"Compared to the Arima Kinen, T.M. Opera O seems to be using a more stable strategy this time, while El Condor Pasa is focused on speed; taking the lead as a Runaway!"
"Can El Condor Pasa maintain this advantage to the very end?! Will the Overlord's four race win streak continue or end?!"
"That running style... Isn't that the standard one the European URA teaches?"
At first glance, Hana Toujou immediately recognized what T.M. Opera O's running style was.
However, the running style itself wasn't what surprised her; it was the fact that T.M. Opera O was the one who was using it.
Developed in the Western Hemisphere, it was a meticulously crafted scientific running style that was mainly taught throughout America and Europe to better adapt to the harsher surfaces they ran on.
This running style, compared to Japan's which focused mostly on speed, leaned more towards stability and consistency, aiming to ensure the Uma Musume using it could perform to their full potential even on heavy tracks while also minimizing accidents and injuries.
This also meant that this running style placed a heavier emphasis on an Uma Musume's power and stamina, while speed took a bit more of a backseat.
It was also for this reason that, in order to suppress foreign Uma Musume back in the day, the Japanese branch of the URA intentionally built its turf incredibly hard to take advantage of their lesser speeds.
"Trainer Wada, how did you manage to teach it to T.M. Opera O? Finding books or documents about western running styles is incredibly hard in Japan. And I doubt the library would have such books."
"Of course not from the library, Toujou-senpai. Have you forgotten that our team still has a genius Trainer from Shadai?"
A smile unconsciously forming on his face, Wada's tone had a hint of pride behind them.
Hearing his words, Hana Toujou belatedly realized, and couldn't help but marvel at Wada's good fortune.
"You... your luck is truly enviable. I never thought you and Fumino Nase would mesh well together, but now she's freely giving you her help."
If Fumino Nase was the one who taught Wada, it would explain everything.
Although Shadai never intended on actually sending Fumino Nase to study abroad, during her time there, she had been focused on researching the Uma Musume world of Europe and America, which naturally led to her obtaining knowledge regarding subjects that most Trainers from Japan wouldn't know about.
Moreover, the notes from Hidehito Nase which were given to Wada also contained a lot of relevant content, which greatly helped him in this department.
Wada even learned many things from Maruzensky through proxy of Ikezoe sharing her teachings with him.
Coupled with T.M. Opera O's own strong self learning capabilities, El Condor Pasa's training sessions, as well as her Sadler's Wells lineage, it was no surprise that she could quickly master this running style to a useable degree.
But the question Hana Toujou had in her mind was: why was T.M. Opera O using this running style on a Japanese racecourse? Didn't she and Wada understand that such a running style wasn't compatible with Japan's speed focused turf?
Or... is she trying to do something?
Wordlessly watching the two Uma Musume running on the track, Hana Toujou formed a possible answer in her mind, but didn't proactively speak out her conjecture.
...
"Heh! As expected of the great El! This will be a true one on one battle, T.M. Opera O, desu."
"Now, let me show you the Runaway style me and my Trainer envisioned to be used in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe— my sure win strategy!"
"If you can surpass me, then without a doubt, you'll do better than me in the l'Arc! Come on, have a taste!"
Proudly lifting her head, El Condor Pasa treated this 2400-meter track, which was the same distance as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, as if it were the real thing.
Though the track conditions weren't as bad as the l'Arc, among the available races, this was the only suitable one.
This was also why El Condor Pasa didn't choose a GI race for their showdown, but this GII Aoba Sho instead.
To some extent, she was running in this race to make up for her regrets of not being able to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
El Condor Pasa understood completely that even if she won against T.M. Opera O in this race by some miracle, her name wouldn't magically reappear on the invitation list.
This race was entirely for her to vent her frustrations and unwillingness in the face of this unfair world, even if it didn't make sense.
Rationality told El Condor Pasa that guilt tripping T.M. Opera O into running this race in the first place was bad, as it might affect T.M. Opera O's condition for the expedition, which could potentially ruin everything...
Still, her emotions made her stand on the track today for this race, to run against T.M. Opera O and bet everything she had.
El Condor Pasa wanted to know what she was lacking— no, perhaps it was a childish desire to show everyone that she was a better pick for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe than T.M. Opera O?
At this moment, if Maruzensky had been present, she might have realized that El Condor Pasa's current emotions were incredibly similar to her own back then.
The difference being that, while she could've still participated in the Japanese Derby if she had let go of her pride and accepted those absurd conditions, El Condor Pasa would most likely never see another chance at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe ever again.
One could only imagine the sheer indignation and hopelessness that was crashing inside El Condor Pasa's heart right now.
'The spot should have belonged to me! I'm no worse than T.M. Opera O!'
Crying out in her heart, El Condor Pasa gritted her teeth as she wiped away the tears that unconsciously began to well up in her eyes, continuing to run forward.
"Come on and win, T.M. Opera O! Prove that you're stronger than me!! Prove that you're more worthy than me!!!"
"Otherwise— I'll really curse you, desu!"
"..."
However, despite El Condor Pasa's voice ahead, T.M. Opera O's heart still remained calm, maintaining a consistent distance from her.
After all, they were the only two Uma Musume in this race; T.M. Opera O didn't have to worry about sudden interferences from other Uma Musume. The only thing she needed to do was follow her own rhythm.
T.M. Opera O could, of course, at any time, unleash her Aura and Zone.
Once that happened, El Condor Pasa, who seemed to hold the advantage right now, would be almost instantly crushed.
If T.M. Opera O returned to using her usual running style now, she would also most likely be able to instantly defeat El Condor Pasa by three to six lengths.
But would that prove anything? Would that prove that she was justified in snatching the spot that rightfully belonged to El Condor Pasa? No, it wouldn't.
T.M. Opera O wanted to achieve a perfect victory where everyone had a happy ending. And to do that, she needed to use this running style instead of her usual one.
Through this, T.M. Opera O wanted to prove to El Condor Pasa that she was fully capable of taking on El Condor Pasa's burden to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Maybe only then... will El Condor Pasa's regretful heart be laid to rest.
Repeating this in her mind, T.M. Opera O continued to maintain her speed, calmly shadowing El Condor Pasa without any sense of urgency.
"They have passed the 1000-meter mark! El Condor Pasa still has her one length lead with a time not inferior to Symboli Rudolf's own Runaway performance in the Arima Kinen! Having a time of 58.6 seconds!"
"For a two Uma Musume race, a fast pace like this was to be expected. But T.M. Opera O still has not made any moves. Is there something wrong?"
"Or is T.M. Opera O, as times before, planning to defeat El Condor Pasa with her signature Final Spurt? With a race as uncertain as this, just who will emerge victorious?!"
"They have passed the— OH! EL CONDOR PASA IS MAKING HER MOVE! EL CONDOR PASA IS MAKING HER MOVE!!!"
"El Condor has accelerated and is pulling away from T.M. Opera O! The gap between them is getting wider and wider!"
"Just what kind of insane Runaway strategy is this?! Is El Condor Pasa about to achieve complete dominance over the Overlord?!!!"
'No, El Condor Pasa...'
In the stands, Hana Toujou seemed to have guessed something, complex expressions of astonishment flickering across her face as her hands nervously gripped the railing.
"You're not planning to... No! NO! EL CONDOR PASA, STOP!"
Finally realizing what El Condor Pasa was doing, Hana Toujou mustered all the strength in her lungs to shout at El Condor Pasa.
Meisho Doto, Grass Wonder, Taiki Shuttle, and Wada also seemed to understand El Condor Pasa's choice.
"Th- this is really bad!"
Nervously biting her fingernails, Taiki Shuttle unconsciously spoke out her thoughts,
"If El-chan keeps running like this, she'll be in danger! W- why is she pushing so hard?!"
"That idiot... does she not remember how I fractured my leg back then?!"
Grass Wonder's pupils contracted as sweat began pouring out of her body, immediately turning her head towards Hana Toujou.
"Trainer!"
"—Yes, go stop the race now. I don't care if we get disqualified."
Gritting her teeth, Hana Toujou forcefully clutched her now painfully throbbing head that was overrun with guilt.
"Is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe... that painful to let go?"
But, just as Grass Wonder and Taiki Shuttle were about to run to the staff to stop the race, Akasaka Misato's voice suddenly rang out.
"SHE'S CATCHING UP! WITH 1000 METERS REMAINING! T.M. OPERA O HAS MADE HER MOVE!!!"
"The gap is closing! It's closing! —And she's caught up to El Condor Pasa!!"
'Stop El Condor Pasa now.'
Wada, who was bound to T.M. Opera O, spoke to her with his thoughts via the power they awakened during the Arima Kinen.
"Leave it to me, Ryuji."
In response, T.M. Opera O's answer was equally unhesitating.
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My End of Year papers are upon me...
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.