The silver figure left the pack of Uma Musume behind, employing her usual, consistent strategy.
However, what was surprising was that the other Uma Musume didn't give chase.
It was as if Divine Starlight didn't even exist in this race.
But by the same token, the pressure shifted to our leading Uma Musume.
To chase or not to chase?
If you chase, you fall into Starlight's trap, she'll immediately drop her pace and then overtake you in the late stages.
If you don't chase, she'll simply perform a Great Escape, maintaining a high-speed lead all the way to the finish.
The Lead Uma Musume was a girl with long grey hair. Looking at the figure pulling further and further away, she hesitated.
She caught a glimpse of her Trainer, nodded, and then exerted power through her legs to give chase.
However, just as she closed in to within three lengths of Starlight, she abruptly stopped accelerating, maintaining a distance of three to four lengths behind her.
'That's right, I'm chasing.'
But before Starlight and this runner could even clear the first corner, a massive wave of Red Skills struck from behind like dark clouds looming over a city.
Swish—
Swish—
Thorny vines erupted directly from the ground, snagging the limbs of the grey-haired girl. Then, a tide of dark mud-like substance spread beneath her feet.
An icy headwind kicked up in front of her, making every step a struggle.
Taking the full brunt of three Red Skills, the distance between this girl and Starlight instantly widened to over five lengths.
Up ahead, thorny vines also began to sprout beneath Starlight's feet.
But at the very moment they were about to ensnare her...
Starlight's gait shifted.
She began to weave forward in a continuous S-shaped route. A golden afterimage flickered behind her, absorbing the Red Skills meant for her.
"The race reaches the first half, and Starlight has once again unleashed a running style we've never seen before!"
"What is this? Why is her speed continuously increasing?! Incredible!"
Seeing this scene, Symboli Rudolf stood up abruptly from the sofa.
She walked quickly to the glass window, staring down at the silver figure currently taking the corner.
Humans might not be able to tell, but she could clearly see that the gold tints in the girl's hair had completely receded.
Behind her, a golden phantom was continuously warding off the attacks of the Red Skills.
"Is that... a Blue Skill ? No, it's a variant Blue Skill..."
"What's happening? What's happening? Suzuka-chan, why aren't the Red Skills hitting Starlight-chan?"
Special Week asked Silence Suzuka in surprise.
Having not awakened her own Unique Skill yet, Special Week naturally couldn't see the afterimage behind Starlight.
"That should be the effect of Starlight's Unique Skill, right?"
"But it looks an awful lot like a Blue Skill, doesn't it?"
Suddenly, a lazy voice sounded from behind them. Special Week turned around in surprise.
"Eh~? Sei-chan?! You came to watch Starlight's race too?"
"Of course. But about her skill, I'm just guessing. After all, Starlight-chan's aura looks exactly like the effect of a Blue Skill."
While the Uma Musume were still speculating, an anomaly occurred on the track.
The moment Starlight cleared the corner, an ominous black aura began to radiate from Daiichi Ruby.
A green targeting reticle lit up within her crimson eyes, locking firmly onto the girl in front of her.
Boom!
She pushed off hard, dirt flying in her wake.
With her aura fully unleashed, she began her pursuit immediately.
"What's going on?! Daiichi Ruby, who is running an End Closer style, has started her drive before even reaching the middle of the race!"
Cold sweat dripped from Akasaka's forehead, her tone filled with disbelief.
The stadium erupted into an uproar.
Meanwhile, the Uma Musume positioned in front of Ruby felt a surge of anxiety.
'Why is everyone acting so crazy? What are you doing? Why are you chasing now?!'
Now, the pressure shifted to this Late Surger.
To chase or not to chase?
If you don't chase, you'll be overtaken by Ruby, and her Red Skills will suppress you until you can't even catch your breath.
If you do chase, your own rhythm will be completely shattered.
As the race neared the midpoint, Starlight and Daiichi Ruby acted as if they had conspired together.
All of the pressure was now bearing down on the Uma Musume caught in the middle.
They were truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Fine Motion, relying on her own unique skill, was currently faring quite well.
Surrounded by swirling white petals, she calmly analyzed the situation on the track.
She glanced back at Daiichi Ruby, who had already overtaken two runners to reach 12th place.
It looked like Ruby was truly intent on making her move as an End Closer.
'Should I use "that" move here? I originally planned to save it for the late stages to deal with Starlight-chan...'
As she hesitated, Fine Motion suddenly felt an invisible surge of pressure.
Surprised, she looked back once more.
Behind Daiichi Ruby, a magnificent and solemn dark palace had appeared.
A phantom figure stood at the highest point, slowly walking down the stairs.
'She's starting already!?'
'But why?! The race hasn't even reached the final stage, how is it possible for her?'
Unique Skill: Supremacy.
When activated in the final stage, speed increases, and it exerts overwhelming pressure on the lead runner and the next three runners following behind them.
That was the thing— Ruby hadn't waited for the end, she had activated it during the mid-race.
'How on earth did she trigger it?!'
"Is it the effect of a Green Skill?"
"Perhaps. When she overtook the runner in the 13th position earlier, aside from her variant Gold Skill, there was the aura of a Green Skill activating by default."
Over in the Team Rigil area, Grass Wonder and Air Groove were deep in discussion.
With her Unique Skill active, Ruby's speed surged again. She vaulted herself forward into 5th place.
Now, she was less than six lengths away from Fine Motion in 3rd.
As Starlight reached the third corner, her pace slowed.
Her speed dropped sharply, and in an instant, she fell back to run alongside Fine Motion.
'Here it comes, she's switching to a Late Surger style.'
Though confused, Fine Motion didn't hesitate once she saw Starlight changing tactics.
A rainbow phantom began to emerge behind her, and warm sunlight filtered through the prism to illuminate the ground beneath her.
Brilliant, colorful flowers began to bloom across the turf.
A pure white castle appeared behind her, its fairy-tale scenery instantly pushing back the dark palace of Ruby.
Seeing this, Ruby's lips curled into a smirk.
A golden flash radiated from her body, and a black aura wrapped in gold light flew toward the mural on the wall of the palace behind her.
In the next second, the pitch-black knight who had been wielding a longsword in the mural stepped out. A strange golden light flickered through the narrow slit of its helmet.
It raised its sword and charged toward the castle ahead.
Feeling this terrifying momentum pressing down, Fine Motion furrowed her brows.
'What are you doing? Instead of joining forces with me to suppress Starlight, you're coming after me!'
Annoyed, she triggered the Red Skill she had intended for Starlight and aimed it directly at Ruby instead.
The moment the black knight's longsword swung toward Fine Motion...
Clang!
A massive hand encased in white plate armor caught the blade.
A heavy-armored warrior emerged as a warhammer flew out from the castle, landing firmly in the warrior's grip.
With a shove, the warrior flung the sword aside, spun around, and swung the giant hammer toward Ruby.
Fine Motion seized the opportunity to accelerate, jumping from 3rd place straight into the lead.
Seeing the final corner approaching, she began frantically triggering Blue Skills to recover stamina.
The situation on the field was changing at lightning speed.
The commentator, Akasaka, gripped her headset and announced excitedly:
"Divine Starlight, who held first place, changed tactics mid-race and has moved behind Ruby! Fine Motion in third and Daiichi Ruby in fourth are now in a direct confrontation!"
"Did she win?! She did! Fine Motion has fought her way into the lead, and there are only 100 meters left until the final corner!"
"What! Ruby is also accelerating! She is fighting Fine Motion for the lead!"
The black knight's longsword swept across, severing the arm of the hammer-wielding warrior.
The heavy hammer fell to the side.
With a kick, the knight sent the warrior flying, then leveled its sword and thrust it straight toward Fine Motion.