A few minutes later, I returned to the track to find that a whole impromptu race setup had somehow been prepared while I was changing my clothes. A new finish line was drawn, several runners were lining up on the track instead of just Sunday Silence, and Wayne Lukas stood just behind the railings surrounding the track's insides, holding a starting pistol to act as the race's referee.
The surrounding commotion quieted down as I approached, but I ignored them as best as I could. Instead, I headed to the most-outer lane of the track, both because it was the only one left empty, and also to give my juniors a slight edge over me.
Wayne smiled slightly as I stepped onto the track.「I hope those clothes fit you well, Ms. Blossom.」
「They do.」I said, smiling wryly.「A little too well, in my opinion.」
He chuckled.「We aim for perfection in all regards, after all.」
I sighed softly before I turned to the umamusume I'd be running against in this practice race. There were five who'd bravely chosen to join me in this race. Most of them seemed rather antsy, with how they seemed like they were seconds away from bolting, with only Sunday Silence remaining somewhat calm. Though even she was trembling slightly, though not from fear.
And speaking of,
I smiled politely as I turned to her.「Is there something wrong, Ms. Silence?」
Sunday Silence had deliberately chosen to be on the lane right next to mine, and the moment I called her, a sharp grin grew across her lips.「It's nothin'.」She said. Her voice was deep, almost gravely.「Just curious 'bout the one who just caused the recent uproar.」
I tilted my head slightly, before I just nodded.「I hope this race will give you an answer.」Was my diplomatic answer before I turned my focus back to the track I was about to run across. And though I couldn't see her, I could feel her gaze digging into me, her interest growing deeper and deeper.
I didn't know what exactly Sunday Silence was thinking, and I didn't need to. Regardless of what she wanted to use this race for, all I needed to do was to run.
If she wanted a showcase, then I'd be more than happy to do so.
I gave one last glance to Wayne, and he returned a subtle nod. Seeing that, I bent my knee forward, prepared to lunge forward at a coin's toss. The other runners also readied themselves, and Wayne slowly raised his starting pistol up towards the sky.
I closed my eyes. My ears turned towards him. Waiting. Waiting.
And then--
Bang!
The pistol's bang mixed with a loud explosion as I ran forward, sending a large cloud of dust in my wake as I immediately surged to my current maximum speed. The five other runners were immediately left behind. The group of umamusume who'd been watching us were silenced with shock, before they soon erupted with excited cheers.
Soon enough, the other runners were so far behind that the sound of my own steps had completely covered theirs. For a moment, I felt the urge to turn around to see where they were. Maybe even slow down slightly, considering this was only a practice race, and my opponents were my juniors.
But then, a different idea came up as I caught sight of that elusive phantom once more. She formed from the beaming sunlight, melding into reality like a mirage. Fittingly, it'd taken the shape of Manhattan Cafe this time, her black cloak fluttering in the winds as she ran several lengths in front of me.
I grinned as I began to speed up, {Competitive Spirit ◎} and {Tyrant's Advance} activating together.
Meanwhile, over a dozen lengths behind, Sunday Silence grinned widely as my figure continuously shrunk into the distance.「Well ain't that somethin'!」She shouted with glee, her pupils turning sharp as she felt her heart pounding in her chest.
It sounded weird as all hell, but she hated being in front. It was empty, boring. It was only when she could shadow someone that these races came alive. The thrill of not knowing whether she'd have enough time to surge to the front, not knowing if her opponent would still have enough gas in their tanks—that was what made these races fun to her!
But she hadn't had an experience like that ever since she came here. Her power was apparently too strong for her to remain in her hometown, and so she decided to give this Tracen a try.
She was disappointed. She couldn't find anyone that could make her blood pump. Even after she tried deliberately slowing herself, no one could provide her with the thrill she wanted. Even during her Debut, when she'd practically slacked off during one half of the race, it didn't take much effort for her to win.
But now-!
「I'M COMIN' AFTER YA'!」She shouted, her eyes boiling like blood as she finally let herself go, rushing past the other runners she'd been running with to try and catch up to my lead.
Naturally, this didn't go unnoticed.
Wayne, who'd been watching them, smiled wide as he saw Sunday Silence suddenly erupt with strength that she shouldn't have.「How fascinating.」He whispered, his grin growing wider by the second.「I shouldn't have doubted that oaf. It seems her student does indeed possess quite the pair of eyes.」
I'd noticed this as well. Not because I was looking back, but because I suddenly felt a wave of pressure that cascaded down the track. It wasn't anything too troublesome, but that slight distraction was enough to break me out of my focus, causing the phantom of Manhattan Cafe that I'd been following to fade slightly.
I narrowed my eyes. That pressure—it wasn't quite a Domain, but it was definitely the seed of one. For a junior like her to already possess the beginnings of a Domain…
I smiled. Or maybe it wasn't surprising at all? A Domain was something only accessible to those that would define history, and Sunday Silence definitely deserved that title. Not only was he an incredible racer, but he also drastically impacted the bloodline of Japanese horses.
Regardless, I was nearing the final straight now, and the phantom remained in front of me, practically asking me to try and catch up to her.
Alas, that wasn't something I could do in a race like this. Many of my Skills relied on having other runners catch up to me to empower my final spurt, and there just wasn't anyone like that this time.
The only Skills I could activate were {Professor of Curvature}, {In Body and Mind}, and {Front Runner Savvy ◎}—which was far from enough to catch up. I sped up tremendously as I entered the final straight, but I could only grit my teeth as the phantom surged far ahead of me, running so far ahead until she eventually vanished into the sunlight.
And soon,
「Time!」Wayne shouted as I ran across the finish line. He was grinning widely as he glanced at the incredible time he'd captured on his stopwatch, but the most I could do was return a polite smile as I did my best to mask my frustration.「Very well done, Ms. Blossom!」
「I am not the only one, I believe」I instead said as I gestured back, just in time to see Sunday Silence enter the final straight.
By this point, she was dozens of lengths ahead of the other runners, and she only kept speeding up as she charged forward. And soon enough, she too crossed the finish line, gasping as she dropped down to catch her breaths. Her blood red eyes pierced into mine, before she gave me a manic grin.「I lost!」She said, laughing brightly.
I smiled politely.「That you did.」I said as I offered my hand.「But your performance was quite extraordinary. You have quite the promising future, Ms. Silence.」
Sunday Silence's expression scrunched up with disgust.「Tch. Just call me Sunday, ya' numbskull.」She said, before she grasped my hand.
My smile became much more genuine as I helped her stand up.「Then I will do so, Sunday.」
Her legs shook slightly as she stood up, but she only laughed once more.「I couldn't catch up at all!」She said, her eyes shining with a crazed glee.「No wonder those bozos lost. They ain't worthy of running against someone like you.」
I chuckled wryly.「I…thank you for the compliment.」
I had to admit that I was feeling quite the whiplash right now. Sunday and Manhattan Cafe really looked alike, but the way Sunday acted was more akin to Agnes Tachyon's crazed obsession. It was basically like seeing Cafe and Tachyon combined into one umamusume.
As the four other runners began approaching the finish line, I discreetly glanced around. My eyebrows raised slightly when I failed to notice a trainer that called out to Sunday, especially after she showed a strength that she shouldn't have.「Is your trainer not with you today?」
Sunday's lips curved to a deep scowl.「The guy's prolly gettin' drunk or something.」She said carelessly.「Bastard's too busy gamblin' to ever come.」
My expression darkened for a moment.「How careless.」I coldly said. I knew that not every trainer came in with the drive to fully dedicate themselves to their umamusume, but even this was a little much.
But then, I recalled something, and seeing as my Mission to change Sunday's 'Fate' still remained incomplete, a new idea appeared in my mind.
A small smile came onto my lips.「If your current trainer is so unreliable, would you perhaps consider learning under another?」I offered.
Sunday blinked, before she shrugged.「I mean, sure I guess. Not like much's gonna change.」She grinned.「Trainer or not, I ain't got a care. I'll race whenever I want.」
My smile grew.「Perfect.」I said, and grabbing her hand, I immediately began leading her towards the one person who wanted nothing more than to be Sunday's trainer.
The moment Wayne Lukas heard my proposal, the usually professional man immediately got down to his knees and begged to have Sunday as his trainee, especially after he heard about how her current trainer was squandering her potential. Sunday stared at him for a moment, before a demented grin stretched across her cheeks.
Suffice to say, a new trainer-trainee pair was born that day.
And with it, my most recent Mission was completed.
[Mission Complete!]
[Rewards: {Chase Me}, +200 SP]