The Zone—that was the ultimate realm a Uma Musume could reach, as Star Dancer understood it.
Even in the talent-rich heart of Europe, only a handful of Uma Musume in a generation ever awakened to the Zone.
If a Uma Musume awakened to the Zone, it meant she would no longer be bound by her era.
No matter how the generations turned, she would remain seated high above the clouds, watching as each new wave of juniors fought and struggled for glory and championships.
And she—she would have nothing left to prove.
The Zone was the mark of a true powerhouse.
This was the realm Star Dancer had dreamed of, the very source of her relentless drive to climb higher.
Europe's training system had driven her forward like clockwork for over a decade, every breath, every moment of rest scheduled and planned down to the minute.
Even someone as accustomed to it as Star Dancer felt stifled.
That was why she pushed so hard—to become one of Europe's elite talents, to awaken the Zone and stand among the true powerhouses.
Only then, perhaps, could she truly claim a moment of rest that belonged to her alone.
But today, she had witnessed that very realm with her own eyes.
An Uma Musume so far beyond her understanding, even more terrifying than those European prodigies she feared, had appeared before her.
The moment she realized it, the demon blade's hum resonated through her world.
A bewitching crimson light, carrying an aura that chilled her to the bone, swept past Star Dancer's neck. The thick, scorching scent of blood nearly suffocated her.
Yet before her mind could react to the danger, her body moved first.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Her limbs went weak.
Tensed muscles were severed in an instant, robbed of all explosive power. And what horrified Star Dancer most—her own stride instinctively faltered.
This wasn't fatigue-induced slowing. This was an instinctive, deep-seated retreat from danger.
All her vows—'never give up,' 'win at all costs'—shattered like glass under the menace of that crimson light. Faced with victory, her instincts chose flight.
Star Dancer looked up, terrified, her eyes wide with disbelief at the red presence that seemed to dominate the entire world.
From what she understood of the Zone, this wasn't even Dream Weaver's Zone actively targeting her.
If that Zone were a blade, sharp and exposed, what had just crushed her was merely the sound of the blade shifting in its sheath.
The demon blade hadn't even been drawn, yet Star Dancer was already defeated.
She couldn't comprehend it.
How could such a Uma Musume exist?
In her world, those from Europe's core were the strongest, the most gifted prodigies on the planet.
She had fought so hard in the Satsuki Sho, even resorting to tactics she disliked—leveraging information—all just to reach that level.
And now, right before her eyes, stood a Uma Musume more fearsome than any of those so-called European elites.
Confusion clouded Star Dancer's eyes. She even forgot where she was, lost in doubt over whether any of this was real.
"How... is this possible..."
Depleted of stamina, her steps cowed by the Zone's pressure, she could only watch the fading back of her opponent and whisper to herself.
And she clearly wasn't the only one reacting this way.
"Star Dancer is fading!"
"Did she burn out from accelerating too early under Dream Weaver's pressure? What a shame—if she'd kept her focus, she might have still contended for second..."
Outside the track, the two commentators exchanged a glance, each seeing their own shock mirrored in the other's eyes. They spoke into their microphones in unison.
"So it seems the winner of this year's Satsuki Sho is already—"
Before they could finish, Anthony slammed his glass down. He ignored the trembling staff behind him, his face dark as he stared at that crimson light on the track.
"How is this possible..."
He echoed the very words Star Dancer had uttered moments before.
It was the same exclamation Richard had once made—the same one anyone who understood Uma Musume Racing would inevitably make.
In European racing, a Uma Musume's potential growth could be projected. No matter how talented, there were only so many hours in a day for training.
Within a set timeframe, how close a Uma Musume could get to her limit was predictable. What Europe's system did was simply push her systematically toward that ceiling.
Of course, if that ceiling was too low, she'd be filtered out early.
But Anthony had never seen an Uma Musume like Dream Weaver. Her abilities had already surpassed anything that should be possible at this point in time.
Against such a glaring gap, anyone could see she had already seized the Satsuki Sho crown.
The thought made Anthony's chest tighten. He sank into the sofa, rubbing his temples, his expression grim.
He truly couldn't understand.
Dream Weaver's opponents were a group of Triple Crown contenders. In this world, Uma Musume at their level were the strongest you could find outside Europe's core prodigies.
If they had even preliminary exposure to Europe's Zone-focused training, perhaps not even those gifted elites could easily suppress them.
And yet—just now, right before his eyes—Anthony had witnessed their utter collapse!
"Damn it... Is she a monster?!"
"How can a monster like this exist in this world? How is this possible, how, how, HOW!!"
Blind with rage, Anthony surged to his feet, wrecking everything in sight. But even that did nothing to quell the fury burning inside him.
Richard, meanwhile, watched coldly, letting him vent.
He'd seen this before. When his efforts to bring stronger European Uma Musume to the Satsuki Sho had failed, he'd already braced for this moment.
No matter how highly Anthony had praised the other Uma Musume earlier, it hadn't shaken Richard's view of Dream Weaver.
Having witnessed that selection race firsthand, he understood that Uma Musume's terror better than anyone.
At least now, he wasn't alone in that feeling.
"The Satsuki Sho is lost," Richard said coldly to the panting Anthony. "We must focus on the Japanese Derby now."
"We cannot... let her win any more victories."
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.