Admire Vega never planned to sustain a sprint through the entire race.
She wasn't a Front Runner, nor did she have outstanding endurance.
But she was willing to try something new, anything, if it meant taking the crown.
Exactly what had she tried?
After sprinting roughly halfway, pulling significantly ahead of T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega abruptly slowed—not to a crawl, but down from an unsustainable sprint into a more reasonable, competitive pace.
Because, after all, this was how a normal race was supposed to unfold.
Sprinting with 1500 meters still left? Even Usain Bolt would break down sobbing at the mere thought of it.
Yet undeniably, she had burned precious stamina.
A full-power burst was every Umamusume's ultimate weapon. To say she'd gained her current lead without cost would be absurd.
Now, the scene unfolding on the track was utterly surreal:
Admire Vega was leading by an absurd margin—nearly seventy to eighty meters ahead of T.M. Opera O, who herself had built a solid fifty-meter lead over the main pack. The distance between first and last was so vast that to capture both Admire Vega and Garden Gale in a single shot required the widest possible camera angle.
"We're screwed."
The glasses guy's heart sank as he took in the immense gap.
He'd still harbored a sliver of hope.
But now, it had shattered completely, leaving behind emptiness.
Even if Garden Gale tried to catch up…
This distance was just outrageous! How could anyone possibly close it!? Maybe if someone brought out a Ferrari F1 car, unleashed a monster-like mechanical roar, and blasted straight through the track—it might just barely be doable.
That would be perfectly fine if this were Formula 1, the fastest race on earth.
But this was Umamusume racing! Forget a Ferrari F1—the idea itself was ridiculous.
Fans felt their hearts break on the spot. Barely had they begun rooting for Garden Gale when her hopes seemingly evaporated.
Life's dreams fade fast, and glory is fleeting.
But enough digression. Back to the race—
T.M. Opera O stared intently at Admire Vega's distant silhouette, weighing her options.
Experimentally, she raised her pace slightly—
Testing to see if she could catch Admire Vega off guard.
If Admire Vega wanted to maintain that huge gap, T.M. Opera O would never allow her the comfort of doing so. Simple logic dictated not dragging things out to a chaotic final stretch. She needed to apply pressure now and force her opponent's hand.
Cold, piercing intensity surged into her gaze, sharp enough to cut.
As though she had eyes at the back of her head, Admire Vega accelerated precisely when T.M. Opera O did, maintaining the exact same gap. Back and forth their pace went, yet the distance between them never wavered.
Only the finish line drew steadily nearer.
—Interesting.
An intrigued smile formed on T.M. Opera O's lips. Anyone could see clearly what Admire Vega intended:
Maintaining this gap was her only path to victory.
Even if such a strategy seemed ludicrous—an absurd, desperate gamble.
But desperate gambles are precisely what drowning people cling to.
In a normal race, Admire Vega simply couldn't envision herself besting T.M. Opera O, much less Garden Gale—two monsters who stood far beyond the realm of mere mortals. Thus, she'd chosen an unconventional, almost ridiculous tactic, one destined to become a legendary oddity in racing history.
It looked comedic, even absurd.
Of course—
It wasn't an imaginary third eye at work here.
Rather, T.M. Opera O's murderous intent burned so coldly behind her, Admire Vega clearly felt her every attempt to close the gap—and accelerated accordingly.
And so, the bizarre showdown continued.
The finish line approached relentlessly and the chill in Opera O's eyes intensified, though the race remained locked in its strange stalemate.
Should she wait patiently, trusting her devastating finishing kick to crush all rivals at the very end?
No.
T.M. Opera O rejected that thought the instant it appeared.
Absolutely not.
That was precisely what Admire Vega hoped for—she'd probably laugh in triumph. Without sufficient pressure, Admire Vega might cruise uncontested straight to victory. Opera O could never entertain such cowardly tactics.
Because the Overlord must win openly and decisively!
The End-of-the-Century Overlord wouldn't stoop to stealing victory like some desperate rat!
Accelerate again.
CHARGE FORWARD—!!!
T.M. Opera O understood her true desire. Admire Vega planned to lead to the very end? Fine—T.M. Opera O would unleash such crushing pressure she'd crumble beneath it! Could she still maintain her lead now?
As they entered the second corner—T.M. Opera O took the curve with breathtaking skill, cutting a razor-sharp angle that almost defied belief.
Her shoes slammed into the turf, sending dirt exploding in every direction—
All for this singular moment of POWER—!!
Her muscles coiled like steel cables, her foot became a pivot, her entire body arching forward as tightly as a bowstring pulled taut—readying to release an arrow aimed straight for the stars themselves.
She burst forward!
Admire Vega felt the predator closing from behind—felt the primal chill of being hunted crawl down her spine, cold sweat beading across her skin.
Her teeth ground tightly together.
She had reasons she absolutely had to win, too.
All those countless, sleepless nights spent staring upward at the distant stars—nights lost in confusion, uncertain if she could ever run again—had given her reasons to keep fighting.
I don't want to…
I can't…
Stop here!!
Just one—just one proof, anything, please—
Grant me undeniable proof that I exist.
Only me, only me, only me—
Please, grant me proof that there's something only I can achieve.
This absurd-looking strategy was the last straw for someone drowning beneath endless waves.
Only victory could prove it all. Only victory could honor that distant, unreachable star—standing at the summit, shattering all the whispers and doubts.
Therefore...
For the Japan Derby...
Admire Vega was determined to win at any cost!!
Even her heart had frozen into an icy knot atop a snowbound peak, radiating cold like a solitary moon suspended eternally above endless glaciers. Now, that chilling aura surged outward, engulfing the entire battlefield.
The clash of titans between Admire Vega and T.M. Opera O—had begun prematurely!
...
Thirty seconds.
---
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