Inside the entry tunnel.
Many Uma Musume were already at the exit, stretching their limbs.
Their expressions were sharp, eyes filled to the brim with fighting spirit.
Then—footsteps.
Slow, steady, drawing closer, pulling every gaze toward them.
In the dim light of the tunnel, a figure came into focus.
A waterfall of silver-white hair swayed gently with each unhurried step, gleaming like molten metal in the racecourse light spilling in from the far end.
A formless pressure spread instantly. For a moment, even the air seemed frozen.
The other girls paused mid-stretch or fell silent mid-sentence. The sunlight caught the silver figure all at once—
And what they felt was a mix of burning fighting intent, wary vigilance, and a faint, instinctive unease.
They could tell: the "Silver Storm" standing before them was even sharper, even more terrifying than she had been at the Haneda Hai.
Her presence was denser now. Oppressive.
Fujimasa March ignored them all, as if their stares didn't exist.
Her stride never faltered.
She cut through the tunnel like a silver blade through the air, the space around her seeming to freeze and tear.
When her flowing hair brushed the shoulder of anyone standing too close, the chill made them instinctively tense and step back.
Outside, the announcer's voice rang out at just the right time.
"And now, our next entrant!"
The girl called glanced briefly at March beside her, fell silent… and could not move.
One by one, the others went out, until only Fujimasa March remained.
"The eye of the storm, huh…"
Her soft murmur echoed in the tunnel.
In her mind, she could hear Kuroha's voice—
"Everyone's watching you. Studying you.
This is the fate of the strong, the destiny of those who shine brightest."
"Our next runner—
The ruler of the Keihin Cup, the multiple-time South Kanto champion, undefeated in two straight graded wins so far!
From Kasamatsu, the Silver Storm who's here to sweep the Tokyo Derby stage—
Number one favorite—Fujimasa March!!!"
The roar from the stands detonated like a tidal wave, threatening to blow the roof off Oi Racetrack.
From the end of the tunnel, that noise and blinding light hit her like a boiling ocean.
March narrowed her eyes, letting the last reflections fade from her crimson pupils.
She stepped into the track.
The cheers doubled in force, battering her like a physical wave.
Countless eyes—hot with anticipation, cold with scrutiny, edged with challenge—all locked on her as if she stood beneath a bank of floodlights.
"So… this is what it's like to be a star?"
She could feel the weight of every gaze.
And strangely… it fanned the fire in her chest.
March walked to her gate.
She stopped before it, resting her fingers on the cold metal. The chill sparked images in her mind—Kuroha's unwavering eyes, and the words he'd spoken without doubt:
"Use your fastest speed—cut through everything like a red-hot blade through butter.
Pierce it all!"
Her crimson eyes blazed with silver light.
It spilled from her gaze, whirling wildly around her body.
"All runners are now loaded!"
From high in the stands, Kuroha's eyes never left her gate.
Above it, silver-white streams of light spiraled upward into the air, swelling as if heralding something momentous.
On his system panel, March's tag—[Domain: Awakening]—flashed again and again.
[Domain]—the ultimate power of a racehorse capable of defining an era.
Reaching it required more than talent, grit, or luck alone.
It required a reason to run.
March had long since found hers.
She had the grit. She had the luck.
And the most vital gift of all—her Body and Breath Perception gave her the instinctive breathing and form of the finest Uma Musume.
Her general skills had sharpened her adaptability and technique.
Heart, body, skill—perfectly balanced.
Even if forged by training, at this moment she was a once-in-a-generation talent.
And now she needed only one trigger to reach the second stage of [Domain].
The light above her swelled, resonating with the lightning in the leaden sky.
"March, you must realize—you already stand atop this era.
Right now, you are the one creating it!"
In the gate, her silver-charged eyes burned like they could burn away the darkness inside.
Her breathing was deep and steady, each inhale drawing in the roar of the crowd, each exhale releasing molten fighting will.
Her mind echoed only with Kuroha's order—
Shatter the rules with your absolute speed!
Pierce it all!
"Dirt 2000m, overcast, heavy going.
The second leg of the South Kanto Triple Crown—Tokyo Derby—begins!"
The gates burst open!
Every rival had made up their mind to block her.
But the instant they moved—
Time froze.
Then a silver-white lightning bolt tore it apart.
The ground shuddered.
March's legs exploded like coiled springs, unleashing her stored power in the very first stride.
She became a streak of light, a burning tailwind cutting through the field.
The carefully woven net collapsed in an instant.
Group leaders who tried to box her in felt nothing but a cold shockwave as she passed.
Those who dove for the inside lane were brushed aside without touching even the hem of her racing silks.
The Silver Storm left chaos in her wake.
All those tactics disintegrated in the face of overwhelming strength.
Running flat out, a thought rose unbidden in her mind—
Are they really this weak?
Or have I grown this much?
The noise of the track faded into the distance.
She remembered Seiran Nichirin, the only one in the locals who could run beside her.
She remembered Haneda Hai, where even Nichirin at her limit couldn't catch her.
She remembered Oguri Cap at the Japan Derby, saying she couldn't even comprehend [Domain].
She remembered her trainer telling her she had absolute strength.
And now—
No one will catch me.
I will take every victory.
I—am the strongest!
Her pupils constricted sharply.
In her mind, a great black wall loomed.
With her will, the cracks in it blazed with light—
And it shattered.
It wasn't her legs that roared—it was her very soul.
The silver light swirling in and around her body surged into a true eruption.
No longer threads—it became a tidal wave of power crashing down into her body.
Her blood roared, every cell boiled.
An indescribable pressure fell upon the track like a natural disaster.
On Kuroha's panel, March's [Domain] tag stabilized at last, shining brilliantly.
Pierce all. Surpass all.
This was the second step of [Domain]—the power to create an era!
Domain—Silver Radiance!!!
The storm descended.
Like a calamity, her aura smothered the rest of the field.
Fear rose from the depths of their hearts.
Every meticulously prepared tactic was reduced to a meaningless backdrop.
Her thoughts were colder, clearer, and more blazing with battle will than ever before.
"Fujimasa March bursts forward again! Unbelievable speed! No one can touch her!"
"Is this… another runaway?!"
The announcer's voice was hoarse with shock.
No one had expected the race to be decided in its opening seconds.
The Silver Storm raged for only a few moments before easing.
March was alone in front, the pack behind in chaos.
She let go of the terrifying boost of the Silver Radiance Domain, running now at her normal limit—
Just as Kuroha had instructed, avoiding being swept up in the high of raw battle.
But even so, no one could draw alongside her.
Through the first bend, the third, and the final stretch—
She crossed the finish line alone.
For several seconds, Oi Racetrack fell silent.
Then, the crowd erupted like thunder, the stands shaking under their feet.
They had witnessed an "invincible" performance.
They had witnessed a top-class Uma Musume deliver a one-of-a-kind display on Oi's dirt.
South Kanto Triple Crown, second leg—complete.
(End of Chapter)
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