In Symboli Rudolf's heart, a crude—yet utterly terrifying—idea took shape.
She couldn't help but keep speculating…
What if…
Fuka Shirayuki's running wasn't "just barely ahead," but deliberate?
What if she had been locking the distance between herself and Tokai Teio—
nailing it down to an insurmountable one-length gap.
If everything—everything—was unfolding exactly like that novel described,
and in the end Tokai Teio still couldn't cross that distance, still lost the race…
then that absurd outcome—if it was all Fuka Shirayuki's arrangement—
then in terms of "big hands"…
just how terrifying was Fuka Shirayuki's true strength!?
Winning a race and pace-controlling are two completely different concepts.
No one controls scores like this unless you're VP Esports!
Buy VP—Pasha will lead you to big profits!
…And yet even a team that farms wins like eating vegetables can still throw sometimes.
Let alone someone like Shirayuki—controlling not only victory, but even the gap, the process…
Rudolf immediately pulled out her phone, looking dazed as she thought:
What was that novel called again?
She searched her memory rapidly, until the title surfaced—
and the Emperor opened Chapter 9 of the novel.
[After clearing the first corner, the pace of the whole race stabilized.]
[The real turning point came before the fourth corner.]
[Tokai Teio couldn't endure the feeling of being led… so she decided to strike first! She wanted that championship—her undefeated Triple Crown dream was right in front of her. Teio would never hand it over!!!]
[So…]
[What erupted was a 120% finishing kick!]
[However…]
[Even such a surging counterattack was easily blocked by Luo Tianque.]
[A devout prayer beneath the Little Imperial Palace, and the punishment of an atheist.]
[The winner of this race—was me!]
Reading those lines—
Rudolf slowly exhaled.
Before the fourth corner, she couldn't testify whether that story was true.
She hoped…
it was only her imagination, and coincidence.
She hoped…
Tokai Teio could still win her debut race.
The Emperor thought—
and turned her gaze back to the track.
The running on the turf continued at a steady speed…
The race was already past halfway, and the fourth corner wasn't far.
A 1600m mile wasn't exactly a middle-distance race, either.
And—
a very obvious dividing line had already appeared in the field.
It was something you understood the moment you looked:
Up front was still Fuka Shirayuki.
Second was Tokai Teio.
The two maintained a one-length gap.
But Teio was already two to three lengths ahead of the rest.
And the race had only just entered the mid-phase.
Such a gap could only mean one thing:
Fuka Shirayuki and Tokai Teio weren't even on the same level as the others.
Watching the front-runner—
Hayakawa Tazuna's eyes were full of interest too.
Then…
Let me see where your limit lies, Fuka Shirayuki!
She remembered what Shirayuki had said a few days ago—charging in shouting "family," "bonds"—
Could she be… the legendary Family Hero?
The kind who's fine as long as her little sister is nearby.
Thinking that…
…
…
"The race is about to reach the fourth corner—also the final corner…"
"Once they clear it, we'll enter the final straight that decides the champion!"
"All horse girls will unleash their dazzling finishing kicks here, bringing the story of fame—of brilliance appearing out of nowhere—to the audience… So then, at Tokyo's October 18th new-horse debut race, who will be the winner?"
"The Tokai Teio we've pinned our hopes on!?"
"Or the dark horse who has led from the start to the finish—rookie Fuka Shirayuki!"
That's what the commentator announced.
The race on the track had been heating up, nearing its end.
Faces in the stands filled with anticipation, cheers rolling around the turf…
"Go, Teio!! When does the undefeated Triple Crown road begin? Today!"
"This world wants the story of youthful fame—walk your path, Tokai Teio!"
Worth noting…
In the stands, the people cheering for Fuka Shirayuki were only a handful of random spectators—
and her little sister.
No surprise.
Shirayuki had come out of some backwater corner; calling her a "country bumpkin" wasn't even unfair.
But even that random guy who'd said his job was security—
as if becoming Shirayuki's Year-One fan—
urgently abandoned his Teio-supporting thoughts and started calling for Shirayuki nonstop.
And…
even though the track was full of wind noise,
those scattered cheers still braided into the wind—
and reached Tokai Teio's ears.
She slowly lifted her head, her eyes drifting blankly across all of Tokyo Racecourse.
To be honest—
when her pride as a technique-type, her acceleration, everything stacked together—
still couldn't surpass Fuka Shirayuki…
Tokai Teio—the one long called a "born monster"—took a real hit.
How to put it…
She'd grown up in a greenhouse,
in an environment where everyone respected her,
and Teio had always felt that if she wanted something, she would get it.
And wherever she wanted to go, there was never any need for a road.
Saying things like "undefeated Triple Crown," "the Emperor returns"—
Teio had never once thought achieving that would be difficult.
She'd only ever thought:
If I want it, it will be mine!!!
So—
the first time she didn't get the effect she wanted…
the first time she faced a truly competitive debut race—
Tokai Teio found herself, rarely, in confusion and pressure.
She had to start questioning whether she hadn't been good enough.
Maybe I'm going to lose.
Her dream hadn't even fully unfolded before it was crushed.
Tokai Teio was on the verge of getting lost in that long night…
Finding yourself is a long, uncertain journey.
The moment self-doubt is born, everything can be destroyed.
Truly.
But—
when those cheers reached her ears—
they reminded the girl of one thing:
Her name was Tokai Teio.
"Looks like the legend of the undefeated Teio is finally about to begin!"
Before stepping onto the debut stage, she'd once said that with a smiling face to the Emperor and the Lady.
She couldn't imagine what kind of gaze would greet her if she lost—
a gaze filled with disappointment,
with consolation,
with that carefulness where even speaking to you required wracking their brains, terrified of touching a wound.
Tokai Teio didn't want that ending.
People say life can be chosen.
When you stand at the fork of fate—
it depends on which road you want to walk!
And…
the life I want to choose…
is a life like a dreamstar!!!
Choose life?
Choose your damn big TV!!!
She broke free of her restraints and surged forward!
The fire of resolve burned hotter and hotter!!!
[If, in the final phase, the gap to the runner ahead shrinks…]
[Then, on the final straight, with a splendid gait, speed greatly increases!]
[Trigger: Must be in top 3; one length behind the runner ahead; about to overtake.]
[Conditions Met!]
[Unique Skill: The Ultimate Teio Waltz—!]
The moment Tokai Teio's foot struck again—
even the signature movement she'd become known for later
was already forming its basic framework!
Even if it was just a prototype—
it was more than enough to tear through a debut race.
Now, inside Teio's heart—
there was only confidence.
Die.
Fuka Shirayuki!
I'll prove all of that was fake!
Under pressure, Tokai Teio was on the verge of a full evolution!
Pressure doesn't only break people—
it can also make them grow the fastest.
Tokai Teio, who'd always been proud of her talent,
had never borne such pressure.
In that instant,
she thought those dreams were about to leave her—
but the moment she found herself again,
those dreams of "undefeated Triple Crown" and "the Emperor returns" were still flags painted with eagles at the end of the earth—
flying right in front of her!
As if…
as long as she kept moving forward,
she could win that dream!!!
"Tokai Teio! It's Tokai Teio!"
"A horse girl who explodes through the corner at full power—her name is Tokai Teio!!!"
"She's almost through the corner—she's charging out of the fourth turn! That speed… my god, is this really a debut race? It's not inferior even to some G2 or G3 races!"
"Is this what a talent monster looks like!?"
But—
the commentator's vision was wider, and an obvious hesitation crept into his words:
"…Tokai Teio still hasn't passed Fuka Shirayuki!"
"The moment they hit the fourth corner, this unknown horse girl also begins to explode!"
"She's releasing speed not inferior to Tokai Teio's!"
"Even though Tokai Teio has already unleashed her finishing kick, it still isn't working! 400 meters—only 400 meters to the winning post! This is a scoring-level finishing burst!"
"The race has 400 meters left—who will be the final winner?"
…
Tokai Teio, bursting at full power—
had believed there was nothing ahead of her.
Before me, there are no enemies.
But in truth…
there was still a back ahead to her right—
a back that had been there the whole time.
Hearing the commentary, Teio jerked her head up—
staring at that silhouette.
"…?"
No way…
The girl muttered.
Why…
Why was Fuka Shirayuki still in front of her!?
Even like this, I still can't pass her!?
Teio didn't understand—why!?
Her expression began to twist.
She was exploding with everything she had,
again and again squeezing her stamina dry—
her everything, her all.
It proved from the side—
even if Tokai Teio wanted to win, it wouldn't be easy.
But…
looking at Fuka Shirayuki's back—
Tokai Teio could only feel waterlike calm.
Could it be…
a guess she didn't want proven rose in Teio's heart.
Right now—
this still isn't Fuka Shirayuki's full power?!
She wanted to explode, to pass Shirayuki—
but now it wasn't even about the championship.
Tokai Teio just wanted to see what expression Fuka Shirayuki was wearing!
And her guess was right.
Fuka Shirayuki's expression was utterly calm.
She even wanted to ask,
"Is that DJ here? I wanna record a track for the bros to use in edits!"
Maybe you're strong, Tokai Teio—
but sorry…
I'll always be stronger than you by one length!!!
That was the charm of "the record written by the ages."
The faster Tokai Teio burst—
the more Shirayuki felt as if some divine power was being born inside her,
urging her forward again and again!
No matter how fast Tokai Teio ran—
it only became rocket fuel for Shirayuki to break records and ascend to godhood.
Tokai Teio simply couldn't outfight Fuka Shirayuki.
At this moment…
Fuka Shirayuki surged forward at full power—like a demon exploding into motion!
If, at her entrance, people still thought she was just putting on a show…
thought her mind wasn't on running…
thought she'd get obediently crushed by Tokai Teio…
thought the book she wrote was just nonsense—
then now!
Fuka Shirayuki would prove everything—!!!
The commentator's voice soared:
"The final 200 meters! The final 200 meters!!!"
"Is the championship going to be Fuka Shirayuki's—when right behind her is the famous Tokai Teio!?"
"Indeed… Tokai Teio has unleashed a speed that amazes us, proving she's no fraud—but nobody could've imagined that in an ordinary debut race, an unprecedented horse girl would appear!"
"She'll escape all the way to the end of the earth!"
"With a one-length advantage, a race that runs through the entire field—escaping into a different dimension that no one can arrest!"
"The final 100 meters!"
"50 meters!"
"The finish line is getting closer! Tokai Teio—Tokai Teio still can't close the gap!"
"The winner will be—Fuka Shirayuki!!!"
The entire stadium went silent.
No one had expected it.
No one had expected it.
The Tokai Teio we all pinned our hopes on…
fell in the very first race of her debut.
Clearly, no one was prepared for a dark horse to rise.
Tokyo Racecourse became the Tokyo Library.
Tokai Teio's fans looked like their world had ended.
But—
in that spreading silence—
a girl in the stands suddenly stood up, hands cupped like a megaphone, and shouted:
"Go…"
"Go, Sis!!!"
A world with nothing else in it—
was sharp, and blissful.
A faint smile rose on Fuka Shirayuki's face.
Then…
—run toward that finish line worth five million yen!
She didn't need anyone's support.
As long as her little sister always stood on her side, that was enough.
Fuka Shirayuki raised both hands high—
and crossed the finish line with her aura undiminished!!!
"This time, a champion is born!"
"Her name is—Fuka Shirayuki?!"
"After this battle, all of us should remember the name Fuka Shirayuki!"
…
Standing in the stands,
Symboli Rudolf let out a deep sigh as she thought—
So it was the latter…
the worst outcome.
"We still have no way of knowing how strong Fuka Shirayuki truly is," the Emperor thought.
Where the hell did this girl even come from!?
It's unbelievable.
-------
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