Sunday Silence broke free from her restraints but didn't immediately flee. Instead, a fierce blaze of fighting spirit answered for her.
She pressed against Rice Shower, surprisingly choosing to clash head-on.
"Is that all you've got?"
Faced with Sunday Silence's multifaceted provocations, even the usually calm Rice Shower felt a flicker of agitation. It wasn't just a taunt; Rice Shower was genuinely at a disadvantage.
I've trained for so long, yet I'm being suppressed in positioning! A wave of frustration washed over Rice Shower.
Sunday Silence seized the opportunity, relentlessly pressing her advantage on the straightaway, completely disregarding her stamina drain. It wasn't until they reached the curve that Rice Shower finally found a moment to breathe.
Rice Shower possessed excellent physical abilities but suffered from poor mental fortitude. Given her past experiences, this wasn't surprising. Her sensitive nature meant that past incidents had left deep scars, and while Bourbon was formidable, she had never been this aggressively overbearing.
It wasn't just Rice Shower; nearly every racer on the track was overwhelmed by Sunday Silence's aura, preventing them from performing at their best.
Rice Shower decided to make another attempt. Sunday Silence's cornering wasn't particularly impressive—at least, that's how it seemed for now. Attacking on the curve was the best option.
Rice Shower leaned low into the turn, adopting a posture not typical for cornering, yet she maintained perfect balance. She wasn't thrown off the track, but her speed through the curve wasn't exceptionally fast. As she exited the turn, she was still neck and neck with Sunday Silence.
Everyone watched in bewilderment as Rice Shower lowered her body even further, as if aiming for something.
"She's building up power for a final burst!" someone suddenly shouted.
A strong gust of wind swept through, carrying a flurry of blue petals. With a thunderous BOOM, Rice Shower shot forward like an arrow released from its bowstring the moment she exited the curve.
Is Rice Shower about to land a decisive blow?!
"Heh heh..."
A black and red phantom faded into view, moving with ghostly grace. Gasps erupted from the crowd—Sunday Silence had seen through Rice Shower's move all along.
"Damn it! She's going to get cut off!"
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Sunday Silence had completely anticipated Rice Shower's surprise attack. Now, it seemed Rice Shower's only fate was to be forcefully blocked and brought to a halt.
"She can't break through! Sunday Silence will definitely reach the line first!"
Rice Shower's expression remained focused, without a trace of panic.
"If you want it so badly, then you can have it."
Mid-sprint, Rice Shower suddenly changed direction, cutting toward the Forbidden Zone. The maneuver was so smooth—she had planned this from the start!
Sunday Silence reacted with lightning speed. It was too late to stop Rice Shower from entering the inner lane, but she wouldn't let her escape so easily!
The crowd's hearts tightened, but the collision they expected never happened. Just as they were about to intersect, Rice Shower executed a second change of direction!
A feint? No, it's more than that! Sunday Silence was confident she would never fall for a simple feint. Rice Shower had genuinely intended to cut to the inner lane; the second change was a flash of inspiration born from seeing her approach.
To pull off a move of such high difficulty with that body... she must have endured unimaginable training. A flicker of admiration sparked within Sunday Silence. But! You still can't escape!
Sunday Silence was a battle-hardened veteran. No matter how clever the double feint, Rice Shower couldn't escape her grasp.
"No," Rice Shower's voice was calm, her initial surprise replaced by a tremor in her rival's pupils. "The one who can't escape... is you."
Right in front of Sunday Silence, the umamusume ahead wore a look of terror.
"Damn it!"
The critical moment of their duel had always been the exit from the turn. On a racetrack where conditions change in an instant, Sunday Silence's complete focus on Rice Shower meant she never saw the umamusume ahead.
To avoid a collision, Sunday Silence was forced to decelerate abruptly, her steps faltering as she nearly crashed into the railing. By the time she tried to move to the outer lane to pursue Rice Shower, the umamusume behind her were also exiting the turn, moving up to form a tight encirclement.
Through her calculated scheme, Rice Shower had successfully trapped Sunday Silence within the field. It was a brilliant move, but it earned her no applause.
"That strategy was just too dirty."
"Who races like that?"
Many racers used the field to their advantage, but Rice Shower's move was exceptionally ruthless. At the very least, Central would never accept an umamusume who thought and acted in such a way.
This wasn't the kind of racer they admired. They idolized grand, righteous superstars like Rudolf and McQueen.
An assassin who used dirty tricks would never be accepted on the main stage.
Breaking free from the field, Rice Shower surged into the lead. With her Mark released, she pushed forward at full speed.
If I can just pull away now, my stamina will hold out.
Faced with the criticism, Rice Shower turned a deaf ear. She simply fixed her gaze on the Finish Line and pressed relentlessly forward.
The chorus of doubt grew louder. Some spectators, no longer holding back, did everything they could to denounce Rice Shower. Once someone started, the jeers only intensified.
"Fools," Twilight Cloud sneered, her gaze sharp and unforgiving.
Kousei watched everything with cold detachment. Central hadn't changed at all since she'd left.
Just as the crowd was verbally crucifying Rice Shower, a sudden wave of terror swept through the stands, stunning the hecklers into silence. The once-raucous racetrack fell eerily quiet.
Kousei and the other star racers paled, a cold sweat trickling down their brows. Maniacal laughter echoed across the racetrack as an indescribable black shadow, nearly driven mad, tore down the course.
A chill ran down Rice Shower's spine, and she couldn't help but glance back. In an instant, a terrifying figure appeared before her—a face like an evil ghost, a form like a Pixiu. It was less a phantom and more a demon.
"Is that... Cafe?" someone stammered, their voice trembling with unconcealed fear.
Cafe sometimes acted like a ghost, but she had never revealed such a horrifying visage. Those who knew her best felt the deepest, most inexplicable dread.
"Sunday Silence?! How did she break away from the field?!" Even in her terror, Rice Shower's mind raced.
Sunday Silence's fierce aura had shaken even racers like Kousei and McQueen upon their first encounter, let alone the other racers on the track.
With sheer presence alone, Sunday Silence carved a path through the field, reaching Rice Shower's side unimpeded.
I have to escape! Rice Shower decided instantly, pushing off with all her might. But before she could create any distance, several pale, withered ghost hands shot out from the darkness, seizing her tightly.
At that moment, Rice Shower's astonishment far outweighed her fear. The other racers wore varied expressions, but all their gazes ultimately turned to Kousei. Black and red flames burned in Sunday Silence's pupils—she was using a Gate Technique!
"This is incredible! It feels amazing to be back on the track!"
Where Sunday Silence should have been, only a blurry black shadow remained on the turf. She was no longer holding back, revealing her true form.
Everywhere Sunday Silence stepped, she left hoofprints that looked scorched, the smell of burnt grass and metal fragments drifting on the wind. As if breaking the sound barrier, she instantly annihilated every Umamusume ahead of her.