What in the world is going on?
Shirayuki swallowed, then rubbed her eyes. And yet, the scene before her did not change. She could see the black-haired girl clearly, but Chiya could not.
Could I have been hypnotized?
"Time waits for no one. Let us begin."
"Wait. Who exactly are you?"
"I am Cafe's 'friend.'"
She turned around, her black coat fluttering in the wind.
Strange. Was she wearing that coat just now?
Shirayuki could no longer tell. Chiya could not understand it either. From Fujiwara Chiya's perspective, Shirayuki was completely talking to herself. In all this time, this was the first time there had ever been a difference between what he saw and what Shirayuki saw.
Of course, Fujiwara Chiya knew that the world people saw was not necessarily identical. Everyone's eyes perceived color slightly differently. But he had never heard of one person seeing something that another person could not see at all.
"You're not Cafe, are you?"
Just to be safe, Shirayuki confirmed it once more. However, the other girl did not answer. She simply lifted her foot and drew a line on the ground.
"I have watched your races," the mysterious black-haired girl said.
"…Thank you."
The girl suddenly looked at her. Her golden eyes were as sharp as knives.
"Too immature. Your races are as childish as a child playing pretend."
What?
It was the first time Shirayuki had ever heard someone evaluate her so mercilessly.
I know I'm not an arrogant person, but I've surpassed Spe-chan, surpassed Sky, and even surpassed El Condor Pasa. And yet you say I'm immature?
Naturally, Shirayuki could not accept that evaluation. Just as she was about to argue back, the girl spoke again.
"A race is war. And war inevitably demands that one side lives and the other dies. You do not possess the resolve to live by throwing yourself toward death. As you are now, you will never comprehend the Domain."
As she spoke, the girl spread both arms. Beneath the moonlight, her eyes shone like stars.
"Race me. Try to surpass me. Only then will you be qualified to speak with me."
"Fine."
Shirayuki's competitive spirit was stirred at once. Originally, Fujiwara Chiya had wanted to investigate what exactly was going on, but after hearing the girl's words, he decided to wait until after the race before stepping in.
"The falling leaf will be the signal. When it touches the ground, the race begins."
Shirayuki watched the fallen leaf swept up by the wind and nodded. The two of them took their starting positions. The leaf drifted in front of them, then slowly fell.
The instant it touched the grass, Shirayuki suddenly felt as though a knife had been driven into her chest. Pain spread through her body, and her start was delayed by half a beat.
Meanwhile, that black figure shot forward like an arrow released from its bowstring.
Shirayuki gasped for breath. Her body was experiencing real pain. This was no longer an illusion. Even after the start, her body was still aching faintly. And it was not only her. Chiya felt the same thing on his side.
Impossible… This is phantom pain!
Shirayuki understood her current condition. When a person firmly believed something was happening to their body, their body could truly begin to change. It was a kind of passive psychological suggestion, and the one implanting that suggestion was the mysterious girl.
It was her gaze, as well as the sensation of standing near her, that made Shirayuki unconsciously believe she was in grave danger. Her body had simply reacted accordingly.
Aura.
An aura far stronger than Air Groove's.
It made those affected by it feel as if they had been thrown directly into the scene itself.
In Shirayuki's memory, there were only two people capable of such a thing.
One was Harvest Time, whose whereabouts were unknown.
The other was the current Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf.
The person before her was very likely a powerhouse on the same level as those two.
Or perhaps… even stronger than both of them.
Snap!
A crisp sound rang out.
The black shadow's speed abruptly increased. The moment Shirayuki saw her body, her eyes widened.
Her legs were bent.
Bent like willow branches.
As she ran, they drew perfect arcs through the air. Each time her feet struck the ground, they made a strange sound. It did not sound like an uma musume running. Rather, it was like something was whipping the earth.
No!
Shirayuki shook her head hard.
I can't let myself be bewitched by her. I need to run my own race.
With that thought, Shirayuki quickened her pace as well. One lap around the track was two thousand meters, the distance Shirayuki was best at. She would preserve her stamina in the early stage, then overtake all at once in the latter half.
"Heh."
Shirayuki heard that sound.
The mysterious girl was smiling.
Too immature.
It was as though Shirayuki could hear her saying it.
Snap!
Another crisp sound rang out. The black-haired girl's speed rose another level. The gap between them gradually widened, from one length to two lengths, then three…
If you accelerate like that, you'll run out of strength soon!
But the only thing the other girl left for her was a firm, unwavering back.
It seemed to tell her:
"Just keep watching."
All at once, Shirayuki felt something indescribable. The girl was clearly right in front of her, and yet no matter what she did, she could not reach her.
It was not because of distance.
It was because they stood in different realms.
What is that?
Shirayuki could not understand. She knew the girl had entered some kind of state, but she did not understand what kind of state it was.
Could this be the Domain?
Was this the power an uma musume obtained after breaking through her limits?
The gap between them grew wider and wider. With three hundred meters left before the finish line, Shirayuki began her final pursuit. However, she could barely see the other girl's figure anymore.
Twenty lengths.
She had been thrown behind by a full twenty lengths.
For the first time, Shirayuki felt a gap more despairing than despair itself.
After crossing the finish line, Shirayuki slowed to a stop.
This was no longer an opponent she could contend with.
"Will you give up?"
The black shadow came before Shirayuki.
"Will you give up chasing me? Give up surpassing me?"
Shirayuki rested her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
"All failure begins with giving up. Do you not wish to become a true uma musume?"
"I… I do. Of course I do…"
"Then abandon those childish thoughts you held until now. To become an uma musume, you must have two faces. One you show outwardly, and one you keep inwardly. Inwardly, you may be whatever you wish. But outwardly, you must be cruel enough. The racetrack is a battlefield. Here, there can only be one survivor."
She criticized Shirayuki's way of racing as far too gentle, completely lacking the sharpness it ought to possess.
"Sharpness… How do I become sharp?"
"You must step onto the racetrack with the mentality of a hunter. They are your prey, and you are the hunter. The next time we meet, I hope you will be worthy of your own title. Become the 'Empress.' Become the 'White Wolf.'"
After saying that, the black-haired girl walked backward. Her figure gradually disappeared into the night.
Not far away, Fujiwara Chiya was sitting on the grass, still shaken by the other party's overwhelming strength.
"Trainer…"
"Uwah! How did you… Oh, it's you, Cafe."
Seeing that gentle face, Fujiwara Chiya let out a breath of relief.
"Cafe, who exactly was that person? Your older sister? No, that shouldn't be possible."
"She is the 'friend' who has been by my side since the day I was born. Even I did not expect Shirayuki-san to be able to see her so clearly. Ordinary people cannot see her."
"Don't tell me that person is… a ghost?"
Cafe shook her head.
"My 'friend' may be a little extreme in the way she speaks. But Trainer-san, I can guarantee this… there is no one in this world faster than my 'friend.' Her understanding of the Domain far surpasses the current understanding of uma musume."
Cafe looked in the direction where the girl had disappeared.
"This is the first time I have seen my 'friend' in such a good mood."
"You call that a good mood?"
Shirayuki had just been mercilessly torn apart by her words.
"Yes. She was in a good mood. Because what my 'friend' says most often to other people is 'boring.' But to Trainer-san and Shirayuki-san, she said, 'interesting.' My 'friend' has always been watching both of you. Normally, she would never communicate with others. Speaking to Shirayuki-san like this was a first."
"I can't believe I've been noticed by that kind of existence."
Fujiwara Chiya looked up at the sky. Ever since Shirayuki had appeared, all sorts of strange things had begun happening around him. But even so, what had just happened was probably the strangest of them all.
"She said my way of racing was too gentle. What do you think, Cafe?"
Cafe fell silent for a moment.
"Trainer-san… rather than asking me, you should ask yourself. Trainer-san, do you truly understand yourself?"
Fujiwara Chiya could not answer.
"I heard this from my 'friend.' The Domain is the process of uncovering oneself. Trainer-san… perhaps you should try shifting your gaze away from others and turning it toward yourself. Maybe then… you might discover something new."
After saying this, Cafe lowered her head.
"The moon is beautiful tonight… I will not disturb you any longer. When you have time, my room is always open to you."