"Mmm-hmmm?" Maruzensky let out a playful, melodic hum. Although she had been away from the track for a long, long time, hearing such matter-of-fact praise still made her heart flutter with delight.
Perhaps it was because her mindset had always remained as youthful as a girl in her Classic year? Or perhaps it was simply because it had been far too long since she'd heard someone praise her in quite that way.
The gazes of the two remained fixed on the track, moving rapidly alongside the athletic figures of the Horse Girls.
Despite being chased by the pack and enduring constant pressure from behind, Epuranu had not been affected. She was executing her established goals perfectly. Seeing the bend looming ahead, Epuranu took a deep breath and began to decelerate.
Even a Horse Girl in her Classic year might not necessarily be able to master the technique of high-speed cornering, let alone a rookie in her debut year.
Even so, Epuranu's lead remained commanding. The gap between her and second place held at a steady three horse-lengths. As long as she safely navigated the upcoming arc and the final turn, she could all but reach out and claim victory.
At the thought of the legendary Maruzensky watching her, Epuranu felt a surge of exhilaration. She could hardly wait to dedicate this victory to her senior!
However, Epuranu failed to notice that a certain Horse Girl named Oguri Cap had not slowed down in response to the pack's early deceleration. Maintaining her initial speed, Oguri began passing opponent after opponent on the outside.
As she hit the curve, Oguri Cap refused to ease off. She bore the brunt of the centrifugal force, her breathing growing ragged under the extra strain. Yet, her stride did not falter in the slightest. She immediately began adjusting her breathing, bracing herself for the next stage of the challenge.
She thought: The Trainer's strategy is sound. I tested it in practice—as long as I maintain this state...
A sharp light flickered in the girl's deep blue eyes. Her gaze swept past the Horse Girls blocking her path, finally locking onto Epuranu at the very front.
"I... will catch you!" Oguri Cap gritted her teeth, the dark flickers of competitive fire dancing once more in the depths of her pupils.
She could feel it clearly—her soul and her body were urging her on, pushing her to bite onto Epuranu's tail and snatch victory from her grasp!
"?!" In that instant, Epuranu felt an invisible weight. She could sense a sudden, peculiar aura appearing behind her, a presence staring fixedly at her back, hungering for the win!
Where is this coming from? It wasn't there a moment ago.
A faint sense of dread spread through Epuranu's heart. She instinctively held her breath, her nerves tightening as she searched for the source of this aura. But the sound of footsteps from behind was too cluttered, too chaotic. She couldn't distinguish the specific source in such a short time; she couldn't lock onto her rival.
Frustration rose like a wildfire, "burning" through the girl's composure. Fine beads of sweat quickly surfaced on her forehead and rolled down, nearly blurring her vision. Epuranu gave a silent sigh of irritation, gritted her teeth, and wiped the sweat away with a quick swipe of her hand.
Oguri Cap was oblivious to Epuranu's mental state. At this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice echoed in her mind with the clarity of a timely bell:
"The track at Ohi is much wider than at Kasamatsu, and the bends are both gentler and longer. When you reach the combination of turns before the final straight, most Horse Girls will choose to hug the inside rail to conserve energy. However, that is where the centrifugal force is felt most acutely, forcing them to slow down."
"Oguri, compared to the other runners, your advantages are your power, your physical flexibility, and your superior body control. Move to the wide outside early. Use the gentler arc of the outer path to carry your speed through the entire turn combination. The cost is the extra distance covered and higher stamina consumption, but the reward is precious time."
Oguri Cap took a deep breath, thinking: Yes, it's now! Right here!
The girl's body leaned slightly outward. She didn't lurch into a lane change; instead, she moved outward with a slow, steady determination. She didn't accelerate immediately, either. First, she adjusted her breathing, allowing every muscle in her body to prime itself for the coming explosion.
The announcer, focused entirely on Epuranu's performance, failed to notice Oguri's maneuver. The other Horse Girls were the same; they were focused on the track ahead of them, lacking the energy to monitor the wide outside lanes.
Epuranu tried her best to check her surroundings with her peripheral vision, but she saw nothing. This caused her to click her tongue inwardly: Tch, whatever. Once I clear this turn, the rest of the race is mine. If someone can catch up, let them try. I won't lose!
Epuranu's body tilted slightly as she rounded the bend, her right foot slamming into the ground as she poured power into her muscles. Even though she was drenched in sweat, a defiant smile appeared on her face. She thought: Victory is mine!
But at that exact moment, Epuranu felt an unusual wind—a gale rushing up from behind.
"!" The girl's tension hit its peak instantly.
"Oguri Cap? It's Oguri Cap!" The announcer, who had been overly focused on Epuranu, finally spotted Oguri's movement. "She's launching an attack from the wide outside! She's caught Epuranu! The two Horse Girls are neck and neck!"
He even whispered a quick question to his colleague: "Wait, is that even possible?"
How on earth had Oguri Cap caught up? She was back in third-to-last or something at the start, wasn't she?
They hadn't noticed how she did it, but they knew what they had to do now.
"The final straight is right ahead! The two Horse Girls burst out of the turn together! Whose final spurt will reign supreme? Or will a new assassin emerge to push this fierce duel to even greater heights?!"
Following his shout, the stadium erupted into a wall of noise and cheering. Some screamed for Epuranu, while others roared for the visiting Oguri Cap. The two "camps" merged into a singular, chaotic atmosphere.
Epuranu's expression twisted slightly from the sheer force of her effort, while Oguri Cap's eyes flashed with a cold, piercing light. The other Horse Girls had been left in the dust; this race had transformed into a duel belonging only to them!
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (80 Chapters – Ongoing)
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