Huddled in the spectator stands, Kitahara tipped his hat down, watching intently as Nearl, having finished her presentation, turned and began walking back.
"Really, her popularity is just terrifying. Must be eighty percent of the fans in this stadium are Nearl's personal supporters, right? It's insane."
"But Nearl-nee deserves it. Anyone who gets to know her even a little ends up drawn to her. It's like plants instinctively yearning for the sun."
Everlamp, standing beside him, spared no effort in singing her praises.
The ridiculous part was, after thinking it over, Kitahara had to admit that was just the reality. Nearl truly was that admirable.
"With a fanbase like this, I guess I don't need to worry about Nearl's races going forward. What a brutally simple solution."
Kitahara mused with a sigh.
By now, the contestants were already making their entrance.
"Alright, folks! Let's turn our attention to these six courageous Uma Musume!"
"In gate number one, we have the third favorite, Solar Mecha! This starting position gives her quite an advantage."
"And our much-anticipated Nearl has drawn gate four—a middle-of-the-pack spot, but one that allows the Uma Musume plenty of flexibility to execute her race strategy."
"Here they come! All entrants are preparing to load into the gates!"
The Uma Musume on the dirt track had finished their warm-ups. They glanced at each other, and with shared understanding, turned their collective gaze toward Nearl.
"?"
Nearl, of course, noticed. She turned to face her opponents for this race, meeting their eyes—and found only looks of goodwill and admiration.
"Nearl, use your performance to shut the mouths of those irresponsible reporters!"
"Just focus on giving it your all."
"Show us how it's done, idol!"
Though they were her rivals, their words were filled with nothing but support. It was clear they had joined this race primarily to encourage Nearl.
"I understand. Please, don't worry about me. I won't be disheartened by those negative stories. With all of you, and with the support of these fans, I will not betray your expectations."
Nearl responded to their kindness with utter seriousness, an attitude which clearly pleased the other Uma Musume.
"They're in! The gates are sealed! Starting the countdown now."
As the gate doors closed, her eyes met the now-familiar enclosed space.
This confinement couldn't actually block out the noise from the outside, yet every Uma Musume felt a wave of silence wash over them upon entering.
Was it psychological? Or a magic from the Goddess?
It didn't matter. Nearl was ready.
'Only reality can counter rumors. I'll use this race to shatter their slander.'
Her hand gently touched her own eyes. She wasn't unaware of the changes within herself.
Other aspects might be less obvious, but the eyes, being the window to the soul, showed the most immediate transformation.
From the light brown of her childhood to the pale gold of now—the shift in color mirrored her own maturity.
Nearl's Domain was now fully formed. If she wished, she could overlay her Domain upon the world like painting color onto a canvas.
But that was unacceptable. The people she cared about lived here. To avoid disturbing them, Nearl willingly refrained from using this power.
It was difficult. A soul that had ascended to a higher dimension, yet willingly confined to a mortal shell—it was like a healthy person deliberately refusing to use their eyes and ears.
'But there are still... workarounds.'
Moving her hand away, Nearl's eyes seemed to gleam with an inner light. The radiance appeared to become a flowing liquid within her gaze, profound and vivid.
"Domain."
Nearl murmured the word softly.
This was the most powerful method she could use without affecting the world itself. Within the scope of her Domain, she could even achieve phenomena that bordered on the supernatural.
It was as if another dazzling sun had risen in the sky, its light casting a golden veil over everything.
[Radiant Knight of the Long Night]
The effect of this Domain was unique; no other Domain in the world resembled it. And it had only one function: to ensure the safety of any Uma Musume within its area.
Any Uma Musume within this Domain would be protected from injury.
Yes, this Domain offered Nearl herself no enhancement whatsoever. It was born entirely for the sake of others.
And now, Nearl activated her Domain for one reason only: she didn't want any Uma Musume to get hurt by pushing themselves too hard trying to keep up with her.
Because she intended to push this race's record to its limits.
Clang!
The gates flew open, and Nearl's Domain instantly expanded across the entire course.
Without a moment's hesitation, right from the start, Nearl seized the lead.
"And they're off! All Uma Musume are out of the gates! But Nearl's reaction was superb; she instantly takes the lead!"
"The runners behind aren't holding back either, giving furious chase!"
'Even though I expected it, hasn't Nearl gotten even faster?'
Fujimasa March, following behind, stared grimly at Nearl's back, struggling to suppress her own urge to accelerate.
'Not yet. The Kasamatsu Year-End Prize is only 1800 meters, but my stamina isn't enough for a full-course high-speed run. I have to pace myself.'
Thinking this, Fujimasa March gritted her teeth, reining in her desire to speed up, and maintained her current pace.
But even what she considered a moderate pace was already quite fast for Norn Ace and the other Uma Musume.
Behind Fujimasa March trailed the remaining few.
They were bunched up together, but instead of interfering with each other, they instinctively spaced themselves out, ensuring they didn't get in each other's way.
A shared understanding had formed among them.
'There's a monster up ahead. If we tangle with each other here and don't find some way to chase her, we're gonna get left in the dust by a humiliating distance. That'd be too embarrassing. Even if we lose, we'd rather lose by less.'
So, for now, the situation settled into a temporary calm. Nearl alone led the pack, her speed continuously increasing.
Fujimasa March held position in second place, her expression still looking relatively composed.
Further back, the group of four formed a small pack. There was little movement among them; they simply followed in Fujimasa March's wake, drafting behind her. Their expressions weren't relaxed, but they weren't straining excessively either.
This pattern held all the way until the final straight.
"They're through the final turn! And still leading is Nearl! Incredible speed! This surpasses anything we could have imagined—is there really an Uma Musume in the world who can run this fast?"
"Unbelievably strong! She hasn't slowed down since the start! While her previous two races already proved her power, it's true—no report can match the appeal of seeing it with your own eyes!"
"It's Nearl, way out in front! But here comes Fujimasa March from behind! Fujimasa March is charging forward!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.