It was midway during my Shinkansen ride back home when I suddenly jolted away. My eyes snapped open in a panic, and a scream nearly left my lips as I straightened in my seat. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest, and I forced myself to breathe as I tried to calm back down.
I was fairly sure I'd dreamt of something while I was sleeping, but the details evaded me the moment my consciousness returned. The only thing I remembered was the sensation of…breaking? It was as if I'd watched something important shatter into a million pieces. I wasn't sure what that even meant.
It took me a few more seconds to realize that I wasn't alone; Oguri Cap was in the seat right next to me, her breaths soft as she remained asleep. And once I did, all my bundled nerves immediately relaxed as I slouched back into my seat.
That dream didn't matter anymore, whatever it was. Because I had Oguri right next to me, which meant all was right in this world.
Well, that aside,
Right now, we were on a Shinkansen headed back to Central Tokyo. There was only a day left before the [Japan Cup], which meant it was time to get ourselves prepared for the race that was to come.
It still felt a little surreal; time had flown by so much quicker than I first expected, and before I knew it, the end of Autumn was already approaching. In just a week, Winter would be here. The already cold temperatures would fall even more, snow would blanket the streets, and Team Kitahara would take the next step of our journey.
But before any of that could happen, the [Japan Cup] remained. And this time, it wasn't a race I could afford to lose. Or-, well, I didn't have to win per se—I just had to ensure that Folkqueen didn't win. Anyone else could take the crown, just as long as it wasn't Folkqueen.
…When I put it like that, it sounds rather mean-spirited. But there wasn't much I could do about that; Folkqueen was Destiny's chosen, while I was the Goddesses'. We stood at opposite sides from the very beginning—even if we didn't know each other, we were destined to be enemies.
And so I had to be at my absolute best.
[Name: Blossom Star
Track Affinity: [Dirt: A] | [Turf: A]
Running Affinity: [End: F] | [Late: F] | [Pace: C] | [Front: A]
Distance Affinity: [Sprint: D] | [Mile: C] | [Medium: A] | [Long: A]
Speed: 1200 (SS+; Legend) *[Limit Break Required]
Stamina: 1200 (SS+; Legend) *[Limit Break Required]
Power: 1200 (SS+; Legend) *[Limit Break Required]
Guts: 1014 (S; Master)
Wits: 1147 (SS; Legend)
Skills: {Unique: Starlit Crown Lv. 4}, {Competitive Spirit ◎}, {In Body and Mind}, {Front Runner Savvy ◎}, {Leading Charge}, {Standard Distance ◎}, {Professor of Curvature}, {Playtime's Over!}, {Mold Breaker}, {Prepared to Die}, {Lion's Roar}, {Tyrant's Advance}, {Attack Stance}, {Leap Premonition}, {Steady Advance}, {Left-Handed ◎}, {Fall Frenzy}, {Tokyo Racecourse ◎}, , {Firm Course Menace}, {Restraint}, {Medium Race Enthusiast}, {Strategist}, {Unchanged}
Domain: -
SP: 34]
Despite my body having reached its Limits, I wasn't idle. After months of work, I'd finally moved my Guts to S-Rank, and my Wits to SS-Rank. Neither of them would dramatically boost my performance in any way, but that increase would come in handy the moment I began struggling during the homestretch.
My repertoire of Skills had also practically doubled, though none of the Skills I bought were Active Skills. They were all Passives that increased my Limit-bound Stats in some way, with most of them specifically targeted towards the conditions of the [Japan Cup] in particular.
It hurt to see my SP count so low, but sacrifices had to be made.
But it was worth it. All the additional Speed and Power I received from those Skills was significant; my maximum running speed had increased dramatically, and the effects of all my Active Skills became even more pronounced.
I was even almost able to catch up to that phantom! I still didn't quite match its speed, but for the first time, my fingers managed to clip into its body. I'd felt an eerie chill when I did so, and my hand wouldn't stop tingling for the next hour. But the discomfort I felt was easily eclipsed by the feeling of accomplishment it brought me.
I was certain that I'd finally catch up to that phantom during the [Japan Cup]. Once I fully employed all my Skills, I would finally grasp that illusory figure that'd haunted me from the moment I stepped into Tracen Central.
And after that?
Who knows. I'd initially thought that I'd maybe unlock my Domain or something, but that was only my assumption. In truth, anything could happen, or nothing could happen. I didn't know, and it wasn't as if I was an expert on umamusume—though I had a feeling even experts would struggle to help me out, considering how strange my existence was.
…
I sighed softly as I gazed out the window, watching as the scenery outside sped by.
It'd be a lie if I said I wasn't worried. The Goddesses' gamble against Destiny, my own battle for the crown, the increased chance of injury, the fact that two worlds would be watching this race—there was just a lot at stake, and I wasn't sure what'd happen if I ever failed.
But I'd done all I could. Trained as much as I could. Learnt as much as I could. Bought as many Skills as I could afford.
There was nothing else to do but run.
[The Hero's soul shines with Resolve!]
I raised an eyebrow at the notification that suddenly appeared in my vision, before I rolled my eyes and dismissed it.
Suddenly, I heard a soft groan, and I turned around to see that Oguri was slowly waking up. She blinked slowly as her ears perked up, and she yawned as she turned towards me. "...star?"
"Hey there, princess." I said. "Finally done sleeping?"
"Not yet…" She mumbled, and I smiled as I patted her head. "Nn…" She closed her eyes and savored the warmth of my hand, her ears happily flapping as she leaned into my palm.
"Then just go back to sleep." I told her, pointing my thumb back towards the window. "We're not there yet. There's still maybe a couple hours before we reach our stop."
"...you?" She asked slowly, her eyes slowly drooping back down.
I smiled wryly. "I'll be fine. Don't feel like sleepin' yet." I told her truthfully.
Oguri stared at me for a moment, before she nodded. And just moments later, Oguri fell back asleep, her hand having unconsciously wrapped around my arm like a koala. I couldn't help but smile wryly as I found my limb once more a hostage of the Grey Monster, but I didn't dare complain. And besides, I was used to being used as a pillow. Oguri was rather clingy whenever we slept together.
So, I instead relaxed into my seat as I idly watched as the scenery outside sped by, knowing that this could be the last chance I had.
…
1 Day before the [Japan Cup].