"The glory of the Japan Derby belongs to—Sakura Chiyono O!!!"
The commentator's thunderous roar shook the stadium, met by a deafening wave of applause and cheers.
At the finish line, the cherry-haired girl panted heavily. The dreamlike glint in her eyes from moments ago had already faded away—an illusion, fleeting as a blooming flower at dusk.
Listening to the cheers rising for her from all around, Sakura Chiyono O turned in a daze, glancing at the sea of faces beyond the rails.
"That was amazing, Chiyono O!"
"Beautiful run!"
"Congratulations!"
"Fantastic!"
From the stands came wave after wave of praise and congratulations.
The voices surged toward her like a warm tide, washing over the girl who stood before the finish line, her chest heaving violently.
Her breathing burned in her lungs, each inhale laced with pain. Her legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, trembling beyond her control.
But none of that mattered now.
I… won… Did I really win…?
She blinked slowly, looking at the empty stretch of turf beyond the finish, then down at her own hooves—still trembling, covered in grass and dirt.
An exhaustion as heavy as a mountain pressed down on her, threatening to swallow her whole. Yet, from deep within her heart, a stronger feeling was spreading—delayed, but powerful.
Joy.
She tried to smile, but the tears came too fast.
Lifting a hand to wipe them away only made it worse—they flowed like a broken dam, until her vision blurred entirely.
After a few trembling breaths, she finally straightened her back, and turned toward the fans supporting her, smiling as brightly as the sun.
She waved, laughing through her tears.
The crowd's cheers only grew louder.
Clap clap clap—!
From the stands, Kuroha and the others applauded, smiling knowingly.
Behind them—
Maruzensky's eyes were already red as she sat, unmoving, in her seat. She watched her junior at the finish line, happily waving to the crowd, and silently offered her heartfelt blessing.
"Chiyono O… was that just now…?"
Inari One tilted her head. She wasn't entirely sure about what she'd just seen, so she asked.
"I think so." Fujimasa March answered.
It had only lasted for a few seconds in the final stretch, but to those who already possessed the Domain, it was unmistakable—like a firefly glowing in the dark.
Yet the light had vanished almost immediately, leaving them uncertain again.
So, all eyes turned to Kuroha for an answer.
He didn't play coy—
"When you girls first learned about the Domain, you stepped into it fully. But most Uma Musume—even if they can use the Domain—can only maintain it in short bursts. Sustaining it for an entire race, like my 'True Self' state, is almost impossible.
"But… there's another way to enter it for a short time—"
His tone sharpened.
"Through extreme willpower."
"Under the right conditions, sheer will can bypass every other requirement—and see the Domain."
Uma Musume are a species blessed by the gods, carrying infinite mysteries in their roots.
Through willpower, one can force open the power of True Blooming ahead of time.
Through willpower, one can break past their limits and catch a glimpse of the gates to Creating an Era.
But such a feat was always fleeting—a miracle that lasted only an instant.
That was why the winner of the Japan Derby was often called "the luckiest Uma Musume of her generation."
She poured all her lifetime's luck into this one race, burned herself to the fullest, and bet everything on creating a miracle.
Without Kuroha's guidance, Sakura Chiyono O would have burned herself out here—then, after forcing a comeback the next year, suffered a crushing defeat at Inari One's hooves.
A tragic ending.
"What is… the Domain?"
The cool, even voice made everyone turn.
Oguri Cap was tilting her head slightly, her expression surprisingly innocent for her tone.
She had no idea what Fujimasa March and the trainer had just been talking about.
March frowned.
"Oguri… didn't you see it just now?"
"?" Oguri Cap blinked, tilting her head again.
"When Chiyono O crossed the line—there was a light around her."
Oguri blinked rapidly, trying to recall the fleeting moment. Her clear eyes focused deeply, but after a pause, she shook her head slowly.
"Mmm… no, I didn't see it."
She hesitated, then added, "But… the feeling she gave off when she crossed… it was different."
She tried to put into words the oppressive force she'd sensed.
"It felt… like she had something I didn't."
"…Oguri."
March's gaze grew complicated.
Ever since learning from the trainer that Inari One had touched the Domain long ago—albeit in an unstable form—March had assumed a natural talent like Oguri Cap must have done the same.
But now… she realized she'd been wrong.
Watching the girls' exchange, Kuroha fell into thought.
Right now, Oguri Cap had faced almost no real hardship.
Her training and development, from his perspective, were poor—holding back a talent that could stand at the pinnacle of her era, locking it inside a cage.
…Could Oguri Cap beat Fujimasa March right now?
He doubted it.
His Body and Breath Perception told him her stats were likely around 800 across the board—a monstrous level.
It was no surprise that after summer training camp, she could defeat Central Grade 1-level Uma Musume purely through brute force.
But…
A mere hundred-point stat gap wouldn't be enough to leap over March's far superior racecraft and her possession of the Domain.
Impossible.
Kuroha came to a conclusion—Oguri Cap was not yet Fujimasa March's equal.
The Central training standards of this era were pitiful—no technical depth, no planning, even race schedules were a mess.
"Maruzen."
She blinked, wiping her eyes. "What is it, Kuroha?"
"After the Derby, give Chiyono O a few months' rest."
"Wait—did something happen to her?!" Maruzensky's face showed rare anxiety.
Kuroha chuckled softly.
"No… nothing's wrong. The side effects of her over-acceleration during True Blooming aren't there. But… this race drained her mentally.
"It'd be best to stop training and just let her have fun for a while."
"One month from now is summer training camp, right? You could take her out to enjoy herself."
Maruzensky tapped her lips, thinking.
"Where will you be going for camp, Kuroha?"
"?" He gave her a look. "Why are you asking?"
Her eyes lit up, leaning forward slightly, her tone carrying the faintest, almost hidden hint of coyness—
"Of course, so I can bring Chiyono O-chan to play too~!"
You… do you really just want to "play" with her?
Kuroha eyed the brown-haired speedster with suspicion.
"Haven't decided yet. I'll plan it after reviewing the Tokyo Derby results."
(End of Chapter)
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