Only One Year Left—I'll Become a Legendary Uma Musume!-Chapter 278: Only One Year Left—I’ll Become a Legendary Uma Musume! 2 [222]
Acting swiftly was always Gotham Song’s best virtue.
Well, occasionally there were moments when she’d hesitate and back down—but how to put it? Those weren’t because she didn’t want to act; rather, they were instinctive self-restraints triggered by the sense that doing so would genuinely put her life in danger.
In any case, faced with such a peaceful decision, Gotham Song naturally had no reason to hesitate. She quickly sought out Almond Eye, whom she’d seen only yesterday, but... well, how to put it?
The place and manner of their meeting—and the scene she encountered—left Gotham Song particularly puzzled.
She found Almond Eye at the Tokyo Racecourse, repeatedly sprinting down the track of the recently concluded Oaks, as if chasing after her past self, as if pursuing the now-absent Gentildonna, as if determined to settle the score with that rival from her memory.
Gotham Song found it hard to articulate the feeling she had upon witnessing this scene—it truly exceeded her imagination.
She’s already moved on so quickly...? From the defeat in that race...?
Yet, it seemed Almond Eye was still bothered by the outcome. Of course, caring deeply about winning and losing was a good thing. After all, immersing oneself in the race rather than in grief or sadness meant she was already starting to move beyond the shadows of defeat, facing tomorrow and the future, right?
Right now, all she needed was a little more time.
From a spot unnoticed by Almond Eye, Gotham Song watched her running, and as a legend herself, quickly picked up on something subtle.
The way Almond Eye ran... it felt strangely familiar in every sense. Familiar, yet also somehow foreign...?
Of course, the familiarity was due to Almond Eye’s running style triggering Gotham Song’s sense of déjà vu, but the strangeness came from...
Almond Eye wasn’t using her usual running style at all...?
Gotham Song had thoroughly studied Almond Eye, of course. Setting aside her being an opponent of her team’s own Uma Musume, Almond Eye was simply unavoidable if one kept track of the current racing scene in Japan. She was their singular rising star.
Typically, Almond Eye ran as a chaser or stalker, though she was obviously quite adaptable. Simply put, Almond Eye was a rather versatile Uma Musume when it came to running styles, so no matter how she ran, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising.
After all, she had showcased skill and talent in every style—except front-running...
But at this moment, Almond Eye’s form on the track wasn’t anything she’d ever shown publicly before.
Since it wasn’t chasing or stalking... it had to be front-running, right?
Yes... and no.
Precisely speaking, Almond Eye was indeed front-running, but...
This was unmistakably the style of a Great Escape?!
Almond Eye was actually using the Great Escape strategy during the Oaks?!
Moreover, this form, hmm...
Gotham Song had a ridiculously absurd thought.
The running style Almond Eye was employing—or rather, imitating on the track—seemed suspiciously like her own Great Escape style, the style of Gotham Song herself, who was Gentildonna’s trainer?!
This girl... was actually doing something like this?!
Upon realizing this, Gotham Song had to frankly admit that her interest in Almond Eye was now fully piqued. It was inconceivable that someone would genuinely see her as a model to imitate...
Then, if this current Almond Eye had actually run in the Oaks, what would the story look like?
The race would begin. Considering positions and differences in gate-breaking speed, Almond Eye would probably seize a favorable spot. After all, this girl’s intuition and understanding of the track weren’t poor—on the contrary, she was quite strong in that regard.
Gentildonna would still have an advantage here, obviously, but...!
Despite Gentildonna’s advantage, the positional difference between the two would offset that gap. Almond Eye would claim the lead ahead of Gentildonna, securing a strategically beneficial position on the track.
Usually, front-runners took the lead primarily to control the race and set themselves up to win—but for a Great Escape runner, such considerations were entirely irrelevant. A true Great Escape Uma Musume unleashed her full strength right from the start, even accelerating further, recklessly, whenever she deemed it necessary.
The essence of the Great Escape strategy was...!
Ignore everyone else. See nothing but oneself and the finish line—that’s all there was to it.
Gotham Song was naturally familiar beyond familiar with this racing style. After all, she could confidently claim herself the greatest Great Escape specialist alive, and probably no Uma Musume would dispute that.
In the eyes of a Great Escape runner of her caliber, Almond Eye’s first half of the race would at least go very smoothly.
No other Uma Musume could challenge her in the opening stage. She wouldn’t face any of the usual complications. She’d simply charge forward, forward, relentlessly forward...!
In reality, Almond Eye’s stamina would eventually falter—while she had sufficient strength and endurance for regular front-running, she was still severely inadequate to sustain a true Great Escape. Wasn’t insufficient stamina precisely why she had lost in the Oaks, unable to support her final explosive push?
But at least, during the first half of the race, such issues wouldn’t become obvious. Although leading from the front and bearing the brunt of wind resistance would drain more energy, and although Almond Eye’s higher running posture and fuller figure compared to Gotham Song would further tax her stamina, even so...
One important fact had to be considered: Almond Eye’s stamina had already suffered additional losses during the actual race!
Because of Gentildonna’s sudden acceleration and abrupt shift to the far outside lane during the final bend, Almond Eye had incurred unexpected stamina expenditures...!
So, if these extra stamina expenditures from the original scenario were compared to those required by the current Great Escape scenario, the difference was likely negligible—at least in Gotham Song’s eyes.
Almond Eye’s smooth run would last until the race’s greatest turning point—the fateful final bend.
By this stage, Gentildonna might’ve chosen to remain cautiously positioned within the leading group, confident her opponent lacked the stamina to finish a true Great Escape. Such extreme physical demands would simply be a fantasy for Almond Eye.
So, in such a scenario, Gentildonna wouldn’t be anxious at all. She would cautiously maintain a safe, moderate distance from the lead, but...!
Verxina wouldn’t think this way, right?
Originally, Verxina planned to front-run in this race. Even if she initially lagged behind due to positional factors, she absolutely wouldn’t let slip a perfect overtaking opportunity presented by the final bend, would she?
And indeed, Gotham Song clearly saw that the instant Almond Eye entered that critical bend, she dramatically accelerated, as if being chased from behind by some ferocious, rampaging beast.
But it wasn’t a beast.
It was just a brave warrior clad in deep blue...
But in the end, Verxina’s challenge wouldn’t succeed, right? Because clearly, even though Almond Eye’s stamina would already have been thoroughly squeezed dry by this point, she still wasn’t weak enough to crumble here. At most, she had simply activated her final kick about a thousand meters too early.
Yet, even with her last reserves tapped prematurely, this stubborn, inexperienced, yet unwavering Uma Musume was still far, far from the point of giving up...
Once again, Gotham Song witnessed the flames blazing within Almond Eye. Those dazzling colors seemed capable of overwhelming everything, her potential reignited once more as she faced off against her imaginary enemy.
Even if the opponent was only in her imagination, even if failure was already certain, Almond Eye still refused to lose...!
No matter how many times, even if it wasn’t a real race—she still wanted to win every last one!!
Gotham Song heard Almond Eye’s clear, furious shout, tinged with profound unwillingness but even more filled with the determination to declare her existence to this racecourse, to this world—loud enough to shake the heavens!
But even so, Almond Eye’s situation was hardly ideal.
Gotham Song rose from her spot, walking toward the finish line.
Verxina naturally couldn’t break through Almond Eye’s blockade. After all, even though Almond Eye’s endurance had already reached its limit, by the time Verxina had finally reached her own peak speed, there was no longer a bend for her to use to overtake. Thus, the imaginary Verxina faced Almond Eye’s stubborn defense, though Almond Eye herself could no longer sustain a true Great Escape.
For another Uma Musume similarly lacking in stamina, this kind of blockade was a cruel fact to confront—there was simply no hope of breaking through...
But—!
There was still a completely unstoppable endurance monster in this race...
It would probably happen around six hundred meters from the finish line, right?
Just when Almond Eye glimpsed the dawn of victory, Gentildonna would likewise issue her own challenge...
Rosy brilliance shredded through the barricade of flames, barging unapologetically into Almond Eye’s entire world. At the moment when she was too occupied blocking Verxina to react, Gentildonna would decisively and indisputably surge forward from the far outside, beyond Almond Eye’s reach, and claim victory...
Uwaa, thinking about it carefully, my own Uma Musume are truly cruel in every sense of the word... Just how on earth did things end up like this? Gotham Song genuinely couldn’t figure it out.
In any case, Almond Eye was clearly aware of this as well. Gotham Song could plainly see her gritting her teeth, squeezing out every last bit of her strength—pressing herself until her body trembled slightly—yet still barely maintaining her speed, faster and faster!
So fast that she seemed ready to tear her own body apart, trying to leave behind issues like insufficient stamina and failure, even if only to seize first place in this private world of hers to comfort herself.
But reality was cruelly unforgiving. Just a hundred meters before the finish, Almond Eye ultimately couldn’t hold on any longer. She wobbled and collapsed, tears finally gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Even in her own imagined world, was failure still such an inevitable outcome?
Of course, Almond Eye could easily deceive herself, couldn’t she?
She could tell herself: if she had one more chance at the Oaks, she’d definitely claim a better position at the start, she definitely wouldn’t follow too closely behind Gentildonna and unnecessarily waste extra stamina—then perhaps she’d actually have a shot at victory?
Yet ultimately, even with such unwillingness in her heart, all Almond Eye could do was slow herself down as best as she could, making her fall onto the ground as gentle as possible...
Ah, whatever—if I’m lying on the ground, then so be it. Whether filthy or pathetic, or whatever anyone wants to call it... please just let me rest here a bit.
This was what Almond Eye thought. Falling face-first onto the track, she was first greeted by the smell of soil and grass. Since maintenance hadn’t been done after the race, the turf at Tokyo Racecourse was completely overturned, exposing clear traces of dirt.
But... saying something weak like that really doesn’t suit me at all...
Almond Eye firmly reminded herself.
You lost. A loss is a loss. There’s no good excuse.
Could it be that Almond Eye was such a weak Uma Musume?
"Of course not, right?"
"Ah, of course not... Eh?"
Before Almond Eye could even process what was happening, her body—which had been lying softly and immobile on the grass—was suddenly gripped beneath her ribs by a pair of gentle hands. With a smooth motion, the Uma Musume who’d collapsed on the grass was brought back into the sunlight.
Those hands were truly gentle... Almond Eye didn’t even feel any pain from her hair being pulled or pressed down. Before she fully realized what was happening, her body had been lightly lifted off the ground, and the very next second, her head rested perfectly atop a pair of soft, joined thighs.
Gazing upward through her half-obscured vision, what exactly did Almond Eye see?
She saw Gotham Song smiling gently down at her.
"Alright, don’t say anything yet. If you open your mouth now, you’ll end up eating mud, little kitten."
Almond Eye saw Gotham Song produce a handkerchief from beneath her skirt, slowly wiping away the dirt from her face with the soft cloth bearing her embroidered name. First, the corners of her eyes, then her forehead, the sides of her nose, and finally beneath her chin. Only after the feeling of dirt had completely vanished from her face did Almond Eye dare lift her hand, gently grasping Gotham Song’s wrist.
"Am I... dreaming?"
"Ara, am I the kind of character who can appear in Almond Eye’s dreams without it seeming strange to you?"
Er... Almond Eye? Why did you suddenly go quiet? Don’t tell me that’s actually true... No... it can’t be, right?
"How much... did you see?"
"Hmm, hard to say? Probably from the moment you broke out of the gates, I think."
Gotham Song sighed lightly, deciding to be straightforward... Ah, forget it. I already promised Symboli Rudolf; could I possibly back out at this point?
Even though she was no hero, she couldn’t possibly say something cowardly when facing such a fragile little kitten, right?
"Almond Eye."
"Hmm...?"
"Join Central Tracen, and let me be the one to train you."
"..."
Yes, yes, yes, ah, a bit too yes—but although she could happily shout agreement in her heart, for some inexplicable reason, Almond Eye’s heart was racing so loudly she couldn’t force a single word out...
How irritating—the pounding of my heart, and these strange emotions right now.
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