Chapter 68. A Sunday Without God — Part 3
Facing the attribute viewer's question, Shuta Ann answered within his mind.
They were girls blessed by the three goddesses—beings granted endurance and speed beyond ordinary humans, each possessing a beauty that set them apart from the mundane.
The attribute viewer responded in turn.
Uma Musume are girls born to run. Some enter the world nameless, unknown. Others inherit names that once carved glorious legends into the annals of another world. Along with those names, they inherit the destinies bound to them.
"Another world… destiny carried by a name…"
Shuta Ann seized upon the words with piercing clarity.
Is the Dream World truly only a dream? Why does its timeline diverge from reality? And why must Tokai Teio—who has already debuted there—still wait for her full debut here?
Three questions struck him in succession, converging into a conjecture so bold it stole his breath.
In the Dream World, Oguri Cap had been fated to claim only four G1 victories. She would shoulder a brutal race schedule that would have broken any other Racehorse, endure repeated crushing defeats, never touch victory in the Japan Cup, never triumph in the Takarazuka Kinen nor the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Only in her Arima Kinens—locked in rivalry with Tamamo Cross—would she grasp one last blaze of glory.
And Tokai Teio—
After capturing the Japanese Derby and achieving an undefeated double crown, she would be denied the Kikuka Sho by a fracture, her Triple Crown dream shattered. She would challenge the Spring Tenno Sho, only to fall before Mejiro McQueen, her undefeated record broken. Injuries would strike her twice more. Though she would suffer a devastating defeat in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), she would later overcome powerful contenders from Europe, America, and Australia. After a year-long absence, she would return to seize the Arima Kinen, defeating that year's Horse of the Year, Biwa Hayahide. Then, once more aiming for the Spring Tenno Sho, she would suffer a fourth injury—and be forced into retirement.
If "Shuta Ann" had never existed in the Dream World—that would have been their destiny. That would have been the path awaiting them in the Twinkle Series of reality.
His thoughts sharpened.
Then what of Silence Suzuka?
The answer came instantly.
She debuted on February 1st of her classic year, winning by seven lengths. In the Yayoi Sho, a starting error reduced her to eighth, costing her a place in the Satsuki Sho. She secured her Derby ticket through a conditions race and the Principal Stakes—only to finish ninth in the Japanese Derby, watching Sunny Brian claim a double crown.
In autumn, she placed second in the Kobe Shimbun Hai. She challenged the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and finished sixth. Attempting the Mile Championship, she suffered a crushing defeat, fourth from last. At year's end, she traveled overseas to the Hong Kong International Cup and returned with fifth place.
Then came her second year.
Valentine Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse—first 1000 meters in 57.8 seconds. Victory by 0.7 seconds. Nakayama Kinen—58 seconds flat for the first 1000 meters. Consecutive win. Kokura Daishoten—57.7 seconds. Third straight victory. Kinshachi Stakes—58.1 seconds. Fourth consecutive triumph. Takarazuka Kinen—58.6 seconds for the first 1000 meters. Her first G1 victory. Five consecutive wins. Four straight graded stakes.
Her autumn return: the Mainichi Hai. Facing the formidable Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa, she set a blistering 57.7-second pace for the first 1000 meters. Her final three furlongs were only 0.1 seconds slower than El Condor Pasa's fastest split. She won by 0.4 seconds—her fifth consecutive graded stakes victory.
Shuta Ann's heart pounded violently in his chest.
Even if her first G1 victory came later than others, her dominance was undeniable. She set savage paces, shattered opponents, claimed consecutive triumphs. That was not failure. That was brilliance.
The Mainichi Hai was merely a prelude. After that, she would inevitably run the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
"So what happened there?" he demanded inwardly.
Sunny Brian should not have appeared. Injured after the Derby, she would attempt a comeback only to suffer another injury in training and retire. With five consecutive graded stakes wins, Silence Suzuka would stand as the overwhelming favorite for the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
Gate 1.
A flawless start.
She accelerated without restraint, opening a lead of over ten lengths at her peak. In the original history, her first 1000 meters were run in 57.4 seconds.
"57.4…"
Shuta Ann's gaze snapped to the memory of the time displayed on the big screen.
Same.
"And then?"
He already knew.
After entering the bend, she showed unmistakable deceleration. Lameness. She drifted from the inner rail to the outer track. She did not finish the race.
The diagnosis came cold and merciless.
A COMMINUTED FRACTURE OF THE LEFT FRONT PASTERN BONE.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION—
EUTHANASIA.
The words burned into his vision. His chest constricted as though seized by an invisible fist.
Then Suzuka cannot keep running. Even for an Uma Musume, such a fracture would mean the end—the loss of her ability to compete.
His fists clenched. He wanted to rush out, to stop her, to rewrite that moment with his own hands.
"That was the original history—the fate that was nearly about to descend upon reality."
"Nearly?" His breath caught.
"Oguri Cap. Tokai Teio. Their destinies in both worlds changed because of you. Those changes were never meant to occur. Oguri Cap would have endured crushing defeats and injury. Tokai Teio would have lost her cherished Triple Crown and suffered repeated fractures. But because you seek to change their destinies—in the real world and the Dream World—destiny itself responds."
"Remember the first question. What is an Uma Musume?"
They are beings blessed by the three goddesses. Yet even the three goddesses cannot overturn the destiny carried by the names these girls inherit—
A pause.
"But you can."
"Because you can bring forth miracles—something even the three goddesses cannot bestow upon an individual."
Silence followed, heavy and electric.
"Now focus entirely on the running Silence Suzuka. That is the miracle born from your efforts."
Although, in Shuta Ann's perception, his exchange with the attribute viewer had lasted for quite some time, when his awareness snapped back to reality, Silence Suzuka had yet to enter the final straight.
—
Rewind more than ten seconds—Before passing the towering giant zelkova tree, Silence Suzuka felt it.
A subtle distortion. An omen.
"If I keep running forward—I feel like I'll encounter something terrible. Something inevitable."
But speed allowed no luxury for contemplation. Instinct overrode doubt. She pressed forward regardless, the first to step into the shadow cast by the ancient tree. And in that instant—
Her vision went black.
The Tokyo Racecourse vanished. Yet when she steadied herself, she found she had not fallen into endless darkness. Instead, she stood upon a narrow forest path she knew all too well.
"This is—"
Her gaze swept across the surroundings, recognition dawning immediately.
"The forest in Hokkaido—where I trained when I was young."
Above her, the sky was pitch-black, starless. Yet faintly—just faintly—she could discern the trail beneath her feet and the trees lining both sides.
"What is happening? An illusion—?"
She whispered it to herself. But she knew one thing with certainty—She could not stop.
"If I remain standing here, I'll never leave. Only by moving forward—by running out—can I escape."
She bit her lip and attempted to take a step. She could not. Her feet felt mired in viscous mud, rooted in place.
Lowering her gaze, she saw it.
While she had hesitated, an unfamiliar darkness had crept across the ground. It coiled around her ankles, winding upward like living tar.
"What…is this?"
The answer surfaced unbidden in her mind.
Destiny.
She stared at the mass of shadow in silence. Then—
A voice rang out within her consciousness, eerily similar to a Twinkle Series commentator.
"What is this reaction?! Silence Suzuka? Silence Suzuka?! Something's wrong! What happened?! This is bad! Will she abandon the race before the fourth corner? A Silent Sunday!"
No images accompanied the words. No introduction. Yet she understood exactly when this would occur.
"So this is what happens next…I withdraw due to injury…"
Her tone remained composed. But beneath it—faint, restrained—was unwillingness. Then realization struck.
"It's not just withdrawing—" Her body trembled. "It's losing the ability to compete."
She bit her lip hard.
How could she accept that calmly? How could she surrender?
She had not forgotten her words after winning the Arlington Million.
"If I can win the Tenno Sho (Autumn), I want Trainer to grant me one selfish request."
She had said it. She had meant it.
Was she now to relinquish the very opportunity she fought to claim?
"I thought… if I won… I'd have the courage to say it. But if I lose the ability to run… I'll lose the right to even stand beside Ann."
She struggled against the quicksand of Destiny, trying to wrench her legs free. She sensed instinctively that if she could just run beyond this forest—the one she had raced through as a child—she could shatter the illusion.
But it was called Destiny. How could it be broken so easily?
She exerted all her strength. The darkness only climbed faster.
It crept from her calves to her knees, swallowing upward as if feeding on her resistance. A chilling intuition seized her—if it engulfed her entirely, she would truly lose the ability to stand upon the racetrack.
She dared not gamble that her sixth sense was wrong.
"Is there truly no way?"
Oguri-senpai had never spoken of such a phenomenon in the Twinkle Series. This was unknown. As Destiny rose toward her waist—
She lifted her head.
In the stillness of the forest, she heard something that should not exist there.
"Suzuka!!"
Her heart jolted.
"Ann's voice!" She turned, searching desperately—yet saw no figure. "Ann, don't come here! It's dangerous—"
She glanced down—
And froze.
The darkness binding her recoiled instantly, retreating into the earth like vermin fleeing a predator.
Tentatively, she stepped forward.
Because she had been straining against it, her first step faltered—but her balance, honed through countless races, restored her instantly.
A walk became a jog.
A jog became a sprint.
She dashed along the forest path—Yet the forest's edge did not draw nearer.
"I can't rely on that voice again."
Her eyes sharpened.
"This time, I must break out myself."
She ran, observing.
"I'm trapped in a cage. If I want to leave, I must break it."
With that conviction, she stomped down firmly, grounding each stride with intention. Though nothing visibly changed, the mere fact that she could run steadied her heart.
"When I was little, I wanted to run as fast as the big sisters on TV. That's why I became an Uma Musume."
"After leaving Hokkaido for Central Tracen Academy, I never returned to this forest… yet I still know it."
"When did I start loving the leading tactic? Perhaps back then. The feeling of being first—of bursting from the trees and seeing the sea."
She could still remember it.
That exhilaration.
Even now, it burned within her.
She ran with absolute focus. Though surrounded by dimness, she did not hesitate. Each step was decisive. Certain.
"The scenery I've awaited— the view Ann expects— the scene the fans yearn to witness—"
Her heart roared.
"I must run it out with these legs!"
In that instant—The forest dissolved like a mirage.
The Tokyo Racecourse reappeared before her, bathed in the golden glow of an autumn afternoon. And this time—Silence Suzuka felt it unmistakably.
The world had changed.