Mihono Bourbon had also arrived at Hanshin Racecourse. She stood alone in the stands, cheering for Rice Shower.
Everything appeared normal at first...
But when Mihono Bourbon witnessed the changes Rice Shower underwent after activating her Zone, even the usually expressionless Umamusume showed shock and worry on her face.
"Rice…"
Mihono Bourbon watched Rice Shower overtake Tokai Teio and was getting closer and closer to Mejiro McQueen. She felt a strange sense of unease.
The aura emanating from Rice Shower after activating her Zone was overwhelmingly powerful.
...
Elsewhere in the arena, an Umamusume with long, wavy blonde hair and the habit of tossing coins watched Rice Shower with an increasingly sinister smile.
"As expected of the Umamusume known as the 'Black Assassin' in Japan, managing to snatch Mihono Bourbon's three win is truly impressive."
Her voice held no admiration, only a thick layer of mockery.
"An undefeated three-time champion and the strongest long-distance Umamusume? Let me see the level of the two strongest Umamusumes currently running."
Her dark green eyes, hidden beneath her golden hair, were fixed on Mejiro McQueen, who was still running in the lead, a deep sense of amusement in them.
..
"Two hundred meters left!"
"In the lead is Mejiro McQueen, and she hasn't slowed down at all."
"About one Length behind her is Rice Shower. She's so fast! Rice Shower is incredibly fast!"
"Tokai Teio is currently in third place. The gap between her and the others is closing at a slower rate. Has she reached her limit and can't accelerate any further?"
"Teio, go for it!!!"
Kitasan Black was shouting her lungs out for Tokai Teio. The moment she saw Rice Shower overtake her, she felt a chill run down her spine.
"Ms. McQueen, don't lose!"
Satono Diamond was also cheering for her idol.
"Trainer, does Teiō still have a chance?"
Smart Falcon asked Sakura Baimu anxiously, watching Tokai Teio's face grow paler in the arena.
"It's difficult."
Sakura Baimu wanted to simply say it was over, but she didn't want to crush the hopes of her teammates, so she changed her words.
"Teiō has never competed against a Zone Umamusume before, and her first encounter with such a powerful Rice Shower has greatly affected her performance."
"Ah, how could this happen~"
Smart Falcon's face was filled with anxiety. Although she didn't understand what a Zone was, she roughly guessed it referred to some kind of level.
At this moment, Sakura Baimu's ominous premonition grew stronger. She no longer had time to care about Mejiro McQueen's situation, focusing instead on the black-clad figure.
...
"McQueen, go for it..."
Tokai Teio felt a little dizzy, directly impacted by Rice Shower's activated aura. Her rising heart rate caused oxygen deprivation in her brain.
Gasping for breath wasn't enough to keep her going; simply resisting the effects of Rice Shower's aura was already leaving her quite exhausted.
Tokai Teio realized she might not be able to catch up with the two Umamusumes ahead of her.
While cheering for Mejiro McQueen, she also felt a deep admiration for Rice Shower.
"Rice, you're really strong..."
—
"Following Tokai Teio, Rice Shower has caught up with Mejiro McQueen. Now, Rice Shower is neck and neck with Mejiro McQueen!"
"Will Mejiro McQueen's winning streak, undefeated for over two years, be ended here by Rice Shower?!"
"Mejiro McQueen has further increased her speed. The two Umamusumes are locked in a fierce battle. It's so intense, incredibly intense!"
"This is the first time I've seen such a close competition in the final stages of the Takarazuka Kinen race!"
"Rice Shower and McQueen have reached the second steep climb before the finish line, and Rice Shower's speed is starting to drop!"
Mejiro McQueen ascended the steep hill with her initial effortless speed, her impressive climbing ability drawing admiring glances from many.
"The 1.4-meter-high hill at Tokyo Racecourse is already known as a 'heart killer.' But Takarazuka Kinen is even more terrifying; not only is the height 1.8 meters, but it also requires two uphill climbs."
"For all the Umamusumes racing at Hanshin Racecourse, the pressure on their hearts from that second steep climb is enough to make them breathless and dizzy."
Symboli Rudolf spoke, her eyes fixed on Rice Shower, whose speed had suddenly slowed.
"McQueen's physical condition is fine, and she has mastered a special uphill running technique. But Rice Shower… after the immense pressure of the steep hill before the finish line, her body…"
Symboli Rudolf couldn't continue, her mind a jumble of worry and anger, causing her body to tremble.
"If I find out who told Rice Shower about this…"
Symboli Rudolf's "Emperor's" anger caused Maruzensky and Mr. CB to glance at her sideways.
The two Umamusumes also looked grim, but the race was already nearing its end. There was no way to stop it.
All they could do was pray for Rice Shower, hoping nothing bad would happen.
—
"One hundred meters left to the finish line!"
Almost everyone in the arena was standing, watching the race with horrified eyes as the two Umamusumes, one in black and one in white, ran side by side.
The arena was eerily quiet, in stark contrast to the fierce competition on the track.
In such a tense atmosphere, no one was in the mood to speak; many could even hear their own hearts pounding.
From the moment Tokai Teio was overtaken by Rice Shower, all the pressure from Rice Shower fell on Mejiro McQueen.
However, having already competed twice against Zone Umamusumes, Mejiro McQueen's strength was unmatched among her peers, and her mental fortitude was unparalleled.
Even with this level of skill, after navigating the heart-stopping steep hill more terrifying than the Tokyo racetrack, Mejiro McQueen still couldn't widen the gap significantly from the beast-like Rice Shower beside her.
"What on earth is going on? How could Rice Shower have improved to this level in just one year? Is her Zone really that powerful?"
Mejiro McQueen was shocked and couldn't help but glance at Rice Shower diagonally behind her.
But that one glance caused Mejiro McQueen, who was gritting her teeth and desperately accelerating, to suddenly freeze.
Because Mejiro McQueen saw that Rice Shower's purple eyes were now bloodshot.
Her once fair face was now an unhealthy, bloodless pale.
Moving her gaze slightly downward, Mejiro McQueen noticed that blood was faintly seeping from the corner of Rice Shower's mouth.
"This is…!"
Mejiro McQueen was suddenly horrified. Rice Shower's expression was exactly like that of a patient with only a few days left to live. In that instant, she suddenly realized a terrifying possibility.
Rice Shower may have exhausted herself to achieve such burst of power.
Unlike her and Tokai Teio, Rice Shower didn't have Sakura Baimu devising a climbing strategy for her, so the steep climb had taken a heavy toll on her body.
Mejiro McQueen's eyes wavered for a moment, but then hardened again.
The thought of deliberately letting Rice Shower win was fleeting, quickly dismissed by Mejiro McQueen, because only giving it her all showed respect for her opponent.
The finish line was close.
Mejiro McQueen maintained a lead of about one Length ahead of Rice Shower.
"Rice Shower is catching up again! After the second steep slope, she's caught up once more."
"As expected of the 'Black Assassin,' she's got a tight grip! Does she have a chance to overtake Mejiro McQueen again?"
But just then, Mejiro McQueen suddenly heard a shrill scream beside her.
"Rice Shower isn't an assassin, she's a Blue Rose!!!"
Rice Shower roared, her momentum suddenly exploding, her speed increasing again, instantly putting her ahead of Mejiro McQueen.
"She's overtaken! Rice Shower has overtaken!"
"Rice Shower, who stopped Mihono Bourbon's three-time championship and who lost to Mejiro McQueen at last year's Spring Tenno Sho, has now overtaken!"
"Rice Shower completely dominated!"
"She crossed the finish line!"
In the final moments of the race, Rice Shower unleashed an incredibly powerful final spurt, overtaking Mejiro McQueen by a significant margin and crossing the finish line.
Immediately, gasps and sighs of regret filled the air.
No one had expected that the highly anticipated "M.T. showdown" would end like this.
"First place goes to Rice Shower! Rice Shower wins this year's Takarazuka Kinen by a margin of 1 1/2 Lengths."
"Second place goes to Mejiro McQueen, crossing the finish line 2 Lengths behind."
"Third place goes to Tokai Teio, with a gap of 9 Lengths... Ah!"
The commentator continued reporting on the Umamusumes' finishes, but after reporting on Tokai Teio's result, she suddenly cried out in surprise.
Because she saw Rice Shower, who had just crossed the finish line, suddenly collapse.
She maintained her crossing speed as she fell, rolling several times on the track, leaving a long trail.
And in the middle of that brown mud trail, everyone could see a bright red mark.
"The strongest active player, huh. That's all?"
In another part of the venue, the American Umamusume with her long, wavy blond hair caught the coin, let out a soft chuckle, and got up to leave Hanshin Racecourse.