A voice echoed incessantly in her ears.
'Tamamo Cross! Tamamo Cross has been tripped—'
It felt like a dream.
'Medics, medics! Get to the track!!'
The chaotic noise clung to her mind, refusing to fade.
'Don't move her, lay her on the ground!'
The nightmare played over and over in flashes.
It was a 4-million-yen-claiming race. An Uma Musume in the front pack slowed abruptly, causing a chain reaction of bumps that accidentally tripped Tamamo Cross, who was following behind, resulting in her getting injured during the race.
From that day on, Tamamo Cross developed a fear of running in the front pack.
She was afraid to get close to other Uma Musume, afraid to run within a crowd, afraid to recklessly accelerate.
Every time someone drew near on the track, the pain from that injury would shoot through Tamamo Cross's legs.
Terrified, she only dared to run on the outside lanes. Yet, even so, burdened with this psychological trauma, Tamamo Cross could never give her all.
Consequently, her results in the early part of her career were terribly disappointing.
No one had any faith in her slender, petite frame. They believed an Uma Musume like her, even if she stepped onto the track, had no real future.
The [Twinkle Series]—a stage that uses a glamorous exterior to mask a brutally competitive core.
The weak cannot survive here.
Perhaps leaving the racing world early would be the best choice for her.
An athlete from whom no one expected anything.
Perpetually ranked lowest in popularity polls.
An injured Uma Musume.
Lacking in both stamina and ability.
She was labeled with so many tags.
Reading these public assessments, Tamamo Cross sat alone on the grass.
'Tama-chan… why did you ever want to become a Uma Musume in the first place…'
--+--
"Three Uma Musume are running neck and neck! Oguri Cap, Narita Brian, and the Black Phantom!! So fast, incredibly fast!! These three beasts are charging toward the front as if they want to devour the whole track! Could it be that the winner of this race will be decided among them!?"
The commentator was shouting excitedly, watching the three who displayed explosive speed as if they'd just burst from the starting gates.
The suddenly shifting situation instantly captured everyone's attention.
The contest between these three powerhouses made the entire racecourse seem to tremble with uncontrollable energy.
Just as the crowd awaited the victor to emerge from among these three—
Whoosh!!
A blinding streak shot through the entire track.
A thunderous roar erupted as a white flash streaked past.
It was what they called a miracle on the racetrack.
It was a bolt of lightning galloping across the turf.
Another ash-grey figure, but she lacked the monstrous, ferocious appearance of the others.
Having overcome hardships, born from wind and rain, under the dark clouds looming over the track, a dazzling light tore apart all the previous gloom completely.
The living miracle of the racetrack, the one forged into the strongest finisher.
The 'White Lightning' of the grass, Tamamo Cross, was making her move!
"Get out of my way—!"
The sudden change made the commentator stammer, the words he meant to say stuck in his throat. Even from the highest seat in the grandstand, with a panoramic view of the entire course, he couldn't quite process what had just happened.
It was too fast, everything happened too fast!
Like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky.
Amidst the crackling sound of arcing electricity, the white figure closed the gap to the three 'monsters' in an instant.
Witness it!
The world's strongest closer!
"Tamamo Cross! Tamamo Cross is accelerating—!!"
Her seemingly small and slender body erupted with astonishing power.
In a flash, she erased a three-length deficit and pulled up alongside Oguri Cap on the outside.
Oguri Cap glanced over with her blue-grey eyes, a look of disbelief flashing across her face.
This track isn't just your playground—
Tamamo Cross threw her head back, a supremely confident grin on her face, brimming with a terrifying will to burn everything in her path.
'Tama-chan…'
In the stands, Komiyama clenched her fists tightly.
She hadn't moved to the ideal position yet. Tamamo Cross was making her move earlier than usual.
If she started her final sprint before the final straight, it posed a problem for Tamamo Cross.
Trying to win by circling wide on the outside clearly wouldn't work against this group.
So, on the final turn, Tamamo Cross had to stay close to the front pack to avoid being overtaken from behind while navigating the bend.
But this also meant Tamamo Cross had to confront the very situation that had traumatized her before.
Close contact and potential collisions with other Uma Musume.
Komiyama's expression turned grim.
Even after years as Tamamo Cross's trainer, she had never been able to solve this psychological wound.
Her solution had been to have Tamamo Cross run where no one could touch her, then overtake from the outside in the final straight. This way, they avoided the risk of falling and getting injured.
Regarding Tamamo Cross's psychological issue, Komiyama had chosen avoidance.
Using this running style, Tamamo Cross had achieved considerable success. But in her heart, Komiyama always felt a sense of guilt toward her.
'I never considered myself a qualified trainer.'
When it came time to face her deepest fear, Komiyama couldn't help her.
But even so, Komiyama Masumi still shamelessly hoped, hoped that the 'White Lightning'—the one nobody had believed in, who had step by step reached this point, becoming one of the 'strongest'—could create another miracle today.
'Go, Tama-chan…'
Go—
Run faster than anyone!
"Tamamo Cross!!!"
A wave of roaring cheers erupted from the stands.
This race wasn't a stage for just one or two individuals.
Every one of them was a brilliant protagonist!
Tamamo Cross, with her ultimate explosive speed, was once again unleashing the power of thunder—!
"They're level! Tamamo Cross, Oguri Cap, Narita Brian, and the Black Phantom! All four are running level!!"
Monsters and lightning intertwined, creating a scene like the end of the world, forcing back anyone who dared think of interfering.
Dynamu Heroine and the others, who had initially hoped to catch up, felt a chill run down their spines, their bodies turning ice-cold.
They trembled uncontrollably, as if plunged into a frigid demon's cave, with countless blades piercing their hearts.
Fear amplified in their minds, their limbs reflexively tightening.
They were different, completely different.
The level these few operated on was entirely unlike their own.
Though they stood on the same track, the same course, the gap created in just those few strides felt like an impassable chasm.
A suffocating pressure radiated from these few.
They felt deflated, constrained, defeated, powerless.
It was almost laughable. If any one of this group got serious, the entire racecourse would shake and tremble.
Who had the right to judge them!
"The race has entered the final turn! The four contenders are locked in a stalemate! Who will break through to victory? Tamamo Cross! Oguri Cap! Narita Brian! Or perhaps that Black Phantom!?"
Yet, at that very moment, a runner who had been quiet for a long time suddenly reappeared.
Long brown hair flowing behind her, her striking red eyes fixed on the track.
Unnoticed by many, Symboli Sirius, who had earlier been overtaken, had rejoined the fierce battle and now surged ahead of everyone once more!
--+--
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.