The day of the debut race finally arrived.
Fujiwara Chiya followed the team to the racetrack. Rice Shower and the others had come along too, all of them practically vibrating with excitement as they waited to watch their husband's first official performance.
"Well then, I'm off."
Chiya said goodbye to Kitasan Black and the others, then headed for the racers' waiting room while they saw him off with bright, eager smiles.
Nase Fumino sat down beside him.
"Are the things on your head and back tied properly? Don't let them fall off mid-race."
"They're fine. I tied them really tight."
"Let me see."
Fumino scooted closer, her slender fingers slipping into Chiya's hair as she checked the attachments. Then she lifted the back of his outfit and inspected his back.
"How is it? No problem, right?"
Fumino did not answer.
Instead, she placed a hand on Chiya's waist.
"Fumino?"
"…"
"Um…"
From his back to his stomach, Fumino carefully felt him over, inch by inch. Finally, her fingers slid up to Chiya's chest.
"You're not wearing a bra."
"No matter how far I go with the disguise, I'm not wearing a bra under this!"
"Is that so?"
Watching Chiya look awkward and embarrassed, Fumino smiled faintly.
"Your body is really nice."
"Uh-huh…"
"Your muscle texture feels just like a girl's. The more I see of this disguise, the more confused I get. When are you going to let me see your manly side, Chiya?"
"If you keep touching me like that, you'll see it very soon, Fumino. I'm about to race. How do you expect me to go out there like this?"
Fumino pulled her hand back with a disappointed little sigh.
Looking at the man who was gradually taking on the aura of an Uma Musume, she scratched her hair and said, "Chiya. If you win this race, we'll go out and eat something good. How's that?"
"Deal."
Fumino smiled.
"Go on, then. Show them how strong you are as an Uma Musume. No, wait. I guess that should be… an Uma Man?"
"At a time like this, it really doesn't matter whether you call me an Uma Musume or an Uma Man. Either way, I'm winning."
Fujiwara Chiya left the room and stepped onto the racetrack.
The instant he did—
A roar crashed over him like a tidal wave.
Thump!
His heart kicked hard against his chest.
Heat surged through his body.
Shirayuki had been away from the racetrack for a long time now, and Chiya's own main job had long since shifted completely from "Uma Musume" to trainer.
He no longer raced.
Of course, now and then, he acted as a training partner for Uma Musume and tasted a bit of that racing atmosphere again.
But that was not the same.
It could never compare to the real thing.
The moment Fujiwara Chiya truly stepped onto this racetrack, he realized something.
His soul had not gone quiet just because he had left.
No.
All this time, in the long silence of waiting, it had been gathering strength.
All it needed was one spark.
One spark to set it ablaze.
Thump!
His heartbeat was so loud it felt like even people far away could hear it.
The soul of an Uma Musume flared to life once more.
Fujiwara Chiya drew in a deep breath.
He had seen countless grand stages before. He had stood through pressure, cheers, expectations, and storms.
And yet, right now, he could not stop the excitement rising inside him.
He stepped forward and entered the gate.
"Onii-sama, do your best!"
Up in the stands, Rice Shower and the others cheered like a pack of devoted fangirls.
"My, my. At this rate, our whole family really has turned into Uma Musume, hasn't it?" Treve leaned beside Rice Shower, looking just as thrilled.
"Demon King of the Night! Demon King of the Night!!" Gold Ship yelled a wildly inappropriate cheer at the top of her lungs.
Mejiro Dober and Grass Wonder stood around Shirayuki, their faces soft with emotion.
"Trainer can finally run to his heart's content."
"Congratulations, Yuki-chan."
Shirayuki smiled gently.
Once, she had been the one on the racetrack, while Chiya stood in the stands.
Now, after all these years, she was the one in the stands, while Chiya stood on the racetrack.
It almost felt like karma had come full circle.
She and Chiya.
"I" and "I."
Just like their souls, no matter how much time passed, they remained inseparable.
Chiya settled into his starting stance.
And the instant the gate opened—
Everyone saw it.
A black shooting star tore across the racetrack.
…
"A-Amazing! That was amazing, Chiba!"
Kitasan Black's cheeks were flushed bright red. She was so excited she did not even know what to do with her hands, waving them around in a fluster.
"You probably didn't see the looks on the audience's faces! Their eyes were about to pop out! Seven lengths! Seven whole lengths! This has to be the biggest gap in a debut race this year, right?!"
With an overwhelming difference in strength, Fujiwara Chiya claimed victory.
He accelerated from the middle of the race, took the lead, and held it all the way to the finish line.
It was an unquestionable, crushing win.
After Chiba won, the entire racetrack erupted.
In an era where everyone fought tooth and nail over head differences and nose differences, a single Uma Musume had appeared out of nowhere and dominated the field.
How could anyone not get excited?
The racetrack was about to change.
The afterglow of the race lingered for a long, long time.
And the name "Chiba" spread through the racing world at an unbelievable speed.
Leaning close beside Fujiwara Chiya, Kitasan Black showered him with excited praise.
She had been completely captivated by Chiba's strength.
Before, Kitasan Black had thought Chiba was beautiful, gentle, and an amazing Uma Musume.
But now, there was one more thing she had to add.
Chiba was cool.
So cool it was unfair.
That overwhelming running style he showed in the final three furlongs burned itself into Kitasan Black's mind, and two words surfaced before she could stop them.
An emperor.
Yes.
She had never seen an Uma Musume as cool as Chiba.
That handsome black short hair.
That face, soft yet sharp.
And those deep black eyes.
Kitasan Black had to admit it.
She was smitten.
This beautiful, powerful, ridiculously cool Uma Musume had stolen her heart completely.
Before, Kitasan Black had been confused. She had even been a little afraid to admit it.
But now she understood.
Liking a girl was totally fine!
She did not regret being captivated by Chiba at all.
As Chiba's friend and rival, Kitasan Black felt a deep sense of pride.
Now that she had finally understood her own feelings, Kitasan Black made up her mind.
She would become someone worthy of Chiba.
She, too, would become an Uma Musume who shook the racetrack.
And the way to do that was simple.
She had to defeat Chiba.
Only then would Chiba focus those eyes on her.
Uma Musume were contradictory creatures like that.
When they liked someone, they chased them with everything they had.
And then they beat them.
Kitasan Black had finally figured out what this feeling was.
She took Chiba's hand.
"Chiba, congratulations on your win! And also… I'm going to beat you!"
Looking at Kitasan Black's flushed face and eyes that seemed to have little hearts dancing inside them, Fujiwara Chiya reached out and rubbed her ears.
"I think that's supposed to be my line. Right now, I'm finally back at full strength, Kitasan."
Only when he stepped onto the racetrack did Fujiwara Chiya realize it.
The part of him that belonged to an Uma Musume—
had been longing for a race this entire time.