"Rice Shower is catching up from the outside!"
The pitch-black Uma Musume radiated a terrifying aura.
Her focused eyes were nothing like her usual timid, meek self—as if she were a completely different person. Even friends who knew Rice Shower well were startled by her performance now.
"Scary! So scary! I'm going to be killed!"
Taiki Shuttle's face had gone pale as she ran ahead.
The sharp edge and chill coming from behind made her feel like she'd plunged into an ice pit. She could no longer maintain her running rhythm at all.
She just wanted to finish this selection race as quickly as possible.
The finish line. I need to reach the finish line. Not to win—just to escape from that monster's lock-on.
For Taiki Shuttle, who hadn't even debuted yet, the aura Rice Shower was releasing was far too terrifying. This wasn't an opponent someone at her level should be facing!
"Entering the final curve! Currently leading is Number 8, Taiki Shuttle! Number 4, Rice Shower, is also catching up! Can anyone else break free from the pack?"
As the exhausted front-runner dropped back, the pack's momentum was disrupted. Many competitors looked tense.
The only reason Taiki Shuttle had broken free was thanks to the pressure Rice Shower put on her from behind, which let her empty her mind and charge to first place without thinking.
Rice Shower had drafted behind Taiki Shuttle and easily escaped the pack.
It was clear to see—the two of them had pulled considerably ahead of the others.
"Rice Shower is going to win!"
Dark blue flames flickered through Rice Shower's eyes.
A black mist spread from beneath her feet, expanding around her body like a sandstorm.
The next instant, a terrifying sonic boom and thundering footsteps erupted!
Taiki Shuttle stared slack-jawed as the pitch-black figure flashed past her. Wait—what just happened?!
Before she could even react, that terrifying creature had already overtaken her.
And that intensity of aura—wasn't that the "ZONE" mentioned in textbooks?
But wasn't that a legendary skill?
A secret technique that only legendary Uma Musume could use!
This was just a selection race—not even a debut race. Why was someone at this level running with them instead of being scouted by trainers early?
Could she be like that Miho Bourbon?
Planning to earn a campus-recommended debut race slot through the selection race without signing with a trainer?
Damn it!
You people need to stop being so extreme!
The selection race isn't your personal fishing pond to dynamite!
Today she'd finally had a chance to run in peak condition. She never expected to encounter such a jinx.
Though frustrated, Taiki Shuttle looked at the dark figure ahead and understood clearly—she couldn't catch up. This wasn't an opponent someone at her level could handle.
"Is that a skill too?"
Rookie trainer P asked veteran trainer A.
Trainer A shook his head with a serious expression.
"No. That's probably a technique only high-level Uma Musume can master."
"You don't mean—?!"
"That's right. It's ZONE! I never imagined a newcomer would master it before even debuting. I'd heard there were such geniuses overseas, but I never thought..."
Trainer A's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.
"I've decided. I absolutely must sign this competitor!"
Mastering ZONE before debuting—you might not encounter such a genius once in ten or even decades. Even if his chances were slim, he had to try.
P was stunned. He'd never imagined that child—who trained alone at the practice grounds until late every night and seemed somewhat clumsy with racing techniques—was actually a hidden genius all along.
P had noticed Rice Shower early on.
Because Rice Shower often practiced until just before dormitory curfew, and as a rookie trainer, P also frequently stayed late handling miscellaneous duties.
So almost every night, P would see Rice Shower at the training grounds. From his observations, Rice Shower seemed to be the type with weak comprehension ability.
He often saw her practicing the same skill over and over, sometimes for ages without any visible improvement.
He'd never expected to be so wrong. He truly hadn't anticipated Rice Shower would perform so brilliantly once she stepped onto the track.
Seeing his senior's excited expression, P felt happy for Rice Shower too.
...
On the track, Rice Shower was wreathed in that pitch-black aura.
Her skill effects were different from normal ones—no light whatsoever. Only endless darkness.
The higher the skill level, the denser the black aura around her became.
That unique display attracted many people's attention.
"ZONE, huh..."
Air Groove, overseeing this selection race, furrowed her brow.
Unlike the excited trainers around her, her eyes held hidden concern.
Because ZONE wasn't a skill where earlier mastery was better.
If your physical capabilities hadn't reached a certain threshold, mastering this power too early would actually damage your health.
Rice Shower's file was in her hands, containing her enrollment scores.
Rice Shower's enrollment evaluation was decent but nothing particularly outstanding.
At least by Tracen Academy's standards, Rice Shower's scores were only average.
And the examiner at the time hadn't detected that Rice Shower had awakened ZONE.
Air Groove knew this wasn't the examiner's fault.
Though examiners were retired Uma Musume, there were limits to the abilities of those who came back for part-time work.
ZONE was a skill only an extremely small number of Uma Musume could comprehend. Even she, known as the "Empress," hadn't completed her ZONE awakening.
So it wasn't strange that the examiner hadn't noticed Rice Shower's ZONE awakening.
A newcomer who hadn't even debuted possessing ZONE—this wasn't just a pleasant surprise for her and Runa. It was also a massive shock.
"Final 200 meters! Currently leading is Rice Shower!"
The trainer serving as commentator shouted into the microphone:
"Strong! Incredibly strong! Rice Shower's stride doesn't waver at all before the finish line!"
"Can anyone else break through?"
"Number 8, Taiki Shuttle, is chasing desperately!"
That's what the commentary said.
But on the track, first-place Rice Shower and second-place Taiki Shuttle were separated by three lengths—and that gap was still widening.
"Damn it!!!"
Taiki Shuttle gritted her teeth and sprinted.
But the harder she tried, the more despair she felt. Because Rice Shower was still accelerating.
Rice Shower was the type who got stronger in the final stretch.
And with Rice Shower's base stats being what they were, even if she couldn't fully express her capabilities, she was still a final boss that Taiki Shuttle couldn't challenge at this level.
"She's crossed! Rice Shower finishes in first place!"
The instant Rice Shower crossed the finish line, many trainers and spectators watching broke into enthusiastic cheers.
Because Rice Shower's performance in this race was every bit as good as Miho Bourbon's in the previous one.
Though she hadn't achieved a dominant victory with a seven-length lead over second place like Miho Bourbon.
But the two competitors had different running styles—you couldn't evaluate their abilities through such simple paper records.
"You were amazing, Rice Shower!"
Urara ran up to Rice Shower, excitement in her voice. She'd guessed Rice Shower would show a great performance, but she really hadn't expected Rice Shower's strength to reach this level.
"Th-Thank you."
Rice Shower shyly interlaced her fingers.
Her heart was soaring. The cheers and smiles around her—this was the scenery she'd always wanted to see. She was steadily advancing toward her dream, step by step.
Thinking about this, Rice Shower felt wrapped in happiness.
But behind the elated Rice Shower and Urara, the competitors she'd defeated were clenching their fists in frustration.
This was something Rice Shower hadn't noticed yet—or perhaps something she'd subconsciously ignored.
A pitch-black figure wearing a blue rose on her head watched this scene from within Rice Shower's shadow. She had always been there, just not appearing before Rice Shower directly.
Her birth held no special meaning, really. It was simply because Rice Shower focused only on things that sparkled and were beautiful, so the shadowy parts had become her.
Wanting to bring smiles to everyone through racing. Wanting to become everyone's "hero." Rice Shower still hadn't realized this dream was absolutely impossible to achieve in reality.
Races had not only winners but losers. In that sparkling picture book Rice Shower yearned for, there was no space for losers to exist.
"You can't become everyone's hero. But you can be your own hero. I hope you realize that soon."
The pitch-black Overlord sincerely wished for Rice Shower to grasp her own happiness.
...
"Excuse me, Rice Shower. I'm Trainer A. Would you be willing to sign a contract with me?"
Trainer A rushed onto the track without any regard for appearances.
The trainers waiting for Rice Shower to exit saw this and started cursing at him from above.
Urara's eyes went wide. "Rice Shower, Rice Shower! It's a trainer!"
"Y-Yeah."
Rice Shower was also startled by Trainer A's invitation.
Honestly, she was somewhat tempted.
After all, unlike those three before her, she knew she was a bit slow. She wanted to train under a trainer's guidance to become stronger.
But thinking about her unfortunate constitution, Rice Shower quickly shook off that thought.
She couldn't accept a trainer's invitation.
"Um... I'm sorry. Rice Shower... Rice Shower wants to try challenging this alone first."
"Huh?"
Trainer A froze.
He really hadn't expected Rice Shower to reject him for this reason.
He'd already prepared himself for rejection, since a competitor this strong would surely join a professional team or club.
But Rice Shower's reason for rejecting him wasn't that she was signing with another trainer—she wanted to challenge official races alone, like that Miho Bourbon?
Trainer A didn't know that Miho Bourbon chose to debut solo not because she didn't need a trainer, but because she already had one—she was just currently in the middle of running away from home.
A completely different situation from Rice Shower's.
Because Rice Shower truly had no trainer. The reason she had confidence to challenge official races alone was because she possessed those three's memories.
Their memories gave her tremendous encouragement and courage.
"I'm... I'm sorry."
Seeing Trainer A frozen in place, Rice Shower bowed apologetically again.
Trainer A quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, don't be. I was too presumptuous. But if you ever change your mind, I hope you'll consider signing with me."
"Yes... Rice Shower will remember that."
Seeing Rice Shower earnestly commit this to memory, Trainer A actually felt a bit uncomfortable.
"I won't disturb you further then. Goodbye."
Trainer A hurried away.
When he returned to his original spot, Trainer P immediately approached. "Senior, how did it go? Did you sign her?"
"No. That child seems to be planning to challenge official races alone."
Trainer A said it as if it didn't matter. He couldn't very well admit to his junior that he hadn't had much confidence from the start.
"Competing in official races alone?"
P was surprised.
Would an Uma Musume really do that?
This wasn't just a matter of simple words.
Even with campus permission and a recommendation letter, there was still so much to do afterward.
After all, it required the competitor to handle all the trainer's tasks themselves.
Applying for training supplies, race registration procedures, managing personal accounts... and so on.
All these things would fall on the competitor alone.
P looked down at Rice Shower with some concern.
Could that child really handle all of this?
With Trainer A seemingly ready to give up, P felt he might need to pay more attention to Rice Shower's situation going forward.
...
After the selection race.
Rice Shower's application also landed on the Student Council's desk.
Symboli Rudolf looked at the two applications before her.
One from Miho Bourbon. One from Rice Shower.
While the rules did allow this, competitors who had tried it before had all eventually come back with their tails between their legs to find trainers to sign with.
Miho Bourbon's could be set aside for now.
Because Miho Bourbon actually had a trainer—a high-level one at that.
Even though Miho Bourbon was currently in a "runaway" state, Symboli Rudolf knew that trainer was definitely keeping constant watch over her contracted Uma Musume.
So while Miho Bourbon appeared to want to debut in official races alone, she was actually still bound to her trainer.
Only Rice Shower's application truly gave Symboli Rudolf a headache.
Because Rice Shower genuinely had no trainer. There was no hidden trainer in the picture.
...
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