Nakayama Racecourse.
"All competitors are now heading towards the starting gates, the first classic race is about to begin."
"In today's showdown of the top three, which Uma Musume will reign supreme in the Satsuki Sho?!"
Special Week stared fixedly at the track ahead, her already nervous mood tightening further. She had just spotted her mother in the crowd—her mother had actually come to watch her race in person.
She absolutely could not lose this race! After all, she had promised her mother she would become the number one Uma Musume in the world.
She could win! She just needed to apply what she had grasped during her practice race against Taiki Shuttle.
Once the race started, she would use the low-pressure slipstream to stick behind King Halo and conserve stamina. Then, on the uphill section, she would showcase the results of her slope training. With more stamina in reserve, she could overtake both King-chan and Sei-chan in one decisive move.
As for her final kick, the trainer had said it was stronger than both Seiun-chan and King-chan's.
"My condition is good today, and I'm starting from an outer gate."
"Mom, I'm going to win!"
"And they're off!"
At the starter's call, the gates swung open and all the competing Uma Musume burst onto the track.
"Excellent starts from everyone. Taking the lead is... King Halo!"
The commentator's voice narrated the race's progress. "King Halo has chosen to set the pace, with Seiun Sky clinging closely to her heels. Special Week..."
"Has Special Week... made a poor start?"
The commentator's mouth twitched, feeling like he'd just been metaphorically slapped. In a Grade 1 race like this, unless there was a trash-talker like Barbatos among the competitors, it was rare to see a botched start.
So, saying 'excellent starts from everyone' was pretty much automatic.
--+--
"Why did Spe-chan start so slowly?"
Daiwa Scarlet leaned on the spectator railings, unable to hide her frustration at the situation. Beside her, Special Week's mother pressed her lips together tightly.
As a mother, she probably guessed the truth. Her own presence was likely the reason for the delayed start.
"Auntie, it's not your fault, don't worry," Barbatos chimed in to comfort her.
"A bad start doesn't necessarily mean losing the race. Besides, if her start falters just because you came to watch, that kind of mindset won't get her very far towards becoming Japan's top Uma Musume."
"This will be a valuable experience for her."
"Mmm..."
"Sei-chan! How did she let that King Halo take the lead?"
The equally anxious grandfather was also gripping his fists tightly. Could it be that his presence had made Sei-chan nervous too, costing her the lead?
"They're running so close together. Is it really okay to run like that?"
Tokai Teio, who had already joined Team Spica, pointed out the oddity. Normally, Uma Musume wouldn't run this close to each other—it risked accidents during the race.
Team Spica's trainer, Okino, fell silent for a moment, the lollipop in his mouth clicking against his teeth. "It's a low-pressure pocket."
"It's a technique Special Week mastered during her special training. By hugging the heels of the Uma Musume in front, she reduces air resistance, which significantly conserves stamina."
"King Halo taking the lead this time was actually part of her strategy."
"Seiun Sky is truly a formidable opponent."
Even though she lacked the overwhelming aura of horses like El Condor Pasa, Silence Suzuka, or Barbatos, if they were to race head-to-head, the outcome might still be uncertain. Her tactics and ability are top-tier!
"In that case, couldn't Spe-chan use that low-pressure running style too?"
Vodka couldn't help but ask.
"Well, originally, that was indeed the plan," Okino nodded. "But because of her poor start, she'll have to expend more stamina just to catch up to the leading group of King Halo and the others."
"This puts Special Week at an unprecedented disadvantage. We can only hope her special slope training pays off."
"Relying solely on the slope will be tough, though," El Condor Pasa teased. "Overcoming a bad start to win requires a significant gap in ability."
"Unless Spe-chan can break through her limits, or activate her 'Zone'... but that's really difficult."
This was something pretty much everyone knew, but they were all too polite to say it outright—a matter of social grace. But El Condor Pasa was the type to speak her mind bluntly.
Just like when Special Week first arrived in their classroom and introduced herself. Upon learning where Special Week was from, El Condor Pasa immediately called her a country bumpkin.
She meant no real harm; she was just straightforward and said what she thought.
"It really is difficult. After all, activating one's 'Zone' isn't easy," Barbatos agreed.
She had gone through four months of isolated training, pushing her limits as an Uma Musume, yet still hadn't managed to activate her own Zone. That spoke volumes.
Perhaps the Zone could only be activated during a race, or maybe her current self simply wasn't ready for it.
But as she finished speaking, Barbatos caught a slightly odd look from El Condor Pasa.
Anyone else could say the Zone was hard to activate, but Barbatos was the exception. Barbatos was the earliest among their generation of Uma Musume to activate a Zone.
She was even the one who defied common sense, able to maintain a Zone throughout an entire race.
Maruzensky had called her a genius when it came to the Zone. So for Barbatos to say it was difficult sounded... strange.
Barbatos gave an awkward smile and pointed towards the track. "Let's just watch the race. They've passed the third corner and are about to hit the slope now."
This Zone business was something only she truly understood.
Her own Zone was either a skill from the system or copied from her senior Tamamo Cross—neither was a Zone she had awakened herself.
Which meant that besides playing League of Legends and training, there was actually another path to becoming stronger: awakening her own Zone!
But who knew under what circumstances an Uma Musume with insufficient innate talent could activate a Zone?
--+--
On the track.
The pace-setting King Halo was still shadowed closely by Seiun Sky. As they approached the uphill section, drawing on her experience from the Yayoi Sho, Seiun Sky had marked this as her decisive battleground. The final stretch?
Only by creating a gap on the slope could she even think about the final stretch!
"Seiun Sky is pulling away from King Halo's heels! Is she finally making her move? Who will take the Satsuki Sho crown—Seiun Sky or King Halo?"
"Huh? Special Week! Special Week, who had the poor start, is charging up from way back in the pack!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.