Shirayuki was strong. Oguri Cap had said it more than once. Her standard might have been as simple as "how much someone could eat," but it was not entirely without logic.
Every run consumed an enormous amount of energy. The more energy a runner could take in, the more they could sustain their speed. In that regard, Shirayuki clearly stood above the others.
More than that, Oguri had observed her physique. Shirayuki's body carried no excess weight. Everything she consumed had been converted into muscle. Her legs, her feet, her core. All of it was built for running.
That was her advantage. She could eat, and she could run.
Oguri recalled something her Trainer once said. No matter how detailed a race plan was, the track would always be more chaotic than expected. When something unexpected happened, there were only two choices. Adapt on the spot, or break through by force.
Overwhelm everything.
Oguri had always chosen the latter.
There was no need for complicated thinking. If there was a path, you ran through it.
She had done it when she first debuted.
Now Shirayuki could do the same.
The only question was whether she had the courage to take that step.
Oguri casually pulled out two candies from her pocket and ate them.
On the track, Shirayuki scanned the runners around her.
They were in the way.
Why are they crowding me now of all times…
Opera O was getting farther away. Her chest tightened with frustration.
Calm down.
She forced herself to steady her breathing.
This was exactly when she needed composure. If she panicked, there would be no chance left.
At this point, Shirayuki had fully stepped into the role of a runner. There was only one thing left in her mind.
Win.
Outside the rail, Chiya's gaze flickered between focus and distraction. He still could not fully split his attention. Watching the situation unfold, he pressed a hand to his forehead.
From a Trainer's perspective, there was no solution.
Then stop thinking like a Trainer.
Chiya closed his eyes.
He focused everything on Shirayuki. He abandoned the role of Trainer and let himself think like a runner.
He heard the rhythm of breathing around her. The sound of feet striking the ground. Slowly, an image began to form in his mind.
Three runners behind her.
Faint outlines, like pale threads sketched into existence through sound and movement. It was something a human could not normally perceive, a sense that belonged only to those on the track.
And then, in that gray world shaped by instinct, Shirayuki saw it.
A gap.
Behind her, slightly to the right. Between two runners.
Of course.
A Trainer would never notice it. To them, it was an impossible space. Something their mind would instinctively ignore.
But Shirayuki understood.
This was the only path out.
Can I do it?
No.
I have to.
Because there was only one goal left.
The finish line.
The marker with the number six flashed past her vision.
Shirayuki's eyes sharpened.
No more hesitation. No more restraint. Everything she had been holding back surged forward.
"Go, Shirayuki!"
Gold Ship suddenly shouted. The others followed, their voices rising together.
Shirayuki drove her foot into the ground.
The impact carved a groove into the turf. Her body jolted as the force surged back up through her leg, heat spreading through her foot like it was burning.
Just a little more.
The sudden deceleration caught the surrounding runners off guard. They instinctively shifted, opening space as they passed by.
That was enough.
Shirayuki struck the ground again.
This time, she pushed sideways.
Like threading a needle, her white form slipped through the narrow opening.
"I'm not done yet!"
The moment she broke free, she adjusted her posture, lowering her center of gravity. Her stance mirrored the one she had used when chasing Tokai Teio.
This time, she would not miss.
Her foot dug into the turf again. Dirt and grass scattered into the air as she launched forward.
Seven lengths ahead, Opera O ran toward the finish.
But Shirayuki closed in.
Her stamina still held.
Then she accelerated again.
Her breath deepened. Her stride tightened. The distance shrank.
Closer.
Closer.
At the moment her legs aligned for another burst, she pushed off with everything she had left.
A sharp impact echoed.
Opera O turned her head.
What she saw made her eyes widen.
Shirayuki was charging straight at her, teeth clenched, eyes fierce. For a brief instant, it felt less like a runner and more like a beast bearing down on its prey.
How does she still have stamina…
It made no sense. Opera O had expected her to be trapped, worn down, broken by the pack. Even if she escaped, she should have been exhausted.
Instead, she looked even more dangerous.
Like a beast released from a cage, driven forward by pure aggression.
The finish line was only one hundred meters away.
Just a little further, and Opera O would claim victory.
But then—
A sharp, grinding sound reached her ears.
The white blur surged past her vision.
In that instant, the image before her changed.
This was no white kitten.
This was a white wolf.
For a split second, Opera O felt as though something had torn through her defenses, as if the wolf had already claimed its prey.
Ten meters before the finish line, Shirayuki overtook her.
"She crosses the line! The winner of this race is Shirayuki!"
"Shirayuki!""Nice one!"
Special Week, Matikanefukukitaru, and the others jumped in excitement, cheering for her victory.
But before they could celebrate for long, the supervising Trainers stepped in.
"You lot, move aside. Next group, prepare."