Chapter 44: The True Purpose of the Dual Great Escape
[Contestant No. 6, Mihono Bourbon, temporarily holds the lead, closely followed by Contestant No. 7, Stardust Mirage. Slightly behind them is Contestant No. 2, Taiki Shuttle.]
[Further back, Contestant No. 5, Mejiro McQueen, and Contestant No. 1, Narita Brian, are not far apart, followed by Contestant No. 3, Hishi Amazon, and Contestant No. 4, Gold Ship, slightly behind the others. All have successfully entered the first straight of the race!]
[Oh my! Mihono Bourbon, in the lead, begins accelerating the moment she steps onto the straight! Contestant No. 7, Stardust Mirage, follows without hesitation, also unleashing her power!]
[These two contestants chose to accelerate early in the race—are they trying to build a certain advantage? The distance between them and third-place Taiki Shuttle is now over three lengths. Maintaining this lead is a relatively conventional choice...]
[Wait, neither of them is slowing down. Their speed is still increasing—a big escape, it's a big escape!]
[By the Three Goddesses! Both contestants from Team Draco have chosen the big escape tactic! Mihono Bourbon and Stardust Mirage, running closely on the same straight, now resemble a bullet train at full speed!]
[They're charging ahead! So fast, too fast!!!]
[The gap between Stardust Mirage, the "Oguri Cap II," and Taiki Shuttle has already exceeded seven lengths before anyone could react!!!]
In the spectator stands, cheers erupted following the commentator's exclamation.
No one held back their enthusiasm for this most spectacular big escape tactic.
Initially, most believed this race would be a head-to-head clash between the rising stars of Team Spica and the established powerhouse Team Rigil.
No one expected that before these teams' contestants could showcase their brilliance, the two newcomers from Team Draco—initially thought to be just filling the numbers—would deliver such an unexpected performance!
If leading requires rich experience, judging the race situation, and managing stamina—a high-level tactic—then the seemingly similar big escape belongs to an entirely different realm.
A desperate, acceleration from the very start, leaving everyone far behind early on, demands extremely high physical requirements from the horse girl executing it.
Remember the legendary runner, Silence Suzuka, who suffered severe leg damage from a big escape in a race, nearly losing her ability to compete altogether?
So this seemingly highly aggressive running style rarely appears in classic-level races. The last time Stardust Mirage used it was in an unvictorious race, where her opponents were nowhere near the caliber of the current contenders.
But precisely because of that—precisely because they faced such powerful opponents—these two horse girls chose the great escape without hesitation, using this tactic to fight to the death against the others.
Such courage, such confidence!
Only this could transform them into the two brightest stars on the track at this moment, capturing everyone's attention and emotions.
This was an absolute visual feast. Regardless of how the race would unfold, all spectators present couldn't help but raise their right fists, cheering for these two warriors challenging the impossible:
"Goooooooo—give it your all!!!"
—————————————————
This is... Heartbreak.
Stardust Mirage, closely following Mihono Bourbon while maintaining acceleration, recalled what Toyama Hikaru had told them earlier.
"You two indeed have a gap in ability compared to the other horse girls—that's something you must face. So to win, aside from normal methods, you need tactical coordination."
Toyama Hikaru, holding a pointer, spoke confidently in front of the blackboard:
"For horse girls, the choice of running strategy runs through the entire race. Where to maintain distance? Where to accelerate? Where to overtake? Where to start the final sprint?"
"Without considering these questions, you might lose speed or accelerate too late. So, calling the running strategy the heart of the race isn't an exaggeration."
"Then, from the very beginning, you two will use a big escape to forcibly disrupt everyone's rhythm!"
"In this short-distance race, they absolutely won't dare let you build a five-length lead by the final stages because the acceleration time is too short. If the gap is too large, even with a powerful final three-furlong burst, they can't surpass their limits in chasing. Do you understand now?"
Stardust Mirage looked at Toyama Hikaru, then turned to the expressionless Mihono Bourbon sitting beside her, and asked:
"But with a big escape, won't our stamina management be disrupted too? Won't it still come down to a contest of ability in the end?"
Toyama Hikaru pointed the pointer at Stardust Mirage and nodded:
"You're right. So we're not just doing a big escape—we're doing a dual big escape."
"Both you and Bourbon are escape specialists. At that time, let Bourbon lead you through the first half, then you overtake and unleash your final kick."
"Because someone is leading, even if Stardust Mirage is doing a big escape, she won't expend too much and can give her all in the remaining race. The others will have their rhythm completely disrupted, leading to imbalances in stamina, speed, and even mentality."
"This is the full picture of the Heartbreak tactic—after that, with you strengthened and the others weakened, the victory will truly come down to a contest of ability!"
"But then, won't Bourbon definitely lose speed?" Stardust Mirage frowned.
"This is team racing!"
Toyama Hikaru struck the blackboard with the pointer, producing a crisp "snap":
"Several horse girls collaborate as a team to ultimately send one of them to the top—that's the difference between team racing and individual races."
"When you watch the Three Goddesses Dream Cup later, you'll see plenty of such tactics."
"Besides, I've already discussed this with Bourbon, right?"
When asked, Mihono Bourbon nodded expressionlessly:
"Correct. I will execute Master's orders. As long as it leads to victory, I'll do anything."
"So, Stardust Mirage, you are our team's way for securing victory. I've created a relatively fair competitive environment for you tactically. But when the time comes..."
"Don't say it's all up to me when the time comes."
Stardust Mirage continued racing down the track.
At the front, Mihono Bourbon still runs like a precision machine, with not a single unnecessary movement in her stride. Maintaining the most standard posture, she leads the race all the way, cutting through the wind for the Stardust Mirage hidden behind her.
At this moment, Stardust Mirage is not in a bad state. All-out sprints have been a key area of focus for her ever since she began training with her trainer.
Moreover, the entire venue is cheering for her and Bourbon's daring great escape run. This thunderous atmosphere is the best tonic she has ever known since her debut race.
My body feels so light. Running alongside her companion with such excitement is a first for her!
Stardust Mirage feels as if she has almost transformed into a gust of wind, swept forward by Bourbon's pull.
The exhilarating feeling of leading the pack is fully revealed at this moment. She doesn't need to think about anything. All her rivals are left behind, desperately chasing. Only one thing remains to be done:
Take each step and pour all her speed and strength into this race.
With every step infused with all her power, Stardust Mirage can feel the pain brought by this overexertion. Her muscles are screaming, and the organs in her chest and abdomen are trembling.
But Stardust Mirage believes that the runners behind them are in an even more difficult situation than she and Bourbon.
The two of them, who actively chose great escape and took the leading positions, undoubtedly have far lower stamina consumption and physical strain compared to the other runners who initially chose their own tactics but were forced to switch their running style due to the great escape and are now chasing.
This is the greatest significance of great escape and also the open strategy jointly executed by Trainer Toyama Hikaru and the two of them:
To completely destroy everyone's rhythm. Regardless of strength, drag them all into this runaway tempo. This is the true purpose of the tactic ["Heartbreak"].
And at that time, it will be the true battlefield that Toyama Hikaru has prepared for Stardust Mirage!
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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