After the race at Kyoto Racecourse, the uproar refused to die down.
Countless spectators were still reliving that earthshaking showdown in the final 200 meters.
Up in the stands, Naise Fumino's fingers were still clenched white around the railing, so hard her lips looked like they might bleed from how tightly she was biting them.
She stared down at the brown-haired girl sitting on the turf below—who had lost the race, yet was smiling more gently than anyone.
At last, the tears in Fumino's eyes could no longer be held back, spilling out like a broken dam.
"…Idiot."
Her voice cracked with a trembling, aching tenderness.
A little ways behind her, Kuroha glanced at her quietly, then said to the racecourse staff in front of him, his tone low and firm.
"Get the medical team onto the track."
"Medical—who?" The staffer froze for a beat.
"Super Creek," Kuroha added, concise and to the point.
"Understood, Kuroha-sensei."
With no hesitation, the staffer left the viewing area and began handling the procedures.
At a major Central racecourse, they had seen this far too many times. Their contingency protocols were already complete.
By the floor-to-ceiling window, Mejiro Ramonu still stood where she was.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the figure still standing, faintly upright, at the finish line.
"…Very good."
After a long moment, a small smile finally surfaced on her face, and she turned to leave.
…
On the track.
After a short rest, Mejiro Ardan felt her stamina recover a little.
In just a brief span of time, her chest—still a little tight from exertion—gradually calmed.
She walked over to Super Creek and looked down at the injured leg that still kept her seated on the ground.
"Creek-san."
Ardan held out her hand.
"Can you stand?"
Creek lifted her head, looked at the offered hand, then at Ardan's sincere, vividly violet eyes.
She tried to move her leg.
"—Hiss…"
A piercing pain stabbed up from her ankle in an instant, draining the color from her face.
"Looks like… it's going to be difficult," Creek said with a bitter smile, cold sweat already beading on her forehead.
Ardan's gaze sharpened. Her pupils contracted slightly as her eyes dropped to Creek's left ankle.
It was swelling up at a visible speed.
"This is—" Ardan's breath caught.
"Shh."
Creek raised a finger and gently pressed it to her lips.
She glanced at the crowd still roaring in delirious celebration, and at the emergency staff and Fumino-sensei hurrying over in the distance.
"Don't make that face, Ardan-san."
Creek's eyes curved as she smiled.
"No one can stand on the track forever. I'm just… leaving the stage a little early."
"From here on out, do your best."
"…Of course."
After a brief silence, Ardan also softened into a gentle smile and answered with unwavering certainty.
The cheers on the track continued to thunder.
And behind that wave-like roar, the medical staff finally arrived, carefully lifting Creek onto a stretcher.
Lying on the stretcher and staring up at the deep blue sky, Creek felt lighter than she ever had.
Everything from the past ran through her mind like a spinning lantern.
It's over.
My story.
"Trainer…" she murmured.
She turned her head and looked at Fumino-sensei—who had run over in a panic and was now gripping her hand like she'd never let go.
Creek lightly stroked her fingers.
"Training… I'm going to have to take a long leave…"
…
A few hours later.
Inside the medical office at Kyoto Racecourse.
"Severe tear of the left suspensory ligament, and… a comminuted fracture."
The doctor stared at the chart in his hands, then delivered the verdict in a heavy tone.
"The fracture pattern is complex. The situation is very unfavorable."
He paused, then added slowly, "With Central's current medical capabilities, there's no hope of recovery."
"As an Uma Musume, her professional racing career should end here."
And not just that—perhaps the rest of her life would be difficult.
That part, the doctor did not say out loud.
The room fell into dead silence.
Even with mental preparation, when the moment truly arrived, the weight still crushed the breath out of people.
"…I see."
On the bed, Super Creek—her leg wrapped in thick plaster—was calmer than one might have expected.
She looked at the darkening sky beyond the window, bright with city lights, not unlike the brilliance of the track.
"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor," she said politely.
The doctor sighed, shook his head, and left the room, giving the pair some space.
Fumino-sensei sat at the bedside with her head lowered, shoulders trembling in small, repeated shudders—no one knew what she was forcing down.
"The one who's hurt is me. So why is my trainer crying harder than I am?" Creek teased softly.
"…"
Fumino-sensei lifted her head in silence. Her normally cool eyes were now red to the core.
She bit down slightly and said, "It's fine. If it can't be treated domestically, we'll go overseas. There's no way it ends like this. I swear it."
"…Thank you."
Creek blinked once, then replied gently.
Looking at the girl who had been her first partner Uma Musume, Fumino-sensei parted her lips—then only tightened her grip instead.
I'm sorry…
She whispered it soundlessly in her heart.
Just then, a notification beeped. Irritation flashed across Fumino-sensei's face as she glanced down at her phone.
Who the hell is bothering me at a time like this?
"Trainer~" Creek called softly from the side.
Seeing that, Fumino-sensei could only sigh and look at the screen.
But the instant she did, her eyes widened, and she couldn't tear herself away.
…
Outside the door, Kuroha and Ardan stood quietly.
Hearing the conversation inside, Ardan lowered her gaze and, without realizing it, pressed a hand to her chest.
Her heart was still beating strongly.
There was the joy of victory—and there was also a heavy, tangible responsibility.
"How do you feel?" Kuroha asked evenly.
"…Heavy," Ardan said quietly. "This win was taken while stepping on Creek-san's dream."
"Even though I've done this… far too many times already."
"Every time, it still feels awful."
"Then carry it—and keep walking," Kuroha said.
He turned, looking at the newly crowned Spring Tenno Sho champion before him.
"The track is cruel. When someone remains, someone else leaves."
"Run… to a place where no one can chase you."
Kuroha reached out and patted Ardan's shoulder lightly.
"Osaka Hai, Spring Tenno Sho… the Spring Triple Crown. Only one crown remains."
"Take it."
"Fulfill yourself."
"That's the best answer you can give to all the losers who once fell beneath your feet."
Ardan drew in a slow breath. The sadness in her eyes dispersed completely, replaced by iron resolve.
She lifted her head and looked out the corridor window.
A bright moon hung high in the night sky—cool, distant, and proud.
"Yes, Trainer."
Her voice rang out clear and strong.
"I will… take that final crown for you!"
"Even if my leg shatters like Creek-san's… I won't hesitate!"
Kuroha's brow twitched slightly. Then he suddenly reached out and flicked her forehead.
Thump.
"Ah—! Itai!" Ardan covered her forehead.
"Don't say unlucky things," Kuroha said.
His palm turned and ruffled her hair.
"And besides… did you forget how your leg recovered two years ago?"
"?"
Ardan squinted one eye from the ruffling, then her head spun once as realization struck—her eyes widening.
Right!
The Panacea!
It might not be able to deal with the Three Goddesses' Blessing fading away—but if it was an actual "condition"…
No matter how severe, it wouldn't last a single round!
"That means—?"
Kuroha saw the thought on her face and smiled.
"Not now. If we do it tonight, I'll probably be the top headline on global news by tomorrow morning."
"Come on. Let's go back."
He turned and gestured toward the hospital exit.
"But… are we really just leaving Fumino-sensei and Creek-san in there like this…?" Ardan looked toward the ward, hesitation flickering across her face.
Even knowing they would recover eventually, she still worried that in this suffocating time, they might do something they shouldn't.
"You can think of that, and you think your trainer can't?" Kuroha said.
He pulled out his phone and waved it in front of her.
On the screen was already Naise Fumino's chat.
The newest message was only a few bold words:
Tomorrow, come to the training grounds. I can handle Creek's injury.
The glasslike girl froze for a moment, then smiled radiantly.
She hurried a few steps forward and, as naturally as breathing, hooked up Kuroha's earlobe with a playful little tug.
"Yes~"
…
Inside the room, Fumino-sensei stared at the message on her screen and went completely blank.
"Trainer?" Creek tilted her head, calling out in confusion.
"Ah? Ah! N-no, it's nothing!" Fumino-sensei fumbled and shoved the phone away, then hurriedly smoothed her slightly messy hair, forcing herself to steady down.
That bastard Kuroha… he really is—
She gritted her teeth.
But remembering that he had beaten her fair and square, a wave of gloom rose up again.
And then she remembered that from last year to this year, she had already troubled him twice.
Tomorrow might make it a third.
The more she thought about it, the more lost she felt…
Forget it. I lost because I wasn't good enough. There's nothing to complain about.
I just hope tomorrow, he really has a way to treat Creek.
If he doesn't…
Then I can only put Central work on hold for now and go overseas to find a solution.
With that thought, she tightened her hold on Creek's hand, looked into her eyes, and spoke with firm sincerity.
"Anyway, don't worry, Creek. I can solve it. Believe me."
Creek paused for a beat, then nodded gently.
"…Mm. I believe you."
(End of Chapter)
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