The sudden clearing of the skies sent the crowd's excitement soaring even higher. Listening to the cheers that mixed her name into the roar, Saint King Halo quietly stepped into her stall.
Seiun Sky seemed to be having trouble loading again. Tugging hard at her own tail, the horse girl still looked reluctant to enter the gate. It was instinctive fear—one of the most important feelings a horse girl possessed—and even a runner as rational as Seiun Sky found it hard to suppress in that moment.
The staff behind her were already bringing out ropes to help. Pressure from the outside world might mean nothing to an ordinary person, but for a sensitive horse girl, the force bearing down from behind was impossible to ignore. Little by little, that pressure helped Seiun Sky stabilize her nerves, and at last she stepped into the stall.
The cheers from the stands swelled even louder. All of the popular runners were now in place. Once the final two horse girls loaded, the Spring Tenno Sho—this clash of titans—would begin.
Saint King Halo could not precisely judge how many runners remained outside, but she had already finished her preparations. She was ready to break the instant the race began.
She bent slightly at the waist. She did not believe she could repeat the dazzling break she had produced last time, so instead she focused on steadying her breathing, thinking only of the position she needed after the break and what she would have to do once the race began.
Then—
The sharp blast rang out.
The last two girls had gone in so quickly that Saint King Halo had not even registered it, but because she had maintained her concentration at its absolute peak, she was already springing free the instant the gates flew open.
Another excellent break.
Even if it could not compare to the last one, Saint King Halo could see from the corner of her eye that only two or three other horse girls were even level with her.
"And they're off!"
Once again, it was Akasaka Misato's voice. The commentator's excitement instantly stirred the audience into a frenzy. Saint King Halo kept her gaze fixed ahead, her legs making only the slightest increase in pace.
One shadow after another slipped past her on either side. She did not panic. She simply settled into her search for the right position.
Noble Resonance activated: all stats +5%; can adapt to any race pace and bring out the vast majority of her true performance.
Far-Reaching Vision:
If the runner has a clear view, all stats +5%.
If there is no other runner within one body length around her, all stats +5%.
If she is hindered by factors such as pace or positioning, all stats +5%.
If she fails to gain two or more of these individual bonuses, all stats instead gain +10%, her field of vision expands, and her contact resistance increases.(Checks occur after the opening phase and at the start of the final phase.)
Might Makes Right:During the race, whenever another runner interferes with her through things like positioning or pace, a total-stat comparison occurs. If her total stats exceed theirs, she drains 5% of that opponent's maximum stamina. Each opponent may only be affected once.(During these checks, her total stats receive an additional 5% modifier.)
Halo Crest: while her competitive spirit remains intact, Guts +200.
She settled firmly into the part of the pack reserved for late runners. Just as Teraizumi had predicted, the horse girl beside her was Mejiro Bright, another runner who had deliberately chosen a vantage point from which she could observe the pack in front.
Their eyes met for a moment.
Then both of them looked away.
"The Spring Tenno Sho—the race that decides the Spring Shield—has officially begun! As expected, Seiun Sky immediately goes for the lead! But Special Week is taking up a stalking position this time, showing no intention of dropping to the rear! On the inside is Golden Journey, also choosing a forward slot as the number-two horse. Behind them is Osumi Bright. At the very front, Seiun Horizon tried to resist giving up the lead at first, but Seiun Sky has indeed taken control of the pace…"
Akasaka Misato's voice reached Saint King Halo's ears. Because the front of the field was somewhat congested, her own line of sight could not make out the full shape of things ahead. The commentary conveniently filled in what her eyes could not.
Just about the same as Trainer predicted.
Saint King Halo adjusted her line slightly outward. Normally, the rail would save every runner precious energy. But with the rain having softened the track, the deeper mud along the inside no longer offered that much advantage.
At least, that was how it felt to her.
So she did not drift any further inward. Instead, she kept herself a little to the outside, making sure that if a gap opened diagonally ahead, she would be able to shift wide in an instant.
"The field is now entering the third and fourth corners, heading toward the stands. The overall tempo is not especially fast. Seiun Sky continues to hold the pace firmly, while behind her Seiun Horizon and Special Week maintain a steady pursuit. Golden Journey follows behind them, while Goyo Lawyer and Osumi Bright sit in midpack. On the outside is Suehiro Commander, who ran well in the Hanshin Daishoten. Tucked tightly to the rail at the rear are International Sign and Lawyer Warrior."
"Saint King Halo, the fourth favorite today, has indeed chosen the late-running position she favors. This Spring Tenno Sho is very different from the Osaka Hai, and she has opted for the safest tactic. On the inside, Mejiro Bright—the defending champion—now sits in the middle-to-rear portion of the pack. Will she be able to defend her crown?"
Saint King Halo shifted outward just enough to widen her view of the field. Through the gaps between the runners ahead, she could clearly pick out Seiun Sky at the front, and at once she gauged the distance between them.
Her stamina still felt full and surging. She could not say whether she would still feel this composed by the second time they entered the third and fourth corners, but the runners ahead had clearly increased the pace a notch.
Seiun Sky's slow, deliberate build in tempo had to be intentional. But Special Week's overall ability was already strong enough that the girl clearly intended to crush everything with sheer power. She kept Seiun Sky firmly in front of her, refusing to allow any room for tricks, and Seiun Sky's running already showed hints of strain.
Of course she understood the situation had turned unfavorable for her, but with Special Week sticking to her so stubbornly, there was little she could do.
Saint King Halo's lips curved faintly.
This was exactly what she had wanted to see.
Special Week had obviously marked Seiun Sky as one of the biggest threats in the race. She and her trainer both believed that as long as they kept Seiun Sky in check and did not allow themselves to be ensnared by her schemes, then even from a forward-running position, Special Week could protect her advantage once they entered the stretch.
Even against a field containing the Mejiro family's defending champion, the new Osaka Hai winner, and a host of other girls who all seemed strong enough to claim a G1.
The fire in Saint King Halo's eyes intensified.
Her pace strengthened slightly. No one could blame them for not seeing her as a threat on Special Week's level—after all, this long distance was still not truly her domain. Even with the intensive stamina work Teraizumi had put her through, Saint King Halo herself could not honestly say exactly where her limit would lie today.
The brutal energy cost of a 2200-meter mock race meant that after back-to-back G1s in a single month, she simply could not test the full extent of her endurance in training.
She could only touch her limit here, in the race itself.
And then try to take the Spring Shield that belonged to the queen of long-distance racing.
She drew a deep breath.
Even now, despite how far they had already run, she still needed to suppress her impulse and remain calm.
She had to wait.
Wait for her moment—
and seize it.
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 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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