It wasn't just the two Uma Musume at the front—the air between every figure behind them was already charged with confrontation.
This was exactly what he'd meant—the contest had begun long ago.
Yasui Makoto badly wished for a pause button, a chance to freeze the speeding Uma Musume in place and carefully explain everything he had noticed to Kitasan Black.
But races couldn't be paused.
Not only was pausing impossible, but just as he was preparing to explain, drastic changes suddenly erupted on the track.
Any thought of explaining flew straight from his mind as his vision sharpened, nerves involuntarily tensing—as if he could feel the pounding of their hooves hitting the grass.
The previously rehearsed, harmonious rhythm shattered in an instant, replaced by an atmosphere so tense that breathing became difficult, spreading swiftly over every Uma Musume on the course.
Seiun Sky's formerly stable pace seemed abruptly disturbed, her speed gradually dropping until Special Week visibly closed the gap behind her.
Special Week's eyes flickered slightly, yet she made no move to accelerate. At the same time, her ears twitched involuntarily, and she cast a sideways glance backward.
Her gaze swept past a grim-faced Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, past Air Jihad at the tail end of the stalking group.
It lingered briefly on Grass Wonder, who was watching her intently, and El Condor Pasa, who was half-hidden behind Grass Wonder, before finally settling on a white-and-green figure moving to the outside.
King Halo...? She's planning to accelerate now...?
Special Week's pupils involuntarily contracted, snapping quickly back forward.
But Seiun Sky's pacing... still hasn't changed yet. This definitely isn't the Kikuka Sho tactic from last time!
Then, is Halo moving forward now...?
Just as this thought formed, her ears twitched once more, gaze drawn uncontrollably back toward King Halo's position.
King Halo wasn't there anymore.
Like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, the Uma Musume had suddenly accelerated, instantly cutting outward by more than one lane.
Her sudden burst of speed immediately sparked a chain reaction. Mejiro Dober, just inside her, had a fierce, cold look, instantly following closely behind—as if determined to seize this opportunity.
Slightly ahead, Phalaenopsis and Erimo Excel clearly weren't about to yield their positions, both simultaneously moving to block.
Phalaenopsis swung her arms vigorously, shifting outward slightly.
Not to be outdone, Erimo Excel closely mirrored Phalaenopsis's movements from behind, shifting outward as well.
Changing positions and shifting lanes during a turn was perfectly legal. Just as the field entered the bend, the pair neatly blocked the path ahead of King Halo and Mejiro Dober.
Taking advantage of the clear view provided by the turn, Special Week observed everything.
Quickly glancing toward the outermost lane, she grit her teeth, rapidly thinking.
Seiun Sky still hasn't made a move... Grass-san and Condor-san too...
Halo acting this early… This isn't like her usual style.
Now their path is blocked—are they going even wider?
But... the outside has Stay Gold and Bright-san there...
Similar to Special Week, Seiun Sky had puffed her cheeks slightly as she ran, eyes constantly tracking behind from the corner of her vision.
An instant before entering the corner, noticing the suddenly urgent footsteps behind her, the corners of her mouth flicked upward.
But after distinguishing several sets of footsteps still holding steady, her lips twitched unnaturally.
Ah, Halo's still as impatient as ever…
But why aren't any of you guys worried...?
Grass-san and Condor-san, fine, you're probably only focused on Spe anyway...
But Spe, you dense dummy, why aren't you anxious either?
Well, no rush, no rush. After all...
I'm not in a hurry either.
Smiling almost imperceptibly, her twitching lips rose once more before instantly tightening.
Simultaneously, her muscles tightened fiercely, her legs suddenly bursting with power. Her feet slammed against the ground as if fitted with powerful springs, each stride seemingly powerful enough to crush the grass beneath.
Her formerly reduced pace instantly vanished, tossed into the skies. That surge of force erupted violently, like a long-held flood finally breaching its dam.
The gusting wind suddenly intensified, sending her short hair flapping wildly around her ears.
Her breaths quickened, mouth gaping wider, greedily drawing oxygen from the air to fuel this full-power sprint.
"King Halo! Followed by Mejiro Dober! And now Seiun Sky!"
The commentator's calmness vanished completely, his voice becoming even more feverish:
"King Halo accelerates first! Mejiro Dober swiftly follows! And now Seiun Sky too!"
"The field enters the third corner! The successive accelerations from these three runners have sparked a fierce chain reaction—this race instantly heated up!"
"Phalaenopsis and Erimo Excel are battling King Halo and Mejiro Dober for positioning, Seiun Sky extends her lead—but Special Week seems eager to move forward…"
"It's Grass Wonder! She accelerates at the same instant as Special Week tries to advance!"
"King Halo and Mejiro Dober still find their paths blocked—will they swing further outside?"
"But! On the far outside is Stay Gold—and even wider is Mejiro Bright!"
"The gaps among competitors suddenly close, and the field spreads horizontally, entering the fourth corner!"
"It's still King Halo—she didn't choose to go further outside; instead, she dives into a suddenly wide-open inner path!"
"She charges forward from the inside, overtaking runner after runner, rapidly closing the gap with Grass Wonder ahead!"
"Her goal is also the leader—Seiun Sky!"
In the stands, the spectators' passion erupted into roaring flames, burning fiercely.
Those who had earlier chatted and discussed the race situation were now fully absorbed by the sudden dramatic shifts on the track.
As King Halo accelerated first like a bolt of lightning, a wave of short, piercing cries rose from the crowd. Immediately afterward, cheers of "Go, King Halo!", "That acceleration's insane!" poured from every corner of the stands, merging into a deafening chorus.
Some young spectators were so thrilled their faces flushed bright red, standing directly on their seats, furiously waving glow sticks, banners, and posters—each bearing the portrait of the Uma Musume they supported.
One youth dressed in a white-and-green T-shirt and a King Halo cap shouted nonstop, bouncing energetically, as if he hoped to transmit power directly to King Halo through his frenzied actions.
Even the elderly spectators were swept up in the fiery atmosphere. Though they didn't jump and shout like the young fans, the nervous excitement in their eyes was just as intense.
One old man, his hair already silver-gray, gripped the armrests of his seat tightly, leaning forward, eyes locked unwaveringly on that white-and-green figure racing on the track, continuously muttering to himself:
"As expected... The unyielding king… As expected, I can still see your running figure... As expected..."
When Mejiro Dober and Seiun Sky followed immediately after with their own bursts of acceleration, the atmosphere—exactly as the commentator described—instantly reached a fever pitch, sending the entire stands into wild chaos.
Cheers, screams, applause intertwined, and even some girls, eyes glistening with tears, desperately waved sketchbooks and handbags, calling out each Uma Musume's name at the top of their lungs, voices cracking with emotion.