Chapter 16: Conclusion — Keio Junior Stakes

The Keio Junior Stakes.
Its final stretch.

The field had spread wide across the track, the formation beginning to break apart. You could clearly see who was running out of stamina.

“The race enters the final stretch! But remember, Tokyo’s straight is about 530 meters long—it’s not easy to decide when to make your move.”

“No one’s launched an attack yet. Maybe they’re being cautious about the hill up ahead.”

When the field began to fan out, I wondered what I should do. The situation wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t hopeless either. If they’d really wanted to neutralize me, they could’ve boxed me in completely, sticking close on all sides. In that kind of crowd, I wouldn’t have been able to run properly at all.

But doing that would’ve meant throwing away their own chances at victory. In a short-distance race, for a front-runner to abandon their early advantage is basically suicide.

“They’re reaching the uphill slope before the finish! Whether they can maintain their speed here will decide the race!”

“Oh! There’s movement in the back! Are they really trying to come up from there?”

Some managed to hold their pace, others began to falter. The field dissolved into chaos—an all-out melee.

Perfect.

I charged forward up the slope I’d run countless times in training. This incline? Please. The one I use to train on is way steeper than this!

“Mithialx is coming up! Incredible acceleration—even on the hill!”

“She’s shown this kind of late speed before. Truly, that finishing burst is nothing short of phenomenal!”

When I squinted ahead, I spotted my trainer in the stands near the finish line.

Ah, so he kept his promise after all. Then I have to keep mine too.

I threw my entire body into motion, turning every impact from the ground into forward thrust. SPRINT TURBO—the ultimate short-distance acceleration technique I learned from Sakura Bakushin O.

“Mithialx accelerates again! She’s climbing the hill and gaining even more speed! Incredible—truly incredible!”

“Unbelievable… she’s like a falling star streaking across the sky!”

Leaving the shattered pack behind in the corner of my vision, I pushed myself faster still. My legs were on the verge of screaming in protest, but I held it off through sheer will and balance, surging ahead to the front.

With everything I had left, I powered forward to the very end.

“The ‘Shooting Star’ bursts past the finish line! An extraordinary run, shaking off all that fierce midrace pressure!”

I flew past the finish post.

First place—first place! My first graded race victory, and a GⅡ at that. Gasping for breath, I looked up at the display board. The number “10” gleamed brilliantly at the top.

“First place: Number 10, Mithialx! Second place: Number 2, Kaikou Ichiban!”

Still flushed from the race, I jogged lightly to cool down, thrusting my arm toward the stands to show off my victory.

Trainer—you saw that, right?

“Mithialx looks like a promising horse girl for the future. She might just become a new star of the sprinting circuit.”

“Her acceleration down the final stretch truly evoked the spirit of Sakura Bakushin O.”

In the stands, my usually calm and composed trainer was beaming with unrestrained joy. I’d never seen them that excited before. Seeing them happy for me—yeah, that made me really, really happy too.

I’d never felt this kind of joy from winning before. Even my maiden win had made me glad, sure, but that one was fueled more by a sense of duty. This time, though—it was different.

“I—won—by—my—own—will—alone!”

My whole body trembled again.

This—this was the joy of victory!

Once you’ve tasted it, you can never walk away from racing again. It’s a devilish kind of pleasure.

After finishing my cooldown, I headed toward the Winner’s Circle. There, the victor’s privilege awaited me: the post-race interview and the award ceremony.

“Please welcome the winner of the Keio Junior Stakes, Mithialx! Give her a big round of applause!”

A large crowd had gathered in the Winner’s Circle, waiting for me. This race served as a key prep for the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Winning here meant I was very likely to advance straight into the GⅠ scene—that’s why the attention was so high.

“Congratulations. First, tell us how you’re feeling right now.”

“Let’s see… I’m just relieved I could win. This race was tough—I was marked the whole way, so it wasn’t easy.”

The interview went smoothly. Even as I spoke, camera shutters clicked over and over, capturing my image.

I’m still not used to being photographed… I wonder if I look okay.

“In the middle of the race, it looked like you accelerated in short bursts several times…”

“Yes, I was trying to break through the leading pack by poking at their formation whenever I could. I’m glad it worked out in the end.”

The questions came one after another—fairly standard stuff. I’d expected them to dig deeper, and sure enough, the one I’d been waiting for finally came.

“What made you decide to enter the Keio Junior Stakes this time?”

“That would be… preparation for the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. I’m planning to run there next.”

“Not the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, then?”

“That’s right. The Asahi Hai FS. I’ll be going there to settle things with Mihono Bourbon.”

The crowd stirred in surprise. Understandable—I’d basically just declared that I was going to defeat Mihono Bourbon outright.

“The Mihono Bourbon you lost to in your debut race, correct?”

“Yes. It’s something I decided a long time ago.”

I declared it with conviction. Wait for me, Bourbon. I’ll defeat you, no matter what.

The audience, shaken at first, seemed to quickly accept it and settled down again. After that, everything proceeded without incident—I received my winner’s trophy, and my first graded race came to a close.

That said, the day wasn’t over yet. I still had to move to the stage and perform live.

…Seriously though, isn’t it kind of insane to do a live show right after sprinting full force? My body’s completely wrecked here.

“Lux-chan! That race was awesome today!”

“Kaikou Ichiban! We’ll be cheering for you next time too—do your best!”

Cheers echoed through the live venue. It was my second time performing as the center. I was the star of the show—the one everyone’s voices were calling out to.

I held back the urge to grin from pure happiness and lifted my voice high, letting my song ring out proudly.

That day, I truly came to understand the joy of racing—and of victory.

“Good work out there, Lux.”

“Yeah, I won fair and square. Go on, praise me.”

“Ha, it really was a great run. Though, there were a few moments that nearly gave me a heart attack…”

The live was over, and I was back in the waiting room.

The first thing I always do is review the race. Today’s run had given me plenty to think about.

“Well, finding out I could handle that much pressure was a good takeaway. And that trick I used to mess with the others’ rhythm—it was risky doing it on the spot, but it worked.”

“Smart decision-making. Since you’re a chaser, Lux, if you can learn to read and control the race flow in real time, that’ll become a huge asset.”

“Yeah. Though, I doubt someone like Bourbon would ever fall for something like that.”

The only time Bourbon had ever broken her pace was back in that debut race. Interfering with her rhythm was nearly impossible. Honestly, as long as I relied on tricks from behind, I’d never be able to touch her.

“Well, I’ll just have to keep the other horse girls around Bourbon in check and force it into a one-on-one showdown. That’s probably my best shot.”

“Right. Even that alone should make things much easier for you.”

No matter how many strategies I came up with, I still couldn’t picture myself beating Mihono Bourbon. She was a total monster. Then again, maybe I should see it as an opportunity—to use these strong horse girls as the fuel for my own growth.

“Also, Lux… you used that move, didn’t you?”

“Ah—yeah, that technique I learned from Bakushin O-senpai. It went pretty well, huh?”

“I was surprised. I told you not to use it unless you were sure, but to think you’d pull it off that well…”

Indeed, Sprint Turbo was a move I learned from Sakura Bakushin O. It was one of my prized trump cards. If I could refine it further, it would lead to even greater acceleration.

“All right, Lux. Let me check your legs. We agreed I’d do that after you used that move, remember?”

“Ugh… fine, go ahead, Trainer.”

I stretched out my legs, letting him examine them. Sprint Turbo was a powerful technique—but that power came with risk. If there was even the slightest strain I couldn’t feel myself, it could lead to a serious injury later.

For horse girls, the risk of injury increased with race distance. But that didn’t mean sprinters were safe. Short-distance runners could get hurt too.

“Hmm? You’re showing way less fatigue than I expected. I thought you’d be more banged up.”

“My body balance worked out nicely this time. Honestly, I might’ve even had a bit more left in the tank.”

“No, Lux. Overconfidence is the most dangerous thing.”

“…Got it. Sorry.”

For me, acceleration equals victory. It’s not like I can maintain top speed for long—the time spent running at full throttle is only a brief moment. Acceleration first, acceleration second. That’s what matters.

“But if you can shift up one more gear, overtaking Mihono Bourbon might not be impossible.”

“Yeah. Bourbon might try to hold back some energy to secure her lead. That’s exactly why I’ll need to match her when she reaccelerates.”

“Right. Accelerate, then accelerate again. If you can’t do that, it’ll definitely be a tough fight.”

Honestly, how does she have the energy to keep accelerating even after leading the whole way? She really is ridiculous.

But for now, I think I’ve earned the right to savor this victory a little.

“Trainer, you still haven’t properly praised me.”

“Huh? I said it was a great run, didn’t I?”

“No, not just the run. Me. Praise me.”

Come on, after working this hard, I deserve a little more than that, right?

“Sigh… fine. You did great, Lux.”

“More. That’s not enough.”

“As expected of Lux. You were amazing out there.”

“Mm…”

I’ve noticed something recently—this body of mine literally gets a performance boost when I’m praised. Especially when it’s from someone I trust… it affects my condition directly.

My body felt light and fuzzy, my mood lifting higher and higher.

Without thinking, I leaned against my trainer. I wrapped my arms around him and nuzzled my cheek against his chest. Ah… yeah, this feels nice…

“Lux…”

“Just a little longer… ahh…”

Bit by bit, I started to calm down, though a warm, floaty feeling lingered inside me. Still, I couldn’t stay like this forever.

I slowly pulled away and steadied my breathing.

“…You satisfied now?”

“Yeah… I’m good now. I’m satisfied.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Lux. You know what, we should celebrate sometime soon.”

“Yay!”

I couldn’t help but think—am I maybe a little too easy to please? But then again, that’s probably just how us horse girls are by default. Even in the app, tons of them are super touchy and affectionate.

Humming to myself, I packed up and left the waiting room.

“Hmm~ hmm~♪”

Even after returning to the academy, the thrill hadn’t worn off. After a quick shower, I dove straight into bed, clutching my pillow tight until I finally managed to calm down.

“So, what’s up with you, Ru-chan? You come back and immediately start doing that?”

“Mm? I was just so happy I won that I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

“Exactly! You won, and you didn’t even let me celebrate with you! Come on, get over here and let me give you your congratulations!”

“Ugh, fine, fine…”

When I went over to Bridge Comp, she pulled me into a hug and ruffled my hair. Hey—wait! You’re messing up my hair!

“Really, Rue-chan, you’re such an adorable junior… You’re entering the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes next, right?”

“Yeah…”

“You’ll be fine, Ru-chan. Your opponents might be tough, but there’s no such thing as an unbeatable rival.”

“Mm…”

She kept patting my head and rubbing my ears, and before I knew it, I was melting into her arms in a blissful daze.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from the race and the live performance, but my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

“Oh dear, looks like Rue-chan’s getting sleepy, huh? Go ahead and rest. I’ll carry you to bed properly, promise.”

“Thanks, Comp…”

The Keio Junior Stakes—the race that served as the prelude to my decisive showdown with Bourbon—had given me strength.

And then came the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.
It was there that I would encounter a brand-new feeling—

[Keio Junior Stakes] Mithialx Claims First Graded Victory

November ○■, 19:14

Mithialx Shines at Center with a Smile

Mithialx earned her first graded race victory in the GII Keio Junior Stakes. Although she initially dropped back during the early stages, she steadily advanced through the pack. Midway, she found herself under heavy pressure from her rivals, creating a challenging situation. Yet, as the field began to spread out in the final stretch, the race dynamic shifted dramatically. Spotting an opening, she burst forward with tremendous acceleration and crossed the finish line in commanding fashion.

In her winner’s interview, Mithialx shared her next goal:
“I want to run in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes to take my revenge on Mihono Bourbon.”

Having lost to Mihono Bourbon in her debut race, Mithialx’s determination has only grown stronger. Both horse girls are now seen as rising stars to keep an eye on in upcoming competitions.

It seems the junior-class races will continue to be must-watch events for some time.

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