Uma Musume Girl, I'll tell you about my Santa Hat special move too?

Narita Shirahito still firmly believes that Stardust Illusion will not be complacent in this neon derby, so the current situation only means another possibility.

Could he no longer sense the imposing aura that the Stardust Illusion possessed during its preparations?!

The lack of any standout features wasn't just something the two of them sensed; the Star Illusion, which had already been under everyone's attention, became even more apparent after they stepped through the gate.

The part where his breathing is so low that it's almost negligible, yet he can still yawn even when the match is about to start?

Was she exhausted due to battles or other reasons, or were there other reasons?

The female racehorses, noticing this, began whispering among themselves to the runners beside them, some mocking, some wary, some encouraging each other, and some indignant.

"Stardust Illusion...she doesn't seem to be doing well?"

"Great, then the only opponent is the Emperor of the East Sea..."

"Could it be because of the battle experience? That trainer really disregarded Stardust Illusion's body and harmed her?!"

"This opportunity absolutely cannot be missed... I will decide the outcome of the Neon Derby!"

"Next up is our stage!"

"The formula for victory has been decided!"

Hearing the increasingly noisy sounds around him, Stardust Illusion merely raised his eyelids and completely ignored them.

Her bangs, soaked by the rain, fell loosely, obscuring her forehead and making it impossible to see her eyes.

However, behind this apparent languor, the crimson eyes were beginning to turn a bluish hue, a color that symbolized a swift wind.

The phrase that racehorse girl said most often during special training still seemed to echo in my ears:

(Relax, relax~)

"Ha...hahahahaha."

The Stardust Illusion's lips curled slightly upwards, revealing its ghastly white fangs.

This was the monster's expectant laughter after it was quietly released.

Chapter 281 Exiting the gate...A mistake?

"Will Stardust Illusion win again today? I never get tired of watching her escape."

"Stardust Illusion is acting a bit strange today? I think the Empress might be able to redeem herself in this match."

"We can't ignore Tosho Reform and Narita Shirahito either, can we? They are both quite strong contenders. Their defeat at the Satsuki Prize was just a fluke!"

"Come on, Narita Shirahito and Tosho Reform have already lost twice, it's unlikely, very unlikely~"

"What about the Sky Palace? This player seems to be able to perform better than the first time when facing the same opponent for the second time, so today is also worth looking forward to."

In the stands, people held up their umbrellas and discussed the game in the final moments before it started, creating a lively atmosphere.

Seeing the adults discussing it with great interest, Good Opera, being led by her mother, couldn't wait to sway and join them for a proper discussion.

"Mom, let me go and chat with everyone too!"

She looked up at her mother with pleading eyes, trying to persuade her to give permission.

However, her mother gave it back to her with a helpless refusal.

After all, for safety reasons, it is risky to let a good opera singer leave their side to interact with adults in a large audience. If they get lost, it will be difficult to handle.

In addition, there are many different kinds of supporters of Uma Musume Pretty Derby. My mother understands the unconditional support that good operas have for Stardust Illusion, and it wouldn't be good if she encountered a serious adult who made her cry.

She led her daughter around and suddenly noticed two little girls watching the competition with great interest not far to her left. She then looked down and said:

"How about this, I'll take you to find those two little girls? You can chat with them."

"Huh?"

Good Opera followed her mother's hand and looked over, only to find two little girls holding hands, their eyes fixed on the arena as if they were about to burst into light.

She's obviously a fellow horse racing enthusiast like me!

He instantly made this judgment in his mind, and then quickly nodded in agreement with his mother's suggestion.

After making the decision, the two of them squeezed together toward that side.

"...As expected, Miss Empress seems to be in the best condition today."

"Hmm! Little Drill thinks so too? I think that Stardust Illusion seems distracted; it's bound to make a mistake when it tries to exit!"

Northern Genko excitedly whispered to his friend, completely unaware of the two people approaching him.

However, the opera house, which had just approached, heard her rash judgment and immediately flew into a rage:

"Lord Stardust Illusion will definitely be fine!!!"

"Huh?" X2

The two girls turned around in surprise and saw the horse racer with short orange hair, who was a head taller than them, seriously refuting their previous discussion:

"Regardless of whether it was a mistake or not, no one can be a match for Lord Stardust Illusion in this match!"

The Northern Black Steed, who had originally intended to ask who the visitor was, also cried out in alarm upon hearing such words:

"Ah! No way! Miss Empress will definitely win! Stardust Illusion will pay the price for its carelessness!!!"

"The Overlord would never be careless! That was merely a king's composure! You simply don't understand Lord Stardust Illusion!!!"

One has black hair, the other orange hair; these two loyal supporters of the racehorse girls take a step toward each other with every shout to boost their morale.

In the end, the two of them pressed their foreheads together tightly, trying their best to push each other back, in order to prove that their love was more passionate.

Standing to the side, Hikari Satomi and the mother of the opera singer could do nothing but exchange apologetic smiles, everything understood without words.

The other spectators around them watched with amusement as the two little girls fought for their favorite contestant, and no one was bothered by their noise or unreasonable behavior.

After all, in the eyes of most people, this kind of debate is just a pastime outside of the competition. Although these children don't really understand it, they are just supporting the contestants in their own way.

Everything that truly belongs to Uma Musume will only be verified and its strength determined by the results of the races; this is the true meaning of "competition".

As spectators, all they need to do now is relax, watch the exciting matches, and wait for the results to be announced.

--------

This year's Japanese derby boasts a diverse array of players, each a formidable force—and the moment of truth is fast approaching!

[The racehorses, each with their own ideals and ambitions, are making their final preparations for the start inside the gates—and they are all in position!!!]

All the racehorse girls, whether impatient or indignant, relaxed or calm, were all in their starting positions.

The fighting spirit in their eyes had reached its peak, awaiting the next command—

【beep--】

boom!

The starting whistle signaled the start of the race, and the gates burst open. Without any further action or declaration, all the runners rushed out of the starting blocks and onto the official track ahead.

Then, in an instant, as if they had anticipated what was going to happen, all the female racehorses began to take control of their starting positions and set the pace for the opening race.

[The race begins! All the runners have completed the start beautifully, forming a horizontal line and sprinting forward!!!]

[Ah! It seems that due to the effects of the heavy rain on the racecourse, Leodeban's start has clearly been problematic, and she has fallen to the very back of the pack! Oh no, will she be able to catch up!?]

In the racetrack, Narita Shirahito looked at the female racehorses surrounding him and heard the sound of horseshoes pounding in the mud and water from in front of and behind him, without any hesitation in his heart.

Even though she has now reached the lead position, which is the position that this lone wolf is best at, she has decided from the very beginning not to use the lead running method.

(On the field of this neon derby, there will be a guy who seals off everyone's running options...)

Raindrops slid down his hair from the front of his forehead, and Narita Shirahito squinted slightly to avoid obstructing his vision.

The number of participants in this neon derby was as high as 20. In addition, Shigebaba's disadvantage in breaking through and accelerating made it very difficult for Narita Shirahito, who was confident in his physical strength, to make any changes once he was surrounded by the crowd.

We need to secure a good enough position before that guy causes chaos in the team.

Should we try to grab the lead and take first place?

No, given the circumstances of such a heavy horse race, taking first place would mean directly clashing with that monster. She, who was about to unleash that attack, would absolutely not allow anyone else to take the lead.

At that point, you might be forced into a positional conflict with the other side, which could consume a lot of extra energy and affect your performance afterwards.

"hiss……"

He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, the water droplets mixed with the smell of soil and grass also being drawn in through his teeth.

From the very beginning of the match, you could feel that everyone's fighting spirit was intertwined, almost to the point of materialization, freezing the air and creating a suffocating atmosphere.

However, the more tense the environment, the clearer Narita Shirahito's mind became.

(Terrible... This kind of enemy is truly terrifying!)

Despite screaming fear in his heart, Narita Shirahito's face showed no trace of terror, only excitement and a fanatical bloodlust.

Shaking his head, Narita Shirahito calmed his excited emotions and forced himself to remain calm to continue analyzing the situation.

In previous matches, she made the wrong judgment each time she faced a certain situation, which caused her to lose the chance to win in one fell swoop.

This is what makes Narita Shirahito's target today truly terrifying. When facing her, often just one wrong decision is enough to plunge one into the abyss, with no chance of ever recovering.

Let's think about where to place next. How about second place?

No, the second one is not acceptable either.

Choosing to run in second place means that you will be completely led by the pace of the leader. Facing such an opponent, being led means entrusting your hopes to the person in front.

And if she were on the track, she would be completely unrestrained and show no mercy to the other runners!

(So, right here!!!)

[Stardust Illusion's start is still perfect! The heavily flooded racetrack has had absolutely no effect on her! While other racehorses struggle with the muddy ground, she bursts forward like a streak of blue lightning, galloping from the outside to the front of the track in one breath! Ha!!]

[Next up is Dongshang Reform, with Narita Shirahito running in third place! Closely following her, only half a horse length behind, is Sky Shrine! Everyone seems to have anticipated that Stardust Illusion will use the Great Escape again, so they've been chasing her closely from the start!]

[Ladies and gentlemen! Listeners! This neon derby has once again been dominated by the tyrant, turning the entire stadium into a battle of escape!!!]

(Wow, Saber's start is still unbelievably fast!)

White mist emanated from the corners of Dong Shang Bian's mouth with each breath, and the witch's hat on his head was constantly being hit by raindrops, making a pattering sound.

For a regular racehorse, the figure shrouded in azure battle aura running ahead of the Eastern Merchants' reforms is absolutely lightning fast at the start.

However, Dong Shang's gaze, fixed intently on her retreating figure, carried a rare hint of doubt.