manynovel Page 28
Page 28
"It's still accelerating! It's still surpassing!"
On the electronic screen, the number "15" seemed to come alive, steadily jumping upwards at a speed that terrified all those who looked down on it, each jump accompanied by an even louder roar from the audience.
"Third! My God! It's moved up to third place! Right here on this short straightaway of just over a hundred meters!" The commentator's voice was almost cracking.
“Asshole!”
"That guy really guessed it; Number 15 White McQueen has such potential."
Kogoro Mori slammed his hand on the railing, his face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
He stared intently at the glaring "15" on the screen, then glanced at the one he had selected.
White Ryan, who was still struggling in seventh place and whose jockey was anxiously whipping his horse with little effect, felt a surge of shame, anger and disbelief at being completely humiliated.
"That guy... how could that guy be so fast?! He was just eating dust in the back a moment ago!"
He subconsciously turned his head to look at Takada Yuuki next to him, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including resentment and a hint of surprise at being accurately predicted.
Sato Miwako was equally shocked, but her shock was mixed with the excitement of sudden realization and a deeper admiration for Takada-senpai.
Chapter 42, Second Bend
Megumi McQueen is not without power; it simply releases its strongest power precisely at the right moment.
And it starts at the moment when the opponent is most vulnerable, most confused, and most exhausted—the instant the corner ends—and quickly enters the transition point on the straight.
At this moment, the chestnut-colored figure had firmly secured third place, closely following the second-place finisher.
Its running posture is incredibly fluid, and every frame is full of power.
His breathing didn't seem as rapid and disordered as the horses in front of him; each stomp of his foot was calm and unhurried, and the power within him was just beginning to stir.
Compared to the lead horse, whose fatigue was visibly apparent, and the slightly heavy gait of several horses in the second tier, which had just experienced fierce battles, Megumi McQueen was in almost astonishing condition.
Yuuki Takada glanced at the scene unfolding on the field and smiled faintly.
Then, pulling Sato Miwako to find a seat behind her, she sat down and whispered:
"Did you see that, Sato?"
"As I told you before, we can't just look at the surface of things and ignore the underlying principles."
Yuuki Takada ordered two hamburgers and two Cokes from the salesman next to him, handed one of them to Miwako Sato, and said loudly:
“Look at the Divine Eagle, which was leading the pack when it was over a thousand meters ahead, now its speed has slowed down by at least half a second.”
"The most aggressive fighter in the corner just now, Gale Thunder, clearly lost its pace and was breathing heavily. Its energy expenditure was at least 20% higher than Megure McQueen's. And our number 15, Megure McQueen..."
His eyes followed the unstoppable chestnut-colored lightning bolt, his tone tinged with a hint of disdainful admiration: "...Its pace has just finished warming up, the rhythm is perfect, and its breathing is steady. The jockey's cut into the inside corner just now is the perfect opportunity for it to accelerate, a textbook example of a follow-up tactical execution."
He paused, as if explaining to Miwako Sato, but also as if talking to himself: "The real competition is just beginning..."
"And next, it will only have two opponents left to face. And at the end of the straight ahead is the second, and most crucial, bend."
Ahead on the track, the curved boundary line, symbolizing the second bend, is hurtling toward the galloping horses at an astonishing speed!
One of the leading horses seemed to sense the terrifying pressure from the chestnut lightning bolt behind it, and the jockeys began to make slight adjustments to the line in advance, preparing to seize the best position to enter the turn.
The atmosphere among the horses, who had just gained a chance to catch their breath, became subtle and tense again.
"We're about to turn!"
"Second bend!" The announcement came on at just the right time, reminding everyone.
The first long straightaway sprint is about to end, and the more complex battle of attack and defense on the curves is just around the corner.
McQueen, the horse that rose silently from behind, its chestnut shadow approaching rapidly like a ghost.
With pent-up energy and precise jockey commands, it was accompanied by the most fervent gazes and the most enthusiastic shouts from the entire stadium.
They boldly stormed into the core battleground for the fight for the top three, and even the championship.
Its jockey, with a sharp glint in his eyes and no sign of panic, had already memorized the entire curve and his overtaking plan.
The chestnut horse's muscles were taut in the sunlight, exuding an explosive beauty.
It clung tightly to the inner edge of the railing, relentlessly rushing towards its opponents ahead, towards any gap that might appear as it entered the turn.
The 3200-meter journey is in full swing, and the battle is about to reach its climax at the next bend.
The track twisted rapidly in the field of vision, and the air around the white curve was instantly torn apart by the swirling vortex, violently sucking the entire herd of horses inward.
"Get a position!" The alarm sounded in the minds of each jockey almost simultaneously.
The leading horse takes the initiative, the jockey leans slightly forward, tightens the reins, and guides his horse to cut inside, attempting to block the most advantageous railing line.
The horses in the second tier reacted immediately, their formation suddenly compressing at high speed, and the sound of invisible collisions could be heard in the air.
The chaotic compression reached its peak the moment it entered the corner.
This is exactly the time that Megumi McQueen has been waiting for!
Its rider, his eyes fixed ahead, sensed a gap he could slip through.
In the instant when the opponents were caught in a struggle for the inside lane and their pace slowed slightly, the jockey did not hesitate at all. His center of gravity remained very stable, and he gently pulled the reins with his left hand at an extremely precise angle.
"They're here!" A glint flashed in Takada Yuuki's eyes, the hamburger paused at his lips, his gaze intense. "Now..."
"Inner column!"
The chestnut-colored lightning bolt flashed by, finding a fleeting gap at the edge of the narrow, almost impassable inner railing.
McQueen's body unleashed astonishing coordination and explosive power.
Its powerful hind legs slammed into the ground, and its strong core strength allowed it to maintain an incredible balance.
With its four hooves flying like wheels of fire, it squeezed through the narrow "death passage" between the human wall and the inner railing, clinging tightly to the cold railing.
"Whoa-!"
A huge gasp erupted from the audience, mixed with incredulous admiration.
The scene was incredibly dangerous; the chestnut-colored figure barely grazed the railing, while the legs of a nearby racehorse swept past, creating a gust of wind that even whipped up bits of grass.
"Beautiful! As expected of Mejiro McQueen!!"
"A textbook example of a close-in approach!" Yuuki Takada slapped his thigh, his plastic Coke cup rattling in his hand. "Timing, angle, and the horse's obedience are all essential! But I must say, Megumi McQueen's jockey is truly bold and meticulous!"
Sato Miwako held her breath, feeling her palms sweating, her eyes fixed on the swift horse that nimbly darted through the narrow gap.
Its smooth, muscular lines are stretched to the extreme when cornering at high speeds, full of tension between power and beauty. Every step is precise and powerful, as if every inch of the ground beneath its feet is tailor-made for it.
However, the real test has only just begun.
Startled by McQueen's sudden and powerful inner attack, it was none other than the fiercely aggressive Gale and Thunder who had been fighting earlier.
It was originally in a favorable position on the inside and was about to solidify its ranking, but its rhythm was disrupted by Megumi McQueen's almost brute force entry.
The experienced jockey above it instantly sensed the terrifying pressure coming from behind and the danger of the route being squeezed.
"Don't think you can get away with this so easily!"
A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the swift and powerful jockey.
Almost at the same moment McQueen cut in, he flicked his wrist, the reins conveying a strong command!
Having just exhausted its strength on the bend, the Gale and Thunder seemed to be injected with a stimulant, letting out a low hiss and unleashing its last bit of power.
With a powerful swing of its strong neck and a stride of its four hooves, it no longer simply pursued speed, but relied on its weight and explosive power to forcefully "sit" towards the inner rail!
boom!
A dull thud was torn into almost no sound by the high-speed airflow.
Chapter 43 The Chase (Please continue reading)
However, the violent collision between the sides of the two top racehorses was clearly conveyed through the jockey's body tremors and the momentary disruption in his stride.
Dust and bits of grass flew up from where the two horses were rubbing against each other!
McQueen's smooth rhythm was abruptly interrupted by this forceful "sit".
Its body was squeezed outwards, and the perfect inward cutting route was instantly blocked by most of it.
A tremendous resistance was felt, and the momentum of progress stalled.
"Damn it! I'm stuck!" Sato Miwako couldn't help but exclaim, her heart leaping into her throat.
"Swift as the wind... Well done!" Kogoro Mouri's eyes narrowed, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness and appreciation as he coldly said:
"It can still produce such a strong counterattack even under extreme exhaustion, which is worthy of the experienced Ma Jun."
"It's using its body as a shield, forcing White McQueen to take the outside path and exhausting its energy!"
At the moment of the collision, McQueen's jockey's body was like a spring, absorbing the impact, but his eyes became even colder and sharper.
He remained completely calm, having anticipated his opponent's desperate resistance.
In a flash, he made an unexpected adjustment!
He didn't try to withstand the inner pressure from Gale and Thunder, as that would only lead to a meaningless war of attrition.
Instead, he gave the reins a very slight pull outward with his right hand, while simultaneously tapping the horse's belly with his left leg—an extremely subtle combination of commands.
McQueen, who was in the midst of a whirlwind of speed, instantly understood the jockey's intention and their thoughts aligned.
Its powerful muscles contracted suddenly, and its center of gravity shifted slightly to the outside with exquisite precision. The point of force exerted by its four hooves also changed, no longer a hard push.
Instead, it used the force of the wind and thunder to compress the horse, and with the rider's command, the cyclone slid slightly to the outside of the bend by half a horse along that compressive force.
The movement was fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.
It abandoned its deadly struggle with Gale and Thunder in the narrow inner passage, instantly escaping the danger of being "nailed down".
"A smart choice!" Yuuki Takada's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "It's not about fighting head-on, but about using their strength. Although the outer path is a bit longer, it offers more space and allows Megure McQueen to unleash its full potential. Right now, it has plenty of stamina and a powerful final sprint. While conserving its strength, it's looking for a wider opening to unleash its power."
Sure enough, as it slid to the outside, Megumi immediately demonstrated its amazing ability to adjust.
Just one step later, its movements regained their signature, explosive fluidity. Its breathing remained eerily steady; the previous breathtaking collision was merely a minor incident.
Its rider leaned forward, his eyes fixed firmly on what lay ahead.
Although the swift wind and lightning temporarily blocked the inner path, the forceful confrontation just now clearly exacerbated its already limited stamina, making its steps even heavier.