Chapter 169: The Witch of the Track

When I traveled to Japan for a racing expedition, there were many things that surprised me.

Even if we talk only about racing, the racing styles and the condition of the turf were completely different from what we were used to here…

Beyond that, there were countless smaller differences too—like the shape of the racecourses, or what kinds of actions were allowed during a race.

And one of those differences… was the sound of the starting gates.

Here, the gates open with something close to a metallic “Claaang!”

But in Japan, the sound is a heavy, dull “Thunk!”

Naturally, for us European Uma Musume, the former is far more familiar.

Which meant… I absolutely couldn’t afford to lose the start to a Japanese runner.

And yet—

CLANG!

Along with the sound—which felt just slightly slower than usual—the first runner to leap out of the gate ahead of everyone else was…

The Uma Musume two gates to my left.

Hoshino Wilm.

"Under clear skies, the G2 Prix Foy—one of the preparatory races for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—has begun!"

"Six elite runners burst forward, each striving to cover this 2400 meters faster than the others!"

"Among them, one stands out already—the Demon King from Japan! Even slightly heavy turf poses no obstacle for her—number five, Hoshino Wilm!"

"Perhaps it’s her razor-sharp concentration—number one, Nedirika also gets a fantastic start! The field advances in a tight pack behind her… but Hoshino Wilm alone has already broken away from them! Tetrabiblos is desperately chasing her from behind!"

The pounding of her footsteps was so powerful it felt like I could hear them from here.

Compared to Japan’s turf, this ground should be harder to gain speed on—and unfamiliar to her.

And yet, as if it posed absolutely no difficulty at all…

Hoshino Wilm broke away from the pack in the blink of an eye.

“…!”

I couldn’t help grimacing.

It was within the range of what I had predicted—but it was also the worst-case scenario.

Hoshino Wilm…

It seemed that in just two months, she had almost completely adapted to our turf.

I had felt it myself when I traveled to Japan…

When running on unfamiliar ground, an Uma Musume simply cannot perform at her true potential.

How much force should you put into each stride to achieve a certain speed?
How deeply should you drive your legs into the turf for the grass to respond just right?

These are things we instinctively learn through the long accumulation of experience—running continuously since the day we were born.

That’s why, on the turf that serves as the main battlefield of our home countries, we can naturally grasp those sensations and run accordingly.

That sense of familiarity is what we call being accustomed to the track—and that familiarity raises our aptitude for it.

Of course, natural talent also plays a role.

But that’s precisely why Uma Musume who compete in G1 races can run with sufficient aptitude on their home turf.

However, when the distance between regions is as vast as Europe and the Far East—practically the opposite sides of the planet—naturally the environment, the turf, and even the courses are completely different.

At least in my case last year, even after spending a month running locally, I still couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort.

And when you go overseas, there are often issues with the water, the food, or even the air not agreeing with you.

When I was in Japan, the food didn’t suit me either. By the time I ran in the Japan Cup, I had ended up somewhat out of condition.

So because of that—or perhaps because I wanted to believe it—I assumed Hoshino Wilm wouldn’t be in perfect condition either.

Maybe her form had dropped.
Maybe she hadn’t fully adapted to the turf.

Perhaps that was just wishful thinking, but I believed those kinds of disadvantages would surely be affecting her.

…

And yet.

The way Hoshino Wilm was running right now…

was even more powerful than on that day.

Her start was faster than anyone else in the race.

Her instantaneous acceleration bordered on another dimension—so much so that it reminded me of Silence Suzuka, who had torn through countless European runners years ago.

Even Tetrabiblos—who had tried to pressure her—was left behind.

Just three seconds after the race began, she had already opened a lead of more than three lengths and surged to the front of the pack.

Even for the “Dragon Who Overturns the Impossible,” it should have been impossible to start from zero and fully adapt to this turf in just two months.

Perhaps she had already developed some aptitude for Western turf back in Japan—or perhaps her legs were simply suited for it from the start.

But even so…

She was already absurdly strong, and now she was also suited to our turf—and on top of that, her body was so robust that even an unfamiliar environment couldn’t shake her.

I thought I had already realized it during the Japan Cup, but… she really is a natural-born monster. A physical prodigy!

"A small field race results in a tightly packed group—except for one runner!"

"Breaking away with roughly a seven-length lead—the runaway Uma Musume, Hoshino Wilm! Seeing it in person is staggering—an audacious breakaway that may even surpass that of Silence Suzuka!"

"For an ordinary runner you might think she’s running out of control—but the frightening part is that this is likely exactly according to her strategy."

"In second is Tetrabiblos. Rather than chasing the monster directly, she seems to be leading the pack. Behind her on the inside is Nedirika, and slightly outside is Witch Evening. Can these runners repel the dragon that has come from Japan?!"

…This is bad.

Even among the scenarios I had imagined, this was a particularly bad one.

This should have been our home ground, and her away field.

Yet her stride was no weaker than when I saw it a year ago—in fact, it might even surpass it.

It wasn’t quite the perfectly adapted running she showed in Japan… but her overwhelming physical ability alone allowed her to compete here without issue.

“…Alright.”

So how should I evaluate the situation? Which plan should I choose from here?

The most desirable plan had been to have the rabbit runner Tetrabiblos pressure Hoshino Wilm early and make her overexert herself.

From my experience in the Japan Cup, the stamina required here and there—even over the same distance—is completely different.

Compared to the light Japanese turf, European grass is heavier and harder to run on, which means it consumes far more stamina.

If I had to estimate, 2400 meters here might correspond to about 2800–3000 meters over there.

Even Hoshino Wilm—renowned as a stayer—shouldn’t have infinite stamina… I think. Probably. She shouldn’t.

If she ended up running at a Japanese race pace and other runners pressured her on top of that, she might collapse on her own.

But reality wasn’t that kind.

Hoshino Wilm had already adapted to this turf.

And Tetrabiblos couldn’t catch her, abandoning the pressure plan almost immediately.

The gap between our pack and her had already widened to nearly eight lengths.

At this point, no one could catch the dragon.

I had learned the threat of a runaway runner during the Japan Cup.

If you don’t grab hold of them right at the start and drag them back, eventually no one can interfere with their run anymore.

That was why I had placed my hopes in Tetrabiblos.

But that start dash…

Stopping something like that would be difficult no matter who the opponent was.

I doubt even I could have done it.

Our plan to disrupt her run had completely collapsed…

No—perhaps it had been doomed from the start.

Which means there’s only one thing left for me to do.

Run the race in my own style—and reach the finish first.

I pressed strength back into my legs and kicked off the ground again.

…We’re approaching the 1000-meter mark. The third corner.

For a closing runner like me, this is where the real battle begins.

"Hoshino Wilm continues to pull away from the pack at a blistering pace! She doesn’t seem to be considering the race pace at all! Is she running wild, or is this part of her strategy—or is this simply how races are run in Japan?!"

"The race enters its middle stage at the third corner! A downhill stretch approaches—if the trailing runners intend to increase the pace, this is the moment!"

"Will anyone close in on the tail of the dragon soaring through the sky?!"

"Fuu…"

I took a long breath in, then slowly let it out, allowing oxygen to circulate through my body.

The race was only halfway over. It was time to conserve my legs.

Inside the corners, Uma Musume are forced to limit their speed.

Because they must contend with centrifugal force threatening to fling them outward, they can’t reach the same speeds as on the straight.

No matter how monstrous the opponent is, she’s still bound by the laws of physics.

In that sense, the corners can almost be considered a brief respite.

…Well, since running at full power becomes harder, things like line selection and positioning become fiercely contested, so it’s not exactly a moment to relax.

Now then—while I’m conserving my strength, what are my rivals doing?

First and foremost, the one to watch is obviously Hoshino Wilm.

Far ahead of Tetrabiblos—who leads the pack—she runs alone at the very front with a massive lead.

The pace is so absurdly fast it makes you want to believe she’s running out of control. If she weren’t Hoshino Wilm, you’d have no choice but to assume she had given up on the race entirely.

But the fact that she is Hoshino Wilm overturns that assumption.

No matter how unbelievable or unconventional it may seem, this is simply her usual strategy—a move aimed at victory. Frightening as that is.

Meanwhile, running just beside me is one of the runners I’m marking this race: Nedirika.

About half a length ahead of me, she hugs the inside line through the corner with the same dignified style as always.

She follows behind the front-runner Tetrabiblos, holding a good position while watching for the moment to begin her spurt and the movements of the runners behind.

Right now, the gap between us and the leader, Hoshino Wilm, is huge.

But with a final straight of roughly 550 meters… if the pace stays as it is, closing the distance isn’t impossible.

In fact, it’s entirely within reach.

However, if Hoshino Wilm unleashes another burst of speed from here and accelerates again… then that might no longer be the case.

With a small field of essentially five runners, neither Nedirika nor I will get trapped in the pack or miss the timing to make our move.

Both of us are in good positions—we could push forward whenever we choose.

So the real question is: when to make that move.

If we go too early, our stamina will run out first.

If we wait too long, we won’t be able to catch Hoshino Wilm.

Too early or too late—either would be fatal.

We must strike from the perfect position.

…How far can Nedirika’s so-called sixth sense really be trusted?

If it works even for timing attacks…

Then perhaps using her pace to our advantage might not be a bad idea.

It was already one of my plans. I raised its priority slightly in my mind.

The pieces that will likely decide this race are three runners: Hoshino Wilm, Nedirika, and me.

Leaving aside the rabbit runner Tetrabiblos, the other two runners are strong as well…

But based on the research my trainer did beforehand, as long as I keep a proper eye on those two, I should be able to handle anything that happens.

Now then—I need to read the situation and maneuver carefully.

I am the witch, Witch Evening.

An Uma Musume expected to run like magic itself—and win as if by miracle.

For now, I’ll watch Hoshino Wilm.

Even someone like her will probably keep running like this until the endgame—at least until we begin closing in. There’s also the possibility that she might slow her pace.

Meanwhile, I’ll pay close attention to when Nedirika makes her move, and keep an eye on what the runners behind us decide to do…

…Or so I thought.

As if to mock my leisurely planning—

From ahead, I felt the world itself being overwritten.

A trembling, chilly wind.

Impossible for this lingering late-summer season.

And yet, as if that wind were the trigger, another landscape spread across the turf of Longchamp.

It was a nameless grassland from somewhere unknown.

The primal scenery engraved in the memories of a single Uma Musume—the place her body was most accustomed to.

“Now then…”

Within that world—

she ran.

Hoshino Wilm ran more freely than anyone else.

The corners of her mouth lifted in delight, her eyes curving into crescent moons with predatory ferocity.

"The real fun starts here."

Like a beast finally released, she ran across the sea of grass, more exhilarated than anyone.

…

A Domain.

Different from the one I glimpsed before…

Another trump card of Hoshino Wilm’s!

What are the activation conditions? Her position is roughly at the 1200-meter mark. The middle of the race—or the midpoint? Is the number 1200 itself the key? Or perhaps the trigger is the gap to second place?

No—analysis later. Right now, I need to respond properly!

What’s the effect?

From the imagery within the Domain, what I sense is the landscape of her soul—the place where her legs feel most natural.

It doesn’t feel like a wish for self-actualization, like “run faster.”

It’s closer to a state of running in complete fulfillment, with nothing lacking.

If that’s the case…

Reduced stamina consumption? Or perhaps nullification entirely?

Is this the trump card that allows Hoshino Wilm to maintain that outrageous pace?

…No. That doesn’t feel right.

Would that Hoshino Wilm really open a Domain like that?

The first Domain I experienced a year ago—the one of the heavens—and the grassland Domain I’m seeing now.

What I felt from both of them was a powerful sense of improvement and overflowing vitality.

Not maintenance. Not extension.

And on top of that, there’s the savage, animalistic fighting instinct she sometimes shows before a race.

A girl who carries that kind of beast within her…

Would she really manifest something as passive as fatigue reduction?

That raises doubts.

Then what is it?

A double-layered effect that triggers something else if the Domain fails?

Or perhaps the first stage of a two-step trigger Domain?

There are many possibilities, but I can’t determine the truth. I don’t have enough information.

For a few brief moments, my thoughts spin rapidly.

But before I can reach an answer—

I hear the sound of another runner, slightly ahead of me, stamping powerfully against the ground.

"Coming out of the third corner, Hoshino Wilm heads into the fourth!"

"The chasing pack remains tightly grouped as they pursue the dragon—wait! Nedirika moves up!!"

…!

You’re going now, Nedirika?!

It’s true that the gap between us and Hoshino Wilm is enormous—around twelve lengths by my estimation.

And on top of that, she’s already deployed her Domain early. If things continue like this, the gap will only grow wider.

Making an early move isn’t an unreasonable decision.

But our current position—the beginning of the fourth corner—is the 1600-meter mark.

That means there are still 800 meters left in the race.

Charging through that distance with a long spurt isn’t something just anyone can do.

Is she wary of Hoshino Wilm’s spurt?

Apparently Hoshino Wilm sometimes launches an inexplicable burst of speed around the 600-meter mark.

But if you force yourself to match your opponent’s pace and lose sight of your own race… there’s no way you’ll win.

Could it be… she’s already given up? She hinted at something like that before the race…

…No. That’s not it.

Nedirika isn’t the kind of girl who would give up on victory just because defeat looks likely.

Rather—

Could it be that her “sixth sense” told her to do this?

Did she feel that if she didn’t move now, there would be no future?

Or perhaps she judged that—even if defeat was inevitable—this was the best possible result she could achieve within that outcome?

I don’t know.

There isn’t enough information, and it’s not like I fully understand how Nedirika thinks.

But there’s one thing I do know.

If I stay here, I’ll miss the flow of the race.

It was already one of my possible plans.

For now, I’ll ride along with her move.

"Witch Evening moves up as well, chasing after her! Using the downhill stretch inside the fourth corner to try and close the gap with Hoshino Wilm!"

"She was watching Nedirika’s movement closely. But there are still nearly 800 meters remaining—will these three runners have the stamina to last?"

…To be honest.

If I maintain this speed and still attempt a final spurt later…

I don’t have the stamina to run the full 800 meters.

I pride myself on having good stamina, but…

I’m not a true stayer by trade.

At this distance, at this pace, it’s honestly pushing my limits.

Maybe things are different in that demonic Far Eastern land where monsters like Silence Suzuka and Hoshino Wilm seem to appear everywhere…

But in Europe, races are normally run by conserving strength in the first half and unleashing everything at the end.

A true full-power sprint usually lasts at most the final 400 meters.

To ask someone to run 800 meters at that kind of speed is fundamentally unreasonable.

…That said—

If we simply say something is impossible and stop there, we could never stand at the pinnacle of racing Uma Musume.

Our job is to push past the impossible with the bodies we’ve trained and the skills we’ve honed.

"Hah… hah… hah…!"

Suppressing my rising breaths, I run behind Nedirika.

By positioning myself behind another runner, I reduce the air resistance hitting me head-on.

The slipstream tactic.

Primitive and basic—but undeniably effective.

I caught my breath during the third corner.

If that’s the case…

Then the rest should still be within what I can handle—

with my Domain.

We enter the most distinctive feature of the Longchamp course while increasing our pace:

the third straight, the so-called false straight.

It’s the short stretch that appears after the back straight and the third and fourth corners—just before the final straight.

Even though it lies just before the finish after the final curve, the finish line itself cannot be seen from here.

It’s a peculiar course design that can easily cause runners unfamiliar with it to lose their sense of pace.

But right now…

what matters is that this is the straight after the final corner.

In other words, the false straight marks nothing less than the beginning of the endgame of the race.

In last year’s battle, I was left far behind and couldn’t even use it properly.

But now—

thanks to Nedirika, and the pack chasing behind us…

This time, I can.

A crimson sky at dusk.

Maybe it’s because I was given the name Evening, but I’ve always loved the sky at that hour.

The proper world of daytime ends, and a strange, wonderful night arrives.

That moment of transition—the brief span when the world changes over.

That’s my favorite time of the entire day.

And that’s exactly why this is my Domain.

As the sun, dyed deep red, sinks below the horizon, the spotlights flicker on…

And illuminate me—standing alone at Position Zero, the center of the world.

With my eyes closed, I grip the brim of my hat and whisper to myself.

Be conscious of it. Be stylish. Maintain the façade… captivate them.

Because I am Witch Evening, the magician of twilight.

Click.

Like flipping a switch. Like extinguishing a light. My consciousness shifts.

The blue world falls into darkness…

And the ordinary me becomes, for this fleeting moment, an outrageous trickster.

"Now then—let the show begin!"

The one who removes her hat is unmistakably a magician.

A rogue who discards reason and logic alike, twisting reality itself with magic.

Her eyes shine like the stars of the night sky, and the aura she carries is like the winter moon.

"Witch Evening" lifts her chest proudly and cries out in a clear voice.

"This is the beginning of Magic Night!"

I pour everything I have into this moment.

Every ounce of strength I possess.

My Domain is something unusual—unlike any I’ve ever seen.

It’s said that the average Domain remains fully active for around five seconds. If you include the lingering aftereffects, it lasts a little over ten seconds—but that’s beside the point right now.

My Domain, by contrast, remains fully active for less than three seconds.

Compared to the Domains of other Uma Musume, it’s remarkably short.

…But in exchange, it comes with a tremendous advantage.

For those three seconds, I alone am freed from common sense and the laws that bind the world.

While this Domain is open, I can accelerate far beyond my normal limits while barely consuming any stamina at all.

Just three seconds.

In that time, my feet won’t even strike the ground thirty times.

But three seconds is enough.

In those thirty steps, I simply have to pass everyone—like magic.

Just as the sun turns red and vanishes in a brief moment that changes the world…

I too will rewrite this race in those three seconds.

That is Witch Evening’s Domain.

"—!!"

I grit my teeth and accelerate, pouring my entire body and soul into the effort.

In one burst I overtake Nedirika.

For a split second, I feel a strange sense of unease when she doesn’t respond to my move—but I immediately cast that thought aside.

And in an instant, I leap to the very front of the pack.

The dragon’s back is far closer now than it was on that day.

Five lengths.

…Two seconds.

"Here comes Witch Evening breaking away completely! A furious charge! A raging pursuit—the magical bullet is closing in on the dragon!"

"Is this the end for Nedirika?! The only challenger left is Witch Evening! Will the twilight magician avenge last year’s defeat?! Four lengths now—three lengths! The long final straight is just ahead!"

Three lengths.

…One second.

My legs still have strength left.

I stayed tucked behind Nedirika the whole time, minimizing the strain as much as possible…

And the stamina I would’ve spent on explosive acceleration was saved by activating my Domain—in fact, I even managed to steady my breathing.

This was nearly a perfect run for me.

The best run I could possibly achieve.

That’s why I still have enough stamina left for my finishing kick.

Even if Hoshino Wilm possesses a two-stage trigger Domain, it doesn’t matter.

Even if a Domain boosts the finishing kick of an escape runner racing in a foreign land—

I have no intention of losing.

In the end, what decides a race isn’t clever tricks or magic.

It’s the accumulation of countless small efforts built up over time.

And in that one thing—

I refuse to lose to anyone.

So…

Even if her legs are strengthened by her Domain—

I’ll crush them head-on.

I’ll win.

I’ll win here!

I’ll defeat the dragon from that day!

The shadow burned into my eyes—

the dazzling stars of that overwhelming night sky!

The Domain closes.

At the same time, the false straight ends, and far ahead the finish line comes into view.

The distance between me and that dazzling star scorching my eyes has shrunk to barely a single horse-length…

…And yet.

My face trembles before I can stop it, a sudden shudder running through me.

Because—

Ah, so you’ve finally come, have you?

That gaze, bleached pale like ash, the most radiant thing of all.

Those eyes, wrapped in a blue flame that seemed ready to scorch everything they touched.

With pure elation, they pierced straight through me—through their prey.

And then the world…

Split.

In.

Three.

---

A top-class G1 Uma Musume, standing among the strongest at the summit of the world.

I had that pride.

In fact, in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, even though I lost to Noble Song, I still finished second…

Objectively speaking, that should be an undeniable fact.

Someone like me not knowing about Domains would be impossible. If anything, I’d say my understanding of them is second to none.

I know them. The conditions required for them to unfold, the time limit they carry, the way they overwrite the world itself.

…and also that two of them can never exist at the same time.

In all of history, no Uma Musume has ever opened two Domains simultaneously.

Montjeu, who kept winning even after advancing to the upper leagues—there are rumors that she once used two Domains during a race. True or not.

But even then, the story goes that they were not “simultaneous,” but “sequential.”

My trainer, who has a bit of a romantic streak, once proposed a theory during casual conversation.

Domains are said to originate from the soul of an Uma Musume. And since that soul exists as only one, perhaps it’s impossible to deploy two at the same time.

…

But if that’s the case—

Then what, exactly, is the reality unfolding before my eyes?

Right now, the texture of the world exists in three layers.

The scenery of Longchamp streaming past at terrifying speed, and the back of that distant star—both near and impossibly far.

The extension of the Domain she had opened earlier in the middle stage of the race—perhaps it really was a two-stage trigger mechanism after all… her grassland blazing with those ferocious blue flames.

…and then, one more.

A gigantic gray meteor, trailing behind it like the tail of a dragon as it dances through a sky filled with shining stars.

What in the world… is this second Domain?

"Hoshino Wilm is ‘me’ before, and me after. One person who is two—two who are one."

Her murmur—words that sounded like Japanese.

I don’t understand Japanese, so their meaning escapes me.

But there was one thing I could understand.

"Two worlds—my previous life and this life—bound together… and I will win!!!"

…This gray titan of a star—

will burn my eyes and my mind even more fiercely than last year.

---

G2 — Prix Foy.

The winner that year was the gray dragon who came from Japan: Hoshino Wilm.

She finished far ahead of second place, shattering the race record by a full second—an utterly overwhelming victory.