Chapter 37: The Queen of the Mile

At first glance, the race seemed to be unfolding exactly at Mihono Bourbon’s pace right from the start.

Charging ahead with unwavering confidence was Mihono Bourbon, while Taiki Shuttle and Grass Wonder chased close behind.

On Tokyo’s long, straight opening stretch, attempting to pass or overtake was a huge risk. That was why the formation remained eerily stable—no one dared to move.

"Now Mihono Bourbon enters the corner at the front! Her lap times have been perfectly steady so far—what an incredible display!"

"Not even a hint of slowdown on the uphill before the turn. Her last race, the NHK Mile Cup, was also on Tokyo’s turf, 1600 meters. Seems her preparation has been flawless!"

And so they approached the corner.

King Halo, right in front of me, hadn’t made a move either. I could see her ears flicking now and then, as if trying to sense something.
She’s probably searching for my presence. But I won’t let her.

I keep myself hidden—slipping into the blind spots of King Halo’s awareness, making sure she can’t read my pace.

"The race is moving at quite a high pace! Not quite record-breaking speed, but—"

"Still, it’s fast! Can they really keep this up all the way to the end!?"

Even as they rounded the corner, the Uma Musume’s footwork remained flawless.
As expected of GⅠ-caliber runners—no wobbling, no drifting to the outside. It was a clean, beautiful turn.
Even with perfect preparation, slipping inside and stealing the lead here would’ve been impossible.

"Still no major moves from any of the runners! Will the showdown be saved for the final stretch!?"

The third corner began with a downhill, then a long uphill that stretched almost halfway into the home straight.
It looked gentle, but that slope drained far more stamina than it seemed.

"Oh—Harp Rhythm, who had been clinging desperately to the lead pack, is falling back! Seems her stamina’s given out!"

One by one, the Uma Musume unable to keep up with Mihono Bourbon began to fade away.
And what remained were Taiki Shuttle and Grass Wonder.

"They’re entering the final corner! The ones behind are still holding their legs!"

"Likely saving their strength for Tokyo’s long straight. I don’t think King Halo or Mithialx are done just yet!"

That’s right. The real battle won’t wait for the final stretch—

I stomp down hard on the turf and surge forward. Normally, you’d only start your sprint on the straight—around the 400-meter mark where the incline steepens.
But seeing Mihono Bourbon and Taiki Shuttle’s pace made me hesitate.

Those two—there’s no way they’ll slow down on the hill!

"Oh—Mithialx is moving up! Coming out of the final corner, still 600 meters to go! Can she hold that pace!?"

If I don’t start sprinting now, I’ll never catch those two. Which means—I have no choice but to go all in!

With that momentum, I swing wide, taking the outermost lane through the final corner.
Keep losses minimal—get out wide and clean!

King Halo senses my move—her presence sharpens in surprise.

"No way—she’s going for a sprint now!? King Halo responds, matching the pace!"

Taiki Shuttle’s form remains solid. But Grass Wonder—something’s off.
They’d been neck and neck, but now Taiki Shuttle begins to edge ahead.

"Grass Wonder’s falling behind! Seems keeping pace with Mihono Bourbon and Taiki Shuttle was too much!"

"Her last race was the Arima Kinen, after all. She might’ve lost her feel for the shorter mile distance!"

While that was happening, I kept climbing through the ranks.
King Halo tried to hold me off for a moment, but I was already in full sprint mode—faster by far.

Keeping my momentum, I charged up the incline of the final stretch.
Ahead loomed the last great obstacle before the goal—a steep two-meter rise.

"Mihono Bourbon and Taiki Shuttle—still no slowdown on the hill! Grass Wonder is fading fast!"

"And Mithialx is closing in from behind! Wait—what’s this...!?"

Locking onto Taiki Shuttle and Mihono Bourbon, I push harder, accelerating to overtake.

The scenery blurs white at the edges—my senses stretching thin like threads of light.
I can tell—the three in the lead just gasped at how I’m accelerating as if the slope doesn’t exist.

"Incredible acceleration! No wonder they call her the ‘Falling Star’!"

I close in fast. Mihono Bourbon seems to sense me—her posture wavers just a little.
At the same time, Taiki Shuttle and I draw even closer to her.
Just two lengths behind Grass Wonder now!

And then—I witness Mihono Bourbon’s true power.

"M-Mihono Bourbon is accelerating!? She’s pulling away from Taiki Shuttle and Grass Wonder!"

Her body trembles—and in the next instant, she bursts forward.

No way. From that position? Bourbon shouldn’t be capable of accelerating like that!
…Unless—she’s finally awakened. Mihono Bourbon… you’ve awakened, haven’t you?

"Is that it? Is this where it’s decided?"

"N-No! Taiki Shuttle’s accelerating too! She’s chasing down the Bourbon who pulled away from her!"

I can’t see Taiki Shuttle’s face from this angle—but I can tell.

She’s smiling—!

"What a fierce showdown! King Halo is pushing up from behind too—but can she hold on!?"

Taiki Shuttle—she knew Mihono Bourbon would awaken at this very moment!?

Come on, that’s impossible…! Even after running alongside Bourbon so many times and analyzing tons of data, I couldn’t predict that!

Taiki Shuttle surges up beside Mihono Bourbon, matching her stride.
I blow past Grass Wonder and push after them—but I can’t quite reach!
I push harder, my whole body trembling with strain—

"King Halo’s still hanging in there! Grass Wonder’s fighting back too! No one can tell how this one will end!"

"Who could have predicted a finish this close…!"

Two Uma Musume are closing in fast from behind—!

The fear of being overtaken made my pace falter for just an instant, and the gap between me and Taiki Shuttle—and Mihono Bourbon—started to widen.

But there’s no way I can lose here!

I force the fear out of my mind and drive my legs harder. Only one furlong—barely 200 meters—to the goal!

Pouring out the last of my strength, I chased after the two in front. But that earlier hesitation had cost me dearly!

"Looks like Mithialx slowed down for a moment—was there some kind of trouble?"

"But she’s already regained her form! Grass Wonder and King Halo are falling behind! Taiki Shuttle takes the lead!"

"Mihono Bourbon’s acceleration is incredible, but she still can’t quite catch up to Taiki Shuttle!"

I can’t even catch Mihono Bourbon, let alone Taiki Shuttle.

In that stretched-out, almost timeless sensation, I searched for a way to pass them.

Sprint Turbo? No, impossible—there’s no more acceleration left in me. I’m already running at near-maximum speed from my Unique Skill. Combining it with Sprint Turbo isn’t possible.

Force a break in their posture? No, that’s meaningless at this point. I’d need preparation far earlier in the race to make that happen.

No options left—not a single move remaining!

"Taiki Shuttle’s too strong! The mile truly belongs to her! Taiki Shuttle crosses the line in first place!"

In the end, I couldn’t close the distance. I dashed past the goal board in third place.

Taiki Shuttle… what a terrifying Uma Musume. I never imagined she’d be able to completely control even an awakened Mihono Bourbon.

Even Mihono Bourbon herself seemed spent from the fierce battle, standing alone on the turf ahead, gasping for breath.

"First place, Taiki Shuttle! Second, Mihono Bourbon! Third, Mithialx—followed by Grass Wonder and King Halo!"

What a brutal race. If I’d lost my form near the end, I probably wouldn’t even have made the leaderboard.

If King Halo had launched her sprint just a little earlier… then most likely, she would’ve been the one in my position.

King Halo’s one miscalculation—she focused too much on me. Ever since she lost sight of me at the start, her pacing had been off.

"Taiki Shuttle has once again proven her might! The title of Mile Queen remains firmly hers! She extends her undefeated record in mile races—long live the ruler of the mile!"

Still, knowing King Halo, she won’t end it here. The real showdown will probably come at the Sprinters Stakes.

After the post-race interview, I returned to the waiting room.
This race left me with plenty to reflect on—plenty to learn—and plenty I managed to gain.

First, that high-speed pursuit from behind. The sheer pressure nearly broke my concentration, almost enough to cancel my Unique. If I’d actually been overtaken, I don’t think I could’ve recovered.

And second—I got to see Taiki Shuttle’s running up close. The perfect model of a leading miler. That alone will be a huge source of growth for me.

"Phew… damn it, I was so close this time… that race really pushed me to the edge."

"You did great. Taiki Shuttle was just that strong… I can see why Bridge Comp avoided racing her."

Yeah, that was unbelievable. The Mile Queen of the senior class—so that’s what it means to be the true ruler of the mile.

At the same time, I realized she’s not just a brute-force runner. Her racing instincts… that’s something I desperately want to learn.
Though honestly, it’s probably not something you can just pick up.

Still—damn it, I can’t help feeling frustrated! If I’d just had one more option, one more trick up my sleeve, I could’ve caught them!

"Really… just a little bit more… and yet that ‘little’ feels so far away…"

"You did your best, Lux. Come here."

My trainer pulled me into a hug, and I let myself calm down in his arms.

No matter how many times it happens, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the pain of losing.

"But judging from your expression, I’d say you still gained a lot from this race. Entering the Yasuda Kinen was the right call, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah… I think so. I’ll need to put together a full review later. The question is, can I be ready in time for the Sprinters Stakes…? There’s just too much to work on."

"Then it’s another intense summer training camp for us. Lux, are you okay skipping a trip back home again this year?"

Home, huh… I don’t even have any family in this world.
It’s like I just… sprouted out of the void.

"No problem. Are we going to the same training camp as last year? The facilities there were amazing."

"Yeah. Big teams sometimes have their own training grounds or even go overseas, but—"

"Sheesh, that’s fancy. Nah, that place is perfect for me. I heard Bourbon and that Comp girl are coming too this year."

Now that I’d calmed down a bit, I suddenly realized how embarrassing it was to still be clinging to my trainer. I slipped away and sat down in the chair prepared for me.

As I jotted down race notes in my notebook, we talked about what to do next.

But I knew there was one more big event waiting for me after this…

I glanced down at my phone, opened my message app, and tapped on a chat with a certain Uma Musume—someone who could be called my benefactor, a girl who looked great in a white coat.

Her message glowed on the screen. The deadline: end of June.

"Sigh… nothing ever goes smoothly, huh…? Hey, Trainer—if you saw an Uma Musume on the verge of injury right in front of you, what would you do?"

"That’s sudden. But of course—I’d stop her. Even if she didn’t want me to."

…Yeah. Nothing ever really goes the way you want it to.

But first, I’ve got to go out there and perform for the fans—with song and dance.

A knock came at the waiting room door, announcing that preparations for the live performance were complete. I slipped on my cape and headed out.

And as the cheers of the crowd washed over me, I stepped onto the stage once more.

[Yasuda Kinen] Absolute Dominance! Taiki Shuttle’s Winning Streak Remains Unshaken

June ○■, 19:11 JST – Report No. 310

Taiki Shuttle strikes her victory pose.

The Tokyo Racecourse 11th race, Yasuda Kinen, concluded today with Taiki Shuttle claiming another decisive victory. Mihono Bourbon took second place, while Meti Alcs finished third. Taiki Shuttle remains undefeated in mile races, further extending her impeccable record.

Known as the Uma Musume with no rivals in domestic mile events, Taiki Shuttle’s team commented on her next move: "If possible, we’re considering sending her overseas. We believe that even in international Grade 1 mile races, Taiki Shuttle can win."

Currently, the leading candidates for her next appearance are France’s G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. Should she head overseas, it is believed she will not enter Japan’s domestic short-distance G1, the Sprinters Stakes, due to scheduling conflicts.

Can Taiki Shuttle keep her undefeated streak alive on the global stage? Fans will be watching closely.

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