Uma Musume: Rising From the Countryside to Legend!!

On the track, Fujimasa March seemed completely immersed in her own world — a pure, unparalleled joy.

Her True Self mode was gleaming, and her unique skill Ode of the Wind Lv3 was radiating brilliance.

The air was no longer resistance — it had become wings carrying her forward.

The combination of these two forces made her feel as if she wasn't simply accelerating — it was as though the entire world was giving way before her!

Boom—!

Her right foot struck the ground, the impact thundering like a clap of lightning. Mud splashed, and gusts of wind rippled out from her.

Her body became a razor-sharp gale, every muscle and every nerve perfectly resonating with the flowing currents of air.

In this moment, Fujimasa March could no longer hear the noise of the outside world. In her ears, there was only the sound of the wind — her wind, her symphony.

She could feel her legs bursting with strength, her body weightless, her entire being filled with unshakable willpower.

Faster! I can go faster… I can run even faster!!!

The silver-white tracer in her eyes threatened to ignite her entire gaze, yet under her fierce will, it stayed locked in place — shining steadily.

As long as I have this body, these legs… I can go anywhere. And I will never, ever let anyone catch me!

A full-power Front Run!

This was the first time since becoming Kuroha's partnered Uma Musume that Fujimasa March attempted to unleash and wring out the absolute limits of her potential!

Her far-leading figure quickly shrank into a tiny dot in the eyes of the trailing pack.

An inexplicable mix of dread and anger — of being disregarded — welled up inside them.

"She's actually going Front Runner?!" a Pace Chaser exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Stay calm, she'll lose speed!" another urged.

"An 1800m mile race, on a slightly heavy dirt track — running at that speed against the conditions, stamina consumption is several times higher than normal! She can't possibly last until the final stretch!"

The pack behind her wavered for a moment, but the more experienced and level-headed Uma Musume quickly regained composure.

They knew there was no need to give chase — only a fool would match pace with a Front Runner's reckless tempo.

All they needed to do was wait for her arrogance to drag her down, for her speed to collapse on its own.

But in the midst of the chasing group, Seiran Nichirin felt a deep, bone-chilling unease.

…Will she really lose speed?

Her instincts screamed in warning — this was not a mere ordinary Front Run.

That Uma Musume, whose very presence in the tunnel before the race had been so fearsome… there was no way she would fail so easily.

And just as some of the smarter front-group runners steadied themselves — they suddenly sensed pressure from behind.

"What the…?"

Before they could react, several Pace Chasers and Late Surgers had already surged up alongside them!

"What's happening? Why are they accelerating?!"

A few Pace Chasers, trying to maintain their own rhythm, were shocked to find other runners suddenly charging forward beside them, recklessly matching the Front Runner's pace!

The massive gap Fujimasa March had created caused the more restless "rabble" to panic — afraid they wouldn't be able to catch up later, they threw caution to the wind and started sprinting early, foolishly locking themselves into the Front Runner's pace!

Not everyone is smart.

From the back, Seiran Nichirin saw it clearly.

This… was the terrifying pressure of a Front Runner!

A massive gap in the early and mid-phase could unnerve just one runner — and that was enough to topple the entire formation like dominoes.

This was completely different from an ordinary escape-runner.

An ordinary escape-runner only created a small gap — even if someone's rhythm was disrupted, there was still time to recover.

But a Front Runner was different.

Just need to close the gap a little.

Even this single thought would pull the pack's tempo upward!

And until the Front Runner actually burned out, that heightened pace would never stop.

The result — everyone burns out together.

Even those who understood this found themselves unable to resist once caught in the raging current.

Even in central-level races, there had been many times where a Front Runner dragged down the entire field into a group-wide collapse. Let alone in a local race.

For example — even the undefeated double-crown Uma Musume Tokai Teio had suffered multiple defeats thanks to two reckless Front Runners: Free and Easy Shanshin and Mokuyu Sun God.

I must not… accelerate here!

Seiran Nichirin took a deep breath.

As a Late Surger, she hugged the inner rail, letting the others around her flail like headless flies. She waited — biding her time.

She knew: if she made her move now, she would lose any chance to contend with Fujimasa March.

The race passed the halfway mark. Soon, they were past the 1000m sign.

"About to enter the third corner! Still leading is Fujimasa March! Through her early-phase Front Run, she's built up a staggering lead of nearly ten lengths over the pack!"

The commentator's tone wasn't quite as breathless as it had been when she first surged ahead — but the crowd's excitement remained.

"In second is Treasure Mountain! The front group seems restless — is this really okay?"

"In third… Seiran Nichirin is in 16th place. Very composed, not planning to sprint yet?"

By now, Fujimasa March no longer showed the frenzied explosion of the start.

After opening a huge gap, she had steadied her stride, using the middle phase to conserve energy.

The rest of the pack, however, was a different story — having started their drive far too early in the opening battles, they had burned through the energy they should have saved for the final stretch, only to close the gap slightly.

"Ha… haa…"

In the pack, the early leaders were gasping, their fatigue clear on their faces. They knew something was wrong — but now all they could do was cling on with grit.

That Front Runner's stamina must be even worse than ours… just 0.5 more to go and…

That was what they all thought.

But ahead, Fujimasa March drew in a deep breath — the light in her eyes, symbolizing her True Self mode, still unwavering.

She didn't even care about those whose rhythm she had destroyed — they were no longer threats.

As always, there was only one opponent worth paying attention to.

"Seiran Nichirin… you're still not catching up?!"

Her stride remained steady, her voice low, almost to herself.

"…"

From the back, Seiran Nichirin stared at the front pack. Though she was last, the cold glint in her eyes only grew sharper.

Not yet… I must stay calm… calmer still…

(End of Chapter)

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