Chapter 279: This is Fun!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 279: This is Fun!
-We’re moving past the early stages and into the midpoint of the race. After a fierce battle right from the start, Kiss has pulled ahead to take the lead, while Marin has fallen back slightly to the middle of the pack.
-It’s a longer race than the qualifiers, after all. If they had kept fighting for the lead, they both would have burned out. Perhaps Marin conceded?
Marin ran mixed in with the middle group.
She hadn’t fallen back to concede or for any other reason.
The reason Marin had taken the risk of competing with Kiss for the lead was simple: to keep her in check.
Unlike the qualifiers, the opponents in the main race were set. This meant it was possible to strategize with specific opponents in mind.
The one to watch out for in Group A was the idol of the south, Kiss.
In her previous qualifying races, she had never once lost first place. She would start with a breakaway, never get caught, and cross the finish line in the lead. It was a classic, dominant strategy.
Like a new star who had shone brightly from her debut.
She had never known defeat.
For someone like Kiss, the early pressure must have felt like a significant threat. She would have been forced to push her pace to avoid being overtaken.
Preventing an opponent from executing their preferred strategy.
It was the most basic of racing fundamentals.
The effects of Marin’s early pressure were now clear. Normally, Kiss would have created a wider gap between herself and the rear pack, but now, she was struggling just to maintain her position.
She had over-paced.
And this was an ultra-long-distance race, a full 800 meters longer.
No one knew this better than Kiss herself.
I thought she was just some country bumpkin, but to pull this kind of crap…!
It was too late to do anything about it now. She had to keep running, of course, but it would be difficult to maintain the lead like this.
I have no choice.
This was an important race, but it was still just a qualifier for the finals.
The race she ultimately had to win was the final. This was merely a stepping stone.
It was frustrating, but she had to give up first place here and aim to finish in the top four to advance.
-Unlike the initial clash, the race has proceeded without much competition and is now approaching the final corner before the last straight.
-Leona, in 16th place, seems to have a physical problem and has fallen behind. Miro is now effectively at the back of the pack. The racer who always maintained a mid-pack position is now here.
She was further back than her usual spot.
There were many walls to break through, many opponents to overtake.
She couldn’t run like she had before.
If she did, she wouldn’t make it to the finish line.
The moment she entered the corner, Miro picked up her pace.
-As soon as she enters the final corner, Miro, who was at the rear, makes a long spurt from the outside! She starts to climb, overtaking the front-runners! Following Miro, the trailing racers pick up their pace, and the flow of the race changes in an instant!
-Meanwhile, Marin challenges Kiss for the lead once again! Perhaps due to the strain from the early race, Kiss is unable to shake her off and gives up the lead for the first time!
-Marin has put up a wall in front of Kiss, who had never known an obstacle! The crowd erupts in a huge cheer as Marin retakes the lead!
-Rounding the corner and into the final straight! The racers who had been conserving their strength make a group spurt! Neiro Bram bursts through a gap! She overtakes Kiss, and now only Marin remains! Just 800 meters left!
Marin, running in the lead, glanced back to assess the situation.
Kiss had seemingly changed her strategy, giving up on first place to secure a spot in the top four, and had willingly fallen back.
She had taken on the role of a deterrent, checking the racers coming up from behind to ensure her own survival.
The only one Marin needed to worry about was Neiro Bram, who was right behind her. However, due to their early skirmish, Marin’s stamina wasn’t in great shape either.
She was about to be caught.
In that case, I’ll settle this in one go.
A watery light shimmered around Marin’s skin.
Splash, splash.
Droplets of water scattered.
Small waves formed on the ground where her feet landed.
The commentator’s excited voice boomed.
-There it is! Marin’s Wave Riding! To create waves of this magnitude where there is no water?!
It was a blessing bestowed only upon beastkin whose souls were mixed with those of animals, like the fox beastkin’s magic, the lion beastkin’s pressure, or the turtle beastkin’s insight.
A unique ability that only a very small number of talented beastkin could manifest.
Marin’s Wave Riding was on par with Lua Swift’s Gale and Scarlet Stampede’s Chariot. Her physical abilities, honed by a lifetime spent by the sea, were momentarily, but dramatically, enhanced.
The difference between one who could wield such an ability and one who couldn't was like that between an adult and a child. The distance between her and Neiro Bram, who had been slowly closing in, widened dramatically.
-Three horse lengths, four horse lengths! The gap between Marin and the trailing pack is growing! Marin is in a league of her own! Is this the pride of the West?!
She could hear the fans cheering.
The pride of the West.
What a wonderful ring it had.
Marin was certain of her victory.
She analyzed her own performance during the race.
As I thought, the increased distance was the variable.
She’d have to be more careful with her pace in the finals. Her stamina was running low.
Before she knew it, there were only 400 meters to the finish line.
She would cross the finish line in first place without any further twists—
Huh?
It was then that Marin felt something was off.
The endless cheers had vanished.
The void was filled with bewilderment, then gasps of shock.
Unable to shake the feeling of unease, she looked back.
A pure white horse was charging forward, its eyes glowing gold. It was a sight that invigorated even its competitors, a light-footed gallop that seemed to dance upon the clouds.
It had broken through the deterrent that was Kiss, overtaken Neiro, and was now aiming for Marin’s position. There was no hesitation in its stride.
-From the very outside, it’s Miro! Miro, who was at the very back, has joined the lead group! She pushes past Kiss and Neiro to settle into second place! But she’s not satisfied with that!
-Miro shoots forward like an arrow! She runs relentlessly, aiming to take down Marin!!!
With every stride Miro took, the distance to Marin shrank.
Marin couldn’t sense any special energy from Miro. It was just a simple, artless, brutishly powerful run.
And with that alone, she was trying to take Marin down.
Her physical ability was so immense it made Marin doubt if she was truly the same horse beastkin as herself.
No, whatever it was, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t lose first place after coming this far. Marin gritted her teeth and ran with all her might.
-Marin digs deep to hold onto her lead! Miro, who looks ready to take the lead at any moment, picks up speed and finally steps into Marin’s shadow!
-The distance between them is now just one horse length! 100 meters to go! Can she catch her? Can she? Miro is now side-by-side with Marin! The two racers cross the finish line at the same time! Who won? It looks like it’ll be hard to tell without a photo finish!
A giant screen appeared in front of the stands.
It was a magic that replayed past scenes.
The final moments of the contest played in slow motion.
Miro had caught up to Marin just before the finish line. By a hair’s breadth, Marin’s head had crossed first.
-By a nose, Marin takes first place! Miro showed the power of a late surge but unfortunately finishes in second, with Neiro in third and Kiss in fourth! All four will advance to the finals!
“Waaaaah! That’s our Marin!”
“Marin is the best! This is the pride of the West, you southern bastards!”
With the rankings confirmed, Marin finally caught her breath.
Her strategy had been perfect.
She had known about Miro, but she never imagined she had that much power in reserve.
If the track had been just one meter longer, their fates would have been reversed.
Unlike Marin, whose expression was dark despite her victory, Miro merely looked slightly disappointed.
“If my spurt had been just a little faster…”
She would have won.
It was a shame to miss it by so little.
But even in defeat, she wasn't depressed.
She was disappointed, but not resentful.
Miro clenched and unclenched her fists. They were trembling with an excitement and thrill she couldn’t remember ever feeling.
Competing with someone, losing, crying, feeling frustrated, practicing, winning, feeling happy, and then practicing again, never satisfied, always striving to move forward.
The whole process of focusing on nothing but the race.
The feeling it gave her was something she hadn't experienced in a long time—the joy of competition, something she'd forced herself to ignore to fulfill her duties as the eldest sister.
Running really is fun.
Competing against others is so enjoyable.
It seemed she was a horse by nature, through and through. She had tried to forget this feeling, but in the end, she couldn’t.
The finals were still to come.
She would be running against even better racers.
What kind of race would they show her?
Just imagining running with them made her heart pound with anticipation. Her back tingled with excitement.
*
After the race, Miro returned to the VIP room.
“Sorry, Trainer. I got second place again. You even gave me advice, but I still lost by a hair.”
“For someone who’s sorry, you look quite refreshed.”
“Hehe.”
Miro stuck out her tongue and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. She’d been found out.
Karami gave a bittersweet smile.
“In any case, you did well. Let’s watch together and see who else makes it to the finals. It will be a great help for the future.”
Following Group A, the remaining three qualifying races were held one after another.
The main contenders in Group B were Scarlet Stampede and Lua Swift. Scarlet’s murderous Chariot overwhelmed Lua’s Gale.
Group B 1st place: Scarlet.
2nd place: Lua.
The main contender in Group C was Unicorn Iris. A breakaway runner, she maintained her lead from start to finish, coming in first.
Iris was, without a doubt, a favorite to win the championship. She was imbued with the soul of the mythical unicorn and even utilized a divine blessing in her running.
She was a formidable opponent, so much so that it was hard to imagine a way to beat her.
The winner of the final group, Group D, was O of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits.
As a yokai, O’s abilities were incomparable to those of humans. But unlike Iris, who was still human, she was on another level.
For that reason, her power was restricted for the sake of fairness, but she was still incredibly strong. She, along with Iris, was a major threat to watch out for.
-This concludes the qualifying races for the finals. The final will be held in two weeks, also at the Harpanel Racetrack. We look forward to your continued interest. Thank you.
All sixteen racers for the final had been decided.
Now, only one race remained.