Chapter 211: The Sprint Begins
As Kitasan Black passed through the first and second turns, what she felt was completely different from the sensation she'd had the first time through the third and fourth turns.
Last time, even though she'd listened to her Trainer analysis and instructions before the race, and even after countless rehearsals and training sessions, the oppressive, suffocating pressure had still nearly taken her breath away.
The presence of rivals in front, behind, and to her left intertwined into a single mass, their chaotic rhythms battering her relentlessly. It felt as though she were sinking into a swamp, every step painfully difficult.
There were a few fleeting moments when she keenly sensed her breathing growing rapid and disordered, her limbs restricted, unable to swing freely.
It was like being trapped inside an invisible cage—obstacles on all sides, with no path of escape in sight.
Her nerves were stretched taut, like a perfectly tuned piano wire, so tight that the slightest touch threatened to snap it.
But now—seizing the one and only opportunity to explode forward and dominate the lead—it felt as if she had leapt from a pitch-black abyss straight into a sky flooded with light.
Her limbs stretched freely, every lift of the leg and every footfall filled with a familiar strength and sense of rhythm.
The track beneath her feet felt like a tamed dragon, allowing her to ride freely along its back.
The headwind roared toward her, yet it seemed to be cheering her on.
What little fatigue she had felt was swept away with the wind, leaving her exhilarated beyond measure.
Her breathing was long and steady, her heart beating powerfully. With every inhale, oxygen flowed into her lungs, then into her heart, and from there infused her entire body with a constant stream of energy.
Her field of vision was astonishingly open—nothing blocked the track ahead.
For a brief instant, even though she knew she had returned to the straight opposite the starting point, she felt as if she could already see the finish line.
The moment that thought surfaced, she became alert.
The body remembers—Her Trainer had said that many times.
In the past, she'd trained extensively for long distances like 3,000 meters.
Yet the most profound sensation always came from the intensity of an actual race.
In her previous races, after the start, two turns, a long straight, and then two more turns, it was true that you could see the finish line after that.
But this race was the Kikuka Sho.
Even after returning to the starting position and completing a full lap of the course, there were still a full 1,000 meters left to the finish.
This… was the Kikuka Sho.
This… was the battlefield that decided the strongest of the generation.
So how could the outcome possibly be settled so easily at this point?!
With that illusion sounding a blaring alarm in her mind, Kitasan Black inhaled sharply, adjusting her mindset in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, every sensory channel she had—her peripheral vision, her ears flattened by the wind, every part of her body capable of feeling—strained desperately backward.
On the outside… someone was moving outward.
Directly behind… still fighting for position, about five or six of them.
Beyond that… the leading pace chaser—REAL STEEL? She knew that presence well…
After that… should be Satono Rasen…
Their positions were improving, and then…
That last runner… still hasn't made up the distance lost from the slow start?
Realizing that this was absolutely not the moment to relax, Kitasan Black rapidly sorted through the positions and movements of her pursuers in her mind.
In just one or two seconds, the entire state of the race became clear to her.
She began to make adjustments.
Her breathing was the first thing she focused on. Narrowing her eyes, she cast aside all stray thoughts and concentrated on the rhythm of each inhale and exhale.
When she inhaled, it felt as if she were drawing the air of the entire world into her body, her abdomen swelling slightly.
When she exhaled, she expelled all the stagnant air within, as though casting away every ounce of pressure and burden along with it.
Each breath was long and deep, the rhythm steady like an ancient clock, supplying her body with an unending source of power.
As she adjusted her breathing, her posture also began to change subtly.
Her upper body, which had already been leaning slightly forward, tilted forward just a bit more, while the muscles of her back quietly tightened.
Her upper and lower body formed a smooth, powerful arc, providing solid support for the force generated by her limbs.
She lifted her head slightly, eyes fixed firmly ahead, as if piercing through the air itself to lock onto the distant finish line.
Adjusting her stride was the crucial part.
She began to gradually increase the length of each step, every stride like a careful measurement of the track beneath her feet.
Her leading leg rose high, tracing a beautiful arc through the air before slamming down decisively, striking the ground with a deep, powerful thud.
Her trailing leg followed immediately, driving hard against the ground and propelling her body forward in a burst of speed.
At the instant her feet met the track, she could almost feel the reactive force pushing back from the surface—like surging waves, sending her farther and farther ahead with every step.
With her breathing, posture, and stride perfectly synchronized, Kitasan Black steadily entered the optimal state for a long-distance sprint.
In the stands, the spectators' gazes were locked onto the Umamusume on the track, while the commentator's voice echoed across the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The field has exited the turn and entered the tactical straight. The order is gradually stabilizing, let's confirm the positions."
"In the lead remains Kitasan Black. After that brilliant breakout, she is now dictating the pace of the entire race."
"Close behind is No. 8, Ribbon Victory, trailing by two and a half lengths. She's pushing forward hard, it looks like she's determined to continue the thrilling duel we saw at the St. Lite Kinen."
"Previously leading, Real Will and Red Solomon are now in third and fourth."
"Tagano Café is in close pursuit."
"One and a half lengths behind comes Crowned Stone."
"The battle among the front runners remains fierce, and the race is still tightly contested."
The commentator delivered the situation rapidly and in detail, and the tension and excitement among the spectators only continued to rise.
"No. 9, Albert, is beginning to move from the outside—there may be action coming."
The commentary continued:
"However, Albert isn't advancing yet. Directly behind her is the second-most popular contender, REAL STEEL."
"REAL STEEL is two and a half lengths behind the front-running group and is steadily chasing, her position gradually improving."
"Another two lengths back is Kangi Rakuka, who is also starting to move up from the middle of the pack."
"The third favorite, Satono Rasen, still hasn't made her move—she appears to be waiting for the perfect moment."
"No. 5, Mission, is pushing forward, while the last runner, No. 7, Strengthen Will, is still fighting desperately to make up the distance lost at the start. Her perseverance is truly moving!"
There was a note of emotion in the commentator's voice at that last line, and the crowd responded with encouraging applause for Strengthen Will.
"The second climb is here!"
The commentator suddenly shouted with excitement.
"Kitasan Black is making the first move among the front runners! She's clearly accelerating—does she intend to widen the gap in one decisive push?
"No. 14, Miracle Blaze, is also making her move! No. 13, Soaring Dream, charges forward, and No. 15, Angel Wing, refuses to be left behind!"
"The positions of the entire field are changing in the blink of an eye!"
As the commentator's voice climbed ever higher, sunlight poured unrestrained across the racecourse, cutting the eighteen Umamusume into streaks of swift, living lightning—each one blazing forward with thunderous momentum as they surged toward the second ascent.
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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