Chapter 108: Shadow Breakers

────Not enough.

Not enough, not enough, not enough.

Dark. Unfulfilled. Dull. It doesn’t resonate. It doesn’t settle in my gut…

Or perhaps, simply—thirst.

What words could possibly describe this feeling, this craving welling up from deep inside me?

Back then. Before I ever knew hunger.

I chased the back in front of me—the swaying ashen-gray hair, that familiar presence. Whenever I tried to catch up, her back pulled even farther away, and seeing that, I pushed my legs faster still… My sister and I kept elevating each other without end.

…Yes.

Right up until the moment I finally passed her.

That sense of fulfillment that filled me to the core in those days. Giving it everything, clashing head-on with someone else, heat against heat as we chased victory—that feeling.

Even now, I’m still chasing it.

…But.

Reality bared its fangs at me.

"I can’t… anymore… This is the worst… Why does someone that fast have to be here…?"

"No waaaay… Even going all out, there’s no beating her."

The heat drains away.

Whenever they run with me, everyone—without exception—loses their fire.

I wandered. Through countless classrooms, unsanctioned races, even Uma Musume who had fallen from the capital… searching for someone who could satisfy my thirst.

Of course, among them were Uma Musume who surpassed me.
There were times I couldn’t win against those who had entered their true prime.
There were even moments when seeing someone cross the finish line ahead of me ignited an unbearable heat in my chest.

But.

Even so, the ending never changed.

"How—how can someone who hasn’t even hit her prime beat me!? My—my two years were…!!"

"That’s impossible! This is wrong! There’s no way I could lose—to a kid like this!?"

Right before my eyes, heat, flame, light—all of it goes out.

The wind I create when I run snuffs out their fire.

That… was what I hated.

Not only losing the joy of running myself… but knowing that they might never run again.

And yet, I couldn’t forget that moment of fulfillment, that fleeting brilliance.
So I kept running, and running, and running… until eventually, there was nowhere left to run.

Little by little, I drifted closer to resignation.
That I would probably never experience that joyful running again.
That I was simply too strong to run just for fun.

I told myself that was just how things were, gave up, and started cutting myself off from it all…

…And then, one day.

"Brian. Let’s go to the Central Tracen Academy’s Spring Grand Appreciation Festival."

That’s what my sister—my big sister—said to me.

---

The Spring Grand Appreciation Festival at Tracen Academy buzzed with fans and Uma Musume alike.
Brought there by my sister, I stood absentmindedly watching the competitions unfold before me.

Speed-eating contests, giant jump rope, scavenger races…
Just glancing around brought countless events into view, each one packed with dozens—no, hundreds—of Uma Musume battling it out.

There are so many Uma Musume here. At Tracen Academy.
Bay, dark bay, chestnut, gray. Some I recognize, some I don’t.
And every single one of them is among the nation’s elite—top-tier racers.

Central Tracen Academy imposes an exceptionally strict entrance exam.
Like any normal school, there’s a written test, but according to my sister, what matters most is the practical portion… in other words, racing ability as a competitive Uma Musume.

Dirt, sprint, mile, middle-distance, long-distance. You run three races at your chosen specialty distance—formats of one, nine, and eighteen runners—and your times and race development determine whether you pass.
Apparently the test is brutal. Even my sister barely made the cut.

She claimed, "My read was off and my original plan fell apart. If I had another shot, I’d run it better," but… setting that aside.

In short, the Uma Musume enrolled at Tracen Academy must be an assembly of elites on par with my sister.

And seeing them like this, it’s obvious—they’re all stronger than the Uma Musume from my old region.
Strong enough that even if I ran alongside them now… I probably wouldn’t win.

…But.

We could probably have a good race.
I could at least close in on their backs.

And when that happens… those Uma Musume would…

"How—how can someone who hasn’t even hit her prime beat me!? My—my two years were…!!"

A scream I’d heard once before echoes in my ears, and I can’t help but grimace.

About a year ago, seeking stronger opponents, I raced a Uma Musume who had transferred from the capital.
The result? I lost.
By two lengths.

Her credentials of having reached Central Tracen, and the physical boost of entering her prime—
I couldn’t overturn either.

And yet…

Even so, her light vanished right before my eyes.
Feeling as though her own efforts had been denied, she lost sight of why she ran at all—and stopped.

That sight still haunts me.

The back I had been chasing comes to a halt.
The light I aimed for is extinguished.
My longing comes to an end.

──Just like that moment when I surpassed my sister’s back.

That’s why I thirst.

I want that feeling of fulfillment again. I miss those joyful days.
So I run with other Uma Musume…

…And then what? Do I extinguish another light?
Do I crush another Uma Musume for the sake of my own selfishness?

My thoughts circle back there again.
No matter how many times I revisit it, I always end up in the same place.

I want to run.
I want to feel that ecstasy again—chasing the back of a strong Uma Musume.

But when I run, the other Uma Musume breaks.
My strength, my talent, drives them into despair.
…An elongated shadow smothers the light.

I kept challenging others in search of someone who wouldn’t be crushed by that shadow.
In the end… such an Uma Musume never existed.

If they’re from Central Tracen, maybe—just maybe—they could satisfy my thirst.
Maybe they could keep running ahead of me, unfazed by my shadow.

Somewhere in my heart, I held onto that hope…

"No good."

"Brian?"

In the end, nothing changes.

I—Narita Brian—am strong.
But a strong light casts a strong shadow, and that shadow devours other lights.
And when all the light around me disappears… someday, even my own brilliant light will be swallowed by shadow.

Nothing changes.
It never changes.

That future—where even I am consumed by shadow.

I grew sick of it… no, the smiles of those shining Uma Musume were simply too dazzling.

I stepped away from my sister’s side, turned my eyes from the Uma Musume competing in the events, and started walking.

Why can’t I enjoy myself like they do?
Is being born strong a sin?
Are talented Uma Musume not even allowed to enjoy running?

Lost in tormenting thoughts, I wandered aimlessly…

And then.

"Ugh."

"Whoa—!"

…That’s when I met her.

---

The one I collided with around the corner was a bay-haired Uma Musume.

She was probably a Tracen Academy student—she wore the uniform.
Bay-colored hair cut to a semi-long length, with a single dark-bay lock hanging down in front.
Her wide eyes, a pale bluish-white, looked at me with mild surprise as I sat there on the ground.

Her height… maybe a head shorter than me.
Though they say that once a Uma Musume enters her prime, her physique settles into an optimal racing form—so size alone doesn’t tell you much about age.

…Still. This Uma Musume.
I can’t shake the feeling I’ve seen her somewhere before…

"Are you okay? Sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry. Um—can you stand?"

"I’m fine."

Ignoring the hand she offered, I stood up on my own.
Strength isn’t decided purely by body size, but even so, being helped up by a smaller Uma Musume grates on me.
…Though really, given that I was the only one who fell over after bumping into her, pride was already a lost cause.

"Mm, doesn’t look like you’re hurt. That’s a relief."

"I said I’m fine."

"Haha, right. …So, what were you doing back here behind the school buildings? Did you get separated from your mom and dad?"

Looking up at me—someone a full head taller—she treated me like a child, her expression relaxed.
Honestly, it did irritate me…

"…Leave me alone."

More than that, though, I was afraid.
Afraid that the shadow stretching out from me would stain this bay-haired Uma Musume’s innocent expression.

That’s why I tried to leave quickly, without getting involved any further—but…

"Brian!"

Just then, a familiar voice—apparently chasing after me—rang out.
…What awful timing.

"Big sis…"

Turning around, I see my sister—her abundant ashen-gray hair catching the light.

The sister I should have shaken off halfway here seems to have kept chasing after me regardless, approaching with an expression that looks faintly irritated.

…No, that’s not irritation.

She’s just worried about me.

"Honestly… you suddenly took off running, so I thought something had happened…"

Striding straight toward me, my sister—

Stopped dead when she noticed the Uma Musume standing behind me.

Her eyes widened, her gaze flicking subtly as she tried to take in every detail.

…That sister of mine is tense?

As I furrow my brow, she mutters,

"Hoshino Wilm… senpai?"

Hoshino Wilm.

I’ve heard that name before.

That’s right—she’s the Uma Musume who achieved the Classic Triple Crown last year, the first time in seven years.

I was too focused on my own races to see it firsthand, but still…

…This bay-haired shrimp?

"You’re Hoshino Wilm?"

"Hm? Yeah, I’m Hoshino Wilm, but…"

The bay-haired Uma Musume—no, Hoshino Wilm—looks at me with mild surprise, then quickly shifts her gaze to my sister.

"Oh—wait, could it be… you’re Biwa Hayahide-chan?"

Her expression softening slightly, Hoshino Wilm trots over to my sister, her steps light and quick. In response, my sister’s eyes widen.

"…! You know me? Even though I haven’t debuted yet—I’m still a junior-class Uma Musume."

"Yeah. Ayumu-san… my trainer was keeping an eye on you, and I’m personally interested too."

"I’m surprised. I’d heard that you don’t really remember other Uma Musume’s names."

"Well… yeah, I can’t really deny that. But I do remember the promising ones. Your landslide win in the selection race was pretty widely talked about.

"And I’d been thinking I wanted to talk to you sometime. Your goal’s the Classic Triple Crown, right?"

"…Yes. For now, that’s my main objective."

"Mm, I see. So you’ve got a personal goal you want to achieve on the turf beyond that."

"! …Yes."

"Nice. Kids who have a reason to run always grow strong. I’m looking forward to seeing you out there.

"…Oh, hey, aren’t you thirsty? I’ll treat you to something from that vending machine. Cola, maybe. I’ll let it go flat for you?"

"Uh—let it… go flat?"

"…Huh? That didn’t get the reaction I expected. Why not?"

As Hoshino Wilm chats with my sister, I find myself almost reaching out toward her.

…Standing right there is the second Uma Musume in history to achieve an undefeated Triple Crown.

The strongest active Uma Musume, who claimed six G1 titles with her wildly unconventional front-running style.

A prodigy who became the first ever to win a Grand Prix race—the Takarazuka Kinen—while still in the Classic class.

A many-faceted first-magnitude star, balancing glacial composure with blazing passion.

Or perhaps… a living, breathing myth of the present age, capable of overturning the impossible.

There are countless labels that point to Hoshino Wilm.

Proof of how many people—how many Uma Musume—have had their eyes burned by her vivid light.

And so I, too, am drawn to that light, almost reaching out toward it…

…But my hand stops halfway.

Her brilliance is undeniable—overwhelmingly so.

To chase after that radiant back, stretching out a hand in hopes of someday reaching it—that would surely be the greatest experience imaginable.

…But.

That light, too, might be swallowed by my shadow.

If she runs with me, she might end up wearing that look… those eyes devoid of hope.

At the thought, my fingertips tremble.

And yet, at the same time, I can’t forget my thirst.

The hand I extended cuts uselessly through empty air.

While I’m caught in that hesitation, Hoshino Wilm speaks up.

"So… what’s the deal with the dark-bay girl who’s been glaring at me like she wants blood? You called her your big sister, right?"

"Yes. My precious little sister."

"Huh, is that so. …Yeah, I thought she looked familiar. She was the girl next to you in the second term, Hayahide-chan. I think I saw her somewhere during the first term too, but… hmm?"

She murmurs something so quietly that even an Uma Musume’s hearing can barely catch it—

A prey, giving off an irresistibly delicious scent.

…Ah, damn it. I can’t hold it back.

The beastly instinct inside me.

"Hey. You."

"Hm? What is it?"

Hoshino Wilm turns to face me, unfazed by the sharp, feral glare I direct at her, calmly prompting me to continue.

That utterly ideal composure, that overwhelming confidence, that light—

"Run with me. Race me."

"Nope. Can’t do that."

She rejects me instantly, without a moment’s thought.

Not out of dislike—her tone is simply one of stating the obvious.

"Why."

"Well, there are two main reasons."

As she says that, Hoshino Wilm raises one finger.

"I’ll start with the one you’ll probably find boring. If you want to do a practice race with a registered racing Uma Musume, you have to clear it with the other person’s trainer.

"Our condition and stamina are entirely managed by our contracted trainers. Which means we can’t just do whatever we want.

"If you want me to take it even remotely seriously, getting my trainer’s permission is non-negotiable."

That’s… impossible.

I haven’t even enrolled at Tracen Academy yet.

I don’t have a contracted trainer—and of course, no connections to approach hers.

…But there’s no way I can give up over something like that.

As I narrow my eyes, she gives a faint, wry smile and raises a second finger.

"And more importantly—right now, you’re simply not worthy of being my opponent.

"You haven’t hit your prime yet. In your current state, you couldn’t even enter my sensory range within ten lengths. The race wouldn’t even function."

Between you and me lies an absolute, insurmountable gap.

That’s what the bay-haired racing Uma Musume before me is declaring.

I don’t feel irritated by it.

No—if anything, a shivering thrill of joy wells up from the depths of my chest.

Right now, she’s running ahead of me.

There’s a back to chase, a light to aim for, right in front of my eyes.

How precious that fleeting moment is—the brief span before I finally overtake it.

That’s exactly why—

I want to run with this Uma Musume.

I want to surpass that back.

"Please. I’ll do anything I can."

"No, I said it’s impossible. Like I told you, without hitting your prime, you still can’t run with me.

"…I mean, why are you so desperate to race me anyway? Are you starving for an opponent?"

"I’m starving… yes. I’m hungry and parched."

I don’t know how to put this feeling into words so that someone else could truly understand it. And so, it ended up as something abstract…

But Hoshino Wilm, after hearing just that much, nods as if it were obvious.

"Ah. I see."

"Yeah, I think I get it. That’s what it is.

"Well, it’s not all that rare. Uma Musume who make it to Central are often undefeated back home, you know. Me, for example—this isn’t me bragging, but even with a running style and distance that didn’t suit me, I kept winning by huge margins. And while you’re running like that, the other girls around you lose their motivation, until there’s no one left who can really run with you anymore… that part’s not unusual either."

She identifies the true nature of my thirst with astonishing ease.

Yes—there’s a lack of Uma Musume who can run alongside me. I can “run away alone,” but I can no longer truly “compete.” That, more than anything else, is my inescapable thirst.

"Then…"

"No, that won’t work. I’ve said it before, but at our current levels, you and I can’t really ‘compete.’ If you’re going to ask someone, ask a different girl. You’d probably have a good match with the Junior-class girls this year."

"…That won’t do either. My shadow would just stop their legs again."

The words slipped out before I could stop them—vague, muddled, like a confession of weakness. Hearing them, Hoshino Wilm rested a hand on her chin and fell into thought.

"Hmm? Shadow, shadow… like a mirror image? No, more like the secondary effects of one’s actions… Ah, I see. If an obsession with competition is born at this stage, then that’s what happens… I was always just thinking about not losing, so this is where the difference shows up."

She muttered to herself for a few seconds, then nodded once. "Alright."

Turning back to face me, she spoke again.

"I’ve got a rough idea of what you want and where you’re coming from. But still, I can’t run together with you. …That said, I’ll run for you instead. I’ve got a mock race at 12:30, C Block, lane four. Come watch."

"You want me to watch your running?"

"No. That’s not it."

Hoshino Wilm smiled at me—no, not a gentle smile, but a sly grin. The kind of grin you’d give while mocking an immature child, or finding them amusing—an unmistakably mean-spirited expression.

"What I want you to watch in that race isn’t me. It’s the other Uma Musume. …The Twinkle Series girls you’re completely underestimating."

She said something I didn’t quite understand.

---

Judging by the results alone, it would be fair to call the mock race brutal.

The gap between first place and second was over twenty lengths. From the very start, it was hopelessly one-sided. Against a living legend—the strongest in the country—G2-winless Uma Musume never stood a chance.

In other words, it was a display of the Ashen Dragon’s overwhelming power—a stark symbol of an undeniable disparity… a defeat far too decisive for the Uma Musume involved.

…And precisely because of that, the ones watching the runners other than Hoshino Wilm—rather than the enormous gap itself—were probably only me and a handful of others.

What Hoshino Wilm told me to watch wasn’t her, but “the Uma Musume other than me.” And so, I kept my eyes not on her as she tore ahead at the front, but on the Uma Musume running behind her.

…Even catching her at the edge of my vision, it was obvious. An overwhelming start. A savage acceleration no one could hope to catch. A finishing kick that didn’t fade at the end, but sharpened instead. Among all the runners in that mock race, she alone existed on a completely different plane.

Ah… as expected, Hoshino Wilm really is a monster. Like me, her light is so strong that it casts an enormous shadow, blotting out the light of others.

And because of that, I understand. Her shadow should have extinguished the light of every other Uma Musume.

Despair should have smothered their hope. Between themselves and Hoshino Wilm lay a gap that could never be closed. No matter how much they trained, how much they refined their strategies, how much they endured—it wouldn’t matter. At the very first, unavoidable stage—the difference in raw talent—it was already decided that they “couldn’t beat Hoshino Wilm.”

To have that shown so blatantly, right before their eyes… from their perspective, it would be like having all the effort they’d built up denied. Their hopes should have been crushed, their eyes clouded beyond saving.

It was a future that seemed impossible to avoid… and more than once, I almost looked away from them.

…And yet.

"…What?"

My assumption was wrong.

Not a single one of them gave up mid-race. When Hoshino Wilm displayed more power than they’d anticipated, they were shocked and shaken at first—but soon enough, they, too, became serious.

…They had to know. They couldn’t beat Hoshino Wilm.

Different potential. Different ability. Different technique. …A different dimension entirely. No matter how serious they became, even if they pushed themselves beyond their limits… if Hoshino Wilm ran even somewhat seriously, they could never win.

And yet, they didn’t give up.

Eyes wide, teeth clenched, they drove their legs desperately. Fighting all the way—running on until the very moment they crossed the finish line.

And then, heaving for breath, shoulders rising and falling, they glared resentfully at the Uma Musume far ahead—the one they never managed to pass—as she waved to the crowd…

And through tears, they pleaded with their trainers.

That they wanted to be stronger. Even stronger.

Their light… hadn’t gone out.

Even within a shadow of despair so deep it seemed bottomless, hope had not been crushed.

"How was it?"

Before I realized it, Hoshino Wilm was standing beside me, wiping sweat from her neck with the towel draped there. As I stared blankly at the turf, she glanced over with a mischievous smile and asked for my impressions.

How was it, she asked. If I had to put into words what I’d just seen…

"So this is Central Tracen."

"That’s right."

"And those are the Twinkle Series Uma Musume."

"Mm-hmm."

"…Fine. I admit it. I was definitely underestimating them."

Yes—I had no choice but to raise the white flag.

I had underestimated them.

I thought that once they were shown the decisive gap, they’d give up. That they’d break here and stop running. …That once they ran against a truly strong Uma Musume, they’d never be able to run properly again.

But they… surpassed my expectations.

"Central Tracen’s amazing, right? I was shocked the first time too."

"Yeah. It really is."

Their valiant effort had shaken me enough that such a simple impression slipped out.

They’re shown the difference in dimension between themselves and a monster, left stunned and in pain… and yet they stand back up. No matter how many times they lose, they keep chasing that back, longing for the day they might finally overtake it.

…Yes.

Just like I once did.

The Uma Musume of Tracen Academy aren’t just meat to be devoured. They’re beasts—feet planted firmly on the ground, running with the intent to devour their opponent.

"Are they all like that?"

"Not at first, no. But the ones who survive the summer of the Classic class are tough. In the end, only two kinds remain: monsters who keep winning relentlessly, or girls with enough guts to never give up no matter how much they lose."

"I see."

“Not giving up.” For a racing Uma Musume, it’s perhaps the most vital thing—and at the same time, the hardest.

Even among those who enroll here, the ones who can’t do that leave of their own accord. What remains, naturally, are only the Uma Musume with the greatest potential.

…And at last, it all clicks.

Ah. I see now.

This is what Hoshino Wilm wanted to show me. What she wanted to teach me.

"So you saw right through me."

"Well, yeah. You and I are pretty similar. Especially that part where we’re obsessed with competing with someone."

She added that it’d only become that way for her relatively recently, then gave a small, wry smile and continued.

"There’s something here that will satisfy you. Backs you can’t catch up to, and Uma Musume who chase without giving up. So come too—the Twinkle Series… Central Tracen."

As she said that, Hoshino Wilm spread her arms, as if welcoming me.

As though she were showing mercy to a pitiful Uma Musume…

…No. That’s not it.

She’s another beast that dwells within Central Tracen. All she wants is to run with stronger Uma Musume—to seek those who can push her.

…And at the same time, I’m seeking a back that will let me chase it.

"…Will you keep running ahead of me until I catch up?"

"Hm… what grade are you in right now?"

"Primary Division, sixth year."

"Then… even if you run in things like the Classic-class Japan Cup or the Arima Kinen, that’s two and a half years away. I’d be at the end of my third year as a Senior… I wonder if I’d still be in the Twinkle Series by then. If you make it to the Dream Trophy League, we could definitely run together, though."

An Uma Musume who posts strong results in the Twinkle Series earns the right to move on to the next stage—the Dream Trophy League. By then, she might have already advanced there. That’s what Hoshino Wilm was saying.

That… didn’t sit well with me.

Letting such perfect prey slip away—an opponent who would surely be the most exquisite meal imaginable.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at her. And yet—

Hoshino Wilm just laughed. "It’s fine."

"You don’t need to worry so much. An Uma Musume who can entertain you will definitely appear."

"You really think that’s possible?"

Up to now, I’ve never been satisfied running with any Uma Musume besides my sister. My sister is unquestionably a prodigy—an elite. I couldn’t imagine someone on her level, let alone beyond it, appearing so easily.

So skepticism lingered in my tone.

But Hoshino Wilm nodded, her expression full of conviction.

"Yeah. It’ll happen. …After all, I’ve experienced it myself. An Uma Musume who corners you might look fragile and fleeting at first, but be insanely stubborn and clever… Or maybe she’ll be a ridiculous genius who surpasses you outright. See? Just imagining it gets exciting, doesn’t it?"

She was probably thinking of her own rivals.

Hoshino Wilm let a flicker of delight show on her face.

And then… her gaze slid toward me.

"Well, I want to run with you too, so I’ll stick around as long as I can. And if we do end up running together…"

She said that—and with a smile I’d seen somewhere before, continued:

"Then I’ll crush you with everything I’ve got. If you don’t want to be eaten, come at me with everything you have, too."

…Ah. Now I remember.

That’s the expression a starving beast makes when it bares its fangs.

---

"Heh…"

…Ah, how dazzling.

Hoshino Wilm. Not just the strongest of her era, but praised as the strongest in history—the Triple Crown Uma Musume. A brilliant, heavenly star shining brightest in the Twinkle Series.

If I devoured that light, how full would I be? How much would this thirst—this hunger—be satisfied?

Ah… I want to run.

I want to overtake that back.

"…To do that."

First, I have to reach the same place she stands.

Just like she said, I’ll aim for Central Tracen first—the ideal stage where countless Uma Musume run. I’ll stand there, surpassing one Uma Musume after another… and win everything she has.

Proof of precocity: the G1 race at the end of the Junior class.
The pinnacle of Uma Musume strength: the Classic Triple Crown.

After devouring all of those, it’ll be time for the main dish.

…Ah, I’ll do it. I’ll do it without the slightest mercy.

Just wait, Hoshino Wilm.

I will catch you… and then overtake you, tear into you, and devour you whole.