"The Shion Stakes, 2,000 metres clockwise on turf. All Uma Musume have entered the gates. The race begins!"
"A beautiful start! Ah... one runner has fallen. Is she all right?"
A graded race really was different from other races. The atmosphere around the course was solemn, and Shirayuki's heart kept pounding. It was not just her. The expressions of the other runners were also rather tense. Especially the one beside her. The moment the gate opened, she tripped over another runner's legs and fell to the ground. This race was probably already over for her.
Tension could stimulate adrenaline production in Uma Musume, allowing them to perform better. But if they became too nervous, it would instead cause them to lose their form. Shirayuki had Chiya's eyes watching over her, so she could imagine herself as a character in a game, slightly lowering her sense of immersion and reducing her nervousness.
"A 2,000-metre race is not short for rookie-level debuting Uma Musume. They need to distribute their stamina reasonably, especially on a complex and varied course like Nakayama Racecourse. Currently leading is Philip's Snow. As a front-runner, she has already pulled one length ahead of the other Uma Musume at the start of the race! Continuous Run follows closely behind and is fighting Philip's Snow for the lead. Mr. Sakai, which runner are you paying the most attention to?"
"Let me think..."
The commentator explained the race. Chiya looked over the entire field.
As expected of front-runners. They displayed astonishing propulsion from the start of the race and stood out from the group of front-position runners. However, one runner had been trapped in the pack and forced into a pace-running position.
Judging from how nervous she looked, it was not part of her strategy. In other words, that Uma Musume's rhythm had already been disrupted. It would be difficult for her to perform well in this race.
Shirayuki was running in a betweener position and had also secured a good inside lane. That meant she did not need to worry about stamina consumption during the turns.
However, a new situation soon appeared.
Chiya looked at the two Uma Musume at the front. Because they were fighting over the lead, the two front-runners had entered an intense struggle. Their speed became faster and faster, exceeding the normal range. The third-place Uma Musume behind them was also unwilling to back down and kept pushing forward while maintaining distance.
The race rhythm was somewhat abnormal.
Fast...
No, it should be said that it was too fast!
This was not the speed of a 2,000-metre race. It was the pace of a mile race.
"Go, Shirayuki!" Tokai Teio shouted excitedly from the crowd. Special Week and the others also shouted at the top of their lungs.
As expected, they could not see it. The rhythm of the race had already been pulled off course.
Chiya held his chin.
What should they do?
If all the runners in front changed their movements, Shirayuki, who was in the middle group, would also have to adjust. But the biggest taboo in this race was changing rhythm. Chiya's mind worked rapidly. Other people's Uma Musume were like a game of luck, while his was real-time strategy.
Finally, Fujiwara Chiya made his decision.
Give up the inside lane.
That was right. This was a method like cutting off one's own arm to survive. On the inside lane, Shirayuki would not have the right to choose her rhythm. If she maintained her original rhythm, the Uma Musume behind would catch up, and then she would be completely blocked inside.
So she had to move to the outside lane, where she would have greater freedom of choice, and reduce the influence of the disrupted pace.
Shirayuki's eyes quickly searched through the group for a way out. Soon, she saw a winding route and immediately began changing her steps.
"Huh? Why did Shirayuki run outside?" Tokai Teio asked in confusion.
How could they, as Uma Musume, understand this? This was a race situation only trainers could fully grasp. Right now, Fujiwara Chiya was like someone playing a game of chess, and Shirayuki was the piece on the board. The stamina of that piece was already determined. What Fujiwara Chiya had to do was choose the route with the smallest consumption and make sure she retained the most stamina in the final phase.
In the Student Council room, Symboli Rudolf, Air Groove, and Narita Brian sat in front of the television, watching Shirayuki on screen. Although they had work to do and could not go to the Central Racecourse, they still had to watch Shirayuki's race. That child was a member of their Student Council, and all three of them wanted to know whether she could successfully claim victory in her first graded race.
Seeing Shirayuki's movement, Symboli Rudolf let out a "whoa."
"What is it, President?" Air Groove turned her head.
"No, it's just... that child Shirayuki seems to understand very well what she should do."
"Mm?"
"It's nothing."
Symboli Rudolf smiled, her eyes fixed on the white figure on the racecourse.
There are not many Uma Musume who understand when to make sacrifices at this age.
"The race is about to enter the third corner! All Uma Musume are now climbing the slope on the backstretch! The first 1,000 metres took nearly one minute, which is above average pace! Currently leading is Continuous Run!"
Among the leading Uma Musume, Philip's Snow had lost and had the lead taken away by Continuous Run. However, because of their earlier competition, both Uma Musume had consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
Looks like they still couldn't stay calm.
And what collapsed was not only those two, but a whole group of runners.
Fujiwara Chiya observed the race situation. At this point, Shirayuki had already moved toward the rear of the group. She was around seven to eight lengths away from the Uma Musume in first place.
"Yuki-chan..." Grass Wonder said worriedly. Special Week clenched her fists tightly. After all, in their eyes, Shirayuki had suddenly made an inexplicable decision, moved to the outside, exhausted her stamina, and was now unable to catch the front runners.
Are you all underestimating me a little too much?
Fujiwara Chiya silently complained. Shirayuki, who had not been affected by the rhythm, still had plenty of stamina. Rather, she felt that her forward momentum was no different from when she started.
He still knew which was more important: the effect of running a few dozen more metres around the turn, or disrupting the entire rhythm of a normal race.
Soon, the race entered the final straight. All the Uma Musume began accelerating. A total of five Uma Musume ran at the front, completely blocking the road ahead. Seeing this, Tokai Teio let out a despairing sound.
It's over, it's over. What can she do now?
Once an Uma Musume had her position blocked, getting out again would be difficult.
At this moment, even Tokai Teio, who constantly called herself a genius, could not think of a good solution.
Just as everyone was worried for Shirayuki, they suddenly saw her make a shocking move. She made a large diagonal move, directly cutting into the empty outside lane.
"What?"
"Ah!?"
Everyone let out sounds of shock.
It is still a little too early for you all to understand this tactic.
Fujiwara Chiya no longer paid attention to them.
Having run to the far outside, Shirayuki lowered her body and released all the stamina she had left. The commentator shouted loudly.
"It's Snow Dancer! Snow Dancer, who was in fourth position, is charging up from the far outside!"
The effects of the summer training camp came into play. Shirayuki could feel that the soles of her feet were full of resilience.
Finally, fifty metres before the finish line, she surpassed her opponent.
Along with the commentator's cry of "Finish!", Shirayuki crossed the line.