The long arc finally came to an end. As she exited the turn, the Dragon vanished back into the clouds.
Perhaps desperate to shake off Kousei, Jade's acceleration was rushed. Her ragged breathing only drained her stamina faster.
"So annoying!"
Even so, she still couldn't shake off Kousei. After being Marked, Kousei maintained a three-length gap, clinging stubbornly to Jade.
If Jade couldn't break free, she would have served as Kousei's windbreaker for nothing. Even Jade understood this, and a flicker of anxiety ignited within her.
"She's quite clever," Rohan Ye remarked, giving Kousei a positive assessment. "She knows Jade has poor mental fortitude, so she's targeting her mindset as the primary point of attack."
"Is this really okay? Isn't Miss Jade being led by the nose?"
Rohan Ye appeared calm and composed, but the staff member beside him was growing anxious.
"It's fine. Just wait and see," Rohan Ye replied, seemingly confident in his prediction.
So far, everything was proceeding according to Kousei's plan. All she needed to do was maintain the distance, bide her time, and secure a steady victory. That would be the ideal outcome.
If only it were truly that simple.
A muffled, unnatural sound rippled through the clouds. A hidden predator, lurking with predatory eyes, extended its sharp claws from within the mist.
"Fine! If this is what you want, then I'll give you the rampage you're asking for!"
In an instant, the sky darkened.
Jade's eyes transformed into dazzling Gold Eyes, her entire aura shifting. Her already rapid stride accelerated to an even higher level, kicking up a cloud of dust that enveloped her. Only those piercing eyes remained visible.
The Dragon's Fury darkens the heavens.The Dragon's Feet make the earth tremble.
Jade tore forward, refusing to let even the wind impede her path. She was approaching the speed of a miler. If she wasn't stopped now, there would be no second chance.
The Flame Wheel ignited, its fiery glow illuminating the ground. The echo of its burning footsteps drew closer.
The other Umamusume on the racetrack grimaced in pain, but the two frontrunners remained unfazed.
"Too fast! A middle-distance Umamusume shouldn't have this kind of speed!"
Unbelievably, even with the combined power of the Flame Wheel and the Mark, Kousei couldn't catch Jade. The gap continued to widen, turning the Eastern Lands' long straightaway into a living hell
"Long curves, long straights. This simple racetrack was designed to showcase raw performance, practically tailor-made for Jade. On this track, she can unleash her talent without restraint, crushing her opponents with sheer ability. Reiko was right—this place is a palace built for Jade, everything for The Supreme Dragon."
Middle-distance runners are the most versatile, yet few possess both high stamina and the speed to match a miler. The combination that once caught Heavenly Thunder couldn't even touch her now.
Fortunately, Jade's cornering was clumsy; otherwise, Kousei would have stood no chance. After years of racing and facing legends like McQueen, Teio, and Caesar, Kousei had thought no one in the world could surprise her anymore.
"The world truly is full of hidden dragons!"
Was she trembling? From fear, or excitement?
"You want me to hold back?" Kousei pictured the Grey's silhouette again. "Let her run wild? That won't work. I'm not you, Senpai. I don't have the leg strength to close a seven- or eight-length gap in an instant.
I probably won't even last until the final stage."
The Grey's silhouette remained silent from beginning to end. Kousei smiled. "Forget it. I really don't understand. In that case, I'll forge my own path!"
Her body groaned under the strain.
"With these legs, I'll turn everything around!"
A chill ran down Jade's spine. She instinctively glanced back, only to be met by a blood-red mist.
"What?!"
Reiko smiled faintly. "Here she comes!"
The footsteps were heavy and urgent. Jade knew some thing was rapidly closing in.
"Fine! Show me what you've really got, Demon!" A mere mortal dares to defy the heavens?
Tearing through the mist, the Red Serpent's fangs were upon her in an instant. Jade used her stride frequency to counter Kousei's charge, but she was still stunned by the sheer force of the burst.
"She still had this much explosive power left?"
Jade noticed a shift in Kousei's burning pupils; the crimson gaze belonged to a ravenous predator. Kousei crouched low, lowering her center of gravity. With every stride, her ankles erupted with thunderous booms, as if boundless power poured from them.
To call this form a mere Monster would be an understatement.
"Her leg strength has been further enhanced, her muscle control more precise, allowing her to run with greater efficiency. A special skill she mastered during her long parallel runs with Narita Brian."
"Narita Brian?! Is that the Narita Brian I know?!" The attendant was stunned by Rohan Ye's words.
"The Invincible Prime... When you talk about Narita Brian, there can only be one," Rohan Ye said, his gaze fixed on Kousei. But it's more than that, he thought. This isn't just simple mimicry. Her unique wildness grants her extraordinary intuition. The race changes in an instant, yet she processes all that information purely on instinct. Fundamentally, she and Narita Brian are the same kind of person.
"Seriously...?" The attendant clearly didn't believe Rohan's claim.
Rohan glanced at him and continued, "Find it hard to believe? Then let me tell you something else: she once defeated Narita Brian fair and square."
At those words, the way the people beside Rohan looked at Kousei changed.
The pace quickened. Kousei launched her attack at the start of the middle leg. This move was within Jade's expectations. Every Umamusume has her own offensive rhythm, and in past races, unless she was blocked or faced special circumstances, Kousei always marked her opponent and began her assault upon entering the middle leg.
"Everything is going exactly as Rohan predicted!"
Kousei's attack only slightly surprised Jade. According to Rohan Ye's analysis, Kousei had absolutely no chance of catching her on the straightaway.
This very moment was the best proof.
In this chase, a gap of three horse lengths remained between them, the difference in their performance glaringly obvious.
Yet, the unease in Jade's heart didn't lessen in the slightest.
"But this girl is so damn persistent!"
Three horse lengths was a significant gap, but Jade couldn't widen it any further. Kousei made no special moves; she simply clung tightly behind.
Like a prowling beast, waiting for its prey to show a weakness.
As they approached the third turn, the distance shrinking, Kousei grew increasingly restless.
A clash on the curve was inevitable.
"I have to shake her off, no matter what!"
Jade had already suffered a loss once. Though she wasn't skilled on curves, she hadn't fully unleashed her power before. This time, she was much faster on the turn.
The audience held their breath, waiting for Kousei's next move. But with a three-horse-length gap between them, Jade had already entered the turn ahead. Even if Kousei tried something now, it would be useless. The anticipated storm never arrived; despite the tense atmosphere, nothing happened.
"Am I seeing things?"
Why did she deliberately move to the outer lane? Kousei's actions were baffling.
"No!!! Get out of there, Jade!" Rohan Ye suddenly cried out.
"What?"
The Red Tide rolled out, the vicious beast concealing itself. A mark gouged into the turf—a long-planned, sure-hit strike.
"Don't move!"
The moment she exited the turn, Jade felt the world spin. She stumbled, her body instinctively drifting several steps toward the inner lane.
When she looked again, Kousei was somehow already right beside her.
"11.7"
The roles of hunter and hunted had reversed.