"I've always wanted to race against you, assistant trainer."
"The feelings are mutual. I've run simulations in my mind as I watch you grow. Time to test some of those hypotheses."
The assistant trainer stares with excitement at the 2 members of Team Minaz. Even her dark side is excited to crush the 2 umamusumes, though for a different reason.
[If you crush them, darling will know we are simply superior, and then he'll only have his eyes on us!!!!]
Can you not distract me during this race? My win is what we both wanted.
"I heard about your participation, Tokai Teio." The Coffee addict approaches the Monarch. "I thought it was just a mere rumor, but Trainer Igo is really a complex and confusing man."
"Hehehehe!! He's the best!!! No other trainer would let this happen, except for him!!"
"ALL RUNNERS!! ENTER YOUR GATE!!!"
"See you at the finish line."
With the final parting words, the umamusumes enter their gates. One by one, the doors behind them closed. The runners have now entered a point of no return. The only way out is forward.
"ENTER YOUR STANCE!!!"
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
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*BAAAAAAM*
Agnes Tachyon activated [Pace Chaser Savvy] Level 1, [Prudent Positioning] Level 2, and [Competitive Spirit] Level 1
Manhattan Cafe activated [Firm Conditions] Level 1 and [Late Surger Savvy] Level 1
Little Cocoon activated [Competitive Spirit] Level 2 and [Crown Assassin] Level 3
Mejiro McQueen activated [Slipstream] Level 1 and [Prudent Positioning] Level 1
Tokai Teio activated [Slipstream] Level 2
Tokai Teio gained 1 hint for [Prudent Positioning]
Bitter Glasses activated [Competitive Spirit] Level 3 and [Crown Assassin] Level 1
Goddesses damn… Look at all those skills activating.
The gate had only just swung open, and skills popped up everywhere. At one point, the young man's vision was blocked by a wall of skills.
The Front Runners immediately fought for the frontmost position as the other runners searched for their position in this race. One by one, the runners fell into their positions like puzzle pieces. But those pieces didn't sit quietly and rubbed against each other.
The pack split into four groups based on their strategy, and noone sat still in their position. It was utter chaos to the point that the announcer couldn't call out who was in which position. The moment she opened her mouth, the umas would've already changed position either up or down the bracket.
That's just how competitive the race is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll be taking the front position of the Pace Chasers group!!!
In the midst of battle, a certain umamusume tries to pry herself into the front of the pack. She dug her feet into the turf before unleashing a powerful kick to propel herself forward. The girl quickly gained ground until she met an invisible wall at the top of the Pace Chasers' pack.
Mejiro McQueen gained 1 hint in [Subdued Pace Chasers]
Little Cocoon activated [Subdued Pace Chasers] Level 1
"Eeekk!!"
The 2 umamusumes stare coldly at the incoming umamusume. They didn't even bother turning their heads, but the intimidation was palpable. The poor victim felt her heart drop and her legs lose their momentum.
Their stares send a harsh and chilling message that many can interpret as,
"Know your place."
The umamusume has to be satisfied with not being the leader of the Pace Chasers' pack, as she doesn't have enough guts to challenge those stares.
"That man is rubbing off on you, McQueen."
"I'm the one who spent the longest time with him after all."
The Assistant and the First banter as they run side-by-side. This is the first time they have talked as enemies, when most of the time they are on the same team.
It's really different seeing her as a runner. My brain is having a hard time making peace with the fact that she has only just debuted this year and not in the same year as me.
[Your weakness is why she is running along with you instead of behind you.]
Shut up… You want me to lose my legs?
[Darling valued us for the brain, so the legs don't really matter to me. We can always help him train without our legs.]
Shut up!
Tachyon knows why Darkyon acts the way she is. She couldn't deny the mental cuff on her ankles. It is no secret that her legs would break the moment she tried to run with all her might. It's quite contradictory that someone who is known as a scientist values her brawn more than her brain.
[Run… Forget your illness and run…]
"Kuh!!"
The periphery of Tachyon's vision started darkening as if she was inside a tunnel. The lines in her eyes glowed golden while golden footsteps appeared from the darkness in front of her.
[I suppose you are just a mere Phantom, after all. Of course, you would not be able to be a real Triple Crown.]
"Huh?!"
Darkyon's voice sounds so real in Tachyon's ear. It has always sounded like a figment of her imagination, but this time, the sensor in her ears actually vibrates as if sensing an actual voice.
A shadowy figure overtakes Tachyon, and as she was about to think that it was another runner, ever-familiar sharp red eyes with golden lines greet her in the dark tunnel. It was an image of herself–running faster than she ever could.
[Follow me, Tachyon… Isn't this what you are aiming for? You are an umamusume.]
Darkyon's footsteps are one-on-one with the golden footsteps. It was the perfect running form that Tachyon had developed before she knew of her condition. A form she had long abandoned after the disastrous news. A form that would lead Tachyon to an all-new height and revolutionize running as a whole.
[All your research… All your trials… All your experiments… It has all come to this.
Grab the fruit, Tachyon.
Time to cast the Phantom and become a true Triple Crown.]
Shut up!! Shut up!! Don't act as if this body is yours!!
Tachyon shakes her head and pulls herself together. The darkness dissipates, and the scenery of the Kyoto Racecourse returns to her vision.
"AGNES TACHYON IS LEADING THE PACE CHASERS' PACK!!!!"
"Huh?"
The thing that stood out to Tachyon after pulling herself together was the fact that McQueen and Little Cocoon were behind her. No skill had been activated during that short time span. It was purely from Tachyon's full-power speed and running form.
[You said you hate being called the Phantom, and yet you deny the power to be a true Triple Crown. Hypocrite.]
I didn't… ask for your help…