"Sister Ardan! You're back?"
Mejiro Bright's face lit up with delight as she hurried forward, gracefully extending her arms to embrace Ardan, her round little face beaming with joy.
"Yes, I'm back. But there's no need for such enthusiasm—we've only been apart for two days."
Gently stroking Bright's long brown hair, Ardan's expression was full of affection. She had helped care for these younger sisters since they were small—the eldest sister is like a mother, after all.
"But without you here, I even felt lonely falling asleep."
After holding the embrace for a few minutes, Bright was the one to let go, ending the sisterly moment, before turning her attention to the person Ardan had brought along.
"Hello, I'm Mejiro Bright. Are you perhaps a guest of Sister Ardan?"
With an elegant skirt lift, she greeted the newcomer, every bit the proper young lady in front of others.
But that couldn't hide her curiosity about Nearl—after all, she had never seen her eldest sister act so closely familiar with an outsider.
"Hello, my name is Margaret Nearl. I suppose you could say I'm Ardan's friend."
Nearl introduced herself with equal composure.
But before Bright could fully process it, Nearl raised her left index finger toward Platinum, who had been standing silently off to the side all this time.
"And I should also be this one's elder sister."
"..."
At those words, Platinum's eyebrow twitched, but in the end, she voiced no objection, tacitly accepting Nearl's claim.
"Eh! So you're Centaurea's sister?!"
Clearly, this news took Bright completely by surprise. She glanced toward Ardan beside Nearl, seeking confirmation, and received a smiling nod in reply.
"It's really true? How amazing! That Centaurea's sister is also Sister Ardan's friend… Could this be fate?"
Bright looked Nearl up and down carefully, from her hair to her shoes, and after a few such inspections, she reached a conclusion.
"You're just as lovely as Centaurea, though in a completely different way. Oh, may I call you Sister Nearl? Since you're such good friends with Sister Ardan, I'd like to call you sister too."
Bright clasped her hands together, gazing at Nearl with hopeful eyes—a pitiable look that would soften most people's hearts.
"That would be my honor. I'd be happy to accept that title, Miss Mejiro Bright."
After a glance at Ardan, who showed no sign of objecting, Nearl acknowledged the "sister" address.
"You may also call me by my first name, you know."
Bright covered her mouth with a light laugh. She turned and took the hand of the still-silent Platinum, pulling her forward toward Nearl.
Nearl's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the less-than-enthusiastic Platinum.
"Centaurea, are you feeling shy? You haven't said a word since earlier—isn't this the sister you wanted to find?"
Bright asked, somewhat puzzled, while Platinum could only shoot her a resigned look and sigh.
'I haven't figured out how to face her yet. This tangled mess of feelings is awful—I wish I could slip away and be anywhere but here.'
"Running away won't solve anything."
Nearl's sudden remark drew varied reactions from the three around her.
Bright and Ardan were confused, having no context for why Nearl would say something so abrupt and cryptic.
But Platinum's face showed surprise, because Nearl had clearly responded to what she was thinking.
'You and I are one being to begin with. Sharing thoughts is only natural. Didn't the three goddess sisters tell you?'
Nearl's unusually calm voice echoed within Platinum's mind, making her shiver.
'Don't do that—it feels so creepy,' Platinum grumbled inwardly.
'Besides, those three spend all their free time watching your life. They haven't taught me a thing.'
"..."
The corner of Nearl's mouth twitched.
"Centaurea-chan, it's your first time meeting your sister after all this time… Won't you say something? Staying silent like this…"
Ardan watched the two standing stiffly opposite each other without a word, her expression full of concern.
Platinum gazed skyward with a resigned expression.
"As I thought, verbal communication is far too inefficient for the two of us."
Nearl's eyes remained fixed on Centaurea, her light-golden pupils shining brightly.
"Let's simply change our method of communication."
"Change our method?"
"Sister Nearl?"
Ardan and Bright both felt completely out of sync with the two sisters—what kind of riddle was this?
But before they could voice the question, an unusual atmosphere began filling the surroundings. A heavy pressure and distinct sense of otherness pressed down on their senses.
"What… is this?"
Bright instinctively leaned closer to Ardan, feeling as though her own body had grown somewhat sluggish.
Ardan quietly held her younger sister, her expression complex—a mix of astonishment and dawning understanding.
"This presence feels similar to Dicta Striker's… I remember Centaurea-chan showed something like this before too. Is this the reason they can run so fast?"
Domain [Radiant Knight of the Long Night].
Nearl stood perfectly still, yet her spirit expanded, rushing directly toward Platinum like a mountain torrent, engulfing her.
"What are you doing?!"
Targeted as she was, Platinum felt deeply uncomfortable.
She was like an insect caught in a spider's web, every movement restricted—especially the mental burden, which frustrated her intensely.
"This is your idea? Too rough."
Domain [Unknown Dark Star of the Past].
Platinum activated her own domain in response. A pitch-black aura, ink-like, swirled around her, resisting the oncoming golden tide.
Crack!
Ardan and Bright, enduring the residual pressure, thought they heard something shatter.
But when they looked more closely, they found nothing had changed—only the two sisters remained locked in their stubborn staring contest.
Unfortunately, neither Mejiro Ardan nor Mejiro Bright were Uma Musume destined to lead the era, so they couldn't perceive what was happening within the domains.
"Hey, what's the point of this?"
Now steadier with her own domain active, Platinum questioned Nearl, unable to understand her logic.
"Naturally, it's for communication."
Compared to Platinum, Nearl's stance was far more composed.
This wasn't because her domain was overwhelmingly stronger—only that her endurance was higher.
"A domain is the essence of an Uma Musume's spirit, the manifestation of her pride. You and I are no exception. Different worldviews produce different spirits. Though our souls are one, we aren't entirely the same—our differing domains prove that."
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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.