Only One Year Left—I'll Become a Legendary Uma Musume!-Chapter 270: Only One Year Left—I’ll Become a Legendary Uma Musume! 2 [214] [100 STONES]
Japanese Oaks.
As the afternoon sun shone warmly upon the historic Tokyo Racecourse, all the spectators fell into a deep state of anticipation—after all, they’d gathered here precisely to see the Uma Musume they admired.
Of course, the most passionate among these spectators weren’t even in the stands at this moment; they had long gathered on either side of the path, eagerly waiting for their favorite Uma Musume to appear before them, stepping proudly onto the stage.
Naturally, Gotham Song was among the massive crowd of fans—but this time she’d wisely opted for a little disguise. Although she still felt her height and distinctive silver hair made any attempt at camouflage practically meaningless, it was still better than nothing.
Even if she was recognized, at least it was an indication of her attitude:
Sorry, but this is private time, okay? Something like that.
In any case, she watched Gentildonna emerge from the contestant tunnel, slowly passing in front of the spectators. After waving warmly at her fans, Gentildonna stepped confidently toward the presentation stage.
Things were different from the previous time. Last time, Gentildonna had been the second-most popular entrant, appearing second on stage—a psychological disadvantage, no matter how strong or confident she was.
Popularity was crucial for Uma Musume; many competitors deeply cared about their standing in this regard.
So, considering that, hadn’t Gentildonna already delivered a fierce psychological blow to her rivals before the race even began?
After all, Almond Eye had held the top popularity spot previously. But this time, it belonged solely to Gentildonna.
Gotham Song had underestimated the wild public response triggered by this tactical genius who’d burst onto the scene among the younger generation of Uma Musume—a genuine anomaly in this tactically barren field.
Or rather, she had underestimated just how dramatically the media and the public narrative could shake up the modern Uma Musume world.
Dancing Brave herself had once admitted that, back in her era, even though she’d conquered Europe through exceptional tactical brilliance, the true reason her strategies had barely gained attention was simply due to poor communications.
In that era, despite Dancing Brave’s European conquest, few people outside the spectators at the racecourse could even grasp what was unfolding—after all, most learned about Uma Musume races through newspapers back then!
Without the rapid communication channels provided by TV and the internet, even the most ingenious tactics failed to spread widely, remaining niche topics discussed by only a handful of enthusiasts.
But today’s world was completely different.
Gentildonna had already achieved a tremendous level of public exposure. Particularly after TV broadcasts had spread worldwide, even those only mildly curious were discussing her tactics.
And as a representative of this new generation of Uma Musume, showcasing an unprecedented tactical brilliance, Gentildonna’s popularity naturally surged. Even Almond Eye—with her powerful narrative as the "Brave Hero who challenges the Demon Lord"—had fallen beneath her.
Indeed, for this race, Almond Eye was the second-most popular entrant. Taking the finale spot, crowned as number one in popularity, was Gentildonna...!
Of course, third place remained unchanged—Verxina, who would surely lead the pace early on.
Utterly unsurprising in every respect.
Resting her chin thoughtfully on her hands, Gotham Song met Gentildonna’s steady gaze from across the field, her lips curling into a confident smile.
Gentildonna said nothing; she simply touched her necklace lightly, then turned gracefully and stepped onto the stage that was destined to belong solely to her today.
The presentation stage of the Japanese Oaks.
And when Gentildonna descended toward the starting gates, even Gotham Song felt an unusual flicker of tension.
What a strange sensation. Normally, whenever Gotham Song herself stood in that position, her heart remained tranquil and still. But unexpectedly, watching her own team member preparing to run stirred a rare nervousness within her.
Gotham Song carefully savored this newfound feeling. Instead of suppressing her emotions, she allowed herself to fully experience this novel tension.
Far off, Gentildonna—as always—was the first to enter the starting gates. Indeed, everyone on Team Eternal Beat had zero fear of gates; even Flightline would, at worst, hesitate briefly for just a split second.
So, would this race unfold exactly as they’d envisioned?
Gotham Song adjusted her mindset to its peak. Even though she couldn’t directly participate in determining the outcome unfolding before her, accurately recording her team member’s performance remained her essential responsibility as a Trainer. Gotham Song refused to show any negligence, no matter how slight.
Now, what rhythm would this race take?
This time, the first to break cleanly from the gate wasn’t Gentildonna—it was Verxina.
Given that she excelled at both front-running and pace-setting tactics, Verxina naturally possessed exceptional gate-start skills. For a mare of her caliber, falling behind once might count as a mistake or accident, but a second misstep was virtually impossible.
Moreover, she’d secured a favorable gate position this time: Gate 4, with Gentildonna further out at Gate 6!
Yet Gentildonna displayed no surprise at all. She followed cautiously just behind Verxina, allowing the deep-blue-haired mare to set the early pace freely.
Verxina was still not Gentildonna’s primary opponent this time. Saying this aloud might sound dismissive, but ultimately, Verxina was merely a pace-setter—not a Great Escape Uma Musume.
Therefore, an explosive burst, recklessly accelerating toward the finish line without regard for anything else, simply wouldn’t happen with Verxina—
Verxina’s stamina wasn’t sufficient to attempt something so reckless. She’d already failed over a 1600-meter course with slopes, and by comparison, maintaining such a breakneck speed for a flat 2400 meters was clearly beyond her capabilities.
Thus, regarding Verxina, all Gentildonna needed to do was maintain a steady pursuit, remaining glued firmly behind her. As long as the gap didn’t widen too far, Gentildonna could decisively blow past Verxina in the race’s final stretch.
The true critical threat was Almond Eye, lurking dangerously behind.
As usual, Gentildonna had chosen to run as a stalker for this race. But unlike the previous competition, Almond Eye didn’t linger far behind this time—she’d chosen the very same stalking strategy.
However—despite not missing the gate start—Almond Eye deliberately settled directly behind Gentildonna, tightly shadowing her, clearly benefiting from the slipstream created by Gentildonna’s robust form cutting through the wind ahead.
Superficially, Almond Eye’s actions seemed focused on conserving stamina—but in truth...
Gotham Song’s smile deepened further. Excellent. From the way this early positioning had unfolded, Gentildonna had utterly dominated this initial mental confrontation.
At first glance, Almond Eye appeared to be saving energy by staying protected from wind resistance. But the true reason behind this conservative strategy... was likely Almond Eye’s fear that Gentildonna would suddenly shift tactics once again—just like last time, when Gentildonna abruptly accelerated midway through, leaving Almond Eye with absolutely no chance to counterattack from behind.
What was truly terrifying about a tactician?
Was it the endless unpredictability their cunning strategies brought to the track, forcing you to imagine countless possibilities? Think about it carefully—facing an opponent who could pull off utterly wild maneuvers, someone whose thoughts you simply couldn’t read—sounds terrifying, doesn’t it?
Not really.
Not at all terrifying...!
In Gotham Song’s eyes, if a tactic was merely for surprise, simply considering the circumstances of the track was enough. If it was just a single-use ambush tactic, there wouldn’t be many other possibilities; one usage and done. But—
But if you abandon that one-time-only condition, choosing instead to become an Uma Musume who incorporates strategy as part of her running style, what more intricate preparations must you undertake?
Gotham Song clearly understood this. No matter when, no matter in what condition she faced Dancing Brave, she had to always guard against her sudden acceleration into a Great Escape.
This was the truly terrifying part about an Uma Musume who mastered strategy.
Tactics only influenced events on the track—but Uma Musume who truly excelled in strategy didn’t just plan for races. They deliberately cultivated habits outside their plans...
They conditioned every single Uma Musume who had ever raced them, embedding cautious habits deep into their rivals’ minds.
As for Gentildonna at this very moment—
Did Almond Eye really have no better choice? Actually, she did. But precisely because she feared Gentildonna’s earlier unpredictable acceleration, she’d been forced to discard every other option right from the start, tailing directly behind Gentildonna.
Though this wouldn’t necessarily doom Almond Eye to defeat, it inevitably pushed her toward another crucial problem.
And that was: Almond Eye now had no other choices. The instant she failed to recognize this, her only remaining path to victory became clear—
No matter what Gentildonna did next, Almond Eye had to abandon all strategy and thought, betting everything on her raw strength alone, openly and honestly overpowering Gentildonna.
Other than that, little Almond Eye, you have no options left.
Gotham Song’s lips curled upward into a huge grin. Arms crossed confidently against her chest, she leaned leisurely back in her seat, her earlier tension completely evaporated.
If you knew that we anticipated beforehand how wary you’d be of Gentildonna’s tactics—and how carefully you’d choose your current position out of caution—only to discover that our countermeasure to your fear was actually...
...No strategy at all.
Once you realize this, Miss Almond Eye, just what kind of soft, helpless expression will appear on your face?
Heh.
The gears have already bitten down, and your "mindset" has taken our shape.
This was the trap specially prepared for Almond Eye—a lethal snare she’d have no choice but to fall into.
So, what pace would the remainder of this race follow?
By the halfway mark, the general structure of the Oaks hadn’t changed: Verxina led, followed closely by Gentildonna and Almond Eye. But gradually, the announcer noticed some subtle differences.
"Gentildonna-san... seems restless?"
The changes were extremely subtle. Without sufficient experience, you’d only catch it clearly if you observed from off-track. Gentildonna was slowly adjusting her position, gradually shifting from Verxina’s trail toward the far outside of the track. Then, then...
And then, just before entering the final bend of the Oaks course, she abruptly exploded into acceleration.
This was the most skillful—and indeed, the only—small tactical arrangement specifically tailored to this race; or perhaps better described as an experience Gotham Song had imparted to Gentildonna. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
For stamina-rich Uma Musume like them, a slightly longer distance could often be beneficial. Though Gotham Song herself had never cared much about precisely where she accelerated, Gentildonna definitely required more track length to unleash her full power.
Therefore, positioning herself toward the outer lane of the track was a brilliant choice. Moreover, the true monster of stamina here was Gentildonna herself. The instant Almond Eye committed to shadowing Gentildonna’s footsteps, she’d forfeited any hope of a late-race breakout, forced now to grit her teeth and follow Gentildonna’s bold charge on the outer path.
Now answer me this, Miss Almond Eye—
In this situation, on this track, do you really think your stamina is sufficient to challenge Gentildonna?
And besides, wouldn’t accelerating from the far outside lane be an ideal choice to break away?
Verxina, if you’ve got the guts, come join us on the far outside and face me directly!
"Ohhhhh—Gentildonna-san! Gentildonna-san is on the move! She’s launched her attack! A direct challenge to overwhelm Verxina-san, choosing the far outside path to strive for ultimate victory?! And just past the halfway mark—what tremendous confidence in her own stamina to make such a bold move!"
"How will Verxina-san respond?! Will she accelerate here as well, or perhaps move out to block Gentildonna’s escape path? She accelerates! Verxina-san accelerates! But instead of matching Gentildonna on the far outside, she chooses to accelerate along the shorter, inner track! The race has barely passed halfway, yet has the decisive moment already begun?!"
This race no longer holds a voice for Verxina, Gotham Song decided decisively.
Quite daring, my junior front-runner, to face Gentildonna’s challenge this way. But surely even you realize clearly how this situation offers you zero advantages—in fact, it amplifies your weaknesses, doesn’t it?
After all, the very reason Verxina was merely a front-runner and not a Great Escape Uma Musume was precisely because of her stamina limits...
Answer me then—how exactly will you handle the remaining 1200 meters?
The answer: by exhausting all your strength, only to inevitably fade out.
This was the unavoidable fate Verxina now faced.
And what about Almond Eye...?
"Almond Eye-san has also launched her attack from nearly the same position as Gentildonna-san! But isn’t this scenario infinitely beneficial for Almond Eye-san? Could it be that Gentildonna-san truly has the absolute confidence that her stamina will completely crush Almond Eye-san? Such breathtaking arrogance—yet, judging from the outcome of the Oka Sho, perhaps she really does have the right to such confidence...!"
In the Oka Sho, what truly allowed Gentildonna to completely overwhelm Almond Eye was precisely her decisive advantage in stamina...
Gentildonna—a complete, undeniable monster of stamina—was now baring her terrifying fangs to the entire world.
Fangs named the Trial of Endurance.
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