Chapter 189: A Familiar Burst Front Running Figure
Makoto had only been making a casual remark, but beside him, the somber-faced Manhattan Cafe replied in a low voice:
"Yasui-san, you are not wrong. She's always been like that. Even after retiring, she didn't change— no, if anything, her condition actually worsened after retirement."
Hearing Manhattan Cafe describe her friend's frenzy as a condition, Makoto couldn't help but chuckle.
"But there's no need to worry about her. She'll be back to normal soon…"
Taking a sip of her coffee, Manhattan Cafe narrowed her golden eyes, sweeping her gaze across the track.
"It's just a sudden change. The other competitors haven't reacted yet, so…"
"The race from here on should slow down."
Makoto paused for a moment, then quickly composed himself and focused his attention back on the track.
Just as Manhattan Cafe had said, the pack of racers "slow down."
Not in terms of speed.
Like a black gale, at the very front of the race, Kitasan Black continued to race alone down the track.
Her short black hair and long tail streamed wildly in the wind, stretched by the powerful airflow into two black banners, each flutter releasing a sharp, whistling roar.
Her posture was light yet powerful. In her rapid rhythm, the flowing rise and fall of muscles all over her body could be faintly seen.
Every step she took was solid and forceful. Her alternating strides left behind two overlapping afterimages, giving the uncanny impression that she was becoming one with the track itself.
She was now passing through the opening straight directly in front of the grandstands. The thunderous bang, bang of her footfalls slammed into the ground before vanishing in an instant.
Only after that did the pursuers come into view.
What had "slowed" was the group formed by the fourteen competitors behind her.
Even though they flashed past the stands in a moment, the nearest racer could still be seen wearing serious, focused expressions. Fine beads of sweat dotted their foreheads, their eyes filled with frustration and stubborn resolve.
At the same time, however, there was a sense of hesitation hanging about them.
At Nakayama Racecourse, the straight after the break in the 2200-meter race wasn't short at all. The distance to the first turn was a full 400 meters; even just to the entry of the turn was over 300 meters.
At the speed the racers were running now, covering those 300-plus meters would take roughly eighteen to nineteen seconds—or perhaps a little more, just over nineteen seconds.
By the time the pack had already run through more than half of the approach to the first turn, there was still no movement behind Kitasan Black. That could only mean one thing: the other runners were hesitating.
And that was Kitasan Black's opportunity.
"As expected, it's settled down," Makoto said, making a quick judgment and nodding in satisfaction. "If no one closes in after they enter the turn, Kitasan's advantage will be secured."
Beside him, Manhattan Cafe nodded as well.
"Burst Front Running… it's truly rare. Hesitation is only natural."
She offered the opinion quietly. Watching Kitasan Black's back as she gradually entered the turn, Manhattan Cafe narrowed her eyes and carefully studied the angle of her lean, the length of her strides, the swing of her arms, and the rhythm of her breathing. A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"For some reason, Kitasan Black's way of running like this—"
"—It feels very familiar."
All of a sudden, Agnes Tachyon—who had looked completely unhinged just moments ago—cut in.
Just as Manhattan Cafe had said, she had returned to normal now. Like her friend, she pinched her chin and narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Kitasan Black.
"Yeah… it really feels like I've seen this on someone before. Who was it again…?"
Manhattan Cafe frowned, muttering rapidly as she searched her memory.
"Ines Fujin-senpai? No, her starts weren't that explosive…
"Mihono Bourbon-senpai… her speed doesn't feel as stable as this.
"Smart Falcon… no, that's not right either. She runs mainly on dirt…"
"So then—"
"—No need to think about it. I'll just tell you the answer." Agnes Tachyon cut in sharply.
"Silence Suzuka."
"I asked Scarlet before—during Kitasan Black training camp, Silence Suzuka-senpai helped her out quite a bit. Rice Shower-senpai too."
"So it was Silence Suzuka-senpai…"
A look of realization crossed Manhattan Cafe's face, but she quickly frowned again. "There is some resemblance, but—"
"—But it's not exactly the same."
Once again, Agnes Tachyon interrupted.
"Suzuka-senpai's Burst Front Running is the ultra–high-speed type. Kitasan Black's top speed isn't anywhere near that level."
"The reason she can open up such a big lead is partly that explosive power out of the gates, and partly because her opponents were completely unprepared. Honestly, I don't think anyone expected her to use Burst Front Running in this race."
"If we're really talking about whose front running style it resembles more, I'd say…"
She paused—but didn't bother building suspense. A hint of her familiar madness surfaced in her eyes again, mixed with deep contemplation.
"Sakura Bakushin O-senpai."
"It's similar."
"Too similar."
"Her speed hasn't reached its limit yet, but this incredible power… it's just too much like Sakura Bakushin O-senpai!"
Her tone grew excited once more.
"Speed, stamina, power— putting everything else aside, these are the most fundamental things. And our ultimate limit is when speed, stamina, and power all reach their peak at the same time!"
"I've known for a long time that Kitasan Black's power is extraordinarily strong, and her stamina is rare even among the rare. What she's always been missing is speed—just speed…"
"Just the speed that can be forced, by any means necessary, all the way to its limit!"
"I thought that brat couldn't pull it off. Never imagined it—never imagined it…"
"Kukukuku… truly… completely unexpected! Kukukuku!"
She suddenly flung her arms upward. Her long sleeves traced two dramatic arcs through the air like a stage performance, and she let out a strange laugh that drew sidelong glances from those around them. Then, with her arms still spread wide, Agnes Tachyon abruptly froze.
A moment later—
"Ahem. It's quite hot today. Yasui-san, you must be thirsty. I have some black tea here—would you like some?"
In an eerily similar motion, she flicked her sleeve, and a cup of tea appeared in Agnes Tachyon's hand.
Holding it out with a gentle smile, she looked at Makoto with an expression of pure innocence.
…So, what kind of memory-erasing drug did you put in that tea?
And that "brat" just now—you were talking about me, weren't you?
You expect me to drink that suspicious thing?
His attention had been on the race, but Makoto couldn't just ignore what Agnes Tachyon had said. He shot her an irritated look.
Still, the "brat" comment and the suspicious tea weren't what truly bothered him.
What truly mattered was Agnes Tachyon's analysis just now.
Kitasan Black's speed really wasn't her strong suit—and even now, after her debut and many official races, that hadn't changed.
A "strength" like that could be compared vertically with her seniors, but in the Twinkle Series, what mattered more was horizontal comparison.
Among her own generation, many racers could run faster than Kitasan Black—and there were even more in the senior ranks.
But Kitasan Black's power and stamina were the complete opposite.
Whether compared to her peers or to her seniors, her power and stamina could absolutely be called top-tier.
From the very beginning of guiding Kitasan Black, Makoto had been clear about his approach.
He would do everything possible to make her strengths even stronger, while doing his utmost to compensate for her so-called weakness of "being slow."
Day after day of training. Race after race.
That approach still hadn't reached its perfect form.
But even so—even before it reached perfection—the Kitasan Black of this moment had already reached the absolute limit among all the racers in this race.
And that, perhaps, was the reason behind Agnes Tachyon's earlier—and current—madness.
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