Just as Satono Diamond and Satono Crown were about to settle their match, Kitasan Black suddenly appeared, grabbed Satono Diamond's hand, and pulled her toward the school building.
"Diamond-san, the teacher is looking for you. Let me take you there."
"..."
Satono Diamond couldn't tell if Kitasan Black was telling the truth or not. Unable to refuse in time, she silently followed along.
Kitasan Black had moved too quickly.
Satono Crown couldn't stop them in time. All she could do was watch helplessly as the two of them ran into the school building.
After a moment of stunned disbelief, she immediately chased after them.
I won't let you get away!
Kitasan Black led Satono Diamond through the school building in circles. With her perception abilities, she could easily sense Satono Crown's location.
Unlike Satono Diamond, Satono Crown had no tracking skills whatsoever. She didn't even know how to mask her presence or muffle her footsteps.
After putting in some effort to temporarily shake off Satono Crown, Kitasan Black brought Satono Diamond into the guidance office.
The guidance counselor had already left—Kitasan Black had just come from here herself.
With a quick motion, she locked the door behind them, then turned to face Satono Diamond with an expressionless look.
"What are you thinking? Why would you agree to those betting terms with Crown!"
She had no objection to Satono Diamond wanting to settle things with Satono Crown in a race—but if information about her was going to be used as stakes, then it absolutely concerned her!
"Didn't you say the teacher was looking for me? So that was a lie after all."
Actually, Satono Diamond had already realized this was a lie when she noticed Kitasan Black leading her in circles.
The reason she hadn't resisted was simply because she wanted to see what Kitasan Black was planning.
But as expected, Kitasan Black only ever thought about herself.
"I wasn't lying. The teacher really did ask me to find you."
Kitasan Black pulled a form out of her bag.
"This is the application form for Central Tracen's Open Day. I'm the team leader this time, and the teacher suggested I choose either you or Crown as the vice leader."
"You're the team leader this time?"
Satono Diamond looked at Kitasan Black in surprise.
After all, the team leader had always been whoever ranked first in the final exams.
Why would the teacher give the position to Kitasan Black, whose exam scores were mediocre at best, when she herself had taken first place?
"Heh, don't tell me your secret has been exposed to the teachers?"
Although the possibility was slim, Satono Diamond felt that was the only explanation for why the teacher would give the team leader position to Kitasan Black.
"Wipe that smug look off your face. Unfortunately for you, that's not it. The teacher chose me as leader simply because of some special circumstances."
Kitasan Black looked exasperated as she said this.
She had originally thought the guidance counselor kept her behind for something important—she hadn't expected it to be about Tracen Academy's Open Day.
"According to the teacher, someone from Tracen Academy specifically requested that I participate in this Open Day, which is why I ended up as team leader."
"...Someone at Tracen Academy knows your secret?"
Satono Diamond fell silent for a moment. She hadn't expected this to be initiated by Tracen Academy's side.
But why would Tracen Academy specifically request Kitasan Black? Could it be that someone really had discovered her secret?
Kitasan Black shook her head.
"I don't know, but I don't think that's the reason."
Based on her understanding of Tracen Academy's student council president, if that person actually knew her secret, they wouldn't have merely requested her inclusion in the Open Day tour group—they would have likely come directly to invite her as a specially recruited student. After all, Tracen Academy was fundamentally a place where strength reigned supreme.
"You want me to be the vice leader?"
A smile involuntarily appeared on Satono Diamond's previously rigid face.
She deliberately ignored what Kitasan Black had said earlier about choosing between her and Crown. Was that really something that needed to be decided?
"...Huh? Yes!"
Kitasan Black had originally wanted to say she intended to let the two sisters decide for themselves, but upon seeing Satono Diamond's expression, she decided it was better not to court death.
She was well aware that Satono Diamond was currently in an extremely unstable state—the slightest provocation could set her off.
So since Satono Diamond wanted to be vice leader, she might as well just give it to her.
Although Kitasan Black thought that, capability-wise, Satono Crown might be more suited for the position.
And setting aside capability, personally speaking, she would actually prefer Satono Crown—at least Satono Crown was still a normal person.
Satono Diamond had already gone somewhat off the deep end. Kitasan Black really didn't want to get too close to someone like that.
In fact, her relationship with Satono Diamond had become very cold.
If it weren't for the betting match between Satono Diamond and Satono Crown today, she wouldn't have initiated contact with Satono Diamond at all.
"You weren't thinking of letting me and Crown decide for ourselves earlier, were you?"
Satono Diamond suddenly asked in a chilling tone.
Kitasan Black's response just now had seemed a bit unnatural, and she had picked up on it.
"No."
"You'd better not have thought that."
Satono Diamond took the form.
Although filling out the form was supposed to be the team leader's job, when Kitasan Black saw Satono Diamond take it upon herself to handle the task, she didn't voice any objection.
Out of Satono Diamond's line of sight, cold sweat had already broken out on Kitasan Black's back.
That question just now had been a close call! Good thing her acting skills weren't fake!
Seeing that Satono Diamond's emotions had gradually stabilized, she immediately returned to the original question.
"Why did you make that kind of bet with Crown? Don't tell me you're planning to deliberately lose to her and expose my secret?"
"Shut up!"
But Satono Diamond's emotions suddenly erupted again.
Kitasan Black was startled, and her momentum to continue questioning weakened considerably.
Satono Diamond looked at the tense Kitasan Black, and her explosive emotions suddenly vanished, returning to her young lady demeanor.
"Don't worry. I won't lose to Crown."
"..."
What else could Kitasan Black say? She couldn't exactly reason with a crazy person—what if this crazy person had a knife hidden in her bag?
She carefully glanced at Satono Diamond's bag, her guard fully raised.
When Satono Diamond saw that Kitasan Black didn't refute her, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief while simultaneously feeling somewhat disappointed.
Kitasan Black's wariness toward her was still plainly visible.
In Kitasan Black's mind, she was probably still just a stranger who happened to know her secret.
"As long as you understand that. You should know that even if you drag Crown into this, the only ones who'll get hurt in the end are you two."
Hearing this, Satono Diamond's momentum instantly weakened, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Her feelings toward Kitasan Black were extremely conflicted.
She wanted to get closer to Kitasan Black, but at the same time, a deep-seated fear of her lurked in her heart.
This was why she couldn't control her emotions in front of Kitasan Black.
Seeing Satono Diamond trembling, Kitasan Black said nothing more.
Satono Diamond's current state could be called self-inflicted, but Kitasan Black had also reflected on whether she might have gone too far back then.
If she had held back a little at the time, perhaps Satono Diamond wouldn't have been so traumatized that she went mad.
But what was done was done. Even now, there was nothing she could do to help Satono Diamond overcome her psychological scars.
This kind of thing was beyond the power of outsiders. Only the person themselves could emerge from it by becoming stronger.
Suddenly, Kitasan Black sensed that Satono Crown had reached this floor. She said to Satono Diamond, "Crown's caught up. Since you're so confident, I'll leave it to you."
With that, Kitasan Black unlocked the door and left first.
The trembling Satono Diamond, left behind, gradually regained her composure. She didn't leave the guidance office, but waited there for Satono Crown to find her.
Although it would take some time for Satono Crown to search each classroom one by one, that delay gave Satono Diamond time to recover.
"Where's Kitasan-san?"
Satono Crown strongly suspected that Kitasan Black's earlier actions had been deliberate. If that was the case, then Diamond's recent changes must be connected to her!
"Her business is done, so naturally she's already left."
"What did Kitasan-san want with you just now? Was it really because the teacher asked her to?"
Satono Diamond pulled the form from her bag and waved it in front of Satono Crown. "Crown, I've already told you—my business has nothing to do with Kitasan-san. But it seems you still don't believe me."
"Then tell me—what exactly made you become like this?"
"I've told you, this is my own business. Don't think that just because you always act like my older sister, you can interfere in my affairs!"
Satono Diamond's tone was quite hostile.
She had made her decision!
Rather than let Crown face that monster Kitasan Black, she would crush Crown's pride herself right here and now!
"So you really do want to have a serious match with me, Diamond."
"How confident you are, Crown. But your composure ends today. I'll show you that I'm the stronger one now!"
The two of them headed toward the training grounds in unspoken agreement.
The interrupted battle would resume. Today, the two sisters would settle who was superior once and for all!
Normally, students would be heading home at this time, but once news spread that Satono Diamond and Satono Crown were going to face off, everyone who hadn't left yet chose to stay and watch.
One was Satono Crown, who had been ranked first in their grade for several consecutive terms. The other was Satono Diamond, who had taken first place this semester.
This was essentially a battle for the throne of the school's top student.
Kitasan Black had also blended into the crowd of spectators.
She didn't have much confidence in Satono Diamond, because in her assessment, Satono Crown's abilities were indeed slightly superior.
However, Satono Diamond's improvement this semester had been terrifying. Going off the deep end had brought not just mental instability, but also completely abnormal growth in strength.
As things stood now, either of them could win.
But she had to bet on Satono Diamond winning—after all, if Satono Diamond lost, she would suffer the consequences too!
"Satono Diamond, Satono Crown, are you both ready?"
The teacher who had been asked to referee addressed the two competitors standing at the starting line.
"Ready."
"I can start anytime."
"Then please take your positions—"
"Begin!"
The whistle blew. Satono Diamond and Satono Crown broke from the starting line almost simultaneously, sprinting onto the track.
In the opening, Satono Crown took the lead.
Satono Crown and Satono Diamond had nearly identical running aptitudes. Both were geniuses from the Satomi bloodline, excelling at the same running styles and distances.
Therefore, the key factors that would determine the outcome were only two:
First, the gap in raw ability.
Second, the gap in experience.
Kitasan Black watched their start and silently frowned.
In terms of technical running details, Satono Crown was more refined. Moreover, she was very familiar with this training ground's track.
By comparison, Satono Diamond's technical execution was slightly inferior, and her familiarity with this track wasn't as good as Satono Crown's.
Despite having the same background and the same training, there was still such a gap between them.
If Satono Diamond hadn't improved so rapidly this semester, she would probably have remained slightly inferior to Satono Crown in actual competitions, just like in previous years.
But the current Satono Diamond also had an advantage—her physical attributes were somewhat higher than Satono Crown's.
The two sisters' physical capabilities had always been close. In the past, Satono Diamond had lost because of insufficient experience.
But now that Satono Diamond's attributes had improved—not by a huge margin, but they had definitely surpassed Satono Crown's.
So the outcome of this race wasn't yet decided.
While Kitasan Black analyzed the situation on the track, the students around her were also discussing the two competitors' abilities.
"As expected of Crown-san! Diamond-san still can't take the lead from her."
"I want to cheer for Diamond-san, but Crown-san really does seem stronger. She's been number one for several terms in a row, after all."
Most of the student spectators favored Satono Crown.
In their minds, Satono Crown was the school's undisputed number one—not someone Satono Diamond could challenge, even if they were sisters.
But that kind of fixed perception wasn't good.
Kitasan Black secretly shook her head.
Leading advantage?
The problem was that Satono Crown, like Satono Diamond, lacked aptitude for the front-runner style.
Perhaps in past competitions, Satono Crown had been able to use her physical attributes plus experience to cover up her weakness in unsuitable running styles, because back then her opponents were just elementary school students of the same age. Even running at non-optimal distances using non-optimal styles, she could still win.
But now, Satono Crown's opponent was Satono Diamond, who had always been close to her in ability—not to mention that this semester, Satono Diamond had improved tremendously.
As they reached the middle stage of the race, Satono Diamond continued to run behind Satono Crown.
Compared to Satono Crown, whose performance was somewhat hampered by choosing an unsuitable running style, Satono Diamond looked much more relaxed.
The right running style, plus the benefit of drafting behind Satono Crown.
Although Satono Crown was currently in the lead, Satono Diamond was actually the one in the advantageous position.
Only a handful of students could see this, along with Kitasan Black and the teachers—as well as the two competitors themselves.
So strong!
Satono Crown glanced at the shadow on the ground.
Satono Diamond was tightly glued to her back, in a position where she could overtake at any moment.
She knew Satono Diamond had gotten much stronger this semester, but she never imagined the improvement would be this dramatic.
It wasn't like she herself had regressed—yet even so, Diamond's current strength was already threatening her.
I can't lose! Even for Diamond's own sake, I have to win this race!
Satono Crown focused on the entrance to the final turn.
Now!
A golden glow flickered beneath Satono Crown's feet, shocking many of the teachers and students watching.
That was a power only professional uma musume could master—a skill!
It was something far beyond what they should be capable of at their current stage, yet Satono Crown had already grasped the power of skills.
"That child... she's been holding back all this time."
A teacher exclaimed in admiration.
Satono Crown had never used skill power in any exam before, and judging by the intensity of that skill's glow, she clearly hadn't just learned it.
"The gap is widening. Diamond's going to lose—skill power isn't something she can overcome right now."
The moment this teacher made that judgment, her eyes widened as she saw a skill's glow also shine beneath Satono Diamond's feet.
Powerful footsteps instantly closed the distance back to right behind Satono Crown.
Satono Crown looked back at Satono Diamond in shock. The glow fading beneath Diamond's feet was unmistakably the rainbow-colored radiance of a Flash skill.
How is this possible?!
"A Flash-tier skill!"
Even the teachers were stunned.
Unlike advanced-tier skills, Flash skills carried the unique presence of individual athletes—a power above advanced skills.
Some had even said that Flash skills were the prototype of ZONE. Although that theory had later been refuted by the Emperor, it was enough to prove how powerful Flash skills were.
Before the exit of the final turn, Satono Crown was caught.
At that moment, Satono Crown's skill effect expired. Satono Diamond completed her overtake, but her skill effect also ran out.
The gap between them was now two lengths.
"I won't lose!!!"
Satono Crown accelerated again.
It wasn't a skill—just forcibly squeezing out her body's last reserves, a method of overdrawing her strength.
The distance between her and Satono Diamond was closing.
But by just the smallest margin, Satono Crown couldn't catch up. Satono Diamond's Guts were just as formidable as hers.
In the end, the two crossed the finish line separated by the thinnest of margins.
Satono Diamond had defeated Satono Crown and claimed victory.
This result was within Kitasan Black's expectations. She had guessed from the start that whoever ran from behind would have the better odds.
Because both Satono Diamond and Satono Crown had the same running aptitudes—Stalker and Chaser—but their aptitude for leading was the worst.
Under those circumstances, fighting for the lead position was practically a guaranteed loss.
The difference in ability between Satono Crown and Satono Diamond had never been large.
Satono Crown only had a slight edge in race experience, but from the moment she chose to run in front, she couldn't fully utilize her attributes.
Add in the gap in skill tiers.
The fact that Satono Crown could still push so hard in the final straightaway was truly a testament to her strength.
If Satono Crown hadn't chosen to lead, perhaps she would have been the winner.
But don't forget—this was a one-on-one race.
Someone had to run in front. If Satono Diamond wasn't going to do it, then as the older sister, Satono Crown had no reason not to.
But it was precisely this kindness that doomed Satono Crown to defeat in this race.
Past the finish line, both Satono Diamond and Satono Crown were gasping for breath.
After recovering somewhat, they looked at each other.
Satono Crown's face still showed disbelief, as if she couldn't accept that she had lost to Satono Diamond.
Satono Diamond spoke first: "Crown, I won. You have to keep your promise—stop meddling in my affairs!"
"Diamond... I understand."
Satono Crown clenched her fists.
How could she have lost? This was a race she absolutely had to win.
But no matter how much regret or frustration she felt, reality offered no reset button to let her try again.
According to their agreement, she could no longer interfere in Diamond's business!
"Is this for real? Satono Crown actually lost to Satono Diamond in a serious match."
"Didn't Satono Diamond also take first place in the final exams this time?"
The throne of school champion had changed hands.
Satono Diamond didn't go to comfort Satono Crown, who still hadn't recovered from her defeat. Because compared to this loss, she herself had once experienced an even more terrifying crushing defeat.
This is for the best. This way, Crown is freed from this vortex.
Satono Diamond approached Kitasan Black.
"I won."
"Congratulations."
Kitasan Black offered a casual word of congratulation.
She didn't know why Satono Diamond had specifically come to report this to her.
It wasn't like she didn't have eyes. Since she had watched the race, she obviously knew Satono Diamond had won.
"Thank you."
After hearing Kitasan Black's congratulations, Satono Diamond's mood seemed to improve considerably.
Kitasan Black couldn't understand what Satono Diamond was thinking at all.
Wasn't this young lady still afraid of her? So why had she suddenly come so close?
...
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