If the contract with a Trainer was the first hurdle for an Uma Musume, this would be considered the second:
The Debut Race, or Maiden Race.
Unless an Uma Musume finished first in either this race or the subsequent Race for Maidens (which they would enter if they failed here), they were ineligible to register for any other official races.
First place.
Not just entering or placing, but first place.
Fortunately, Debut Races typically featured fewer than ten competitors, making it somewhat easier to secure first place compared to races with a full field of eighteen.
Yet even with fewer competitors, an Uma Musume still had to rise to the top among those ten to even stand at the entrance to her dreams.
Since arriving in this world, I had come to deeply realize that the world of competition was unforgiving.
Uma Musume with dazzling talent could easily reach the starting line in the Maiden Race.
Those with more moderate talent could seize victory in the subsequent Race for Maidens and finally reach the competitive stage.
...But what about Uma Musume with no innate talent?
***
It was cruel.
But that was precisely what competition was about. Since it was a contest to determine superiority, since it was a contest to determine the apex, winners and losers were inevitably born, and between the two, a decisive wall was erected.
The victors were showered with cheers and glory...
The vanquished withered away unnoticed.
Such was the world of the Uma Musume. Such were the Twinkle Series.
I had witnessed this cruelty countless times, and my father had repeatedly cautioned me:
"The Twinkle Series shines with the sweat of a single victor and the tears of a sea of losers."
Father...
Today, I would finally grasp the true meaning of those words.
***
New talents are emerging at Hanshin Racecourse. The track condition has been announced as slightly heavy for the 2,000-meter Turf course. Amidst the rainy season, a patch of clear sky seems to bless their debut. Among these rising stars, who will step onto the Twinkle stage!
And now, the Uma Musume have gathered on the Turf.
There's no doubt about it—she's the top favorite! Hoshino Wilm (Will) showed unmatched Front Runner speed in the Selection Race!
Since switching her strategy from Late Surger to Front Runner, she hasn't lost momentum. Her peak condition is universally acknowledged. Even today, she maintains her signature poker face with effortless composure.
As the Uma Musume prepared on the Turf, the race commentary echoed through the air.
The first to step forward was my assigned Uma Musume, Hoshino Wilm.
Her expression remained unchanged—the same impassive gaze she always wore, devoid of emotion, as she calmly entered the gate.
*The gate clanged shut behind her.*
Her face transformed.
It was a subtle shift, barely noticeable to anyone who hadn't observed her closely over an extended period.
Her original blank expression remained the foundation, but it grew even more drained of color...
What emerged was the cold, ruthless Hoshino Wilm's other face.
The other side she revealed only during races—or more precisely, whenever she competed with someone for speed.
"Hoshino Wilm..."
I neither clasped my hands in prayer nor gripped the railing. I merely twisted my lips into a wry smile.
I first noticed it when I had Hoshino Wilm—my assigned Frontrunner Uma Musume—run alongside the assigned Uma Musume of my fellow Trainer.
That race, arranged to hone her racing instincts, yielded no meaningful results.
This was because Hoshino Wilm refused to follow my instructions.
The moment the starting flag dropped, she exploded into action.
"...I did tell her to break away early, but..."
"Ahaha... well, it's common to Overpace and get carried away in the first race plan."
Her speed was both flawless and overwhelming. The chestnut Uma Musume was pulling away from her rivals with Speed comparable to what would be needed in a Classic graded race.
But it was merely because she had failed to adhere to my strategy and had gone on a Rampage.
That was how my easygoing fellow Trainer described Hoshino Wilm.
...But I knew better.
Dividing pace into three categories—high, medium, and low—she was currently maintaining a medium pace.
Her mid-pace, however, was the high-pace of other pre-debut Uma Musume. What was normal for her was abnormal for others.
This revealed an utterly merciless performance gap.
"A runaway frontrunner, huh...? But I'm surprised she hasn't faded yet. Does she plan to specialize in long-range races?"
"No, middle-long range. ...Simply put, her natural talent is far too high."
The higher the speed, the more exponentially Stamina consumption increases. On top of that, it becomes harder to breathe properly, your core becomes unstable, and you can even lose the ability to calmly assess the race conditions.
Even Uma Musume have their limits. Exceeding their optimal speed threshold leads to counterproductive results, slowing down the overall race time. This is what's known as *Overpace*.
Therefore, Uma Musume must consider their maximum speed, Stamina, the positions of the surrounding group, their sense of distance, the Track Condition, and the overall race pace.
They must then calculate the optimal speed and the precise moment to unleash it, taking all these factors into account.
As my fellow trainer had said, Hoshino Wilm's running style was classified as a "Runaway Frontrunner."
This strategy involved pulling as far ahead of the group as possible in the early stages of the race and maintaining that overwhelming lead to stay in front—essentially the exact opposite of an End Closer.
However, pushing too hard at the start would reduce oxygen to the brain, making it difficult to even think about pacing. Naturally, being so far ahead meant she couldn't assess the race situation or keep track of the group behind her.
Therefore, the Runaway Frontrunner strategy, which exhausts stamina with an early burst of speed, was inherently risky and could never be a reliable path to victory.
...But Hoshino Wilm's exceptional stamina and lung capacity had solved this problem.
Her Chestnut mane flowed without slowing. Unconcerned with the opponents she had left behind, she maintained a steady Speed throughout the straightaways.
Sustaining high Speed for extended periods should lead to heavy legs and sluggish thinking. That's why Uma Musume typically pace themselves, conserving energy for the final sprint.
Yet she defied this conventional wisdom.
If I had to compare it to anything, it would be Mihono Bourbon's relentless, unwavering speed.
Regardless of innate talent, such a feat was only barely achievable for a prodigy who trained to the point of drawing blood.
Yet, by all conventional wisdom, it shouldn't have been possible to demonstrate this level of performance in February of the Junior Class.
"...What kind of training regimen are you putting her through? She slows down in the corners but regains full speed on the straights. Does her Stamina have no limit?"
"Who knows? Even I haven't seen the bottom of her capabilities yet."
"Is she a natural-born Stayer?"
"Huh? Reincarnation?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Sorry. ...Ah, yes, truly a gift from the heavens."
*And I mean that.*
To my shame, even I couldn't fully grasp why she was so exceptionally strong.
Talent undoubtedly played a role, but it couldn't be the whole story.
Normally, an Uma Musume who hadn't yet reached her True Potential shouldn't have been able to develop her physical abilities to this extent. That's precisely why the "first three years" are considered so crucial.
Despite this, she possessed Classic-level stamina and guts from the start—her status rivaling that of a Senior-level horse.
One possible explanation for this could be her Condition, "Desperate."
I still hadn't fully grasped the exact nature of this Condition.
But if I had to guess...
Over the past month of training, her status gains seemed exceptionally high.
No, to be honest, I couldn't remember how much her stats would increase when I trained alone in the Game App.
So, I formed a hypothesis:
"Desperate" likely boosted training effectiveness, at least.
Moreover, it seemed to add a fixed value rather than multiplying existing gains.
If that were the case, it would explain how she had grown so strong even before reaching her True Potential, when her status gains should have been minimal.
I nodded, but...
*Such a Condition was overwhelmingly powerful.*
Given its name, "Desperate," and its immense effect... it wasn't hard to imagine a steep price.
*What could it be...?*
"Hey, is she still accelerating?! Is she going to be alright?!"
My classmate's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I refocused on the race I had been watching absentmindedly.
Hoshino Wilm, with 200 meters left, surged forward even faster.
This was truly her high pace—a sprint worthy of the Classic level.
*That idiot...!*
*I told her not to use it! I said we had training later today and to pace herself until the middle! No, actually, I told her to just stay alongside her opponent!*
I nearly stood up impulsively, but after a moment's hesitation, I sat back down.
Even if I tried to stop her, I couldn't physically restrain an Uma Musume.
No matter how loudly I shouted, she wouldn't stop once she'd committed to her final sprint, ignoring my instructions.
"...Could she be difficult to handle?"
"Well, yeah... It's really troubling."
My fellow Trainer spoke with genuine concern, glancing at his own Uma Musume.
He was truly a decent person. Despite having his assigned Uma Musume's chance to run alongside mine being ruined, he showed no anger, only concern for me.
I was fortunate to have such a respectable Trainer so close by.
Horino's Trainer was improving by leaps and bounds. Spending time with him would undoubtedly yield many benefits.
...But that was beside the point.
The Chestnut Fool, who had finally begun to slow down after crossing the finish line and coming to a stop in front of us, probably couldn't be put in a race again for a while.
"Hoshino Wilm!"
I rushed to Hoshino Wilm, who had leaped over the outer rail and come to a halt.
She didn't react to my voice, her shoulders heaving up and down. Sweat streamed down her face, and her legs twitched faintly.
*Today's training is canceled.* I'll have to keep her off the track for a while, monitoring her leg condition.
*I thought I'd made it clear...*
Today's side-by-side run was meant to let Uma Musume experience the sensation of running alongside competitors. Not a race—a side-by-side run, meaning you should basically run parallel, side by side.
Of course, you can pick up the pace a bit, but don't try to break away. Maintain the formation and finish the 2,000 meters together.
I hate to say it, but the Uma Musume you're running with is probably slower than you. You need to hold back and match her pace.
Hey, are you even listening? We still have more training scheduled after this. Don't burn through all your Stamina!
Listen up: Absolutely no high-pace running. Absolutely!
...*I thought I'd made it clear.*
"Hoshino Wilm. Hey, can you hear me?"
When I placed a hand on her shoulder, she finally turned to face me.
And then I...
"...!"
Startled by the hostility in her eyes, I instinctively withdrew my hand.
Her gaze lacked even the faint hint of trust she'd shown me over the past month.
Obsessed with competition and victory, she viewed anyone who stood in her way as an enemy—her gaze as cold and sharp as a honed needle.
*I had seen this look before.*
During stretching after the simulation race. Those were the eyes that held her intense will.
Even sharper than before, almost radiating a murderous intent, but... there was no mistaking it.
It was the first time I'd seen this side of her in nearly a month.
"Hoshino Wilm, you're—"
But just as quickly...
The icy, isolating coldness in her eyes began to fade.
With each blink, each breath, she gradually reverted to the Hoshino Wilm I knew.
"...I'm sorry, Trainer. I got a little... too caught up in the moment."
"Not just a little, Hoshino Wilm. Your actions wasted the time of the Uma Musume who agreed to accompany us today, and now you've wasted your own time for the foreseeable future."
"I'm so sorry."
By the time her bowed head returned to its upright position, not a trace of the apology remained.
All that remained was the usual expression of Hoshino Wilm.
"...The people you should be apologizing to aren't me, but him and his assigned Uma Musume. Let's go."
***
At that moment, I became certain.
Hoshino Wilm had two faces.
One was the face I knew well—that of a sincere and clumsy girl, determined to achieve victory and pursue her ideals, though with a few inscrutable quirks.
She diligently completed her training and even requested additional self-training sessions.
Overdoing her self-training once led to a mild inflammation, and she apologized with a blank expression, though her dejected demeanor betrayed her remorse.
When I excused myself, saying I was going to do squats, she continued for hours, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.
Despite being told to rest for the day, she silently continued her strength training.
When I asked her about her day, hoping to strike up a conversation, she froze, unable to move.
When we went to karaoke for singing practice, she seemed embarrassed to sing in front of me, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly.
Occasionally—though only very rarely and at unpredictable moments—she would chuckle softly to herself.
Stoic and awkward, yet a girl with her feet firmly on the ground—this was Hoshino Wilm's main persona.
But when a race began—official or unofficial, any contest where she competed against other Uma Musume for speed—her other face emerged.
I realized this after racing her against other Uma Musume several times.
Because she typically maintained a blank expression, it would be difficult to notice the difference without careful observation.
But then, her usually downcast eyes would snap open, a pale, sharp gaze locking onto the Turf before her.
Her center of gravity would shift slightly forward as she strove to lengthen her stride.
Her already scarce emotional fluctuations would diminish further, leaving her unshakeable, regardless of the circumstances.
And above all, she would devote every ounce of her being to securing victory.
If her usual expression was one of "heat"—a burning desire for victory—
then her racing face was one of "cold"—a machine relentlessly pursuing the finish line.
And then—
"Gate entry complete. All runners are ready to start."
"...They're off!"
The word *defeat* seemed wholly unfitting for the cold Hoshino Wilm.
"A clean start for all Uma Musume! As expected, Hoshino Wilm takes the lead! With speed that belies her Junior Class status, she's rapidly widening the gap!"
"She's setting a blistering pace, yet it's hard to tell if she's actually overpacing herself—that's what makes her so formidable."
Having played the Game App and studied Horino's history and tactics in this world, I knew the conditions that doomed Front Runners to defeat.
First, and most commonly, stamina depletion and pacing errors. An Uma Musume who mismanaged her stamina couldn't maintain her lead and would sink back into the group.
Then there was the pressure from behind. Uma Musume might appear tough, but they were delicate creatures. The stress of being chased from behind can cause some to overpace or falter.
A weak Final Burst and insufficient top Speed. The Uma Musume behind could close the gap head-on with their superior Final Burst... a pattern that had no chance of success from the start.
In essence:
If a Frontrunner Uma Musume possessed more than ample Stamina, unwavering mental fortitude under pressure, and a fundamental top Speed that surpassed all others...
Theoretically, that Frontrunner Uma Musume could never be defeated.
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible, Hoshino Wilm! She's blazing through the uphill stretch, maintaining her Speed past the 1000-meter mark! Gimme One Love is clinging on, but the gap remains unclosed! Just how many lengths ahead is she now?!"
"Some of the runners in the back are conserving their energy. The race isn't over yet."
No, the race had already been decided.
Hoshino Wilm's blistering pace was dragging the entire field into an unsustainable speed. The Junior Class girls... no, the ones I could see with my own eyes—they wouldn't have the stamina left for a final sprint.
Cruelly, the battle had ended before it even began.
The still-immature Junior Class Uma Musume lacked the means to stop Hoshino Wilm's lightning start, to fluster her, to exhaust her, or even to catch up to her.
By the time the gate opened... no, by the time they registered for this Maiden Race, their first challenge had already been doomed to failure.
"We're under 400 meters now! The race will be decided on this final straight! Code of Heart has broken free from the group and is making a move to the front!"
"Hoshino Wilm, still running strong in the lead, shows no signs of slowing down. Can anyone close the gap?"
Even as my assigned Uma Musume was on the verge of an overwhelming victory, I found myself unable to wholeheartedly rejoice.
Though I had been repeatedly reminded of the cruelty of this world since arriving here, witnessing it firsthand still stirred something within me.
...The moment when young talent was crushed by overwhelming power.
*It's impossible*, the faces of several Uma Musume seemed to scream.
Midway through the race, they had already given up. Their fighting spirit, fundamentally broken by the stark hierarchy, lay shattered.
How many would rise again after this race? How many would despair?
For one Uma Musume's triumph, six others had their spirits broken. Whether they could ever recover remained uncertain.
*The Twinkle Series shines upon a victor's single drop of sweat and the losers' sea of tears.*
*Ah, Father, you were right all along.*
"Two hundred meters left! Hoshino Wilm is putting on the Will! She's sprinting up the final hill with incredible speed, completely alone! What's driving her this far? Victory is assured! The view from the lead belongs to Hoshino Wilm! She crosses the finish line in first place!"
"First place goes to Hoshino Wilm! She's won by an insurmountable margin, a flawless victory! The new hope of a new era has been born!"
A thunderous roar of cheers and commotion erupted from the crowd.
Though they had considered it impossible, the spectators who had secretly hoped for this sight recalled their own dreams and erupted in joyous shouts.
"An otherworldly runaway..."
Someone murmured nearby.
*Ah, of course they would remember.*
...*They would remember the fastest Frontrunner Uma Musume who had already vanished from Twinkle.*
Two years ago, the Twinkle Series had boasted the strongest Frontrunner Uma Musume.
*Silence Suzuka, the dimensional fugitive.*
After transitioning to the Front Runner style, she naturally continued winning. Unfortunately, she suffered a bone injury at the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Following her recovery, she is now said to be tearing up turf overseas.
Even in her third Senior year, she continues her winning streak. I wonder how much longer she'll remain active.
...Well, considering how things ended for her in my world, I can't help but hope she continues to thrive forever.
Silence Suzuka's strategy was the quintessential Runaway Frontrunner, overwhelming opponents with her sheer speed and leaving them no chance to keep up.
What set her apart was her incredible stamina—she barely slowed down even in the final stretch.
Depending on her condition, she could even accelerate in the closing stages—a legendary Uma Musume who had become a living myth.
Hoshino Wilm's performance evoked memories of the fastest runner who had captivated all of Japan.
Every fan who mourned her departure sees Silence Suzuka's shadow in Hoshino Wilm's stride.
Indeed, the way Hoshino Wilm had run—or rather, the style of running she was solidifying as her own escape method—looked remarkably similar to Silence Suzuka's.
*It only seemed that way.*
In reality, and naturally, her performance still fell far short of Silence Suzuka's.
A glance at the lap times would reveal that every metric paled in comparison to Suzuka's.
At this stage, her speed would barely make a ripple among Senior Class Uma Musume.
It was only because this race was her Junior Class Maiden Race that Hoshino Wilm's current peak output seemed so overwhelming.
Thus, she remained merely a lesser, imitation version.
...Yet those who yearned for the speed of the runaway would inevitably project Silence Suzuka onto Hoshino Wilm.
"...Haaah."
Amidst the thunderous standing people, I alone clutched my head in my hands.
*This has turned into a real mess.*