Cheers and ragged breaths cut through the curtain of rain, this battlefield-like atmosphere burning with intensity. Dream Weaver felt as though she had been transported back to that rain-soaked Tokyo Racecourse—a memory etched deep into her very soul, gradually awakening as the race unfolded.
Whether it was an illusion born of memory or power granted by her intuition, the track before Dream Weaver's eyes was no longer just a track.
Torn-up turf and mud flew wildly in the torrential downpour. The silhouettes of the Uma Musume ahead seemed swallowed by the brooding sky, leaving Dream Weaver with only the numbered jerseys flashing in her vision.
She knew how the number one Uma Musume would lean into her path, knew when numbers five and six would lose focus, knew that number seven would lose speed on this turn due to the heavy, rain-soaked grass.
The present Tokyo Racecourse was overlapping with the one from her memories. In Dream Weaver's eyes, the phantom images of the Uma Musume ahead flickered, then sharpened into clarity as her intuition surged.
Without even realizing it, Dream Weaver had begun to read not only their movements—but their very hearts.
Even Orfevre, blazing ahead like the sun, was no exception.
She was waiting, anticipating Dream Weaver to show her even greater strength.
Well, Dream Weaver would give her exactly what she wanted.
The moment they charged through the turn, Orfevre, leading the pack, grinned.
'So you're finally making your move!'
Every Uma Musume on the field simultaneously felt a chill—as if a blade were pressed against their backs, forcing them to push harder. Their already strained spirits, pressured by Dream Weaver's dominating presence, shattered in that instant. Acting on pure instinct, they yielded to the urge to flee.
And so, the spectators witnessed a marvel.
A crimson blade, sharp and unstoppable, flashed through the rain. The clustered Uma Musume, who had bunched together like a shield against the storm, were sliced apart in an instant by that fierce, cutting momentum.
In just a few breaths, that streaking red light had torn through every obstacle in her path and was charging straight toward the sun of the racetrack—Orfevre.
Like Icarus from myth, with a resolve beyond ordinary understanding, Dream Weaver threw herself forward without holding anything back.
This explosive acceleration stunned the crowd. No one had expected that Dream Weaver, famous in the central racing circuit for her Great Escapes, actually possessed the ability to tear through the pack from behind with a devastating late charge.
Great Escapes and Great Chases are like two ends of a spectrum—each representing an extreme in strategy.
One means leading from start to finish, building an overwhelming gap that leaves everyone else far behind.
The other means lying in wait, biding your time until the final moment to unsheathe your blade and cut down all opposition.
Both styles are thrilling to watch, and both carry tremendous risk. In the central racing circuit, where steady and conservative runs often prevail, the audience hadn't seen such daring tactics in a long time.
After the Satsuki Sho, Dream Weaver's popularity had soared. From an unknown local runner, she had risen to become a fan favorite nearly on par with Orfevre.
The reason, of course, was that she had demonstrated the ability to challenge Orfevre. But it was also because the audience had grown eager to see her extreme racing style.
When the Japanese Derby began and Dream Weaver didn't employ her signature Great Escape, some fans were disappointed not to see that brilliant red light blazing proudly at the front of the pack.
But now, Dream Weaver was showing them another style—just as extreme and no less spectacular than her famous dashes.
Watching Dream Weaver, like a demonic blade adorned in vivid, blood-red brilliance, slice through the field of Uma Musume, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
The competition in central races is fierce, and the tactical choices made by Uma Musume are highly professional. But many spectators miss those finer details.
Day after day, they see Uma Musume running similar races with similar strategies.
If it weren't for Orfevre's terrifying natural talent giving fans hope that the curse of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe might finally be broken, perhaps not only local tracks but the central circuit itself would have declined.
Sometimes, more than victory, people want to witness a miracle.
Those who fight again and again yet never give up; those who rise from defeat like phoenixes from the ashes—these stories often stir the heart more deeply than mere wins and losses.
And now, Dream Weaver was gradually becoming part of such a legend.
Just like her senior Oguri Cap, Uma Musume who come from local tracks to the central circuit always seem to carry a glow of miracles, capable of shining with a brilliance that no one can resist.
"So dazzling," murmured Sugimoto under his breath. As a commentator, he ought to be energetic, using his words to stir the crowd's excitement.
But now, utterly captivated, he could no longer focus on his job. Unconsciously, Sugimoto found himself recalling the days when he stood in the stands witnessing the majestic grace of Oguri Cap and her generation.
And so, almost without thinking, he spoke:
"It's like another generation of miracles…"
Watching those two streaks of gold and red tear through the rain, leaving all other Uma Musume in their wake as they charged down the track with thunderous force, Sugimoto whispered to himself.
--+--
Meanwhile, amid the cheering crowd, Gold Ship stared blankly at the track.
Around her, everyone from Kasamatsu Tracen was wholly absorbed by the race, excitedly cheering Dream Weaver on.
But she could only gaze, mesmerized, at that red blade-like light cutting through the pack.
The pounding of her heart echoed in her ears. Gold Ship felt a faint dampness at the corner of her eye and instinctively looked up.
'Is it rain?'
But the sky above was completely shielded. From where she was sitting, there was no way rain could reach her.
'So these are tears…'
Her voice carried a somber tone unlike any before.
From that first breathtaking glimpse at Kasamatsu Racecourse to their days together at Kasamatsu Tracen, Gold Ship had never been able to explain why she felt so drawn to Dream Weaver. It was an attraction beyond reason—like a moth inevitably hurling itself toward a blazing flame.
Now, her heart was stirred more intensely than during any of Dream Weaver's previous races.
This time, she had finally found what she was searching for.
'Great Chasing… it's really cool.'
Even though she had found what she had always been looking for, for some reason, Gold Ship didn't feel happy.
Staring blankly at the red streak on the track, she found herself crying once again.
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.