Only One Year Left—I'll Become a Legendary Uma Musume!

Once I've crushed their favorites, no other voices will remain, right?

Twilight Song's breath grew heavy, feeling like she was on the edge of madness—but it felt surprisingly good.

After all, how could anyone remain calm if they were suddenly told:

"Hey, you only have one year left to live," and then watched as every second ticked away?

Under such circumstances, who could possibly stay sane?

So Twilight Song decided she had the right to be hysterical. At least here, on this battlefield, she could indulge herself.

Ah, what was that nickname again?

She was the King of Gotham, after all.

Under Yaeno Muteki's blazing gaze—and indeed, under the watchful eyes of every other Uma Musume—Twilight Song slowly walked into her starting gate.

She was, without question, the center of attention.

But why?

The Gotham Stakes was a 1,600-meter (one-mile) race, and how exactly had Twilight Song won it?

By executing a spectacular, reckless runaway victory.

When Twilight Song had crossed the finish line, the runner-up had barely even rounded the final turn!

In other words, Twilight Song's effective sprint range fully covered at least 1,600 meters, possibly reaching or surpassing 2,000 meters.

And what about the first leg of Japan's Triple Crown, the ongoing Satsuki Sho?

Exactly 2,000 meters, grass track, perfect weather.

Even better, it was a high-speed turf course laid over a concrete base.

Twilight Song had already demonstrated full-speed acceleration over a sandy mile in America!

Here, on Japan's faster grass, Twilight Song's speed would only become more frightening, more overwhelming.

Simply put, if an Uma Musume could only run recklessly from the start without considering endurance, she'd just be laughed at—a foolish, amusing runaway.

But if her speed and endurance were sufficient to sustain her through the entire race?

Then she was a ruthless killer on the track, one who could send fear into every competitor's heart.

Because, against someone like her, the strategies were limited:

Match her speed, endurance, and stamina, accelerate right from the start, and abandon your original pacing entirely.

What once might have been a diverse, strategic race among sixteen Uma Musume would instantly turn into a frantic battle of runaway horses.

And the last one standing would naturally be the winner.

The only real uncertainty now was—could Twilight Song sustain her reckless sprint over a full 2,000 meters?

All the Uma Musume had been grappling with this question from the start, and clearly, no one had found a reassuring answer.

Of the sixteen gates, fourteen were filled with anxious hesitation. Only Twilight Song calmly closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Beside her, Yaeno Muteki's muscles tensed in final preparation.

A warrior never feared an opponent's strength. Yaeno Muteki's fighting spirit was burning!

"All right, all Uma Musume are in position. The race will begin shortly. Today's favorite, our King of Gotham, is in Gate 12…"

"That's not ideal. Indeed, Yaeno Muteki may be right beside her, but this outside position is definitely disadvantageous for a runaway."

Gate 12 was far from ideal—not the absolute worst, but certainly challenging.

A runaway-type Uma Musume needed to seize an immediate lead at the start, requiring the shortest possible route from the front.

Gate 12 meant Twilight Song faced extra difficulty breaking clear early. The additional distance she'd have to cover would pale compared to the initial disadvantage of securing her position.

"In any case, we eagerly await the race. Unfortunately, it seems the gray monster from the countryside ultimately failed to qualify."

The announcer was quite bold, openly mentioning another familiar figure.

Surprisingly, Twilight Song found herself momentarily distracted by those words.

Her golden eyes briefly opened.

But only for a second.

Even if that opponent is a gray monster, it doesn't matter.

The way to handle any opponent was simple: Crush them. Crush them all.

[Three]

[Two]

Yaeno Muteki took a deep breath, staring intently at the lights above her gate, focusing every ounce of strength into the confined space around her.

Her first strategy against Twilight Song was simple: seize the optimal position immediately after the gates opened.

Even that monstrous runaway would be helpless if blocked at the start, right?

Sorry, Twilight Song, but you've already lost. I spent a whole week training just to beat you!

This victory will definitely belong to me, Yaeno Muteki…

[One]

Go!

Block Twilight Song behind—

Eh?

Yaeno Muteki perfectly executed her plan—actually, her start had been even better than in training due to her intense focus during the real race.

But—!

But faster than any imagined scenario she'd practiced, before Yaeno Muteki could even move sideways to block the path, a roaring hurricane tore past her side!

Was that… running?

Could an Uma Musume really run like that?

Could anyone accelerate from absolute standstill with such terrifying speed?

By the Three Goddesses…

Yaeno Muteki understood something profound in that instant:

In the face of absolute power, all preparations are meaningless.

Her strength was already formidable, her speed already explosive!

But when she burst out of the gate at full throttle, all she saw was a raging gale—and a swiftly disappearing figure she couldn't even track with her eyes!

Instinctively, Yaeno Muteki glanced sideways, meeting a pair of brilliant golden eyes, cold and deep as the Dead Sea.

Those eyes only saw forward, nothing else existed. Nothing else mattered.

Opponent? Only when you manage to catch me will you have the right to challenge me.

Yaeno Muteki felt a wave of dread.

Twilight Song's acceleration was even more terrifying, more ruthless than she imagined—so fast at the start that Yaeno Muteki genuinely wondered:

How did she not crash straight into the gates?

Gritting her teeth, Yaeno Muteki instantly made a decision. If blocking her opponent had failed, there was only one choice left:

Twilight Song, even in pure strength, I won't lose to you!

A reckless 2,000-meter sprint? Fine, then witness the true resolve of "Yaeno Muteki."

The brown-haired Uma Musume immediately surged forward, breaking clear of the chasing pack first to pursue Twilight Song.

She wouldn't hand over victory that easily. Absolutely not!

"Incredible! What a terrifying start! The containment strategy has failed! Yaeno Muteki is already behind! Twilight Song is now leading! This… this speed is simply…"

"It's beyond mere running—she's practically flying over the ground!"

"Who can possibly defeat her now?"

"No, wait—who can even reach the throne in time to make the Caesar bow her head?!"