""Symboli Rudolf is still maintaining his lead, followed closely by T.M. Opera O!""
""The gap between the two Racehorses and the rest is widening! They have just passed the second corner and are now heading towards the third and final corner!""
Going back to Wada's perspective, T.M. Opera O beneath him had completely stabilized.
She had rediscovered her rhythm and was steadily closing the gap with Symboli Rudolf.
Although the progress was slow, it was undeniable.
Not only that, Symboli Rudolf had been a little too overconfident when trying to display her dominance as the Emperor.
Thus, though she had originally intended to run as a Front Runner, she was actually currently running as a Runaway.
And as a Runaway, Symboli Rudolf's stamina consumption quickly became apparent, already showing signs of fatigue.
Now, the gap between T.M. Opera O and Symboli Rudolf was roughly about two lengths, and this gap was continuously shrinking.
Should they overtake now? Such a thought surfaced in Wada's mind but was quickly dismissed by him.
They had only just passed the second corner, and T.M. Opera O's best acceleration point was at the third corner.
Since T.M. Opera O isn't running as a Runaway and the Arima Kinen was also within T.M. Opera O's preferred distance, they probably won't have to build up distance with the others.
Therefore, all they needed to do was to conserve stamina while ensuring that Symboli Rudolf didn't pull too far ahead.
—At least, that was what Wada had originally thought.
But right at that moment, Symboli Rudolf, who they were slowly getting closer to, suddenly made a move that caught Wada off guard.
""AND SYMBOLI RUDOLF MAKES HIS MOVE!!! HE IS ACCELERATING! HE IS ACCELERATING!""
""They've only reached the halfway point of the race and Symboli Rudolf is already accelerating! He's quickly pulling away from the rest of the Racehorses!""
...
"Symboli Rudolf has accelerated even though they've only reached the halfway point of the race! The gap between her and T.M. Opera O has widened! It's back to two lengths!"
"You're not afraid of my Aura... This is truly unexpected."
Symboli Rudolf sprinted with increasing speed through the racecourse.
The view in front of her was unobstructed, and the final corner was quickly approaching.
Symboli Rudolf knew that she had been overconfident this time, choosing a strategy she wasn't even good at.
Her ever reliable Zone and Aura had also been rendered ineffective. It was the equivalent of taking away her strongest weapons.
But even so, Symboli Rudolf had no intention of ceding her position.
She had said that she came to fight T.M. Opera O with all her might. If she no longer has her Aura and Zone, she'll use her mind and body!
She didn't become the Emperor solely through Aura and Zone; her skills and strength were things that also surpassed all others!
"T.M. Opera O's two stage final spurt is very impressive; even I might lose to it. But even final spurts like hers have their limits."
"All I have to do is to widen the distance! If I win before she fully executes her two stage final spurt, I win. If she sprints too early on to catch up, she won't have enough stamina to effectively use her final spurt and I'll win too!"
After confirming the soundness of her strategy, Symboli Rudolf quickly got into the zone, mentally ignoring every other Uma Musume in this race.
She also disabled her Zone; it consumed too much of her stamina, which was a resource she was in dire need of right now.
All that was left was her flesh, blood, mind, and Aura.
"Now— bear your eyes upon the allmighty power of the Emperor!"
Symboli Rudolf's eyes suddenly sharpened, and her entire being surged forward!
In mere moments, the gap between herself and T.M. Opera O alongside the other Uma Musume quickly began to widen more and more.
"She has started her final spurt in the mid-section. Should we chase her now, Ryuji?"
T.M. Opera O was also startled by Symboli Rudolf's strategy, but she knew that for Rudolf to play this card in this situation, it meant that she was on the ropes.
Symboli Rudolf was essentially gambling that she'll have enough stamina to carry herself all the way to the finish line. It was a true final resort measure to counter T.M. Opera O's final spurt.
On the other hand, while T.M. Opera O felt that she could easily catch up to her, it might end up consuming too much of her stamina.
By the time they reached the final 50 meters of the final straight, she might not have the stamina for a second acceleration, and simply maintaining her speed would be incredibly challenging.
But this all hinges on the ultimatum Symboli Rudolf made, whether the Emperor had the required stamina... T.M. Opera O didn't know.
Thus, this time, T.M. Opera O entrusted the decision to Wada Ryuji.
"So, should we chase her, Ryuji?"
...
""The gap between Symboli Rudolf and the rest is constantly widening! And T.M. Opera O is not accelerating either!""
""However, T.M. Opera O's speed is increasing! Is he readying to sprint?!""
Should they sprint now? Facing this question, Wada suddenly recalled his two major mistakes in the Japanese Derby and Kikuka Sho.
In the first one, he accelerated too early, and in the other one, he accelerated too late, both causing victory to be lost to them forever.
And... in this Arima Kinen all those years ago, the former T.M. Opera O had also lost this victory due to consecutive races before, leading to insufficient rest and reduced stamina.
But this time around, T.M. Opera O has had an ample amount of rest time, and she didn't have to face against Special Week and Grass Wonder.
Instead, there was the even stronger Symboli Rudolf, and the entire situation of the race was different too.
So, should he trust T.M. Opera O, or himself?
...
*—No, now is not the time to let it all out, not yet.*
*Just a little more, just a little more...!*
Wada Ryuji repeatedly said it to himself to not get nervous.
He took deep breaths as he fixed his 'eyes' on Symboli Rudolf.
*Just wait, just wait...!*
...
"AND SHE'S THROUGH! Symboli Rudolf has just passed the final corner with T.M. Opera O hot on her trail! Can T.M. Opera O make a comeback?!!!"
"*NOW!*" X2
In that instant, Wada and T.M. Opera O simultaneously shouted in their hearts!
Since Symboli Rudolf was gambling, it was only fair for him to gamble in return.
Wada bet that, regardless of whether Symboli Rudolf had enough stamina or not, T.M. Opera O accelerating at the final corner— her best acceleration point, will be enough to catch up to Symboli Rudolf at the final straight!
However, this bet was purely based on theory, and there was a huge difference between theory and reality.
Therefore, whether T.M. Opera O could unleash her final spurt at the right timing depended on how Wada conveyed his strategy to T.M. Opera O, meaning— it all depends on him.
Wada forced himself to calm down, and then kicked T.M. Opera O's body with his 'feet', whipping her at the same time to signal T.M. Opera O to run.
Run! Run, T.M. Opera O!
This is our last shot at this! Whether we can win depends entirely on this moment!
...
"...T.M. OPERA O IS MAKING HER MOVE! SHE IS ACCELERATING!!!!"
"At the final corner! T.M. Opera O has accelerated and is catching up to Symboli Rudolf!"
Akasaka Misato's voice brought the atmosphere of the racecourse to its peak, and just as she said, T.M. Opera O was accelerating at a terrifying pace!
She rounded the third corner within seconds with an Aura not inferior to the Emperor!
And just as she passed the final corner, a hint of a smile appeared on T.M. Opera O's face, and she softly said:
"Well done... Ryuji."
"Then the rest, leave it to me, YOUR OVERLORD!"
BANG!!
T.M. Opera O's cleats stomped down fiercely the moment she entered the final straight.
At this moment, T.M. Opera O's most powerful weapon, her final spurt with it's incredible explosive ability, finally found the perfect spot to be unleashed!
And the instant T.M. Opera O unleashed her final spurt, all the veteran Uma Musume present were invigorated.
Oguri Cap even stood up directly, exclaiming in surprise:
"Woah, so cool! It's like she's unsheathed!"
Yes, like an unparalleled weapon unsheathed. The Overlord, holding nothing back, unleashed her full strength!
This was the judgement of the Overlord, silent when uncalled, yet astonishing when invoked!
...
My courage and resolve have been set, and now, the only thing that is needed of me is the strength of the Overlord.
With your courage and conviction as tribute; I shall respond to all your expectations and faith by carving a path forward with unstoppable momentum!
This is the combined power of the Overlord and her most loyal subject!
"T.M. Opera O's final spurt has been unleashed! That unforgettable final spurt from the Kikuka Sho has once again reappeared!"
"The final showdown between the Overlord and the Emperor has finally begun! The gap between them is rapidly shrinking! I repeat, it is rapidly shrinking!"
"The Overlord or the Emperor, who will emerge victorious?! Who will win the Arima Kinen?!"
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Three whole chapters have passed and I think only a minute has passed in the story, Frieza vs Goku ahh logic.
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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.