No answer came.
Her laughter, taunting as if mocking an Emperor's ignorance, rode the chill, damp night breeze into the girl's ears.
The Emperor's prestige held no weight with her.
Rudolf narrowed her eyes.
In this other, she sensed an arrogance that disregarded everything.
A Uma Musume clad in black…
She'd never heard of such a one.
Under the hazy veil of the night sky, the girl's face was indistinct, but that outfit—that race uniform—and those golden eyes were identical to those of Manhattan Cafe from the Miho Dorm.
Yet, the resemblance was only skin deep.
A single glance was enough to know she was utterly different from the calm and quiet Manhattan Cafe.
This girl before her exuded an untamable defiance from the very marrow of her bones.
When those eyes fell upon Rudolf, they held a scorn unlike any other—a scorn no one else had ever dared to show.
Such an overbearing attitude was something Rudolf had never witnessed before.
But so what?
Tracen Academy did not welcome any outsider with a mind for rule-breaking, especially not this 'outsider' who had just brazenly walked past her, paying her no mind whatsoever.
'Since you refuse to answer, I'll have to resort to slightly rougher methods to make you comply.'
With that thought, Rudolf stepped forward, closing the distance.
Yet the black-haired girl didn't flinch or avoid Rudolf's direct approach.
Instead, her lips curled into a smile.
"I wonder… if you can keep up with me…"
The surrounding ghosts let out muffled, indistinct chuckles, clearing away from the track. A cold wind whipped against Rudolf's face, forcing her to raise a hand to shield her eyes.
She saw the black-haired girl lower her stance, raising her arms into a starting position.
'What's the meaning of this… Are you challenging me to a race?'
Rudolf's brow furrowed tightly.
But the other's tone wasn't inviting a friendly contest; it was dripping with thick disdain, telling her, 'Come on, try to catch up.'
'The arrogance! Do you even know who you're speaking to!'
As if waiting for Rudolf, the girl's body sank even lower.
Just as Rudolf drew up beside her—
Bang—!
The ground erupted with sound. The girl's body shot forward like an arrow from a bow, straight and true.
That movement caused Rudolf's eyes to sharply constrict.
She knew it all too well.
It was the very running form Narita Brian had used in the [Satsuki Sho], though it lacked Brian's fierce, wild explosiveness. Still, it radiated the same blazing fire aimed at the finish line.
'But even if you use her form, do you possess that monstrous, terrifying power akin to Narita Brian's?'
Without the matching strength, any imitation was just superficial, a hollow shell—impressive on the outside but brittle within, unable to advance or retreat effectively.
'Since you want a race, then let's give it a try!'
Rudolf dug her feet into the grass, leaned her body forward, and pushed off with her legs. Her perfect flexibility unleashed a surge of powerful force in an instant, propelling her straight ahead.
She was the 'Emperor'.
While other Uma Musume might be flustered by a sudden race, she was already fully in her element.
Wherever she stood became a racetrack. In her eyes, the training ground had transformed into a racecourse. Night turned to day, and the empty grassy field was now packed with a roaring, cheering crowd, the air buzzing with their excitement.
At this moment, Rudolf was no longer the student council president, no longer just a student of Tracen. She had become a competitor on the track, a Uma Musume fighting for victory alone.
'Well then… let's have a race without a finish line.'
'Let's see if you have the capital to back up that arrogance!'
Her soles pounding the ground, Rudolf abruptly accelerated, closing in on the black-haired girl's back in an instant.
Under the dim moonlight, the girl's long hair flowed like an elusive dream. Her golden eyes stared fixedly ahead, sparkling with a strange, fiery light.
The one thing that puzzled Rudolf was why she had chosen someone else's running form.
Narita Brian lowered her stance in races to generate better power.
Without Brian's strength, such a posture was nothing but a hindrance, likely to cause a loss of balance and a nasty fall.
At a Uma Musume's speed, a fall on the track could have severe consequences. Hitting a fence could even be fatal.
'What is she trying to do?'
Rudolf's mind raced.
'Is it just to imitate Narita Brian?'
'Or… is it a provocation aimed at me? Thinking you can surpass me just by mimicking others?'
However, the other's actions quickly dispelled Rudolf's doubts.
The black-haired girl suddenly pressed her body even lower, her upper torso nearly skimming the ground. Just as Rudolf thought she might fall, one of the girl's feet plunged deep into the turf.
That stance!
Rudolf's heart gave a violent thud.
It was even more extreme than Narita Brian's…
Power!
Boom—!
It was like a cannon blast going off beside her ear.
A large patch of turf flew into the air, and the black-clad figure vanished from sight in an instant.
One length, two lengths, three lengths…
She was accelerating recklessly, her figure shrinking into the distance.
'This girl!'
Rudolf was stunned.
No Uma Musume she knew could unleash such terrifying power while running at such a high speed.
'How is she doing this? And for what reason has she appeared here?'
In the blink of an eye, they had already covered a thousand meters. For a race of an undefined distance, this pace even surpassed that of a short-distance sprint.
It was as if she was holding nothing back.
"I understand now—"
Rudolf spoke aloud.
This was a declaration of war. She was the challenger.
A bolt of lightning seemed to flash in Rudolf's eyes. The high-speed world of the race suddenly seemed to slow down.
The sound of her own breathing echoed in her ears. Her heart pounded wildly.
The black-haired girl's arms pumped rapidly yet seemed to sway gently. Blades of torn grass drifted languidly through the air. Everything moved with such slowness.
Yet, in this decelerated world, one figure maintained its original speed, pressing forward relentlessly.
The might of the 'Emperor' was manifesting.
Boom—!
A sound no less violent than before erupted from behind Rudolf.
The Undefeated Triple Crown winner charged forward in a straight line.
With exaggerated, powerful strides, she stomped across the damp grass, the very ground seeming to tremble beneath her feet.
'Closing in!'
Extreme speed was narrowing the gap between them.
Her soul was burning, her blood boiling and screaming!
Rudolf was giving it her all, something she hadn't done in a long time.
"I admit, you are strong—"
Her muscles trembled.
"But, that's all you are—just 'strong'."
Her pupils contracted to pinpricks. Her brilliant amethyst eyes locked onto the figure ahead.
An overwhelming, terrifying aura burst from her body. Then, another foot slammed heavily into the ground.
This deserted field seemed to cry out under the trampling. To achieve such an outrageous speed—in the entire world, only the 'Emperor' could do it.
'Nameless invader!'
'Your arrogance will be your downfall.'
"Heh—!"
Yet, at that very moment, the girl whom Rudolf was about to touch let out a soft laugh.
On her pale face bloomed a smile of extreme excitement.
The golden flames in her eyes flickered violently.
'It seems you still haven't figured it out.'
'Who is the challenger here—'
'Symboli Rudolf!'
Splash!
In that instant, Rudolf heard a sound like water being slapped.
The girl's running form… had changed?
She straightened up slightly. The swing of her arms grew wider, the bend in her legs more pronounced.
Starlight glimmered. The ground seemed coated in a layer of frost. In the misty air, Rudolf saw a fish—leaping high out of the water, spreading its pectoral fins, flying through the sky.
In all her life, Rudolf had never seen anyone run with such a posture.
It was as if the whole world was pushing her forward.
No, that wasn't running anymore.
It was as if she had merged with her surroundings.
She was… swimming… gliding over the land!
Rudolf's gaze was nailed to the other, unable to look away.
Her very soul felt like it was leaving her body, straining to chase after that black silhouette.
'Just what are you…?'
Snap—!
Suddenly, a sharp, clear sound shattered the quiet intensity of the race.
Rudolf's shoelaces could no longer withstand the immense force of her acceleration and snapped in two.
Not only that, the once-sturdy soles of her shoes had worn down completely in just this one minute.
Rudolf, who had initially come only to investigate, had never imagined she would end up in such an unprecedented contest here.
Her shoes, without the reinforcement of horseshoes, simply couldn't endure such ultra-intense running.
She felt a sudden lightness on her feet, her grip on the ground rapidly fading.
Looking down at her ruined shoes, Rudolf came to a stop.
She couldn't… continue the race.
The other girl seemed to realize this too, gradually slowing down.
"What a pity…"
She said.
"But next time, you won't be so lucky."
As if disappointed it was over, the girl shoved her hands into the pockets of her cloak and strode off into the distant darkness.
Looking at the broken shoelaces on her feet, Rudolf knelt on one knee to tie them together.
But she didn't get up.
Remaining in that position, head bowed, Rudolf narrowed her eyes, sinking into deep, prolonged thought.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.