I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

"Bang Dang——!!!"

The moment the gate opened, Yaeko's pupils constricted sharply; her years of training had given her a reaction speed that surpassed most people present.

She stepped out of the gate first, and the shoes on her feet, made to resemble wooden clogs, displayed an unscientific adhesive force that would make Newton rise from his grave and eat an apple.

Even though the girl's strides were powerful enough to kick up the grass, her shoes still clung tightly to her feet, preparing her for the next sprint.

The unique strengths of the final battle server were also revealed at this moment, no matter how unreasonable the design might seem, no matter how much it might slow down the user.

But as long as it remains the [Final Server], these problems won't exist!

"despair!!!"

The moment she stepped out of the gate, five out of the eighteen contestants present followed in Yae no Invincible's footsteps.

Apart from one runner who chose the escape run, the remaining four also chose the first run, just like Yae Muti!

Yae's invincible gaze swept to her side; positioned in slot 4, she could easily take in the horse girls who stepped out of the gate at the same time.

Meguro Ardan, Sakura Chiyo, and Shiro Sen Vanguard

And... the little chestnut hat hidden in the crowd!!

In the very first moment, Yae Invincible identified her true opponent in this competition!

"Drink! You want to fight for a good seat?! No way!!!"

The girl gritted her teeth, increased her speed again, and secured the second position in the queue!

Holding the microphone, Misato Akasaka passionately exclaimed, "What an intense battle! The contestants have already begun to seize advantageous positions the moment they leave the gate?!"

"Now everyone's attention is focused on Sakura Chiyo, who is right behind Yae Muti, with only a horse's length separating them!"

"Behind Sakura Chiyo is Meguro Ardan, the two are only a horse's length apart!! Shiro's ascent speed has slowed down! He has now been overtaken by the following riders..."

The commentator spoke at an extremely fast pace, providing concise and clear explanations of the ever-changing race. The 600-meter distance passed in the blink of an eye, and the crowd had already passed through the first bend at a very high speed.

"After looking for so long, have you noticed anything? [The Emperor]?"

At the highest platform of Tokyo Racecourse, a thousand delegates looked down at the horses that had already passed the first bend and asked, "Or rather, which one do you favor?"

Rudolf glanced down at the white figure hidden among the horses and said softly, "I'm looking again... at that star."

"Star?"

As she leaned against the railing, looking down at the crowd heading towards the second bend, she said, "You mean that kid who didn't attend the press conference? That final outfit was really beautiful. I wonder which master made it. It seems to be similar in style to your final outfit, Little CB?"

The thousand representatives casually crossed their arms, and she nodded, saying, "They are indeed quite similar. To be honest, when I first saw the final outfit designed for me by the Meguro family, I was really shocked. I thought the design was too daring when I first saw it."

Perfectski feigned surprise and said, "Huh? Didn't you say you wanted to highlight your free spirit, which is why it was designed that way?"

The thousand delegates sighed and waved their hands, saying, "If the pants in your first edition of the final outfit were also slit up to your waist, I think you would also live in Bengbu."

Rudolph, unassuming, didn't join their conversation; she simply stood quietly in the stands, gazing at the white figure below.

As a [Empress] who has covered extremely long distances in races, she is even more acutely aware of that mysterious and elusive aura.

Oguri's winning outfit was more than just pretty; Rudolph closed his eyes, and beneath the golden stars on her chest lay a crimson hue that seemed to pulsate with the life of a vibrant heart.

As if awakening on the field, his heart pounded even harder; a giant dragon seemed to be awakening!

"So that's how it is. Is this your last trump card? You want to use this method to help her enter the [Domain]? But if you rely solely on external forces, the only possible outcome will be a loss of momentum,"

"The [Domain] is not a state that is so easy to enter."

Rudolf lowered his eyes. If the rampaging power wasn't restrained, it would only devour the user as well.

Although it's unclear where Ornn found such a highly skilled individual comparable to the world's top final suit creators, it seems that Oguri Hat has already...

"call--"

It sounded as if someone had taken a deep breath; the sound seemed to come from very close to her.

Rudolph looked up and stared wide-eyed at the white figure in fifth place on the field.

After navigating two turns, Yae Musou had retreated to behind Sakura Chiyo.

'Continuing to race them is pointless; the final victory will come from the sprint on the last corner.'

'The leading horse girl is already exhausted, and Chiyo-oh will likely overtake her immediately and start vying for first place in the last kilometer,'

She glanced to her side, trying to control her breathing.

'Ardan is right behind me, almost running alongside me. If we were to race on the last bend, I'd be at a disadvantage since I'm on the inside.'

'Let's make some room here and lure Aldan forward... Bai Xian seems to still be recovering from her leg injury. Although it's a bit unfair of her to win, she's no longer a threat.'

'So now, all I need to do is wait for the right opportunity, wait...'

"Pfft!"

In a daze, Yae Musou seemed to hear the sound of a heart beating.

One of her ears was turned to the left and back. A horse's ear is composed of ten different muscles, which gives horsewomen the ability to detect more subtle sounds.

When Yaeko was training as a martial artist, she had heard the heartbeats of her senior brothers and sisters in the dojo, so after only a brief hesitation, she was certain that what she had just heard was indeed a heartbeat.

But who is the other person? Why is her heartbeat so slow compared to the other horse girls? It's as if her heart's capacity is several times stronger than others!!

During high-speed racing, the heart rate increases with the release of adrenaline, but the sound of this heartbeat completely contradicts this idea!

No, it's not about going against it.

Yae Musou glanced to his left rear, looking at the [monster].

When the heart is strong enough to withstand high-intensity physical activity on its own, its beating frequency will naturally be lower than that of others.

Her white hair fluttered in the oncoming wind, and pure white mist spewed from the girl's mouth.

The golden cross on his chest reflected a dazzling light under the sun, like a red scarf flapping in the wind.

At the very moment she entered the final bend, she chose to accelerate!

"It's Oguri Hat!! She actually accelerated before entering the final bend!!!"

"This Cinderella from Kasamatsu!! She's ranked seventh in the polls this match!! She's surpassed the invincible Yae in the front row!! And continues her pursuit!!!"

"Such explosive power!! We're already entering the bend!! Isn't she slowing down!? If this continues! She'll..."

Misato Akasaka suddenly froze. She stood up and stared at the sudden turn of events on the field with an incredulous look.

Oguri Hat did not slow down. After entering the bend, her speed did not decrease. She rushed into the bend at the speed of a straight sprint!

But she didn't lose speed, nor was she thrown off the track by the enormous centrifugal force.

The moment Oguri Hat entered the bend, he slammed his left foot heavily onto the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dirt and grass.

Her body was pulled towards the other end like a rubber band on a slingshot, and then she used exaggerated movements that even gymnasts could not easily achieve to dissipate most of the inertia.

At the same time, she stomped her right foot on the ground again, shaking her tilted body back into a straight line, causing her upper body to lunge forward in a strange posture almost parallel to the ground!

"Is this a joke?! How could this be?!"

Yae Muti could hardly believe her eyes. She gritted her teeth, let out a low shout, and accelerated forward as well!

"【Arc Dance】, this is a skill that others cannot use,"

From the stands, Orn gazed at the white figure that had already crossed the final bend and entered the final 700-meter sprint, and smiled, "This is my last trump card, relying on my instincts to cross the final stage."

"Go for it, Oguri-hat, go and create your own era!!"

Chapter 90 Cherry Blossoms and Monsters

Misato Akasaka only realized what was happening after Oguri had already crossed the bend.

She gripped the microphone with both hands, exclaiming in disbelief, "My God!!! The driver in the small chestnut hat has mitigated the difficulty of controlling the body during high-speed cornering in an unprecedented way!! What terrifying body control!! What an incredibly resilient and flexible body!!"

"Oguri Hat has overtaken Yae Invincible, who is ranked fourth!! At the same time, Mejiro Ardan has also overtaken Sakura Chiyo and the leading runner!! Sakura Chiyo seems to sense the danger behind her, and she begins to accelerate!! Now she is neck and neck with Mejiro Ardan!! Yae Invincible is not to be outdone!! After a brief moment of surprise, she also caught up with Oguri Hat's pace...."

On the stands, Maru Zenki unconsciously clenched her hands. She looked at Sakura Chiyo, who was trying her best to maintain her first place, and squeezed the plastic bottle in her hand, making a crisp sound.

Rudolf, of course, knew what Maruzensky was nervous about. After all, in Central Tereson, a serious junior like Sakura Chiyo was naturally very popular with the older girls. Among them, Maruzensky was particularly concerned about this junior who was somewhat similar to himself.

But the competition is brutal; no matter how good the relationships are, a winner still needs to be determined on the field.

Eighteen top horse racing talents from Japan will compete in just four minutes to determine the winner.

Whether it's Yae no Musou, Sakura Chiyo, or Megumi Ardan, they will all reveal their absolute strength in this duel.

This demonstrates respect for both friends and rivals, and also serves as a path to upholding one's inner beliefs.

Only by achieving complete focus and truly understanding one's own inner instincts can one possibly reach that final state.

"Chiyo-oh... is able to activate her domain?"

The question came from one of the thousand representatives. As a horse girl who had also reached the final stage, she could clearly feel that the cherry blossom-like pink on the arena was about to bloom.

"Phew... She can do it, because she made a promise with me, so she can definitely do it."

The person who answered the question was Maru Zenki; due to legal restrictions in Japan, she was unable to participate in the Japanese derby.

Sakura Chiyo was her closest junior, and naturally, she hoped that her dream could be realized by her junior.

"We absolutely... have to win!!"

On the track, as the first rider to cross the final corner, Sakura Chiyoo had an early advantage.

She broke free from Megumi Ardan's restraints, crossed the threat of the Eightfold Invincible, and arrived at the final 700-meter straight distance. The winner will also be on this straight line!

Sakura Chiyo also heard the terrifying sound coming from behind her. Although she couldn't tell what it was, a strong sense of crisis had already surged into her heart!

Accelerate! Keep accelerating! Only in this way can we further widen the gap between ourselves and those behind us!!

The girl's chest began to heave violently, and her heart began to beat faster and faster!

Since my physical strength is no match for the monster chasing me from behind, I'll just have to make my heart beat even faster!

"Ha! Hoo!! Ha!!!"

With rapid, labored breathing, Sakura Chiyo's pupils contracted sharply.

She looked up ahead, and in that moment of extreme tension, her field of vision began to narrow, the light from the sky became blinding, and the howling wind seemed to have completely deafened her.

Now, it seems as if she is the only one left on the grass.

An invisible wind swept across the grass, creating ripples, much like the scene she witnessed for the first time—that seemingly all-powerful red car. The sight before her eyes began to overlap with the events of that day.

"Hello! Are you a freshman at Treson? How about I take you to get something good to eat? I know all the good food around here!"

"Um... Hello, senior! I'm a freshman this year, please take good care of me!"

"Hey freshman, how was it? My running form was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"Wow! Senior is amazing!! Just like a sports car! Whoosh, you sped across the track!!"

"Haha, a sports car? That's not a bad description!"

"My name is Maruzensky. Shall we practice running side-by-side?"

"I am so grateful! I am Sakura Chiyo! It is an honor to practice with you, senior!"

On the field, the cherry blossom hair ornament on Sakura Chiyo's head danced wildly in the oncoming wind, and specks of pink light began to appear on her sleeves.

"Since Maruzen-senpai can't participate in this match, then I will take his place and win this glorious Japanese derby!!!"

A delicate shout escaped the girl's lips, like the shattering of a mirror, and something was slowly growing from her body...

No, it was two shattering sounds!

"Oguri, once you're on stage, you need to follow your instincts."

"When necessary, you need to let your instincts override your reason."

What exactly is instinct?

Even after entering the gate, Oguri was still pondering this question.

Although she said she felt she had a lot of bamboo in her heart when answering Orn's question, she had some doubts after actually stepping onto the field.

The "instinct" that a trainer tells themselves before going into battle is not the same concept as the instinct they talk about during previous training sessions.

Even after the competition had started, Oguri Hat still had some doubts.

Does Orn mean to let himself not follow the constraints of reason, but follow the instincts of his body?

The little chestnut hat twitched its ears.

No, if it were about following her body's instincts, she wouldn't want to run at all; she just wanted to go eat with Orn.