"This is simply incredible! Orfevre and Curren Chan have now left the rest of the pack by two lengths! Two whole lengths! Something like this doesn't happen often in a race as short as this one!"
"It seems like the winner of this race will be decided between these two powerful Uma Musume. Will it be Orfevre, who returned to her Debut Race form like a miracle, or Curren Chan, the popular and talented sprinter?!"
The commentator's words signaled the climax of the race. Even though sprint races generally aren't as popular as the mainstream medium-to-long distance races, there was still a substantial amount of fans who watch them. Of course, the reason why a GIII-level race like this even had half of its audience was partly due to Curren Chan, who already had a large fan base before her Debut Race. Many people were hoping that she, who had shone brightly in Tracen Academy's mock race, would achieve victory in her first race.
After all, an Uma Musume running a GIII race as her Debut Race, even if it's a sprint race, is quite uncommon. Just this fact alone was enough to attract a large audience of non-fans to this inconspicuous race.
"To start her final spurt at the 600-meter mark... is not a wise choice considering that she's a sprinter and not a stayer."
The leaning Mr. C.B. finally straightened her back as a sign of finally taking this race seriously, while she watched Orfevre hold her own against Curren Chan, not falling behind in the slightest. She no longer looked at Orfevre as a unique and quirky junior, but a potentially worthy future opponent:
"Most short-distance Uma Musume cannot sustain a 600-meter sprint; they simply do not have the stamina to sustain their explosive acceleration for long periods of time. Therefore, these two should be evaluated based on completely different metrics, but that Curren Chan surprisingly chose to match Orfevre and went all out at just the halfway point. Though I don't know how high her stamina is, as a sprinter, she'll most likely run out of stamina near the final straight..."
"But, Teacher, Curren Chan seems like she can keep going."
Seiun Sky also gradually realized the crux of this race. At this moment, the two Uma Musume, amidst their clashing Auras, finally reached the final straight. But neither Orfevre nor Curren Chan showed any signs of tiring…
"That can only mean that Curren Chan's Trainer has trained her stamina pretty well," Mr. C.B. said, nodding slightly at the sight. "But the one that surprises me most is still Orfevre... she chose to run as a Front Runner this time and compared to Curren Chan, a sprinter, she would certainly have the upper edge in accelerating constantly throughout the 600 meters... Accelerating for 600 meters isn't that difficult for an Uma Musume that runs in medium and long races."
"But what astonishes me is that, despite going against a pretty decent sprinter like Curren Chan, her final spurt's power is not inferior to Curren Chan's in the slightest…" Mr. C.B. murmured to herself, a hint of excitement appearing in her eyes.
"Eh? Isn't it pretty normal for Orfevre's final spurt to be as powerful as other prominent Uma Musume in her year, Teacher?"
However, Seiun Sky completely missed the point of the question. Clearly, having only won a few races, she was still very green and had not yet grasped the terrifying implications of this feat. Mr. C.B. glanced at her disciple upon hearing this, then said, word for word:
"It means that she possesses both the endless stamina of a stayer and the explosive power of a sprinter. Imagine for a moment, an Uma Musume who can accelerate quickly and constantly for about a quarter of the track, without slowing down at all. Sky, try to imagine that you're racing against an Uma Musume who is able to unleash her final spurt from the third corner and then maintain that rate of acceleration and velocity all the way to the finish line. Do you understand how terrifying Orfevre can become now?"
"That's uh…"
Mr. C.B.'s words made Seiun Sky's pupils contract slightly as she finally realized just how impressive the feat Orfevre was displaying right now truly was... She really was racing against a monster back then, huh? Not only that, she was still far from her limit and is constantly growing, capable of more. One must know that the current Orfevre is essentially a neanderthal Uma Musume; her skills can still be greatly enhanced…
"Curren Chan and Orfevre have both entered the final straight! They are still neck and neck with neither of them backing down! Will they maintain this pace all the way till the end?!"
Not likely. At this moment, when Curren Chan heard the commentator's voice, she couldn't help but show a bitter smile. For she finally felt her stamina reaching its limit. Curren Chan had indeed undergone a good deal of stamina training under Ikezoe's arrangement, which significantly improved her endurance. But it still couldn't compare to a stamina monster like Orfevre.
Orfevre's stamina was simply a bottomless pit. For such a stamina monster to run a 1200-meter race was like using an entire nuclear power plant to charge a phone. She could go hog wild all she wanted without worrying about anything, but Curren Chan could not. She had to carefully plan how she spent every little drop of stamina. Unfortunately, Orfevre accelerating at the 600-meter mark threw everything into chaos, and it was simply too much for Curren Chan.
All of a sudden, the phantom that condensed around Curren Chan slowly dissipated, indicating that she had finally run out of fuel. Orfevre, however, remained just as energetic, even though she was in a terrible state.
"—Thank you, Curren Chan."
Orfevre, who already had the momentum to surpass Curren Chan, unexpectedly said this to Curren Chan, causing the nearly exhausted Curren Chan to momentarily freeze. However, Orfevre simply turned her head slightly. The fierce expression on her face still hadn't faded, but she seemed to be much more rational now, and she spoke to Curren Chan in a relatively calm manner:
"Thank you, and Ikezoe. You've both been trying to help me, and I… I've finally found the right way. I... I am very grateful that I have you to accompany me throughout all this time."
"—It's still too early for thanks, Orfevre."
Even though Curren Chan was incredibly tired, she still narrowed her eyes and, enduring the discomfort, said to Orfevre: "We aren't even at the finish line yet. If you want to thank me, why don't'cha just give me the victory~?"
"Heh, what a lame provocation. Get better rage bait material next time."
Orfevre scoffed dismissively at her words. The next moment, she pulled down her mask, and under Curren Chan's simultaneously relieved and helpless gaze, she sprinted towards the finish line once more!
"BANG!"
"ORFEVRE! ORFEVRE! ORFEVRE! ORFEVREEEEE!!!!! Orfevre accelerated once again in the final straight! This is incredible! She still has the stamina to accelerate!!!!!"
"She's pulling away from Curren Chan! She is pulling away! I repeat, she, is, pulling, awayyyyyyyy!!!!!!"
Well, Onii-chan… In this case, I guess I tried my best. Curren Chan sighed in her heart. Even if she didn't want to admit it, as an Uma Musume, her talent was too far behind a monster like Orfevre. But all of this was worth it, wasn't it? Mine and Onii-chan's efforts weren't in vain. Thinking this, Curren Chan watched Orfevre slowly pull away from her, feeling no jealousy, only a sense of relief that all their efforts finally bore fruit.
And at this moment, Ikezoe in the stands watched the revived Orfevre, his eyes, he didn't know when, had already filled with tears. This was his Orfevre! "His" Orfevre!
"Go, Orfevre!!" Ikezoe was perhaps only a single person in a sea of Orfevre fans, yet his emotion-filled voice made everyone around feel his passion.
And Orfevre seemed to hear his voice. The moment she crossed the finish line, a smile, different from her current fierce expression, appeared on her face.
You were right, Ikezoe.
This time, we won.
"AND SHE CROSSES—THE—FINISH LINEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! ORFEVRE HAS WON BY A GAP OF HALF A LENGTH AND OFFICIALLY WINS THE GIII HAKODATE JUNIOR STAKESSSS!!!!"
"Orfevre, after several months, officially makes her comeback! A grand revival! She has once again demonstrated why she is called the 'Golden Tyrant' through her dominant display this race!"
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Fun fact, after this arc, I don't believe Seiun Sky is mentioned ever again.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.