Chapter 214: I Won!!
The moment the commentator announced "Kitasan Black," thunderous cheers erupted like raging waves, one after another, completely swallowing the entire racetrack.
Amid the overwhelming roar, Kitasan Black gasped desperately for air, bracing herself with her hands on her knees.
Her mind was a blur, her consciousness like a small boat lost at sea, drifting helplessly on stormy waters.
After a long while, her breathing gradually steadied. She slowly straightened up, her awareness rising little by little from the murky abyss of exhaustion.
Her thoughts were still stuck in the fierce race that had nearly drained every last bit of her strength.
Fatigue dulled her thinking. Everything before her looked as if veiled behind a thin, hazy curtain.
Just then, her gaze unintentionally swept toward the other side of the track.
On the massive scoreboard, the name at the very top—"Kitasan Black"—shone brilliantly in the lights.
Her eyes froze. Her scattered focus snapped sharply into place.
As if wanting to carve it into her soul, she stared fixedly at that single line.
"That's… my name?"
Her lips parted slightly, her voice filled with disbelief.
In the next instant, her heartbeat sped up, and even her heavy body seemed to regain a bit of strength.
Still staring at the board, she unconsciously took a few steps forward.
Then staggered back.
Then forward again.
Her name remained firmly in first place, unchanged.
In that moment, joy burst through her like a collapsing dam, flooding her entire being.
Her eyes widened even more, sparkling brightly, and two rosy patches colored her pale cheeks.
"I… did it?"
Her voice trembled with excitement, louder than before.
Then pure ecstasy ignited within her like a blazing fire.
She suddenly threw her head back, clenched her fists tightly, and shouted with all her joy and pride:
"I won——!!"
The cry carried all her emotions, breaking free from her throat and echoing across the stadium.
"Yeah, Kitasan Black, you won!"
REAL STEEL's eyes sparkled with excitement as she clapped enthusiastically while walking over. There wasn't the slightest hint of disappointment in her gaze—only fond memories of the thrilling race and heartfelt congratulations.
"Even though I lost to you again, well…"
"That run really felt amazing."
"Steel-chan…"
Hearing this, Kitasan Black hurriedly shook her head.
But before she could finish speaking, two cheerful voices rapidly approached:
"Congrats, Kita-chan!"
"You were incredible, Kita-chan!"
With excited faces, Ribbon Victory and Angel Wing rushed over.
They moved so fast it was as if they hadn't just run a race at all.
Before she could react, they threw their arms around her.
Startled by the sudden hug, a flash of surprise crossed Kitasan Black's face.
But she quickly relaxed, a warm smile curling onto her lips.
Seeing this, REAL STEEL's smile widened even more. She stepped forward and joined the embrace.
Watching the scene, the other Umamusume stared in astonishment.
After all, they had just finished running the 3000-meter Kikuka Sho.
Kitasan Black had clearly looked completely exhausted moments ago.
Yet Ribbon Victory and REAL STEEL standing was one thing—
But in her excitement, Angel Wing was practically hanging off Kitasan Black's body.
Even though fatigue still lingered on her face, Kitasan Black's legs stood firm and steady, as if the Angel Wing hanging off her body weighed nothing at all.
So this girl… is she really the same kind of Umamusume as us?
The same thought rose in their minds almost simultaneously. Their eyes widened and their mouths hung slightly open, disbelief written all over their faces.
After a moment of stunned silence, someone started clapping sincerely.
In an instant, more applause followed, one after another, accompanied by waves of congratulations that echoed throughout the entire stadium.
Not far away, Satono Rasen quietly watched everything.
A trace of melancholy flashed through her eyes at first, but it was soon replaced by determination—and then admiration.
Looking at Kitasan Black, surrounded by everyone, she smiled faintly and joined in the applause.
Feeling the warmth around her and hearing the enthusiastic clapping, the excitement and joy in Kitasan Black's heart grew stronger and stronger.
While repeatedly thanking everyone around her, she couldn't help but lift her head and look toward the stands.
Grandpa… senpai… Crow-chan, Dia-chan, and Dura-chan… everyone…
And Trainer…
Look, I… did it…
…
For the past dozen seconds—maybe several dozen seconds, or even a minute or two—Makoto felt like his emotions had gone through a roller coaster.
From the nerve-wracking tension during the race, to the wild ecstasy the moment Kitasan Black crossed the finish line, his heart pounded violently. Then everything went blank, and he had no idea what he had been doing during that time.
After a while, he finally realized that somehow he had ended up tightly hugging the old man, Saburo Kitajima.
The old man didn't seem to notice his own posture either. His eyes were red, wiping away tears while grinning at the racetrack.
Realizing his loss of composure, Makoto quickly let go of Kitajima and apologized,
"I'm so sorry, Kitajima-sensei. I… I got too excited just now. That was rude of me."
As he spoke, he straightened his slightly messy clothes, trying to regain his usual calm demeanor.
But Saburo Kitajima didn't care at all.
His wrinkled face still wore a bright smile, tears of excitement glistening in his eyes.
He grabbed Makoto's hand and shook it vigorously, his voice stumbling from emotion.
"What are you talking about, Yasui-san! If anything, I should be the one apologizing—no, wait, there's nothing to apologize for."
"Anyway, if it weren't for you, how could our little Kita possibly achieve such amazing results!"
"Please don't say that. I'm the one who should be thanking you!"
Makoto smiled, bowed slightly, and shook his head.
"Kitajima-sensei, actually, Kitasan winning is mostly because of her own hard work and talent."
"You know too—since the training camp… no, even since her debut, even before her debut, she's poured out countless drops of sweat."
"Walking this path all the way here…"
Looking at the figure on the track surrounded by the other Umamusume, countless memories unconsciously surfaced in his mind.
"She's really worked too hard."
Saburo Kitajima nodded repeatedly and sighed with emotion.
"Yeah. Even when she's at home, she's still thinking about training."
"If you hadn't warned her not to overtrain on her own, she'd probably still be out running even on weekends."
"That kid really gave it everything she had for racing."
His eyes grew moist again.
"Yeah… she gave it everything…"
Still gazing at the track, Makoto murmured softly, a small smile appearing on his face as he joined the cheers echoing across the stadium.
At the same time, he silently thought:
So next… let her rest well and truly enjoy herself.
She deserves this ease and happiness.
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
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.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 314: Kita, You're Truly Amazing[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/umamusume-it-all-161293563?collection=1617249[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/umamusume-it-all-161293563?collection=1617249
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/umamusume-it-all-161293563?collection=1617249