Making Me Their Strongest Opponent
"Is that even a question?" "Little Kita, you're strong." "A race isn't just about the two of you."
Even as the time for final preparations before the race drew near, those words still echoed in Kitasan Black's mind.
She had never heard words like that before. In her mind, those should have been the things she said to others.
Yet hearing them from Koushou Hayate, and seeing that Duramente and Satono Crown did not refute them—instead showing agreement and fighting spirit in their expressions—
She could not help but feel the same resolve she had when she first stepped onto the track around her debut.
Am... am I really that strong? Strong enough that Koushou and the others have to face me together...?
But unlike before, she did not let herself become anxious over it. Setting those thoughts aside, she listened intently as Anjing Zhen explained the Final Straight.
"...The Takarazuka Kinen's final straight is the longest among the right-handed tracks." Pointing at the track diagram on the whiteboard, Anjing Zhen's voice remained as steady as ever:
"Four hundred and seventy-four meters. The better part is that the slope is relatively gentle.
"After entering the Final Bend, there is a gradual downhill stretch from the 600-meter marker through the middle of the straight, which then connects to the steep incline before the finish line.
"The elevation difference on that uphill is only 1.8 meters, with a gradient of 1.5%.
"In other words, once you start accelerating from the Third Turn, you do not need to save much stamina. You can charge all the way to the finish.
"And the most important thing to note is still the effect of the rain."
Hearing Anjing Zhen change the subject, Kitasan Black thought it over and quickly said