At this moment, hearing Tokai Teio's words, Mejiro McQueen was finding it hard to bear. Especially after sensing Teio's abnormally high body temperature, she found it even more unacceptable for Teio to race her using this method.
A domain (Zone) cannot improve a horse girl's physical stats. The reason Mejiro McQueen could run at her speed was the result of her skills plus "Wave" and "Aura." This allowed her to do it without placing too much burden on her body. But Tokai Teio, using her domain to forcibly burst with this speed, was in a completely different situation. She was purely gaining power by desperately squeezing her body dry!
If Tokai Teio was really allowed to finish a race in this state, it wouldn't just be a simple bone fracture this time; she would be, in the truest sense, burning her life force.
Mejiro McQueen couldn't imagine what kind of excruciating pain Teio was enduring as she ran. She thought of the question Teio had asked her before. Now, she really wanted to ask it back: Tokai Teio, do you really find this kind of running "fun"?
But this question was already meaningless.
Because Mejiro McQueen already understood that this wasn't what Tokai Teio really wanted. The moment Teio used her Zone, McQueen had clearly sensed her true thoughts.
Tokai Teio's true heart was completely different from what she said. The reason she could awaken a domain with this effect was, as expected, not because she was running for "fun." She just wanted to win! No matter how pretty she made it sound, the essence of her Zone already revealed her true thoughts. Tokai Teio just wanted to beat Mejiro McQueen!
'Your resolve, I acknowledge it.'
Mejiro McQueen truly hated what Teio was doing. But if it was for the sake of winning, then no one could deny Teio's resolve. At least, she wouldn't deny it. But one thing at a time. Even if she acknowledged Teio's resolve, McQueen would not lose, nor would she sit back and watch Teio actually burn herself out.
'I have thoroughly felt your resolve. But it's time for this to end.'
Just as Tokai Teio tried to get closer to Mejiro McQueen.
Mejiro McQueen suddenly turned her head and said, "The race is over, Teio."
Only then did Tokai Teio clearly see McQueen's expression. Her face was ice-cold, and her eyes held an inviolable majesty. Spurred by that gaze, Teio finally snapped out of her excitement. Only then did she hear the footsteps behind her.
Tokai Teio was confused.
Why would McQueen say that?
Why were the footsteps behind her so close?
At that moment, the commentator's voice came over the speakers: "Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen are losing speed! The previous burst seems to have affected their rhythm. We can see the main pack is now catching up to them—"
Hearing the commentator, Tokai Teio's face filled with shock.
"McQueen and I are losing speed...?"
How is that possible!
I've already activated my Zone! And how could McQueen lose speed?!
Wait!
Tokai Teio suddenly realized something and looked at McQueen in shock.
They weren't losing speed—McQueen had intentionally slowed down!
In an instant, Tokai Teio understood why.
Her Zone increased her speed based on her locked-on target.
In theory, no matter how strong the opponent, this ability allowed her to forcibly gain strength equal to theirs. But such a powerful effect naturally had many limitations and side effects. For example, needing to collect the opponent's data in advance.
And also, just like now.
After activating her Zone, her speed was influenced by the locked target. At most, she could only increase her speed to be just a line faster than her opponent. But if that opponent chose not to run, her Zone was useless.
In that situation, she could only rely on her own original strength.
Furthermore, Tokai Teio's Zone had no acceleration effect of its own. Because it was not a Zone awakened for herself. Or rather, deep down, she didn't believe she could beat Mejiro McQueen, so her Zone had no effect that could develop her own power.
Tokai Teio's Zone was complete-
-ly a domain developed to target an opponent like Mejiro McQueen, someone she had no chance of beating. It was a move that required burning everything just to use. And it wasn't a move that could be used in just any race. It required data collection, and only after high-intensity training could it finally be used. And even then, it only worked if the locked target was in the race.
Doesn't sound strong?
A horse girl on Hishi Akebono's level wouldn't even give Teio's Zone a second glance. In the end, it was just a desperate move by the weak. In Hishi Akebono's eyes, for Teio to pursue this power was an insult to racing. She could run freely, but instead, she chose to use this heretical method.
But that being said.
If Teio really did collect the data and prepare the "firewood," and if her opponent wasn't McQueen, but someone else... it's hard to say if they could beat Teio in that state. Don't be fooled; although it's just a fleeting firework, the intensity of that one burst is something no one would dare imagine.
This Zone was that type. As long as all preparations were made, and she had the resolve to risk it all, Tokai Teio could definitely win.
Even if this running style was neither beautiful nor sacred.
She could win. That is the strength of a one-time-use domain!
That is why Mejiro McQueen acknowledged Tokai Teio's resolve.
At least, she could understand her.
Because the desire to win is never wrong.
As for whether it's "beautiful" or not... that is completely meaningless.
However, Mejiro McQueen had zero interest in a "firework" that required Tokai Teio to burn her life force to ignite. And she would not lose!
It's time to end this, Teio.
Her horseshoes struck the turf with a sound like a landmine exploding.
Mejiro McQueen began to accelerate again.
A deep purple aura flared from her left eye. Her domain, besides the basic 2x acceleration, had two other abilities. One was the ability to remove negative effects from herself—this was why she could escape the 'Aura's' influence.
The second ability was one that only she could use. Its effect was to extend the duration of her skills' acceleration. And after using each skill, it would add a passive speed buff. When her Zone activated, these accumulated passives would all detonate. It was a very pure acceleration ability.
Compared to Oguri Cap's and Tokai Teio's Zones, you could say McQueen's Zone didn't have any powerful special effects. It didn't even have a basic "aura." This was why Teio hadn't sensed any powerful presence from McQueen.
But there is no such thing as a "weak" Zone.
Because it is the power of a horse girl's own potential come to fruition.
Mejiro McQueen's Zone couldn't possibly be weak. It was the power that suited her best, allowing her to ignore her opponent's influence and seize victory in the purest way!
Tokai Teio watched McQueen's sudden burst and immediately tried to follow. She firmly believed that as long as she could endure the burden, her Zone could keep up. But she was wrong. After McQueen unleashed her Zone, Teio's Zone had no reaction at all. The data template she had recorded was now obsolete. She would have to re-record McQueen's data and go through the related training again to even have a chance of entering her burst state. This race was already hopeless.
This was the fatal flaw of Tokai Teio's domain. It was the power of the weak. To unleash its full potential, it required meticulous planning and desperation. And Teio's data collection on McQueen was severely insufficient. Therefore, her Zone failed on the spot.
And Mejiro McQueen's domain allowed her speed to change at any time. So, if Tokai Teio wanted to use her Zone to beat McQueen, just collecting accurate data would be a long-term mission.
"Mejiro McQueen has regained her form and is accelerating!"
The nervous fans were instantly energized. They had felt something unnatural about McQueen's "loss of speed," but they didn't know the details and could only worry. Now, seeing McQueen burst forward again, they were finally relieved.
As expected! The Young Lady was just taking a stroll, wasn't she?
After all, she has no rivals.
And that commentator... so unprofessional. He couldn't even tell the Young Lady was just taking a walk? Scaring people with talk about "losing speed."
On the track, the pack that had just caught up watched McQueen burst forward again. The tiny spark of hope they'd just felt was instantly extinguished.
And seeing Tokai Teio lose speed didn't attract much attention either.
Because this was completely normal.
Tokai Teio isn't Mejiro McQueen. How could she maintain that speed? In fact, the very idea that Teio could burst with that speed, even for a short time, was already terrifying.
Tokai Teio didn't know what other people were thinking.
But right now, there was only one thought in her mind.
'I can't win. I gave it my all, and I still can't win.'
Under the influence of Tokai Teio's crushed spirit,
the Zone's aura around her began to fade rapidly. It wasn't that this Zone had zero chance of winning, but Teio's confidence was now completely shattered. She felt that even if she tried again, she probably couldn't win. So, she rejected this power. And at the same time, she was rejected by the Zone.
Just like those horse girls in the past who had only opened ZONE for an instant, Tokai Teio had failed to completely master the power of the domain. In fact, she was even worse off. Because those horse girls at least had a complete Zone. But Tokai Teio's Zone was a twisted, foreign object. After this collapse, it would disappear completely. Even if she awakened a Zone again in the future, it would not be this one.
...
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