This was the result of a thousand refinements, the beauty of pure statistics.
This was an overwhelming lead.
Her feet, clad in white racing shoes, struck the turf of the home straight.
At her heels, a pair of small white wings manifested, emitting a faint glow.
Everything else in her surroundings seemed to dim, and the flow of time appeared to slow down.
Divine Starlight gazed at the distant finish line, the countless fans and spectators in the stands supporting her, and the expectant gaze of Kiryuu-chan near the railing.
She looked back to see the grimly determined expression of Fine Motion and the electrified face of Sakura Bakushin O.
Without a doubt, her opponents had offered up their everything, thus, she too should respond with her full strength.
Boom!
The turf beneath her feet shattered instantly, forming a deep footprint.
The cheers flooded into her ears, color returned to the world, and a cold wind whipped across her cheeks.
Divine Starlight's speed surged violently. Her eyes widened, her expression grew fierce, and her arms pumped so fast they became a blur of afterimages.
Thump, thump, thump—
The crisp sound of her footsteps seemed to beat directly against the hearts of everyone present.
"...She's accelerating! Divine Starlight has accelerated! Her speed is incredible and still climbing! Even with Sakura Bakushin O and Fine Motion chasing at full power, it's to no avail!"
Akasaka stood up in excitement. She had originally thought today's race would be a three-way struggle.
Indeed, it had been exactly that through the early and middle stages, but she never imagined that in this final 200-meter straight, Divine Starlight would display such overwhelming power.
Watching the figure drift further and further away, Sakura Bakushin O's expression froze.
'How is this possible! Even under my double-layered Unique Skills, I can't even manage to close the gap—'
A humming sound resonated as the silver-white blur shot past the finish line, opening a massive lead of over ten lengths ahead of the second-place Sakura Bakushin O.
Standing on the turf reserved for the victor, Divine Starlight straightened her back, panting heavily.
A few fine beads of sweat rolled down the side of her face.
She turned to look at Sakura Bakushin O and Fine Motion, who had just crossed the line, then turned back toward the stands.
'That's right, I won! I won a G1 race...'
Lifting the white lace skirt of her racing silk, Divine Starlight gave a slight bow to the audience, who were still momentarily stunned into silence.
"She won—!!! Aaaahhhh—!!"
The roar of cheers exploded, and the entire venue reached a boiling point.
"The champion of this race, Divine Starlight!! She has shown us a brand new side of herself, bursting from the gate with extreme speed and leading all the way to the end!"
"There are slight differences between this and a standard 'Great Escape', this is a 'Speed Escape' unique to her!"
"She led throughout the entire race, then burst forward with the strongest closing kick of the field to seize victory!"
"Along with her previous tactics, we have seen the peerless characteristics of this Uma Musume."
Akasaka abandoned her script entirely, relying on her professional intuition to provide the commentary for this session's champion.
"Suzuka-chan, Starlight-senpai won! Look, Starlight-senpai won!!"
Special Week cried out joyfully to Silence Suzuka beside her.
"Yes, I saw, Spe-chan. Starlight-chan is so amazing... so magnificent..."
Silence Suzuka gazed at that white figure on the turf, the entirety of Starlight's race replaying in her mind.
'Starlight-chan actually chose an Escape today, and in such an important G1 race... Could it be that Starlight-chan was running for me?'
'To make me believe in my own style of running... Thank you, Starlight-chan. You really are so kind...'
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Yaeno Muteki stood trembling on a stage, clad in protective gear.
There were obvious scratches and bruises on her cheeks, and her white training uniform was covered in dust.
Looking at the large Uma Musume collapsed before her, she let out a roar and reached out with her hand, which was encased in a tactical glove.
"Contestant number 3, Yaeno Muteki, is the winner!"
Back in the locker room, she leaned back on a lounger, watching the images currently playing on the television.
The screen displayed the image of that white figure clinching the victory with a "Distance" margin.
Her fists clenched tight, her eyes overflowing with joy.
'Starlight-chan… I knew you could do it. That "Speed Escape" tactic really is strong and captivating.'
"Yae..."
"Master!?"
"The award ceremony is starting soon. Is your body holding up alright?"
"Of course! I feel great right now. I could go for another round without a problem."
Her stern-faced Master nodded at the sight.
"That's good then."
The next morning.
Divine Starlight, who was currently in recovery, sat on the edge of the bed looking at Yaeno Muteki, who wore a pained but resilient expression.
"How did you get hurt so badly? Yaeno, are you okay?"
Yaeno Muteki nodded with a wry smile.
"Of course, Starlight-chan. Even though I've rested for several days, it's nothing serious now."
"Eh? Several days...? I recall both your competition and mine were just yesterday, weren't they?"
"Cough, cough... anyway, I'm fine. Don't worry, Starlight-chan."
Frowning as she looked at the tough act Yaeno Muteki was putting on, Starlight sighed.
"Alright, I happen to have some special medicine. Let me treat those bruises for you."
"Um, is that okay?"
"What's there to be 'okay' or 'not okay' about? Just sit still."
Gently patting Yaeno Muteki on the head, Starlight turned around to look for the medical kit.
Watching her back, a smile curled at the corners of Yaeno Muteki's mouth.
A moment later, Starlight took out a bottle of white ointment. Extending a clean, fair finger, she took a small dab and gently applied it to Yaeno Muteki's cheek.
"Does it hurt?"
"Hehe..."
"Yaeno?"
"Ah! What is it!?"
"I asked, does it hurt? Do you need me to be lighter?"
"No, no! The pressure is just right."
Starlight nodded, not overthinking it— she simply assumed her friend was happy because they had both won their championships.
Once the wounds were treated and the ointment put away, Starlight spoke with a smile.
"Today is a day for celebration since we both won. I'm going to go buy some ingredients in a bit. How about we have hot pot?"
"Yes!"
"Then I'm off to shop. Muteki-san, you stay here and get along with these little animals, okay?"
"Mm. Can I go with you?"
"No need. Besides, you're the injured one, you should focus on resting up."
Click—
The door closed.
Now, inside Starlight's dorm room, Yaeno Muteki was the only Uma Musume left.
She looked around Starlight's cozy little room, watching the cat lazily basking in the sun on the table.
She couldn't help but marvel.
'Master, your "secret move" is so effective. Not only do I get to eat dinner with Starlight, but maybe tonight I can even...'
Just as she was thinking this, outside the door...
Divine Starlight had just stepped out carrying a cloth bag when she ran into Mejiro Ardan.
"Oh~ Starlight-chan, where are you headed?"
"Ardan! I'm going to buy some ingredients for hot pot. I'm eating with Yaeno tonight."
"Eh? Is Yaeno in your room too?"
"Yeah, she got hurt in her competition, so I helped her with some basic treatment."
Nodding, Ardan took a few steps forward and took Starlight's hand.
"I'll go with you. Can we eat together later?"
"Of course! Hot pot is always better with more people."
Narrowing her eyes, Ardan smiled and nodded in agreement.
"That's very true. Let's go then—"
After some time, the door opened with a click.
Yaeno Muteki quickly moved to greet her with a smile.
"Starlight-chan, you're back! And... uh, Ardan? Why did you come along too?"