The instant the gates opened, it was as though someone had pressed fast-forward on the world. The motionless air was torn apart.
"The race has begun! All twelve umamusume charge onto the course for the Hopeful Stakes!"
The commentator's passionate voice ignited the venue. Cheers erupted from the stands like an ocean tide.
"The lead belongs to me!"
Crimson Blaze's expression twisted with aggression, her flame-like eyes fixed upon the open course. With her fiery personality, she had no patience for probing tactics. The instant she left the gate, she launched into a full sprint without reservation.
She had no intention of surrendering first place to anyone—not even a prodigy like Silence Suzuka.
The empty course stretched before her, and the wind roared past her ears. A triumphant smile had already begun to rise on her lips.
*What? This is easy... Once I take the initiative, even that monster will be eating dust behind me!*
A dull impact rang out.
Racing shoes drove deep into the turf before exploding away from the ground.
Crimson Blaze's eyes widened, her pupils contracting violently. At the very instant she believed she had seized the advantage, an emerald figure seemed to materialize from nowhere and cut abruptly into her field of view.
When she saw Silence Suzuka beside her, Crimson Blaze's expression froze in disbelief.
"Impossible! Where did she come from?!"
No one answered.
Silence Suzuka leaned slightly forward, her eyes empty of every distracting thought. From behind, Crimson Blaze could almost see Suzuka's body breaking through visible waves of wind and mercilessly tearing the air apart.
Every gaze was quickly captured by that emerald figure.
Silence Suzuka.
She showed no hesitation. The instant she left the gate, she erupted with astonishing speed and charged toward the front as though a wild beast pursued her.
Every runner behind her saw it clearly. Suzuka had started from the outside and had initially been a fraction slower, yet her terrifying speed carried her past Crimson Blaze in an instant. Like a flash of light, she surged to the very front and claimed the lead.
"Was Crimson Blaze the first one out? No! Silence Suzuka has taken first!" the announcer cried, his voice changing with excitement. "As expected of the highly anticipated favorite! But... isn't this pace far too fast? She's burning through her stamina!"
Yes. She was too fast.
This was no ordinary front-running effort. Only seconds after leaving the gate, Suzuka already led Crimson Blaze by almost two lengths, and the gap continued expanding visibly.
This was Silence Suzuka's strategy—an all-out, completely unrestrained Great Runner!
"No, this must be her team's tactic," another commentator disagreed, suspicion entering his voice. "Don't forget that a monster is also running today."
Anyone who had witnessed Special Week's debut understood how terrifying that monster was. Her raw numerical dominance made her appear like an aberration who had broken the conventional limits of an umamusume. Against an opponent like that, Silence Suzuka had no hope unless she risked everything.
In the stands, Suzuka's supporters clenched their fists in excitement, their knuckles whitening.
"Good! She got out cleanly!"
Nishizaki Ryuya knew that the opening was critical to their strategy. Suzuka had once again demonstrated why she was Silence Suzuka. Her start was flawless.
If she maintained it, she could—no, she would win!
Even against a monster!
Back on the course, Silence Suzuka naturally held the lead.
Her body leaned slightly forward, her arms driving powerfully and her legs working like precision pistons. Every push against the ground produced tremendous propulsion. Her figure traced an elegant blue arc across the green turf, moving so quickly that afterimages almost appeared.
More astonishing still, her aura began to condense into something nearly tangible.
It trailed behind her like a dreamlike ribbon of life.
"What... what is that?!"
"An aura! That kind of aura appears only when someone enters peak condition!"
The runners behind her grew solemn, fine sweat forming across their foreheads.
For them, this was one misfortune added to another. Suzuka was not merely a naturally gifted Great Runner. The appearance of that aura announced an undeniable fact: she had entered perfect condition, her mind and body brought into complete harmony.
An ordinary runner could never produce such a performance.
"So fast! She looks ready to fly!" the commentator shouted. "Silence Suzuka seems to have escaped the pull of gravity!"
Symboli Rudolf stood in the viewing area with her arms folded, watching the race below. Appreciation flickered through her profound eyes.
"That concentration. That pursuit of speed at its absolute extreme..."
"She has touched the threshold of ZONE. She hasn't awakened completely, but this state already surpasses the limits of an ordinary umamusume."
Beside her, El Condor Pasa stared with her mouth slightly open.
"So... so fast! Was Suzuka always this strong?!"
After the initial shock came excitement. El wished she were on the course herself, experiencing the rhythm of that wind firsthand.
Grass Wonder frowned faintly.
"Running like this... won't it be dangerous? The burden on her body must be enormous."
Suzuka's former Trainer, Hana Tojo, said nothing. Her grave expression made her terrible mood obvious. Inwardly, she had already cursed Nishizaki Ryuya dozens of times.
From Hana's perspective, having Suzuka run this way was madness. He was exhausting his runner's very life!
On the course, Silence Suzuka had entered a world belonging to her alone.
She could not hear the noise behind her or sense her opponents. Her eyes contained only the empty track ahead—the one and only "scenery" calling her onward.
[Focus!]
[Charge Forward!]
[Taking the Initiative!]
[Unshakable Barrier!]
A chain of skills blossomed across her body in a seamless flow. Golden light burst from beneath her feet, while blue waves of air rolled behind her. Strengthened by the skills, her speed rose another level!
She abandoned the field completely and left every other participant behind.
Like a spirit dancing alone beneath the open sky, she used speed and beauty to compose a magnificent movement that belonged only to her.
For every other runner, the performance was a disaster.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Crimson Blaze clenched her teeth. Veins stood out on her forehead, and sweat streamed down her cheeks. As an umamusume renowned for speed, she could not tolerate being left behind at the start.
With a furious cry, she forced [Gale Slash] to activate and tried to pursue.
A scorching crimson wave erupted beneath her feet as though setting the course ablaze. Her speed rose sharply, and she shot forward like a cannonball in an attempt to close the distance.
"Stop!"
No matter how much she accelerated, the emerald figure remained out of reach. From the very beginning, the gap had expanded without a sound.
"Why... why can't I catch her?!"
Crimson Blaze's heart filled with resentment and despair. The speed she had once considered extraordinary looked like a child's game before Silence Suzuka.
The ever-growing distance seemed to mock her overconfidence.
Her stubbornness flared.
Sea of Blue Skies moved steadily at the front of the second group.
"I can't chase her. Trying would only waste stamina," she analyzed calmly, although her breathing had already begun to quicken. "Suzuka's strategy is too reckless. She can't maintain that speed forever. I need to conserve my strength and wait until she runs dry."
Despite the sound analysis, the expanding distance inevitably unsettled her. The fear of being dominated eroded her reason little by little.
She knew Suzuka had adopted this tactic because of the monster, Special Week.
The problem was that the tactic was terrifyingly effective.
Even Sea of Blue Skies could do nothing while Suzuka opened such a tremendous lead. She could only wonder whether the "monster" farther back would react.
"The only one who can stop Suzuka now is probably her. But..."
Seiun Sky continued biding her time near the rear.
Would that monster be frightened by Suzuka's performance like the rest of them?
It was impossible to imagine. Compared with ordinary runners like them, those two were both monsters.
Special Week—the girl who had displayed frightening strength in her debut—followed unhurriedly in the middle-to-rear of the field. She activated no skills and showed no desire to pursue, merely staying with the main pack as though everything ahead were unrelated to her.
"What is she waiting for?"
A nearby runner felt intense unease. Someone with Special Week's strength could not possibly remain there without reason. She had to be planning something.
Royal Glory, among the leaders, had already lost her composure. She had expected to claim a favorable position with ease, only for Suzuka's enormous early move to destroy every plan.
*Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why does she have to be so fast?!*
She attempted to interfere with Suzuka.
[Signal Disruption!]
An invisible mental wave shot toward the emerald figure like a blade.
Just before the skill could touch her, however, Suzuka pulled farther away and escaped its effective range. The skill missed.
"What?!"
Royal Glory stared in shock.
Her expression turned ugly, and her eyes exposed her lack of confidence.
Would she—a runner from a noble family of the Empire—lose to an umamusume from some insignificant place? The humiliation nearly suffocated her.
The other competitors made their own attempts.
Gale Wings tried exploiting her speed advantage, but the rapid pace drained her stamina so quickly that she had to give up early.
She stared at Suzuka's distant back in disbelief.
How could anyone maintain that speed throughout a race? It resembled suicide.
Iron Will gritted her teeth and held to the second group, using sheer determination to resist the pressure Suzuka created.
Dance of Phantom Mist's strategy failed completely. Only one person was running at the front, leaving no chaos for her to exploit. Her clever tricks had no place in the current race.
Golden Dawn maintained a stable rhythm, but deep helplessness entered her eyes.
Storm Rider experienced the gulf called "talent" for the first time. Her rhythm collapsed, forcing her to follow the main field.
At this moment, the entire racecourse seemed to have become Silence Suzuka's personal stage.
"My word! We have only just passed the halfway point, yet Silence Suzuka already leads the second-place runner by more than fifty lengths!" The commentator's voice had begun to crack.
"So beautiful... truly beautiful..." the host murmured. "Every movement contains speed and elegance. She isn't running—she's flying! Silence Suzuka has already written the defining chapter of this race!"
The fans in the stands were utterly conquered by Suzuka's performance. They forgot every other competitor and screamed her name with abandon.
"Silence Suzuka! Silence Suzuka! Silence Suzuka!"
"Wonderful! This is the race we wanted! This is how the strong should run!"
"Invincible! Beautiful!"
In Team Spica's private viewing section, the atmosphere had reached a fever pitch.
Nishizaki stared fixedly at the screen, leaning so far forward that he looked ready to charge onto the course and cheer beside Suzuka himself. Excitement and pride covered his face, while fanatic light shone in his eyes.
"Beautiful work, Suzuka! Just like that!" he shouted, his voice hoarse from excessive excitement.
Amid the feverish cheers, however, a few discordant voices began to emerge.
"Special Week! Why... why is she still at the back?!"
"Exactly! She has fallen to eighth! Is that right? That can't be right!"
They could not believe the monster was this far behind.
The spectators trusted Special Week's ability, but her present performance inspired little confidence.
Some hot-tempered fans could no longer restrain themselves.
"Are you kidding me?! Is that the monster from the debut race? Why is she strolling at the back like a complete rookie?!"
They had risen early and traveled for hours specifically to watch Special Week race.
Yet Special Week had shown nothing resembling a competitive performance.
Hadn't the race become Silence Suzuka's one-woman show?
Damn it, Special Week. Was she betraying her fans?
"Could her debut performance really have been... nothing but luck?"
"Impossible! I watched that final straight myself! That strength could never have been staged!"
"Then what is she doing?! Suzuka is running away at the front. Has she given up?!"
"How should I know? Damn it, look at those people—they're already turning on her!"
"Forget those traitors. Shouldn't we do something?"
"Do what?"
"We shout!"
"Huh?"
"Hey! Special Week! Start running!"
"That's right! Catch her, Special Week!"
Special Week appeared not to hear them and remained unmoved.
The discussion in the stands grew louder.
"She isn't actually going to lose, is she?"
"Impossible! She... she must be preparing some ultimate move!"
"Exactly! With her personality, she would never surrender this easily!"
"I believe that too! She must be waiting for the final moment before passing everyone at once!"
"That's it! Special Week, we believe in you! Show us your burst!"
"Let everyone see your true strength!"
The fans waved their cheering sticks and shouted.
"Special Week! Don't give up! Run!"
"I believe in you! Hurry and catch her!"
In the VIP section, Symboli Rudolf stood with her arms folded.
Watching Suzuka's intensely focused racing form, even the Student Council President, who had witnessed countless storms, showed a trace of appreciation.
"That concentration. That pursuit of speed at its absolute extreme..." Rudolf's gaze was profound. "She hasn't fully awakened, but this state already surpasses an ordinary umamusume's limits. If Special Week were not here, Suzuka would unquestionably be the strongest of this year's generation."
"But, President..." Grass Wonder frowned. "Running the entire race without holding anything back places an enormous burden on her body."
"Nevertheless..." Symboli Rudolf's voice carried unquestionable authority. "For an umamusume, some things matter more than anything else. For example, the resolve to burn one's life away in order to conquer a race."
Her gaze moved from the leading runner and settled upon the incongruous figure near the back.
Special Week.
She continued running without hurry, as though she existed outside the furious contest. The noise, the spectators' cries, and her opponents' struggle seemed unrelated to her.
"However..."
A meaningful smile touched Symboli Rudolf's lips.
"How will that girl respond?"
El Condor Pasa grew anxious and could not stop herself from interrupting.
"President! You mean Spe? What is she doing? She has fallen so far back! If she doesn't move soon, it'll be too late!"
Symboli Rudolf did not share El's anxiety. Her gaze appeared capable of piercing Special Week's calm exterior and seeing the world hidden beneath.
"Faced with such an enormous gap and the pressure of the entire venue, she remains perfectly calm."
"That is the most compelling aspect of her race."
Rudolf paused, a trace of expectation entering her voice.
"You can see no fear in her, much less surrender. Her gaze is calmer than ever—and more dangerous."
"She resembles a predator concealed in the grass, patiently awaiting the perfect moment for a fatal strike."
"Silence Suzuka's Great Runner strategy is genuinely powerful, but it also contains a fatal flaw."
"She has left every opponent behind—except for the most dangerous hunter."
"She believes she is pursuing the scenery ahead, unaware that she has already become the scenery in someone else's eyes."
"Special Week is waiting."
"She is waiting for the instant Silence Suzuka reaches her physical limit. At the moment Suzuka appears insurmountable in every opponent's heart..."
"Special Week will release the monster inside her completely."
"This race was never Silence Suzuka's one-woman show."
"It is the ultimate contest between two great powers, two convictions, and two ways of running."
"Silence Suzuka has used her Great Runner strategy to declare her existence to the world."
"And Special Week..."
A sharp light flickered in Symboli Rudolf's eyes.
"Is using her silence to weave an invisible net."
"A net capable of capturing that wild blue bird completely."
"So let us wait and see."
On the course, Special Week maintained her unhurried rhythm.
There was no expression upon her face—neither Suzuka's growing fatigue nor anxiety over her own position.
She calculated silently, feeling the rhythm of her body and the steadily intensifying pressure from the emerald figure ahead.
Silence Suzuka's strength was beyond doubt.
Spica's hellish training program had indeed compensated for some of her weaknesses and raised her stamina, allowing Suzuka to execute such an extreme tactic through the latter half of the race without immediate obstruction.
But—
Did she think that was enough to run free before Special Week?
That indulgent special training was merely an ordinary day in Special Week's routine.
Special Week had made hell into daily life. How could she lose to someone who had merely taken a single walk through it?
In fundamental stats and mastery of skills, Special Week was stronger than Silence Suzuka!
"Soon."
She repeated the word inwardly.
"Almost there."
Her body had begun to warm.
It was the signal of power accumulating within her.
Her previously calm gaze gradually sharpened.
She watched the distance markers beside the straight and calculated how much of the race remained.
They were nearing the midpoint of the middle straight.
Nearly thirty lengths separated her from Silence Suzuka.
Suzuka had already thrown herself into the final phase of her run.
But—
The time to hunt had arrived.
Competitive desire surged within Special Week, something that appeared only when she encountered a genuine opponent.
The Wildness inside her roared.
The "beast" was about to escape its cage.
Silence Suzuka remained immersed in her own world, entirely unaware.
She continued to fly beneath her private sky, dancing her magnificent dance to its fullest.
...
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