[Approx. 2000m Kentucky Derby — Dirt Track — Overcast — Heavy Going]
Though "heavy going" hardly did it justice.
"Waterlogged swamp" would have been more accurate.
The drainage system was doing everything it could, but there were still puddles everywhere the eye could see. That was terrible news for the horse girls: terrible for the start, terrible for the scramble for position, terrible for everything.
They all understood that.
From the very first stride to the final dash, they would be running in literal mud and water, dragging all that extra weight with them and wasting far more stamina than usual. In conditions like this, the start became even more important than normal. The instant the gates opened, the real battle would begin.
Under circumstances like these, it was perfectly normal for horse girls to bump into one another—and Xingyun Liuge was small. There was a very real chance she would simply get elbowed over in the crush.
So she really only had two options.
One: go all out from the opening bell, seize the lead, and try to run away while enduring everyone else's pressure, gambling on leading from start to finish.
She had already shown off her powerful front-running ability, abundant stamina, and stubborn endurance in the training race. The odds of her choosing an escape strategy were very high.
Two: give up on the early struggle, settle quietly at the back, wait for the opening chaos to end, and then slowly look for a chance. That was the tactic she had used in the Two Thousand Guineas—and it had won her the race. No one could deny how effective it had been.
So which would she choose?
Winning Colors thought: it didn't matter.
Because no matter what Xingyun Liuge chose, everyone was going to target her.
Thanks to the influence of pack tactics, American horse girls did not waste time guessing which strategy an opponent might use. They made their own plans and carried them out decisively.
If Xingyun Liuge wanted to contest the lead? Then after seeing how powerful she was when front-running in the training race, they absolutely could not let her have it. She had to be disrupted.
If Xingyun Liuge wanted to stay at the back? Then they had even less reason to let her leisurely conserve stamina. The British girls' failure in the Two Thousand Guineas was still fresh in everyone's memory. Xingyun Liuge's stamina had to be shaved down hard.
So Winning Colors closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Since Xingyun Liuge getting delayed at the start was already a foregone conclusion, there was no need for Winning Colors to do anything extra. She only had to focus on grabbing a good position for herself.
If the others got too obsessed with Xingyun Liuge and loosened their guard around her, that would be even better.
"…Though there's no way it'll be that easy," Winning Colors muttered with a light laugh, lowering her center of gravity even further, ready to fight for position.
The moment the gates flew open, one red glow after another flared up.
But amid that succession of crimson lights, accompanied by a clanking "huala", a green light burst forth—utterly out of place among the red—and instantly overwhelmed them.
Though the sound resembled horseshoes hitting pooled water and splashing mud, Winning Colors could tell the difference at once:
That was not the sound of hooves striking the ground.
Hidden behind that sound was something unimaginably dangerous—something that made her hair stand on end.
It was as if some wicked, malicious thing hidden in the dark were dragging chains along the floor, leisurely considering how best to deal with all of them.
No one saw what it looked like.
But every last one of them felt its presence clearly.
Because in that single clanking instant, it had already made its move.
Winning Colors felt as though invisible bone-scraping blades had carved her legs open to the marrow. Great beads of sweat instantly covered her forehead and rolled down her face. She almost could not move her legs at all.
The moment she realized something was wrong, she glanced to both sides as fast as she could. The girls to her left and right were making similarly twisted expressions.
Clearly, that cold and sinister force was not aimed at her alone—it had struck multiple horse girls in the same instant, making them all come out late.
Whose secret weapon was this?
And why did it seem to have another effect as well?
Winning Colors watched as pale green motes of light, like drifting fireflies, lazily rose into the air—then sank into the body of a small horse girl.
Her eyes widened instinctively.
Xingyun Liuge.
Pendulum of Misfortune:
All opponents within a five-length radius centered on Xingyun Liuge have their speed reduced by 40% for two seconds, after which they suffer stamina loss. Cooldown: one minute.
In Xingyun Liuge's view, her Thoroughbred Progress had already reached 30%, and with it came changes to hero skills. That was why, for this race, she had chosen the first hero to complete her thoroughbred transformation:
Thresh, the Chain Warden.
Damnation:
Xingyun Liuge can absorb the stamina lost by her opponents, converting an equal amount into strength and endurance until the end of the race.
As for the horse girls' gate skills?
Unfortunately for them, most of those attacks had slammed harmlessly into a shield.
Dark Passage:
Xingyun Liuge gains a shield lasting four seconds. While the shield remains active, her stamina consumption is slightly reduced, and she can resist part of the effects of gate skills. Cooldown: two minutes.
A full combo: slowing, draining stamina, resisting gate skills, and absorbing stamina in return.
A true tyrant among gate-runners.
Not every horse girl had Winning Colors' composure. Some cried out on instinct:
"That's impossible!"
How could anyone eat a full barrage of gate skills and still successfully seize the lead? That was absurd!
The commentator, of course, had no idea about the underhanded battle unfolding among the racers. He cried out in astonishment:
"Is it because of the terrible state of the track? Almost everyone stumbled out of the gate! A once-in-a-century major mistake! But—one horse girl has surged ahead! Xingyun Liuge has taken the lead and is charging forward with purpose!"
The American horse girls immediately quickened their pace, but the track was in such terrible condition that if they wanted to save stamina—if they wanted to avoid wasting energy for nothing—they had to seize the best running lines.
And when everyone wanted the good lines at once, collisions became inevitable.
The field instantly descended into chaos.
Some girls even tried to drive their elbows into rivals to force them aside and make room.
Of course, this was practically a standard feature of American dirt racing. As long as it was not blatant malicious interference, it usually was not ruled a foul.
And the one responsible for all of it?
Xingyun Liuge had taken the lead with ease, quietly hiding her triumph.
About five seconds later, the field had roughly sorted itself out into groups and order.
"Second is Risen Star, approximately two lengths behind Xingyun Liuge—but she's also opened up another full length on Winning Colors in third. Behind them is Forty Niner…"
"So you're giving us a surprise right from the start? You really are an interesting one, Xingyun Liuge. Show me what you're really made of!"
Just let Xingyun Liuge keep the lead and wait until the stretch to make a move?
Sure, in theory that was not a bad decision. After all, leading was hard labor. If your raw ability was not good enough, taking the front just meant asking for trouble.
But after the training race, Risen Star already knew this much:
Xingyun Liuge was not the sort of opponent you could calmly race according to plan and expect to beat.
If they simply ran things straight, there was a very high chance they would lose.
Which meant they had to put pressure on her early.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 126)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter140)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter89)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter1165)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 145
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 135
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 84
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 150
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 125
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 105
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 80
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 80
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 52
Uma Musume: I Want All 55
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
My Harem Is Indescribable 26
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