Just as Oguri Cap pointed toward the track, Musee Alien—running third—was like a red-and-white whirlwind.
She ran at full tilt, each step hitting viciously, as if she wanted to crush the track beneath her feet into dust.
At the same time, her mind raced.
Before the start, she'd been entirely focused on fighting Kitasan Black head-on for the lead.
Like on the final straight of the St. Lite Kinen—or even earlier races, right from the opening stretch.
Her trainer had agreed.
They both knew Kitasan Black was exceptional at controlling the lead. Without a mindset of putting everything on the line, beating such a powerful rival was impossible.
The plan for this race had already been etched into her mind.
But reality had veered far from that scenario.
At the start, Red Solomon—who'd drawn a favorable gate—unexpectedly shot out like lightning and snatched the lead.
Then Lia Fail and Spirits Minoru surged forward recklessly from the far outside, desperately seizing the front in a flash.
Even now, their thunderous footfalls seemed to ring in her ears, making her eardrums itch faintly.
At that point, she hadn't had the bandwidth to keep an eye on Kitasan Black.
There were so many Front Runners in this Kikuka Sho—they occupied one-third of the field.
Beyond the inevitable opening battle, there was also the risk of being boxed in.
Unless someone attempted a Runaway, the gaps and pace among the Front Runners couldn't stretch too far early on.
Similarly, the Pace Chasers had plenty of stamina to keep up.
Thus, one small positioning error—combined with the gradual pace adjustments of the pack, centrifugal force through the turns—and you could easily end up surrounded.
Once boxed in, your preferred rhythm, stride, breathing, and arm swing would all be disrupted. It would become impossible to perform at your normal level.
You could simply wait for the pack to naturally open.
The Kikuka Sho starts from the middle of the home straight facing the stands. After the break, there's a gentle uphill climb, then immediately the cresting arc of the third and fourth turns.
Descending the slope and exiting the turn, you reach the long straight directly in front of the stands.
In that segment, the pack would naturally stretch into a line to conserve stamina.
It couldn't be helped—over 3000 meters, runners had to navigate six turns, making hugging the inside crucial.
When the field stretched into a line, the "box" would naturally vanish.
Her trainer had emphasized this in the pre-race briefing—and had also warned that the worst-case scenario was getting accidentally boxed in herself.
If that happened, absolutely no panic. Just wait patiently for it to resolve itself.
There would still be 2000 meters left. Plenty of time to turn things around. She couldn't afford to waste stamina impulsively.
But now, she wasn't the one trapped in that worst-case scenario.
She was running third—not as ideal as leading, but still allowing her to unleash most of her strength.
Good. Keep running like this. Just… don't rush!
With renewed clarity and determination filling her eyes, Musee Alien reassessed the situation.
Clear sweat flung from her hair, a few droplets flicking toward her eyelids.
She didn't blink. Her gaze quickly swept over Spirits Minoru and Red Solomon ahead.
She spared just a moment for Lia Fail and Tagano Espresso on her flank, then immediately looked further back.
Boxed in… The trainer was right. It's just…
I didn't think Kita-chan would be that unlucky.
After that brief thought, she dove back into analysis.
Waiting for the box to break—that was the trainer's instruction.
And his reading of most competitors.
Yet whether before the race or now, there was one instinct she couldn't shake.
If she herself got boxed in, she'd follow instructions. Most others would, too.
But not Kitasan Black.
Having traded blows so many times and spent these days together at the Kyoto campus, Musee Alien's gut told her clearly: Kitasan Black wouldn't wait.
Like a flame that never went out—buffeted by wind and rain, knocked down by setbacks, even slammed into the mud at the bottom of a whirlpool—Kitasan Black would still grit her teeth and force her way out.
In Musee Alien's eyes, Kitasan Black was exactly that kind of Umamusume.
That quality in her rival, her friend—it wasn't stubborn pride or competition.
It was her nature: a refusal to ever lower her head.
And that was precisely the dazzling brilliance Musee Alien admired.
"Now that you're boxed in… You're not going to let it end like this, are you, Kita-chan?"
Without realizing it, she murmured inwardly, her peripheral vision fixed on the black silhouette behind her to the right.
Still not moving…?
With your strength, you know perfectly well that spot's useless for a Front Runner…!
Even if you can't seize the lead now, at least second—or even third alongside me—would still be better…!
Move already. I…
I've been waiting for you all this time!
Her breathing came fast and heavy. She hadn't forgotten who her biggest opponent was in this race.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, as though it might burst.
But…!
No matter what you're planning, this time…
I won't let you pass me so easily again!
The Kikuka Sho title… I'm going to prove my strength right in front of you—with this win!
"Come on… Kita-chan!"
Just as she fully immersed herself in that unspoken duel, suddenly—like a hallucination—the tightly blocked view ahead opened wide.
The inner rail… disappeared?!
Her eyes widened in disbelief for a moment.
No—not disappeared, but…
In that split second, her trainer's pre-race analysis flashed through her mind like lightning:
"The Kyoto Racecourse's long-distance layout… is actually a bit special."
"The Kikuka Sho is run entirely on the outer course, but there's also an inner course within it."
"That inner course is for other races. For convenience, when the Kikuka Sho exits the fourth turn, there's a brief section with no inside rail."
"If you really get boxed in, theoretically, that's your breakout chance."
"But forget it. It's too short. At your speed, it would probably only exists for five seconds."
"Between assessing, positioning, overtaking, and adjustments—realistically, you'd have a breakout window…"
"Of less than two seconds."
"It's too short, demanding explosive power and perfect timing. Unless you anticipated every possibility and specifically prepared."
"Throughout Kikuka Sho history, probably only a handful of greats managed to pull it off."
"Better to wait for the straight. It's safer. Kikuka Sho is 3000 meters…"
"There's no need to rush."
As those words flashed through her mind, Musee Alien sensed something terrifying from the position she'd been watching all along, back-right behind her—
A tremendous pressure erupted, causing her entire body to shiver uncontrollably.
---
T/N: COME ON KITASAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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