I'd been pushing myself, giving it my all, over and over again.
But…
I just couldn't win.
No matter how I tweaked my running style, no matter how many strategies I exhausted—victory always slipped through my fingers.
Then came that day—my first time racing on turf.
"This surface… it feels amazing. My hooves don't sink in, and I can pick up speed with so little effort."
I kept pacing over the grass, feeling an unfamiliar sensation under my shoes. In that moment, I realized something.
"If I'd started out running on ground like this, I would've won long ago."
To test that feeling, I entered another turf race.
This time, I prepared thoroughly—adjusted my training, studied my rivals, left no stone unturned.
In the end… I finished second.
"So close… just a little more! If only I could always run on turf!"
My clenched fists relaxed. Obey Your Master gritted her teeth in frustration—she knew it was impossible.
In the U.S., dirt tracks were the standard. There were hardly any turf races all year. Wanting to run only on grass? That was a luxury she couldn't afford.
"Then maybe ye should take a look at this race here~"
Her trainer, with his heavy accent, spoke up and handed her a newspaper.
"...The Japan Cup?"
Obey Your Master murmured in confusion after scanning the page. She'd never heard of Japan hosting a world-class event like this.
"Aye, it's a G1 invitational over in Japan. It's 2400 meters on turf—right up yer alley. One o' the fastest courses in the world, pretty much like this grass here."
"But Japan… I'm an American Uma Musume. Going abroad to compete…"
Obey Your Master hesitated.
"Just 'cause ye were born here doesn't mean ye have to make yer mark here."
Her trainer tapped the notice in her hand.
"Maybe this Japan Cup is meant to be yer stage."
Those words struck a chord. She began digging into the entry requirements for international races.
"Just as I thought. Europe's conditions are way too strict, even with all their international races.
But the Japan Cup is different—it's the first international invitational in Japan's Twinkle Series, so the rules are pretty loose."
"Even someone like me can enter."
She clenched her jaw and folded the newspaper away.
From that day on, she started dressing differently on purpose. She skipped turf races and hid her true self completely.
Only then would others let their guard down around her. Only then…
Could she control the flow of information herself!
"All that effort—it was all for this moment! Tamamo Cross! Don't think you're getting away!"
Domain: [Wild Joker]
The dark glass of her composure shattered completely. Starlight flickered in Obey Your Master's eyes. She dropped low, throwing herself forward in a desperate sprint toward the front.
"Obey Your Master! Obey Your Master is charging up! So fast! She's pulled up right behind Tamamo Cross and surged into the open!"
"The path ahead is clear—no Uma Musume can stop her now!"
"What in the world?!"
Tamamo Cross yelled as she drove forward.
She could feel it—that wild, almost manic emotion radiating from behind her. A ghostly, frenzied aura spread across the track, pressuring every racer, merging with her own domain.
"She had this in her all along?!"
Tamamo Cross pushed harder, refusing to let Obey Your Master catch up, even as a part of her marveled at the other's skill.
"She played us all! I never saw her as a threat—if I had, I wouldn't be this cornered!"
"The gap is closing! Obey Your Master has drawn level with Tamamo Cross!"
"Hah!"
Tamamo Cross shot a fierce grin toward her rival.
"You're pretty damn good when you're serious! Who were you putting on that clown act for all this time?!"
The playful, mocking look was gone from Obey Your Master's face—replaced by raw, unchecked intensity.
"I'm not losing! Not this race—I won't let go!"
The two ran neck and neck, their fierce duel capturing everyone's attention… except for Oguri Cap's supporters.
"Dammit!"
Trainer Musaka Ginjirou smacked his cane hard against his palm, his teeth grinding loudly.
"Her running style and ability are nothing like her usual races in the U.S. She was holding back? Just how long has she been preparing for this one race?"
"We've been played!"
But his outburst didn't stir panic in the other two. Their eyes were locked on the group of Uma Musume further back.
"Oguri…"
Oguri's mother covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide and round, completely captivated by her daughter.
She'd watched Oguri Cap race on TV before, but being here live was something else entirely.
"Mr. Musaka, look! Oguri Cap—she's sprinting so fast!"
Berno Light couldn't help but poke Musaka Ginjirou's back repeatedly, her voice urgent as she pointed toward the track.
"Hmph, no need to tell me. I'm her trainer—you think I'd take my eyes off my own trainee?!"
Musaka Ginjirou snorted in annoyance.
"Oguri Cap picked the perfect moment. If she didn't make her move now, it'd be too late."
Just as he said, Oguri Cap had already launched her sprint, a natural smile spreading across her face.
"Tama's so fast, and that other one too. In that case, I can't fall behind either. I'll give it everything—for my rivals!"
"Hah…"
Oguri Cap took a deep breath. Her body was ready.
In that moment, all sorts of thoughts flooded her mind—about winning and losing, about the past, about everyone's hopes and the cries of disappointment when she failed.
But in the end, those emotions seemed to be swallowed up, chewed apart, and utterly dissolved by the gray shadow enveloping her.
Only one thought remained in Oguri Cap's heart:
"I want to run."
Whoosh… The monster opened its eyes.
Domain: [Gray Monster]
Boom!
Clumps of turf flew as she powered off the ground, her gray form streaking forward like a beam of light.
In just seconds, she blew past Gold City and Ellerslie Glory.
"So fast!"
"What?!"
The two elegant Uma Musume gasped in unison, their eyes locking onto the gray aura spreading across the track ahead.
Two, four, six—Oguri Cap shot forward like an arrow from a fully drawn bow, overtaking every racer in her path as she closed in on the leaders.
Her unbelievable surge didn't go unnoticed by the commentator, who roared with excitement.
"Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap is charging up! What an incredible burst of speed!"
"What?!"
The leading runners could feel it too—a dangerous, devouring presence closing in from behind.
--+--
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.