Chapter 75: The Ashen Dragon and the Fugitive

"...And they’re off!"

With a loud clatter, every Uma Musume inside the gate—myself included—bursts forward.

As expected of the Arima Kinen, not a single runner gets a disastrous start.

And among them, the one who nails it best is—

Not me.

It’s Silence Suzuka.

"...!"

I was prepared for this.

Right after the Japan Cup, during our strategy meeting, my trainer told me, "Silence Suzuka will probably get an even better start than you."

…Still, seeing it with my own eyes hits differently.

To think she would casually seize the lead straight from the outermost gate.

Up until now, I had never once lost at the start.

That’s because, after signing with Ayumu-san, I was put through relentless start training for quite a while.

Since front-running Uma Musume don’t get swallowed by the pack, they don’t need to read other runners or create openings to escape traffic.

But in exchange, to be the fastest off the mark and remain in front for the entire race, they’re required to master something fundamentally different from other running styles.

Sometimes that means having the stamina to carry a high pace all the way to the finish.

Sometimes it means possessing the mental toughness to never yield, even when pressured from behind.

And sometimes—

It means having the explosive start dash needed to take the lead from the very first step.

Whether he learned it from studying the long history of the Horino family or not, Ayumu-san understood this perfectly.

But unlike him… when I first arrived at Tracen Academy, I relied solely on my raw specs.

Whether I broke late or surged too early, I brute-forced everything with what Ayumu-san called my "one-of-a-kind" abilities.

…And that reckless, technique-less running is exactly why I lost so spectacularly in my very first mock race.

Because he saw just how ugly that run was—or perhaps for other reasons as well—

After contracting me and switching my style to front-running, the very first thing Ayumu-san prioritized was "improving start technique."

Sharpening my focus to the limit, then launching even a tenth of a second faster than anyone else the instant the race begins.

To ensure I could execute it flawlessly in real races, I practiced it again and again—honestly, to the point where I got sick of it.

The experience I gained back then still serves me well today.

Between that and my heightened focus from "cold mode," I had never lost a start in any race—until now.

But now, Suzuka-san has beaten me off the line.

…From what I felt out of the corner of my eye, we launched almost simultaneously.

Our concentration was equal. Both of us had near-perfect starts.

And yet, just moments after the break, she’s already pulled ahead—

Which can only mean one thing.

A difference in raw ability.

Naturally, no amount of focus alone guarantees a good start.

What truly matters is the leg power to propel yourself forward—what trainers call "acceleration."

At the start of a race, we Uma Musume have to accelerate from a complete standstill to our ideal pace.

And the faster that acceleration, the further ahead you get.

"Silence Suzuka isn’t suited for long distances—she won’t know how to manage her optimal speed," the trainer said.

So in this race, Suzuka-san’s top speed should be degraded compared to her true specs.

…But that doesn’t mean her acceleration suffers as well.

Silence Suzuka’s acceleration easily surpasses that of Hoshino Wilm.

And even her reduced top speed probably still matches mine at best.

Which leads to a single conclusion.

With my legs, I can’t catch her.

"Eighteen Uma Musume break cleanly from the gate! Now then—will the great front-runner Silence Suzuka go for it? The chestnut runner in green emerges from the pack. As expected, Silence Suzuka takes the lead!"

"Right behind her is Hoshino Wilm, followed by Twin Turbo. Dai Taku Helios trails slightly behind the leading trio, but just as predicted, this race has begun at a blistering, outrageous pace!"

…Still.

This is nothing more than the expected development.

In a pure battle of specs, I never had a chance. I knew that from the start.

Even so, I pride myself on having extremely high physical abilities.

I can overpower even top-tier peers like Teio and Nature through sheer specs alone.

Compared across generations, it wouldn’t be wrong to say my abilities stand out.

But I can’t beat Suzuka-san.

According to the trainer’s analysis, the only areas where I surpass her are stamina and tactical awareness.

The former is rendered meaningless by Suzuka-san’s abnormal traits, and the latter isn’t particularly valuable against someone who steamrolls races with raw ability.

In other words…

In terms of the physical abilities she brings to the race, I don’t surpass Suzuka-san in a single category.

That’s how extraordinary Silence Suzuka is.

…And yet, the reason this can be overturned lies in strategy.

The race plan for competitive Uma Musume Hoshino Wilm—outlined by Ayumu-san and refined together with Masa-san and me.

What should I do from here?

As I picture the steps in my mind, I recall what I was told that day.

---

Since switching to an all-out escape strategy, Silence Suzuka has never lost to anyone.

In the past four years, she has tasted defeat only once—during her first senior year, at the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

And even then, she didn’t lose to another Uma Musume.

She lost to her own limits.

A Silence Suzuka who commits to a full escape, in principle, does not lose.

The greatest reason for that strength is—

Her utterly absurd stamina.

Silence Suzuka never fades.

No matter how high the pace, she never eases off—if anything, she keeps accelerating.

The reason Uma Musume are divided into styles like front-running, stalking, or closing lies in pace suitability—each body has its optimal stamina distribution.

Go out fast, build a lead, then slow the pace and hold on.

Or conserve energy early, then unleash everything at the end.

Managing stamina across the entire race is absolutely crucial.

…But Silence Suzuka’s bottomless stamina utterly annihilates that common sense.

She runs at a pace no one can catch—from start to finish.

It’s a fantastical, almost childish idea—like "my ultimate unbeatable running style."

Normally, it’s the kind of unrealistic dream you’d dismiss outright.

And yet—

She alone makes it real.

That day, the trainer described Suzuka-san like this:

"I don’t know why it works, but as long as no one’s ahead of her, she’ll keep accelerating without fading. And because she keeps accelerating, it’s incredibly hard to get in front of her.

And when the final stretch comes—when the others finally start accelerating—she opens her domain and accelerates even more.

There’s no way to beat her. I can’t see a future where she loses. That’s why they used to call her ‘otherworldly.’"

For her, the condition for victory is simple: always be in front.

As long as that condition is met, her stamina is effectively infinite. No matter how fast the pace, she can continue accelerating without limit.

To stop this otherworldly escape, someone has to get ahead of her.

…But a runner who can accelerate endlessly can only be overtaken by someone with superior top speed or superior acceleration.

And Silence Suzuka’s top speed and acceleration are both absurdly high—so high that even Senpai Spe herself can’t surpass them.

Unless you overcome her with raw ability or a momentary explosive burst of power, Silence Suzuka cannot be stopped.

And yet, her overwhelmingly violent physical ability and mastery of escape tactics refuse to allow even that.

That is why she is called otherworldly.

She exists on a completely different plane from ordinary Uma Musume. You’re not even allowed the luxury of a fair fight.

That is the otherworldly fugitive—Silence Suzuka.

---

"Special Week is currently running in eleventh, positioned within the pack just behind Mejiro McQueen as she surveys the race."

"Another member of the Golden Generation, Happy Meek, is moving up more aggressively from slightly ahead, running alongside the revived Tokai Teio on the outer edge of the leading group!"

"As predicted, the three great escape runners are setting the pace as they enter the third corner! Silence Suzuka in front, Twin Turbo clinging desperately to her, then about a length back is Hoshino Wilm, with Dai Taku Helios another three to four lengths behind!"

One of the defining characteristics of the Arima Kinen is the opening corner.

Most races begin on a straight—long or short, but straight nonetheless.

Every race I’ve ever run has been that way.

But because the Arima Kinen spans 2,500 meters, it begins on a gentle outer curve that leads directly into the third and fourth corners.

In other words, the moment the race begins, you’re already entering a corner.

And trying to push speed through a corner means fighting centrifugal force.

Forward momentum bleeds outward, inevitably creating waste.

So… not yet.

It’s not time yet.

I deliberately stay calm, observing the two escape-type Uma Musume running ahead of me.

Silence Suzuka—and Twin Turbo.

The way these two run is simple, for better or worse.

From the very start, they sprint at full power, never easing up unless they’ve already built an overwhelming lead.

Because of that, anyone can imagine what happens when the two collide.

Yes—

A brutal, all-out slugfest.

Twin Turbo tries to surge ahead, and Silence Suzuka accelerates to shut her down.

Seeing Suzuka accelerate, Twin Turbo pushes her engine even harder.

A childish, reckless dash—like kids racing each other—without a single thought spared for stamina distribution, or the fact that they’re still in a corner.

The problem is that this is happening in a G1 race—the highest level in the country.

"..."

"The gap from the pack keeps widening! The leading trio are already fighting on another plane entirely! Before even reaching the 400-meter mark, they’ve opened a lead of over eight lengths!"

"A murderous—no, downright slaughterous pace! Even if they’re fugitives and dragons, can they really sustain this speed for the full 2,500 meters!?"

…Honestly, this is rough.

Even drafting behind them to reduce wind resistance, keeping up at this speed is punishing.

Two thousand five hundred meters… yeah, it won’t last.

Of course, compared to me simply following, the two battling up front are burning through stamina even faster.

They aren’t considering race flow at all—this isn’t strategy, it’s a clash of pride.

Especially for Turbo-sensei. Suzuka-san may possess endless stamina as long as she’s in front, but for Turbo, this pace is devastating.

In fact—

Barely more than 400 meters into the race, her stride is already beginning to falter.

Twin Turbo doesn’t understand the concept of holding back.

Until she takes the lead and stretches it wide, she will run endlessly.

But in this race—one that includes an otherworldly fugitive—she can’t take the lead in the first place.

So… her limit should be around 500 meters.

That was the estimate Masa-san and I arrived at—roughly by the end of the fourth corner.

That’s where Turbo-sensei’s stamina should give out.

From there, she won’t be able to keep up with Suzuka-san. She’ll fade.

And that moment will be my battlefield—the one and only chance to pass Silence Suzuka.

Until then, I won’t waste stamina carelessly.

Like Nature did in the Kikuka Sho, I stay tucked behind my rival, cutting the wind, conserving my legs as I pursue Suzuka-san.

That was the optimal countermeasure Masa-san and I devised.

And judging by the sound of Twin Turbo’s footsteps… it felt correct.

She was at her limit. The moment we hit the straight, she should start fading.

…But.

Things don’t unfold so neatly.

"Here they come past the main stand! The leader remains Silence Suzuka—but Twin Turbo is still clinging on! Against that otherworldly runner, both engines are still roaring!"

…She isn’t fading.

Twin Turbo isn’t fading.

We’ve already passed 500 meters. The corner is over—we’re on the straight.

Her stride is clearly breaking down. The excessive stamina drain should have finished her off by now.

And yet…

She still refuses to give up.

Overwhelming willpower. Sheer bravado. Or pure guts.

Clinging to nothing but that, she desperately continues chasing the fugitive.

"Not yet—still not yet…! Turbo’s engine… full throttle!!"

…That’s right.

A lot has happened, and I forgot.

Come to think of it, she’s always been that kind of Uma Musume.

Twin Turbo never gives up.

Her heart is painfully straightforward, relentlessly positive—and no matter how much pain or hardship she faces, she never breaks.

Because she’s like that, she was able to teach one protagonist what it means to be unbreakable.

She was the one who made the Tokai Teio of that world stand up again.

She never—absolutely never—gives up, no matter what.

As long as her legs keep moving forward, it’s as if she believes there’s no reason to stop. And so she keeps running.

That is Twin Turbo.

One Uma Musume living in this world.

…But of course, even that isn’t eternal.

"Midway down the straight—Twin Turbo is slowing! As expected of the otherworldly fugitive, she won’t even allow an ordinary Uma Musume to keep up!"

Turbo’s stride wobbles violently.

Using that as the trigger, Silence Suzuka instantly pulls away.

The gap between them opens in an instant—cruelly, mercilessly wide.

At this point, with her stamina completely drained, Turbo-sensei no longer has any chance of winning this race.

…And yet.

In the fleeting moment as I pass her, the look on her face—

Still aimed forward.

Still saying, even so.

"…Heh."

Turbo’s dying embers scorch my heart.

…From here on out, this is my time.

To state the obvious—

Hoshino Wilm cannot beat Silence Suzuka.

Race sense, physical ability, and technique.

In every single one of those, I am inferior to Suzuka-san.

I’ve only been running on the central circuit for two years.

Suzuka-san has been doing this for six.

A gem polished over that much time shines far more brilliantly than someone as rough-hewn as me.

My top speed is roughly equal to Suzuka-san’s, but in acceleration, I’m clearly inferior.

Even if it’s just a thought experiment, no matter how long I run, I can’t overtake her.

More likely, her endlessly overflowing stamina would crush me first.

Technique won’t save me either.

As a battle-hardened Uma Musume, there’s no way her skills fall short of mine.

Even if we reached the same temporary speed through technique alone, I still wouldn’t be able to catch her.

If I can’t win in raw ability or technique…

Then there’s nothing I can do.

With Hoshino Wilm’s legs, I can’t catch Silence Suzuka.

…Of course.

That’s only true by ordinary means.

I close my eyes for a brief instant—

Click.

I flip the switch buried deep inside my brain.

In that moment, the world flowing past me slows to a crawl.

---

I remember that day.

Back when Ayumu-san was still with us—when he, Masa-san, Bourbon-chan, and I sat down together to discuss future race strategies.

That day, after hearing the trainer describe Suzuka-san’s traits—her sheer, outrageous level of cheating—I couldn’t help but mutter:

"…Is there really any way to deal with that?"

In response, Ayumu-san said—

"We’ll deal with it. I’m your trainer, after all."

With that, he began laying out the strategy.

"First, I want to confirm something, Hoshino Wilm."

"Your ability to increase your thinking capacity—it’s a kind of special power, similar to Silence Suzuka’s infinite stamina, and separate from a ‘domain.’ Is that understanding correct?"

At the trainer’s words, I nodded.

I’m his assigned Uma Musume, and he’s my contracted trainer.

Because of that relationship, I have an obligation to report my abilities to him honestly.

Especially since my trainer places immense value on data. Knowing about my special ability could allow him to incorporate it into our strategy.

So I told him about my “anime reincarnation” as well—

Though I couldn’t say that name out loud.

Doing so would almost directly expose the fact that I’m a reincarnator.

Even so, Ayumu-san would probably accept it if I told him I retained memories from a previous life.

But still… somehow…

…In the end, I hesitated.

Even if I’m almost certain it would be fine, the what-ifs hold me back. I fear damaging our relationship and convince myself it’s better left unsaid.

After all… my memories from my previous life were one of the distant causes that shattered my family and childhood relationships. It’s only natural to hesitate a little.

That aside—

In short, I had already shared the substance of my ability with the trainer, carefully avoiding its name and origin.

"You can freely switch it on, and for about thirty seconds afterward, your thinking ability increases dramatically."

"During that time, you can… what was it called—‘Tensei Spurt’? A low-burden, ultra-efficient spurt using a forward-leaning posture. Is that understanding correct?"

"That’s correct."

When I nodded in affirmation once more, the trainer returned a single nod and spoke.

"Alright. Then we’ll play that card in the fight against Silence Suzuka."

……To be honest, despite being the one who would use it, that idea had never crossed my mind.

For an Uma Musume, the proper time to make a final push is the late stage of the race. That rule applies even to someone like me—a pure front-runner who specializes in all-out escapes.

The stretch from the fourth corner to the final straight—when stamina is nearly depleted and the other Uma Musume begin to close in—is an extremely critical phase.

That’s why I would normally combine my Domain with Anime Reincarnation, reducing the burden on my legs and effectively removing the stamina limit, using the so-called tactic of “escaping hard, then finishing stronger.”

But… unlike a Domain, Anime Reincarnation isn’t restricted to a specific timing.

If I wanted to, I could activate it in the early stage, the mid-race, or the final stretch.

There’s only one limitation: it lasts for roughly thirty seconds per race.

If I use it longer than that, sensory overload makes it impossible to continue running properly. And to activate it again for another thirty seconds, I’d need about two hours of rest—that much I’ve already calculated.

But looked at another way, as long as I obey that restriction, I can use it at any point in the race.

When you think about it, that flexibility is an incredible advantage.

Most Uma Musume—Suzuka included—can’t activate their Domains until the late stage.

By using this ability in the middle phase, I can seize a one-step advantage over everyone else.

"Silence Suzuka is strong. So strong that even you would likely lose if you faced her head-on."

"…However, that strength comes from her special ability: as long as she remains in the lead, her stamina continues."

"If that’s the case, then using your own strengths isn’t cheating by any stretch."

The trainer said that, then gave a small, knowing grin.

---

If I’m going to use Anime Reincarnation, it’s now.

The moment Turbo dropped back.

The instant Suzuka noticed that the Uma Musume who had been tailing her all this time was gone—and let her guard down, even if only slightly.

There is no other moment.

Heavenly Star Spurt… activate!

『As if swapping places with Twin Turbo, Hoshino Wilm surges to the front!

A ferocious chase—this is the dragon’s true power, unleashed in a full-body, forward-leaning sprint!!』

Under normal circumstances, I can’t beat Suzuka.

The gap in experience. The difference in raw ability. The disparity in technique.

In every respect, I’m fatally inferior to her.

…So I’ll use one or two cheats.

A special ability I was born with—and chose to seal away myself.

If Silence Suzuka’s power is “limitless stamina as long as she’s in the lead,” then Hoshino Wilm’s is “temporary enhancement of cognitive processing.”

And if that means Suzuka can maintain her absolute peak almost indefinitely…

Then I can surpass my limits—for thirty seconds.

With this… I will overtake the otherworldly escape artist, Silence Suzuka!

Within the gently slowing world, I perceive everything through sharpened senses.

The condition of my current lane. The distance to the inner rail. Suzuka’s stride. The presence of the trailing Uma Musume.

Where to place my feet. How to move my body. How the race will unfold from here. My remaining stamina—and the maximum speed I can still produce.

I assemble it all in my mind like a puzzle, drawing out a run that would be utterly impossible for my usual self—one that is almost too perfect.

…I can do this.

Right here, I’ll beat Suzuka!!

"Haaaaaah!!"

"—Yaaaaah!!"

『They plunge into the first corner, already locked in a clash so fierce it looks like the final stage of the race!

And yet, we’re still in the middle phase! Who could have predicted such an intense development!?

A long, relentless battle for the lead—one moment’s distraction could decide it all! At the end of this drawn-out struggle, who will seize the front position!?』

"…Ghk."

Fast.

Silence Suzuka is fast.

Now that I’m truly racing against her, that obvious truth hits me harder than ever.

Even with Heavenly Star Spurt—movement that borders on exceeding what an Uma Musume should be capable of—I still can’t pass her easily.

She’s not holding back like she did during the Kikuka Sho, saving strength just in case.

She’s not deploying an overwhelming Domain like she did in the Japan Cup.

And yet… she’s still ahead of me.

…My Anime Reincarnation, combined with Heavenly Star Spurt, has a limit of thirty seconds.

In terms of distance, that’s roughly three furlongs—about six hundred meters.

What was supposed to be activated the moment we entered the straight ended up starting halfway down the home stretch instead, thanks to Turbo’s valiant effort.

Most likely, the time limit will be reached somewhere inside the second corner.

If I can overtake Suzuka before then and strip her of her invincibility, the win is mine.

If she prevents me from passing and runs out the clock on my limit-breaking state, the victory belongs to her.

In the end, that’s exactly the kind of contest this is!

『Now they swing into the second corner—how long will this two-person journey into another dimension continue!?

The gap to third-place Daitaku Helios is already impossible to judge at a glance! Just how far will this stretch out vertically!? At what pace are these two tearing through the race!?』

Faster… faster still—go faster!

Silence Suzuka is fast.

Even when I think she’s reached her limit, she accelerates again.

…It seems Ayumu-san misjudged one thing.

He said that Silence Suzuka’s strength lay in her absurd specs—her inexhaustible stamina that grants her near invincibility—and her explosive run when she deploys her Domain.

And judging from all existing data on Silence Suzuka, that assessment would have been perfectly correct.

But… she had never once shown her true limit.

No one had ever pushed her this hard before the late stage of a race—never during the mid-race.

And so, in this very moment…

She revealed a true limit that no one had ever seen.

"I won’t… give up the view from the front!!"

She accelerates.

She accelerates—accelerates—keeps accelerating!

Just slightly, but unmistakably… Silence Suzuka is still accelerating even now!

Is this what the living legend’s full power looks like?

…Or is this the final grit of a single Uma Musume?

Silence Suzuka… surpasses her limits and continues accelerating without end!

……Even so.

Even so!!

"I’m the one who’s going to win!!!"

I kick off the ground and leap forward.

My vision is fixed straight ahead, pouring every ounce of strength I possess into this moment.

I will—!!

『Exiting the second corner and charging onto the back straight, the one who takes the lead by a hair is Hoshino Wilm!!

The long, relentless battle for the front is decided—the gray dragon emerges victorious!!』