Natalia’s Bib #1 still held the top spot.
"Bib #1 remains the immovable leader from the start! She hasn't yielded her position to anyone!! Nine vessels are in hot pursuit—things are really heating up!"
Luckhart Randol’s lively commentary boomed across the area. The spectators were reaching a fever pitch as the ten vessels approached the zigzag section of the course.
"Bib #10, which was closing in on second, has begun to slip back and has fallen to fourth! In its place, Bib #7 and Bib #8 have surged forward!"
Bib #7 was Werner Randol’s hydroplane, and Bib #8 was Florence Fahlheit’s shallow-draft boat. Both hulls were designed specifically for maneuverability.
A relentless dead heat unfolded as the boats overtook and were overtaken, navigating a series of continuous curves with a tight 10-meter radius.
"Ah...?"
Rubina, watching the monitor, let out a stunned sound. Bib #10 was indeed falling behind. As a semi-submersible, Bib #10 was not as nimble in sharp turns as the other craft. That slight discrepancy became apparent in the succession of curves; its rank, which had briefly climbed to third, dropped to fourth and then tumbled down to fifth.
＊ ＊ ＊
"She’s still a child, after all. Her situational awareness is a bit naive," Jin murmured with an affectionate smile. "She definitely lacks experience."
He was, of course, referring to Rubina.
＊ ＊ ＊
The ten vessels cleared the zigzags and entered a stretch consisting of short straights and corners.
"Bib #1 is still the immovable leader! She’s handling her craft masterfully, giving the pursuers no openings!"
Because every boat used Jet Thrusters, trailing directly behind another was a disadvantage. Natalia made aggressive use of this fact—by positioning her stern in front of anyone trying to pass, she wasn't just being an obstacle; the jet wash actively slowed them down.
"Bib #10 has dropped to sixth! Bib #8 has moved up to second!"
The shallow-draft boat could turn on a dime. Using that agility to thread its way between the leading boats, it had finally claimed second place.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Oh, she’s really playing to her boat’s strengths."
From Jin’s perspective, Numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 were the craft best suited for this specific course. Hulls that prioritized mobility over stability had the edge here.
"The first lap is almost over."
Jin suspected the real highlight would be the second lap, once the participants had a better feel for the layout.
The ten vessels reached the final corner, a 50-meter-radius turn. Incidentally, the technical course was only about 30 meters wide, barely enough for three boats to run abreast. In contrast, the straightaway following the 50R turn was 200 meters wide—an area where the boats could finally escape the lead vessels' jet wash.
"One lap complete! All ten boats have returned! Bib #1 is the leader! Numbers 2, 3, and 5 follow!"
In the technical area, the standings had settled into exactly what Jin expected.
"And now they enter the second lap! Every boat is picking up speed!"
Massive plumes of spray rose as the vessels hit high speeds. The crowd’s cheering grew even louder.
Bib #1 shot down the center of the wide course. The trailing vessels each chose lines that avoided the wakes and jet wash of the boats ahead. While the slight maneuvers caused minor delays, there were five kilometers of straight track ahead—plenty of room to make up time.
In fact, some boats were pushing well beyond their rated output; the rankings from seventh to tenth changed at a dizzying pace.
"Every vessel is at full throttle! A fierce dead heat is underway!! Even so, Bib #1 remains immovable at the front! It looks like the lead has even grown slightly!?"
Bib #1 was going all out to stay ahead, reaching speeds exceeding 130 kilometers per hour. The pursuers were matching that pace.
Such speeds would be suicidal for a human pilot, but these were golems. They knew no fear and possessed reaction times several times faster than a person's. Furthermore, the assistants monitoring output and hull behavior were also golems. With constant oversight of the mana drivers supplying mana to the thrusters and the ether converters transforming free ether into that mana, these top speeds were well within the realm of safety.
In just over two minutes, Bib #1 cleared the five-kilometer straight and plunged into the first corner—a 20R turn—hardly losing any momentum.
"Incredible! Bib #1 clears the first corner at a speed that puts her first lap to shame! Followed by Bib #2 and #3!"
But then...
"W-What a surprise! Bib #10 has surged into third place!!"
Rubina’s semi-submersible had closed the gap on the straightaway. Its top speed had reached a staggering 140 kilometers per hour. The spectators were mesmerized by the monitors.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin was also enjoying the spectacle.
"Man, a race without interference is great."
When he inadvertently let those words slip, Trihart Randol, sitting to his right, chimed in with a retort.
"Jin-sama, I believe no interference is the standard."
"I suppose. But during my race with Marcia, there was Valentino's sabotage, the Death Sea Serpents..." Jin chuckled wryly, reminiscing about the old days. Then, watching Bib #10's comeback, he added, "It’s a real shame about Rubina. With more experience, she’ll definitely become a formidable craftswoman."
＊ ＊ ＊
The ten vessels carved a large arc through the 500R turn of the second corner.
"Bib #1 still holds the lead! She’s through the 500R! Bib #3 is in second, followed by 2 and 5!"
By this point, the lead group had condensed into four boats: 1, 2, 3, and 5. Numbers 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were falling behind. The gap was the result of minor differences in hull design, refinement, stability, output, and piloting. While each factor was small on its own, their combined synergy had created a clear divide.
It was exactly why Jin and the spectators were so captivated. A race where one boat simply ran away with it was boring... though that thought might have been a bit of a sore point for Jin to admit. At this stage, since Rubina’s Bib #10 was traveling underwater, its exact position was unclear.
The boats left the high-speed area for the technical area once more. The course width narrowed to 50 meters.
"And here we go, things are really heating up!"
The second group had begun their charge.
"Navigating the zigzag course with incredible skill... it’s Bib #10!"
The semi-submersible Rubina had built was finally revealing its true potential.