"Chairman, a notification from Kyoto Racecourse—the 'Black Ghost' has appeared on the track again."
"Mhm, I'm aware."
The Central Chairman replied softly before continuing, "Have they been notified by phone?"
"Yes, Rudolf has been informed."
"And Akikawa?"
"Director Akikawa will be here shortly."
"What about the students involved?"
"Staff will inform them after the race."
"Good." Sorting through the documents on her desk, the Central Chairman leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
She had actually grown accustomed to these sudden track invasions by now.
From the very first race until now, every single one had been a major stakes event—as if deliberately targeting their weak spots with precise strikes.
And she had succeeded.
The Central Authority was powerless to stop her. Even knowing she would appear in the [Kikuka Shō], they could do nothing to prevent it.
To this day, they remained baffled by the appearances of that black Uma Musume.
But now, at last, they had a countermeasure.
After such a prolonged period of surveillance, the Central Authority had roughly mapped out her connections.
Manhattan Cafe, Agnes Tachyon, Narita Brian, Gold Ship, Silence Suzuka, and others.
Information on multiple students was laid out one by one on the desk.
Using intelligence gathered by inspectors at Tracen Academy, her relationships were sorted from closest to most distant.
Finally, they had pieced together a rough outline of her movements.
The 'Black Ghost' had crossed paths with quite a few individuals, and among them were many with whom she shared close ties.
It could be said that Tracen was aware of the 'Black Ghost's' existence and could roughly pinpoint her whereabouts, yet they had unanimously chosen to conceal this information.
To the Central Authority, such behavior was nothing short of betrayal.
Who was it that established Tracen Academy, covering its enormous daily expenses?
Who operated the [Twinkle Series], creating dedicated stages for Uma Musume and crafting the most elite environment?
It was the Central Authority. It was the URA.
Everything Tracen had was bestowed by the URA.
From the founding of the academy to the present day, it was the URA that had labored to expand its grounds, step by step, creating the perfect environment for Uma Musume and bringing them onto the world stage.
And now, someone sought to undermine the enterprise the Central Authority had painstakingly built, to tarnish their reputation.
This should have been their common enemy, yet Tracen had offered her shelter.
If this wasn't betrayal, what was it?
Considering the undeniable contributions Symboli Rudolf and Aikawa Yayoi had made to Tracen, the Central Authority had refrained from acting rashly.
Only after compiling the intelligence gathered by inspectors at Tracen into a complete chain of evidence did they make their move.
To buy time, they had even reluctantly given up on this year's [Kikuka Shō].
With this ironclad evidence laid before Tracen, she would leave them speechless.
It was time to give them a stern reminder.
They needed to understand—only the Central Authority could grant them their stage.
Once cut off from the Central Authority, they were just ordinary Uma Musume, nothing more.
'You students, know your place,' the Central Chairman thought, her eyes sharp.
"Um, Chairman... there's actually one more thing."
The staff member who had delivered the report didn't leave immediately, instead remaining standing before the Chairman's desk.
"What is it now?"
"Regarding the 'Black Ghost's' appearance... it's caused quite a stir..."
"Isn't that the case every time? What's the big deal? She must've used some method to sneak onto the track again, right?"
"No, quite the opposite."
The staff member shook his head, his expression hesitant.
"What is it? Can't you just speak plainly?"
Her patience was wearing thin.
"Rather than explain, it might be better if you listen for yourself. The caller was quite agitated, and his words are... difficult to paraphrase. I recorded it."
With that, the staff member pulled out his phone, opened an app, and handed it to the Central Chairman.
Puzzled, she pressed play.
A scream erupted from the speaker.
"G-g-ghost! She crawled out, I saw it, she crawled out! Right in front of me... bit by bit... oh god, am I gonna die? Help me! Somebody fucking help me!!"
The vulgar language immediately made the Chairman's brow furrow.
She looked at the staff member, her eyes seeming to ask, 'What on earth are you making me listen to?'
The caller sounded like some kind of freak.
"I was shocked too, but this call genuinely came from the office at Kyoto Racecourse."
"The office?"
The Central Chairman was confused.
"What happened there?"
"Unclear. The caller hung up midway, and we haven't been able to get through since."
This unforeseen situation left the Central Chairman baffled. She pointed to the television in the center of the room. "Turn it on. I want to see the live broadcast."
"Yes, ma'am!"
A thin line flickered across the screen, followed by the live feed from Kyoto Racecourse.
The commentator's voice was unusually hoarse as he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what you're seeing, but I need to describe the... unbelievable scene unfolding before my eyes..."
--+--
Have you ever experienced a moment when emotion completely overrides your body?
Your sympathetic nerves firing like never before, heart rate soaring, breathing quickening, pupils dilating.
Almost simultaneously, the Uma Musume on the track exhibited these very symptoms.
Inside the starting gates, they couldn't see the black Uma Musume's entrance, but the eerie atmosphere permeating the course still reached them.
Someone had entered the track...
Even without seeing it, an instinct buried deep within their bodies relayed that message.
And then.
WHOOSH!
The wind... melted.
The black coat fluttered rapidly, waterfall-like hair cascading down her back, star-like golden eyes emitting a faint glow. The 'ghost' who had invaded the track numerous times had appeared once more.
Not an illusion, not a metaphor, no correction needed.
Her high-frequency footfalls whipped against the rain-soaked turf, kicking up countless droplets.
Yes, whipped.
That was the only word for it.
What kind of running form was that...
Her legs were like willow branches, appearing impossibly supple, yet each strike against the ground produced a crack like shattering air.
Softness and hardness, two utterly contrasting qualities, perfectly united in her legs.
Tap... tap...
Her movements were swift, yet the sound reached their ears with deliberate slowness.
Slower and slower...
And then, they saw it.
The rain droplets transformed from hazy, thin lines into glistening liquid, suspended in mid-air.
All the Uma Musume froze in place.
Their expressions vivid—some shocked, some bewildered, some terrified—like sculptures molded from flesh and blood.
And not just them. Even they themselves in the spectator stands were the same.
An umbrella slipping from a hand in surprise.
A finger hovering over a camera shutter, unable to press down.
A banner, released and slowly beginning to topple.
Everything around them, like the raindrops in the air, had slowed countless times over, hanging motionless.
How long had a single second been stretched?
They couldn't say.
But one thing they knew for certain.
Tap... tap... tap...
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed softly through this nearly frozen world.
--+--
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.