Dancing Brave's exclamation made Symboli Rudolf pause slightly. Then she abruptly turned her head to look at the race screen.
Almost in the blink of an eye, she found the silver-gray figure in the pack—but she didn't actually see the "Domain being activated."
Even so, she could fully confirm that Dancing Brave's shout was correct—Oguri Cap had definitely entered the Domain state for that brief instant just now.
As someone who had completely mastered the Domain, judging whether another horse girl had entered that state wasn't difficult.
It was a very subtle sensation.
For ordinary humans—or for horse girls who hadn't reached that level—the only visible sign of entering Domain was a sudden surge in speed. There were no exaggerated effects like in anime or games.
Aside from that, competing on the same track as someone in Domain would also create an overwhelming sense of fear.
Like encountering a ferocious beast head-on in the wilderness of primitive times.
But for horse girls at the same level, the perception was far more complex.
Subtle changes would appear in expressions, gaze, breathing, arms, posture, and stride.
Under the influence of Domain, every ounce of energy in the body was controlled with extreme precision.
Not a single bit was wasted—everything was converted into speed.
Rudolf's judgment relied on precisely these minute details.
Among the horse girls closest to Oguri Cap, there were faint signs that they were being pushed outward in their running lines.
If nothing unexpected had happened, they were being affected by the negative pressure of her Domain.
At the same time, Oguri Cap herself—her condition, posture—had reached a near-perfect state.
That clearly indicated she had just exited the Domain.
But…
After realizing what Oguri Cap had done, Rudolf felt both surprised and confused.
"A very impressive use of Domain… It seems under Kitahara's training, Oguri Cap has improved even faster than I expected. This kind of instantaneous Domain activation is truly exceptional…"
After quietly praising her, she frowned.
"But why stay in Domain for such a short time…?"
"Wouldn't that mean she hasn't escaped her positional disadvantage…?"
As Rudolf murmured her thoughts, the race commentary on the television suddenly exclaimed, as if in response.
"Oguri Cap's performance today is a bit unusual… Ah! She's passed the opening phase and is charging toward the first corner! The crowd of over a hundred thousand has erupted into cheers!"
The roar echoed throughout the entire stadium—even reaching the VIP lounge.
Then the commentator continued, sounding puzzled:
"Oguri Cap is currently in third-from-last place. She's holding back today—she's number 8, which viewers can clearly see."
"She just made a brief acceleration, bursting out from the middle of the pack's encirclement."
"Although the way she broke out is a bit hard to understand, that burst seems to have been solely to escape the pack."
"She didn't push forward into a more familiar leading or mid-pack stalking position."
"After breaking out, she's remained third-from-last… now fourth-from-last."
"She's currently hovering around this position."
"She's likely waiting for the right moment. Perhaps we can expect something from her later in the race."
"Now, let's report the positions."
"The first corner has passed—still in first place is Track Queen."
"Under pressure from those behind, she seems intent on going all out and charging straight to the finish."
"Behind her, Gold City and Sakura Star O are running side by side… Sirius Symboli has also caught up."
"The three are nearly aligned—competition is extremely intense."
"The battle behind them is just as fierce. Likely influenced by Oguri Cap's breakout, the earlier order has been somewhat disrupted."
"New Voice and Flavor Juice are positioned ahead, followed closely by Brave Viking, Free Run, and Dyna Actress."
"This year's Mainichi Okan field isn't stretched out—it's wide."
"The horse girls are forming long rows, charging at high speed toward the uphill stretch of the second straight."
The commentary continued steadily, and brief discussion broke out in the VIP room.
"Even you can't figure it out, Rudolf? Then…"
Dancing Brave frowned slightly.
"My initial thought was the same as yours—that Oguri Cap wanted to escape the pack and secure a better position. But now…"
She stared at the silver-gray figure.
"She's still at the back… Has she ever run as a closer before?"
Rudolf shook her head.
"Not so far, but…"
She continued staring at the screen, frowning.
"Her current position isn't necessarily bad."
"She effectively has an entire row of horse girls ahead of her, blocking wind resistance and creating strong slipstream effects."
"With that, whether she breaks through the middle later or goes wide to overtake, she should conserve a lot of stamina."
"But the same issue remains…"
Her brows tightened further.
"With such a dense and tightly packed field…"
"How does Oguri Cap plan to break through?"
"Breaking through… is indeed troublesome, but…"
Dancing Brave murmured, then suddenly looked thoughtful.
"Rudolf, if I remember correctly, you mentioned that you trained some of the runners in this race before, right?"
"Yes. Mostly regarding Domain—nothing else special."
Rudolf hadn't hidden that fact, though she hadn't shared details.
After all, Domain research worldwide was still limited, and Kitahara's work was clearly at the forefront.
"So no special training… And if I recall correctly, neither you nor Sirius are particularly good at late closing, right?"
"That's true. My long-distance acceleration isn't outstanding, and Sirius…"
Rudolf suddenly paused.
"You're asking this… did you realize something?"
"…Perhaps."
Dancing Brave smiled faintly, coughed lightly, and half-closed her eyes.
"We'll see… just keep watching…"
Rudolf sighed inwardly.
She was certain that Dancing Brave had noticed something she hadn't—and wasn't going to say.
Meanwhile, the race continued at high speed.
"The second corner has ended! At the 800-meter mark, the time is 47.1 seconds!"
"That's extremely fast—today's 1000m race was won in 58.1 seconds with a front-running strategy."
"This field's pace is approaching that level."
"Oguri Cap is now second from last, heading from the second straight into the first straight."
"Cheers are fading as the runners enter the corner section…"
"Ah! The leader has changed—Gold City is now in first!"
"Gold City is an excellent front-runner…"
As the commentary continued, tension spread among the spectators.
"Oguri Cap's situation looks bad…"
"Is she running as a closer? She's been at the back for most of the race…"
"Feels like everyone is guarding against her…"
"Is she going to stay blocked the whole time?!"
Near the front viewing area, the younger spectators grew even more anxious.
"Yeah, something's off with Oguri-senpai… That breakout earlier was perfect—she could just do that again!"
T.M. Opera O gripped the railing tightly.
"As long as she times it right—whoosh!—she can just burst through and take first!"
She even mimicked the motion with her hands.
"Like this—whoosh, whoosh!"
Beside her, Oguri Roman briefly laughed—but quickly became worried again.
"That sounds ideal, but…"
She bit her lip.
"Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"The speed is really high… If she collides with someone while breaking through…"
She turned anxiously.
"Um… Kitahara, she wouldn't take that kind of risk, right?"
All eyes turned to Kitahara.
But he didn't respond immediately.
His gaze remained locked onto the silver-gray figure on the track.
The "600 meters remaining" marker came into view.
Oguri Cap was still near the back.
Still third from last… then her plan must be the worst-case scenario we discussed before the race…
After a quick mental calculation, he finally spoke:
"Don't worry. Oguri Cap won't do anything reckless—I always emphasize that."
Relief spread instantly.
But then he added:
"However… she is going to break through. So don't be too surprised."
"And don't worry too much either—didn't Opera O just say it? If she uses that same breakout from the opening…"
"She'll just go—whoosh—and burst right through."
He even smiled slightly.
"…Huh?"
Oguri Roman and T.M. Opera O widened their eyes instantly, their mouths opening in surprise.
They both wanted to say something—but before they could speak, the commentator's voice from the broadcast suddenly rose sharply.
"Major changes on the track!"
"With 600 meters remaining—right before the iconic zelkova tree at Tokyo Racecourse—almost all the horse girls…"
"Have suddenly started making their moves all at once!"
"The front group! Track Queen is slowing down! Under pressure from Sakura Star O and Golden City, her stamina has been heavily drained—she's losing speed!"
"Currently in the lead is Sakura Star O!"
"Second place—Golden City!"
"To avoid the slowing Track Queen, the runners behind are forced to give up some inner track position and shift outward!"
"And right at the zelkova tree, Sirius Symboli is charging from the outside lane toward the leaders! The rest of the field is forming a forward-surging semicircle around her!"
"Behind that semicircle are the surrounded Oguri Cap, along with New Voice and Flavor Juice!"
"Oguri Cap is closer to the outside—but ahead of her, also near the outside, are Dyna Actress and Free Run!"
"This situation is extremely unfavorable for the three at the back! If they want to break through in one go, it seems only Oguri Cap could swing all the way to the far outside and charge to the finish like in her previous races!"
"But that kind of sprint consumes tremendous stamina! Will she do it?! There's not much time left!"
"She—"
The commentator suddenly cut off for less than half a second.
Then his voice rose again—far more shocked.
"She broke through?!"
"Wait!"
"What just happened?!"
"What was that?!"
"Oguri Cap—anyway! The moment she passed the zelkova tree, despite being surrounded by multiple opponents, she broke through in an utterly unbelievable way!"
The interruption came because just a moment ago, Oguri Cap had still been inside a half-encircled formation.
The very next second—she was outside it.
Not just unseen before—this kind of breakthrough was something even an experienced commentator couldn't imagine.
Vaguely, he recalled she had used something similar earlier in the race.
That time, it was to break outward.
This time—it was forward.
But there was no time to explain.
He could only roar the unfolding chaos:
"Overtaking!"
"Overtaking!"
"Relentless overtaking!"
"After breaking through, she surges past multiple opponents in one go—closing in on the front three!"
"Oguri Cap is approaching Sirius Symboli!"
"Sirius Symboli is desperately trying to escape!"
"Ahead, Sakura Star O and Gold City are also pushing forward with everything they have!"
"The four of them are moving at incredible speeds! The previously tight distances are now rapidly widening!"
"The winner will be decided among these four—and Oguri Cap is closing in!"
"She's still closing in!"
"Can they hold her off?! Can these three senior runners escape the pursuit of this unbelievably powerful junior?!"
The near-hysterical commentary drowned out all earlier doubts and discussions.
But just like Oguri Cap's instantaneous breakthrough, the crowd's cheers exploded past it in a second.
"No way?! She got out of that?!"
"She's here! Finally! This is what I came to see—this is Oguri Cap!"
"Go, Oguri Cap! Win again!"
The entire stadium ignited.
On the track, however, the four leading runners remained eerily calm.
Mentally calm, that is—their bodies roared like engines pushed to the limit.
"…No way… Oguri Cap…"
At the very front, Sakura Star O didn't look back, but her eyes were filled with shock.
"That kind of encirclement…"
"And she still broke out…?"
She had been observing the field even while running at full power.
She was certain—Oguri Cap had been trapped at the back just moments ago.
If staying back was truly a strategy…
Then with that "bizarre breakthrough," the stamina advantage she carried into the final stretch was overwhelming.
…No. I can't wait for her to come. I have to move now—
"You still have time to watch others, Star O…"
A voice—half teasing, half declaring—whispered near her ear.
A chill ran down her spine.
She turned—and saw that Golden City had already edged ahead without her noticing.
"You've gotten dull…"
Gold City muttered softly, pushing herself to the limit.
Satsuki Sho… Kikuka Sho…
Both times… just a little short…
This time…
I… will not lose to you.
Her resolve burned again.
But then—
Her thoughts froze.
Oguri Cap… was gone.
Behind her, only Sirius Symboli remained close.
But Oguri Cap—who had been chasing just behind Sirius—
Where was she?
Before she could process it, she saw Sirius Symboli's eyes wide open, veins nearly bursting, teeth clenched tight.
Reflected faintly in those pupils—
A silver-gray figure.
Sirius glanced at her.
Her lips twitched.
"That monster…"
She growled through her teeth.
"…is ahead of you."
Gold City's eyes snapped forward.
And only then did she realize—
On the far outside ahead, a figure was charging toward the finish at terrifying speed.
A low, almost collapsing running posture.
Silver-gray hair whipped into a cape by the wind.
Each step pounding deep into the ground.
She couldn't be mistaken.
That was Oguri Cap.
When… did she…?!
No time to think.
Another presence surged beside her.
Star O!
Golden City pushed forward with everything she had.
Even if she couldn't understand Oguri Cap—
At least against Star O—
I will not lose!
Behind her, Sirius muttered faintly:
"Useless…"
"You can't catch her…"
"She's already past 200 meters…"
The commentator—and nearly all spectators—still didn't understand what had happened.
But they knew how to cheer.
"She's passed them!"
"In an instant!"
"She's taken the lead!"
"The Grey Monster—she's overtaken everyone in a single moment and reached first place!"
"Encirclement, pressure, re-encirclement—none of it affected her!"
"Breakthrough! Outside! Breakthrough again! Outside again!"
"Against such opponents—such seniors—she still breaks through from behind, swings wide, accelerates, and overtakes!"
"She—"
"Is a true monster!"
"There's no doubt now!"
"100 meters to go—2 lengths ahead!"
"50 meters—3 lengths!"
"Finish! A full 4-length victory!"
"Oguri Cap takes first place!"
"17 races, 17 wins! Five consecutive graded victories! Just one away from matching Mejiro McQueen's historical record!"
"A true Grey Monster!"
"This—is Oguri Cap!!!"
The stadium exploded with the loudest cheers of the day.
Beyond the finish line, however—
Oguri Cap felt like collapsing from exhaustion.
But she didn't.
Out of habit, she slowly walked along the track to cool down.
Her thoughts drifted aimlessly.
…So hungry… I want barbecue buffet…
But too many places recognize me now… maybe I should impersonate someone else…
McQueen…
And someone from her family… also grey, I think…
And Oguri's sister… what was her name…?
Something Morning…?
Forgot…
Anyway… maybe too obvious to impersonate…
Hmm… who should I pretend to be for buffet…
No, stop thinking about food… think about the race…
Oh right… Opera O's "skip school" running style… pretty useful…
Just… exhausting…
Using Domain multiple times… just like Kitahara said…
Should've only used it in the last 200 meters…
But then… I might not have won…
Oh… I did win, right…?
If I won… can I eat more later…?
…Why am I thinking about food again…
Eventually, she gave up thinking.
While absentmindedly wiping drool from her mouth, she seriously began planning dinner.
In the distance, both the finishing runners and the cheering crowd watched the silver-gray figure slowly walking away.
"As expected… that junior… is a monster…"
Sakura Star O wiped her sweat and smiled, turning to Golden City.
"Thank you, A-Chan."
"If not for you, I wouldn't have been able to run like this again."
"And… congratulations."
"You won this time."
She extended her hand.
Gold City hesitated, then took it, brushing back her damp hair.
"…Don't misunderstand. I just wanted to beat you once."
"I always believed—if we ran Satsuki Sho or Kikuka Sho again, I would win."
"I just wanted to prove that."
Sakura Star O chuckled softly.
"Just once—is that enough?"
"…Huh?"
Gold City looked back, startled.
Sakura Star O tilted her head with a smile.
"Since I'm back… I'd like to keep racing with you."
"There are still plenty of races—like the Japan Cup… the Arima Kinen…"
"And that strong junior will probably be there too."
"So… let's try—together—to beat her."
"We are seniors, after all."
"We can't give up after one loss, right?"
Golden City looked away, scratching her cheek.
"…Sure. Whatever."
"If you're racing, then I will too."
Nearby, Sirius Symboli watched Oguri Cap in the distance.
"Rudolf must've seen everything…"
"Terrifying… both the runner and the trainer…"
"Maybe I should take a trip to Europe next time…"
She had no idea what punishment awaited her.
Meanwhile, in the VIP room—
"I see… Sirius has reached Domain level too."
Dancing Brave smiled, glancing at Symboli Rudolf.
"Much stronger than during the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"If she had this level back then, even I would've struggled."
"Impressive training."
Rudolf smiled calmly.
But inside, she was thinking fast.
In the Arc, Dancing Brave had won—while Sirius had only placed 14th.
The gap was real.
And the real key to Sirius's improvement…
Was Kitahara.
But she wouldn't reveal that.
"Thank you. It's mostly her own effort."
Then she smoothly changed the topic.
"Compared to you, we still have much to learn."
"The Winning Live is about to begin—shall we head over and see how Japan compares to Europe in performance?"
(End of Chapter)