The competition between Mejiro McQueen and Oguri Cap was not decided in the middle leg.
Although Mejiro McQueen wanted to completely shake Oguri Cap in the middle leg, Oguri Cap also knew she absolutely could not be left behind and was giving it her all. As they approached the final corner, the gap between the two remained between five and six horse lengths.
If Oguri Cap was a "Betweener" runner, this distance would be absolutely safe for Mejiro McQueen. The problem was, Oguri Cap wasn't just a horse girl who excelled at a "Betweener" style. Aside from not being good at "Lead" tactics, Oguri Cap was an all-rounder. Therefore, this distance was no longer safe.
Oguri Cap's finishing kick was powerful enough to catch up, especially since she hadn't even used her trump card, ZONE. This was the first time Mejiro McQueen had ever faced an opponent who could keep up with her pace the entire way. She suspected that all five of Oguri Cap's stats were S-rank. Otherwise, there was no way "Wave" and "Aura" alone would be enough to latch onto her. Only when she used her gold skills could she create some distance; her white skills were useless because Oguri Cap could catch right back up. If she herself didn't also have 'Aura' and 'Wave', she probably couldn't even maintain this lead.
'Is this the "monster" level of those who have already graduated from the Twinkle Series?!' Mejiro McQueen realized she had underestimated these seniors. The race videos she'd seen were from their time in the Twinkle Series, but their skills don't just stagnate. She could crush the seniors from the videos, but that didn't mean she could crush the seniors of today. The stat difference was too big.
'But Oguri Cap must be at her limit too, right?' Mejiro McQueen could hear Oguri Cap's breathing, ragged in the wind. She was the same, but this meant that even with a stat disadvantage, she wasn't weaker than Oguri Cap. At least in terms of stamina consumption, they were both nearing rock bottom. What came next was likely a contest of who had the stronger finishing move. However, she doubted Oguri Cap still had the stamina to use ZONE. Unlike skills, ZONE was a move that required stamina, and Oguri Cap didn't have much left.
'Come on, Oguri Cap. Show me your full power!' Mejiro McQueen entered the corner first. Her horseshoes flashed with a momentary golden light. She still had one gold cornering skill in reserve. She was certain that, even in this state, Oguri Cap's speed couldn't match her own when she used a gold skill. And that tiny gap would be enough to decide the match!
'She's still holding back? Is she planning to shake me completely on the final straight!' Oguri Cap's eyes were cold. A black flame ignited in her left eye. In an instant, the entire track behind her seemed to be covered in darkness. A terrifying aura, like gravity itself, was unleashed.
Mejiro McQueen's confident expression froze. She looked down at her legs in disbelief. Under the pressure of that aura, her body had stopped for a second. In that instant, her rhythm was broken, and her skill was wasted due to the lapse in concentration. And behind her, Oguri Cap's footsteps were catching up!
In the stands, Symboli Rudolf's expression was grave. 'She finally used it, Oguri.' At this moment, Oguri Cap officially entered ZONE mode! Her speed was double that of her 'Aura' state! And her whole body was accompanied by an aura like gravity!
Just feeling the chill coming from behind, Mejiro McQueen couldn't stop the terror rising in her heart. This was her body's primal instinct—fear. This was the power of ZONE. This was why it was said that a horse girl who hasn't entered ZONE could never defeat one who has. In front of an opponent like this, her body was no longer under her control. This was no longer a simple race!
'Are you kidding me!' Mejiro McQueen couldn't accept it. To lose speed because of fear? To lose this way? Her emotions instantly boiled over. Instincts don't matter! Since it's my body, then MOVE!
Her foot stomped down hard! The gap between Oguri Cap and Mejiro McQueen had now closed to two horse lengths. The gravity aura became even more terrifying, but Mejiro McQueen, struggling, forcibly broke free of the aura's restriction and started running again.
Oguri Cap, expressionless, chased closely. In the "devouring" of ZONE, all else was meaningless. Besides, McQueen was already in her "predation" range. Acceleration, intimidation, and finally, predation. This was the ZONE that Oguri Cap possessed. Her gaze, like a monster's, was fixed on Mejiro McQueen's back, like a hungry beast waiting for the right moment to tear its prey to shreds!
Mejiro McQueen had barely broken free of Oguri Cap's ZONE intimidation when, at the exact moment she tried to activate her "Twinkle Skill," her intuition screamed a warning. The monster was watching her back. She didn't know why she felt this way, but in that instant, she understood the essence of Oguri Cap's ZONE— It was a monster that devoured everything! If she used her Twinkle Skill now, its effect and her stamina would be devoured by Oguri Cap.
'I see. This is why you had to cling to me. Your ZONE has a distance requirement, and the "devour" range is about three horse lengths? No, maybe even closer! Damn it. She's staying behind me on purpose to completely seal me.' Mejiro McQueen now understood Oguri Cap's winning strategy. It was indeed a powerful one, and she had fallen right into the trap.
She never expected ZONE's effect to be this strong. This wasn't at all like what she'd seen in the manga. No wonder the system ranked ZONE as an inherent skill, like in a game. This was a real superpower, wasn't it? She grit her teeth and continued to run, her head down. Stamina was almost gone, but her skill was unusable. In this desperate situation, how could she turn defeat into victory?!
Stamina gone, skill locked by Oguri Cap's ZONE. This was a completely desperate situation. Mejiro McQueen had never been suppressed to this extent. At this moment, Mejiro McQueen's mind was going blank. She couldn't think of a single counter-move. Her stats were already at a disadvantage, her skill was sealed, and her opponent had a ZONE-powered speed boost... 'No. I can't think of anything!'
The flame in Mejiro McQueen's eye flickered, but because her will was being suppressed by Oguri Cap, she couldn't even maintain her 'Aura' anymore. Anyone could see that McQueen was starting to lose speed. But Oguri Cap didn't choose to sprint past. This monster had unparalleled patience.
It wasn't yet time to "kill" Mejiro McQueen. Oguri Cap knew very well that her ZONE was the type that only worked from behind. If she passed McQueen, McQueen's skill would be unlocked. Her ZONE wouldn't be able to "devour" McQueen's skill from behind her. So, until she reached a "safe" distance, she wouldn't risk passing. And she wasn't having an easy time either. She had entered ZONE with little stamina left, so her stamina was draining even more severely than McQueen's. But McQueen was in no state to notice this detail.
This sudden reversal stunned the audience. Although Oguri Cap hadn't been left far behind, Mejiro McQueen's running style had still seemed to hold the absolute advantage. They all thought McQueen would win, just like always. But no one expected that in this final corner, Oguri Cap would suddenly explode with such terrifying power, catching up to McQueen in an instant. This was the "Monster's" finishing kick! Was Mejiro McQueen going to lose? Everyone thought of this possibility. This was completely different from her past races. Oguri Cap's burst was too terrifying, and Mejiro McQueen was really losing speed. Could there be another reversal in this situation? They didn't know. They didn't dare use their own knowledge to judge the outcome of a race between these two.
The two entered the final straight. Oguri Cap watched Mejiro McQueen, who was still not using her skill. Her heart grew heavy. 'As expected of McQueen. She sensed it. But even if you don't use your skill, once we're 80 meters from the finish, even if you unlock that ability then, you'll never be able to pass me!' Oguri Cap's eyes focused seriously on the finish line.
However, Oguri Cap would never have imagined that it was precisely this caution that reignited the fighting spirit in the cornered Mejiro McQueen. 'Heh heh... Hahahaha! How dare you underestimate me!' McQueen was thoroughly enraged by Oguri Cap's tactic. She could have passed her, but she was deliberately hanging back. Although McQueen could guess this was a limitation of Oguri's ZONE... 'This is the chance you gave me. I won't thank you for it. I've finally mastered this power!'
Mejiro McQueen, who had already been "touching" ZONE, after experiencing Oguri Cap's ZONE at close range, finally re-entered that space. She saw the gate to her own domain. Reaching out, she felt no resistance. She had met the conditions to open it long ago. The only reason she was so late was that she had never found the right path.
"Disappear." The purple aura ignited. Mejiro McQueen's footing stabilized. With those words, her figure instantly vanished from Oguri Cap's "predation range." Oguri Cap's "predation range" was much shorter than McQueen had guessed—only one and a half horse lengths. This was likely the limitation for such a powerful effect. And this distance, for her, who had also entered ZONE, was no problem at all. After all, Oguri Cap's stamina was also on empty.
Oguri Cap's eyes widened slowly. 'How...' Mejiro McQueen paid no attention to Oguri Cap's feelings. She didn't have Oguri Cap's reservations. Her ZONE wasn't the same type. It didn't have Oguri Cap's powerful effects, but it was the ZONE that had been catalyzed by her state of mind—the ZONE most suited for her!
But in this race, she no longer needed it. The moment she pulled away, Mejiro McQueen turned her ZONE off, activated her "Twinkle Skill" to lock her stamina, and left Oguri Cap behind, killing the race with a five-horse-length gap! The race was over. Oguri Cap, after crossing the line, remained stunned for a long time.
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