With the arrival of the new year, the Central circuit fell quiet for a short time.
Then, as the many powerhouses returned one after another, it slowly grew lively again.
At the very front of everyone's attention, of course, was the most watched of all: "Chasing Light."
Time slipped into early February.
First up was Obey Your Master.
She chose a G2 graded race, the Saito Kinen, which was originally supposed to have 14 Uma entered but ended up with only 7 at the gate, as the stage for the end of the Japan Cup queen's reign.
There was practically no suspense in that race.
The moment Obey Your Master stepped onto the track, almost all of her opponents felt an invisible pressure descend upon them.
It was the majesty that belonged only to "the strongest in the world."
In the end, Obey Your Master won easily by 5 lengths, drawing a perfect curtain over her brilliant racing career.
Right after that, March followed up with a crushing 7-length victory in a G1 dirt graded race, the February Stakes, loudly announcing her own return. That race saw this silver-white storm once again display suffocating dominance.
Even on dirt, which the outside world assumed was not her main battlefield, she still steamrolled the field, leaving every opponent far behind.
A gap of 7 lengths forced every spectator to recognize it all over again.
In that moment, the title of "strongest currently active" felt thoroughly deserved.
Though anyone who had studied March in detail knew very well:
Compared to turf, dirt was actually her true home ground.
Ardan, too, was close on March's heels, going straight into the Osaka Hai and utterly dismantling the entire field.
That race showed everyone precisely what a "different dimension wall" looked like.
The graceful girl descended onto the track like a goddess. A glass-like radiance wrapped around her figure, making the gap between her and the others painfully clear.
That difference, like a gulf between dimensions, left the others who had run that day recalling it later with nothing but fear and frustration.
"We just… couldn't catch up at all…"
"What even was that…"
"A monster… they're all monsters…"
After the race, more than a few of the other Uma shed tears of sheer frustration.
At the same time, Oguri Cap also returned to the track during this stretch.
With a dominant G2 victory, she told the world that she was still that gray-haired monster, still a presence who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Chasing Light girls.
Even though she'd lost in last year's Arima Kinen, Oguri Cap was still one of the brightest stars on the Central stage.
Her return made the atmosphere across the entire Uma Musume world even more tense.
As the spring races proceeded in steady order, the Tenno Sho (Spring) drew ever closer.
It would be the second leg of Ardan's Spring Triple Crown challenge, and the single most crucial stop in her battle against the Mejiro family's "fate."
And while the old familiar stars continued to shine brilliantly as ever, there was one Uma who seemed to have gone completely quiet: Super Creek.
Three whole months, without entering a single race.
For an active Uma, that was extremely unusual.
Especially for someone like Super Creek, who had always performed so well at Medium and Long distances.
Her silence left many people bewildered.
"What's going on with Super Creek?"
"Is she injured?"
"Or is Trainer Naise building up to something big?"
Across the Central Uma Musume scene, discussions about Super Creek never stopped.
The truth, however, was known only to a handful of people.
…
At Central Tracen Academy, on one of the training tracks.
Boom—!
Footfalls like thunder hammered against the ground.
A figure wreathed in deep blue light streaked down the track at a terrifying speed.
That was the radiance of a Domain.
A realm that only a very small number of Uma could ever set foot in.
But if Kuroha, or any Uma who had reached the Domain level, had been standing here watching, they would have immediately noticed something was wrong.
This deep blue glow, which should have been stable to an extreme, was flickering unsteadily, as if at any moment it might go out.
Like a candle with its oil all but spent, swaying in the wind.
Up in the stands, Naise Fumino silently watched the stopwatch in her hand.
Judging from the lap time alone, it was without a doubt an outstanding result. In fact, it could even be called top-class.
But for some reason, a knot of frustration had been sitting in her chest all this time.
It felt as if a boulder were pressing on her heart. A vague, nameless weight coiled in her chest, making it impossible for her, for these past days, to decide whether she really should let Super Creek race.
"…Why is it like this…"
Fumino muttered under her breath, her gaze complicated as she looked toward the figure on the track.
She could feel it.
Super Creek's condition was off.
But she couldn't say where, exactly.
The times were still excellent, but that indescribable sense of wrongness left this trainer deeply uneasy.
"Haa…"
Fumino exhaled softly and tightened her grip on the stopwatch.
No matter what, they wouldn't be able to avoid the Tenno Sho (Spring) next month.
It was the race that suited Creek best.
And Ardan was not on the same level as Inari One.
The pressure would be much, much lighter than last year.
In last year's Tenno Sho (Spring), Super Creek had stood on the same track as Inari One at her peak.
Even though Inari One had retired by year's end, what Creek had faced then was a living legend who had never tasted defeat.
That race, Super Creek had lost with absolute conviction.
But this year was different.
Inari One had retired.
And while Ardan was strong, she wasn't at the "absolutely unbeatable" tier that Inari One had been.
At least, that was what Fumino believed.
"…This is the best chance Creek is ever going to get…"
With that thought in mind, Fumino raised a hand toward the track and motioned for Super Creek to stop.
Then she turned and walked down from the stands.
Tap.
Her steps came to a halt at the bottom.
Once she had received Fumino's signal, Super Creek eased off and came to a stop as well.
Her eyes, which were always so gentle, flickered slightly as she noticed that her trainer had turned her back.
The girl's body suddenly trembled.
Her finely honed, long legs felt as if they would give out on her at any moment, and it was only through sheer willpower that she kept herself standing.
"Haa… haa…"
Super Creek drew in deep breaths. Sweat dripped down from her forehead onto her bangs, soaking them through.
She could feel it.
Her body was crying out.
Not with the fatigue that came from heavy training, but with a vague, hard-to-describe weakness.
It was as though something inside her was slowly draining away, bit by bit.
"Why…"
Creek sucked in a breath and raised her trembling hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.
At this distance… why am I this exhausted?
Her eyes dimmed as a possibility flashed through her mind.
The one possibility she had never wanted to face.
But she immediately shook her head hard, flinging that thought away.
"It's fine… it's fine…"
She whispered under her breath, as if trying to convince herself.
"I just haven't adjusted my condition yet…"
"By the time the Tenno Sho (Spring) comes, I'll… I definitely will…"
By then, Fumino had already come down from the stands and was waving to her from a short distance away.
Seeing this, Super Creek hurriedly straightened out her expression, put on that bright, cheerful smile again, and jogged over to her trainer.
"Trainer~! How was my time today?"
She asked with a smile, her voice brimming with energy.
As if that weak, faltering figure from moments before had never existed.
Looking at her like this, Fumino suddenly felt as if maybe she really was overthinking it.
"…It was very good, Creek." she said quietly, reaching out to pat the girl's head.
"Keep this condition up, and we'll definitely win the Tenno Sho (Spring) next month."
"Mm!" Super Creek nodded hard, a firm light shining in her eyes.
…
The sun dipped toward the western horizon.
The training grounds slowly emptied out.
Super Creek and Fumino walked back along the path toward the dorms, one in front and one behind.
The girl's shadow was stretched long by the evening sun.
Like a lonely silhouette.
And in the place Fumino could not see,
Those eyes that were always so gentle flickered with a deep, deep unease.
(End of Chapter)
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