What was happening? What was happening?
It was not just Oguri Cap—Fujimasa March also felt a powerful sense of danger, and with it, deep confusion.
Xingyun Liuge was supposed to be behind them, so why did the sensation striking at their backs feel so cold, so heavy, so oppressive?
So terrifying that it made their hearts quake.
Was that really the sort of presence a horse girl could give off?
If an ordinary horse girl had been standing here, this aura alone probably would have unsettled her so badly that she lost focus—or even slowed down on the spot.
Back in the debut race, Fujimasa March had only seen Xingyun Liuge's overwhelming dominance. She had never expected her opponent to possess such a powerful, soul-shaking aura as well.
Whether Xingyun Liuge had already mastered it before, or had gradually learned it only after debuting, it was equally terrifying either way.
Fujimasa March clenched her teeth unconsciously, and large beads of sweat rose on her forehead.
What she did not know was that this was only the aftershock of the pressure Xingyun Liuge was releasing.
The one Xingyun Liuge was truly targeting—
was Oguri Cap.
And what did it feel like for Oguri Cap, the actual "victim"?
She felt as if every hair on her body were standing on end. It was like a freezing, horrifying presence had pressed itself against her back and was slowly slithering upward along her spine like a snake.
Cold sweat instantly drenched her forehead. It streamed wildly down her cheeks, as though she had already been sprinting at top speed for an entire day.
The air itself seemed to have turned into something thick and gelatinous.
Breathing suddenly felt difficult.
She unconsciously clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, feeling as though she could clearly hear the frantic pounding of her own heart.
Then, all at once, her ears shot upright.
She felt something rushing toward her at incredible speed!
And yet, judging by the footfalls, the distance between her and Xingyun Liuge should not have changed at all.
At that moment, there came the cold metallic shriek of chain links, like a rusted anchor chain being pulled violently taut.
The sound tore through the howling air and shot straight toward Oguri Cap.
But in reality, no such metallic noise existed here at all.
There was only the rushing wind whipping past the horse girls' ears.
Everything they were hearing was an illusion shared by Oguri Cap and Fujimasa March.
Of course, from Xingyun Liuge's perspective, it was all perfectly real:
A phantom scythe formed from condensed black mist floated at her side, a chain linked to its end. It locked onto Oguri Cap and shot forward without warning.
It was like a venomous serpent crawling up from some impossibly dangerous hell into the mortal world—
sinister and vicious.
Though Oguri Cap instinctively tried to evade, how could she possibly dodge an invisible attack she could not even see coming?
Clang!
The unseen scythe struck Oguri Cap's right arm with perfect precision and locked onto it firmly.
Oguri Cap bit down hard.
She felt no pain whatsoever, nor did she sense any physical object obstructing her run, but her speed slowed all the same.
It was as though invisible chains had wrapped around her limbs, preventing her from continuing to stride freely forward.
Oguri Cap reflexively looked over her arms and legs, and the answer remained the same:
There was nothing physically hindering her.
Understanding dawned on her instantly.
It was pressure—Xingyun Liuge's aura.
That pressure was interfering with both body and mind, preventing her from running freely and stopping her from bringing out her full strength.
At this moment, only one thought remained in Oguri Cap's mind:
So strong! Xingyun Liuge… this strength is incredible!
Oguri Cap was drenched in sweat, but being the natural airhead she was, she did not think nearly as much as Fujimasa March.
She was shocked by Xingyun Liuge's strength—
and delighted by it.
That was right: the still-green Oguri Cap did not know what fear was.
All she wanted was to win.
The stronger Xingyun Liuge appeared, the happier she became.
Under those conditions, the girl's back suddenly tightened.
A tiny tremor sprang from the soles of her feet and shot rapidly upward along the beautifully defined muscles of her calves.
Her breathing turned short and hot, so intense it almost seemed visible to the naked eye.
Sweat was nearly blinding her now, and she had to lift a hand to wipe it away before the salty wetness interfered with her running.
But this was not because fear had frozen her spirit.
It was proof that her muscles, under extreme pressure, were instinctively compressing and storing power.
In the phrasing Japanese people loved most—
it was the tremor of a warrior.
Oguri Cap was excited at having encountered a formidable enemy.
Even if she probably could not beat Xingyun Liuge right now, she still could not help feeling thrilled.
At first, she had thought that being able to stand up and run was already a wonderful thing.
She had wanted to keep running forever.
But after coming to Kasamatsu Tracen, after seeing other horse girls run, she realized something:
Simply running was not enough.
Without a clear goal, she could never become stronger.
She needed a target.
...The Tokai Derby.
Oguri Cap did not really know what the Tokai Derby was, but since Fujimasa March was always going on about it, it had to be something important, right?
So that settled it.
Her goal would be to race in the Tokai Derby—
and face Xingyun Liuge head-on there.
The moment she thought that, Oguri Cap felt her steps grow lighter again.
She could run at full strength once more!
Though she had burned far more stamina than expected, judging from the distance remaining, she could still finish the race. Better to conserve a little strength now and place her hopes on a late-speed showdown in the final stretch.
Even if this was only a training race—
even if she had already seen the gap between them—
Oguri Cap was not about to give up on her will to win.
Only then did she notice something:
Xingyun Liuge's footsteps had grown much lighter, but her presence was growing stronger and stronger—
as if she had already closed right in behind her.
The phantom clatter of chains rang out once more.
This time, it was not just Oguri Cap.
Even Fujimasa March felt that invisible might!
Whoosh!
Both horse girls felt themselves caught by invisible chains striking from behind, chains filled with tremendous force, dragging them backward with brutal strength.
Their strong legs—no, the muscles of their entire bodies—could no longer produce their usual power.
At almost the exact same instant, the two horse girls let out cries of strain under the unbearable load.
Their bodies had suffered no actual injury,
but the pressure on their minds was immense.
They slowed.
And in that instant, Xingyun Liuge seized the opportunity and slipped through the gap between them to overtake both at once.
She more or less understood how Thresh worked now.
Use the skills to pressure opponents, increase their stamina consumption, even force them to lose speed—
and then victory would come easily.
It was practically the purest expression of the Rift's law of relativity:
if the enemy slows down, then that means I'm speeding up.
Xingyun Liuge could not help complaining,
"Wow, this Thresh is way too nasty, isn't he?"
The Box?
There was no need to test it anymore.
She had already reached the finish line.
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap and Fujimasa March recorded the worst times they had posted since entering school.
And that really said something—
because before this, neither of them had ever slowed down mid-race.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 26
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