Seeing the Lamborghini with its engine already running, Rudolf felt like every step she took toward it was another step straight into hell.
Only after she sat in the passenger seat did she squeeze her eyes shut and tell Maruzensky to drive.
A moment later, the "getting slammed into the seat by acceleration" sensation she expected… never came.
Rudolf nervously cracked one eye open—
and found Maruzensky driving calmly, smoothly, and—unbelievably—obeying traffic laws.
Rudolf turned to the driver's seat.
Maruzensky didn't look tense at all. She was even humming.
"Did you already know Eternal Meteor was going to run in this race?"
"No. I didn't."
"Then why aren't you worried at all?"
"Because little Meteor promised me yesterday she wouldn't push herself. So all I can do is trust her."
"But—"
"Trust goes both ways," Maruzensky cut her off. "Try trusting her a little more."
She kept her eyes forward, fully focused on the road.
Rudolf frowned.
"No, what I meant was—why are you following the rules this time? You're not normally like this."
Maruzensky snapped her head around at a red light and widened her eyes dramatically.
"How dare you slander me out of thin air?!"
She leaned closer, face puffed up from holding her breath until it turned that fake "angry red."
"What am I 'normally like'? I drive great! That's pure defamation!"
"Spare me. What's the real reason?"
Maruzensky deflated like a punctured balloon, leaning back as her expression returned to normal.
"Because I've been caught so many times I'm practically friends with the traffic cops—no, their whole squad. If I speed in the city again, my license is gone."
Rudolf sighed. As her longtime friend, she'd known it—unless there was a special reason, Maruzensky would never behave this well.
Still… Rudolf couldn't stop worrying about Meteor.
"I'll handle it," Rudolf muttered.
"Huh?!"
"You just drive. Don't run red lights—leave everything else to me."
(X's friendly reminder:Don't imitate this. Roads are many; safety is the first rule.)
"Roger!"
The instant Maruzensky answered, the engine roared—
not just noise, but a hungry, excited howl that practically drowned her voice out.
The red beast had been holding itself back for far too long.
It wanted to accelerate, to make everyone else do nothing but stare at its disappearing rear—
and that rear view always stole attention.
Unlike Maruzensky, Rudolf turned deathly pale as she was pressed into the seat, eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched with all her might to keep herself from throwing up.
Between the tire screech, the friction howl, and pedestrians' startled screams, Rudolf had never felt a trip to the racecourse take this long—
so when Maruzensky finally said, "We're here," it sounded like a choir of angels.
Rudolf shakily climbed out of the supercar, refused Maruzensky's help, and—while Maruzensky openly laughed—stumbled straight into the restroom.
When she finally came back out, her face looked like bitter melon.
"Alright," Rudolf said stiffly. "Let's get to the venue."
Even though she could barely stand, she insisted on swaying forward into the stadium.
Maruzensky followed behind, watching her stubborn steps, thinking quietly.
"I've never seen her care about someone this much… besides Teio."
Then she stepped into the venue and snapped back to reality as the announcer's voice rang out:
"All horse girls have entered the gates! The race is about to begin!"
Inside the gate, Eternal Meteor studied her opponents.
So this is a G3, huh…
Unlike the debut race rookies, everyone here had already set their stance—muscles tight, bodies coiled like cheetahs ready to tear their prey apart.
Even Twin Turbo was fixed on the finish line.
Heh. Too bad for you.
You're unlucky enough to meet me today.
But I'll give you the respect you deserve.
Meteor sneered internally, as if carrying something heavy on her back. Slowly, she lowered her body and settled into a starting stance.
Her lips curled into a grin—
but her eyes were so cold that anyone meeting her gaze would feel ice stab into their bones.
An invisible pressure radiated outward from Meteor, expanding until it blanketed the entire gate.
Every horse girl inside felt a sudden chill—like something was watching them, jaws open, fangs bared.
"This is… unexpected," X murmured, stunned. "Could she really be a genius?"
X could feel it—
another "chain" binding Meteor's body had snapped.
In the distance, Rudolf spoke with Maruzensky, both of them grim.
"You felt that too, didn't you?"
"Yeah. It means little Meteor has the potential to awaken a 'Domain.'"
"But with her fragile ankle…"
"Ready!"
The announcer's command cut their conversation short, forcing both of them to lock in on the track.
"The Tokyo Sports Cup begins!"
With the crowd's roar, the gates clanged open—
and—
clack-clack-clack!
Hoofbeats exploded.
"All horse girls break cleanly—Number 6 is fast! Number 6, Eternal Meteor! A perfect start! She takes the lead position!"
Under the announcer's amazed shout, every horse girl behind Meteor wore the same expression:
No way.
The gates opened for everyone at the same time—
so how was she so much faster?!
"I'M the leader!" Twin Turbo barked.
As always, Turbo went all-out from the opening seconds. In her mind, Meteor—who had come from behind last time—should be obediently sitting behind her again.
Turbo bared her teeth, smirking as the figure ahead seemed to get closer and closer.
But…
Was it actually getting closer?
It was like the silhouette in front was a mirage.
Turbo was kicking madly, legs whipping—yet the distance didn't shrink by even a hair.
"A breakaway! Eternal Meteor isn't merely leading—she's still accelerating! This isn't just a lead—this is a BIG BREAKAWAY!"
The entire stadium erupted with deafening cheers.
"Twin Turbo is accelerating too! How will the pack respond to these two front-runners?!"
Ibuki Mai Kagura glanced at the runners beside her who seemed ready to maintain their pace instead of chasing Meteor.
She clenched her teeth—and accelerated.
Having watched Meteor's debut race, she knew one thing for sure:
Meteor's stamina was terrifying.
If they let her go now, they'd never catch her later.
"The pack is moving—Ibuki Mai Kagura! Number 3 accelerates!"
Ibuki's surge forced the others to decide as well.
One by one, they picked up speed—until even those who wanted to hold their rhythm were dragged into accelerating.
"Now the entire field is being pulled by Eternal Meteor and Twin Turbo's pace! Do they have enough stamina to lead all the way to the finish?!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
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