That sultry, charming voice was so familiar that Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
Who else could it be but Miss Maruzensky—the legend who had retired years ago, or rather, moved on to the Dream Trophy circuit?
Had she come to Ohi because another junior of her bloodline was starting her journey, or was it because she was optimistic about Oguri Cap's future? Or perhaps, was it a bit of both?
Ritsuka gave Maruzensky an affirmative reply: "It's precisely because you can't guess the outcome until the very last moment that the sport of Horse Girls makes the blood boil so much."
He was thinking of things like the "high-leg" incident that hadn't happened yet. Or perhaps the heart-wrenching moment, still in the future, where a sudden diagonal drift would cause someone to lose the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Maruzensky nodded slightly, leaning in even closer to Ritsuka. "But if it's a top-tier Trainer, they should be able to 'strategize within the tent and secure victory a thousand miles away,' shouldn't they?"
She had heard it from Senior Nijinsky—how a certain Mr. Fujimaru had teamed up with a French Horse Girl to snatch a G1 title right out from under the noses of the British Horse Girls, who had been certain of their victory.
If someone could engineer a G1 victory while just traveling, a "Pre-Graded" race like this surely had to be a piece of cake. For him to follow her lead and talk about not knowing the result until the end... wasn't that a bit too sly?
She had facilitated his trip to England, and he had brought her back a souvenir; they were practically friends now. Speaking like that made it feel like he was treating her as an outsider.
As they spoke, the signal lights on the track turned from red to green, and the starting gates slammed open.
The Horse Girls burst forward simultaneously. The tension in the air, which had been so thick it felt physical, suddenly exploded, whipping up a surging gale! Under the pounding of iron hooves, dirt and dust erupted backward like an explosion!
Though the sound of the footsteps was chaotic, the spectators in the stands could feel a distinct, earth-shaking vibration! The cheers immediately pierced the clouds!
Within this cacophony of sound, the announcer's voice echoed clearly throughout Ohi Racecourse.
"The race has begun! A clean start for almost everyone—oh, wait! Flower of Tomorrow has missed the break and is trailing at the back! The other Horse Girls are fighting for the lead, and the one who successfully seized the front position is, as expected—!"
Amidst the slightly chaotic start, a reddish-brown figure stood out!
"Epuranu takes the lead with authority!" The announcer's voice boomed through the loudspeakers. "What an amazing start! What incredible speed! It's Epuranu! She's broken away from the pack first!"
Her running style wasn't like Oguri Cap's explosive, raw-power style that seemed to shove everything aside. Instead, it was simple, direct, and goal-oriented.
She had almost no redundant movements. Whether it was the angle of her forward lean, the arc of her arm swings, or the force of her leg thrusts—everything was dedicated to one thing: reaching and maintaining her envisioned lead pace in the shortest time possible.
In just ten seconds, Epuranu had seized the lead and begun to establish her advantage.
At this moment, Oguri Cap settled into her position according to plan. She had chosen the "Betweener" strategy again, observing the movements ahead while keeping an eye on the activity behind her.
But this time, Oguri Cap's attention was prioritized toward the very front. Her ears twitched slightly as she took a deep breath, thinking: Observe Epuranu's movements while ensuring my own condition, but maintain my own rhythm. Avoid falling into her trap.
The first time she stepped into Ohi Racecourse, Oguri Cap had noticed that the air and track conditions were completely different from Kasamatsu.
Now that the race had started, she felt the difference even more clearly. The shouts echoing through the stadium weren't just noise; they were a heavy, invisible pressure transformed from the audience's passion.
Why did some Horse Girls miss the break? Was it because they didn't work hard enough in practice? Of course not. It was because they were affected by the atmosphere and wanted to win too badly, causing them to lose control of their rhythm and make a mistake.
A Horse Girl who could carry the expectations of countless spectators and maintain her composure to achieve a perfect start even amidst the deafening roar was clearly among the best of the best.
Oguri Cap's gaze pierced through the pack, successfully capturing Epuranu's silhouette.
The girl had reddish-brown long hair similar to Maruzensky's, but she had tied it into a sharper ponytail that whipped in a nearly straight line behind her as she ran. She wore standard athletic gear, but her posture was upright, and the lines of her profile lacked Maruzensky's lazy charm, possessing instead a sharp sense of focus.
Most striking of all were her eyes. Unlike Maruzensky's clear, sky-blue eyes, Epuranu's were a calm, deep brown. At this moment, she had her eyes lowered as if she were calculating something—or perhaps like a queen presiding over her domain, her gaze fixed only on victory!
After clearing the first turn, Epuranu picked up speed.
"It's that familiar rhythm, but no one can resist this flame! Entering the backstretch, Epuranu decisively accelerates, opening a two-length gap over the pack in one breath!"
The second announcer took over: "Will anyone chase? No, just chasing is meaningless. If they fall into the rhythm Epuranu is most comfortable with, she can easily defeat her opponents using her experience."
Everyone knew this truth, but the difficulty lay in how to crack the puzzle.
Epuranu sensed the gazes from behind, but she didn't care. A Horse Girl in the lead was always being watched and targeted. It was pointless to pay too much attention to the eyes behind her; what truly deserved attention was the sound of footsteps striking right at her back.
Until that sound appeared, Epuranu wouldn't focus her main energy behind her. As a "Runner," she only had to flee to the ends of the earth! To leave all her opponents, and even the whistling wind, in her wake!
"Should I say, as expected of Maruzensky's junior?" Ritsuka could see that Epuranu's running form was terrifyingly stable. Every step carried a clear sense of rhythm, and the dirt even kicked up in uniform arcs behind her.
"Hmm?" Maruzensky made a deliberate questioning sound, as if she didn't understand why Ritsuka would say that. Yet her eyes were filled with expectant laughter, clearly wanting to know how Ritsuka would evaluate her.
Fujimaru Ritsuka answered: "Once a gap is opened, defeat is certain."
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (80 Chapters – Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────