Chapter 149: Rare Among Rares — Domain Expansion

『The Takarazuka Kinen—the Grand Prix where the dreams and hopes entrusted in every vote are transformed into power!

The decisive battle of the first half of the year—and Hoshino Wilm’s final domestic race of the summer… at last, the day has arrived!

Last year, the dragon became the first in history to claim this title at the Classic level. Can she now bring about yet another miracle with a consecutive victory?』

『For Hoshino Wilm, this race also carries the first-ever Spring Senior Triple Crown in history. Should she achieve it, her title as the strongest in Japan will become unshakable. Even now, the stands overflow with expectation, their voices and heat surging toward the track.

Will victory belong to the unconventional Ashen Dragon, or will someone defeat her and emerge as the new star of the Twinkle Series?』

As I steadily built up her training alongside the two directly in charge of her daily conditioning, the day finally arrived.

G1—the Takarazuka Kinen.

For Hoshino Wilm, this would be her final domestic race before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. A decisive battle.

The stage is Hanshin Racecourse.

Even driving flat out from the Central Training Center takes several hours. It’s a true away trip.

You can’t properly stretch your limbs during travel. For some Uma Musume, that alone is enough to throw off their condition.

But when it comes to my Wilm, there’s no need to worry.

As always, Hoshino Wilm is in perfect form today.

When we parted earlier in the waiting room, she was grinning from ear to ear, letting out a proud, excited “Hmph!” as she declared, “I’ll go update my best performance!”

She was so giddy I almost couldn’t help but smile.

And yet, what makes Wilm remarkable is that her excitement never interferes with her focus once the race begins.

Whether viewed through the “App Reincarnation” or with my own eyes, she’s in peak condition.

Since the Tenno Sho (Spring), she has resolved even more of her weaknesses while further sharpening her strengths. Stat-wise, she has grown significantly. She has learned new skills, and of course, her condition is Excellent.

To be honest, she’s in such superb form that I can’t help but feel proud of how far we’ve brought her.

Without a doubt, she will show us the current pinnacle of Hoshino Wilm’s running—a style forged by the two of us together.

And precisely because of that…

It was also terrifying.

---

"So, how’s your analysis this time?"

As I studied the state of the turf, a voice called out from beside me.

I glanced over to see Masa. She had just swallowed a piping-hot okonomiyaki she’d bought and was now looking at me expectantly.

Judging by her tone, she wanted the usual pre-race breakdown.

It’s practically tradition at this point, so I didn’t question it. Including what I’d observed in the paddock earlier, I began laying out what could be inferred from the information currently available.

"First, like we discussed in last month’s strategy meeting, let’s reconfirm the basics. The biggest feature of this year’s Takarazuka Kinen is that we have three extreme front-runners—Hoshino Wilm, Daitaku Helios, and Mejiro Palmer. That’s an unusually rare situation."

Normally, front-running—especially an all-out breakaway—isn’t the textbook path to victory.

There aren’t many G1-level extreme front-runners to begin with.

And yet, by some twist of fate, just like last year’s Arima Kinen, we once again have three of them in a Grand Prix race.

On top of that, two of the three are different from last time.

I’m the one who raised Wilm, but even I have to wonder—what is with this generation? There are far too many breakaway specialists. Is it some kind of trend?

"In terms of individual ability, Daitaku Helios being the fourth favorite makes sense. She’s posted solid results over the mile, and at 2200 meters she should absolutely be competitive. …Though she does have that jinx—whenever her popularity rises, she tends to lose.

Meanwhile, Mejiro Palmer only established her escape strategy a month ago at the Niigata Daishoten. Her popularity isn’t high, but her front-running burst there was sharp. She’s a seasoned veteran who handles duels well. Definitely not someone we can take lightly.

And then there’s our Hoshino Wilm. With three breakaway runners in play, the early pace is bound to be harsh."

Front-runners—especially extreme ones—often bolt ahead specifically to avoid sensing the presence of those behind them.

Like Mihono Bourbon, many can get carried away the moment they feel another runner nearby, lose their composure, and fail to run properly.

Daitaku Helios in particular is prone to that. If someone challenges her, she’ll almost certainly overpace.

And Mejiro Palmer, whose focus is on securing the lead, will almost without question push aggressively for that front position.

The others will try to keep up, naturally raising the race’s overall tempo. If the gap between first and second widens too much, it becomes a race where timing your move is extremely difficult.

It probably won’t be as brutal as the Arima Kinen, where Silence Suzuka could accelerate without limit and Twin Turbo ran full throttle with no regard for the second half.

…At least, I hope not.

In any case, this race begins with a battle for the lead among the three extreme front-runners—and a choice for those behind them: chase that pace, or stick to their own rhythm.

"So out of the three, who takes the lead?"

"Wilm, obviously. There’s no way she loses."

I answered without hesitation.

No matter how fierce the clash among those front-runners, Wilm wins it.

That’s what we trained for.

The very first thing we drilled this spring was her start dash.

After she exhausted herself too much early at the Arima Kinen—and to ensure victory the next time she clashes with Silence Suzuka—we refined her starting technique to near-perfection.

At this point, no one in the Twinkle Series—no, not a single racing Uma Musume in Japan—can outlaunch Wilm in the opening scramble.

Even the legendary names of the dream stage wouldn’t surpass her.

So unless my read is wrong, this race should begin with Wilm seizing the lead, the other escape artists chasing her.

After the opening scramble comes the middle phase—climbing the first hill and heading toward the third corner.

"In the mid-race, the key will be how much Yggdra Valley and Elegant General close the gap. How much of the early lead they can cut will determine how much speed must be unleashed in the final stretch. But if they commit too much in the middle, they won’t have the grit left for the closing duel. For those behind, it’ll be a difficult judgment call."

"Who looks like they’ll move up?"

"Yggdra Valley, the third favorite, looks steadily strong and fired up. She’ll probably start pressing forward from the backstretch.

As for the fifth favorite, Mucha Lady—her first time facing Wilm—she could move up as well. But given her running style, it would likely be around the 1600-meter mark."

Exactly who advances and when depends heavily on how the pack forms, so it’s hard to be precise.

But the two top favorites undeniably have the strength to surge.

The real question is what she will do.

---

"What about Happy Meek? She’s strong too, right?"

As if voicing my own thoughts, Masa asked.

I looked up at the sky.

Despite it being the rainy season, not a single cloud marred the clear blue.

For me, it was the easiest possible race scenario to read—the best possible condition.

For Wilm, it might be the worst—harder for her to run in.

"As for Happy Meek… I do have a prediction for how she’ll likely move."

"Let’s hear it."

"You won’t get weirded out?"

"Get weirded out? I asked, didn’t I?"

"She’ll break cleanly, cut to the inside, secure sixth along the rail, hold position through the first corner, then shortly after entering the second, slip through a gap and edge slightly outward to move into fifth on the straight. Around the 1300-meter mark she’ll push up to fourth. From 1400 meters she’ll launch a long spurt, overtake Daitaku Helios and Mejiro Palmer, be three lengths behind Wilm entering the final stretch, then accelerate again and close the gap completely… I think."

"…That’s creepy."

"See? You did get weirded out. And that’s not my fault, is it?"

She twisted her body protectively around her okonomiyaki.

I answered sincerely, and that’s the reaction I get? I might cry.

"No, it’s just creepy that you can read it that precisely. What are you—Happy Meek’s trainer instead of Hoshino Wilm’s?"

"Huh? I’m the trainer for Wilm and Bourbon."

"W-why are you suddenly snapping at me…? I was joking."

I wasn’t snapping.

My body just heated up for a split second. That’s all.

…But honestly, it’s rare even for me to read someone that cleanly.

You don’t often get to truly understand other trainers’ strategies or the personalities of Uma Musume you’re not responsible for. Without that understanding, you can’t predict their plans. Even with the power of App Reincarnation, I can’t perfectly read every opponent’s run.

…Normally.

But with certain ones—like Nice Nature—it’s different.

Because they, or their trainers, pursue a clearly identifiable optimal solution.

And I suspect Happy Meek’s running lies at the extreme end of that principle.

"I re-examined all of Happy Meek’s past races heading into this Takarazuka Kinen—especially from her first Senior year, when she started winning graded stakes. And I realized something. Her runs can be divided into two clear categories."

"Two?"

"When she wins G1s decisively, her performance is extraordinary. And when she loses badly—even at G2 level—she runs in a completely ordinary way."

Masa frowned.

"Isn’t that… normal? I mean, aside from rare exceptions like Hoshino Wilm or Mihono Bourbon."

I nodded.

Uma Musume don’t always race in peak condition.

Only because I can manage condition through what feels like a reincarnation perk—and because my girls can maintain Excellent form on race day—have we consistently run at full power.

Ordinarily, an Uma Musume reaching peak condition for a race is rare. Sometimes they compete slightly off-form—or even in terrible condition.

So variation itself isn’t abnormal.

…But.

"Happy Meek only has extremes. Either exceptionally good—or completely average. Of course race flow and condition complicate analysis, but there’s clearly a switch. It’s either on, or it isn’t."

"…I kind of get what you’re saying, but still."

Masa looked unconvinced, which was fair.

I had thought the same at first.

"That doubt is valid. Because this is probably the influence of a Domain."

"A Domain… you mean Happy Meek’s?"

"Probably."

I glanced to the left.

There, looking our way while steadily—almost puffily—stuffing takoyaki into her cheeks, was Mihono Bourbon.

"Domains differ for every Uma Musume—countless variations. Some are simple self-enhancements, like Mihono Bourbon’s. Others, like Wilm’s second outfit, combine complex conditions—restoring stamina while simultaneously strengthening herself."

An Uma Musume’s Domain is, in the truest sense, a unique skill.

It is something rooted in her individual Uma Soul—something that exists nowhere else in the world.

And at times, it can even give rise to phenomena that should be impossible in reality.

"And sometimes… I’ve heard that Symboli Rudolf’s Domain can ‘push’ her rivals out of their ideal lanes."

That detail about Rudolf wasn’t something I remembered from my past life.

It’s probably what you’d call the sublimation of a Domain refined to its extreme.

In this world, even skills evolve, so it wouldn’t be strange for a Domain’s effects to change as well.

Come to think of it, Teio seemed to enter something close to that state during the Tenno Sho (Spring).

"A Domain that suppresses or compels the actions of others—distinct from simple self-enhancement or recovery types. For clarity’s sake, let’s call it an interference-type Domain. I think there’s a high probability that Happy Meek possesses one."

"…I see?"

Masa still looked only half-convinced, which was understandable.

From a human perspective, the idea of having your actions forced or restricted by someone else is difficult to truly grasp.

Still, when I asked Wilm about it, she said, "If it’s a Domain, that much is definitely possible. Nature’s second outfit might fall into that category too."

If a battle-hardened racing Uma Musume like her says it’s possible, then it probably is.

Which is honestly terrifying.

“One question, if I may.”

After waiting for me to finish, Bourbon—having finally recovered from her takoyaki-stuffed-cheeks state—spoke up.

When I nodded, she continued in her usual calm tone.

“You stated that Happy Meek’s performances can be broadly divided into two patterns—either extremely outstanding or utterly ordinary. You also stated that her Domain may be interference-type. How are these two points connected?”

“Ah, I was just about to get to that. Thank you. I’m glad you were listening so closely.”

When discussions run long, it’s easy to lose sight of the main thread. But Bourbon had clearly followed both the trunk and the branches of the argument.

It may seem like a small thing, but it’s admirable.

I reached out to lightly pat her head—

Her ears twitched. I stopped mid-motion.

“Ah, sorry. Does that bother you?”

“…No. Please proceed with the task.”

“Got it.”

Carefully avoiding her flattened ears, I gently patted her head instead.

Judging by the subtle sway of her tail, she didn’t seem displeased. That was a relief.

…Head pats can be annoying for teenage girls.

But after doing it so often with Wilm, it’s become a habit.

Wilm and Bourbon are a bit unique in their sensibilities, so it works—but the new girls we might take on next year may not be so accommodating. I’ll have to be careful.

As I continued patting Bourbon’s head, Masa watched with a vaguely exasperated “Seriously…?” expression.

“Anyway, back to the point—the relationship between Happy Meek’s polarized performances and a possible interference-type Domain.”

When I finally withdrew my hand—though the faintly lonely glint in Bourbon’s eyes made it harder than expected—I resumed.

“Earlier, I said Happy Meek’s performances split cleanly between exceptional and ordinary. That shouldn’t normally happen. Depending on pack formation and race flow, you can end up running well—or poorly—regardless of intent.

Especially the exceptional ones. Those weren’t just wins; they maintained a consistent, abnormally high level of quality.

I concluded that kind of consistency can’t exist without some degree of control—control over others, over the race itself—through a Domain.”

“Control the race… like Nature does with race-making?”

“No. What Nature or Sky does is skill. Technique.

Meek’s case is… likely something more inexplicable.”

This isn’t about setting the early tempo.

It isn’t about using the pack as wind cover or choosing the perfect moment to slip through a gap.

Those are grounded, realistic tactics.

From the G1 footage I’ve reviewed—especially the URA Finals championship she ran—

My conclusion is this:

“Happy Meek, if she fully opens her Domain, can likely control the movements of every other Uma Musume in the race.”

Silence fell.

A brief beat of incomprehension.

Then Masa’s eyes flew open.

“Wait—every single one of them!? You’re saying she controls the entire race with her Domain!? That’s insane! Even for a Domain, that’s way too broken!”

“Masa, quiet. We’re at a racetrack.”

“Ah—right. Sorry.”

She gave a small bow of apology to the people around us.

“…Yes. It’s an outrageous Domain.”

Even Symboli Rudolf—the first undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume, now competing in the Dream Trophy League—can only temporarily force an opponent off their preferred lane with her Domain.

To control the entire pack—and by extension the race itself—would be on a completely different level.

“Can someone really do that…?”

It was only natural that Masa would ask.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to accept this conclusion either.

Even if it’s a Domain, there should be limits.

If she can do that, then what are we supposed to do?

Part of me wanted to reject it. To look for another explanation.

But I’m Wilm’s trainer.

My job isn’t denial. It’s analysis.

“When she delivers those exceptional performances, there’s a clear pattern.

Happy Meek moves as though she perfectly reads the pack.”

“Perfectly? Like knowing who’ll move when? Who’ll come flying from behind?”

“Exactly. She makes decisions that are impossible unless she already knows.”

She slips out of the pack at the exact moment someone advances.

She maintains her pace because someone behind is about to surge.

In her sharpest races, that awareness is unmistakable.

At those times, she could see it.

Who would move. How the pack would shift.

Things even I can’t see.

“There’s a limit to how much you can predict in a race. I’m not bragging, but I’ve studied racing extensively. I’ve trained my eye for years.

Even so, I can’t see everything.

Honestly, I can’t believe Happy Meek—who hasn’t had better learning conditions than I have—could out-theorize me purely through study.”

“…So she’s seeing ahead through her Domain?”

“No. If it were only foresight, it wouldn’t explain the perfection of her own execution.”

She predicts every movement flawlessly.

She runs flawlessly in response.

And she advances the race exactly as she intends.

That is race-making in its purest form.

To create the race according to one’s will—an art normally reserved for only the most overwhelming elites.

“My conclusion—the most plausible one—is this.

Happy Meek’s Domain allows her to simulate, dominate, and control the movements of the entire race—including herself—and trace the optimal route to victory.”

Because she possesses a fully adaptable running style and the raw ability to support it, she can actually execute that control.

It’s an outrageous Domain… one that would likely stand even at the Dream Trophy League level.”

Masa fell silent, the sheer unreality of what she had just heard leaving her momentarily speechless.

I wondered whether Bourbon might be shaken as well. But the way she stared fixedly at a single patch of turf told me she was simply processing the information with full concentration.

You couldn’t really blame them for being rattled.

Even I had felt the same way. After overcoming Tokai Teio—the rival we had considered our greatest obstacle—who would have imagined that an opponent of this magnitude was still waiting beyond?

…That said, the fact that I only reached this conclusion after thoroughly investigating Happy Meek proves something else.

Her power isn’t obvious at a glance.

The reason is likely simple.

This Domain of hers is not something she can activate freely.

“However, whether due to some terrifying side effect or not, this Domain apparently comes with an extremely heavy cost. Most likely, it’s extraordinarily difficult for her to use. After all, one of the conditions for activating it is something completely beyond our control: the weather.”

“Huh? The… weather?”

“Yes. The weather.”

Masa and Bourbon both looked up.

Above them stretched a flawless blue sky—so clear and cloudless it felt as though you might fall endlessly into it if you stared too long.

“I believe one of the conditions for her Domain to open is clear skies. Every time her running has truly sparkled in past races, it’s been under sunny weather. Not once has she shown that beautiful stride on a cloudy or rainy day.”

“Isn’t that just… a coincidence?”

“Considering her tendencies and preferences, I doubt it’s a coincidence.”

A Domain isn’t defined only by how powerful it is. Just as important is how easily it can be deployed—how flexible it is under varying race conditions, and whether those conditions align with the runner’s style when needed.

From that perspective, Happy Meek’s Domain is undeniably temperamental.

If it rains, it likely won’t activate. If the sky is too overcast, it may fail. Meanwhile, if another Uma Musume can deploy her Domain regardless of conditions, then Happy Meek begins at an inherent disadvantage.

“…If you’re saying one condition, then there must be others?”

“I believe so. It didn’t appear as though she could produce that sharpened performance every single time it was sunny. I don’t know whether she must fulfill two separate conditions to deploy it, or whether it functions in stages like Wilm’s second Domain—but either way, she probably cannot unleash her true power unless multiple requirements are satisfied.”

“That’s… a troublesome Domain. I suppose the effect must be correspondingly strong.”

“High reward comes with high risk. If I had to put it more concretely, perhaps recreating a deeper, more specific inner landscape requires the external world to align precisely.”

This veered beyond normal human intuition, so I turned toward Bourbon.

“As someone who has already opened her own Domain—does that seem plausible to you?”

After several seconds of consideration, she gave a small nod.

“By arranging conditions more perfectly suited to one’s own running style, one may employ a more refined Domain. Yes. I believe that is realistically possible.”

“I see…”

If stricter conditions truly amplified the result, then her Domain might even surpass Teio’s—the very one that had tormented us.

For someone like me, who harbored a faint unease toward Domains in general, that was a deeply unsettling thought.

Especially today.

The sky was so beautifully clear it was hard to believe it was the rainy season at all.

At the very least, the first condition for Happy Meek’s Domain was being fulfilled to perfection.

If only the second failed to align.

But I had an unpleasant feeling it wouldn’t be that convenient.

“…Hey. The race scenario you predicted earlier—which version was that based on? When her Domain opens? Or when she fails to meet the conditions?”

“The former. In fact, it’s precisely because the Domain opens that I can read it. That would be the most optimal race development imaginable for Happy Meek.”

To be blunt, if you examined Happy Meek’s raw stats alone, she shouldn’t be able to defeat Wilm.

She’s the balanced type—every stat clustered in the low-to-high 900s. Calling her “without weaknesses” sounds flattering, but it also means she lacks a defining strength. Silence Suzuka sacrificed stamina, grit, and intelligence to specialize in speed. Special Week excelled in power and grit as a masterful closer. Happy Meek, for all her balance, has no overwhelming advantage like theirs.

…And above all, Wilm is no longer the same girl she was half a year ago.

Every one of her stats except intelligence now exceeds 1000. Her skill set—especially in the crucial opening and closing phases for a front-runner—has no gaps whatsoever. Hypotheticals are meaningless, but with her current form, I can’t help thinking she would have won that Arima Kinen. Hoshino Wilm is that strong.

So what kind of development would allow a Happy Meek of that caliber to defeat her?

The race would have to unfold in the most favorable way possible for Happy Meek.

She would need to give everything she has—

While Wilm, somehow, cannot.

Obvious as it sounds, that is the ideal scenario for her.

In other words, that scenario represents the optimal solution to Happy Meek’s race.

The prediction I described earlier was simply a concise outline of that solution.

“…Let me ask just to be sure. Even if she uses her Domain, Hoshino Wilm still has a chance to win, right? If Happy Meek controls the race… I thought controlling the overall flow was one of Wilm’s weaker points.”

Masa frowned as she spoke, her voice careful.

At some point her chopsticks had stopped moving. The steam rising from her okonomiyaki was beginning to fade. Her concern for that girl had made it difficult for her to eat.

…Honestly, what is she even saying?

“She’s Hoshino Wilm. And I’m her trainer. That’s your answer.”

I replied without hesitation.

---

“And now, the Uma Musume are entering the gates. As we look at them, how are today’s contenders shaping up?”

“Second favorite, Lane 1, Number 2—Happy Meek—is gazing calmly up at the sky. Is she alone in looking upward because she can already see how this race will unfold?

Third favorite, Lane 3, Number 6—Yggdra Valley—also appears composed as she prepares. A single deep breath inside the gate. Will this finally be her G1 title?

And… the overwhelming favorite, Lane 8, Number 16—Hoshino Wilm. Wearing her usual fearless smile. Expectations are sky-high for the new legend she may weave today.”

This time, Hoshino Wilm had drawn Lane 8, Number 16.

It was slightly wide—marginally disadvantageous in pure distance.

But in the Takarazuka Kinen, with its long opening straight, post position is far from decisive.

What matters far more is the girls’ ability and condition.

And in that regard, no Uma Musume alive surpasses Wilm’s current state.

“And now, gate-in is complete. All runners are ready.”

For a fleeting instant, I felt a pair of beautiful, heat-filled eyes turn toward me.

That gaze seemed to say: I will win. So keep watching.

Of course I’m watching.

Your final race this spring. Your last race in this country.

The miracle that was always meant to happen—once more.

“Go, Wilm.”

“And they’re off!”