"It seems that McQueen, who has consecutively dominated three Spring Tenno Sho, doesn't have much of an advantage in this race. Instead, she's running more and more difficulty than in previous times."
Sakura Bakushin O's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she watched Mejiro McQueen, who was in fourth place on the track, and said in a deep voice.
"Eh? Why is that? Shouldn't participating more make one more familiar with the race?"
Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black looked up at Sakura Bakushin O and asked with some confusion.
"Because McQueen's reputation is too prominent, causing her to be seen as an eyesore by many opponents."
Tokai Teio also frowned with a solemn expression, explaining to the two newly joined juniors.
"Teio is right. Look at the positions of Machikane Opera and Biwa Hayahide. They snatched the positions directly in front of McQueen, one on the left and one on the right, in the early stages. This makes it very difficult for her to accelerate and pass between them. It's very possible she'll be boxed in like this until the end of the race."
"It can be like that? Isn't targeting like this a foul?"
Satono Diamond's face immediately became extremely anxious upon hearing Sakura Bakushin O's words.
"It's allowed by the rules, you know. After all, they're just running ahead of McQueen." Tokai Teio said.
"Then what should we do? Does Miss McQueen have to be stuck in fourth place like this?" Satono Diamond asked again.
"If it were Little Horse Girls of similar strength, they might really get stuck like this, unable to find an opportunity to overtake…"
Sakura Bakushin O chuckled, a look of keen interest in her eyes.
"Biwa Hayahide is indeed a powerful Horse Girl who can maintain this advantage until the final stage, but Machikane Opera to McQueen's left…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
That is, there was still some gap in strength between Machikane Opera and Biwa Hayahide.
Hearing Sakura Bakushin O's explanation, Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black visibly breathed a sigh of relief, calming their minds slightly and continuing to watch the race.
--
Mejiro McQueen, having undergone Sakura Bakushin O's Spartan-style training, had long surpassed the Little Horse Girls of her generation, and was even comparable to Mihono Bourbon in the High School Division.
Her beautiful light purple hair and ponytail swayed in the air as she ran swiftly. With her previous race experience, she did not follow the pace of the leading Mihono Bourbon, nor did she pay too much attention to Machikane Opera and Biwa Hayahide on her front left and right.
Instead, she was slowly conserving her stamina at a similarly strong pace, awaiting her burst in the final stage.
Approximately 400 meters from the starting point, the 4-meter uphill slope before the first turn was the Little Horse Girls' first test. Machikane Opera, in third place, had expended extra stamina to secure a position in front of Mejiro McQueen in the early stages.
Now, she began to feel a slight strain as she ascended the slope.
"The leading Mihono Bourbon has reached the uphill section. Her speed, leading at the very front, has not been affected in the slightest as she quickly climbs this four-meter slope."
"Biwa Hayahide, in second place, ascends the high slope at an equally unhurried pace. Is this the strength of BNW?"
"But! Machikane Opera, to Mejiro McQueen's left, has seen her speed drop! However, she has recovered her rhythm well and is now past the uphill, preparing to enter the turn."
"Was it because she expended too much stamina fighting for position in the early stages? I'm a bit worried if she can maintain this until the finish line."
The Announcer's tone carried a hint of worry, and the members of Canopus watching from the stands showed varying degrees of anxiety upon hearing this.
Twin Turbo, with her striking dark blue pigtails, wearing her winning uniform even in the spectator stands, raised her arms and shouted into the track:
"Opera O (Machikane Opera), go for it!! Soshitsu, third place is a victory!!!"
--
Although Machikane Opera's strength was not comparable to Biwa Hayahide's, as a member of Canopus, she was also a formidable Horse Girl.
The rhythm she seized at the start gave her some room for error. She recovered some stamina on the downhill after the turn, consistently maintaining third place, ahead of Mejiro McQueen.
"Mihono Bourbon, consistently holding the lead with no significant change in speed, is the first to step onto the grass of the second lap. The race officially enters its middle stage."
The Spring Tenno Sho, unlike other races that only require one lap, is a 3200-meter distance that requires two laps around the Kyoto Racecourse, with the finish line reached on the second lap.
And as they stepped onto the turf, signaling the arrival of the middle stage, the Little Horse Girls in the back also began to push forward.
"Accelerating, accelerating! BNW member Narita Taishin is accelerating!"
"She has overtaken four Horse Girl in an instant, now in sixth place."
"And she is continuously closing the gap with fifth place, looking like she'll overtake them very soon! Is this the strength of BNW?! Will there be a chance in this race for BNW members to once again claim the top two spots?"
BNW refers to the acronym of the first letters of three Horse Girl from the same team.
B refers to Biwa Hayahide, N refers to Narita Taishin, and W refers to Winning Ticket.
The three Horse Girl of BNW are extremely powerful, often sweeping the top three positions in races.
It is a team with considerable strength and popularity.
"After completing the first lap, the uphill climb of the second lap will be a test of all Horse Girl's stamina. Without sufficient endurance and strength, it's very likely they will be eliminated here."
Sakura Bakushin O slowly explained to Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond beside her.
"Miss Opera O expended a lot of stamina in the early stages to block McQueen's position. Don't think that just running in front of McQueen is enough; under the pressure from the 'strongest long-distance' Horse Girl, maintaining that front-running speed is not an easy task."
No sooner had Sakura Bakushin O finished speaking than everyone saw Machikane Opera, having stepped onto the uphill turf, clearly drop her speed again, and her expression also became increasingly strained.
"Mihono Bourbon has already climbed the slope and entered the turn, followed closely by Biwa Hayahide. But Machikane Opera has experienced a temporary loss of speed. Is she going to lose third place?"
"It seems that changing her running rhythm over a 3200-meter distance is still a very difficult task for Machikane Opera."
No sooner had the Commentator finished speaking than a collective gasp from the audience resounded throughout the venue.
Because they saw Mejiro McQueen, running in fourth place, suddenly accelerate the moment Machikane Opera lost speed, surging past her.
"She's overtaken! Mejiro McQueen actually seized Machikane Opera's momentary mistake and overtook her on the slope, taking third place!"
--
Happy, I got some PY from a big shot, here I recommend a very successful Honkai Impact 3rd fanfic —
Chapter 22 Miss Bourbon, don't lose!
Even when Mejiro McQueen was blocked in fourth place by Machikane Opera and Biwa Hayahide, there was not the slightest panic in her heart.
Having raced against Rice Shower last time, her mental fortitude had already grown stronger, not easily shaken.
Sakura Bakushin O's Spartan-style training method not only improved the Horse Girl's pure strength.
Although supported by Sakura Bakushin O's various items, this was not a game after all. Even if mood and stamina could be restored through items, that training method would still cause considerable mental fatigue to the Horse Girl.
And this could not be recovered by items alone.
While the enormous training volume initially took a toll on the Horse Girl's mental state, it also increased their mental strength.
This is also why the previous Mejiro McQueen, under Rice Shower's fierce, beast-like Presence, was able to maintain her leading advantage until the finish line after overtaking Mejiro Dober.
Mejiro McQueen found a weakness the instant Machikane Opera lost speed, and she overtook her in one fell swoop.
Most of the audience present were simply thrilled and cheered wildly because Mejiro McQueen had finally broken through the pincer attack of the two preceding Horse Girl.
But a few people in the audience were completely amazed by Mejiro McQueen's maneuver.
At this moment, in the Kyoto Racecourse, Minamisaka, Trainer of Canopus, and Kuronuma, Trainer of Mihono Bourbon, both showed a slight stirring when they saw Mejiro McQueen seize Machikane Opera's momentary weakness and overtake her on the slope.
"Trainer-san, what's wrong?" Ikuno Dictus, wearing glasses, keenly noticed Minamisaka's change and asked.
"He's probably surprised that Opera O was overtaken by McQueen, too. Seriously, I should have let Turbine run!"
Twin Turbo looked back at her Trainer and then shouted defiantly.
"No, it's not that simple," Minamisaka uncharacteristically retorted. "Accelerating on a slope consumes stamina at double the rate. If Mejiro McQueen hadn't successfully overtaken Opera O and Biwa Hayahide in their pincer attack just now, she would have lost a significant amount of stamina and speed."
"So it is," Ikuno Dictus adjusted her glasses and slowly said, "I felt McQueen's overtake wasn't that simple."
With that, she turned to Minamisaka again.
"Speaking of which, an Horse Girl with such timing and instantaneous judgment, besides Miss McQueen, there shouldn't be anyone else who can do it, right?"
"No, McQueen's move just now was indeed brilliant, but there are quite a few who are better than her."
"For example, Super Creek, trained by Naase Fuminori."
"Ah! Is Super Creek-senpai that strong?!"
Ikuno Dictus was instantly astonished. She usually only saw Super Creek, Oguri Cap, and a few others hanging out together every day, rarely seeing them run.
She hadn't expected Minamisaka's evaluation of Super Creek to surpass Mejiro McQueen.
"Super Creek, she is someone who, in the Kikka Sho of the Classic Triple Crown Race, when blocked behind countless Horse Girl, seized a momentary gap without railings at the intersection of the clockwise and counter-clockwise tracks, and overtook everyone to win the championship."
"That level of difficulty is immeasurably greater than overtaking one person on a slope."
"It… it's actually like that, I really didn't expect it…"
Ikuno Dictus was full of surprise, even stuttering slightly.
She really hadn't expected that Super Creek, who always appeared gentle and elegant, with a strong maternal Presence and a generous demeanor, was actually so formidable.
"However, I do see the potential of Super Creek in this Mejiro McQueen. Super Creek's strength is inseparable from her Trainer, Naase Fuminori, and Mejiro McQueen's Trainer, Sakura Bakushin O, is indeed another one hailed as the youngest genius Trainer after Naase Fuminori."
Minamisaka chuckled, looking at Kuronuma, the Trainer in the distance with an open shirt revealing his muscular physique.
Mihono Bourbon's Trainer was probably the most taciturn of all Trainers, but after noticing Mejiro McQueen seizing the opportunity to overtake Machikane Opera, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes behind his sunglasses.
"Sakura Bakushin O, huh…"
--
"We see Mihono Bourbon has entered the final turn. After the downhill, it will be the sprint on the Final Straight. Can she maintain her leading advantage until the very end?"
"It's truly surprising. Her comeback after such a long rest seems to have had no impact on her strength whatsoever."
Although the Announcer and Commentator said so, everyone present, including them and the audience, was holding their breath, clearly anticipating something.
After climbing the uphill, they entered the final turn.
And Mejiro McQueen's moment to unleash her power was now, at this very instant.
She did not show the slightest slack after overtaking Machikane Opera. After a few seconds, the moment her white long boots touched the final turn, Mejiro McQueen suddenly erupted with incredible speed.
"She's bursting! She's bursting! It's Mejiro McQueen's burst! She's finally accelerating!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!"
Countless people raised their hands, their long-held breath finally erupting into cheers.
Mejiro McQueen's burst in the final turn was her greatest trump card.
"Biwa Hayahide is influenced by Mejiro McQueen and also begins to accelerate! But she's a step too slow."
"One body length, half a body length…"
"She's overtaken her! Mejiro McQueen has overtaken Biwa Hayahide, and is now in second place, rapidly closing the distance with Mihono Bourbon."
"Mihono Bourbon's speed has not been able to increase further. Her expression also shows signs of strain. Is her stamina insufficient to accelerate further?"
"What a pity. It seems leading for 3200 meters is a considerable challenge for Mihono Bourbon's stamina."
"She's overtaken her! Mejiro McQueen has overtaken Mihono Bourbon, becoming first place! Following closely behind Mihono Bourbon is Biwa Hayahide, in second place."
No sooner had the Announcer finished speaking than two more incredibly swift figures overtook the technologically advanced Mihono Bourbon.
"Narita Taishin and Nice Nature have also caught up! They've also overtaken Mihono Bourbon. Mihono Bourbon is now in fifth place, and all five of them have reached the Final Straight, preparing for the final struggle!"
Mihono Bourbon gritted her teeth, watching the Horse Girl passing her one by one, and a slight feeling of powerlessness began to emerge in her heart.
The long period of rest without competing had caused varying degrees of changes to her physical condition.
She, who had almost achieved the Triple Crown before, she, who dreamed of defeating Rice Shower, found herself struggling even to secure a top three position at this moment.
Mihono Bourbon felt the strength in her legs reaching its limit. Leading for over two thousand meters was a considerable test of her stamina.
"Detecting insufficient stamina, unable to accelerate further."
Mihono Bourbon subtly shook her head, feeling immense regret for the promise she had made to Rice Shower before the race.
But just then, a voice reached Mihono Bourbon's ears.
A voice she was incredibly familiar with, yet it sounded extremely unfamiliar.
"Miss Bourbon, don't lose!!!!"
Mihono Bourbon's heart trembled, and she suddenly turned her head, seeing Rice Shower at the very front of the spectator stands, cupping her hands like a megaphone and shouting loudly at her.
--
Recommending a big shot's Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic —