[No. 6 Miho Bourbon leads for now, with No. 7 Stardust Illusion tight behind. A small gap back to No. 2 Taiki Shuttle.]
[Then No. 5 Mejiro McQueen and No. 1 Narita Brian with little between them, and a further gap to No. 3 Hishi Amazon and No. 4 Gold Ship. They're already on the first backstretch!]
[O—h! Entering the straight, Miho Bourbon accelerates at once! No. 7 Stardust Illusion follows without hesitation!]
[They're choosing to press from the very start—are they building an early advantage? The gap to Taiki Shuttle is over three lengths now; holding this would be the usual choice…]
[Wait—neither is easing! The speed is still rising—this is all-out escape!]
[By the Three Goddesses—Team Draco's pair have both opted for all-out escape! Running on a line, Bourbon ahead and Stardust Illusion glued just behind—like a Shinkansen at full throttle!]
[They're gone! So fast—too fast!!!]
["Oguri Cap II" Stardust Illusion has opened more than seven lengths on Taiki Shuttle before anyone can even process it!!!]
In the stands, the commentary's roar lit a fuse under the crowd.
Few things thrill like an all-out escape. No one held back their passion now.
Most had come expecting a duel between Central's new powerhouse Team Spica and old guard Team Rigil.
No one expected the two rookies from "make-up-the-numbers" Team Draco to play a card before either of the big squads could shine—and to play it like this.
If front-running is a high art that demands experience—judging the field, rationing strength—then all-out escape, which looks superficially similar, belongs to a different world.
From the opening step, you burn like there's no tomorrow, fling the entire field behind in the first three waves, and pray. The level of physique required is brutal.
Remember the legendary cross-dimension runner Silence Suzuka—her all-out escape shredded a leg and nearly ended her career.
So you rarely see it in classic-grade events. Stardust Illusion had done it once in a "maiden" style race, but those foes were not this caliber.
And precisely because the opposition today looked like demons in human form, because the pair still chose to go all-out and die if they must—their guts and their faith in themselves made them the brightest stars on the track, drawing every eye and heart.
It was a feast for the senses. Whatever happened next, the crowd could only raise their fists and bellow for the two who dared the impossible:
"Oooooooh—go, go!!!"
———————————————
This is… Heartbreaker.
Tucked in behind Bourbon, Stardust Illusion remembered Hushan Feihong's words.
"You two do trail the others in true strength. That must be faced. To win, besides normal means, you need teamwork."
Pointer in hand before the blackboard, Feihong spoke calmly:
"For Uma Musume, strategy permeates the entire race. Where do you hold position? Where do you build speed? Where do you pass? Where do you launch the final sprint?
"If you don't answer these, you risk early blow-ups or late kicks that come too late. Strategy is the race's heart.
"So—you both run an all-out escape from the gun and blow up everyone else's rhythm!
"In a short race, they dare not let you open five lengths by the finish—the end phase is too brief. Even with huge late speed, they can't defy distance. Do you see?"
Stardust Illusion looked at Feihong, then sideways at impassive Miho Bourbon, and asked:
"But if we go all-out, our own pacing is wrecked. Doesn't it come back to strength in the end?"
Feihong tapped the pointer at her:
"You're right. That's why we're not just escaping, we're double all-out escaping.
"You're both specialists up front. Bourbon will tow you through the first half and break the wind—then you pass and unleash your finishing gear.
"Because someone leads, even an all-out escape won't drain you as fast; you'll have enough to perform to your limit in the latter part. The others, however, will be forced off their plans—they'll burn stamina, lose speed, and even crack mentally.
"That is the full picture of Heartbreaker—after that, cards fall where they may: your strength versus theirs!"
"But then… won't Bourbon definitely blow up?"
"This is a team race!"
Feihong's pointer cracked the board with a sharp pop.
"A squad of Uma Musume working so that one of them reaches the top of the podium—that's what separates team battles from individual races.
"Watch the Three Goddesses' Dream Cup—you'll see plenty of this.
"And I asked Bourbon. Right?"
Bourbon nodded, face blank:
"Affirmative. I will carry out Master's orders. If victory is the goal, any task is acceptable."
"So, Stardust Illusion—you are our true finisher. I've carved you the fairest battlefield I can. From here…"
"…it's all on me."
Stardust Illusion pounded along.
Bourbon ahead still ran like a finely machined runner, every motion exact, leading and breaking the wind for the teammate tucked under her tail.
Stardust Illusion felt fine. Raw sprinting had been her emphasis since meeting her trainer.
And the whole course was roaring for their all-out escape. That storm of sound was the best tonic she'd known since her debut.
Her body felt light. Running with a comrade like this—thrilling!
She felt like a gale, being pulled forward by Bourbon.
Nothing to think about. With everyone behind, all she had to do was keep stepping and show her whole, full-speed self.
Each stride poured all her strength into the turf. Her muscles screamed; even the organs in her chest trembled.
But she trusted that the runners behind were suffering worse.
Choosing all-out escape and holding the lead meant less drain and less beating than those forced to ditch their tactics and chase. That was the all-out escape's greatest meaning—and Feihong's open-book conspiracy:
Shatter the heart—the rhythm—of everyone, strong or weak, and drag them into the runaway. That was Heartbreaker's true aim.
And then—on the battlefield Feihong gave her—Stardust Illusion would fight for real.
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