The race continued with us in pursuit of Black Muscat, followed by Scarlet Blue, who had fallen slightly behind after losing their balance in the wind.
The Black Muscat team lacked flashiness, but they were remarkably solid. They didn't rely on erratic maneuvers like Scarlet Blue; instead, their course management was so precise that I couldn't find a single opening to overtake them as I trailed in their wake.
Even while managing the infamously fickle Flying Boards, they positioned themselves perfectly to shut down my racing lines. Passing them was going to be an uphill battle.
Before long, we reached the Forest Area. Fortunately, unlike the Rocky Mountain Area, the checkpoints weren't nestled deep in the canyons, so we didn't have to dive into the canopy.
However...
"Wait... I can't see the checkpoint. Aoi-chan, Hina-chan, can you spot it?"
"N-no, where is it? According to the course map, it should be just ahead of us..."
Aoi-chan replied with a look of confusion as I scanned the horizon in bewilderment. Hina-chan was also frantically looking around, unable to find the marker either.
I realized a bit too late that the Magic Crystals marking each checkpoint had been green so far. This made them nearly invisible against the lush backdrop of the forest. While the crystals were supposed to pulse with light, they were much smaller than I’d anticipated and were easily lost in the dense foliage.
I wondered if the crew of Black Muscat had spotted it yet. If they had, our best bet was to keep shadowing them. But if they were as blind as we were, finding it first could be our ticket to the front. No, more importantly, if we missed the checkpoint entirely, we would suffer a devastating loss—it could even disqualify us.
I kept my eyes moving, searching desperately. Where was it? Where...
"There! Aoi-chan, Hina-chan, I think I’ve got it. Over there—what do you think?"
"I see it too! I can definitely see the pulse."
"At that height, we should probably gain a little altitude. Hina-chan, take us up."
"Roger that!"
Thanks to spotting it early, we were able to adjust our trajectory properly. Black Muscat seemed to find it a split second after we did; that slight hesitation on their part allowed us to close the gap significantly.
Scarlet Blue, following behind, noticed our shift and took the same path, so they didn't lose any ground. As a result, we passed the Forest Area checkpoint with the rankings unchanged, but with the top three teams now bunched tightly together.
A quick glance back confirmed that the rest of the pack was now a considerable distance away. The race for the championship had effectively been narrowed down to three teams: Black Muscat, Scarlet Blue, and us.
"The final checkpoint is above the city, right?"
"Yes. It's positioned right over the city's Clock Tower. We have to bank around it before making the final sprint toward the lake."
"To take the shortest path to the finish line, we’ll need to execute a wide right-hand curve as we pass through it. It's going to be tricky. It all comes down to your steering, Kaito-senpai."
Just as Hina-chan said, the final checkpoint was a challenge. To maintain the most direct route toward the goal at the lake, we had to pass through while locked into a massive rightward turn.
We were in great shape, and if we were going to win, now was the time to commit.
"Both of you, where do you think we should make our move?"
I decided to consult them on the timing of our final sprint. We’d managed our Magic Power well—aside from our detour through the mountains—so we had plenty left in the tank.
The problem was deciding exactly when to try and bypass Black Muscat. They were a veteran team; they would undoubtedly react the moment we tried to pull ahead.
"In a normal race, the straightaway toward the goal after the checkpoint would be the place to settle things... but Black Muscat will obviously anticipate that."
"Then, does that mean we should go for it before then?"
"Actually, I have a proposal... How about we try to overtake them at the exact moment we clear the checkpoint?"
The strategy I laid out was high-risk, putting the entire outcome on my ability to handle the board.
"You mean... you're planning to push the board to near-maximum speed while banked in that massive right curve?"
"You're a real gambler, Kaito-senpai."
"There's no room for error. A single slip and we'll be thrown completely off course, ending our run for the top spot. But if we commit to the acceleration from the start of the curve, Black Muscat won't be able to pivot to block us. If they try to intercept us at that speed, they'll be the ones flying out of bounds. What do you think?"
Accelerating into a curve where the slightest mistake would send us plummeting off course was a massive gamble. But it was also our best chance.
"Let's do it! They have the edge in experience and technique, so we have to take a risk somewhere if we want to win."
"I'm with you. We believe in you, Kaito-senpai!"
"Alright. It's decided, then. We'll make our move during the turn at the final checkpoint. Let's go!"
"Yes!"
The weight of responsibility was heavy, but to show my juniors my best side, I had to lock in. I would find that opening and break through.
Serious-senpai: "I'm loving the way this is going! Taking a risk in a dangerous spot—this is the classic 'royal road' of storytelling where the underdog takes down the veteran!"
???: "Wait a second... I just realized something. This is actually a serious scene, isn't it?"
Serious-senpai: "Hmm? That's right, which is why I'm so excited, isn't it?"
???: "But even though it's a serious scene, you're still here, Senpai? Doesn't that mean your existence actually has nothing to do with whether the story is serious or not...?"
Serious-senpai: "..................Eh?"