Thank you for your Patreonage, Mr. Astalto~!
Chapter 20. First Test Under the Dubai Night Sky
Silence Suzuka led the field past the 400-meter marker; ahead of her lay another 400 meters before the bend.
"The opening stretch is a full 1000 meters long. When I first saw the track layout, I really thought it wasn't particularly friendly to a front-runner," the Uma Musume reflected calmly. "But only after actually running here did I understand—this track suits me perfectly."
"I really have to thank Ann for finding such an ideal stage for me."
She did not allow herself even the slightest distraction, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The streetlights were dazzling, but she paid them no mind, maintaining a high-speed cruising rhythm as steady as breathing.
At the same time, the Japanese commentator had just finished explaining the pack formation and shifted his focus back to the leader.
"Silence Suzuka has seized complete control of the pace! The high-speed front-running tactic she has consistently used since joining Team Sadalsuud is on full display once again! But will there be an opponent who can catch her—like last year at Sha Tin in Hong Kong? Can this Grade 1 champion finally reclaim victory in a major race after more than half a year?!"
If Shuta An had been sitting in the commentary booth, he would already have placed his bet. Instead, he turned casually to Mr. Kitahara.
"To be honest, there's only one thing left for me to worry about in this race."
"What is it?" Mr. Kitahara played his role as the perfect straight man.
"It's how many lengths Suzuka will win by." Shuta An's lips curved upward. "Mr. Kitahara, do you believe that?"
"Of course, I do, Ann-san," Mr. Kitahara replied without hesitation. "Since we met, when has Ann-san ever lied to me? Even if I can't see where your confidence comes from right now, I still believe you."
After crossing the 600-meter mark, the gap between Silence Suzuka and the second-placed Desert Conqueror widened from one and a half lengths to two.
Silence Suzuka's pace, however, remained unchanged. It was obvious that Desert Conqueror had already faltered—she eased off slightly, no longer forcing herself to chase.
That decision immediately drew Tokai Teio's dissatisfaction.
"If you're going to mark someone, then stick to your own rhythm! Getting scared and messing up your stride like that is completely counterproductive. You might as well not mark at all."
"Exactly," Mejiro Dober nodded. "When you're positioned further back, the two things you must trust most are your rhythm and your final burst."
For several Uma Musume present who had yet to enter the Twinkle Series—or who had achieved little so far—those two remarks alone were worth serious reflection.
After passing the 800-meter mark, the distance between Silence Suzuka and Kingsalsa remained unchanged, and the remaining competitors still showed no sign of launching an early move.
"Only 200 meters left until the bend. I need to secure the inner lane and not give anyone behind me a chance to attack from the inside," Silence Suzuka pressed her lips together, subtly lowering her center of gravity, prepared to respond to any sudden acceleration or interference.
After Annus Mirabilis crossed the 800-meter point, she hesitated briefly, then—judging the pace to be excessively fast—fully relaxed.
"It seems my earlier decision was right. A 61-second pace for the first 1000 meters…there's no way Silence Suzuka can keep that up to the end. She's bound to slow down."
She was utterly convinced.
When Silence Suzuka became the first to enter the bend, Shuta An noticed a slight outward drift—about half a body width.
"Hmm…that's something we'll need to work on with targeted training later," the young man frowned inwardly. "I want Suzuka to be flawless in every aspect."
That minor flaw, however, was meaningless given the level of the Uma Musume behind her. Even if they noticed it, all they could do was sigh.
Tokai Teio shook her head, clearly dissatisfied with the opposition.
"Even if they didn't anticipate the leader drifting outward, shouldn't they at least try to attack Suzuka-senpai when she has to slow down and adjust her pace in the bend?"
"It can only be said that aside from Suzuka, the other ten Uma Musume in this race are racing far too passively," Shuta An replied. "And Meydan Racecourse is the kind of track where only the braves are granted the Goddess of Victory's favor."
…
At the same time, Oguri Cap—now out of the hot spring and watching the broadcast from the living room—voiced a similar thought to Berno Light.
"This track clearly rewards proactive positioning. If I were racing, I'd be glued to Suzuka right now. I wouldn't let her escape so easily."
"These Uma Musume don't seem to have that awareness," Berno Light shook her head. "They're all just waiting for Suzuka to collapse. As expected, the overall level of this race is fairly ordinary."
"After all, the UAE's international standing is only so-so right now," Oguri Cap continued calmly. "They rely on high prize money to attract overseas competitors. But which truly top-tier European Uma Musume would come? Mostly second- or third-tier runners trying their luck. And Suzuka isn't someone those runners can defeat."
Her confidence in Silence Suzuka ultimately stemmed from one thing alone.
Ann's training.
The bend measured roughly 400 meters. When Silence Suzuka entered it, the massive screen displayed a time of 1:01.00. As she prepared to exit the curve and charge into the final straight, the timer shifted to 1:24.5.
"Twenty-four point five seconds," Shuta An murmured, thoroughly satisfied. "That pace control is excellent."
He stretched out his hand, clenched it into a fist, and punched the air.
"Only 400 meters left to the finish. Now—let's give those cowards behind us a shock they'll never forget."
In the latter half of the bend, the Uma Musume trailing several lengths behind Silence Suzuka had already begun preparing for their acceleration. Of course, none of them were foolish enough to actually surge on the curve itself—doing so would only squander the stamina they had conserved through restraint.
Silence Suzuka did not need to look back. From the nature of the bend alone, she could already infer what her pursuers were doing.
But she did not care.
Because once she entered the final straight, she would do exactly the same thing as them.
She would sprint.
A first 1000 meters at a 59-second pace under Japanese timing. In the past, this had been Silence Suzuka's limit—she could not truly unleash a finishing burst and could only grit her teeth and hold on, waiting for the inevitable loss of speed.
But after three months of focused training, that was no longer the case. Now, even while maintaining a 59-second thousand-meter pace, she could still accelerate—if only slightly.
"Fifty-nine seconds for the first 1000 meters…fifty-nine seconds for the last 1000 meters. This is my current limit," the Uma Musume felt a surge of quiet joy as she became the first to enter the straight. "It's a good thing this race is only 1800 meters. Those 200 meters make all the difference."
Shorter than a full 2000 meters, it prevented her opponents from adapting to her rhythm—and allowed her to discard hesitation entirely.
She could give everything to her final burst.
Once again, Silence Suzuka couldn't help but marvel at how perfectly suited this race was—the race her Trainer had chosen for her.
"Being able to transfer to Team Sadalsuud…no—meeting Ann on that Hokkaido morning years ago was truly wonderful."
Her leg swings grew more powerful, and in an instant, the gap between herself and Annus Mirabilis—now second—widened visibly. The moment she entered the final straight, Annus Mirabilis unleashed her stored explosive power without hesitation.
"I'll overtake her in one breath—even Silence Suzuka!" Annus Mirabilis roared inwardly as she charged.
But at that very instant, Silence Suzuka accelerated as well—almost as if she had sensed the intent behind her.
"What—? She can still accelerate at this pace?!" Annus Mirabilis faltered, shock flashing across her face.
She quickly forced herself to calm down.
"Even if she accelerates, it's just the final struggle of a cornered beast. There's no way it can last! If I keep pushing forward, she'll slow down—she has to!"
"Into the final straight!" the Japanese commentator shouted, voice rising sharply. "All the Uma Musume are accelerating! Fly to the Stars is moving outward, preparing to break free! Intikhab dives toward the inside, trying to retake position! Annus Mirabilis refuses to yield! But—But Silence Suzuka is still in the lead! Still leading! No one has caught her yet!"
His eyes widened as he yelled with everything he had.
"Run! Run! Don't let them catch you! Go—Charge forward! Silence Suzuka!"
—
In Shuta An's vision, Silence Suzuka's running form grew ever clearer.
"Go… Suzuka. No one will catch you," he murmured.
Though he had said countless times that he believed in her victory, as the rhythm of her footsteps drew nearer, even his heart began to pound in response.
"Suzuka-senpai! Go!" Tokai Teio shouted first. "Win this! Make it our first victory of the year!"
Mejiro Dober hesitated—then forced herself to shout as well, though her voice was far softer than Teio's.
Shuta An understood. With the Mejiro family's upbringing, shouting encouragement aloud had never come naturally to her.
Silence Suzuka, completely absorbed in her sprint, could not hear her juniors' cheers. But she knew.
Even if Tokai Teio usually harbored some inexplicable rivalry toward her—now, whether it was Teio, Dober, or the other Uma Musume who had come to Dubai—
"And Ann…everyone must be cheering for me."
She resisted the urge to glance sideways.
"No. Finish the race first. Ann is watching me. I absolutely won't let myself be overtaken in front of him again."
Silence Suzuka clenched her teeth and poured out every last fragment of stamina without reservation.
Her speed rose another level.
Four lengths behind her, Annus Mirabilis's eyes went wide.
"How… how is that possible?!"
"How can she accelerate again?! She was already running that fast! Why isn't she slowing down?! Is she a machine?! Even in England—no Uma Musume can do something like this!"
Her thoughts collapsed into chaos. She relied solely on instinct and physical conditioning to barely hold off the challengers behind her.
In contrast, the faster Silence Suzuka ran, the calmer she felt.
"The footsteps behind me…they're gone."
She refused to look back, maintaining her pace even after accelerating again.
"First to the finish line. I will take this victory—and dedicate it to Ann. Everything else can wait."
Bathed in the overlapping glare of streetlights and grandstand lights, Silence Suzuka squinted as she sprinted forward. Fortunately, Meydan's turf was immaculate—she had no need to worry about her footing.
"Silence Suzuka! The gap is widening!" the Japanese commentator leapt to his feet, fists clenched. "She hasn't been caught—she's accelerating again! She's leaving everyone behind!"
He punched the air repeatedly as he shouted.
"Spectators around the world, look! Even with Oguri Cap retired, Team Sadalsuud remains a top force in major races!"
"Oh!" the Local commentator exclaimed as well. "Silence Suzuka of Team Sadalsuud has completely shaken off her rivals! Even the shadows stretching beneath the streetlights cannot catch her!"
Shuta An grinned, raised both arms ahead of time, turned, and waved toward the grandstand.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro Dober each grabbed one of his coattails, laughing with exhilaration.
And at the very moment Silence Suzuka crossed the finish line—
Only Tojo Hana stood frozen, staring blankly at the Uma Musume's receding figure on the track.
"Was I…wrong?"
The words escaped her lips before she realized it, her eyes vacant as she asked the question aloud.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens