Chapter 127: She Plays It Like That Huh?
The moment the race began, the commentator immediately reported on the situation on the track.
"All the Umamusume made a clean start! No one was late out of the gate!
"That's right, no one had a late start this time!"
After repeating for emphasis, the commentator continued:
"The veteran runners of the older generation are showing their experience—avoiding the inner lane and moving toward the outside."
"Leading the pack right now is number 9, Galloping Thunder, followed closely by number 8, Phantom Gale."
"Both runners are making great use of their central gate positions to seize the lead."
"But number 2, Curren Mirotic, is accelerating fast—she's catching up to Phantom Gale— and she's overtaken her!"
"Curren Mirotic is now in second place, with Galloping Thunder still maintaining the lead."
"The middle pack is tightening up, forming a dense cluster."
"Meanwhile, both High Friendship, the most popular contender of the day, and Gold Ship, the second most popular, are currently at the rear."
"The two fan favorites are sitting in the last and second-to-last positions, seemingly opting for an end closer running style."
At this point, the analyst chimed in:
"For Gold Ship, end closer running style is her specialty. Perhaps we'll see a repeat of those thrilling moments from the Satsuki Sho or the Arima Kinen."
"High Friendship has also employed this running style multiple times before, and since she's raced against Gold Ship before, she might be trying to keep a close eye on her this time."
As the commentary went on, the Umamusume thundered down the far straight, prompting the stands to erupt in cheers right from the start.
"Wow! They're really going for an end closing!"
Gripping the rail, Kitasan Black jumped up and down excitedly.
"Gold Ship-senpai's the best at this style!"
"Hey, Ai-chan, remember what I told you?"
"There's a chance we'll see senpai suddenly—whoosh!—blow past everyone in front!"
"Yeah! I remember! The commentator just mentioned it too—like in the Satsuki Sho and the Arima Kinen!"
Almond Eye responded just as excitedly, but when she looked around, she suddenly paused.
Like her and Kitasan Black, the other senpai such as Satono Crown and Duramente—whom she'd only met a few days ago—were visibly thrilled, even the usually aloof Satono Diamond seemed fired up.
In contrast, the group of senpai like Special Week looked excited but also… thoughtful.
Especially Makoto, who was holding up binoculars; he practically had the word "thinking" written all over his face.
'Weird… isn't it normal for Gold Ship-senpai to be using an end closer running style?'
Just as the question formed in Almond Eye's mind, the commentator pulled her attention back to the race.
"The pack is approaching the uphill stretch—this is the first turn of the Spring Tenno Sho course."
"High Friendship timed her move well, overtaking Gold Ship!"
"It seems she's trying to push forward, but she's been blocked. Gold Ship is now dead last."
"Still, since end closing is her forte and her rhythm looks steady, we can definitely look forward to her performance in the later stages!"
'So… that really is an end closer style…'
'Then why… why do they all look so uneasy…?'
Casting another glance at Makoto and the others, Almond Eye grew even more puzzled.
. . .
The wind whipped past, folding Gold Ship's ears flat against her head. The dense, rhythmic pounding of hooves in front of her mixed with the rushing wind, hammering against her eardrums.
Clods of dirt and grass flew toward her, but she didn't flinch in the slightest.
Maybe she'd already burned through all her nerves before the race began, because right now, her mind felt crystal clear.
The leading front runner, Galloping Thunder, had already opened up a lead of a length and a half—this was clearly her limit.
Curren Mirotic's racing silks were adorned with a few small golden bells, ringing in rhythm with her strides—perfectly matching Galloping Thunder's pace. She wasn't aiming to take the lead herself this time, but to hold a position right behind it.
Lone Bright Sky leaned habitually to the left on this kind of track—her signal that she was preparing for the next turn.
Triomphe Ballet's footing looked solid, but her breathing was uneven—still deciding on her move, it seemed.
The clearest figure of all was High Friendship. So clear, in fact, that even the arcs traced by specks of dirt flung up by her tail were visible.
From beneath the visor that shadowed half her face, the scene ahead was laid out in perfect detail.
Within Gold Ship's eyes, the sixteen blurred silhouettes ahead were reflected with crystalline clarity—and without realizing it, she grinned.
'Hmm… visibility is good. No abnormalities.'
'Then…'
'Change lanes.'
She muttered it silently to herself, licking her lips without realizing it.
The instant the curve of the inner railing appeared, she tightened her core.
Her stride shifted—just a little, like she was being carried by the flow of air—and she drifted sideways.
The familiar feeling of the uphill slope and the rising curve that followed spread from her legs through her entire body, filling her with an impulse to keep sliding outward.
But she clenched her teeth and suppressed it.
From Galloping Thunder far ahead to High Friendship just before her—from that one-and-a-half-length gap to the dust rippling off tails in front—
The bells, the leaning postures, the quickened steps—none of it had changed.
That meant her lane change…
Hadn't been noticed yet.
Isn't it just like mahjong?
Whether it's Thirteen Orphans or Pure Nine Gates, Big Three Dragons, Little Four Winds, Four Concealed Triplets—
Once they realize what hand you're building, the game stops being fun.
So let's keep this delightful little misunderstanding going.
Don't let them notice.
Her every stride landed precisely along the boundary between lanes three and four. Once again, her lips curled into a smirk.
. . .
As the pack raced at high speed, the commentator continued to relay the live situation faithfully:
"The field has passed through the early phase smoothly and is now entering the middle phase!"
"Just as at the start, number 9—Galloping Thunder—is the first to exit the corner!"
"The rest of the runners, split into three groups, are following out of the turn."
"Now, as they enter the home stretch facing the grandstand, let's confirm their positions."
"Galloping Thunder still holds the lead!"
"Right behind are Curren Mirotic and Phantom Gale!"
"The pace chaser group led by Earth Voice is chasing the front runners closely, with barely any distance between them!"
"In the late surger pack, Danni Jewel has the lead!"
"And at the rear, we still have the two crowd favorites—High Friendship and Gold Ship!"
"It seems the decisive moment will come in the next corner or the final straight—Wait, hold on! Gold Ship's position—!"
The commentator's voice suddenly jumped several octaves, exploding through the speakers with a near-scream.
"When did she switch to the outside lane?!"
As the thundering pack came into view before the grandstand, the crowd's cheers hesitated for a split second—then erupted like boiling oil meeting water.
Staring at the scene in front of them, Kitasan Black and her other peer Uma widened their eyes in disbelief.
They'd already been suspicious before, but now Almond Eye clutched Kitasan Black's sleeve tightly, murmuring in shock:
"She—she wasn't in that position just a moment ago…"
With a faint sigh, Makoto, Special Week, and the others nodded knowingly, as if they'd expected this. Dream Journey and Nakayama Festa even let out small, amused laughs.
The only one who looked out of place was Orfevre, arms folded.
"tsk… she really dares to play like that, huh…"
Her ears pricked sharply toward the track, and she gave a short, cold snort—its sound swallowed up an instant later by the roar of the crowd.
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