The Chaotic Opening
The instant the starting gates opened, from the very inner lane, a black-and-gold figure shot out of Gate 1 like lightning.
Her black-gold Victory Outfit cut a sharp line through the brilliant afternoon sunlight. Accompanied by a piercing rush of wind, Kitasan Black surged to the front of the pack in the blink of an eye.
As that scene unfolded in an instant, compared to the black haired girl's swift and ferocious opening performance, the other seventeen Horse Girls seemed like they were in slow motion, immediately reduced to playing catch-up in the opening stretch.
The commentator and spectators had not yet reacted. A few beats later, an excited live call echoed over Kyoto Racecourse:
"All Horse Girls have made a fine start, and the favorite, Golden Lyric, got off to a very good start.
"However, Kitasan Black has made an especially brilliant break from the Start Gate!
"With an incredibly explosive start, this Horse Girl, absent from the Shining Series for four whole months, has burst forth with astonishing speed right from the opening, crushing the recent rumors that questioned her ability!
"Kitasan Black has taken first place!"
As the rapid commentary rang out, the stands, finally reacted, erupted into cheers.
At one side of the stands, where the cheering squads had gathered, black, gold, and red flags waved wildly. The orderly chants of "Kitasan Black" merged into shockwaves that swept across the entire venue, crashing toward the track one wave after another.
However, in less than half a second, while the flags continued to wave and the cheers still rang out, the commentator's tone suddenly changed:
"Kitasan Black currently holds the lead—wait!
"The Outer Lane!
"Making an equally rapid move, overtaking numerous opponents in one go—it's Wanlai Zhengming!
"Wanlai Zhengming does not intend to let