious Mejiro Family, fearlessly challenging her seniors despite societal expectations.
Both are exceptional Umamusume. But what about me?
I dream of becoming Japan's number one Umamusume, yet I lack both composure and courage. How can I ever achieve that if I stay like this?
I must rise to the challenge! Mom, please watch me!"
[Catch Up activated!]
"Hmm?"
Oguri Cap, previously absorbed in her meal, seemed to sense something and glanced sideways.
Special Week devoured her food with astonishing speed, as if entering a special state. His pace accelerated dramatically!
"Spe-chan!" Silence Suzuka and Grass Wonder exclaimed in unison.
"Special Week isn't sticking to Oguri Cap's tail anymore! She's launching an attack from here! It's like she's a completely different person! Go for it! Show us what it means to be Japan's number one Umamusume!"
"I can feel your spirit! Go, Spe-chan!"
"Win this!"
A unified chorus of cheers filled the arena, everyone moved by Special Week's unwavering determination.
Even Kousei herself was swept up in the moment.
"Chasing your dreams, huh? Wonderful! Then surpass Oguri Cap and become Japan's number one Umamusume!" Kousei declared with fervent conviction, prompting Tamamo Cross to retort, "Whose side are you on, anyway?!"
"Special Week? Impressive, but I won't lose!" Oguri Cap shifted her focus entirely to the food before her, ignoring Special Week completely.
The competition was neck-and-neck. Everyone's hearts hung in the balance.
"Half the time has passed, and neither Special Week nor Oguri Cap has gained an advantage."
Everyone held their breath, watching intently as if they were right there on the racetrack. The immersive tension weighed heavily on them.
"McQueen!" One voice tore through the air, raw with desperation. "Do something, McQueen!"
It was Kousei, McQueen's most ardent supporter. While everyone else watched the intense struggle between Special Week and Oguri Cap, her eyes remained fixed on Mejiro McQueen.
McQueen had begun eating, but her pace was agonizingly slow.
With just one bite, McQueen felt her stomach churn in protest.
"No way!"
Another roar of cheers erupted.
"Special Week takes the lead with her exceptional cornering technique!"
Sometime during the race, the fierce battle between Special Week and Oguri Cap had finally reached its climax, with Special Week now firmly in the lead.
"Way to go, Spe-chan!"
"Damn it! Hang in there, Oguri!"
Tamamo Cross rejoiced, while Grass Wonder looked worried.
"I can do this! I can beat Senior Oguri Cap!" Fueled by her unwavering belief in victory, Special Week raced with renewed vigor, widening the gap between herself and Oguri Cap.
"Is she going to win?!"
"Could Senior Oguri Cap really lose?"
As the race entered its final stretch, Special Week had surged ahead by at least four lengths. Unless something changed quickly, the outcome would be decided.
Meanwhile, McQueen's face twisted in pain as the churning in her stomach intensified.
"Damn it!"
Rudolf's expression turned serious. "I never expected such talented juniors to emerge. It seems I can't afford to be so complacent anymore."
Air Groove scoffed. "It's just a trivia game, right? What does any of this have to do with trivia?"
"Oh! Oguri Cap is closing the gap! She's not giving up yet!" Sakura Bakushin O shouted.
"That's it, Oguri! Never give up!" Tamamo Cross's shout echoed across the sky.
"Little Tama... Arigato! I heard your call!"
Oguri Cap surged forward with astonishing speed, visibly closing the gap with Special Week.
"So fast! That's Senior Oguri Cap's Final Burst!"
"This is the Gray Monster!"
An insatiable hunger, like a bottomless pit, threatened to devour everything. Just standing there felt like being swallowed whole. Red warning lights flashed in all five senses: this gray presence was absolutely untouchable.
Oguri Cap relentlessly closed the distance, and no matter how hard Special Week strained, she couldn't shake her off.
"So, I still can't win?" Special Week's inner turmoil briefly manifested as a flicker of pain on her face, which Silence Suzuka keenly noticed.
Without a word, Suzuka snatched the microphone and stepped forward before the crowd.
"Spe-chan!"
Suzuka's shout pierced Special Week's mind like an irresistible, uplifting spell.
"Suzuka..."
In that instant, Special Week felt an overwhelming surge of strength.
"Aaaah!"
Special Week roared, charging forward with renewed vigor. Oguri Cap continued her pursuit, but the distance between them stubbornly refused to shrink!
"Run, Spe-chan!"
"Pass her! Pass her! Pass her, Oguri!"
"McQueen! My McQueen! Waaah... we lost!"
People's joys and sorrows are never truly shared.
"She's so strong! I can feel the weight of everyone's expectations on her shoulders, but I have my own reasons why I can't lose!"
[Victory's Pulse]
This extraordinary heartbeat resonated like a tolling bell in the hearts of everyone present.
"What's that?"
"It's Oguri's heartbeat!"
"What? How can a heartbeat be so powerful?!"
"She's coming!"
Oguri Cap, giving her all, was more terrifying than anyone had imagined. The once-insurmountable gap vanished in an instant. She dominated the battlefield like a monster, sweeping everything before her with the ferocity of a storm.
In the blink of an eye, a momentary lapse in concentration, and by the time awareness returned, it was too late to catch up.
Just one more bite of food, and victory would be hers!
"I don't care anymore!"
Mejiro McQueen, who had been lurking in the shadows, suddenly spoke up. No longer holding back, she unleashed her full potential.
With a single gulp, the food vanished, and her entire body swelled up like a balloon.
"McQueen!"
Kousei exclaimed in astonishment, while Tamamo Cross and Grass Wonder stared in stunned silence.
"What is that?!"
"It looks like a watermelon."
Special Week sighed. Oguri Cap, having finished her last bite, grinned nonchalantly. "Did I lose?"
"An upset for the ages! The winner is none other than our very own Mejiro McQueen! The elite heiress has snatched victory in an instant! Let's give a thunderous cheer for Mejiro McQueen!"
The venue erupted in deafening applause.
"Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a gluttony contest?"
"I think I heard something about a trivia competition earlier."
"What does this have to do with trivia? What exactly happened here?"
"Who knows? But does it really matter?"
"True."
Though no one quite understood what had transpired, the atmosphere that day was electric. Some rejoiced, others lamented. Rudolf deemed the event a resounding success, while Air Groove looked utterly exhausted.
"You all should be training!"