It wasn't just the two Umamusume at the very front. Every single figure behind them was locked in the same kind of confrontation.
This was exactly what he had said. The contest had begun long ago.
Yasui desperately wished for a pause button so he could freeze the Umamusume galloping across the track and explain everything he had discovered to Kitasan Black.
But a race cannot be paused.
Not only was it impossible to pause, a drastic change erupted the moment he prepared to speak.
Completely unable to spare even a second to explain anything to Kitasan Black, his gaze narrowed. As if he could feel the dull thud of footsteps pounding the turf, his nerves tightened uncontrollably.
The tacit cooperation that had seemed rehearsed until now shattered in an instant. An atmosphere so heavy it was hard to breathe settled over every Umamusume on the track.
Seiun Sky's originally stable rhythm appeared to break. Her speed gradually slowed, and she was visibly drawing closer to Special Week behind her.
Special Week's expression shifted slightly, yet she made no move to accelerate. At the same time her ears twitched involuntarily, and her gaze flicked backward.
Her eyes swept past the tense-looking Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, then past Air Jihad at the rear of the lead pack.
She lingered for a moment on Grass Wonder, who was staring intently ahead, and on El Condor Pasa, mostly obscured by Grass Wonder, before finally fixing her gaze on a white-and-green figure drifting toward the outside.
King Halo…? Is she planning to make her move now…?
Special Week's pupils shrank. A moment later she forced her eyes forward again.
But Sky's pacing… hasn't changed yet. She's definitely not using the same tactic as in the Kikuka Sho!
So she's moving up for position at this timing…?
Just as the thought formed, her ears twitched again and she looked uncontrollably toward King Halo's position.
King Halo was no longer in her original spot.
Like an arrow released from a bow, the white-and-green Umamusume suddenly accelerated, cutting into a position one lane out in the blink of an eye.
Her sudden acceleration instantly triggered a chain reaction. Mejiro Dober, on her inside, wore a stern expression and followed closely, as if trying to seize the opportunity.
A bit further ahead, Phalaenopsis and Erimo Chic clearly had no intention of giving up their positions and began their own positioning maneuvers at the same time.
Phalaenopsis swung her arms vigorously and shifted her legs slightly outward.
Erimo Chic refused to yield, moving outward while staying tight behind Phalaenopsis.
Diagonal positioning on the corners carried no penalty, and they were just entering the turn. The two of them happened to block the path of King Halo and Mejiro Dober.
Taking advantage of the wide view the curve provided, Special Week took everything in.
She also shot a very quick glance toward the outermost part of the track, gritted her teeth, and thought rapidly.
Sky hasn't made a move yet… Grass and El haven't either…
King making a move this early… is a bit different from her usual habits.
Now that her path forward is blocked, is she going to swing all the way to the far outside?
But… Stay Gold and Mejiro Bright are on the far outside…
Like Special Week, Seiun Sky kept her jaw set as she moved forward, watching the situation behind her with her peripheral vision.
An instant before entering the turn, she sensed several sets of footsteps suddenly quickening behind her. The corners of her mouth curled upward.
But after identifying a few sets of footsteps that hadn't changed at all, her mouth twitched unnaturally.
Sigh… King is still the same. She just can't keep her patience…
But why aren't you guys in a hurry at all…?
It's fine if Grass and El aren't in a hurry. After all, their target is mostly you…
But Spe, you silly girl, why aren't you in a hurry either?
Well, if you're not in a hurry, then whatever. Anyway…
I'm not in a hurry either.
She smiled with her eyes almost imperceptibly. The twitching at the corner of her mouth turned upward again, then tightened in an instant.
At the same time her muscles tensed and her legs drove with sudden force. Her feet slammed into the ground as if equipped with powerful springs, each step seeming ready to stomp straight through the turf.
The previously somewhat sluggish speed was cast aside at once. That momentum was like a long-dammed flood suddenly bursting free and surging forward.
The oncoming wind intensified sharply, making the short hair by her ears flap wildly.
Her breathing grew more rapid, yet her mouth opened even wider, greedily drawing in oxygen to fuel this full-power sprint.
"King Halo! Then Mejiro Dober! And then Seiun Sky!"
The commentator was no longer calm. His voice rose with increasing passion.
"King Halo is the first to accelerate! Mejiro Dober follows closely! Then Seiun Sky!
"The pack enters the third turn! The successive accelerations of the three competitors have triggered a series of chain reactions, and the race has instantly reached a fever pitch!
"Phalaenopsis and Erimo Chic are wrestling with King Halo and Mejiro Dober! Seiun Sky has opened up a gap, but Special Week seems to want to move forward…!
"It's Grass Wonder! She's made her move just as Special Week was advancing!
"The path forward for King Halo and Mejiro Dober is still not smooth. Will they move to the far outside?
"But! On the far outside is Stay Gold, and even further out is Mejiro Bright!
"The distance between the competitors has suddenly closed, and the pack is spreading out horizontally… entering the fourth turn!
"It's still King Halo! She didn't choose to continue moving to the outer lanes! She's cut into the inner lane which has suddenly become spacious!
"She's charging up from the inside! Passing one after another! She's gradually closing in on Grass Wonder, who took the lead earlier!
"Her target is also the first-place Seiun Sky!"
In the stands, the spectators' passion ignited like a flame and burned brightly.
People who had been whispering and discussing the race situation were now completely captivated by the dramatic changes unfolding on the track.
When King Halo accelerated like lightning, a short, sharp gasp first erupted from the crowd, followed by shouts of "King Halo, go for it!" and "That acceleration is incredible!" rising from every corner of the stands and converging into waves of sound.
Some young spectators were so excited their faces flushed red. They stood directly on their seats, waving support sticks, posters, and flags printed with the illustrations of the Umamusume they supported.
One young man wearing a white-and-green T-shirt and a hat patterned with King Halo shouted loudly while jumping up and down, trying to transmit strength to the white-and-green figure on the track through his voice and actions.
The older spectators were also infected by the heated atmosphere. Although they lacked the intense movements of the younger fans, the tension and excitement in their eyes were no less intense.
An elderly man with graying hair gripped the armrests of his seat with both hands, leaning forward slightly. He stared unblinkingly at the white-and-green figure on the track, muttering to himself.
"As expected… the unyielding King… as expected, I can still see you running… as expected…"
When Mejiro Dober and Seiun Sky accelerated right after, and the situation reached the fever pitch the commentator described, the entire spectator area plunged into frenzy.
Cheers, screams, and applause intertwined. Some girls even had tears in the corners of their eyes as they frantically swung art books and handbags, calling out the names of the Umamusume with voices cracking from pure emotion.