The Dramatic Shift at the Turn
As the veteran runners were left utterly baffled by Kitasan Black's choice, several pairs of eyes from her own generation were likewise fixed tightly on her.
Closest to her, Koushou Hayate's pupils narrowed slightly. A little farther back, Satono Crown's ear tips trembled incessantly. Behind them, Duramente unconsciously pressed her lips together.
Just like the bold declarations they had made before the race, the core of the Takarazuka Kinen tactics that they and their Trainers had repeatedly worked through was Kitasan Black.
In almost every race and training session she took part in, Kitasan Black always took the lead, steadily building an advantage with her exceptional sense of pace before ultimately claiming victory.
In nearly every race and training session they had participated in together, Kitasan Black had always refused to yield the front, building her advantage bit by bit through her exceptional sense of pace before ultimately taking victory.
So this time, they absolutely could not make the same mistake.
No matter what, they could not let Kitasan Black open up a gap in the early stages.
Plans to restrict Kitasan Black's route to position after leaving the Start Gate, schemes to disrupt her Lead Position rhythm—
Every one of those strategies had been devised specifically for Kitasan Black. Yet at this very moment, this opponent had abandoned the Running Style she had always excelled at most!
All their previous simulations and instructions had become useless, like a heavy punch built up over a long time landing on cotton.
The Horse Girls staring intently at Kitasan Black felt hollow and unsettled, their hearts trembling with confusion.
"Kitasan—she didn't take the lead?"
"Why would she give up control of the pace? Is that really Little Kita?"
"What kind of tactic is this? What is