"Most popular pick! Number 12! Tokai Teio!"
The female commentator's passionate voice was blurred by the pounding rain, but Xiu Xingmeng could still sense just how highly anticipated her opponent was from the thunderous cheers of the crowd that seemed to pierce through the walls.
Leaning against the cold wall, her black horse ears drooping weakly, she stared straight down at the ground beneath her feet, as if trying to find something—anything—on that dull, lifeless floor.
"My very first debut race… and I have to face a prodigy like this?"
She let out a soft sigh, the corners of her lips curling into a bitter smile, as though mocking her own circumstances.
"First my mother suddenly fell seriously ill and slipped into a coma, forcing me to take on part-time jobs just to cover her medical expenses."
"I pushed myself to get into Tracen Academy, but before I could even celebrate, I was hit with the news that our family's savings were nearly exhausted."
"I didn't even have time to look for a trainer and signed up for the debut race myself, thinking maybe—just maybe—I could get into the top three with a bit of luck. At least the prize money would ease the pressure…"
"And because I was too busy working, I never even checked the participant list… only to find out now that I have to face someone like that…"
Muttering to herself, Xiu Xingmeng suddenly kicked hard against the wall behind her. The metallic echo reverberated through the already empty entrance corridor, lingering for a long time before fading.
"Even though this is already my second life… I'm still this useless."
She took a deep breath, forcing all her frustration and pressure back down into her heart. As far as venting went, that was enough. Any more complaints would only weigh her down before the race.
Straightening up from the wall, she steadied herself, taking her full weight again. With practiced ease, she retied the red ribbon in her hand, forming her signature single ponytail.
This wasn't the time for self-pity.
It was time to step forward.
As if responding to her resolve, the commentator's voice rang out across the stadium.
"Number 13, Xiu Xingmeng!"
Answering the call, the black-haired, black-eyed Umamusume stepped into the curtain of rain.
What she didn't notice was that, as her focus shifted entirely to the racetrack, a cold, inorganic voice echoed in her ear.
"Detection… successful…"
"Umamusume… reproduction… initializing…"
"Scenario… constructed…"
"Worldline… overwritten."
Behind her, a bright red, circular alarm clock suddenly appeared in the entrance passage. Its ticking echoed clearly through the empty corridor.
"Initial mission constructed."
"Objective—win the debut race!"
As Xiu Xingmeng stepped onto the field—when her feet truly touched the green turf—she finally understood what the name Tokai Teio meant.
Without the barrier of concrete, the crowd's feverish cheers surged straight into her ears. Under that blazing intensity, it felt as if even the gray curtain of rain had evaporated. A faint white haze seemed to rise around her, enveloping her entirely.
The unbearable heat made her feel, for a fleeting moment, as though she were being roasted over flames.
But… wasn't it raining?
The sensation—so completely at odds with common sense—vanished the moment she became aware of it, like an illusion.
Yet for some reason, her instincts told her that what she had felt was not merely her imagination.
Perhaps… this was something every Umamusume experienced once they stepped onto the track.
The will to compete.
The desire to win.
The reasons one must not lose.
The outcome one absolutely could not accept.
All of it, combined with the visible presence of overwhelmingly powerful opponents, formed something that would only exist for a few minutes—yet was undeniably real.
The battlefield of the Umamusume.
Following the direction where that intense heat had felt strongest, Xiu Xingmeng raised her head.
A petite Umamusume with crescent-shaped white bangs stood ahead of her, back turned, waving enthusiastically to the roaring crowd.
"So… that's Tokai Teio."
Xiu Xingmeng stared at the small figure nearly swallowed by the rain, unable to look away.
"This level of cheering… this kind of passion… is this what the audience calls a true rising star?"
She narrowed her eyes. The rain blurred her vision, yet it felt as though she could almost grasp the fervent cheers surrounding Tokai Teio.
"She's amazing, isn't she? Tokai Teio."
A stranger's voice sounded beside her, pulling her back to reality.
Turning toward the source, she saw a Umamusume with reddish-brown hair lightly twirling a strand around her finger, her gaze fixed on Tokai Teio in the distance as she spoke softly.
Noticing Xiu Xingmeng's attention, the girl smiled and introduced herself first.
"My name is Nice Nature. Even though my name sounds like that, I'm not actually that talented. You can just call me Nature."
Blinking her brown eyes, she continued:
"And you? I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a freshman this year?"
Xiu Xingmeng had just opened her mouth to respond when the commentator's voice, echoing across the racetrack, interrupted her.
"All runners, take your positions!"
Nice Nature mouthed "we'll talk after the race" to her, waved, and jogged off toward her assigned lane.
"Not that talented…?"
Watching the girl who had shown her such kindness, Xiu Xingmeng murmured to herself.
She shook her head, saying nothing more. Slapping her cheeks lightly, she stepped into her position—lane thirteen.
Inside the narrow starting gate, all she could see was the green track stretching ahead.
The cheers of the crowd, the commentator's voice—everything around her seemed to synchronize with her heartbeat.
Bang!
The gate burst open.
In that instant, all the pent-up energy exploded outward. Xiu Xingmeng surged forward onto the track, the world around her distorting with speed, like frosted glass separating her from the other runners and the spectators.
On the racetrack—
was the battlefield.
Gritting her teeth, she sprinted forward with everything she had. Even as her speed became fast enough to tear through the rain, she still couldn't break free from the pack.
Because everyone on this track… was an Umamusume.
Because everyone standing here possessed that same speed.
Unwilling, Xiu Xingmeng narrowed her eyes. Through the gaps in the crowded field, she caught sight of a white streak ahead—so far ahead it seemed to pierce through the rain itself—growing more and more distant…
Until, before one of the turns, it vanished from her sight completely.
For an Umamusume, a race was brief.
But for Xiu Xingmeng, it felt endlessly long.
From the moment the race began, she had already realized the outcome of defeat—yet she was carried along by the flow of the pack, forced to run to the very end.
Only when she crossed the finish line did that bone-deep torment finally end.
Breathing heavily, she stood among the other runners, staring at the figure ahead—the white crescent now basking in the cheers of the crowd.
In the gray curtain of rain, only one person could be the protagonist.
"…Is it over?"
"But… I still… can't accept it…"
Her gaze grew unfocused as she looked at the cheering crowd. In the next instant, the world in her vision abruptly transformed into streaks of inverted white lines.
Her eyes widened—
yet nothing had changed.
This was not an illusion born from her dazed state.
This was reality.
"What—"
Before she could finish speaking, a cold mechanical voice echoed inside her mind.
"Initial mission failed… resetting…"
"Current failure count: one."
The sound of gears turning rang out, like machinery being fueled and set into motion. The heat of molten metal seemed to fill her vision, shrouding everything in a burning haze.
When Xiu Xingmeng opened her eyes again—
she was back in the entrance corridor.
At her feet stood a red, circular alarm clock, ticking steadily.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
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