Even the spectators were caught off guard by the sudden rain.
After a brief burst of confusion, they hastily pulled on raincoats, or huddled together beneath broad umbrellas in twos and threes. All of them stared tensely at the track, eager to see which horse girl would be the first to burst out of the curtain of rain.
Someone was the first to say it.
"This kind of weather should be really favorable for Seiun Ryoka, right? If I remember right, the day she won the Two Thousand Guineas was rainy too."
"Northern Hemisphere rain and Southern Hemisphere rain aren't the same thing. And besides, that was Britain—this is Australia. There's not much basis for comparison."
"Exactly. She's never even run on Australian turf before. How could she possibly win that easily?"
"But she hadn't run on the King George track either, and she still took the crown by a huge margin. Isn't it possible this race will turn out the same way?"
The instant those words were spoken, the group of passersby that had been chatting excitedly fell silent.
There was no helping it.
Seiun Ryoka was a legendary undefeated champion.
What the onlookers failed to notice was that the woman who spoke last should really have phrased it as a question. Instead, she had stated it like a fact, as though she firmly believed Seiun Ryoka would absolutely win this Winx Stakes.
And in truth, that was exactly how she felt.
She was Seiun Ryoka's trainer, after all. If even she couldn't believe that girl would win, then who else could?
Ordinarily, someone recovering from a serious cold had no business coming out to watch a race in the rain. Catching another chill would make the whole thing pointless.
Even Seiun Ryoka had specifically warned her:
"Yui, you're not fully recovered yet, so be a good girl and stay in your room until I get back, okay?"
At the time, Chihaya Yui had tried to argue, but it hadn't worked at all. She was no match for Seiun Ryoka in a debate. In the end, to put the girl's mind at ease, she had reluctantly agreed.
But wasn't there a saying?
If you don't get caught, then it doesn't count.
So Chihaya Yui had quietly slipped out of the hotel and made her way to the track. Even if it had started snowing, she would still have come to cheer Seiun Ryoka on in person. Besides, it hadn't even been raining when the day began.
Meanwhile, on the course—
The initial chaotic stage had already ended, and now a silver-white figure was gliding ghostlike through the wind and rain.
Looking at that proud form carving forward, the commentator shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Seiun Ryoka—it's Seiun Ryoka! Even this sudden wind and rain can't stop her advance! She's holding firmly onto the lead, and not a single horse girl has managed to shake her advantage!"
"The way she runs is so light, so fluid—it's as if not even a single strand of hair is out of place! Has she somehow communed with heaven and earth themselves, allowing her to precisely sense the windspeed and the velocity of every raindrop? It's unbelievable!"
Two lengths behind her, Golden Tide stared fixedly at Seiun Ryoka's back, sneering inwardly at the commentator's words.
No horse girl can shake her lead?
Don't try to sell me that nonsense.
It's only because some of us have chosen to lie in wait.
At the very least, that was how Golden Tide herself saw it.
The wind and rain were crashing straight into the face of the girl in front. For the leader, the resistance was far greater than usual. In weather like this, being on point was no blessing.
If it had been a clear, pleasant day, Golden Tide would absolutely have believed Seiun Ryoka could lead from start to finish. She was the Five-Crown Queen—the undefeated ruler who had conquered Europe, America, and Asia. Even if she had never once set foot on Randwick turf before, surely her razor-sharp instincts would still guide her toward the perfect way to run, the surest path to victory.
But this was rain.
The wind, the downpour, the waterlogged, softened turf—every last one of them would do their utmost to devour a horse girl's stamina.
In that case, the lead was hardly a desirable position.
Second place, on the other hand, was different. Sure, there was a risk of getting dragged into Seiun Ryoka's pace—but she was also the closest one to the leader, and thus the one with the greatest chance of overtaking her. With Seiun Ryoka ahead of her breaking the wind and rain, she could preserve her stamina more efficiently while waiting for the right moment to strike.
Maybe Seiun Ryoka, the one shouldering the greatest resistance and pressure, would lose steam halfway through.
Well, no.
Golden Tide admitted Seiun Ryoka's strength. Even with a hundred times the courage, she still wouldn't dare seriously entertain that fantasy.
Because she had seen Seiun Ryoka's form up close.
And honestly—
That was the stuff of legend.
Every footfall Seiun Ryoka made was impossibly precise, landing almost perfectly in the instant when the wind briefly slackened. Each swing of her arms was timed just right too, as though she were slicing neatly through the air resistance in front of her and clearing a path for herself.
It was no exaggeration to say that she looked like she was dancing a dangerous, elegant waltz, seeking out each fleeting instant to exert force within the tiniest of margins.
Golden Tide couldn't help thinking:
What is she? Is this what a legend looks like? Isn't this too ridiculous? She hasn't even run on this turf before!
Was she just born a genius?
She didn't know.
All she knew was that she was deeply shaken.
"Mud is flying everywhere—nearly everyone's been decorated by the wind and rain—but every single horse girl is still dazzling! A little dirt can't dim their brilliance!"
"The opening straight is over, and now the runners enter the super-long curve! Seiun Ryoka is still in front! Can she keep the lead all the way to the end? The others remain patient, lying in wait—what wonderfully calm judgment. They must be saving the true battle for the final bend!"
It was the most natural conclusion imaginable.
The other horse girls had spent the whole opening section holding back. No one in their right mind would simply let the race end like this and watch Seiun Ryoka stroll away with the win.
Golden Tide took a deep breath.
On the surface, she continued to endure and hold herself back.
In truth, she was already beginning to quietly marshal her strength, preparing to explode at the decisive moment.
A mere two lengths?
She could erase that in a single burst.
Wind, rain, flying mud—none of it would affect her running.
That's the spot.
Yes… that bend.
That's where I'll unleash everything.
With Seiun Ryoka boldly entering the turn in first and Golden Tide close behind, the petite horse girl felt she had finally found the perfect moment to clash with the Five-Crown Queen at full strength.
And then, at that exact instant, the weather changed again.
Pat. Pat.
Small, irregular half-transparent pellets began striking the turf, the horse girls, and the spectators' heads alike.
The conditions had worsened.
Today was no longer just rain.
It had turned to sleet.
Seeing that Seiun Ryoka's speed seemed to dip slightly, Golden Tide's lips curled into a smile.
Now!
The petite yet shapely girl suddenly surged forward.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 210)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Completed)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Completed)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed)
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 240
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 160
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 125
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 180
My Harem Is Indescribable 110
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 115
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 120
Still playing traditional Honk 105
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120
What Should I Do After Switchi 70
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 140
Checking In in Demon Slayer 100
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 115
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 95
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 100
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 135
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 70
The Uma Musume Who Became 75
I'm Definitely Not the King of 130
After Maxing Out Every Class 135
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 120
I, the Elden Sword Saint 70
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 65
No One Knows Pokémon Better 65
From Trilobites to Titans 65
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 105
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 120
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 80
Honkai: The Fire Devil 115
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/70
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 85
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 80
At age 8, she co-starred with 80
Honkai: Schicksal Media 81
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 80
Chainsaw Man, but I'm Aatrox 65
Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60
Morgan Shirou's Journey in Dan 43
DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 80
Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried! 63
Sakiko Togawa: A Blood-Soaked Cards Volume2/32
Detective Conan: My Whole 65
Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 70
In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53
Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 30
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