The final stretch was right in front of them now!
Kyokuhou had to consider—
whether this might be the only chance in her entire life…
to beat Fuka Shirayuki!!!
Crossing the last corner—
that steep, curving uphill unveiled itself before everyone's eyes!
Kyokuhou slightly eased her speed, felt her center of gravity, reeled it back in—
and took the turn with the tiniest possible arc,
fully displaying the talent she'd made her name with!
How's that, Angel Classmate?
A horse girl with no technique like you—corners are your biggest weakness!!
While you're sick, I'll take your life!
But the moment Kyokuhou prepared to accelerate again and lifted her head—
her pupils abruptly shrank.
She suddenly realized…
Fuka Shirayuki seemed to have taken the corner without slowing down!?
And even after entering the final straight—
Fuka Shirayuki's stamina was like a bottomless pit, still supporting her as she flew forward!
No problem.
Fuka Shirayuki wasn't going to lose speed at all!!
Grinding her teeth—
Kyokuhou couldn't accept that ending.
Accept losing to the Lady.
Accept losing to Fuka Shirayuki.
That would not only betray Fuka Shirayuki's expectations—
it would also mean…
admitting she'd never had the strength to beat the Lady in the first place!!!
Kyokuhou clenched her jaw so hard it nearly creaked.
Even if pacing errors…
even if the entire rhythm of the race had been dragged out of shape by Fuka Shirayuki…
even if her stamina tank was basically at zero…
there was still one thing burning inside her.
Grit.
Kyokuhou looked like a demon crawling back from hell—
carrying resentment, unwillingness, hope—
stretching out her hand as if to seize that back ahead and crush it in her palm.
Her movements were faster than her fingers.
Her desire to win was deeper than any emotion in the world.
"Six hundred meters."
"Four hundred meters."
"From the last 600 to the last 400—only four hundred meters remain until the crown! Every horse girl is unleashing a shining final burst!"
The commentator was still screaming.
Symboli Rudolf's gaze locked onto the track—
onto that dazzling, white-haired figure at the front!
Just like at the very start…
Fuka Shirayuki still maintained her lead and her gap.
In that moment, the Emperor finally understood.
Fuka Shirayuki wasn't going to slow down. Not here. Not today.
She could take life's punches to the face and keep walking.
What erupted on the track was something no one could reach—
steadier than stone,
more brilliant than pure gold—
a completely pure toughness!!!
And Rudolf understood something else, too—
Kyokuhou…
couldn't win against Fuka Shirayuki!!!!
The gap Kyokuhou had clawed back widened again.
From three lengths back to four—
and it kept creeping upward.
The race moved from the final 400 meters to the final 200!
The sound from the stands vanished.
Everyone held their breath.
In its place was only the emotion of watching—truly watching—this race.
They could feel it too now:
Fuka Shirayuki had not beaten Tokai Teio by luck.
Her runaway lead was more thrilling than a distant morning star.
And what's more—
some of the people who'd been yelling earlier—
"Kyokuhou! Avenge Tokai Teio! This is the bond of Tracen's middle school division!"
—straight-up ripped off their Tokai Teio merch shirts.
Underneath was another shirt.
Four bold characters, written with wild strokes:
FUKA SHIRAYUKI!
On the pure white fabric was her name—
and a hand-drawn chibi mascot: white hair, blue-green eyes, adorable as hell.
"I've been a Fuka Shirayuki fan from the start!" the guy screamed.
The spectators beside him stared in confusion.
Because Fuka Shirayuki hadn't even joined Tracen yet.
There were no official goods, no stickers, no memes—
so this lunatic had made his own.
Which could only mean one thing:
his support was real.
The rabbit-head had controlled his brain.
Extra-large. Super extra-large!!!
…
A famous quote from a certain legendary runner said:
"If you front-run, you must still have a finishing kick."
And just like now—
even though Kyokuhou fully unleashed her kick, even though the reborn queen bloomed in fields of iris—
she still couldn't catch Fuka Shirayuki.
Because Fuka Shirayuki had a finishing kick too—
a finishing kick that poured out like a flood.
Front-running?
You still need a finishing kick.
The commentator practically exploded:
"ONE FURLONG—TWO HUNDRED METERS! The final two hundred!"
"The winner is about to be born!"
"The 'Cinderella' Fuka Shirayuki is flying at the very front—no one can reach that white silhouette!"
"Like lightning splitting chaos, her speed ends every question!"
"She's here to tell the world she has arrived!"
"She's here to tell the world that beating Tokai Teio wasn't luck!"
"And she's here to say—she is one of the brightest stars of the next era—like a morning star glittering at the edge of the sky!!!"
"Kyokuhou…"
"can't win against Fuka Shirayuki!!!"
"Five lengths…!"
"Six lengths…!"
"In this Challenge Cup—this endurance-and-willpower trial—Fuka Shirayuki, as the challenger…"
"has delivered a perfect answer!"
"The champion is born—"
"Fuka Shirayuki! Six lengths! A shining domination of the entire field!!!"
A legendary wind was blowing in.
It lifted the strands of hair by Fuka Shirayuki's ears,
blurring the sun itself—
and as she crossed the finish line—
the girl slowed, spread her arms wide,
and embraced the world!!!
For a moment—
the entire world fell silent.
Challenge Cup—
Champion!!!
In the stands, Hayakawa Tazuna finally smiled.
This was the junior she'd believed in.
The green devil believed more than ever—
Fuka Shirayuki would one day have a legendary career and achievements.
This race…
was her starting point!!!
Symboli Rudolf couldn't stop herself from clapping.
"Good!"
"Fuka Shirayuki has no problems!"
Her excitement poured right out—completely uncontrollable.
It felt just like back then…
when she'd discovered Oguri Cap.
Another Cinderella.
Another legend-in-the-making script—
playing out right before their eyes.
Think it looks familiar?
Then come join the Fuka Shirayuki fan club!
Light up your glowsticks!
Become her fans!
—
Meanwhile…
the Lady watching the Challenge Cup snapped her phone screen off with a 啪.
Expression blank, she stood up.
Then she began pacing anxiously across the room, back and forth.
That delicate face—rarely—
twisted with conflict.
"What is going on?"
Even Kyokuhou, who'd grown this much, still couldn't block Fuka Shirayuki?
What the hell!?
And then the Lady suddenly thought of something—
she'd read a few novels, after all.
When the protagonist meets a villain,
the villain's "family" always comes one after another—
the little one, then the mid one, then the old one—
no respect for the protagonist,
only getting used as EXP for the protagonist to level up, growing stronger through constant "challenges."
And—
that pattern could fit her and Fuka Shirayuki perfectly.
After Kyokuhou… who was next?
The noble, handsome "Koushou Jun'itsu"?
Or "Strong Strike"?
Until, in the end—
Fuka Shirayuki storms up to the Yunlan Sect, coldly saying:
"Donna!"
"Back then it wasn't you dumping me—I'm divorcing you!"
"And why am I even talking this much? Take this—Buddha's Fury Lotus Flame!!!"
The Lady covered her face in despair.
Then her expression twisted.
No.
No, no, no.
At the very least, wait until ten years after I'm dead!
Absolutely not—no way!
The Lady thought—
she couldn't act like those idiot villains who gave the protagonist room to grow.
She had to crush every "revenge" thought at the root.
Even if she still couldn't fully confirm that Fuka Shirayuki was that girl—
in her heart,
a faint, instinctive premonition had already formed.
Donna trusted instinct.
So she would prepare enough countermeasures!!!
Beat Fuka Shirayuki.
Smash every ounce of her hope.
Then drag the despairing, darkened, empty-eyed Fuka Shirayuki back into the family—
and throw her into the basement—
…
The venue fell quiet for a heartbeat.
Then—
it erupted.
Thunderous applause.
A tidal wave of cheers, solid enough to hit the ears like physical force:
"Fuka Shirayuki!"
"Fuka Shirayuki!!!"
The long-lost roar of victory came at last.
She had proven it to the world:
Luck—
is the excuse of the weak,
and the humility of the strong.
"Heh."
With pure strength, the girl stood in the center of Hanshin Racecourse, watching thousands cheer for her—
and the satisfaction was something nothing else in life could match.
Fuka Shirayuki thought—
she might…
be starting to like this feeling.
She wanted to keep winning races.
…
Kyokuhou, still catching her breath, walked over awkwardly.
Her eyes looked to the side—
but she was clearly talking to Fuka Shirayuki.
"Congrats."
"Thanks." Fuka Shirayuki nodded lightly.
Hearing her gentle voice—
Kyokuhou clenched her fist, lowered her head, and her whole body trembled.
Even though…
even though Fuka Shirayuki had lent her those magical shoes—
Kyokuhou could feel how much she'd grown.
But even so—
it still wasn't enough to satisfy Fuka Shirayuki?
If she hadn't had those shoes… Kyokuhou thought,
what would this race have looked like?
Would she have been humiliated by double-digit lengths?
Crushed?
Failing to satisfy Fuka Shirayuki…
I'm sorry…
She lowered her head, guilt in her voice.
"…Sorry."
"…Huh?" Fuka Shirayuki tilted her head, puzzled.
"I mean… I didn't contribute a performance—a race—that you'd be satisfied with."
Fuka Shirayuki replied, "It's nothing."
"This is just the starting point."
Her gaze stretched out toward the end of the turf.
She also thought—
Gold Artisan probably received ten times, maybe a hundred times, the respect she did.
But it didn't matter.
One day, she would surpass that height.
So Fuka Shirayuki said again:
"This is just the starting point."
"I'll be waiting for you in next year's G1 races…"
"The Filly Triple Crown. The Classic Triple Crown. The Japan Cup. Tenno Sho (Autumn). Arima Kinen…"
"Let's become stars—guiding stars we meet again on the track."
So gentle…
Angel Classmate.
Kyokuhou stared at Fuka Shirayuki's softened expression.
Warmth shimmered in her white hair under the sun—
and as she looked into those eyes,
Kyokuhou went a little dazed.
She felt like she finally understood who the Lady had been looking for.
But—
the Lady had beaten Fuka Shirayuki?
Kyokuhou knew exactly what level the Lady was at.
After being dropped by this much…
could the Lady really win?
Unable to endure that question,
Kyokuhou asked directly:
"The Lady said she beat you. When? A recent practice simulation?"
"…Huh?"
Fuka Shirayuki froze.
"When did she ever beat me? In her dreams?"
Kyokuhou: "…?"
Fuka Shirayuki slowly—confusedly—asked:
"Seriously… is that even true?"
Kyokuhou: "…"
She was completely speechless.
Staring at the girl's blank, innocent face—
"...Huh?"
The same question slipped out of Kyokuhou again.
What the hell!?
How can someone be more shameless than Fuka Shirayuki—
and rewrite history harder than she does!?
—
After the race came the winner's stage.
But since this was a graded race—
even a G3—
the prize money was still in the tens of millions of yen.
So naturally, there was also a winner's interview.
Totally normal.
Sports do it. Esports do it. Everyone does it.
You win—then you get asked questions.
It also proved, from the side, that graded races were a step more "official" than debut races.
As the venue prepared the winner's stage,
Fuka Shirayuki stepped onto the interview platform first.
Cameras. Microphones. Reporters.
Seeing so many journalists—
she felt a slight discomfort rise in her body.
Some instinct?
But she quickly pushed it down, exhaled, and sat in the main seat.
This was the path to becoming a god.
She was a big-stage competitor.
She wouldn't become a soft-kneed coward just because eyes were on her!!!
Then the buzzing excitement surged in her—
a sense that she truly could achieve everything she pursued.
A reporter asked immediately:
"Miss Fuka Shirayuki! You've achieved excellent results in both mile and middle-distance races…"
"May I ask—are this distance and the front-runner escape style your best specialties?"
Hearing the question, Fuka Shirayuki tilted her head and fell into thought.
The stadium fell into an eerie half-second of silence.
Even the reporters blinked, confused.
Did that question hit a sore spot?
Was she hiding tactics and refusing to answer?
They only wanted to understand this Cinderella who had appeared out of nowhere—
what she specialized in.
They wanted more information.
Then Fuka Shirayuki, still tilted, said thoughtfully:
"I think your question has a problem."
The reporter thought: As expected! She's hiding tactics!
Is she going to evolve into 'Heavenly Wind' for the Kikuka Sho!?
But then the girl slowly replied:
"Right now, I'm undefeated in sprint and long-distance races too."
"Since the moment I stepped onto the track, it's been like that."
"How can this prove my range is only 1600 to 2400 meters?"
…
The whole venue froze.
"Huh?" the reporter blurted, instinctively.
What do you mean "undefeated"?
That's a joke.
You mean "unwon," right!?
You haven't even run those distances!
Because you haven't run them, you haven't lost OR won!
They were asking if you're a 1600–2400 "classic range" horse girl!
Holy hell—
this was the art of speech.
By that logic, everyone's invincible!
Tokai Teio could say: "I've only lost one mile race. Sprint, middle, long—I've never been defeated!"
Does that count!?
Rudolf has never lost a foreign grass race either—
because she ran dirt.
Haha. Invincible.
Nobody loses! Horse-girl world: dumpling party!
The reporters didn't understand Fuka Shirayuki's brain at all.
They could only think—
confidence is nice.
So they changed topics.
"Then, Miss Fuka Shirayuki—what are your plans for next year's races?"
"Are you targeting the Classic Triple Crown? The Filly Triple Crown? Which races do you most want to run?"
Hearing that, Fuka Shirayuki fell into thought again.
She organized her words.
"I've just won a G2-level race. Looking too far ahead isn't a good thing."
The reporter listened and thought: Okay, she's normal after all.
That earlier stuff…
was just a joke, right?
…Right?
But looking at Fuka Shirayuki's face—
she genuinely seemed to be seriously considering which Triple Crown she should take.
In the end, she shook her head.
"Thinking too far ahead isn't good."
"For now, I won't talk about the Arc de Triomphe, or Triple Crowns—those distant things…"
"Right now—"
"I just want to lightly finance next year's championships. Win, like, three G1s casually and we'll talk." Her tone was as easy as eating and drinking, as if it were nothing difficult at all. "If I hit my peak next year and become Japan's number one horse girl…"
"And my looks hit peak too…"
"Then what if my popularity gets too high? My daily life will be affected."
She said all of that—
with a face of earnest, adorable 고민, like she was genuinely troubled by "future fame problems."
[Zero crowns, financing a Triple Crown! I'm the Emperor Crab of big tournaments!!!]
It was like her entire existence was shouting that line.
Silence spread.
One second.
Two seconds…
Then on the third—
the words landed, and the entire room exploded in shock.
Reporter: "Hah?"
....
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