"It's over! We have our winner! Nearl, hailing from the regional circuit, has shown us with undeniable clarity that skill has nothing to do with pedigree!"
"The full turf 2200-meter record has been shattered! This will go down in the history books, even if it was just an OP race!"
"While we've been talking, Silence Suzuka has also crossed the finish line. A pity she only took second place, but this is no failure. She broke the record for the Sumire Stakes too, only that Nearl was simply a cut above."
"Exactly. Nearl's performance was utterly dominant. Frankly, any opponent would've struggled against her. The fact Silence Suzuka could achieve such an outstanding result against a rival like that just proves her own genius."
"And let's not forget the remaining competitors, their performances are also worth mentioning…"
The commentators' voices, amplified by expensive speakers, carried across the field, cutting through the crowd's roaring cheers and shouts.
But to Silence Suzuka, it all sounded a little distant, a little fuzzy.
She'd pushed herself to her absolute limit in that race, and a lingering oxygen debt made her vision swim for a moment.
Whoosh.
The sound of tracksuit fabric rubbing. Nearl was suddenly there, a steadying hand on Suzuka's shoulder, supporting her before she could stumble.
Nearl's gaze then swept over the track behind them. Just as expected, it was a scene of utter carnage.
Some were flat on their backs, others had face-planted onto the turf, a few were crouched with knees hugged to their chests, and several were sitting in a dazed pose. A true spectrum of exhaustion.
"Everyone gave their all. They were truly magnificent," Nearl's voice was warm with pride and happiness.
Not a single Uma Musume in that OP race had held anything back.
In fact, if you took Nearl and Silence Suzuka out of the equation, the gaps between all the other finishers were incredibly tight.
"You should be celebrating your victory right now, Nearl-san, but you came to help me instead. Thank you," Suzuka said after a moment, the light-headedness finally receding.
Though her limbs still felt like lead, she could at least stand on her own now.
"It was nothing. Though, Suzuka-san, you were truly impressive. Your running form was beautiful to watch," Nearl replied.
She didn't immediately let go, instead carefully guiding Suzuka to lean against a nearby wall before stepping back.
The small gesture filled Suzuka with a sense of cared-for warmth.
'Nearl-san's personality is so gentle and kind. She's such a powerful Uma Musume, yet whether on the track or off, she gives off such a pure, warm feeling.'
For Silence Suzuka, whose naturally aloof expression had always made it hard to make friends, this kind of pleasant, peaceful chat between peers felt like something from a distant past.
"Not at all, Nearl-san. Out on the track, I was watching your back the whole time. Your running was like leaping golden light. Just seeing it was inspiring, and so… sublime."
"You flatter me. I still have so far to go."
"Not at all, I really think…"
And so they fell into a mutual exchange of praise, but it wasn't empty or polite. Every word was genuine.
Silence Suzuka truly cherished this time.
Talking with Nearl, she felt her thoughts were understood and affirmed. Even when they differed, Nearl would carefully explain her perspective.
Throughout their conversation, Suzuka's smile never once faded.
'Is this what having a friend feels like? Or is it just that being with Nearl-san is uniquely easy and pleasant?'
Suzuka didn't quite understand. She watched Nearl leave for her post-race interviews, the words "Let's be friends" still stuck in her throat.
'But it's alright. Even this short time together has given me new courage.'
Suzuka clasped her hands quietly in front of her chest, waiting.
'When I get back, I need to tell my trainer exactly how I feel. I'll tell her… I want to run in the way that I love.'
She had firmly resolved herself.
--+--
"So, Hana, what are your thoughts?"
Tearing open a lollipop wrapper and popping the candy into his mouth, Okino's eyes were unreadable.
"A brilliant race. Nearl demonstrated her unparalleled strength yet again."
"You know that's not what I'm talking about."
Okino cut off Toujou Hana, his expression serious as he looked at the trainer—his friend—who had quietly averted her gaze.
"After a race like that, Suzuka is bound to understand what she's truly chasing. What are you going to say to her then? Are you still planning to stick to your original opinion?"
"…"
Toujou Hana fell into silence.
--+--
Meanwhile, in far-off Hokkaido, Platinum and Special Week were taking a break. Before the broadcast of the Sumire Stakes began, Special Week had been subjected to Platinum's particular brand of 'training.'
Case in point: her face had gone numb, utterly incapable of forming expressions.
Still, the improvement in her ability was real. Looking back now on how she used to run, Special Week could barely stand the memory.
It's just that she felt she could never return to those naive days.
After all, who could withstand being bombarded by that kind of Domain every single day? She'd even built up a resistance to mentally damaging Domains now.
(Centaurea: You idiot! I'm forging mental armor for you! You think spreading a Domain like this every day doesn't tire me out?)
But all of that was temporarily forgotten after watching Nearl's race. Special Week's mind was now filled only with excitement, yearning, and just a little bit of hero worship.
"So amazing… As expected of Nearl-neechan," she breathed.
Recalling the enormous gap by which Nearl had overpowered everyone, that overwhelming pressure that crushed all opposition head-on, Special Week's tail began to wag unconsciously.
Just then, a complaint came from the simple swing next to her.
"Hey, Spe, where's your gratitude? Here I am, teaching you with all my heart every single day, and you still think Nearl's better."
"Master, stop pretending."
Special Week knew this teacher/part-time tormentor of hers all too well, despite being the same age.
She was usually a total slacker, all her actions governed by what would amuse her. She never bothered with petty comparisons—it wasn't worth the effort.
"Aww, Spe, you're not as fun as you used to be. You were so naive and cute back then."
"And whose fault is that?! Look what you did to that innocent me!"
"Really? I was just strictly following the training plan."
Platinum swung her beautiful, snow-white legs, her face a picture of pure innocence.
"Oh yeah? Like making me do parallel training right after it rained, then deliberately splashing mud all over me. Or darting side to side while running so I couldn't find my rhythm. Or whispering trash talk right in my ear during a sprint to break my concentration…"
Counting off on her fingers, Special Week's expression was thoroughly displeased.
"Heh heh…"
Platinum, however, just smirked, her expression deeply meaningful.
'Foolish Spe-chan. Someday, you'll understand the purpose of all that training. Poor me, putting my heart into it for the first time, and all I get is complaints. How sad.'
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.