"Sirius Symboli, Sirius Symboli is starting to accelerate—!"
The announcer's voice was nearly hoarse.
After years in this profession, she had never seen such a complex and shifting race dynamic.
From the early duel between two, to the ten-Uma Musume blockade, then breaking free one after another—each step surpassed her understanding of racing.
What unfolded before her was a battlefield gathering the strongest, a clash of wits and strength, each competitor attacking their rivals with everything they had.
"Sirius has overtaken the track's reigning king and taken the lead! Dynamu Heroine isn't falling behind either, starting her chase! Long Live Free and Bold Northman are also kicking into gear—!"
Watching the racers enter the final stretch, the announcer's voice grew even more intense.
But what caught her attention most was the blazing, defiant fighting spirit she could feel even from a distance.
Oguri Cap was overtaking the Black Uma Musume with an unstoppable momentum.
"Oguri Cap is accelerating!! Oguri Cap, who had fallen to the rear, is charging back up—!"
"The Gray Monster is about to stride across the battlefield with her fierce legs—! Huh!?"
Before she could finish, the announcer's voice cut off.
She saw it—after pulling alongside the Black Uma Musume, Oguri Cap suddenly slowed.
Her head tilted slightly, as if she'd seen something unbelievable, her movements turning sluggish.
What was she doing?
Why wasn't she overtaking?
The finish line was right there!
"Go, Oguri Cap!!!"
"Oguri!!"
The crowd cheered her on.
But the white-haired girl's pupils trembled violently.
She couldn't understand what kind of creature was running beside her.
So dark...
She couldn't see anything.
It was as if all the light in the world had been swallowed up by the Black Uma Musume beside her.
And her own movements were firmly shackled by this powerful, absorbing force.
The sounds around her grew faint.
The cheers of the spectators, the shouts of her companions—all were fading away.
The finish line, once so close, now felt distant.
Clink—!
A clear, metallic clatter echoed in her ears.
Somehow, heavy chains had materialized, binding her limbs firmly.
Clink!
So heavy!
Like shackles weighing a thousand pounds, pinning Oguri Cap in place.
"Rooooar————!!"
A world-shattering roar erupted beside her ear.
Oguri Cap's eyes widened.
Her heart hammered wildly.
Not with the thrill before dawn's light.
But because her instincts were screaming—in fear!
The suppression of a 'superior being' forced the gray-haired monster to lower her head.
A call, like that of the ancestor of all monsters, made her tremble.
The true hunter, living up to her name, extended her sharp claws, slowly drew close, and plunged them into Oguri Cap's chest.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, searing pain erupted from her heart!
Blood gushed forth like a spring, flooding the racecourse!
The Gray Monster's body was completely pierced by this overwhelmingly brutal strike!
A cold wind brushed against her.
Now, not a single gleam of light remained in those golden eyes.
--+--
In the stands, Green Grass slowly widened her eyes.
That sharp, oppressive feeling was all too familiar.
Not just to her—even Tosho Boy, Ten Point, and Maruzensky nearby furrowed their brows, lost in thought.
Not far off, Narita Brian turned to leave.
"Brian, where are you going?" Hishi Amazon asked urgently.
"I'm leaving."
"Leaving? But the race isn't over yet."
"I can't watch any more."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because..."
The concrete step cracked under Narita Brian's restless, stamping feet.
"If I keep watching, I won't be able to stop myself from rushing onto the track—"
Elsewhere, Tamamo Cross, who'd been hurrying to the racecourse, suddenly halted.
The track was just ahead, but she stood frozen.
Komiyama, who'd been following in a taxi, got out, confused.
"Tama-chan, aren't you going? If we don't hurry, we'll miss it."
"It's so dark," Tamamo Cross said abruptly, her words seemingly unrelated.
"What?"
"Really, it's so dark." She pointed toward the sky above the racecourse.
"Komiya," Tamamo Cross turned to her trainer.
"Why is it daytime here, but over there... it's the middle of the night?"
Pointing at the racecourse that looked perfectly normal, Tamamo Cross asked a question Komiyama Masami couldn't answer.
Kilometers away, at Tracen Academy, the 'Emperor,' busy handling Sirius Symboli's trainer issues and unable to attend the race, suddenly crushed the cup in her hand.
Coffee dripped slowly from the fragments onto the floor.
"Oh no!" Air Groove, beside her, quickly pulled out a handkerchief to help Symboli Rudolf wipe it up.
But Rudolf didn't react.
Staring at the scalding coffee liquid staining her hand.
She heard it—
The sound coming from the Tokyo Racecourse.
And that chilling, bone-deep aura.
"President Rudolf?" Air Groove asked, bewildered.
Rudolf clenched her fist.
An expression mixing excitement and tension on her face.
"It seems... an extraordinary being has..."
Stepped into the domain—
--+--
Every spectator in the Tokyo Racecourse simultaneously felt the ground tremble slightly.
It was as if thousands of wild beasts were stampeding across the track.
A 'rumble rumble rumble' of footsteps echoed in their ears, interspersed with neighing and roars.
People gradually rose to their feet.
Their mouths hung open as they pointed at the track.
"What... is that!?"
They voiced their confusion, unable to comprehend the spectacle before them.
On this open racecourse, the sound of a beast herd's hooves had appeared!
What had that Black Uma Musume done—!?
No! That wasn't it!
People rubbed their eyes, as if trying to erase the tangible illusion of that dark tide of beasts from their minds.
The ground wasn't shaking; there was no stampeding herd on the track.
It was purely an illusion created by that Black Uma Musume as she accelerated.
Her footsteps were heavy.
High-frequency steps relentlessly pounded the track.
The vibration from her running felt like a thousand horses surging across the turf—!
In the stands, Belno Light's eyes widened.
Her heart filled with shock, confusion, and an undeniable... envy.
Those short, rapid steps, the mechanically precise swing of her arms.
It was something even she, after dozens upon dozens of experiments, had never managed to discover.
The perfect method for climbing—!
""Rooooar————!!""
At that moment, a hundred beasts cried out in unison, crossing the track with extreme speed!
Sirius Symboli's eyes widened.
Those lifeless golden eyes reflected no one.
As if the entire world had shrunk to just herself.
Behind her, countless ferocious beasts let out a heaven-shaking roar that seemed capable of devouring everything.
Facing the oncoming tide of beasts, Sirius Symboli gritted her teeth.
A profound sense of powerlessness etched into her very bones.
The brightest star in the night sky weaved through the surging beast herd.
"Oguri Cap is accelerating! Oguri Cap is accelerating!! Sirius Symboli is accelerating too! But!!" the announcer shouted with incredulity, "The Black Uma Musume, with the momentum of an unstoppable army!! is climbing the slope! Could it be that she's going to snatch the victory once again!?"
"""Oguri!!!"""
Three friends shouted with all their might.
"Oguri!!"
Kitahara Jo's voice grew hoarse.
"Oguri Cap..."
A cold sweat dripped down Musaka Ginjirou's face.
Hearing their voices, Oguri Cap managed a faint, bitter smile.
I wanted to accelerate more.
But the blood from my chest just won't stop...
The finish line is right there.
But my legs... they won't lift anymore...
I see.
So this is... my limit...
Those amber-like golden eyes burned silently.
Dammit!
Sirius Symboli clenched her jaw.
Her body was already being dragged into the quagmire by the beast herd.
"I am... Sirius..."
The brightest star in the world!
Reaching a helpless hand toward the back that had surpassed her and kept advancing.
It was a place of utmost darkness, blanketed by stars.
The entire night sky twinkled just for her.
"Accelerating nonstop, accelerating nonstop!! What an astonishing spurt, what a breathtaking final kick! The Ominous Black Phantom!! has devoured all the Uma Musume before her—!!"
"The intruder on the track! Takes first! And crosses the finish line————!!!"
--+--
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.