Uma Musume: To The Top!! Chapter 11 - 123

"Into the final stretch—Noble Monarch is still leading the pack!"

"Can she hold on until the very end?!"

The comntator's voice thundered across the course.

In the stands, every spectator was already on their feet, waiting to witness the race's final climax.

"Whoooosh—!"

The wind howled.

Noble Monarch galloped down the final straight, her sharp gaze catching the marker ahead.

400 ters left…

"It's mine!"

Just as a triumphant smile spread across her face—

"Thanks for your hard work~"

A lighthearted voice suddenly burst in her ear.

The figure of Tamamo Cross had already drawn up beside her!

"H-how… is this possible…?"

Noble Monarch stared in disbelief at the ash-gray Uma Musu on her flank.

But Tamamo Cross didn't spare her another glance. Her tone was calm, but her expression was sharp as steel.

Thump! Thump!

That sound had begun the instant she prepared to overtake Noble Monarch—dull and heavy, drawing ever closer.

Along with it ca a sharp tearing of the air from behind.

Tamamo Cross's blue pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"So fast already?!"

She exhaled, eyes flashing. "But you won't catch now!"

At this pace, they couldn't even pass Noble Monarch—let alone her.

"My final opponent… really is only you, huh?"

Up ahead, Noble Monarch's figure still clung stubbornly to the lead. Yet the gap was shrinking, inch by inch.

And behind—an even more terrifying pressure lood like a blade pressed cold against her spine.

In just monts, the dull pounding grew into a thunderous roar!

Sothing was closing in with explosive speed—instantly devouring four lengths of distance!

"It's Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap is charging from the outside!"

The comntator's voice shook as he nad the new challenger.

Boom—!

Her hooves dug deep into the turf, shaking the earth.

Oguri Cap leaned into a forward-tilted form, thundering after Tamamo Cross.

"Good! Plenty of stamina left!"

A fierce determination burned in Oguri's eyes.

Ahead, the figures of Tamamo Cross and Noble Monarch filled her vision. Her fighting spirit surged.

Three streaks of light tore forward together.

And just as they passed the 400-ter marker—

A crushing burden suddenly struck all three.

The Tokyo Racecourse's most brutal challenge: the uphill slope of over two ters in the final stretch.

Fresh, it was nothing to G1 runners.

But after 1600 ters of relentless racing, with weary bodies, it beca a wall of death.

At that instant—

"Now!"

Tamamo Cross's pupils shrank, arcs of lightning seeming to crackle from them.

Crack!

An invisible mirror shattered beneath her indomitable will.

Overwhelming force poured into her small fra.

Boom—!

The turf exploded beneath her hooves, mud flying.

She beca true white lightning, blasting forward with absolute resolve.

"Damn it…"

Noble Monarch grit her teeth. She was already at the edge of her strength.

Just a few seconds of clashing with Tamamo Cross had drained her dry.

Now, she was powerless to resist being overtaken.

Hhhhhaaaaaahhhhhh—!

At that very mont, Oguri Cap's body ignited.

The mont she had waited for—the trigger her body craved—had arrived!

The ash-gray monster no longer suppressed herself.

All the feral instinct she had held back now erupted!

Her fra lunged forward, hooves unleashing earth-shaking force—like a beast at last baring its fangs.

With a finishing kick strong enough to make the ground quake, she tore after the streak of white lightning.

"Uoooooohhhhhhh!!!"

The crowd erupted, Tokyo Racecourse boiling over like a furnace.

The comntator's voice cracked with disbelief:

"They're sprinting! The ho stretch—Noble Monarch still in front!"

"But—Tamamo Cross!! Tamamo Cross has caught her! What speed is this?!"

"She's past Noble Monarch!!"

"And right behind—Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap has exploded! Impossible speed—she's closing on Tamamo Cross before our eyes!"

"Two ash-gray monsters! A cataclysmic showdown on the final stretch!"

"Tamamo Cross! Oguri Cap! Who will reach the line first?!"

"Have you caught ?"

Tamamo Cross felt the power surging through her, confidence blazing.

Good.

Taking the lead had been right.

Her position was perfect to block Oguri's sprint.

And she still had stamina to spare.

"Then it's simple."

Her eyes locked on the finish line, her Domain crackling like a storm through her limbs.

"Use everything—leave nothing behind—"

"—All-out sprint!!!"

Her roar split the track, muscles straining beyond their limits.

Her pace didn't falter on the uphill—she accelerated again!

But—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The hooves behind her pounded like war drums.

That suffocating presence clung to her back—closing fast! Three lengths! Two and a half!

"So fast! Faster than I thought!"

Tamamo Cross grit her teeth.

That hunting presence locked on her neck—Oguri's burning eyes searing into her.

Don't look back. Don't falter.

Even a breath of hesitation ant being devoured.

"Haah… Hhhhaahh…"

Her breath tore at her chest, stamina flooding away.

But the finish line was right there!

"Victory—it's mine!"

She scread inside, pouring everything into her legs.

But then—

Weakness struck.

A buzzing filled her ears. Her legs turned to lead.

The strength that carried her this far drained away like a punctured balloon.

"My legs… so heavy…"

Her eyes widened in shock, her stride faltering.

The finish line wavered before her.

BOOM!!!

Oguri Cap surged.

She seized the chance, cutting the gap.

"Oguri Cap is accelerating! Only a length between her and Tamamo Cross! Is Tamamo Cross running out of breath?!"

Oguri's eyes were steady.

"Just a little more…"

"I've got you."

A chill stabbed up Tamamo's spine.

"Damn it!"

The monster was nearly upon her.

The line was close—but still so far.

Her lungs burned, her muscles tore.

"…Is this my limit?"

The thought whispered in her mind.

Limit?

Was this the end?

Voices filled her mory—her trainer, her siblings, her fans.

And above all—her first promise:

"I'll beco strong. I won't lose to anyone. I'll be Japan's number one Uma Musu."

That vow blazed inside her like molten fire.

Japan's number one…

She lifted her head, roaring:

"I—WILL BE JAPAN'S NUMBER ONE!!!"

Her cry split the track.

Only one thought remained:

Forward!

Even faster!

"Even if I burn out—I'll cross that line!!!"

The blurred finish line sharpened—

Crack!

Boom!

Her will shattered all barriers.

Lightning shot from her eyes—

And then the storm erupted.

A sea of thunder burst from her body.

The stands shook as Kuroha and the others rose to their feet.

This was the Domain—

Domain: White Lightning!!!

Tamamo Cross beca lightning incarnate, streaking through the final stretch.

The world collapsed behind her. The roars of the crowd fell silent.

Only one thing remained—

The monster behind her.

Oguri Cap, eyes burning, aura black and fierce.

She too roared.

And she too broke her limits.

The barrier shattered—

Domain: True Self!

Only 100 ters remained.

Two streaks—blue-white and black-white—raced for the line.

Flash!

They crossed.

"The finish!"

"The ash-gray duel's winner is—Tamamo Cross!!"

"She wins by half a length over Oguri Cap!"

The comntator's voice shook with exhilaration:

"The first in history to claim both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho! Three straight G1 victories!"

"Tamamo Cross!!!"

(End of Chapter)

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