"Bib #10 is making its spurt!"
A roar of excitement erupted from the spectator stands.
"Jin-sama, what is that!?"
Trihart Randol, sitting in the seat next to him, asked with wide eyes.
"They're likely using the side thrusters, which are intended for maneuvering, for extra propulsion instead."
"What!?" Trihart replied, his voice filled with confusion at the brief explanation.
"Basically, Rubina's ship is using a water-repelling barrier to reduce resistance," Jin clarified.
"Yes, that much I understand."
"That means the actual shape of the ship doesn't matter much. In other words, she's shifting the direction of travel without actually turning the vessel's heading."
"Aha, I see!"
"It seems she has mounted quite powerful propulsion systems in the side thrusters... No, that's not it."
Though he was watching through a screen, Jin had grasped the general configuration of Bib #10.
"She has an ultra-powerful propulsion system, and its nozzles also open to the sides."
With that structure, it would be better if the hull's aspect ratio were smaller, Jin thought—but that was perhaps where Rubina's lack of experience showed.
Regardless, there was something uncanny about the way the slender semi-submersible zigzagged while its posture remained almost perfectly fixed. The spectators began to notice it too.
"Hey, look at that."
"Yeah, Bib #10..."
"That's some eerie movement."
If Rubina had heard them, she likely would have grumbled, "What do you mean by that!?"
However, the ship's speed was undeniably the fastest on the water. It continued to zigzag without rotating the hull. Bib #10, which had been in fifth place, overtook two vessels in a single surge to claim third.
But the section of continuous curves came to an end. The next area consisted of short straights followed by alternating curves. Because the average speed increased here, the side-thruster maneuvering fell slightly behind. Bib #10 transitioned back to standard navigation.
More than half of the second lap was over, with only about six kilometers remaining. At 120 kilometers per hour, the racers would reach the finish in just three minutes. Everyone began their final spurt.
However, the course width narrowed at this point, making it difficult to overtake. While the hulls occasionally made light contact, there were no dangerous collisions or blatant attempts to block the path. This was a fair competition, held under the watchful eye of the "Ancestor."
Bib #10 once again utilized the strengths of a semi-submersible, attempting to overtake from beneath the surface. But every vessel had begun its final sprint, and they would not yield their positions easily.
"All ships have begun their final spurt! It is a nail-biting, neck-and-neck race! Bib #1 is still in the lead, but the gap is clearly closing! It’s still anyone’s game!!"
Feverish excitement enveloped the stands. The ten high-speed ships raced across the course, locked in an intense battle for dominance.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Arrow, Alco, do your best!"
"Ugh, Blitz, Donner, keep at it!"
"Edgar, just a little more!"
The creators of the ships watched the screens with sweaty palms.
Then came the final four-kilometer straight. All ten ships charged forward, squeezing every ounce of power from their systems. Their speeds were rapidly approaching 150 kilometers per hour.
However, waiting at the end of the straight was the final corner—a hairpin turn with a 50-meter radius. If they failed to navigate it correctly, they risked slamming into the rock wall at lethal speeds. Yet, none of the ships showed any sign of slowing down.
"Less than a kilometer to the final corner! Bib #1 is still in the lead!"
The turn was imminent. First, Natalia in Bib #1 slowed slightly, taking the corner at what seemed to be the absolute limit of safe speed. However, Eugene Foul in Bib #3 decided to take a gamble, plunging into the hairpin without decelerating at all.
"Oh! Bib #3 is going for broke! It’s entering the final corner at top speed! Are they going to pull alongside? Are they!?"
It seemed for a moment that the lack of braking would allow them to draw even with the leader, but as they reached the apex of the turn, the vessel could no longer withstand the centrifugal force. It began to swing wide.
"Watch out! Bib #3 is going off-course!"
The ship skidded sideways toward the jagged rock wall. But then...
"Oh! The assistant golem, Ludwig, has jumped off the boat...!"
Ludwig slid his body into the gap between the rock wall and the vessel, catching Bib #3 just before it could be crushed by the impact.
"Brilliant! Bib #3 is safe!!"
Ludwig scrambled back onto the boat, but the accident had cost them dearly. Their ranking dropped to sixth as they were overtaken by the following pack, their speed having plummeted during the recovery.
Meanwhile, the other ships decelerated with a calculated margin, clearing the final corner without further incident. Only 200 meters remained until the goal.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Go, Donner!!" Rubina screamed.
Whether the golem heard her or it was part of a pre-arranged plan, the assistant golem Donner suddenly appeared on the deck of Bib #10.
"Oh? What is she planning now?"
Even Jin couldn't guess what she was about to do. But he didn't have to wait long to find out.
＊ ＊ ＊
"The assistant golem Donner is leaning out from Bib #10... Ah! Donner has kicked off the hull!!"
By kicking backward with all its might, Donner provided a sudden burst of acceleration to the ship. Naturally, the golem was flung into the water by the reaction.
However, Bib #10—which was now lighter by the weight of the golem and bolstered by the momentum of the kick—surged forward from fourth place.
"First place is Bib #1! And second place is, incredibly, Bib #10! Third place is Bib #2, and fourth is Bib #5!"
Natalia’s Bib #1, which had held the lead from the very start, claimed the victory. Through her eccentric design and bold tactics, Rubina had managed to secure second place.
Third place went to Shu Nido in Bib #2, and fourth to Sireen Eschenbach in Bib #5. Fifth was Greena Kuzuma in Bib #4, and sixth was Eugene Foul in Bib #3.
Seventh place was Elvis Alcott in Bib #9, eighth was Florence Fahlheit in Bib #8, ninth was Werner Randol in Bib #7, and tenth place went to Sidney Marek in Bib #6.
There was a brief debate among the judges regarding Rubina’s surprise tactic at the finish line, but they eventually concluded that it did not violate any of the competition's regulations.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I am pleased that you all worked so hard," Jin said during his closing speech. "I have seen the ingenuity each of you brought to your designs. I believe you all possess world-class skills, and you should be proud of that."
A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
"Truly, without any exaggeration, I believe every one of you deserves the title of Magi Craft King."
Jin continued his address, looking over the faces of all the participants.
"I hope you will do your best in the next competition as well. My words are brief, but that is all. Finally, one more round of applause for those who showed us such a heated battle!"
After the speech, Jin personally presented the championship trophy to Natalia. The venue was enveloped in applause so loud it felt as though the air itself were vibrating.
And so, the First Onogoro Island High-speed Boat Race came to a triumphant close.