The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

However, despite Narita Shirahito's fierce and dangerous aura, which was like that of a wolf in sheep's clothing, Xiu Xingmeng remained unfazed and stared coldly into his eyes as she spoke.

My choice to participate is none of your business.

"But if you've come here to declare war, then I'll tell you—"

"I will be the only winner of the Emperor's Spring Appreciation Tour."

After saying that, she shoved aside the aggressive Narita Shirahito with her shoulder and walked toward the gate.

Her grandmother's dying words, the glory of the Northern family, and the past between her mother and Mu Baiqian—Xiu Xingmeng had experienced too much in the past few months. She had long forgotten the casual remark she made at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation a few months ago in order to escape.

Seeing Narita Shirahito's fierce and monstrous appearance, Xiu Xingmeng subconsciously regarded her as an opponent who had come to declare war. Naturally, she had nothing to say to such a racehorse girl.

But when Xiu Xingmeng tried to leave, Narita Shirahito wouldn't let her. Just as Xiu Xingmeng walked past and bumped into him, she grabbed her by the collar and scolded her sharply.

"What did you say?!"

At this moment, the memory of the end of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Festival burst forth in Narita Shirahito's heart. The resentment after the defeat and the excitement of meeting a kindred spirit intertwined, driving her to make up her mind to fight the opponent again at the Arima Memorial Festival. However, as she honed herself and waited expectantly for the Arima Memorial Festival,

However, they did not see the opponent on the field.

Were those previous generation of Saima Girls strong? Of course they were. If they hadn't stood out from the crowd of Saima Girls, they wouldn't have been able to participate in Arima Kinen.

Rice Bath's power is renowned throughout the world, and the title of the strongest long-distance racehorse girl in active service is by no means an exaggeration.

But to Narita Shirahito at that time, Arima Kinen was so boring. Every racehorse girl present was very strong. If it were in the past, he would have been excited for it.

But after the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, after that streak of red light, these powerful racehorse girls could no longer awaken Narita Shirahito's dormant heart. They were strong, but they could not bring the same sense of danger as the Embroidered Dream.

In the Arima Memorial, Narita Shirajin won the championship while chasing after an illusory figure in front of him.

Since then, she has been relentlessly inquiring about Xiu Xingmeng's whereabouts, and her desire to stand on the same field as this kindred spirit has grown heavier in the silence.

Therefore, when she learned that Xiu Xingmeng had decided to participate in the Spring Emperor's Slam, she disregarded her trainer's advice and insisted on signing up for the competition.

All for the sake of being able to fight Xiu Xingmeng again here.

She was angry that Xiu Xingmeng didn't come to Arima Memorial, but she didn't care anymore. As long as the other party could come up with some excuse to convince her when she asked, that was enough.

But Narita Shirahito never expected that Hideyuki would respond in this way.

Her expression was so indifferent, and her tone so cold.

It was as if they had never met.

Narita Shirahito gritted his teeth, revealing a ferocious smile as he growled at Xiu Xingmeng.

"Fine, you want to win the Spring Emperor's Prize, don't you? Then I'll take it away from you right in front of you!"

Since you can't remember me, I'll make you remember me with the most devastating defeat!

The moment Narita Shirahito finished speaking, the commentator's voice followed.

"Please take your positions, all you racehorse girls!"

The game is about to begin.

Chapter 184 An Unprecedented Escape

Upon hearing the commentator's announcement, Narita Shirahito released Hideyuki's collar. There was no need for her to say anything more. The Emperor's Spring Appreciation was about to begin, and she would use the most brutal victory to make Hideyuki remember her forever.

Watching Narita Shirahito's increasingly intimidating figure, Xiu Xingmeng patted her slightly wrinkled collar expressionlessly. To her, Narita Shirahito's declaration of war was meaningless.

Because no matter what she says, the champion of the Emperor Spring Festival will only be her.

Xiu Xingmeng remained silent and walked towards her gate.

Mi Yu, who witnessed everything, silently gripped the dagger in her hand. Narita Shirahito's fierce aura was even greater than that of Arima Kinen, and Xiu Xingmeng, who could remain calm under her aura, must be hiding considerable strength.

As a veteran who has experienced many competitions, Mi Yu has gradually sensed her future. This Emperor's Spring Appreciation event may be her last. For this special final battle, she has a reason not to lose.

Thinking of this, the blue flames in Mi Yu's eyes burned even brighter. She gripped the dagger at her waist and resolutely walked toward her gate.

Led by the three, the remaining racehorses silently entered their gates. Perhaps they had sensed something during the earlier conflict, but now they had no choice but to step back.

The racetrack is like a battlefield, and every racehorse girl who decides to step onto the track is a warrior.

As a soldier, there is no reason or justification for cowardice or retreat.

Amidst the silence of the horse racing girls and the eager gazes of the audience, Kentaro Sugiki stared intently at the ticking clock. Beside him, Rin Akasaka swallowed hard, unable to contain her excitement. With them as witnesses, the Spring Emperor's Sho was about to begin.

"Peng!"

With a gunshot like a thunderclap, the sixteen gates opened instantly, the earth trembled, and sixteen figures rushed into the track. The white roar stirred up countless flying grass and dust, and every footprint etched into the track symbolized the unparalleled power of the racehorses.

This is the Spring Emperor's Slam, a competition that only those who have completed the Classic Year are eligible to participate in. They have all undergone at least two years of training and growth since their debut and in the Classic Year. Every Uma Musume who is qualified to stand on this G1 stage is an exceptional individual.

Its intensity and strength are even more ferocious than the Triple Crown battles of many classic years. Each of them is a strong racehorse girl who can compete for the top spot in the classic Triple Crown, and some can even compete for that dazzling champion position.

However, among this line of powerful warriors, a striking red streak of light stood out and arrived before all the racehorse girls in just a few breaths.

This is an absolutely unprecedented escape.

At this moment, all the female racehorses on the field unanimously locked their gazes on the leading red streak. A profound sense of awe welled up within them.

"A 3,200-meter escape?! She's gone mad!"

Rin Akasaka, the new commentator in the commentary room, slammed her hand on the table in surprise, shouting in disbelief as she looked at the red streak of light that was leading the way on the field.

This is the Emperor's Spring Festival celebration, the longest and most important race ever. No racehorse girl who wants to win would ever choose a tactic like a runaway, because it's simply impossible to sustain such a run.

This is the same Kyoto Racecourse as the Chrysanthemum Viewing area, with extremely long curves and uphill sections. It's almost unimaginable to win a race by fleeing on such a track.

While there might have been precedents for chrysanthemum appreciation decades ago, there has never been a case of a grand escaping winner in the Emperor's Spring Appreciation since its inception.

Choosing to flee here would be madness.

"No, she also won the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Competition by making a great escape, even taking a huge lead over Narita Shirahito's five-horse length."

"The conditions here are the same as for the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, only the distance is two hundred meters greater. Since Northern Star Dream could create such a miracle at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, why can't the Emperor Appreciate Spring? It was raining on the day of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation!"

Kentaro Sugimoto, standing to the side, frowned and said that he knew his words were not very convincing. Two hundred meters seemed like an insurmountable chasm in the final sprint.

Often, the difference between the champions is just a dozen or even a few meters. In 200 meters, there are too many variables. A racehorse that can finish the final straight of the Chrysanthemum View may not necessarily be able to finish the Emperor View.

But Xiuxingmeng had already shown him so many miracles, from the Kobe News Cup to the Chrysanthemum Shoko. Every time Kentaro Sugimoto wanted to give up, Xiuxingmeng would break through the encirclement and pull him out of the mire with victory.

So this time he didn't hesitate and spoke his thoughts directly into the microphone to all the spectators at the Kyoto Racecourse.

Even knowing that he was just an insignificant rock among the people who supported Narita Shirahito, and that he would be overwhelmed by the surging tide of public opinion in an instant, Kentaro Sugiki was not afraid.

He felt courage in the competition of Embroidered Star Dream. He didn't even care about the revenge of the Meguro family afterward, so why would he care about other people's opinions?

Now Kentaro Sugimoto is here, in the commentary room, to clearly tell everyone.

The racehorse girl he supports is Embroidered Star Dream!

Faced with Kentaro Sugimoto's support for Shirahito Narita, who went against mainstream opinion, many spectators at Kyoto Racecourse who supported Shirahito Narita either frowned, smiled contemptuously, or even discussed with those around them the unprofessionalism of the commentator.

"Ha, I think that commentator is crazy. Does he really think that Northern Star Dream can escape to the end?"

"Exactly, the situation is quite clear now. The champion will either be long-distance champion Miyuki or the consecutive winner Narita Shirajin. But I think Narita Shirajin has a better chance of winning, after all, she beat Miyuki at Arima Kinen!"

"Shanmu... Hmph, I've always thought this guy was unprofessional. He was the same way during the Chrysanthemum Appreciation. Who knows if his support for Northern Star Dream is due to some kind of benefit secretly given by that so-called prestigious Northern family?"

For the audience who became her fans because of Narita Shirahito's consecutive victories, Narita Shirahito is the most powerful racehorse girl right now. As long as she participates, the championship is no longer in doubt.

Presumably, that so-called Northern Star Dream had already anticipated its defeat, otherwise why would it have used a retreat tactic here? Perhaps it was just making excuses for its eventual defeat!

But no matter their attitude, the audience is just an audience. They can never truly experience the excitement of the game, and naturally, they have no chance to interfere with the game in the slightest.

While they were mocking her, Xiu Xingmeng had already led the crowd into the second bend.

Now, the distance between her and the second-place racehorse girl is—

Seven horses.

Chapter 185 The Lone Wolf Roars on the Arena

There can only be one racehorse girl to win the title of Shining Star, so the closer you get to that position, the more attention you will attract. At this moment, the racehorse girl leading the escape naturally became the target of all the racehorse girls present.

If they can't even surpass this red streak, then there's no point in pursuing any more championships. Unwilling to give up, the racehorse girls adjusted their positions according to their planned tactics while calculating the path to victory in their minds.

Each of them is a seasoned athlete, and each has their own understanding of the competition. The combined power of their gazes is like a raging fire, almost igniting people.

But the red streak of light did not hesitate for a moment under such gazes; instead, it became even more intense, becoming the star that everyone was watching under the gray sky.

Miyu adjusted her position to what she considered the most suitable one, and as a racehorse girl skilled in advance tactics, she stayed at the front of the team as usual.

Even at the forefront of the team, there was still an insurmountable distance between them and Xiu Xingmeng.

"A mass exodus...?"

Before the competition, Mi Yu's trainer introduced her to all the contestants, and Xiu Xingmeng, who won the Chrysanthemum Award with a great escape, was naturally a key opponent.

In their expectations, Xiuxingmeng's strategy for the Emperor's Spring Festival celebration this time should be to use a strategy of either running away or taking the lead to occupy the front of the team and set the pace for all the racehorse girls.

After all, even the professionals could see that Xiu Xingmeng's ability to win the Chrysanthemum Award through a great escape was less due to absolute skill and more due to her control of the flow of the game.

Of course, her own strength should not be underestimated, but compared to her abilities, her ability to control the arena is what makes Mi Yu's trainers even more wary.

None of them expected that this time, Emperor's Spring Appreciation Embroidery Dream did not try to control the race, but instead chose to flee from the beginning and lead the crowd. With such a close gap, any rational racehorse girl would choose to save her energy for the final sprint.

"Is the reason for not expanding the domain because you felt it wouldn't be able to support the energy expenditure of the entire Emperor's Spring Appreciation event?"

Mi Yu clung tightly to the railing, deftly and gracefully navigating the bend. She was already very familiar with the Kyoto Racecourse, especially the route required for the Emperor's spring viewing races, which she had memorized.

Compared to other racehorse girls, Yoneyu's advantage lies not only in being the strongest long-distance racehorse girl currently in competition, but also in her familiarity with Kyoto Racecourse itself.

In a sense, this is the real home ground for Mi Bath, where Mi Bath can unleash its full potential.

In such an environment, Mi Yu naturally couldn't be in a hurry. She simply adjusted her position and speed quietly, preparing to conserve her energy until the final moment of victory.

Having clarified the path to victory, Mi Yu's eyes grew increasingly dark, a dangerous blue light flashing in his amethyst-like pupils.

The title "Black Assassin," which should have carried a slightly derogatory connotation, has been transformed into a compliment by Mi Yu's formidable strength. As an assassin, Mi Yu wields his dagger to seize victory in the final moments of the match—this is the running style that Mi Yu excels at.

Gradually, the scent of her being surrounded by the crowd faded until it disappeared completely. Even the racehorse running beside her unconsciously ignored her, making way for her as if it were her natural course of action.

This is the domain of Rice Bath. Once activated, it can be maintained with extremely low energy consumption, making her aura so thin that even the surrounding racehorse girls would forget her existence. In this silence, she will silently accumulate power until the decisive moment arrives.

A faint blue light flickered among the crowd. Compared to Xiu Xingmeng's domain demon blade, Mi Yu's domain was more deserving of the title "assassin."

Even Narita Shirahito, who was also in the advance queue, unconsciously forgot about Mi Yu's presence. However, this didn't matter to her, since her attention never wavered from the red streak in front of her.

"Another mass exodus! Are they planning to use the same strategy a second time?!"

Narita Shirahito gritted her teeth and roared in her heart. At this moment, she was deeply hurt by Xiuxing's running style. Witnessing a scene almost exactly the same as in the past on this Kyoto racetrack made her unable to think rationally.

As the figure of the red light gradually overlapped with the past, the humiliation and resentment from the failure of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation once again filled Narita Shirohito's heart.

The anger of being ignored by the racehorse girl who was considered one of her own kind made her brain tremble. Deep in her chest, an uncontrollable destructive urge surged like lava, and the already intimidating ferocity around her suddenly increased.

A ferocious roar, carrying a heavy stench of blood, struck the arena like a thunderbolt, and the arena itself seemed to transform into a jungle of blood and flesh amidst the terrifying roar.

Apart from Miyu, who was hiding in the shadows, all the other racehorse girls traveling with him were shaken by the terrifying roar. Smelling the bloody scent that almost made them dizzy, they subconsciously slowed down and tried to get away from Narita Shirahito, driven by their body's instinctive survival instinct.

Only by breaking free from the shackles of reason can Narita Shirohito's true power be revealed. Stimulated by the red cloak of the Embroidered Star Dream, Narita Shirohito's domain unfolds in its entirety, and his aura grows ever more ferocious.

The angrier she became, the more she craved battle, and the stronger Narita Shirahito's domain became. The stimulation from the Embroidered Dream was actually the best boost to her domain. Under the blessing of the ferocious domain, even the shadow beneath her seemed to transform into Narita Shirahito's power and ran alongside her on the track.

Amplified by what was almost like another terrifying phantom of herself, Narita Shirahito immediately unleashed a terrifying and devastating power. Her speed increased dramatically, and almost instantly she overtook everyone behind her, running towards the red streak of light at the front.

"She...she sped up?! Narita Shirahito actually sped up?!"

With a gasp from Rin Akasaka in the commentary room, all eyes at the Kyoto Racecourse turned to Shirohito Narita.

At extreme speed, her purple trench coat almost transformed into a beam of light, piercing through the gloomy racetrack and instantly igniting the excitement of all the fans who supported Narita Shirahito, who clenched their fists and waved them at the track.

They didn't know what Narita Shirahito's acceleration meant; they just felt that as long as Narita Shirahito exerted his strength, the championship would inevitably be his.

Chapter 186 Sharpness

While many racehorse girls silently waited for their chance and Miyu activated her domain to accumulate power, the leading racehorse, Hidehoshi, had already crossed the long uphill straight and was about to rush into the third bend. It was at this moment that Narita Shirohito, who surrendered his whole being to his wild instincts, began to accelerate.

For viewers who only focused on Narita Shirohito and were so enthusiastic about the race, based on their experience, the game was already won as soon as Narita Shirohito sped up.

Moreover, judging from the stands, the race is now in its second half, so wouldn't it be more reasonable to speed up at this point?

However, to others with extensive experience in racing, Narita Shirahito's acceleration at this moment seemed a little too hasty.

"There are two consecutive curves before the final straight. It's too risky to accelerate before that. If you're not careful, you'll be dragged down by the high speed and fall!"

She anxiously watched the racetrack from the thank-you stage, shouting that although she considered Narita Shirahito her rival, she didn't want to see the racehorse girl get injured in front of her.

Not to mention that she had heard earlier that Narita Shirahito had been injured after the Hanshin Grand Prix. Although her two companions scoffed at this rumor, she couldn't help but worry as she thanked the stage.

Sitting to the side, Fujino Marko narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the dramatic changes on the field and muttering to himself.