'Was the ground shimmering beneath Nearl's feet, or was I seeing things?'
Ines Fujin rubbed her eyes in disbelief, wondering if her vision was failing, but it did no good. To her, the earth under Nearl's feet still seemed to waver and ripple.
'Impossible… why does the ground look like it's wobbling like jelly?'
Fujin was stunned, fearing something must be wrong with her own body.
'Maybe I've overdone it lately, juggling part-time work and training… After today's race, I should visit the academy clinic.'
But what the flustered Ines Fujin didn't know was that while all the Uma Musume on the Domain were watching Nearl, she alone could sense that distortion.
This wasn't an illness—it was the budding sign of a unique talent.
For now, however, this talent remained dormant and unawakened, preventing her from seeing the full picture. Yet, the Uma Musume present weren't limited to just those on the track.
"Margaret… she really has grown wings and returned?!"
Oguri Cap even forgot to chew the bun in her mouth, staring dumbfounded toward Nearl. What she saw was a scene completely different from anyone else's.
"Nearl-nee is amazing… Is this still within the realm of a 'Domain'?"
Everlamp chimed in beside Oguri Cap, also clearly perceiving the aura surrounding Nearl now.
"The wings behind her look so real, gleaming with golden light."
"Hmm, like the Pegasus from the legends surrounding the Three Goddesses… Is this what angels look like?"
"Then next time I pray to the Three Goddesses, I'll ask them Oguri Cap-senpai's question."
"Will they answer?"
Oguri Cap's eyes sparkled as she looked at Everlamp.
It was clearly meant as a joke, but Oguri Cap seemed to take it seriously. Her innocent nature left Everlamp at a loss for words.
"P-probably…"
--+--
On the track, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Even the weakest among the present Uma Musume belonged to the top tier of all racers, so their familiarity with the starting gate went without saying. Now, they all faintly sensed the arrival of the starting call.
Clang!
The mechanical clash echoed within half a second, and the confined view before them suddenly opened up to a wide expanse of fresh, verdant turf.
"Let's go!!"
It was unclear who shouted it, or if all the Uma Musume did, but in that instant, every one of them burst out of the gate at full speed.
Their reason for pushing so hard was simple: to secure position. After all, inside the innermost gate was a monster everyone had consciously overlooked. Not fighting for position now would spell disaster.
But the situation seemed to be taking an unexpected turn.
"And they're off! Today as well— Wait! One Uma Musume has missed the break! No, not just a missed break—she's lagging by more than a beat!"
"Ahhh!!"
"Why?!"
"Is something wrong with her body? Did she suddenly injure her leg?"
The spectators in the stands erupted in dismay.
They watched helplessly as the other Uma Musume surged far ahead, while Nearl only just began to move, feeling as though they were on a rollercoaster with high blood pressure—thrilling, in the worst way.
Of course, a large portion still believed in Nearl.
This group was more worried that something might be physically wrong with her, given her usual front-running victories. It seemed almost impossible for her to start like this without a reason.
Fortunately, Nearl's running form soon returned to its usual grace, putting their minds at ease.
"Oh, Nearl is starting normally now. Phew, she really gave the entire audience quite a scare! I almost screamed out loud— Wait, what?! A huge outward swing?"
Hearts that had just relaxed instantly raced again, likely nearing the upper limit of any measuring device.
"What's happening? Nearl has decisively cut across the entire turf track and taken the outermost lane!"
The chatter among the spectators, which had just died down, exploded once more.
If not for their understanding of Nearl's usual demeanor, they might have suspected she was deliberately causing drama.
So, was Nearl doing this on purpose?
It was indeed deliberate, but she had no intention of causing chaos. This was the answer she had arrived at after careful thought.
'Running in the innermost lane carries a risk of being boxed in. Then I might as well abandon that positional advantage. For me, a momentary lag isn't fatal. Trading a longer distance for an unobstructed path ahead seems worth it.'
With this in mind, Nearl made the move that shocked everyone at the start.
Unsurprisingly, after this Satsuki Sho concluded, the newspaper headlines would likely have no other option.
"Alright, the path ahead is clear and open. Now is the time I can truly stretch my legs."
By giving up the initial burst to seize the lead, Nearl's starting skills hadn't triggered. Her initial speed was genuinely not high, only about average among all the Uma Musume on the field.
But Nearl's strength had never lain in that aspect.
"The current race situation is mostly as we predicted, aside from Nearl's puzzling start that has left her at the rear. All other Uma Musume are performing as expected."
"Leading the pack is Ines Fujin—a rare sight indeed! To see the lead handed to someone else in a race featuring The Radiant Knight… But Ines Fujin is also famous for her front-running tactics, making this race even more intense."
"Mejiro Ryan, as usual, is positioned slightly ahead of the center of the pack. Her eyes dart keenly left and right, ready to break out at any moment."
"Nearl is now pushing hard from behind, slowly closing the gap. How tense!"
'Phew, it's been a while since I've led the pack like this. Being suppressed by Nearl before, I couldn't even savor this feeling.'
Ines Fujin, comfortably ahead of her rivals, felt a wave of pleasure.
'Should I start disrupting the pace?'
But the moment this thought surfaced, Fujin swiftly dismissed it. She knew a major threat still awaited her in this race; such leisurely running wouldn't do.
'Nearl… where has she caught up to now?'
At that moment, Fujin's thoughts seemed to synchronize with Ryan's. Both focused their full attention on the distant figure behind them.
"And here they come! The field enters the first turn smoothly, with little change in positioning."
'The first turn rarely sees major shifts in the pack. The initial scramble for position is over, and for those looking to make a move later, the first turn is still too early.'
Nearl, at the very back, quietly quickened her pace. Her eyes were fixed on the straight that lay just beyond the turn.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.