Chapter 69. A Sunday Without God — End
Silence Suzuka held the lead as she swept around the fourth turn and entered the final straight. Behind her, Sunny Brian began preparing for her finishing burst.
Yet the ten-horse-length gap in front of her caused a flicker of hesitation.
"If not for that strange deceleration just now—the distance would still be fifteen lengths or more, wouldn't it?"
The thought lasted only a heartbeat.
"There are still more than 500 meters to the finish. It's not time to give up."
She leaned forward, shifted her center of gravity, widened her stride—and the moment she exited the fourth bend, her speed surged.
But the earliest acceleration belonged to Stay Gold.
Even before fully entering the fourth bend, she had already begun to quicken. Using that early burst, she rose from the back of the field to fourth place, locking onto Offside Trap's shadow.
When Offside Trap sensed Stay Gold's explosive approach, her focus was instinctively drawn back. Only after fifty meters, once Stay Gold's momentum stabilized, did Offside Trap snap her attention forward again—toward Sunny Brian.
"Silence Suzuka faltered slightly earlier—but she seems fine now. I can't relax."
Several years of battling in the Twinkle Series had carved experience deep into her bones. She understood instantly—hesitation now meant defeat.
"I can't gamble on her collapsing in the straight. I have to chase here."
Then a wry thought struck her.
"Why did I choose to follow Sunny Brian's pacing? Now she's chasing ten lengths—and I'm chasing even more. Honestly—can anyone really close that gap?"
She had seen Uma Musume accomplish such feats.
But none of them were here today.
"So fast—I've never felt this before."
When Silence Suzuka crossed the 400-meter mark, surprise flickered across her mind.
Her lungs did not burn.
Her body did not protest.
It felt as though the race had just begun.
She did not understand what had changed within her—but that could wait.
"I'll ask Ann afterward. He'll know."
Ahead lay the uphill stretch of Tokyo Racecourse's final straight.
"Silence Suzuka shows no sign of slowing! What did she see behind the great zelkova tree? She looks even stronger than during the Takarazuka Kinen!"
"Sunny Brian is still chasing—but the gap barely shrinks! Meanwhile, Offside Trap advances from the outside!"
"Stay Gold has accelerated again—her fighting spirit rekindled!"
"This is absurd—" Stay Gold complained inwardly. "One looks like fragile porcelain, the other hasn't fully recovered—and yet the faster they run, the more unstoppable they become?"
…
Shuta Ann stared without blinking.
Silence Suzuka's figure grew clearer and clearer in his sight. His heartbeat quickened in sync with hers.
"Is this…the miracle I created?"
Under ordinary circumstances, her performance would not have shaken him like this. But after witnessing her original fate through the attribute viewer, understanding the fracture that once awaited her—
Tears streamed freely down his face.
"Trainer? What's wrong?"
With assistance from Tokyo Racecourse staff, Agnes Digital had made her way to his side. She noticed the young man silently weeping.
"Nothing."
He blinked hard, never taking his eyes off Suzuka.
"She's fine. I'm just…relieved."
"That's wonderful," Agnes Digital replied softly.
Silence Suzuka stepped onto the Slope Road.
Her speed visibly dipped.
Yet when she glanced back, Sunny Brian remained nearly ten lengths behind.
"I only need to maintain this for 200 meters."
She understood precisely.
Instead of attempting another stage of acceleration, she redistributed her stamina, easing slightly—ensuring a stable rhythm through the finish.
Sunny Brian, Offside Trap, and Stay Gold all felt a flicker of hope when they sensed her slowdown.
"She's losing speed."
But the moment they themselves reached the Slope Road, their spirits plunged.
Because Suzuka's climbing pace was not inferior to theirs.
"So that wasn't weakness—it was the slope!" Stay Gold gritted inwardly. "I was fooled! After maintaining that pace, she still has strength left? I have to push again—or I'll never catch her!"
…
"Silence Suzuka! Final 100 meters! Still driving forward! Can she hold on?!"
The commentator's cry echoed the hearts of the crowd.
And Shuta Ann—Was utterly certain.
"After crossing the great zelkova tree… after breaking free from destiny… she shattered her limits like bamboo splitting open. She's entered the 'Zone,' just like Oguri."
A faint smile curved his lips.
Yet in the final dozens of meters, her speed dropped noticeably.
The early deceleration and re-acceleration had disrupted her rhythm. The opening 1000 meters in 57.4 seconds had exacted their toll. Even so, this slowdown exceeded all expectations of her rivals.
"It's unbelievable…" Sunny Brian smiled bitterly. "How did she ever choose not to lead last year?"
"I can probably only pass Sunny Brian…" Offside Trap strained, though her mood was heavy.
"I've done all I can. I won't reach her." Stay Gold recognized the reality—and ceased forcing it.
Under those circumstances—Silence Suzuka crossed the finish line lightly.
"I did it."
At that instant, she felt something slip away from her body.
"What the three goddesses could not resolve—you resolved."
The attribute viewer reappeared before Shuta Ann.
"You accumulated the power of miracles and granted Silence Suzuka the possibility of breaking free from destiny. Continue your efforts in the Dream World."
"So it was by racing in the Dream World… accumulating this 'power of miracles'… that Suzuka could escape?"
He murmured.
"Then I truly must work harder."
He had not forgotten Tokai Teio's fate.
"I will absolutely help her fulfill her long-cherished wish."
But before any of that—
There was something he had to do now.
He moved toward Silence Suzuka.
On the track, after slowing from her momentum, Suzuka instinctively turned her gaze toward the stands near the finish.
"Eh?"
She didn't see him.
Just as she prepared to search—
"Congratulations, Suzuka."
Before she could turn, he was already there, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"Welcome back," he whispered beside her ear.
"I'm so glad… you returned safely."
—
Although Silence Suzuka successfully completed the race and claimed her fourth G1 title, Shuta Ann immediately proposed canceling the winning live performance and bringing her to the hospital for a full examination instead.
"Regardless of the result, there was a sudden loss of speed during the race. If she performs the winning live now, any latent injury might worsen," he explained frankly to Symboli Rudolf.
"There will need to be compensation for today's audience—or a rescheduled performance," Symboli Rudolf reminded him. "After all, Silence Suzuka had the overwhelming support of the crowd. If she wins but doesn't appear for the winning live, her fans will be disappointed."
"I understand. I'll make a decision after confirming her physical condition," Shuta Ann replied.
Just as he was about to put his phone away, another message arrived.
For entering Tokyo Racecourse without authorization, he was to pay a fine of 100,000 yen to the URA Association the following day. Additionally, the URA intended to state publicly that he had been pushed into the venue and would need to align his statements accordingly.
"I'll pay the fine tomorrow," he answered after a pause. "But there's no need to fabricate the explanation. I broke the rules because I was worried about Silence Suzuka. If you claim I was pushed, the media will investigate who pushed me. The closest person at the time was a friend of Mejiro Dober's—still an elementary division student at Central Tracen Academy. She shouldn't be dragged into this."
"I'll relay that," Symboli Rudolf responded.
After ending the exchange, Shuta Ann slipped his phone into his pocket and waited outside for the physician from the University of Tokyo Hospital to deliver the examination results.
"I hope it's nothing serious—If that slowdown was only momentary, that would be best," he murmured.
His phone vibrated again.
"Ann, should I return to Tokyo and go to the hospital?" The message was from Oguri Cap.
"I'm not injured," he replied. "And Suzuka hasn't been confirmed injured either. If I need help, I'll contact you and Berno."
Oguri Cap lowered her phone, muttering, "Even though she finished and won—that condition looked like an injury to me."
"But you can't conclude that without a doctor's diagnosis," Berno Light reminded gently. "Didn't Ann say he'll ask if he needs us?"
Oguri Cap sighed.
"This Dream Trophy Series doesn't feel the same as the Twinkle Series. I can race Tamamo and the seniors, but the all-out determination isn't there. It makes it hard for me to push myself too—I'd feel out of place."
She pouted slightly.
"If I weren't afraid of having nothing to do, I might stop participating altogether."
"At least not for the next few years," she added quietly, tugging at Berno Light's sleeve. "I want to learn other things. Even if I step away from racing, I don't want to just sit at home."
"That's something to discuss with Ann," Berno Light replied with a blink. "And honestly, besides racing…Oguri doesn't seem particularly skilled at anything else yet."
"That makes me sound completely useless," Oguri Cap flopped backward dramatically.
—
At the hospital, Shuta Ann saw the attending physician emerge.
"Shuta Trainer, hello."
The middle-aged doctor nodded, then handed over the examination report without preamble.
"Thank you." Shuta Ann accepted it and read carefully as the doctor continued.
"Miss Silence Suzuka was fortunate. The temporary loss of speed was likely due to a bone fracture, but the subsequent high-intensity running did not aggravate it. She will require a cast and approximately two months of hospitalization. As for rehabilitation training, I believe no one in Japan understands her condition better than Mr. Shuta."
Relief washed through him.
"Thank you." He bowed deeply. "I'll proceed with the admission procedures."
"No need for thanks. Your choice of the University of Tokyo Hospital is endorsement enough," the doctor said, stepping aside to avoid the bow. After a slight hesitation, he added, "My child is actually a fan of yours. Would it be possible to request an autograph?"
"My fan?" Shuta Ann blinked in surprise before nodding. "Of course."
Though inwardly he wondered what was so admirable about an Uma Musume trainer.
After completing the paperwork and paying the necessary fees, he contacted Oguri Cap again to confirm that she and Berno Light would assist in caring for Suzuka. Then he stood quietly outside Silence Suzuka's private room.
He inhaled slowly.
Pushed the door open with care.
Inside, Silence Suzuka lay resting with her eyes closed. He entered quietly and sat beside her bed.
For a time, only the rhythm of their breathing filled the room.
"I knew the leading strategy could strain the body," he murmured softly. "That's why I always emphasized controlled pacing…never pushing too fast, never overburdening you."
His voice grew faint.
"I truly didn't expect today."
"When I saw you lose speed…for a moment, I even wished I could take your injury in your place."
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