Just as Fujimasa March surged past the rest of the field, a silver-gray blur appeared, matching her speed blow for blow...
Matching? No! It was threatening to tear right past her!
A ferocious, violent aura wrapped in a gale "shredded" the pack, hurtling toward Fujimasa March's back.
The girl's legs were so powerful that every stride seemed to shatter the earth itself. Her presence was so magnificent it felt as if she might rend the very sky. The gale she kicked up was so intense that Fujimasa March no longer felt the headwind; for a fleeting moment, she fell into the illusion of running with the wind at her back.
"Oguri Cap!?" The commentator's voice cracked with shock as he finally identified the figure. "It's Oguri Cap! The second favorite of the race! But... how on earth did she break through to get here?!"
Human focus is a finite resource. Because he had been so fixated on Fujimasa March's tactical positioning against the frontrunners, he had completely missed how Oguri Cap had navigated the outer lane, slicing through the pack in a single breath to pull nearly level with Fujimasa March.
He wasn't the only one. The spectators had been equally blindsided, mesmerized by the display of power and intellect from Fujimasa March. They had forgotten that the second favorite was also a Horse Girl of devastating caliber.
As Oguri Cap charged forward with savage intent, the crowd finally remembered: the test scores between these two had differed by a mere 0.3 seconds!
"—!" Fujimasa March instinctively grit her teeth, her amber-gold eyes narrowing to slits.
If she could, she would have liked to say to Oguri Cap: So, you've come.
Fujimasa March strained every fiber of her legs. She had to defeat Oguri Cap. She had to win this debut race, then win the next, and the next, until she finally stood on the track of the Tokai Derby—and won that too!
As Fujimasa March reaffirmed her resolve, her long-brewing, intimidating aura finally erupted. An invisible pressure slammed into Oguri Cap. Compared to this strike, the pressure the runner Crown Author had felt earlier was nothing—mere child's play.
However, the moment Fujimasa March exerted her full force, something primal was ignited.
A dark, prairie-fire light flickered in the depths of Oguri Cap's eyes.
It was the most primitive impulse, carved into the very blood and marrow of a Horse Girl. It was the raw excitement a predator feels when encountering a peer worthy of the hunt.
The strength and experience she had accumulated drop by drop in daily training, the white-hot fighting spirit that rebounded after being suppressed, and the obsession with not losing to this "strongest" rival—all to make her trainer, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and her mother, White Narita, proud... in this instant, everything was converted into pure, propulsive force.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every step left a distinct mark in the ground; every stride propelled her forward across a staggering distance.
Oguri Cap's running style was diametrically opposed to Fujimasa March's. This was a violent, tyrannical advance that defied all logic.
"Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap takes the lead! Unbelievable! What terrifying closing speed! It's like a monstrous, unstoppable charge!" the commentator screamed. "From the back of the pack to the very front! Oguri Cap has staged a reversal in a heartbeat and secured a half-length lead! Only 300 meters remain! Can Fujimasa March catch her?!"
Did the silver-gray river sand drain a Horse Girl's stamina bit by bit, requiring specific training for power and endurance?
That was true, certainly, but the method of applying force was even more critical.
Oguri Cap had followed Fujimaru Ritsuka's advice to the letter during her training. Now that the sprint had begun, every step involved "grabbing" the sand with the soles of her feet and then, like a swimmer pushing off a wall, kicking back with explosive force.
This was a technique only a Horse Girl with extreme full-body flexibility like Oguri Cap could pull off. Even if Fujimasa March recognized the secret behind it, she couldn't break it, nor could she replicate it.
Under Oguri Cap's feet, the slippery river sand was no longer an obstacle to be navigated with caution; it was something to be trampled at will, serving as the very propellant that drove her forward.
Against the surging headwind, the girl's long, silver-gray hair trailed behind her in a perfectly straight line. Air resistance had become the single greatest obstacle preventing Oguri Cap from accelerating further. This gave Fujimasa March a momentary gasp of breathing room.
Looking at Oguri Cap, who was half a length ahead of her, Fujimasa March's amber-gold eyes trembled slightly.
In that micro-second of respite, she took a deep, lung-bursting breath and adjusted her posture. She slammed her feet into the ground again, feeling as though she could hear the shoes beneath her hooves screaming in protest.
But she didn't care. She simply threw her head back and roared, "Oguri Cap!"
She knew. These final 300 meters were the ultimate duel between her and Oguri Cap. This was a war that belonged only to them!
In that case, she would stake everything she had to give!
A cold light ignited in those amber eyes. Fujimasa March sought to squeeze out every last drop, every single shred of stamina, adding weight to her side of the scale bit by bit, desperate for the Goddess of Victory to smile upon her.
She was the one who was going to accumulate prize money and reach the highest peaks of the Tokai region. That was the goal she had set for herself since childhood. How could she suffer defeat here? Even if her opponent was an Oguri Cap who might be stronger than her, she would not yield an inch!
Because she had given her entire life to running. Running was all she had left!
The blue-gray haired girl thought: The only thing I can do is run. And so... Oguri Cap, I will strike you down right here!
Accompanied by a roar that pierced the clear sky, Fujimasa March bared her teeth so wide the gums were visible.
"Fujimasa March! Fujimasa March isn't giving up! She's clawing back the deficit bit by bit!" The commentator took a sharp breath and yelled, "Can she do it? Fujimasa March! Last 200 meters, about a neck's length between them! Can she win?!"
However, the dark flames dancing in those deep blue eyes only burned more fiercely.
Faced with Fujimasa March's pursuit and her heartfelt cry, Oguri Cap responded: "The one who seizes victory... is me!"
For Fujimaru Ritsuka and her mother, who had always believed in and supported her, she would conquer whoever stood in her path! This was her way of repaying them, and the only thing she could do! Therefore!
Though it lasted only a fleeting moment, a dark mist visibly drifted from the corners of her eyes.
"BOOM!"
With another massive kick, the sand surged toward the sky!
Oguri Cap let out a low, guttural roar that sounded like a tiger's snarl. Her body seemed to break through an invisible barrier, lunging forward with sudden, violent speed!
It was technique; it was tactics; and it was a crushing display of pure, chilling power!
Half a length! One length! Two lengths!
Fujimasa March had given her absolute everything. Her stride remained stable and her breathing stayed rhythmic, yet she could only watch helplessly as that silver-gray silhouette pulled away with an inevitable, irreversible momentum.
The final 50 meters became almost a solo charge for Oguri Cap.
Some in the crowd sat down, covering their faces, unable to look at the final result; others leaped for joy, cheering for the absolute dominance Oguri Cap had secured.
"Across the line! Three lengths!" The commentator shouted the final result. "Oguri Cap defeats Fujimasa March by a definitive three-length margin, winning her debut race in magnificent fashion!"
Hearing this, Twin Turbo—who had been clutching her hands tight—widened her eyes and dropped her jaw before screaming at the top of her lungs: "She won! Oguri won! Trainer-san!"
The girl's joy was written across her entire face.
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (50 Chapters – Ongoing)
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