Saint Halo lengthened her stride.
The field ahead was beginning to stretch out, especially among the stronger runners, who had all started accelerating in unison.
She knew that if she did not pick up the pace now, she would very likely lose contact with the front group.
A gap of over a dozen lengths was not something that could simply be erased by a strong finishing kick. She had to account for both timing and distance. Saint Halo glanced toward the inside. Starlit Reception and Symboli Indice were still hesitating.
For a moment, she felt as though she were looking at her old self.
The thought flashed through her mind, and with a shift of her footing, she had already gone past that old self.
"At the rear, Saint Halo, Saint Halo! The race favorite has finally begun overtaking the runners in front of her! Nishino Flower is still trying to maintain her advantage at the front, but she can't widen the gap beyond three lengths any further! Behind her, Seiun Sky and Stay Gold are both closing in, and on the inside Stay Gold still hasn't made her move—but Seiun Sky has already launched an early challenge at Nishino Flower! She can't hold, she can't hold! The gap is closing rapidly! The two-time Classic winner Seiun Sky is flying up on Nishino Flower!"
The cheers from the stands swelled even louder. The fans could see the field shifting, and everyone knew the decisive phase was fast approaching.
"The field is about to enter the third and fourth turns! Nishino Flower still leads, but on the outside is Seiun Sky! Special Week has also started moving, Special Week has started moving! Behind her, Grass Wonder is locked firmly onto Special Week's line! But Saint Halo is already preparing a strong strike from the outside! They enter the uphill section and the third and fourth turns—two runners contesting the lead! Behind them, Stay Gold has chosen not to accelerate further, sitting two lengths off. On the outside Nishihiro Commander is still trying to stay with them, but Special Week has already climbed into fourth! On the far outside, Grass Wonder—on the far outside, Grass Wonder! Rasen Bushi is accelerating too, but Saint Halo is charging up in the fourth lane—Saint Halo is coming!"
The battle had already exploded in intensity in the turns.
Every runner knew the stretch ahead was not long enough; if they failed to close on the leaders here, there would be no winning the Takarazuka Kinen.
Special Week's determined advance, Grass Wonder sticking hard to her flank—Special Week felt a bad premonition the instant she noticed it.
But what made both Toda Hanako and Nishizaki Ryu pale in the stands was Saint Halo coming from behind them.
The girl was carrying a tremendous aura as she launched herself at every runner in front of her.
[Aspiration Pierces the Clouds
Once the final phase begins, if the horse girl completes four overtakes without being obstructed, all attributes +10%. If she completes ten overtakes without obstruction, all attributes +22%. If she is obstructed, then one attribute +5%, and speed +x, where x equals 50% of her willpower.]
The path ahead was already opening.
There were not enough runners left for the ten-pass bonus, but +10% to all stats was more than enough.
Shinji's gaze was locked tightly on his runner.
At this moment, the horses on the inside looked painfully slow by comparison. None of them could stop her from passing.
"The field is about to leave the third and fourth turns, about to leave the third and fourth turns…!"
Akisaka Misato's voice rang out.
At the front, Seiun Sky accelerated again. She had to try to fend off every charge from behind. But on the inside, Stay Gold—despite clearly being in excellent shape—suddenly looked to have some loss of momentum at the crucial moment, and Nishihiro Commander spotted the opening and forced her way between Seiun Sky and Stay Gold.
[Curve Specialist (gold)]
[Hard Worker (yellow)]
A golden radiance burst from Saint Halo's body.
Her gaze sharpened and locked onto Grass Wonder.
A certain presence had begun to gather around that girl. It felt strangely familiar to Saint Halo, and because of that, she moved her acceleration point even earlier.
Ahead, Special Week had already ruined Seiun Sky's plan of leading into the stretch. Midway through the fourth turn, she had reeled Seiun Sky in. The girl who had beaten Special Week in both the Satsuki Sho and the Kikuka Sho now looked as if the gap between them had become unbridgeable. When Special Week swept past her, Seiun Sky had no answer at all.
Behind them, Grass Wonder did not spare Seiun Sky even a glance.
Her eyes were fixed solely on the runner ahead of her—and on that runner's gaze.
The closeness between them in daily life, the fondness Grass Wonder felt for her, the belief that Special Week was her dearest friend—
And yet, Special Week's adoration of Silence Suzuka had always stirred in her something complicated, something she could neither name nor deny.
It was not jealousy.
Or perhaps she simply refused to admit that it was.
Whatever it was, Grass Wonder knew one thing with perfect clarity.
She wanted to win this race.
She drew a deep breath.
Her body surged outward from the far lane.
Special Week, who had also been keeping an eye on Grass Wonder the whole way, immediately changed color. She had sensed the shift in Grass Wonder.
A tremendous pressure rolled across Hanshin Racecourse.
Every horse girl saw it: behind the runner on the outside, a pale blue silhouette spread wide like a pair of wings. That aura swelled with the image, her eyes lit by a pale blue glow that perfectly matched her own—sharp, cold, and merciless.
The instant they entered the stretch, she passed Special Week.
The domain's surge sent a wave through the high stands. Several horse girls watching from above went instantly tense—especially the members of Spica.
They were still shouting themselves hoarse for Special Week, but they could already no longer see any path to her victory.
And so their eyes turned farther back.
To Saint Halo, who had already surged into the middle of the leading group—
And at that moment, Saint Halo drove her foot hard into the Hanshin turf.
The turf exploded under her step, exposing mud beneath. Her racing silks were splashed with grime, but that only made the figure rising behind her seem more imposing.
The daylight blazed. The sky itself seemed to flicker.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was impossible to tell whether the pounding came from Hanshin Racecourse's heartbeat or Saint Halo's footsteps.
In front, Grass Wonder's fully-bloomed domain began to shrink in an instant.
The figure behind Saint Halo—a figure identical to herself—stepped forward.
Emerald shadow-flames flickered. A matching emerald halo spread out. The turf beneath her feet took on a lethal edge, just like the finishing burst Saint Halo was unleashing.
Grass Wonder had no choice but to look back under the pressure of that presence.
And what met her eyes were the writhing crimson markings on Saint Halo's face and those eyes, brimming with overwhelming force.
They were not on the same level.
Not in the same dimension at all.
For one instant, Grass Wonder's eyes lost focus.
And by then, the figure behind her was already closing in at terrifying speed.
"Four hundred meters left! Four hundred meters left! The field behind has completely come alive! Up front, Special Week—Special Week enters the stretch first! But Grass Wonder is already right there, right beside her! The pair at the front have opened a gap on the rest, but—but on the far outside, Saint Halo is charging in one great sweeping run! Are the top three in the betting about to decide it among themselves at the end? Rasen Bushi is accelerating too, but she can't close, she can't close!"
"Three hundred meters left! Three hundred meters left! At the front, Grass Wonder has taken the lead, and on the outside Saint Halo has already drawn even with Special Week! Special Week has nothing left, she can't quite sustain it! It's now a duel between Grass Wonder and Saint Halo—but at the two-hundred-meter mark, Grass Wonder can't hold Saint Halo anymore!"
The stands erupted.
Saint Halo's eyes were fixed on Grass Wonder's back. The girl ahead already looked ragged, along with the domain that Saint Halo had forced into retreat.
Behind them, the rest of the field knew they could not catch the front two, and so their eyes all turned toward them as well.
They saw the figure behind Saint Halo.
Tall. Shaped like Saint Halo.
And yet every horse girl could tell: it was not wholly Saint Halo.
That figure bore both nobility and wild abandon, two utterly different airs coexisting within one form. As it cast its gaze around the field, every runner felt the crushing weight of being observed.
So heavy they could barely move their legs.
A violent pounding seized every horse girl's heart.
And Grass Wonder, at the front, felt it more strongly than anyone.
Up in the high stands, Goodbye Halo's expression started slipping again. Beside her, Shinji watched the flow of the race in silence. He could hear her murmuring under her breath, repeating that nickname over and over, and his own gaze darkened slightly.
He had watched the videos of that legend too. He knew that shocking finishing kick by heart.
And now, here on Hanshin's turf, that finishing kick had descended again.
From the uphill section onward, there had not been a single hitch. It had flowed straight through, passing every runner in front of it.
Even from the fourth lane, even from the fifth, Saint Halo only needed one thing:
A clear line ahead.
Shinji was absolutely certain now of Saint Halo's place in the Twinkle Series.
Other than the already world-bound Offside Trap—
Within Japan, she had no equal.
"Two hundred meters left! Two hundred meters left! Grass Wonder crosses first, but Saint Halo is already here! Saint Halo's speed—it's not even in the same dimension, not in the same dimension! Grass Wonder, can she find anything more, anything faster? Absolutely not! This is simply a gap in raw power!"
Grass Wonder gritted her teeth.
Her tactics had been nearly flawless. She could not abandon the orthodox Hanshin style and her ideal positioning just because of Saint Halo.
And yet the horse girl behind her had simply ignored all of it, tearing apart every obstacle in front of her through sheer ability alone.
The wings at Grass Wonder's back gave a cry of despair. She tried to struggle one last time.
But Saint Halo gave her no chance.
Her speed climbed yet again, and she swept past Grass Wonder's side.
[Call Me King Lv. 5
When the horse girl has calmly planned out her race, she unleashes her full strength in the final 200 meters, increasing speed.]
Blood vessels stood out in Grass Wonder's eyes. The blue light around her only made her look more worn down now, while the Saint Halo in her vision had already pulled clear and was racing onward.
"One hundred meters still remain, but Saint Halo has already completed the pass! The battle for fourth is fierce behind them, but Grass Wonder and Special Week can no longer threaten Saint Halo! The journey of the Spring Triple Crown, the glory of the Spring Triple Crown, the name of this spring—it will belong to Saint Halo alone!"
"One hundred meters left! From a girl buried under doubt to the one now about to become the very first runner ever to complete the Spring Triple Crown in the year it was created! Offside Trap has already stepped onto the world stage, and behind her, the younger girl who kept chasing her back has now set foot on that same road! Saint Halo—her legs are not fading! Saint Halo has completely established her winning position!"
"Fifty meters left! Fifty meters left! All doubters, look well—this is the strength of a Spring Triple Crown winner! Saint Halo crosses first! All the frustration of her Classic season has now become the force driving her higher still! Once, the girl only dreamed of becoming first-rate. Now, she has become first-rate—and she will surpass even that!"
"This is the finishing kick Shinji Terizumi always believed in—Saint Halo wins the Takarazuka Kinen! Saint Halo completes the Spring Triple Crown!"
…
High in the stands, Goodbye Halo sucked in a shaky breath.
The mother who had always guarded her composure so carefully finally let those concerns go in that moment.
She looked at Shinji.
And met his eyes.
"You won."
The words came out with no clear context, but Shinji only smiled faintly.
Perhaps he did not even know exactly what she meant.
But he did not need to.
It was enough that he knew what he himself had wanted to win.
He turned and started toward the stairs.
Behind him, Goodbye Halo suddenly asked something.
"The pride of a noble house has taken form as glory itself, and the daughter of a great family has become spring's new queen!"
Her question was drowned out completely by Akisaka Misato's impassioned call.
Shinji turned back, puzzled, looking at Goodbye Halo.
She paused, then shook her head.
She had wanted to ask when Saint Halo would finally go abroad.
But now, she felt there was little point in asking.
They would continue on their chosen road.
The only thing left for her to do might be to watch from afar.
She thought of her daughter's face.
Of the way her daughter had treated her after the Tenno Sho (Spring).
A bittersweet smile, full of joy and pain alike, crossed the mother's face.
"She must hate me."
Her voice was quiet this time.
And this time, Shinji heard it clearly.
"Then please… keep guiding her like this. Keep walking beside her to the very end."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter260)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter135)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 240
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 280
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 260
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 135
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 91
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 90
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 100
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 90
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 105
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 85
After Maxing Out Every Class 85
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 70
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 55
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 55
From Trilobites to Titans 55
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 66
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 70
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 50
Honkai: The Fire Devil 30
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