As Kitasan Black felt the upward incline beneath her feet for the second time, she immediately sensed something was off.
The first ascent on the opposite straight had come shortly after the start.
Back then, her stamina was like a tidal wave surging with energy, powerful and inexhaustible.
With that kind of energy, every step had carried boundless force, capable of breaking through any obstacle ahead.
But now, she'd already covered more than 2,000 meters.
In any of her previous races, the finish line would have appeared mere seconds after passing the 2,000-meter mark.
She might even have crossed it already, basking in the glory of victory.
But this was the Kikuka Sho, and there was still nearly a full kilometer remaining ahead.
Even though she was steadily increasing her speed, the final stretch would likely take another full minute.
She had known this beforehand and had mentally prepared for it.
Yet, now that she was truly experiencing it firsthand, Kitasan Black felt as if a heavy hammer had suddenly struck her chest, jolting her sharply awake.
At the same time, she was stunned to realize that her prideful endurance—which rarely faltered—was rapidly leaking away, like air from a punctured ball.
She managed to maintain her form as she climbed the slope and entered the third corner again.
Her breathing remained in its familiar rhythm, her arms and legs still moving reliably.
Cutting inward along the rail, entering the bend, her pace didn't falter yet.
But the change became noticeable as she entered the fourth corner for the second time.
Breathing became difficult.
Her previously steady breaths, consistently supplying her body with energy, were beginning to falter.
With every inhale, her lungs felt increasingly restrained by invisible layers; the alveoli seemed to cry out, protesting their inability to fully draw in oxygen.
When she exhaled, it felt as though wind resistance or some unseen force prevented her from completely expelling the air, leaving a stifling heaviness accumulating in her chest.
Her arm movements gradually lost their smooth coordination.
The amplitude decreased involuntarily, and their pace slowed. Once a powerful aid to her running, now they felt like burdensome weights.
She tried desperately to correct her rhythm, hoping to reclaim the harmony she'd had at the start.
But each attempt felt as futile as fighting the hardest boss during her first playthrough of a new game.
Her leg muscles felt as heavy as lead, aching and resisting each stride.
Distances she'd previously cleared effortlessly now demanded far greater effort.
With every step, she felt keenly aware of the coarse track beneath her feet.
The friction that had propelled her forward earlier was now becoming an obstacle.
Then, her mind and vision began clouding over.
A thick fog seemed to descend on her consciousness, making her thoughts slow and muddled.
Her vision blurred, everything around her twisting as if distorted—the track ahead wavering and shifting shape.
She struggled to focus, barely making out the hazy outline indicating the end of the fourth corner.
At that very moment, as if through a thick barrier, she faintly heard the announcer's voice drifting from far away:
"THE DOWNHILL SECTION IS ENDING! ONLY 600 METERS REMAIN!"
"THE UMAMUSUME ARE VISIBLY STRAINING, BUT—THE FINAL CHALLENGE TO DECIDE THE STRONGEST OF THIS GENERATION..."
"…BEGINS NOW!!"
The announcer's voice brimmed with excitement, each word ablaze, leaping and igniting the air:
"KITASAN BLACK REMAINS IN FRONT, BUT FATIGUE IS CLEARLY SETTING IN! STILL, SHE MAINTAINS A THREE-LENGTH LEAD!"
"MUSEE ALIEN IS FIGHTING BRAVELY, BUT THE GAP BETWEEN HER AND KITASAN BLACK IS WIDENING…"
"TAGANO ESPRESSO IS SURGING FORWARD! SHE OVERTAKES MUSEE ALIEN INTO SECOND PLACE!"
"NUMBER 15, JUN TSUBASA IS MOVING UP! THE LATE SURGERS ARE MAKING THEIR MOVES! SATONO RASEN, THE THIRD FAVORITE, HAS FINALLY BEGUN HER CHARGE!"
"SATONO RASEN IS CLOSING IN RAPIDLY! THE SECOND FAVORITE, REAL STEEL, IS ALSO ADVANCING…"
"NO—WAIT!"
"REAL STEEL HAS SWUNG WIDE TO THE OUTSIDE, PREPARING FOR HER FINAL SPRINT!"
"BEHIND HER IS NUMBER 10, BRIGHT EMBLEM! AND ON THE OUTSIDE…NUMBER 7!"
"STIEGLITZ HAS FINALLY CAUGHT UP! SHE'S FINALLY MADE IT! SHE'S NOW CHASING ALONGSIDE BRIGHT EMBLEM!"
"THE FRONT GROUP IS CURRENTLY LED BY NUMBER 12, WONDER ATLETA! IN LAST PLACE NOW IS…"
"NUMBER 1, MI CORAZON! SHE'S LOST SPEED!"
"THEY'RE ENTERING THE STRAIGHT!"
"THE FINAL 400 METERS!"
The announcer practically roared, delivering every crucial detail to the crowd.
The stands erupted in frenzied excitement.
People had long since risen from their seats, wildly waving flags and glowsticks, screaming themselves hoarse.
Cheers, screams, and shouts blended into an overwhelming wave of sound, seemingly strong enough to overturn the entire venue.
Umamusume like Oguri Cap leaned forward anxiously, their eyes locked onto the track, unblinking for fear of missing even a split second.
Their hands clenched tightly, palms drenched in sweat, mouths endlessly murmuring words of encouragement for the runners.
Kitajima Saburō's gaze remained fixed on Kitasan Black, lips trembling as he stammered encouragement to his granddaughter:
"Kita-chan, hang in there! You can do it! Go, now!" His voice cracked with raw emotion, eyes filled with worry and hope.
Beside him, Yasui Makoto was equally focused, carried away by Saburō's fervor, shouting passionately:
"Kita-chan, steady your rhythm! Give it everything you've got! Cross that finish line!"
His binoculars had long fallen, dangling forgotten around his neck, his forehead glistening with sweat, eyes wide and locked onto the black-haired girl at the head of the pack.
The announcer's voice rose abruptly:
"THEY'VE ENTERED THE FINAL STRAIGHT!"
"ALBERT MOVES UP TO THIRD ON THE OUTSIDE! ON THE INSIDE, LIA FAIL MAKES ANOTHER MOVE!"
"BUT SPIRITS MINORU IS LOSING SPEED, BLOCKING LIA FAIL'S PATH FORWARD!"
"TARGETING THE INNERMOST LANE—REAL STEEL CHARGES AHEAD!"
"ALBERT! NOW TAGANO ESPRESSO! AND REAL STEEL…!"
"REAL STEEL MOVES UP TO SECOND!"
"SATONO RASEN IS RIGHT BEHIND!"
"BUT REAL STEEL HOLDS SECOND!"
"WHAT A FIERCE FINAL SPURT! SHE'S CRUSHING KITASAN BLACK'S LEAD!"
"KITASAN BLACK ON THE INSIDE—BUT REAL STEEL IS COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE!"
"TWO LENGTHS…ONE LENGTH…HALF A LENGTH!"
"COULD IT BE—?!"
The announcer's voice trembled with emotion:
"COULD SHE REALLY BE OVERTAKEN SO EASILY?!"
"KITASAN BLACK—?!"
The stands froze, breathless silence blanketing the venue for an instant.
Yet, this silence shattered immediately, replaced by an explosive uproar erupting like a volcano.
Countless spectators lost all restraint, holding their breaths in suspense, eyes wide and glued to the track.
Others let out cries of shock, voices overlapping and surging skyward, threatening to tear through the heavens.
Among the Umamusume watching, even Oguri Cap, normally calm and composed, trembled in stunned excitement, eyes locked onto the course, hands clenched so tightly her nails nearly pierced her palms.
---
T/N: AHHHHHHHH ITS OVERRRRRRRRRR NO WAY also cliffhang :D slacking peeps got cliffhanged 50 years ago so its your turn
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Okay, real talk: I am extremely hungry for money, so I'm raising membership prices soon.
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