The gates slammed open, and flecks of dirt were flung into the air as nine umamusume raced forward. And immediately, things were different.
Normally, the first several seconds of a race were integral. Each runner would be aiming to get into their preferred position, and in the front, there would be a constant struggle to take the lead. In most races, the positions one took in the beginning would heavily impact the final moments of a race.
But not this time. There was barely any struggle as the nine runners settled into a line. Dicta Striker took the lead, Super Creek came in 4th, and Oguri Cap settled a few lengths behind everyone else. And from there no one dared to change from the position they'd found themselves in.
The reason was simple;
The [Kikuka Sho] was 3000 meters long. It was one of the longest races the URA offered, with only the [Spring Tenno Sho] beating it out as the longest G1 race. In races like these, stamina was king. A runner trying to force themselves into a new position would needlessly waste stamina, and by the time they reached the final straight, it was likely they'd be completely burnt out.
Or at least that was how things should be.
"We've entered the first corner!"
"Oh? A few runners look quite rushed! Is the uphill causing them trouble?"
The problem was that this was no normal [Kikuka Sho]. From the very first moments of the race, every umamusume had felt a terrifying presence lingering behind them—an invisible damocles blade that hung over their necks.
Behind them was Oguri Cap, the Beast herself. Oguri had yet to begin accelerating, but the pressure she exuded was very much real. The more she restrained herself from running, the deeper her hunger grew.
So as they approached the uphill, some were forced to slow down, dealing with the terrifying pressure hanging behind them and the sudden slope they encountered. One of them even nearly stumbled which caused her to fall back to 8th place, though she quickly accelerated when she realized she was getting too close to Oguri.
Did she waste her stamina? Sure.
But getting close to Oguri Cap during a race? Completely terrifying! She might as well run off the course!
Eventually, they went past the uphill and entered the second corner. This one was far easier in comparison, and the nine runners settled back into a neat line as they hugged the inner corner of the track. And so it didn't take long before they completed the second corner.
"We're entering the second straight!"
Dicta Striker took a deep breath.
Things were…going well! She'd taken the lead, and now she was settling in for the long haul. Her stamina was still doing pretty good—she used a bit more than she wanted during that uphill, but it wasn't too bad. All she had to do now was to use this long straight to try her best to recover a little.
But, damn, she'd be lying if she said she felt okay. She'd gotten the lead as she wanted, but it wasn't as big as she would've liked. Not only that, but Super Creek wasn't too far behind her, so it wasn't difficult to hear her steps.
And-, geez, those steps she heard were monstrous. The time between each step was longer than normal, and each time Creek's foot hit the turf, she could almost feel the tremors that pulsed through the earth. They were completely unlike the steps of other umamusume.
If anything, they almost reminded her of Oguri Cap.
Boy, that was a scary comparison. She would've whooped with joy at her fears being confirmed if she could, but she was in the middle of a race right now.
On the other hand,
In complete contrast to the others, Super Creek felt completely calm. The uphill that had troubled so many was hardly an issue for her. Her longer strides, combined with the specialized training her trainer had given her, had made the uphill no harder than a normal straight.
She controlled her breaths as she ran, careful not to waste her energy. From the beginning, her strengths had always laid in her stamina. It was the one weapon she had—an edge she had to utilize if she wanted a chance at winning. It was why she'd entirely skipped out on the previous two races of the Triple Crown.
As shameful as it was, this was the only domain she was confident in.
"We're entering the third corner now-!"
"Eh? Oguri Cap is…slowing down!?"
The announcement completely shocked everyone. A few umamusume even dared to look back, and they were shocked to find that Oguri Cap was falling behind. The gap between her and the 8th place grew to over 2 lengths, and it was growing still!
On the front, Dicta Striker narrowed her eyes. "Tch, it's happening…!" She whispered, preparing herself to accelerate the moment she heard that prophetic rumbling.
Super Creek grit her teeth. She'd watched the recording of the [Japanese Derby]—she knew what this was leading to. And knowing what was coming, she prepared to go wide and begin accelerating.
But all the noise was unimportant to the umamusume in question.
Because Oguri had encountered it again. In her mind, she could see that strange wall she'd seen previously during her training. Back then she hadn't given much thought about it, but seeing it again during a race forced her to stare directly at that unfeeling black void.
Now, in the heat of a race and with her hunger nearing its boiling point, she understood what it was.
It was her [Limit], given form. A literal wall that barred her from moving any faster to stop her from hurting herself. She wasn't quite sure how she knew this, but she just somehow knew.
But there was something else. A whisper in the back of her mind telling her to shatter it. See what lies beyond that wall. The promise was tempting, almost seductive.
Yet, something stopped her. Fragments of a dreamlike memory floated the forefront of her mind; a remembrance of a reality far worse than this one. And at that moment, she realized it.
This was not the moment for her to shatter her [Limit]. Not yet.
Since that was the case,
"Get away." She growled at it.
And as if terrified, the monolith faded. The rest of the world rushed back into view, just in time for the announcer's words to echo across the racecourse.
"We've just entered the second straight!"
"Dicta Striker remains in the lead, but Super Creek is moving forward!"
Dicta grinned sharply as she heard Creek approach. "So you've finally shown yourself!"
Creek smiled back, her cold smile completely in contrast to her usual gentle demeanor. "I won't let you win, Dicta-san." She whispered as she ran. She'd began accelerating just as they entered the second straight. It was completely unheard of; there was basically still 1500 meters left to the race!
Yet this was something only Creek could do. She was the only one with the stamina to do something so outrageous.
…Well, not quite. There was one person who could match her. But that would be something to consider in the future.
Before long, Creek had caught up. Dicta, unwilling to let her lead be taken away, also began accelerating. It was far earlier than she would've liked, but at this point, all she could do was go big or go home. If she lost the lead before the final corner, she was as good as toast.
But them, just as the race reached the 2000 meter-mark,
A darkness gathered far behind, and the world itself seemed to grow heavier, as if the earth's gravity had suddenly increased. The shift was palpable, causing the runners to gasp at the sudden weight pressing on their backs. The pressure was so great that even some humans in the audience could feel it, which caused a tense excitement to build.
Then, an explosion sounded. The earth itself trembled, as if shaking in fear beneath the might of the divine. Shadows coalesced. The rays of the sun seemed a little darker, and eyes glowed bright blue as a white streak blurred forward.
"T-There it is!"
"Oguri Cap begins accelerating!"
Finally, the slumbering Beats begins her hunt!
At that moment, every umamusume began accelerating. They weren't working together by any means; instead, it was simply a plan that every runner had adopted going into this race:
The moment Oguri began accelerating, they had to start accelerating too!
But it wasn't enough.
The gap that'd built from Oguri's previous slow-down was eliminated immediately. In what felt like moments, Oguri had passed the 8th place. Soon, the 7th and 6th fell behind.
The 5th place ran with all her might, uncaring of the stamina she was burning. But her efforts seemed fruitless as Oguri easily passed her. The 4th place could only grit her teeth as she felt her chest constricting, and fearing injury, she could only slow down as Oguri ran past her. The 3rd place could only chuckle as she heard Oguri approaching, and she only shrugged in defeat as Oguri ran past her.
But Creek and Dicta were different. They had begun accelerating early, and by the time Oguri reached 3rd place, there was still over 14 Lengths between them, and only 800 meters left to the race.
It would've been a completely impossible gap to bridge for many. But neither Creek or Dicta dared to feel safe.
Because this was Oguri Cap, and no one truly knew where her limits lay.
"Dicta Striker and Super Creek have entered the final straight!"
"Can Oguri Cap catch up!?"
Far in front, Dicta rasped as she struggled to keep running straight. Her early acceleration was really taking its toll now—she'd already ran 1500 meters before that, and adding another 1500 meters of running at maximum speed? That was too much even for her.
Yet, she refused to slow down. Even as her legs burnt and her lungs felt like they were seconds from popping, she didn't dare to slow down.
Because Creek was just behind her. Barely half a length behind. If she dared slow down, Creek would no doubt take the lead in an instant.
But it wasn't as if Creek wasn't struggling either. She still had more than enough stamina to keep going to the finish line, but whereas Dicta struggled with her depleted stamina, Creek struggled to run any faster. Though her legs were no longer like glass, it wasn't as if it'd helped her build back all the speed she'd lost during recovery.
Both minds blazed with one single thought.
No matter the struggle, they would win!
"Only 400 meters left! Dicta Striker and Super Creek are racing ahead!"
"Who will come out the winner!"
Dicta roared as she raced forward. She had nothing left in the tank. Her lungs were completely empty, and there was a void in the middle of her chest. Her mind desperately begged for her to slow down, to stop and lie down on the grass. REST, it begged her.
She refused. If she had no more stamina left, then she'd rely on her Guts!
"Only 300 meters left!"
Creek grit her teeth harshly as she pushed forward. Her legs refused to move any faster, but that was fine. Her arms, her waist, her shoulders—she would leverage every part of her body to eek out even the smallest of improvements. She would overtake Dicta's lead, no matter what!
And for a moment, it seemed to actually work. The gap between them began to shorten. Half a length became a quarter. Soon, she was behind by just a head. Then a neck. Then a nose.
Dicta screamed as she continued running.
Creek screamed as she pushed forward.
"Only 200 meters left! Super Creek is about to take the lead!"
"But-!"
But that moment of competition was broken when a new presence showed itself.
Suddenly, like a phantom, Oguri appeared from the far left. She gave neither of the two a glance as she raced forward, her chest nearly perpendicular to the ground as her feet tore into the ground. Whirling shadows clung to her reinforced boots, and her bright blue eyes shone like a star in the night sky.
And so, Dicta and Creek could only watch in horror as Oguri passed them both.
"Oguri Cap has taken the lead!"
"Oguri Cap! OGURI CAP…!"
The audience began cheering, as if Oguri had already crossed the finish line. But, to be fair, she might as well have.
Dicta Striker and Super Creek were by no means weak. The speed they'd reached during the final stretch were top-notch, even comparable to some seniors. Yet it couldn't be compared to the blinding speed Oguri was running at. She was an unstoppable force—a literal whirlwind of power.
200 meters. 100 meters. 50 meters-
And finally,
"Oguri Cap crosses the finish line!"
The cheers grew even louder as Oguri slowed down. Her grey hair fluttered as she turned to the audience. The cheering turned even louder as they saw Oguri turn their way.
But Oguri didn't even register the crowd's excitement. Instead, her eyes had turned to one specific spot high in the stadium. Towards a specific umamusume who'd watched the race with utter calm, completely confident in Oguri's victory from the very start.
Seeing those familiar blue eyes, Oguri smiled.
"On this very day, a new umamusume wears the Undefeated Triple Crown!"
And high above, Blossom Star smiled back.