Before long, the five Horse Girl had finished their warm-up and were ready to enter the starting gates.
Everyone was free to choose their gate position. Maruzensky picked the innermost lane first, followed by Sirius Symboli, Polaris Glacier, Mihono Bourbon, and Chitose Meiji.
The rule was still to run one lap around the training track, with Kumi Trainer's position marking the finish line.
As soon as they entered the gates, four of the Horse Girl felt a chilling aura enveloping them.
In response, Maruzensky smiled and released her aura, a fiery blaze erupting around her.
Chitose Meiji was slightly surprised, then likewise released her aura, stirring up a subtle but sharp breeze around her.
Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon were not as composed as the first two; they could only grit their teeth or frown, enduring purely through their willpower.
Fortunately, having run alongside Polaris Glacier so many times, they were much more accustomed to it than at first.
Feeling that her Polaris Glare's chilling aura couldn't penetrate the auras of the two seniors, Polaris Glacier glanced left and right, somewhat marveling at their resilience, but didn't pay it much mind.
Rudolph Symboli stood by, arms crossed, watching intently. She shifted her right leg uncomfortably, thoughts flickering in her eyes, wondering what she was thinking.
The five Horse Girl on the track took their pre-race stances, ready to go.
"Clang!"
With the crisp sound of the gates opening, Polaris Glacier immediately unleashed a deep Polaris Glare's chilling aura, striking the other four Horse Girl in the race. At the same time, she powerfully pushed off with her right foot, rocketing forward with extreme acceleration.
Having learned from the previous experience, Maruzensky thought she could easily withstand the sudden intense Polaris Glare's chilling aura, but the reality was unexpected.
The concentration of Polaris Glare's chilling aura at the start of the race was incomparable to its normal state; her fiery aura was instantly dispersed.
Immediately after, her body shivered involuntarily from the invasion of Polaris Glare's chilling aura, and her previously focused attention became chaotic.
Affected by this, even though she quickly adjusted, her start was inevitably a step slower.
Chitose Meiji was the same, and Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon were even more so.
However, perhaps because they were somewhat used to it, the latter two reacted faster than Chitose Meiji.
At this point, all five Horse Girl had exited the gates.
The race unfolded with Polaris Glacier leading, Maruzensky in the lead group, Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon in the chase group, and Chitose Meiji trailing.
They all headed towards the first bend, observing the situation and pondering their strategies.
During the race, Polaris Glacier, as always, released her Polaris Glare's chilling aura, which drifted backward with the wind, aiming to deplete the stamina of the four Horse Girl behind her.
In the lead group, Maruzensky released her aura again. This time, there was no surprise; she successfully blocked all of the Polaris Glare's chilling aura, preventing it from taking any additional stamina.
Although releasing her aura also accelerated her own stamina consumption, it was still acceptable compared to being continuously assaulted by Polaris Glare's chilling aura.
In the chase group, Sirius Symboli was in front, while Mihono Bourbon tucked in behind her to minimize wind resistance.
As if by some unspoken agreement, they, who were currently unable to release their own auras, gradually slowed down, maintaining a suitable distance from Polaris Glacier at the very front.
This distance would neither make a subsequent catch-up entirely hopeless nor subject them to excessive Polaris Glare's chilling aura.
They would conserve their energy here and then make a final push at the end.
Chitose Meiji, who was executing a trailing strategy, also noticed the constant Polaris Glare's chilling aura invading from the front and found it somewhat novel.
"This way of using an aura is truly oppressive, and it's very characteristic of Polaris junior."
Following behind her two juniors, she looked ahead, her good visibility allowing her to clearly observe Polaris Glacier's condition.
"She looks to be in great condition. Despite leading at such a high speed, her breathing isn't even slightly hurried. Is her stamina that good?"
Due to Polaris Glacier's full-speed lead, the overall pace was very fast. With Maruzensky in the lead group still conserving stamina and not pushing to catch up, the distance between Polaris Glacier and the trailing group was gradually widening.
And this distance grew even larger after the first bend, as Polaris Glacier began to accelerate.
"At this point, Polaris's acceleration should still have two more stages. I can't wait any longer. I'll accelerate and overtake her right here."
Maruzensky narrowed her eyes and suddenly accelerated forward in the middle of the race.
The title of 'Super Sports Car' was not an empty boast; having accelerated to her top speed, she began to gradually close the distance between herself and Polaris Glacier.
Correspondingly, her stamina was consumed at an accelerated rate, especially while maintaining her aura and resisting the Polaris Glare's chilling aura.
Polaris Glacier slowly heard the approaching footsteps behind her and was very surprised.
"Has someone already started accelerating from behind? At this point, is it Maruzensky?"
She no longer needed to guess; her peripheral vision had already caught sight of her. The figure surrounded by a fiery aura had already surged to her side!
The two did not stalemate; Maruzensky visibly overtook Polaris Glacier and moved to the very front.
To conserve stamina, she immediately dispersed her aura. However, this time, no Polaris Glare's chilling aura invaded from the front, giving her a sense of sudden clarity.
“It actually happened, someone running in front of me…”
Polaris Glacier stared at the figure blocking her view, and a surge of anger flared in her heart. Her previously relaxed and natural expression gradually turned cold.
Strangely, despite being very angry, her thoughts became even clearer.
“There's still one last bend to accelerate, and there's still a chance on the final straight. On the other hand, Maruzensky, maintaining such a high speed while running in front, how much stamina will you have left at the end?”
Just as Polaris Glacier thought, if Maruzensky wanted to maintain her lead, she had to keep her current speed, which would inevitably accelerate her stamina consumption. If this continued, she would certainly lose speed at the end.
As the distance widened, the influence of the Polaris Glare's chilling aura weakened. The three Horse Girl in the rear, who had just entered the middle of the race, also slowly began to make their moves.
Sirius Symboli estimated her remaining stamina, and combining it with her past experiences, decisively began to accelerate.
Mihono Bourbon, following closely behind her, also accelerated, as if it had been prearranged.
And Chitose Meiji moved to a slightly outer lane, suddenly bursting past the two juniors in front of her, her aura blazing, and chased forward.
"Tsk, is CB already going to catch up? Polaris and Maruzensky in front also look intense."
Glancing back at Mihono Bourbon, who had been closely following her, Sirius Symboli's expression was somewhat displeased. Running with these monsters, she felt like she was losing confidence.
"Wait a little longer."
Mihono Bourbon murmured, knowing that in a race against Polaris Glacier, she absolutely could not rush.
By the side of the training track, Kumi Trainer was very surprised when she saw her young lady being overtaken.
She had easily beaten Maruzensky last time, but this time she was caught and overtaken. She wondered what effect this would have on her young lady's mindset.
Rudolph Symboli remained with her arms crossed, and seeing Maruzensky begin to accelerate at full speed in the middle of the race, she couldn't help but frown slightly.
She thought the same as Polaris Glacier, predicting that Maruzensky would definitely lose speed at the end, and the person herself should be aware of this.
"Does it have some special meaning, or does she simply want to annoy Polaris Glacier, or perhaps she no longer wants to stay under the invasion of that cold aura?"
As time passed, Maruzensky was the first to enter the final stage of the race, followed closely by Polaris Glacier. The two entered the last bend, ready for their final confrontation.
A little later was Chitose Meiji, who had caught up, rapidly closing the distance to the front.
Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon successively began to move, their competitive spirit gradually emerging as they had conserved most of their stamina.
After clearing the last bend and entering the final straight, Polaris Glacier felt a surge of liberation. Her maximum achievable speed instantly increased by two stages, and her stamina also recovered slightly.
She stomped her right foot on the grass, and the previously dispersed Polaris Glare's chilling aura rapidly condensed around her body, flowing behind her like a pair of wings, swaying with her long blue hair.
After a brief pause, she suddenly burst into acceleration, almost instantly overtaking Maruzensky and charging towards the designated finish line.
"As expected, at this point, it's impossible for big sister to catch up to you."
Maruzensky watched the Polaris Glacier in front of her, a smile appearing on her lips. She no longer had any excess stamina, and her speed uncontrollably slowed down. She could only endure through sheer willpower.
Chitose Meiji quickly caught up from behind, overtook Maruzensky, and chased after the figure further ahead.
But Polaris Glacier accelerated too quickly. Chitose Meiji had been maintaining her aura and didn't have much stamina left, so the distance between them couldn't be closed at all.
Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon were only competing against each other. Even though they later overtook Maruzensky, they had no remaining energy to influence the outcome of this simulated race.
The final outcome was already decided.
Polaris Glacier, enveloped in Polaris Glare's chilling aura, crossed the finish line. She took a deep breath to quickly calm her breathing, then turned to look at the Horse Girl behind her, specifically at Maruzensky.
Chitose Meiji arrived second, while Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon were neck and neck, making it difficult to judge for a moment.
Maruzensky was the last to arrive. She had just stopped and hadn't even caught her breath when she suddenly felt a figure walk up to her.
"Huh? Polaris... Ugh..."
Her questioning sound was cut off. Polaris Glacier suddenly raised her hand and pressed it against Maruzensky's cheek, then began to mercilessly knead it.
The merciless kneading force clearly indicated her vexation, without a doubt.
"Ugh... CB-chan... Rudolf... Please save me~!"
Shaking her head, unable to escape, Maruzensky could only extend her hands to her two friends, giving them a pleading look.
"Heh heh, Maruzensky, so you have this day too."
In response, Chitose Meiji stood with one hand on her hip, watching the commotion as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Exactly! We can't do anything about it."
Rudolph Symboli chuckled and shook her head, finding the scene strangely rare.
"Wuwu... Polaris, kneading big sister's face isn't nice. That's enough, okay?"
"No, I must punish Maruzensky properly until I'm no longer angry."
