The music swelling through ParisLongchamp Racecourse was joined by the voices of the commentators.
"The weather doesn't look particularly favorable today."
"As usual, we have heavy going, and this year's course appears to be in even worse condition than in previous years."
As soon as the first commentator finished, the other immediately chimed in.
"That's right. The light rain, combined with the muddy conditions created by the heavy going, will undoubtedly make this a difficult race."
"McQueen has won here at Longchamp before, but she is still an Umamusume from the Far East."
"Whether she can adapt to heavy going of this severity remains unknown."
The first commentator laughed at the appropriate moment.
"It seems the outcome of today's race will remain uncertain until the very end."
"But that also promises an incredibly fierce battle!"
"The spectators here and fans across the world are certainly in for a spectacular show!"
Just then, the music came to an end.
"All competitors are now inside the starting gates!"
The two commentators' voices gradually turned solemn.
"Then, the G1 turf race over two thousand four hundred meters, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, watched by the entire world..."
The racecourse fell silent.
Only the soft patter of falling rain remained.
Clack!
In the next instant, the lights changed and all sixteen gates sprang open!
"The race has begun!"
Sixteen figures shot forward like arrows released from their bowstrings.
Yet only two of them tore through the wind first.
Boom! Boom!
As though acting in perfect harmony, two figures wreathed in astonishing flames of light erupted from the field amid thunderous roars.
One pure white, the other crimson.
They left the other fourteen Umamusume behind with crushing ease, treating them as though they did not even exist.
Those racers had not even managed to settle their breathing before they were forced to watch the two figures rapidly shrink in the distance, transforming into two streaks of receding light.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"[Domain]?!"
"Have those two lost their minds?!"
Every one of the fourteen Umamusume behind them was an elite racer standing at the summit of the world.
Every one of them possessed the power to shape an era.
Yet that was precisely why they were so shocked.
Two thousand four hundred meters.
The intensity of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The effect of the exceptionally heavy going.
Unleashing the power of their [Domains] during the opening phase could only be described as madness.
Red Desire and the other Umamusume possessing [Demonic Talent] were left completely dumbfounded.
They had originally intended to surround and suppress McQueen during the opening phase.
But if those two unleashed their [Domains] right from the start, how were they supposed to use their own abilities?
Under normal circumstances, [Demonic Power] could not affect an Umamusume who had activated her [Domain].
However, the other racers soon realized something.
This was their opportunity!
Under normal racing conditions, they had virtually no chance of defeating those two monsters.
But if those two exhausted themselves by using their [Domains] too early and lost speed before the final phase...
Then the rest of them might still have a chance to claim that crown!
"McQueen... Suave..."
Near the front of the main pack, Reverie stared in confusion at the two rapidly receding figures.
After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately decided to remain with the pack and fight for that tiny chance of victory.
Even so, the astonishment in her heart continued to grow.
"McQueen and Suave Dancer have broken away from the field at full speed during the opening phase!"
"Two lengths, three lengths, four lengths!"
"They're fighting for the lead, and the gap between them and the second group has already expanded to five lengths!"
"A runaway lead! Are they really attempting a runaway lead?!"
"In a world-class race like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, two Umamusume have simultaneously adopted an all-out front-running strategy!"
...
"This isn't a runaway lead at all..."
At the very front of the course, Suave Dancer muttered in response to the commentators before breaking into a grin.
She looked toward McQueen's incandescent white figure, half a length ahead of her.
That was right.
At least in her case, this was not a runaway lead.
She was merely running after McQueen.
Only now did Suave Dancer finally understand how Umamusume at their level were supposed to face one another.
They both possessed the strongest bodies and most unyielding wills in the world.
They had also cultivated the legendary power known as [Domain] to its absolute pinnacle.
Neither of them lacked stamina or explosive power.
Even most strategies and tactics had lost much of their effectiveness against racers of their overwhelming caliber.
Therefore, the deciding factor between them could only be one thing.
Distance.
Not the distance of the race itself.
The distance between the two of them.
If I'm still behind McQueen before the final phase, then no matter what I do, I'll never recover so much as half a length.
But if our positions are reversed, then I'll have a chance to defeat her!
The light within Suave Dancer's eyes burned ever brighter as her thoughts raced.
The blazing streams of light surging around her grew even more violent.
"McQueen!"
Suave Dancer turned her head, her lips curving into a wild grin as crimson-gold light churned within her eyes.
"You're running awfully fast right from the start! Aren't you planning to save anything for later?!"
"Then what exactly are you doing, Suave?"
McQueen did not look back, but her clear voice carried through the raging wind.
"Holding back against you would be suicide."
"Hahaha! Straight to the point! I like it!"
Suave Dancer burst into laughter.
In the next instant, she poured even more strength into her stride.
Veins stood out across her meticulously trained brown legs as her feet stamped deep impressions into the muddy ground, sending her speed soaring once more!
Suave Dancer could clearly feel that she had grown even stronger since the Irish Champion Stakes.
Perhaps it was because of the bottle of [Panacea].
With every hidden injury healed, her body felt lighter than it ever had before.
The limit that had once seemed absolute now felt close enough to shatter with a single reach!
"Then let's see whether you can keep up with me!"
At the same moment, pure-white light surged outward.
Boom!
Both figures accelerated once again.
The gap separating them from the main pack rapidly expanded into a clearly visible chasm.
Whoosh!
The wind screamed past their ears as muddy water sprayed beneath their feet.
Within the towering white and crimson flames of light, two figures crossed back and forth at incomprehensible speed.
Like two parallel lines, they extended wildly along the two-thousand-four-hundred-meter course!
"OOOOOOOOOH!"
"Suave Dancer! Suave Dancer!"
"Mejiro McQueen!"
By now, the spectators in the grandstands had gone completely wild.
An all-out breakaway was already an aggressive racing style capable of sending the crowd's adrenaline soaring.
Combined with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and two racers breaking away together, that blazing excitement quickly spread through everyone in attendance.
Some covered their mouths, scarcely daring to breathe.
Some waved their flags and screamed themselves hoarse.
Others gripped the railing tightly, staring at those two streaks of light without blinking.
Yet without exception, every one of them felt their blood surging with excitement over this battle of the century that had only just begun.
Meanwhile, out on the course, the fourteen Umamusume who had been left far behind shared the exact same thought.
What the hell? Those two are still accelerating?!
Are they really the same species as us?
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]