Chapter 278: The Semifinals
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: The Semifinals
-The first race of the semifinals will begin shortly. All spectators, please take your seats.
The long-awaited opening day of the main tournament had arrived.
The stands were a chaotic mix of various races, from humans to beastkin and more, all gathered in one place.
The sixteen racers who would kick off the festival appeared on the track.
According to a new rule for the main tournament, the racers were no longer in plain, functional running clothes, but in beautiful racing outfits designed to catch the eye.
This change, with the racers beautifully adorned, had a positive effect on their cheering fans.
“My daughter looks so beautiful…!”
“Sniffle, to think the kid who struggled so much in the preliminaries made it this far. I’m so proud of you, my girl!”
“Marin-jjang is the best! The prettiest in the world!”
The crowd waved merchandise and cheer sticks emblazoned with the faces of their favorite racers.
Liking something is a wonderful thing, but it wasn't all positive.
“What? Who did you say was the prettiest?”
“Our Marin-jjang, of course.”
“Marin-jjang? Hah, don’t make me laugh, calling a nobody like her the prettiest. The most beautiful girl in the world is our Kiss-jjang. I love you, Kiss-jjang!”
Down on the track below.
The horse beastkin called Kiss-jjang blew a kiss to the stands.
“A kiss filled with love~ Thank you all for your support.”
“Waaaaaah!”
A roar erupted, reminiscent of stampeding water buffalo.
Kiss was one of the most famous horse beastkin from the southern region. She was cute, charming, and above all, skilled at handling people.
“What’s with them?”
“So uncultured. You must be from the south, right?”
“What? You don’t know Kiss-jjang? Where are you from?”
“We’re from the west.”
“The west? Isn’t that the boonies? I guess it makes sense you wouldn’t know her. Do they even have any talent in a place like that?”
But only the southerners knew Kiss’s appeal. People from other regions had no idea who she was, and their cheering culture was completely foreign.
It was the same for everyone here.
People had only watched the preliminaries held near their own homes. They only knew the racers who competed there.
They didn’t know or care what kind of racers were in other regions, or what stories they had.
They just wanted their local racer, the one they were cheering for, to win.
A so-called regional conflict.
And what if their regions already had a bad relationship?
“Kiss-jjang! Don’t you dare lose to those bastards!”
“Marin-jjang! You don’t have to get first place, just finish faster than her!”
It was no longer a simple fandom squabble.
It had escalated into a battle for the pride of their entire regions.
A war without weapons.
While the stands were noisy with emotional squabbles, the caster's clear voice, magically amplified, rang out across the racetrack.
-Welcome, everyone, to the Harpanel Racetrack. The venue is currently quite loud, but we ask for your silence so the racers can focus completely on the competition.
Only after the caster's direct intervention did the commotion die down a little.
-Before we begin, for those of you here for the first time, I'd like to give a brief introduction to the Harpanel Racetrack.
-All spectators can purchase betting slips at the betting posts and cheer for the racer of their choice. If your chosen racer wins, you too can share in the joy of victory.
-Furthermore, starting with the main tournament, a special system has been introduced to enhance the immersion of the race. A system you can only see here at Harpanel Racetrack. This is it!
Fwaaat.
A massive screen appeared in front of the stands. It started by showing the entire racetrack in one frame, then gradually zoomed in to display the stands and the track itself.
Then, another screen showed the squares of various cities, where crowds had gathered to watch the broadcast.
-All races held here at the racetrack can now be viewed in several other cities as well. The sight of the racers competing fiercely and the roar of the crowd will be delivered live.
-Additionally, you can watch the racers from various perspectives, as if you were running right beside them.
The venue buzzed with the audience's awe.
The screen then began to focus on the racers.
-Sixty-four racers have survived fierce competition to advance to the main tournament. Before we begin the first race, I'd like to explain one more element that will add to the fun. You've all participated in the popularity poll, haven't you?
The popularity poll.
A popularity poll was held in each region where the preliminaries took place.
Which racer do you support?
Only those who bought a ticket to see the race could vote. It was an extension of the fan wars—a business tactic by Karami to fuel the fans' pride and boost the event's success.
-The most popular racer in Group A is this one right here: Kiss, from the south. She's so beloved by the southerners, especially her 'uncle fans,' that she's earned the nickname 'the Idol of the South.'
-The second most popular racer is Marin, from the west. Her running is as refreshing as a wave. Many are looking forward to the showdown between the south's representative, Miss Kiss, and the west's representative, Miss Marin. Paying attention to this rivalry will make the race even more exciting.
-The third most popular—
The explanation of the top-ranked racers continued. Unfortunately, Miro was not among them.
She wasn't particularly disappointed. They were the top contenders from their respective regions, while for Miro, just making it this far was a miracle.
It was only natural that the most skilled racers were the most popular.
Miro glanced at the gate next to her. Kiss, the most popular racer in Group A, was there.
“Thank you for cheering for me, oppas! If Kiss wins, I'll blow you all a victory kiss!”
Twintails, half black and half white.
Her looks were cute enough to stir a man's protective instincts. She had a little sister vibe.
Miro could see why she was the most popular.
Kiss was waving to the crowd with a bright smile. Then, in an instant, the smile vanished from her eyes.
“Hah, my mouth hurts from all this smiling. Just because I smiled a little, they really think I like them. They don't know their place. Dealing with trash like them is the most annoying thing.”
W-What was that?
Such harsh words from that pretty mouth?
Did I hear that right?
Sensing the stare, Kiss glared at Miro.
“What are you looking at?”
“Huh? Oh, no, it's just…”
-Miss Kiss is frowning. Is there a problem? She doesn't look happy.
As the commentary played and her face appeared on the screen, she broke into a wide smile as if nothing had happened.
“It's just a little habit I have when I'm concentrating before a race~ You'll love this side of Kiss too, won't you, oppas?”
“Of course!!!”
“Oh, what to do~? Kiss is so happy to be loved by all my oppas♡”
What did I just see?
I have to run with someone like her?
Scary.
I think I'm getting chills.
-All sixteen racers are in their gates. The first race of the long-awaited semifinals begins now.
Get a grip.
Erase everything unrelated to the race from my mind.
She got into her stance.
Ready to go at any moment.
The noise that had felt so loud faded away.
Silence enveloped her entire body.
Finally, an instant felt like an eternity.
…
CLANG!
The moment the gates opened, the racers shot forward, kicking off the ground.
-The first race at the historic Harpanel Racetrack! The racers have just made their great mark!
-Who will take the lead? The fan favorite, Kiss, who prefers to run from the front, picks up speed right from the start. She's about to take the lead before the corner—ah, but Marin is pushing through from the inside lane!
“Tch.”
Kiss's face twisted at the unpleasant, fishy smell characteristic of the seaside that stung her nostrils.
How dare a country bumpkin from the coast who lives on fish try to take the lead from me.
I won't let her.
-The two racers to watch are in a fierce contest from the very beginning! Neither shows any sign of backing down as they enter the first corner side-by-side!
-The other racers are chasing close behind, trying not to fall back from the two fighting for the lead. It's a high-paced race overall, but at this rate, it will be difficult for them to maintain their pace to the end on this longer track.
Moving into the main tournament brought several changes, like the altered track and the mandatory racing outfits, but the biggest influence on the race was the distance.
The preliminaries were 2600 meters, but the main tournament was 3400. Considering that even 2600 meters is classified as a long-distance race in normal horse racing, this was an incredibly long course.
This was a decision made in consideration of the racers' abilities.
The horse beastkin of this world were physically far superior to ordinary horses. Over a moderate distance, a racer with superior physique could win just by running straight ahead, without any particular strategy.
Because the racers were too good, strategy was eliminated, making the races monotonous and ending in an instant before anyone could feel any excitement.
A phenomenon where outstanding ability actually reduced the fun.
This measure was meant to prevent that.
The change in distance required a change in strategy. Miro's current position was second to last.
Considering the racer in last place was running poorly, perhaps due to a failure to manage her condition, Miro was effectively in last.
It wasn't a mistake. It was the position she and Karami had decided on during their strategy meeting.
The advice Karami had given her as a trainer while preparing for the main tournament.
‘Miro, you run like you're being chased. That's why you falter in the final stretch.’
‘Isn't running like you're being chased a good thing? You'd run faster to escape, right?’
Karami shook his head.
‘You're better suited for chasing than fleeing. But you get psychologically anxious, so even when you're the one catching up, you run as if you're escaping. This disconnect between your running style and your mentality is what's harming your performance. It's like an unoiled gear grinding away. It's why you place high but always lose by a hair's breadth.’
‘But I can't help it~ When someone's chasing me menacingly from behind, I have no choice but to run away, Trainer.’
‘Then let's start from the very back. If you keep everyone in your sights, you won't feel pressured from behind. It might be easier to think of it as a game of tag. You're the only one who's 'it'.’
A game of tag.
The one running away has to suffer the pressure of being chased from start to finish, but the one who is 'it' is invincible.
You lose if you can't catch all the runners, but at least you don't have to worry about being chased, which puts your mind at ease.
Become the one who's 'it'.
Overtake the fourteen racers ahead.
From now on, she wasn't a horse on the run, but a predator on the hunt.