The instant every Uma Musume burst from the starting gate, a sharp, metallic hum—like a blade being drawn—rang in their ears. Their instincts screamed at them to run faster, to flee forward.
This premature acceleration shattered their carefully laid race strategies, but that was only the beginning. Before they could even recover from that bone-chilling sensation—
Suddenly, the rain over Tokyo Racecourse seemed to boil, the entire track transforming into a furnace radiating unbearable heat.
Rain and sweat mingled until they were indistinguishable; stamina evaporated rapidly under the scorching intensity.
In just a few hundred meters, the Uma Musume felt as though they had already run most of the course.
But reality was not so kind. The glaring red numbers on the circular distance markers along the track burned into their vision, ruthlessly shattering any illusions.
This was Dream Weaver's Zone.
After drawing her cursed blade, it made every Uma Musume feel an intense killing intent and danger, compelling them to instinctively avoid the path she was advancing on.
Its purpose was to clear the way for Dream Weaver's final sprint by making others steer clear of her lane. But when activated right at the start, while everyone still had ample stamina, the sense of danger from behind forced them into an all-out sprint.
This disrupted their rhythm early on, making it easier for Dream Weaver, who usually ran toward the back, to cut through the crowd later.
Moreover, the Zone had another form: once the demon blade was fully unsheathed, the field transformed into "Murasame," igniting the track and accelerating the rate at stamina drained from every racer.
Thus, weakened by both the early sprint and rapid stamina loss, the Uma Musume would see their strength greatly diminished. This gave Dream Weaver—whose base stats weren't exceptionally high—a chance to seize the Japan Derby crown.
Especially now, with her Tokyo Swift skill activated and the Challenger's Badge equipped, her boosted stats placed her among the top contenders in this race.
However, the zone had its drawbacks. Like all zones, it consumed a massive amount of stamina. But in Dream Weaver's case, Murasame's stamina-burning effect applied to herself as well.
Yet one must not forget: Dream Weaver's Guts stat had reached an astounding S-rank. It was precisely this terrifying level of endurance that gave her the confidence to activate her zone the moment the race began.
This was Dream Weaver's plan for the Japan Derby. She knew from the start that her raw abilities couldn't match Orfevre's, so she chose to narrow the gap by weakening her opponents.
The grass, already churned into a muddy mess by the heavy rain, made each step feel heavy and perilous—one misstep could lead to disaster.
And now, under the influence of Dream Weaver's zone, the entire track felt like an ancient battlefield.
The smell of rust and gunpowder weighed heavily on every Uma Musume's shoulders, making it hard to even breathe. The ground beneath them felt alive and greedy, each lift of the leg like struggling free from an abyssal pull. Stamina was draining at an alarming rate.
Amplified by the zone, the pouring rain became a prison woven by Dream Weaver's own hands—the raindrops turned into iron bars, the sound of rain into chains. Every attempt to break through the downpour was ruthlessly dragged back into this hellscape of mud and fire.
In the middle of the pack, Sadamu Patek was gasping heavily. She had placed third in the last Satsuki Sho, one of the Uma Musume overshadowed by Dream Weaver and Orfevre's brilliance.
She, too, had once been a highly regarded contender, even winning first place in the Satsuki Sho's precursor race, the Yayoi Sho.
But when Sadamu Patek stepped onto the track for the Satsuki Sho, brimming with determination to challenge Orfevre, her will was shattered mid-race.
The overwhelming pressure and scorching intensity Dream Weaver radiated in the final stretch of that race had made Sadamu Patek's soul tremble.
After the race, guided by upperclassmen from Central Tracen, she came to understand that what she experienced was a power known as a "Zone."
Over the past month, she had lost her way, had tried to avoid it all, but encouraged by her trainer and friends, she found the courage to step onto the track for the Japan Derby.
Through her trainer's analysis of the race, she learned that Dream Weaver's top speed and power at the time didn't even surpass her own.
So Sadamu Patek devised a strategy to conserve energy in the middle pack, planning to sprint before Dream Weaver could activate her domain.
She had prepared for every scenario, knew about the zone's massive stamina cost, and had long since charted her path to victory.
If everything went perfectly, Orfevre would be dragged into the mud by Dream Weaver's domain, while she herself would break through under cover of the other Uma Musume and ultimately claim the Japan Derby crown.
But all of that… turned to dust in the face of Dream Weaver's zone erupting right at the start.
Her stamina was fading, her lungs felt like they were on fire—her body's instinctual warnings. Sadamu Patek knew she couldn't hold on any longer.
If she stubbornly resisted, it would only end badly.
So she gave up. Her speed gradually dropped, and she couldn't even maintain her mid-pack position, quickly falling to the rear of the group.
'It's just one race… no need to bet everything on it.'
Under the threat of Dream Weaver's zone, Sadamu Patek had grown afraid.
And she wasn't the only one. Win Variation, running at the front of the chasing group, watched as one Uma Musume after another in the mid-pack slowed and dropped back.
Without realizing it, she—using a chasing tactic—had reached the center of the pack.
But Win Variation wasn't faring much better. Her stamina and base stats were far superior to most other Uma Musume; she was truly one of Central Tracen's stars.
Aside from Orfevre and Dream Weaver, she was the strongest Uma Musume in this race.
Yet even she was pushed to her limits under the pressure of Dream Weaver's domain, barely able to maintain her tactical form.
The stamina she had reserved for a final sprint was steadily evaporating, bit by bit.
Gritting her teeth, she looked up through the rain at the track-side marker.
And now… they had only run a mere thousand meters.
Win Variation knew about zones, knew they consumed staggering amounts of stamina. But she could no longer tell whether Dream Weaver's zone would fade first—
Or if her own stamina would be drained away before that happened.
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T/N: AURAAA
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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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.