Sakura Baimu once again chose to unleash her power while running in the slope, precisely when the pressure on an Umamusume's heart was at its peak.
The soaring power erupted. Although it wasn't directly aimed at Maruzensky, even without a direct confrontation, it was enough for Maruzensky to notice the terrifying pressure emanating from behind.
In that instant, tension and palpitations surged through Maruzensky's heart.
This feeling, which she hadn't experienced in a long, long time, made her feel slightly uncomfortable.
Just as Maruzensky's thoughts froze, Sakura Baimu, enveloped in a dense azure aura, suddenly appeared beside her.
"She caught up?!"
Maruzensky's eyes widened abruptly.
Forgetting about keeping pace with Sakura Baimu, she quickened her pace, and white energy swirled around her at the same moment.
Maruzensky's acceleration was terrifying; Sakura Baimu, who had initially caught up, was once again pulled behind.
She no longer had time to maintain her pace with Sakura Baimu; her focus was entirely on the race.
"This feeling... it's not inferior at all to the 'monster' Oguri Cap back then..."
Maruzensky hadn't experienced the feeling of being overtaken from behind while leading a race for a long time.
Unless she deliberately held back in the early stages of a race and chose not to lead, she rarely experienced being overtaken from behind.
Just now, in that brief moment when Sakura Baimu passed her, Maruzensky unusually felt that tension again.
This genuine feeling of tension, originating from the bottom of her heart and brought forth by her opponent, finally allowed Maruzensky to once again experience the emotions an Umamusume should feel when participating in a race.
Maruzensky's long-dormant passion was reignited. Re-experiencing the atmosphere of competition, she was incredibly excited, her expression gradually shifting from a slight smile to utter euphoria.
"Far beyond expectations! This Mejiro Sakura is this strong! Amazing, amazing!"
Maruzensky was overwhelmed with excitement; Sakura Baimu's strength far exceeded her expectations.
Her excitement didn't last long. An even stronger sense of tension and pressure washed over her again.
Thump
Another thump of her heart. Without turning around, Maruzensky could feel the chilling sensation behind her, as if she were about to be devoured by a ferocious beast.
Fear gradually spread through Maruzensky's heart, even giving her the urge to flee from this overwhelming aura.
Even her movements slowed under this terrifying pressure.
This incredibly real feeling of tension and fear filled Maruzensky with excitement.
Sakura Baimu's aura was too overwhelming. Maruzensky judged that if she didn't unleash her own aura to counter it, Sakura Baimu's aura would affect her speed.
"Although it's a bit disappointing, oh well, I'm already quite satisfied."
Sakura Baimu had already given her a surprise beyond her expectations.
Now, the race could end.
Maruzensky's smile deepened, and with her next step, a crimson aura erupted from her body.
The palpitations and fear instantly subsided, and the movements that had been slowed by Sakura Baimu's aura returned to fluidity.
There were still 200 Meters left to the finish line.
Having unleashed her aura, Maruzensky, just like her nickname, "Hotrod," charged toward the finish line with incredible speed.
Maruzensky's joy was already overflowing; she was extremely satisfied with tonight's result.
Sakura Baimu had brought back that intense, long-forgotten competitive atmosphere.
It had even forced her to unleash her full power.
This was something only a handful of people at Tracen Academy could achieve.
Only a few lengths remained to the finish line.
The race would be over in an instant.
But just then, Maruzensky suddenly heard a loud thud behind her.
Before she could react, she blinked.
She found that where her vision had been empty, a figure enveloped in a dense azure aura had suddenly appeared beside her.
"What...?"
Maruzensky's eyes widened in shock.
This scene was utterly familiar.
This last-minute overtake just before the finish line was exactly the same as the scene during Sakura Baimu's first duel with Golden Crown Eagle.
Sakura Baimu's appearance shattered Maruzensky's composure.
Instantly, the fear and panic of impending defeat gripped Maruzensky's heart.
"No time to accelerate!" Maruzensky made this judgment in an instant.
Both had already taken their first step toward the finish line, leaving no room for further acceleration.
Then she saw Sakura Baimu's foot step across the finish line a split second before hers.
Sakura Baimu, by a hair's breadth, crossed the finish line ahead of Maruzensky.
--
After crossing the finish line, the composure and calmness on Maruzensky's face were gone.
As her ample bosom heaved, Maruzensky turned in horror to look at Sakura Baimu, who was also panting slightly.
Maruzensky's panting wasn't due to fatigue from the intensity of the race.
It was because of a fleeting glimpse she had caught just before the finish line.
Seeing Sakura Baimu surge forward again, a sudden and unprecedented panic at the prospect of losing gripped her.
Although she was known as the undefeated Hotrod, her undefeated record existed only in official races.
Maruzensky had run many times with Symboli Rudolf in private, and their record was a mix of wins and losses.
But that was Symboli Rudolf!
A reigning champion Umamusume.
Besides Symboli Rudolf, this was the first time Maruzensky had experienced defeat against any other Umamusume.
Maruzensky knew Sakura Baimu was slightly stronger than Obey Your Master, yet she maintained her playful attitude toward the match.
However, her extreme overconfidence led her to misjudge Sakura Baimu's strength, allowing Sakura Baimu to seize another opportunity and overtake her just before the finish line, where she could no longer accelerate.
Exactly the same as Golden Crown Eagle!
Although Maruzensky hadn't gone all out in this match, the outcome was still decided.
The result of the match wouldn't change because she had deliberately held back.
Standing at the finish line, Maruzensky, after catching her breath for a long while, finally felt the fear in her eyes gradually subside.
However, the panic that had accumulated in her chest lingered.
"Ms. Maruzensky."
Sakura Baimu's voice rang out, and Maruzensky turned to look.
She saw Sakura Baimu walking toward her with a warm smile.
"As expected of Hotrod, you are indeed very strong."
"I should be saying that. I really didn't expect that Ms. Sakura would still have the strength to unleash her final kick. In that last moment, I didn't react at all."
Maruzensky shook her head, her smile returning.
"I can tell, Miss Maruzen, you weren't planning to use your Zone at all. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had this opportunity."
"During a competition, the referee won't declare me the winner just because I didn't use my Zone."
Sakura Baimu's burst of power before the finish line was something Maruzensky hadn't anticipated at all.
Maruzensky had assumed that Sakura Baimu's two bursts of power would be her limit, so she had lowered her guard.
After all, there weren't many people in this academy who could force her to use her Zone.
Unexpectedly, Sakura Baimu could still unleash such a fierce final kick just before crossing the finish line.
Most importantly, Maruzensky also noticed that Sakura Baimu, who was wearing a bright smile, didn't seem to be breathing heavily.
It was as if the competition hadn't been her full strength either.
--
--
Let's talk about the "Phantom Triple Crown" from the previous chapter.
The term "Phantom Triple Crown" generally refers to a horse that participated in and won two Classic Triple Crown races but was unable to participate in the third race due to injury or other special circumstances.
Like Tokai Teio.
However, Fuji Kiseki never participated in any Classic Triple Crown races.
The horses that won the Classic Triple Crown in her year either lost to Fuji Kiseki or lost to horses that had previously been defeated by her.
For example, Geniein, the winner of that year's Satsuki Sho, lost to a horse that had been completely defeated by Fuji Kiseki.
Therefore, everyone believed that Fuji Kiseki was capable of winning the Triple Crown.
Thus, Fuji Kiseki is also considered a Phantom Triple Crown horse.