Dai Yusaku shadowed Palmer's flank, the gap between them a mere half-length. Her burst of speed was formidable, but it couldn't last forever. Palmer clung on relentlessly, and when Dai Yusaku realized she couldn't shake her off quickly, she simply abandoned the attempt.
After all, clashing head-on with the front-runner on the mid-pack straight was unwise. Seeing this, Palmer breathed a sigh of relief. As expected of the horse who defeated McQueen. Her explosive power is astonishing. Thankfully, I'd built enough of a lead to prevent her from overtaking me in one go.
Palmer had won their duel on the straight, but the respite was fleeting. The end of the straight meant the beginning of the curve.
Dai Yusaku had conserved her energy precisely to challenge Palmer on this arc. Hugging the inner rail too tightly had compromised Palmer's entry angle, making her curve less than ideal. She began to drift outward, attempting to adjust her position.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Dai Yusaku surged forward, seizing the space Palmer was aiming for and boxing her in.
Palmer was startled, but there was no time to think. At their breakneck speed, decisions had to be made in an instant. They plunged straight into the curve.
A troubled expression crossed Palmer's face. Boxed in by Dai Yusaku, she was forced to take the turn at full speed. Her technique lacked Kousei's refinement, and Dai Yusaku still had her pinned from the side.
In such a tight space, she couldn't maneuver freely. Left with no choice, Palmer had to reduce her speed to navigate the turn safely.
Seeing her plan succeed, Dai Yusaku's heart leaped with joy. Compared to Palmer, the space she had was vast. The opportunity to overtake was fleeting, and Dai Yusaku was determined to seize this momentary opening.
She unleashed a sudden burst of power, her hooves tearing through the turf. She transformed into a crimson scythe, a red line slicing through the air. Just as everyone believed Dai Yusaku would overtake Palmer on this turn...
Another gust of wind swept by. At the very last moment before exiting the curve, Palmer suddenly accelerated, resisting Dai Yusaku's charge.
"That move... What was that?!"
Dai Yusaku's shock was justified. She had compressed Palmer's space to the absolute limit; there should have been no room for her to accelerate.
If that was common sense, then what Palmer had just executed was an acceleration that defied it.
In an incredibly tight space, she adopted a bizarre posture. As everyone knows, an Umamusume's running form is paramount. Years ago, during her showdown with McQueen, Kousei had used a strategy of disrupting her own form to restrict McQueen's movement. Achieving a certain goal requires a specific posture.
Just as you must open your mouth to eat, it's common sense. Yet Palmer, using a preparatory motion that looked nothing like acceleration, managed to do just that. Not only did she accelerate, but she also adjusted her position within the narrow space, completely shattering Dai Yusaku's blockade.
Long present in Central but consistently overlooked, this was the weapon Mejiro Palmer had forged upon her return from the regional circuits!
"Pardon me!"
Her apology dripped with mockery. Gasps erupted from the stands; never before had anyone in Central witnessed such a flamboyant maneuver.
With playful ease, she neutralized the crimson scythe's arc and slipped away, completely unhindered.
"What the hell?! What kind of move was that?"
"She looks like an acrobat!"
Even after witnessing the techniques of Tokai Teio and Kousei, Palmer's skill was still astonishing. The former captivated audiences with her flawless mastery, while the latter astounded with her boundless imagination. The Mejiro family's celebrated actresses weren't limited to just McQueen.
"Yes! That's it, Palmer!" Speedstar cheered with all her might, her genuine joy evident.
"That's it, Palmer! Show them more! Let's get this party started!" Speedstar wasn't the only one feeling the excitement.
Palmer's wildly imaginative move had already ignited the crowd's emotions, finally giving the Takarazuka Memorial the festive atmosphere it deserved. Some spectators could no longer stay seated, rising to their feet to cheer for Palmer.
"Run, Palmer! Go!"
Like a single spark igniting a wildfire, once one person started, the urge to cheer for the Umamusume spread infectiously through the crowd.
"Go, Palmer!"
"You can do it! Uphold the Mejiro Glory!"
The Twinkle Series is both complex and simple. Palmer's running form carried the weight of countless expectations. Would the Mejiro family's grand ambition of conquering the Takarazuka Memorial finally be realized?
The crowd didn't know it, but as they cheered for Palmer, they hoped their voices could lend strength to the runner.
"Don't let her intimidate you, Dai Yusaku! You're the one who beat Mejiro McQueen! Go on! Seize the glory of the Takarazuka Memorial!"
"That's right! You're not just 'The Strongest One-Shot'! You're 'The Strongest'!"
Palmer wasn't the only one carrying high expectations. The Hanshin Racecourse roared with continuous cheers, the duel between these two having transformed the racetrack into their personal stage.
The crowd's expectations, carried in their voices, struck the hearts of both runners.
I can feel it! Everyone's counting on me! Counting on me to become a true member of the Mejiro family!
Mejiro! For everyone who believes in me, I'll crush you again!
Driven by different convictions, only one could be the star of this festival!
"I won't let you escape so easily!"
Seizing the moment as they exited the turn, Dai Yusaku pressed hard against Palmer, determined to pin the front-runner to the inside rail.
Palmer couldn't help but grunt, her steps faltering for a moment before she quickly regained her balance.
Though Palmer looked flustered, Dai Yusaku's attack had achieved no real effect. Due to their jostling for position, they were running between two lanes, giving Palmer significantly more space than before.
Most front-runners have a light build, which allows them to lead for extended periods while conserving stamina and maintaining speed.
Kousei, despite her versatile running style, rarely led from the front. Her weight and speed lacked the guillotine-like intimidation factor needed for such a strategy.
In this race, however, Palmer's blistering pace was terrifyingly effective. This was partly because the Takarazuka Memorial is a middle-distance race, where a front-runner's dominance is always nuclear-level.
No one dared to challenge her, and no one could withstand such a relentless onslaught. Facing multiple front-runners was a nightmare within a nightmare, risking career-ending consequences.
What set Palmer apart from other front-runners was her exceptionally tough physique. She was an "anomaly" not only within the Mejiro family but also among front-runners.
Thanks to the grueling Exhibition Races, she had developed a physical resilience far superior to other front-runners, giving her a distinct advantage in positional battles.
"You think you can defeat a Mejiro with just that? Delusional!" Palmer roared, her voice sharp and intimidating. As the race intensified, the Mejiro bloodline dormant within her began to boil. She was completely different from her usual self, gradually transforming into a true Mejiro.
"I've defeated a Mejiro once, and I'll do it again! Become my stepping stone, you so-called elite!"