『All Uma Musume are in the gates. And they're off.』
With the announcer's words, the Osaka Hai began.
『A clean start for all. The one who shot out first is, as expected, this Uma Musume. Number 10, Twin Turbo, dashes to the front in an instant. Number 8, Seiun Sky, follows close behind her.』
『It's a showdown between a new escape artist, Seiun Sky, who became a senior this year, and an old one, Twin Turbo, who has been a senior until now. The outcome seems to depend on how much fuel is in the Turbo Engine.』
『Following them are Number 2 Nice Nature, Number 5 Biwa Hayahide, Number 6 King Halo, Number 4 Mini Cactus, and Number 7 Special Week in the front pack. A length behind are Number 3 Ribbon Mazurka and Number 11 Machikane Tannhauser. Near the back are Number 9 Unchanging, Number 12 Narita Taishin, and Number 1 Oishii Parfait.』
The 2,000-meter Osaka Hai starts from almost the dead center of the home stretch. Less than 200 meters in, there's a steep hill. They run a lap on the inner course and then climb the hill again to reach the finish line.
The beginning is fine. But climbing a slope of almost 2 meters in a short distance of about 100 meters after one lap will be a huge burden on the Uma Musume.
『Each Uma Musume is climbing the hill on the home stretch. The leader remains Number 10 Twin Turbo. Is the Turbo Engine in top form again today? She's out of the hill and into the first corner.』
『Her escape is always so impressive... I think her fuel stamina should hold for the 2,000 meters of the Osaka Hai, but we'll see...』
Twin Turbo was running away like usual. She left even Seiun Sky behind, who was trying to keep up, and kept dashing forward.
『The leader, Number 10 Twin Turbo, is out of the first corner and into the second. Number 8 Seiun Sky is three lengths behind. Behind her, about two lengths back, Number 2 Nice Nature, Number 5 Biwa Hayahide, Number 6 King Halo, Number 7 Special Week, and Number 4 Mini Cactus are running in a group.』
『The front pack is running while keeping an eye on each other. Only Special Week and Mini Cactus have changed positions. The ones behind them... their positions haven't changed.』
King is in a good position at fifth place. But with Biwa Hayahide and Special Week right next to her, she can't let her guard down for a second.
『Twin Turbo is flying along at a good pace, already out of the second corner and heading down the backstretch. There's already a gap of nearly four, no, five lengths with the second-place Seiun Sky.』
『Seiun Sky isn't slow... I'd say she's fast. That means Twin Turbo is escaping with all she's got. Well, that's her usual run.』
I looked at Twin Turbo, who was leading on the backstretch. I couldn't help but smile wryly at Twin Turbo's figure, running single-mindedly as if she didn't care about the future.
(She's got good guts... no, a lot of courage. It looks fun to raise a girl like that...)
I was thinking such things even during the race.
Running away as long as she can without thinking about stamina distribution. It's easy to say, but it would be very difficult to actually do.
Most escaping Uma Musume run away while precisely keeping a certain lap time, but in Twin Turbo's case, from start to finish, or from start until she runs out of steam, she runs away as if she doesn't care about things like lap times.
That figure, running away with all her might, leaving no energy left, cannot be imitated. In Twin Turbo's case, she might not be able to run in any other way, but her attitude of sticking to her own style, no matter the race or opponent, gives a strange sense of emotion to those who watch her.
That's why not only the audience but also the broadcaster and commentator are so full of excitement and anticipation. Twin Turbo has the charm that makes people think, "What if?" At the same time, even if she runs out of steam, people just smile and say, "Well, it's Twin Turbo, so it can't be helped."
Such a strong Uma Musume--no, strong Uma Musume are King's opponents today.
『The leader remains Twin Turbo. They will pass the 1,000-meter mark soon. She's leaving the others behind and running alone. It seems the Turbo Engine is in top form again today.』
『But a perfect engine can stall suddenly, you know. How long will she last...』
Since it was still the middle of the race, the broadcaster and commentator were focused on Twin Turbo, who was in the lead. Most of the audience's eyes also seemed to be following Twin Turbo.
『The leader, Twin Turbo, has passed the 1,000-meter mark. The distance between her and the second-place Seiun Sky is nearly six lengths.』
『The 1,000-meter passing time is... 58.2 seconds, a very fast pace. Will she last for the remaining 1,000 meters...? Hm?』
But at the 1,000-meter mark, an Uma Musume made a move. It was an unexpected one for me... or rather, in any form, probably only one person would have predicted it beforehand.
『Oh, Number 1 Oishii Parfait, who was running in the back, has made a move. It seems she's gradually increasing her speed...』
『Is she making her move at the halfway point? A 1,000-meter long sprint is very tough even for an Uma Musume who boasts of her stamina... No, I think it's impossible...』
When I saw Oishii Parfait, who was running in the back, start to accelerate, I instinctively looked at Urara next to me. But when Urara noticed my gaze, she just smiled brightly and tilted her head. She probably doesn't remember what she said earlier.
(A 1,000-meter long sprint? No, that's impossible... Even Rice can't do a 1,000-meter sprint.)
No way, she didn't just speed up without thinking about the future, like Twin Turbo, did she? Certainly, looking at Oishii Parfait's past race records, she ran at the back in most of them.
There are some hardcore Uma Musume fans who consider her an Uma Musume who specializes in late-stage sprints but doesn't do them... Is she going to make her move early and try to get to the front?
Since she's in a G1 race, Oishii Parfait is no ordinary Uma Musume. Maybe she's trained her stamina thoroughly and is trying to achieve a 1,000-meter long sprint.
(The only late-stage sprinting Uma Musume I know who could do something like that is Gold Ship... No, even Gold Ship can't do 1,000 meters. Although I feel like Gold Ship might just do it...)
Among the Uma Musume I know, the only one I can think of who might attempt a 1,000-meter long sprint is Gold Ship. Yeah, I really do think even she can't do it, but I also feel like she might just do it.
『Oishii Parfait is moving up from the back in an instant. Five, six, seven people... As she moves from the backstretch to the third corner, she's passing the Uma Musume in front of her one after another.』
『The end of the backstretch is a gentle downhill, so it might be a good place to accelerate... But on the other hand, the problem is whether she can make it around the corner.』
Oishii Parfait accelerates and goes from her late-stage sprinting position to the front pack in an instant. She's passing them by going around the outside, and the ones who were passed are looking at Oishii Parfait with a surprised expression.
『The leader, Twin Turbo, has passed the halfway point of the third corner and the 800-meter mark. And in a surprising long sprint, Oishii Parfait, who has come up from the back, is now in third place. She's right behind Seiun Sky.』
As they moved from the backstretch to the third corner, I could see the expressions of each Uma Musume clearly. Oishii Parfait... judging by her expression, she's already close to her limit. She's sweating profusely and her breathing is ragged, but she's still running desperately to get a little further ahead.
(She can't last. She'll run out of stamina for sure... No, she's still running.)
I don't know what Oishii Parfait was thinking when she started her reckless long sprint. You could say she shocked everyone in the race, including the other Uma Musume and the audience, but her speed is not that great even considering the long sprint aspect.
But even so, her desperate figure, running as if there's no other way to win, is eye-catching.
She's making her move early because her top speed is inferior even with a long sprint. If you put what Oishii Parfait is doing into words, it's just that, but maybe she's surprisingly the same type of Uma Musume as Twin Turbo.
However, if there's a miscalculation for Oishii Parfait.
(She must have thought she had a chance and could still make it to the goal even if she ran out of steam at the end... but the situation is too different from training.)
They've entered the fourth corner and passed the 600-meter mark. Oishii Parfait has already run 400 meters in her long sprint, but her expression is filled with intense impatience.
Even though it's a 2,000-meter race, unlike training, it's a G1 race where rivals are actually running next to her, and on top of that, the pacemaker at the front is Twin Turbo. She just doesn't have enough stamina to make a move.
Even Rice, at her best, can only do a long sprint for a little over 600 meters. If she pushed herself, she might be able to go from the 800-meter mark, but it's a gamble that could cause an injury.
Oishii Parfait has been in many G1 races, but she doesn't have as much stamina as Rice. No, there isn't a single active Uma Musume who surpasses Rice in her top condition in terms of stamina.
『Twin Turbo is running away! She's long past the 600-meter mark in the fourth corner! She's about to pass the 400-meter mark! And still, the leader is Twin Turbo! Oh! And now, Oishii Parfait, who came up from behind, has moved into second place!』
『It's an unbelievable long sprint... Twin Turbo is her usual self, but Oishii Parfait's run is surprising. But well--the race is all about the result, not the process.』
As if to affirm the commentator's words, the moment Twin Turbo passed the 400-meter mark, the Uma Musume behind her started to move.
『Number 8 Seiun Sky has made her move! She's started to accelerate, chasing Oishii Parfait who has moved into second place! And behind her! Coming up are Number 2 Nice Nature, Number 5 Biwa Hayahide, Number 6 King Halo, and Number 7 Special Weeek!』
『Nice Nature is an exception, but the Golden Generation has started to move all at once. Yeah, they must have judged that this is the moment to make their move. As expected of the Golden Generation, and as expected of Nice Nature. It's not for show that she fought so fiercely with the TMRs.』
That commentator's words, and Nice Nature's run. It's as if they lit a fire, and I felt a heat rising from Rice, who was next to me. She was gripping her small hands tightly, staring intently at Nice Nature instead of King.
『A little late to react to the Golden Generation and Nice Nature are Number 3 Ribbon Mazurka and Number 9 Unchanging! And Number 11 Machikane Tannhauser is also starting to accelerate! What about Number 4 Mini Cactus and Number 12 Narita Taishin!? Are they still saving their legs!?』
Gradually, the Uma Musume are getting closer to the home stretch. They're coming around the fourth corner, with Twin Turbo leading the way.
『The leader, Twin Turbo, has passed the 400-meter mark! There are about 350 meters left in the final stretch! The others are coming up, but the distance between her and the second-place Oishii Parfait is about six to seven lengths!』
『This is... I wonder which one it'll be today.』
Twin Turbo is running at the front, with large beads of sweat on her forehead and her gradient-blue twin tails streaming behind her. Judging by her expression, she's close to her limit. But there's a frightening possibility that she might last until the end.
King is... coming up. She has enough stamina. She was saving her legs while in the front pack, so she can accelerate all at once in the final stretch.
『The Uma Musume are entering the final stretch one after another! Coming up now are the four from the Golden Generation! And Nice Nature is running hard so as not to be outdone! Twin Turbo is escaping! Oishii Parfait is also desperately trying to maintain her long sprint!』
『Ah.』
The commentator let out a voice as if he couldn't help it. At the same time, several short cries rose from the stands.
『At the 200-meter mark! Has she finally reached her limit right before the hill!? The Turbo Engine has gone into reverse thrust! And as if on cue, Oishii Parfait's speed has also dropped drastically! Has the Parfait Engine also gone into reverse thrust!?』
『Twin Turbo is her usual self, but it seems even Oishii Parfait couldn't handle a 1,000-meter long sprint... But you can hear the crowd cheering for Oishii Parfait.』
As the commentator said, screams of "My Parfait-chan!?" and cheers of "Not yet! You can still do it!" were rising from the stands.
But even with those cheers as fuel, it would be impossible for Oishii Parfait to improve from here. The moment she reached the final hill, she decelerated so much that it looked like she might fall over.
And Twin Turbo also performed her familiar reverse thrust--but even as she decelerated and her running form broke, she was desperately climbing the hill.
The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of the two of them. Even when they ran out of stamina, they didn't give up and kept moving forward as if to say they would be the first to cross the finish line.
『But they're here! The Golden Generation has arrived! And Nice Nature is also competing as if to say that she's the one who's been leading the senior class!』
『They were saving their legs... They're not decelerating as they approach the hill, they're accelerating all at once.』
Since Twin Turbo was running, it's likely that everyone in the Golden Generation, including King, planned to blast past her at the end. And furthermore, Nice Nature, who is on the same team as Twin Turbo, must have a good idea of where Twin Turbo would run out of steam.
(Then, that means)
Machikane Tannhauser, who was in the back, also suddenly increased her speed and came charging in. But she's a little far. Behind her, Narita Taishin is also accelerating and trying to overtake them all from the back, but with an average acceleration, she'll be left behind instead of overtaking.
Furthermore, Ribbon Mazurka is also accelerating from her late-stage sprinting position, and Unchanging, who was near the back, is also moving up to the front with Narita Taishin.
Is it because they're running with 12 people instead of a full gate of 16? They don't have to worry about their path being blocked unintentionally or having to go around, and each Uma Musume is accelerating to try and jump to the front.
Twin Turbo, who was in the lead, performed a reverse thrust, and Oishii Parfait, who caught them by surprise, ran out of stamina. King's legs can easily pass them, and that's where the real race begins.
『The Golden Generation passes Oishii Parfait and the desperately escaping Twin Turbo! And right next to them is Nice Nature! Nice Nature! She's accelerating so as not to be outdone and trying to get to the front!』
『If Twin Turbo and Seiun Sky were a showdown between old and new escape artists, Nice Nature and the Golden Generation besides Seiun Sky are a showdown between old and new front-runners! There's only a short distance left, but which one will win!?』
They've climbed the hill, and there are 100 meters left.
King, Biwa Hayahide, Special Week, Seiun Sky, and Nice Nature.
They are running in a straight line.
With only a short distance left. Since they decelerated a little after climbing the hill, acceleration and speed are what matter now.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! PULL AHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAD!"
That's why I shouted. I banged on the fence and cheered for King to break away from the straight line and win.
"Just a little more! Just a little more, King-chaaaaaaan!"
"Go! Do your best! King-chan!"
Urara and Rice also shouted with all their might. But we weren't the only ones cheering.
The audience, each Uma Musume's trainer, and their teammates were all shouting, pushing them forward with their cheers to get first place.
『They're charging toward the finish line in a straight line! Nice Nature, Biwa Hayahide, King Halo, Special Week, and Seiun Sky are charging forward, not giving an inch! Narita Taishin is coming up from behind! Narita Taishin is also coming up! And Unchanging and Ribbon Mazurka are also charging in!』
In the corner of my eye, which was focused on King, I saw Narita Taishin's figure. Her acceleration was sharper than in her previous races. She was closing the distance in an instant.
But it wasn't enough. Her move was a little too late.
--And the same went for King.
『Five are running almost side-by-side--It's Biwa Hayahide! Biwa Hayahide has pulled ahead slightly and crossed the finish line! Biwa Hayahide has overpowered her rivals! Second place is a side-by-side race, we can't tell!』
At the very end. The slight difference in acceleration made all the difference. In the contested state, the one with the most acceleration, Biwa Hayahide, broke away and crossed the finish line.
(King is...)
From where I was, there was an angle to the finish line, so I couldn't tell exactly. But in contrast to Biwa Hayahide, who broke away at the end, there were Uma Musume who were a little late.
The order board hasn't lit up yet. There are still Uma Musume running.
Oishii Parfait ran, chasing the back of the exhausted Twin Turbo, and now she has passed Twin Turbo and reached the finish line.
After all the Uma Musume reached the finish line, the order board lit up in less than a minute.
『The order has been confirmed. First place, Number 5, Biwa Hayahide. The winning time is 2 minutes and 1.1 seconds. Second place, Number 6, by a neck, King Halo. Third place, Number 2, by a nose, Nice Nature. Fourth place, Number 7, by a nose, Special Week. Fifth place, Number 8, by a neck, Seiun Sky.』
『The final contest was reminiscent of last year's Osaka Hai, but the victory went to Biwa Hayahide. It's Biwa Hayahide's first G1 victory. And she has taken the first crown of the spring senior triple crown.』
Right behind the fifth-place Seiun Sky, Narita Taishin, Ribbon Mazurka, Unchanging, Machikane Tannhauser, and Mini Cactus were all within a length.
Therefore, if something had been just a little different, the top ranks would have been switched. I gripped the fence I was hitting tightly, took a deep breath, and let it out.
(Just like last year, I lost the Osaka Hai again this year... No, King ran with all her might, and Biwa Hayahide was strong...)
I gritted my teeth, looked up, and looked at the area past the finish line.
There, Biwa Hayahide was not so much happy as she was in a daze. I could see King, Special Week, and Seiun Sky walking up to her, and while looking disappointed, they were each congratulating Biwa Hayahide.
Seeing Biwa Hayahide and King lined up like that, I put my hand on my forehead.
(The difference in physique led to the difference in acceleration...? I wanted King to win the Osaka Hai, which is the shortest middle-distance race...)
She made her move at the same position as Biwa Hayahide, and a small difference was made at the end. If she had had the energy to make her move a little earlier, she might have been able to pass Biwa Hayahide.
(Thinking "might have" is a bad idea... A loss is a loss. Damn it...)
Even though Rice was out, I couldn't create a training menu that would let King win. Or maybe Biwa Hayahide had grown beyond my expectations, or there was something that made her not want to lose.
I clenched my fist tightly while looking at King patting Biwa Hayahide's back.
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