Chapter 873: with translation of chapter title

Title: NO. 242: I will dedicate this entire sky to you.

Generally, the race schedules of horse girls are public.

Especially G-level races, just like the concert records of stars and idols are always clear at a glance.

Afterward, personal enthusiasm, gambling-related information needs, and commentators' pre-race predictions will further publicize the athletes' records.

The so-called popularity rankings are also arranged comprehensively based on this display.

Given this, Aimu Zhiji ranking third in popularity is already considered abnormal; after all, her record clearly shows that she has zero wins at Nakayama Racecourse so far.

Of course, she has actually only run here three times.

Losing three times is insignificant to outsiders, but to insiders it's a complete disappointment; yet still being third in popularity under these circumstances is undoubtedly the result of recent heated public opinion.

Some lose fans, while others gain them; the increase clearly comes from Aomo Lindun's fans, merely a portion of the 'love the house and the crows' support, which is enough to fill the gap.

Since Aomo Lindun's three horse girls all won big in their debuts, some gamblers dare to take a risk, betting with a subtle courage on Aimu Zhiji's performance.

That's why, when Aimu Zhiji steps into the starting gate, she feels at least eight gazes on her from the side.

That is also why, when Aimu Zhiji steps through the gate, they will feel at least eight gazes shooting from the side.

There is contempt, stemming from the fact that her eyes contain cherry blossoms; at a glance you can tell she is a girl from the prestigious Sakura family of horse girls.

Contempt arose from the cherry blossoms in her eyes; at a glance you could tell she was a girl from the prestigious Sakura family of horse girls.

Disdain came from her slightly familiar appearance, as if she had appeared before in past Saichang—the girl named Assault Mach.

And there was jealousy, stemming from the girl known as Balkan Grape, who in earlier commentary was said to have just barely cleared the entry standard.

"My partner—was he dealt with by your trainer?"

The girl's voice was very low, phrasing what should have been a question as a statement.

But even if it were even lower, the contestants lined up inside the gate are all horse girls with sharp ears.

In an instant, all seventeen gazes converged.

The next moment, several gazes hastily retreated.

"What's happening! What situation has arisen! The contestants inside the gate are clearly agitated—staff, can you confirm?"

…

"No abnormalities? It seems not the appearance of some meadow sprite—alright, then the joke ends here; please, all contestants, get ready again!"

No abnormalities, of course.

The first G1 race after the reform, a once-in-a-lifetime event drawing massive attention—if delayed like this, when it resumes, what level would the popularity and prize money required for a race truly meeting this standard be dragged down to?

Words whose truth cannot be confirmed—if spoken rashly, what consequences would they bring?

If it really were a homicide, the other party themselves aren't calling the police but asking here—would it be appropriate for me to speak up?

……

Out of their own considerations, no one inside the gate mentioned to the staff anything like 'these two are making dangerous remarks'; at most they were thinking after the race about whether to report the police, and everyone was doing their best to maintain inner calm.

But, can they really stay calm?

He glanced sideways at the purple-haired horse girl whose eyes still burned with hatred.

Then he glanced at the brown-haired horse girl with a blank expression…

Finally, as if he might be met with their gaze, he hastily withdrew.

His slightly hurried heartbeat felt as if he had just embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Unfortunately, the girls inside the gate greeted the gate's roar in this manner.

At the instant the wind rose, it seemed like a reenactment of some past scene—

—the sound rising from the stands was not cheers, but gasps.

"A shocking scene has occurred! Number One Sakura Tyrant, Number Two Assault Mach, Number Four No-Return Exile, Number Seven Absolute Steed, Number Eight Key Policy Hero, Number Twelve Apocalypse Ark, Number Thirteen Left Trace Peak Summit, Number Fourteen Heading Text S, Number Fifteen Mars Rescue, Number Sixteen Still-Time Cleaning, Number Seventeen Sin Dance Swift Charge—all have been delayed!"

"Eh eh eh?! This scene seems like I've seen it somewhere before."

"Yes yes! Last month's Chrysanthemum Prize also had such a large-scale delay, but this time…… this time there were actually eleven!"

"It's an astonishing delay of eleven!! And at the same time, among these eleven contestants, the highest 2S suffered a major delay!! It's that one of the Aimu Zhiji contestants has left the gate!!!"

"More shocking than the Chrysanthemum Prize… it's probably related to the earlier commotion……"

"Uncertain, but right behind Aimu Zhiji is Balkan Grape, then Impoverished Shrine, One Sound One Meeting! The difference between delay and no delay has become a brief chasm! Both sides have pulled apart a clear distance!!"

——

"What's the situation… Chazuo, you didn't teach that self-torturing guinea pig any spirit-summoning techniques, did you?"

In the stands, looking at that opening which even in the past five years of race history counts as extraordinarily disastrous, Suzi couldn't help but cast a subtle glance at her companion beside her.

Likewise casting glances at it were Bourbon and True Clever.

Everyone is informed about the recent situations of Chazuo and Aizhi; they all know that recently Aimu Zhiji often went to the activity room under Aomo, and even more often appeared together with Chazuo.

However, the saying at that time was still 'Chazuo was teaching Aizhi how to increase her spiritual ability to see her sister.'

Now looking at this scene, it's hard not to wonder what those two were teaching back then.

But Chazuo shook his/her head.

"... No, she only learned the basics of spirit communication."

"There's also no sign of a major descent on the field, and little sister hasn't done anything either." She said, gazing at the large projection in mid-air ahead.

The high-speed camera closely following the athlete steadily transmits far more detail than the naked eye can see; aside from those details too far away to see clearly, even the semi-transparent existence beside the brown-haired girl is also included in the output.

Others cannot see that existence, but those with spiritual ability can all see the scene of the sisters walking together.

However, as long as there is no instrument alarm, it proves that soul did not interfere with the race; it's merely a unique scenery that the athlete herself carries.

"Then how did she do it? Just by putting on a sullen face?"

Suzi is not disbelieving that temperament and atmosphere affect others; after all, Chazuo is a clear example, but if one says Aimu Zhiji has also entered that realm, it does raise some doubts about everyone's eyesight.

As always, being a bloodless, tearless running machine, even not having run out a releasing posture, already gradually being overtaken by Balkan Grape, One Sound One Meeting, and Assault Mach, Aimu Zhiji truly does not show any sense of pressure.

Even appearing somewhat like a passerby—

——falling into the standard pursuit-horse domain, thereby connecting with the other vanguard and pursuit teams, and being incorporated into them.

Becoming one of the 'one-hand horse girls' in the middle section of that team.

"Pass the 8th corner! Step onto the midfield under the new system! One sound, one meeting maintains the advantage of two horse lengths, charging to the front!"

"The first-place Aimu Zhiji in the opening stage has fallen into the hard-to-break-out pursuit-horse group; this is the large force that made up for the late-start disadvantage and finally caught up!"

"Oh duo! This is the most chaotic mid-section group in recent years, with the pursuit-horse and vanguard almost squeezed together!"

"I'm very worried; this situation is prone to accidents."

"Diagonal advance! The outcast banishment actually chose a diagonal breakthrough! This is clearly a violation! Next——"

——Boom!!

A sudden huge sound rang from above to below, piercing heaven and earth, cutting off the commentator's words, yet completely unable to shake the athletes' dedication to victory.

But unlike the fully committed athletes, a considerable portion of the spectators and all the security personnel would raise their heads, looking toward that clear, vast void which at some unknown time had been shattered and vanished, clouds and rain blown away.

Doubt.

They saw no culprit, so they could not understand how the 'clear-sky great hole' surrounded by large patches of dark clouds had appeared.

But reality did not let them remain doubtful for long; just three seconds later,

Boom——!

In the ensuing tremendous sound that again rang through heaven and earth, all those watching the sky saw a huge monster that seemed to cover heaven and earth—suddenly drawing near as if charging head-on.

It did not truly descend, nor did it manifest.

Such a horrifying sight was merely a flash, and itself resembled a low-quality projection on an old curtain, with pale colors and an obvious gap in the pattern.

Yet among the spectators, a considerable number of energy cultivators could immediately discern what that fleeting, hallucination-like scene represented.

"Dimension! The boundary of the dimension is about to break!"

"Quickly notify those security to open the anomalous transformation barrier!! What monster is shaking the dimension's walls!!"

Actually, no need to notify them; the armed department already stationed on-site by the association acted very swiftly.

The anomalous transformation device, aimed upward and activated, unfolded an instant inverse-color filter that rapidly extended upward, easily incorporating the space above the racetrack into another layer of the anomalous transformation dimension.

It was also the moment when everyone could feel at ease.

Boom——!

The anomalous transformation barrier, which should have been untouchable like an isolated interlayer, easily shattered in that dull collision sound, revealing an even clearer and more obvious ferocious giant.

With a head profile like a stag beetle, enormous four wings that blot out the sky, and a demonic form of sky-blue mixed with black and white, as someone on-site lacking a sense of danger exclaimed in astonishment, "How did it grow to look like a juiced-up Lebranduo?", the sky instantly split open with a dark crimson rift.

"Oh! Just like an Abo person!"

The pink-haired JK in the spectator seats couldn't help but exclaim.

That dark crimson rift, unafraid of the various filling barriers simultaneously covering it, expanded rapidly like a virus infection, yet transmitted an astonishing shout:

"Let me out!"

Immediately followed by a whole brain probing out like a quercus-type insect.

Yet in the next second, it was seized by the head and pulled back by a giant claw interwoven with rainbow, blue, and black, its surface covered in scales.

"Your kindness is hard to refuse; it's also a proverb I like—'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' Lebranduo."

"Don't pollute others' skies with your ugly appearance."