"I'm aware of the situation. Thank you for your efforts on this matter."
The Central Committee Chairwoman hung up the phone in her office.
The strategy to blockade the target had failed.
She'd known it was possible the target might escape, even with multiple experienced Uma Musume surrounding the starting gate, but hearing the confirmation still left a heavy feeling in her chest.
Stepping onto the racetrack meant that figure would now be completely exposed to the view of one hundred and seventy thousand spectators.
Currently, public opinion regarding the racecourse was favorable to the Central Committee, but that wouldn't last.
The Chairwoman knew the consequences her actions could bring. Spreading rumors to force the target to back down—if this method failed, the court of public opinion would ultimately turn squarely against the Central Committee.
But resorting to such measures was purely a last resort.
If that figure kept appearing on the track and the Central Committee remained powerless to stop it, the authority of the [Twinkle Series] would soon be completely eroded.
To buy themselves a breathing space, the Central Committee had been forced to divert everyone's attention to the black-clad Uma Musume, using her to cover up their own failings.
During this time, they absolutely had to uncover the black Uma Musume's identity and true intentions.
Unfortunately, her letter of announcement had drastically shortened that timeframe.
The news and media wouldn't show favoritism to either side.
The Central Committee Chairwoman pulled out a stack of freshly compiled documents.
However, precisely because of this, they had finally managed to find a lead on their opponent.
First, the target had connections to media companies. The Chairwoman's visit to the media outlets wasn't just to vent her anger; she needed inside information, to gather intelligence firsthand.
Based on her discussions with several media companies, two had shown a clear tendency to side with the black Uma Musume.
Among those, only one person had communicated with her with strong personal conviction, explaining the intent behind issuing the announcement letter: the reporter, Fujii Senosuke.
He was the only one who had unilaterally held a press conference to explain the origin of the announcement letter.
In other words, it was highly likely he had a means of communicating with the black Uma Musume.
That was the first point the Central Committee had uncovered.
Then came the second point: Tracen Academy.
Just moments ago, a report came in stating that when the black Uma Musume appeared, someone had impersonated her to draw attention, luring all the Uma Musume away from the starting gate.
On the surface, it seemed like a coincidence, but those Uma Musume reported strong suspicions that these individuals had intentionally caused a disturbance.
The identities of the two girls involved had been investigated and sent to the Central Committee Chairwoman's computer.
Looking at the two girls on the screen, the Chairwoman narrowed her eyes.
They now had two pieces of intelligence.
The black Uma Musume was connected to Fujii Senosuke, the reporter responsible for the Uma Musume Daily, and also linked to these two students from Tracen.
With these two leads, the search parameters had become very clear.
They had suspected the black Uma Musume came from a local or more remote area, which was why they hadn't been able to find any trace of her.
Who would have thought… the truth was hiding right under their noses all along.
Her hiding place was most likely Tracen Academy itself, the very institution dedicated to training Central Uma Musume.
The feeling was like being stabbed in the back by a child they had painstakingly raised, and the Central Committee Chairwoman's expression turned grim.
I wonder if Symboli Rudolf is aware of this…
She closed the computer and stood up.
Regardless, the next course of action was clear.
She was going to investigate Tracen Academy thoroughly.
Thinking this, the Chairwoman turned to the chief administrator beside her. "Please contact Symboli Rudolf. Tell her I need to see her."
--+--
"And Dynamu Heroine, Long Live Free and Road Royal are also accelerating in the showdown between Narita Brian and the Black Phantom! We just can't ignore them, can we—!?"
Hearing the sounds from behind, Tamamo Cross glanced back. The several runners she had just passed were steadily closing in.
In this situation, there was no way to maintain her rhythm any longer!
If she got overtaken, the pack of Uma Musume ahead would completely block her path forward.
Tamamo Cross absolutely could not afford to give up her position here.
Faster, faster! Faster!
She was almost at her acceleration point!
If she could just reach that spot, she could unleash a full-throttle sprint to the finish without a second thought!
"Run your own race…"
Just then, Tamamo Cross heard a voice.
Ahead of her, Oguri Cap kept her head down.
That's what Musaka Ginjirou had taught her.
Don't worry about the others. Just focus on running your own race.
She had suppressed the provocation from Narita Brian.
She had managed the pace set by Maruzensky.
But…
But…
Oguri Cap's eyes widened.
The moment the Black Phantom unleashed her dominating presence, Oguri's mind went blank.
She watched helplessly as the other surged past her, drawing neck-and-neck with Narita Brian.
Black and black intertwined. On that wild battlefield, the sounds of the two beasts clashing vibrated in her eardrums.
The chaotic notes intertwined into a deafening frequency, finally forming a single sentence in her feverish brain:
What are you waiting for—!
Aren't you going to surpass her?
Listen! Your heart is beating so fiercely, craving for it right here!
Thump—
That athlete's heart began to pound with a frantic rhythm.
Scalding blood rushed to every limb, every corner of her body.
Hot… so hot!
Her body felt like it was burning up from the searing blood. Every muscle was screaming madly.
The monster that had clawed its way up from the depths was finally baring its fangs at this moment!
Oguri Cap lowered her body.
Boom!
The ground seemed to churn underfoot.
"Oguri Cap! It's Oguri Cap accelerating next!!"the announcer shouted, sharp-eyed. "The race is entering the latter half of the mid-stretch! The runners in the back are all vying for position, accelerating! So fast, everyone is so fast—!"
So what if it wasn't the planned position?!
There was no need to think about strategy anymore.
Rhythm, frequency, condition.
Throw it all out the window.
Just let the burning blood inside consume her completely!
"Here I come—!"
The Gray Monster erupted from the track, her cry piercing the sky. Her astonishing aura drew the focus of the entire venue onto her.
Overwhelming force crushes all technique!
Even abandoning strategy, Oguri Cap remained a monster to be feared.
"I can't believe her…"
Musaka Ginjirou gripped his cane, muttering about Oguri's impulsiveness, yet his tone held little reproach.
Strategy was just a safety net. But sometimes, relying on that irrepressible impulse could achieve astonishing results.
The stamina she had stored up until now was more than enough to carry her through to the finish line.
"Ogu—ri!!"
"Oguri Cap!!"
"Go—!"
Across the racecourse, in front of televisions, the spectators roared.
Everyone was watching that dappled-gray figure.
"Oguri Cap!! Oguri Cap catches up to Narita Brian and the Black Phantom! Oguri Cap catches them! Now three Uma Musume are running neck-and-neck—!"
Right there, before one hundred and seventy thousand spectators, under countless cameras and lenses, the monsters standing on the track let out deafening roars and slammed into each other with terrifying force!
--+--
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.