...
The Arima Kinen is always the grand finale of the year.
The view shifts back to Nakayama Racecourse—packed to capacity, buzzing with voices, both inside and outside the grounds surrounded impenetrably.
As Special Week, Seiun Sky, and others appeared one by one, the atmosphere in the entire racecourse was pushed to its climax.
...
"Trainer, this year's Arima Kinen feels way more lively than last year—or the year before." Haru Urara sighed with emotion, her small mouth forming a surprised O-shape.
Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio stood on either side of Lucian, watching the massive scene, their hearts pounding fiercely with the desire to compete on the same stage.
"This year is indeed lively." Lucian nodded.
The Golden Generation: Special Week, Seiun Sky, Grass Wonder, King Halo, and El Condor Pasa—all present.
Truth be told, he hadn't competed much against the horse girls from "Rigil" and "Spica" this year, but it was certain that the participants from those two teams had made qualitative improvements.
Missing the chance to battle so many strong opponents was why Mejiro McQueen felt such regret.
But accumulating strength and drawing from broad observation—Lucian thought letting Mejiro McQueen lie low for another year wasn't bad. Next year, or the year after, there might be even stronger and more interesting rivals.
Thinking this, his gaze turned to Rice-chan, Tokai Teio, and the others. "Everyone, watch this race carefully. I hope you can learn something."
...
"Spe-chan, I won't lose to you this time." Seiun Sky finished warming up and entered Gate 2—a fantastic position for her.
Special Week smiled at Seiun Sky's back and nodded. "I won't give up easily either, Seiun."
"Spe-chan, you're not just worrying about Seiun as your only opponent, right?" Grass Wonder gently reminded. Outwardly serene and elegant as ever, her restrained aura burned like blue flames—only those close could feel the scorching heat.
"Exciting! Good thing I didn't go abroad this year, or I'd have missed it!" The confident El Condor Pasa differed from Grass Wonder; her outward, highly aggressive aura pressed powerfully on everyone present. "Don't cry if you lose to me!"
Grass Wonder narrowed her eyes and smiled silently at her. Focused on Spe-chan, she forgot to mention El Condor Pasa.
"Ah!!!!!!" A shout came from Gate 10.
Everyone looked—Taiki Shuttle hesitated at the gate, refusing to enter. "Too narrow! I don't want to go in—can I still report it?!"
"Participant, please enter the gate quickly." The staff helplessly pushed Taiki Shuttle's shoulders into Gate 10.
King Halo silently finished warming up and entered Gate 3. "Perfect—all rivals here. This time, this lady will take back everything that's mine!"
The imposing Air Groove and the relaxed-looking Mejiro Ryan entered Gates 1 and 7 respectively.
El Condor Pasa was in the near-end Gate 13, Grass Wonder in Gate 8, Special Week in Gate 5.
Besides these eight, there were seven other horse girls.
...
The gates burst open like a starting gun.
Outer-lane horse girls converged inward; those in front gates accelerated smoothly, pulling away.
The pack formed a halved "一," then split like thick ink stroked in one direction, trailing marks.
Leading was Seiun Sky—fluid light streamed from her body at the start, but she didn't employ a big escape strategy this time.
Close behind were Air Groove and Taiki Shuttle; El Condor Pasa and others stayed in the middle group, conserving energy, awaiting opportunity.
This formation didn't last long. Passing the second turn, Taiki Shuttle slightly accelerated, inching past Seiun Sky to take the lead.
The 2500m Arima Kinen wasn't a 1600m sprint—Taiki Shuttle didn't dare let loose.
But the first 1600m was her absolute domain.
Taiki Shuttle noticed Seiun Sky steady behind her—she seemed to have no intention of overtaking.
Merely maintaining position was highly disadvantageous for her.
"Since everyone's running so conservatively, I won't hold back."
Taiki Shuttle smiled. The instant her raised step hit the ground again, her aura shifted dramatically.
In Lucian's eyes, golden light enveloped Taiki Shuttle's body, irregular rays flickering and vanishing... His ears seemed to hear crackling lightning.
Taiki Shuttle hadn't yet run the rain-soaked Yasuda Kinen, but Lucian was immensely anticipatory—would she undergo her final transformation there?
"Monster... such rapid improvement." He was dazed for a moment, then murmured upon recovering.
But she wasn't the only monster on the field!
...
Taiki Shuttle actively stirred the vortex, forcing the trailing horse girls to abandon comfort and accelerate in pursuit.
They needed to maintain proper distance from the leader—absolutely couldn't fall too far behind, or they'd realize too late they couldn't catch up.
Taiki Shuttle's sudden burst impacted Seiun Sky first.
"This powerless feeling again... Is this my limit? I won't accept it..."
She hadn't fully crossed the second-stage threshold—just one foot in.
But she refused to be helplessly overtaken again, refused to be anyone's stepping stone, refused to disappoint the trainer again!
"No admitting it!" Seiun Sky gritted her teeth. Azure light seemed to truly draw the sky's color—pure and sacred—clashing head-on with Taiki Shuttle's explosion.
The horse girl soaring through the sky competed for the lead with golden lightning.
Taiki Shuttle's aura once suppressed Seiun Sky, but that azure flame, like a spark, reignited with tenacious vitality.
But this wasn't just their duel.
Seiun Sky's sudden burst wildly expanded the vortex; terrifying suction inevitably dragged every horse girl toward the center.
Under the lead horses' rhythm, they could only react passively!
Lucian on the stands sucked in a cold breath. Watching the streaming lights like dozens of skyrocketing fireworks, he was awestruck.
The originally chaotic scene gradually stabilized—everyone seemed part of composing this vortex.
...