The sudden anomaly sent shivers down the spines of everyone from Rukomachi.
"Yurei!" Genbao exclaimed in alarm, his face paling as the crowd tensed. Yurei veered diagonally, Kousei accelerating brilliantly past her. Though no collision occurred, it was a narrow escape.
"What's happening? Why can't I control my legs?" Yurei wondered, shock giving way to focused contemplation.
Yurei regained her composure but didn't immediately resume the chase. Genbao's heart finally settled as he began scrutinizing Kousei.
"My bad premonition was right," he thought grimly. "She was indeed targeting Little Belle's vulnerable left foot."
Their mental capabilities operated on entirely different levels. Kousei's earlier setbacks had been deliberate. By applying pressure step by step, she had gradually forced Yurei to accelerate, each evasion forcing her to quicken her pace. This systematic approach gradually shifted the strain onto Yurei's legs.
The rhythm that should have been controlled by the Front-Runner had imperceptibly fallen under Kousei's command. Unable to cushion the acceleration with her core, Yurei's legs bore even greater strain than those of typical Front-Runners.
"So she figured it out after all!" Genbao's expression darkened.
"It's far too obvious. An Umamusume's running style reveals everything. Someone with such a devastating final leg would never run like this."
Kousei had personally witnessed Yurei Belle's razor-sharp final leg. There was no doubt that her cautious Front-Runner strategy was a compromise born of necessity.
While a gentle Front-Runner approach might mitigate risks, how much could she truly achieve by running in a way that didn't suit her strengths?
Lacking boldness and speed, her gait was hesitant, filled with second-guessing and self-doubt. If Umamusume danced on the edge of a knife, Front-Runners lived even closer to the blade.
Silence Suzuka, Speedstar, Twin Turbo—only the most extreme individuals could master such a specialized running style. They refused to relinquish the lead, allowing no room for hesitation from the moment the gate opened.
"You're too soft, Yurei-san."
A running style dedicated to courting death showed no mercy to the timid. It was precisely because Yurei Belle overthought things that she fell into Kousei's trap.
"No Front-Running, only All-Out Escape!"
Kousei had once asked Speedstar what she would do if she encountered another Front-Runner or if her stamina faltered mid-race.
"No Front-Running, only All-Out Escape. Either double-fade or break free and leave them in the dust."
"Forcibly taking the lead only wastes stamina and explosive power, ultimately resulting in more harm than good."
Influenced by this belief, Kousei could never have imagined that in the future, an Umamusume would fraudulently seize the lead to win the Autumn Chrysanthemum Prize.
"I'm falling behind! What do I do?!" Yurei panicked.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she faced a genuine challenge. In Rukomachi's unchanging races, she had gradually lost the habit of critical thinking.
"No instructions! What do I do?!" Yurei's anxiety burned like fire. "First and foremost! I have to break through!"
Yurei began maneuvering wildly, seeking an opening. But no matter how she maneuvered, Kousei always anticipated her, securing the track ahead.
After several failed attempts, Yurei's breathing grew ragged.
"If that's the case!"
Frustrated by her lack of progress, Yurei made a bold decision. She veered toward the Deep Outer Lane, determined to completely bypass Kousei's blockade.
Genbao's heart tightened, sensing imminent disaster.
Kousei didn't follow Yurei's move. To her, circling to the Deep Outer Lane and attempting to break through from there would only drain unnecessary stamina.
Having completely abandoned stamina conservation, Yurei accelerated fiercely from the Deep Outer Lane, desperate to overtake Kousei.
"Just accelerate."
Facing Yurei's relentless charge, Kousei responded with her own burst of speed.
"I can't catch up?!"
With the longer distance, the conditions were completely unequal for Yurei in the Deep Outer Lane and Kousei in the Inner Lane.
The advantage gained by accelerating in a straight line would be entirely forfeited in the turns. Moreover, Kousei, with her mastery of curved paths, wouldn't falter on the bends.
Agitation, ragged breathing, and the gradual accumulation of flaws leading to Collapse.
Front-line blockade was Kousei's signature move.
"I can't see a way through..."
The future was shrouded in mist, sealed off. A sense of helplessness washed over her, and the demonic entity in the fog that obscured her vision seemed like the very person who had once brought about her downfall.
The original Rukomachi had not been like this, just as the URA at its inception hadn't been as corrupt as it was now. As the first stop on the NAU's promotion ladder, Rukomachi had once drawn immense popularity. The promotion route was once known as the "Dream Express Ticket," attracting countless hopeful Umamusume from around the world, each yearning to ascend to the global stage.
Born in Rukomachi, Yurei naturally grew up idolizing the life of a competitive Umamusume, influenced by the NAU Grand Prix.
Unlike other exceptional dreamers, Yurei displayed extraordinary talent from her very first races. Her explosive power far surpassed that of her peers, and her final straight sprints were nothing short of breathtaking.
Trainers had long taken notice of this outstanding Little Horse Girl, and the people of Rukomachi believed her birth there was a gift from the Three Goddesses.
Yurei Belle. Rukomachi was immersed in a beautiful dream, as if from that moment forward, they would no longer be just a small island in the North.
As time passed, Yurei was about to step onto the racetrack. Since the NAU lacked a Triple Crown, her first official race, like those of other competitors, would be a challenge against the NAU.
It felt like a child finally taking the college entrance exam. On the day of Yurei's race, almost everyone in Rukomachi dropped what they were doing. They wanted to witness the first step of this Umamusume they had placed such high hopes on—her first step toward the world stage.
But fate had other plans.
Whether due to bad luck or the cruel hand of destiny, Yurei's NAU debut pitted her against an unprecedented monster—a top-tier competitor even in Europe, where formidable racers abounded. This monster, who should never have been there, used its overwhelming power to tear Rukomachi apart, root and branch.
Her very first race left her with a lasting injury. During her struggle against the Monster, her still-developing left foot suffered irreversible damage. Yet the mental trauma proved far more devastating than the physical injury.
Slanting across the track, slowing down before accelerating again, Yurei's final leg, once her proudest weapon, fell short by nine horse lengths. The valiant European fighter shattered Rukomachi's dreams completely.
A momentary setback meant nothing. Yurei had simply been unlucky. Next time... next time, she would surely prevail.
Clinging to this hope, Yurei eagerly awaited her next challenge. Meanwhile, the European fighter predictably ascended to the highest stage, rightfully conquering Longchamp's dirt, becoming unparalleled and the foremost of her era.
Perhaps this race was a mere footnote in the legendary Umamusume's career—a memory she might not even recall. Yet for Yurei, it was like a mayfly glimpsing the vast sky. The psychological trauma, combined with the lingering injury in her left foot, caused her performance to steadily decline. Whenever she reached the final stretch, she would be haunted by the memory of being left behind.
"If I fail, it's all over."
This self-preservation instinct crippled her ability to unleash her full potential in the final stretch, forever robbing her of her final leg.
Umamusume are highly sensitive creatures, and Rukomachi's trainers racked their brains trying to figure out why Yurei's performance was steadily declining. Just then, a man named Genbao appeared at the perfect moment.
"Are you afraid? If so, why not simply run away?"
This man offered an unprecedented solution, not only addressing Yurei's psychological void but also pointing her in a completely new direction.
Switching from a pursuer to a front-runner required starting from scratch, but Yurei's condition gradually improved. After numerous attempts, she finally broke through the first hurdle.
Rukomachi's hopes rekindled, but they were short-lived. Yurei soon returned to Rukomachi's side.
A mere one or two setbacks couldn't undo all the progress they had made.
Once, twice, three times...
Failure became the norm, and people quickly realized the so-called "Dream Express Ticket" was a complete farce. After the competition format reforms, no one could advance through the NAU system. The final gate, controlled by Central Committee Racing, became the graveyard for countless aspiring Umamusume.
The notion that no one could advance through the NAU gradually became common knowledge.
"Forget it. If even the strongest, Yurei-nee, couldn't win, there's no way we can."
If the strongest couldn't win, what chance did the rest of them have? Yurei's defeat wasn't just a personal failure; it was a blow to all the Umamusume of Rukomachi.
The situation was the same outside Rukomachi. Fewer and fewer Umamusume were participating in the NAU, and the people of Rukomachi, who had once dreamed of escaping poverty through their Umamusume, were gradually facing reality.
"Want to go train together?"
"Huh? Nah, I'm gonna focus on my studies. I've given up on being an Umamusume."
"I'm planning to help my family run our business. Just sell random stuff and live a relaxed life. Since we can't win anyway, what's the point of training?"
"Races? I'll still participate, for the prize money, of course! Training? No thanks, too much trouble~"
It was time to wake up from the beautiful dream.