The race began—nearly every competing Uma Musume shot forward in a perfectly aligned horizontal line. Their start was flawless, and under the roaring cheers of the crowd, the curtain was raised on this peak showdown.
"A beautiful start! The runners are neck-and-neck, all vying for the lead!"
"Oh! Exceptional Venture bursts out from the far outside—she's sprinted right to the very front to seize the lead position!"
The announcer's voice surged with excitement, carrying the audience's passion even higher.
"Keep pace—!!!"
Sakura Chiyono O kept her position in the middle of the pack. Her breathing was steady, but her gaze was sharp as a hawk's, constantly scanning the opponents around her.
The Japan Derby field is massive—getting boxed in is the last thing I can allow!
She bit down, analyzing the situation with a calm mind.
To avoid being trapped, there were only two choices: fight for the very front, or drop all the way to the back.
But with so many competitors, charging to the lead now would drain too much stamina and be disastrous for the final leg.
As for second place? That was dangerous—it was far too easy to get dragged along by the leader's pace and lose her own rhythm.
Sakura Chiyono O kept calculating—opponents' strengths, the pace, the track conditions, her own capabilities…
Then… I'll stay right here!!!
In an instant, she made her choice—third place. It was the perfect position—ready to attack, safe to fall back.
Like a swift, slippery fish, she weaved through the crowded field, smoothly claiming the golden seat of third place.
It was then—
She caught something in her peripheral vision.
Turning slightly, she saw it was Mejiro Ardan.
Ardan was running close on her outside, a faintly composed smile on her face.
Sakura Chiyono O glanced at her briefly, then turned back to focus on the race.
"…You've noticed, haven't you?"
Ardan's expression grew solemn.
From the Satsuki Sho and recent training, she already knew—both Yaeno Muteki and Sakura Chiyono O had stronger late surges than her when they went all out.
But the Japan Derby was no Satsuki Sho.
2400 meters—it was a distance that could break any Uma Musume.
Mejiro Ardan was different. Like Mejiro McQueen in the future, she possessed the Mejiro family's finest long-distance bloodline.
Her stamina far surpassed anyone else on the field.
I'll just keep to the outside and watch the situation for now, Chiyono O…
Her voice was soft, but her eyes burned.
The final leg—that's when the real battle begins.
The sharp, rapid sound of iron shoes pounding turf rang like battle drums, echoing across Tokyo Racecourse's wide track.
The leader's steady pace was gradually raising the pack's speed. Air was sliced apart by the charging silhouettes, carrying a constant roar.
"The leader is still Exceptional Venture! Keeping a stable rhythm—"
"…And in third place, Sakura Chiyono O! Mejiro Ardan is right on her outside!"
The commentary blared from the loudspeakers, narrating the race's shifting tides.
Time passed. The race was already past the halfway point.
They rounded the final turn—
The distance marker beside the rail read: 600 meters to the finish!
The decisive moment had come.
At the front, Exceptional Venture—who had led from the very start—was faltering under the pressure and the energy she'd spent.
Her stride was heavy now, speed dropping visibly.
And then—
From right behind, a burst of cherry-pink exploded into motion!
Sakura Chiyono O launched her attack!
All the power she had been holding back ignited in her legs—her acceleration was like an arrow loosed from its bow, blasting past the two tired frontrunners to seize the lead!
This is it!
She bit down hard, her mind roaring.
Her view was wide open—only the finish line ahead!
One final push would bring her the victory she sought!
"Sakura Chiyono O makes her move! She's taken the lead—"
The announcer's shout was cut by a sudden shift in tone—
"Mejiro Ardan is surging from the inside!"
"Yaeno Muteki is closing from the outside!"
"In the blink of an eye—it's three abreast at the front!!!"
No sooner had Sakura Chiyono O taken the lead than Ardan and Muteki appeared at her sides!
The three frontrunners arrived at the tip of the spear in perfect unison, sprinting side-by-side like three fighter jets, tearing toward the finish!
Sakura Chiyono O's eyes widened—
To her left, Ardan's refined form now burned with unmatched sharpness.
To her right, Muteki's steady, mountain-like drive rumbled forward.
There was no space between them—their breaths loud in each other's ears, every stride pounding in their chests.
I won't give an inch!
Her whole body strained, every step squeezing the last drops of power from her muscles.
The finish line was so close now, shining white against her eyes.
She could feel Ardan's shadowy pressure on one side, and Muteki's heavy, unwavering steps shaking the ground on the other.
Behind them—
The first-favored Dido Shooter gritted her teeth in pain.
"Damn it…!!"
Her left leg trembled uncontrollably—the cursed old injury had betrayed her at the worst possible time.
Her face twisted with effort and regret as she watched the three leaders pull farther and farther away.
Ahead—
The three titans thundered forward, as if trying to split the earth beneath their hooves!
The finish loomed closer, air screaming as it was ripped apart by their speed.
"…Almost there…"
Sweat drenched Sakura Chiyono O's clothes.
Her lips bled from the force of her clenched teeth, iron tang filling her mouth.
Chiyono O, you have to push… you have to…
If not now, when…?
I… I can't lose!
She felt her very limits closing in.
"I… will not be overtaken!!!"
Muteki and Ardan were at their limits too—but their will to win blazed all the brighter.
My legs still have strength—now's the moment!
Ardan shed all traces of her noble image.
Just as I thought—I've conserved more stamina than they have. Time to strike—for the honor of the Mejiro family!
"Ahhhh—!!!"
Her roar drove her forward, step by step breaking the deadlock and edging into the lead!
"Mejiro Ardan takes the front! Can the others catch her?!"
From the stands, Maruzensky clutched her chest—
Is she… going to lose?
Chiyono O stared blankly at Ardan's back pulling away.
No… she couldn't lose—
Not to this.
Not with Maruzensky's unfulfilled regret…
Not with Kuroha's hopes on her shoulders…
I can't lose! I won't lose! I will win!!!
Her consciousness screamed, raged, forced her battered body to respond!
Every cell in her burned with the desperate will to win!
"Aahhh!!!"
Her voice tore up from her very soul.
Her sweat-soaked pink hair whipped violently in the wind—her dimming eyes reigniting with a terrifying light!
The fire inside her, nearly extinguished, flared back to life—becoming a storm of energy that would burn away all obstacles!
Then—
A crisp, impossible sound.
It was as if a mirror appeared before her—and her will had just cracked it open.
From the depths of her heart, a searing heat surged out like molten lava, flooding her veins!
A blaze of cherry light burned in her pupils—
By sheer will, she had forced open the door to the Domain, unlocking its power even if only through a tiny fracture!
In that instant, her maxed-out speed climbed again—an absurd, overwhelming second wind!
She flashed past Ardan.
Ardan's face froze—
Chiyono O's stride had become looser, stronger, each step pulling the earth's power into her body!
Cherry blossoms danced in her gaze—the world turning to fleeting, breathtaking beauty.
Gasps echoed from the stands as the pink silhouette tore free from all restraint, leaving the others behind!
Impossible!
"She's still accelerating?!"
"It's not over yet!!!" Ardan roared, throwing every last drop of stamina into one final attempt.
But—
She couldn't close the gap.
It widened before her eyes.
Chiyono O was unstoppable now. The world fell away behind her—only the finish line remained.
She wasn't running anymore.
She was burning—turning her life, her everything, into unmatched light and heat!
The line was there—
And she tore through it first, overwhelming and absolute!
"Victory—!! Sakura Chiyono O!!! With an unbelievable late burst on the final stretch!"
"She's gone beyond her limits! The glory of the Japan Derby belongs to—Sakura Chiyono O!!"
The announcer's scream, voice cracking with raw excitement, roared above Tokyo Racecourse.
(End of Chapter)
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