Chapter 111: Push Forward! The Yorkshire Cup (Part 2)

After the presentation in the rectangular paddock, the horses proceeded to the parade. The York Racecourse had a dedicated space for this, so the 13 horse girls jogged lightly along a narrow path.

The area was a fenced-off space between the spectator stands and the course, barely wide enough for a single horse girl—extremely cramped. After running down the narrow path, Chief’s Glider came to a stop in front of the starting gate at the far side.

The vast racecourse stretched before her. The noise of the crowd was distant, a world away. As she listened to the faint voices of the commentators, surrounded by endless green, her fighting spirit burned brighter.

『The parade has concluded, and the 13 horse girls have gathered at the far-side gate. Each is preparing as they await the call to enter the stalls.』

『The tension stretches on like threading a needle. Let’s hope none of them get too nervous.』

Chief’s Glider scraped her hoof against the turf, visibly irritated. Just then, her teammate—and designated rabbit—Brushing Charm approached.

"Nervous?"

"...No. I’m just unsettled because of her."

"That’s called being nervous."

"…………"

"…………"

"...I feel a little better now. Thanks."

"Don’t mention it."

As they spoke, the two moved away from Apollo Rainbow and exchanged light conversation. Her, of course, referred to Apollo Rainbow—the biggest obstacle in the Yorkshire Cup for Chief’s Glider’s camp, a horse girl they had to counter.

The reason Brushing Charm, the rabbit, was entered in this race was that they had chosen the Yorkshire Cup as a practice run for the Gold Cup. Unlike Chief’s Glider, who had a long career, Brushing Charm had only recently joined the Twinkle Series after a late debut. In short, the camp wanted her to gain experience as a rabbit.

"It’s fine. The enemy isn’t familiar with this course, and it’s her first time facing a rabbit."

"...Hey, Charm. Don’t underestimate her. She placed second in the Dubai Gold Cup—higher than me. She’s strong enough to keep up with that Kayf Tara, and—"

"Ugh. I know that. But you’re definitely stronger, Chief. There’s no way you’ll lose to Apollo Rainbow."

"...We’ll see. Charm… I’m counting on you to secure a flawless victory."

"Yes! Leave the pacemaking to me!"

This race was also a test of whether their anti-runaway strategy would work. If they failed here, their chances in G1 races like the Gold Cup or Goodwood Cup would be in doubt.

As for Apollo Rainbow, she couldn’t afford to add another race between the Yorkshire and Gold Cups—fatigue and scheduling made it impossible. If she didn’t win here, her dream of a complete Stayers Million sweep would vanish.

Neither side could afford to lose. They wanted to hide their fangs until the race, but holding back meant defeat. This was a prelude to their full-force clash. Apollo Rainbow glared at the gate, rigid—not with fighting spirit, but with simmering fury.

What was she so angry about? The exact reason was unclear, but Chief’s Glider’s camp had an idea. Brushing Charm and Chief’s Glider exchanged glances and nodded.

"...Apollo Rainbow, the horse girl from that far-eastern island nation. She seems perfect, but she’s surprisingly vulnerable in certain ways. Just like our trainer said… she’s complicated."

"Hmm… The details are unclear, but she seems troubled in her personal life. Physically and mentally, she’s in peak condition—yet something’s holding her back from unleashing her full power."

"...Should we press her like we discussed?"

"Of course. Psychological warfare is fundamental in competition."

—Press her. In competition, exploiting an opponent’s weakness for victory was only natural. In other words, they intended to rattle Apollo Rainbow mentally. And the method? Momozawa Tomio and Apollo Rainbow’s relationship.

To put it bluntly, they planned to dig into the stagnant distance between trainer and horse girl—a bond that had progressed no further than professional duty.

Of course, Apollo Rainbow’s turmoil had nothing to do with that. Her inner conflict was far more complex; her dream’s foundation and her romantic feelings were entirely separate.

So why was Chief’s Glider’s camp so confident in their flawed analysis? Simple—they’d misinterpreted documentaries and her usual behavior, leading them to a spectacularly wrong conclusion.

Unaware of their fatal miscalculation, Chief’s Glider and Brushing Charm approached the gray-haired girl as she focused before the gate. The conversation they struck up would soon spawn a tragedy for their camp.

"Hey, Apollo."

"...? Oh, Chief, Charm. Good luck today! Not that I’ll lose!"

"...We’re not here for pleasantries. We came to declare war."

"Huh?"

Chief’s Glider’s camp had crossed into dangerous territory, toeing the line of Apollo Rainbow’s breaking point. And in the next moment, the words that spilled from Chief’s Glider’s mouth sent the gray-haired girl’s temper skyrocketing.

"After I win this race, I’ve got a date planned with your trainer."

"...Excuse me?"

"You’re not assertive enough, so he doesn’t notice you. Once this race ends… you’ll understand everything."

"Hah? Hah? WHAAAAA—?! Wait, what the hell are you—?!"

Of course, it was all a lie. Chief’s Glider barely knew Momozawa Tomio and had no real interest in him. There was no date planned—this was purely psychological warfare.

Apollo Rainbow pinned her ears back and lunged at Chief’s Glider, but an official announcing the gate entry cut her off. Though visibly shaken, she took deep breaths at the gate, her expression cooling—until her eyes burned with boiling fury.

(Heh, it’s working. She’s way more attached to her trainer than I thought.)

(It’s less ‘working’ and more… something’s off. This isn’t the reaction I expected.)

(Really?)

(Maybe I’m imagining it. Did we mess up…?)

(No way. Apollo Rainbow is clearly rattled.)

What they hadn’t anticipated was Apollo Rainbow’s unexpected calmness regarding her trainer—and her ability to channel deception-induced rage into fighting spirit. The gray-haired girl’s feelings were indeed unnervingly intense.

But she was also sharp enough to realize, "The rival camp is trying to rattle me by bringing up Tomio," and transform raw anger into sheer willpower.

In a way, their psychological attack had succeeded—but only in igniting Apollo Rainbow’s battle frenzy. The plan had backfired spectacularly. Her fury became fuel, and her fighting spirit burned hotter than ever.

『Chief’s Glider, the second favorite, has now entered the gate!』

『She’s calm. Given her confidence against Apollo Rainbow, this composure must reflect solid preparation. Alongside her teammate Brushing Charm, let’s see how she counters Apollo Rainbow’s runaway strategy!』

The gray-haired girl felt a passion so intense it blurred the foundation of her dream. Her usual drive came from racing zeal and faint romantic longing—both of which she harnessed as strength. But now, a new source of power surged within her: white-hot fury.

Even if it was a tactic, she hated how they’d mocked her bond with her partner. Never before had she felt such dark emotions right before a race. Love for Momozawa Tomio, confusion over her dream’s foundation, unexpected rage at their words—all of it melted together, pushing her mind to the brink of overload.

『Apollo Rainbow, the top favorite, has entered gate 12 on the outside!』

『...Hm? Does she seem… off? Her ears are pinned, yet she’s eerily calm. Her expression looks almost hollow.』

『...Really? She looks normal to me.』

『Must be my imagination. My apologies.』

And the moment Apollo Rainbow stepped into the gate—her emotions snapped. Extreme focus narrowed her vision; sudden fury sent her thoughts spiraling. Combined with her love for her trainer, she reached a state beyond passion—pure instinct.

All she needed was the inevitability she’d built… and one tiny spark of chance.

A fleeting moment of clarity. A single instant where the self bound by her dream’s foundation ceased to exist. Or perhaps—a sliver of time where she was freed from her other self’s shackles. Struck by lightning-like inspiration and forgotten memories, the G2 Yorkshire Cup began.

『The historic York Racecourse. Clear skies, firm turf. The G2 Yorkshire Cup—run over 2800 meters, left-handed—has long served as a critical prelude to the G1 Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup. Who will carve the path to glory in the Stayers Million?! All horse girls have entered the gate—the race starts now!』

At the precipice of the gate’s opening, Chief’s Glider couldn’t help but notice Apollo Rainbow’s odd state. Amid the refreshing May breeze, the gray-haired girl stood motionless—was she hyper-focused, or had their taunts truly shaken her? A pang of guilt struck Chief’s Glider.

In the unbearable silence, the steel gate creaked. The 13 horse girls froze, awaiting release—until, as if foreseeing the future, Apollo Rainbow’s body twitched. To seize the slightest advantage, she leaped—before the gate even opened.

"...Huh?"

Whose voice was that?

The next instant, the gate burst open—just before Apollo Rainbow’s nose could collide with it.

『AND THEY’RE OFF! Apollo Rainbow and Blushing Charm surge ahead! As expected, the two are vying for the lead, but the gray-haired fairy from Japan, Apollo Rainbow, takes a one-length advantage! Office Pixie, the European fairy in third, isn’t backing down—she’s watching closely!』

The Yorkshire Cup had begun. On this course dominated by long straights, Apollo Rainbow seized the lead, with Brushing Charm trailing by a length.

Apollo Rainbow’s reckless, all-or-nothing sprint clashed with Blushing Charm’s sacrificial pacemaking for her teammate. As the two immediately locked into a duel, the late-running horse girls held back, knowing pursuit would be suicide. Meanwhile, the front-runners pressured Apollo Rainbow by letting Blushing Charm drag them forward.

Just before the field split into front and rear packs, Blushing Charm and Chief’s Glider briefly locked eyes.

—Stick to the plan.
—Leave it to me. Blow them away in the final stretch.

Against Apollo Rainbow, not a single milligram of oxygen could be wasted. With that silent exchange, they focused on their roles.

The verbal taunts weren’t their main anti-runaway strategy. The real plan was Brushing Charm’s relentless marking—grinding Apollo Rainbow down until she cracked.

(Apollo Rainbow always falters under pressure! Dubai, the Tenno Sho—that weakness never disappeared! The only way to beat her is to disrupt her rhythm with relentless marking!!)

Apollo Rainbow muttered deliriously, "Bakushin..." as she continued accelerating from the very start—like a sprinter's final dash.

Even Blushing Charm, who prided herself on speed, could barely keep up. Behind her, graded race veterans Office Pixie, Cash Monse, and Exceller Mania struggled to hang on, but today's Apollo Rainbow was simply too fast. The gap widened relentlessly.

Yet they knew Apollo Rainbow had a fatal flaw—she was easily rattled. That knowledge alone kept them clinging to hope. No horse girl was invincible. As long as that weakness existed, victory was possible. The four front-runners pushed harder, chasing the gray blur ahead.

Then, 400 meters in, the unthinkable happened.

—Apollo Rainbow was calm.

Despite her insane speed—despite running like a sprinter in a marathon—she showed no reaction to the four rivals breathing down her neck. No tension, no hesitation.

(Why isn’t she breaking?! )
(She’s pulling away—we can’t stop her!)
(Don’t tell me—she overcame her one weakness?!)
(No FREAKING way!! There were zero signs of this at Tracen!! She always cracked under pressure!!)

Exchanging frantic glances, the four pursuers—Blushing Charm, Office Pixie, Cash Monse, Exceller Mania—poured on the pressure. Yet the gray back ahead only grew smaller.

Apollo Rainbow wasn’t one for tricks or mind games. She always faltered when pressed, strong in pure speed but vulnerable to psychological warfare. That was her nature—clumsy, exploitable.

But now—

『600 meters in, Apollo Rainbow still leads at a blistering pace!』

『The chase pack is locked in battle—no, they’re desperately marking her!』

『Yet Apollo Rainbow doesn’t flinch! Like a completely different runner—she shrugs off all pressure and keeps flying!』

There was a world of difference between accelerating to crush rivals and accelerating out of panic. The former conserved stamina; the latter burned it recklessly. Apollo Rainbow’s greatest flaw—her instability—was gone.

No weaknesses remained. Only strengths.

And in a pure contest of strengths? Almost no one could beat Apollo Rainbow.

—Her explosive starts.
—Bottomless stamina to sprint 10,000 meters flat-out.
—A fighter’s heart to claw back defeats.
—Sprinter-like agility from start to finish.
—A hidden second gear for the final stretch.

The very premise of beating her had collapsed. Their plan—pressure early, disrupt her rhythm, then overtake late—was now a pipe dream. If they couldn’t break her early, they couldn’t drain her stamina like in the Stayers Stakes.

Despair gnawed at the four pursuers. Yet they clung to one last shred of hope, resisting with everything they had.

(...Lies! Why won’t she break?! You always cracked before! Every race—every damn time—so why now?! )

—But nothing worked. The girl’s back radiated eerie serenity. No reaction to Brushing Charm’s aggression, not even a hitch in her breathing. The old Apollo Rainbow would’ve already been in chaos.

Inhale. Exhale.

While the four gasped erratically, Apollo Rainbow’s breaths were deep, steady.

An immovable wall. Push, pull—it didn’t matter. Their hope withered into despair.

The ripple of panic reached Chief’s Glider in 8th. Watching the front pack’s distress, dread coiled in her gut.

(...What’s happening? Did Apollo Rainbow—
—overcome her mental block? If so... we’re screwed. )

As the leaders hit the first shallow turn, Apollo Rainbow’s blistering cornering shook off Cash Monse. A misstep? Regardless, it was fatal. Falling back, Cash Monse rejoined the rear pack, drenched in sweat, her pace shattered.

Cash Monse was a front-running mid-to-long distance specialist. Yet she’d been dropped after just 600 meters of Apollo’s runaway. Not just beaten—broken. Chief’s Glider stopped thinking about victory and started worrying about injuries.

As Cash Monse limped to the rear, a chill swept the field.

If we let Apollo Rainbow run free... can anyone win?

Let her race at her best, and she’d still set record pace over marathon distances. Her record: 5 races, 4 wins, 1 second-place—5 record-breaking victories. This wasn’t about strength. It was about how to win—or if they even could.

Her past losses? The Stayers Stakes, Dubai Gold Cup, Tenno Sho (Spring)—all podium finishes. The only one to beat her was Kaihu Taara, the strongest closer alive.

But today?

She. Isn’t. Breaking.

This wasn’t a repeat of those races.

This was the Kikuka Sho.

The race where she’d won by 25 lengths.

That nightmare flashed through the field’s minds. A shudder ran down their spines.

If she ran unshackled now, her closing speed—rivaling pure closers—would annihilate them. Panic set in. Unconsciously, the entire field accelerated, spiraling into a brutal, unsustainable pace.

『Through the gentle first turn, a quarter of the race is done! Apollo Rainbow leads by 5 lengths over Blushing Charm—is the gap growing?!』

『Cash Monse’s collapse is concerning, but the real issue is—why are they letting Apollo Rainbow run free?! Without a closer like Kayf Tara, this is suicide! Chief’s Glider doesn’t have that explosive finish. What’s the plan?!』

After passing the 1000-meter mark, Apollo Rainbow shifted her speed up a gear. Her movements were clearly abnormal—converting the centrifugal force from the gentle corner directly into acceleration. Her small frame clung to the ground, kicking up turf as she raced into the distance.

Blushing Charm, Office Pixy, and Exceller Mania had been desperately trying to close the gap, but one of them—Office Pixy—had her spirit broken. Though she had been chasing at full speed, she was effortlessly left behind, and her pacing was completely thrown off by panic. By the halfway point of the race, she had already given up, her face pale and showing signs of oxygen deprivation.

『The gap between Apollo Rainbow and second place is now 24 meters (78 feet).』

Even as they tried to catch her, the distance only grew. The sight of a 10-length lead opening up in just 1000 meters, combined with two racers effectively dropping out, plunged the remaining ten into absolute despair.

(……Like hell I’ll give up…!!)

Blushing Charm understood the despair of the others all too well. If not for her position as Chief’s Glider’s teammate, she would’ve undoubtedly been among them.

But precisely because she was the teammate of such a great senior, she couldn’t give up. She carried twice the dreams and expectations—her own and another’s. No matter how hopeless the gap, she had to push forward. Because this wasn’t just a race for herself, she could summon strength beyond the ordinary.

Blushing Charm struggled desperately to close the 10-length—no, 11-length gap. Yet, bit by bit, she was being pulled away. Even at a blistering 70 km/h, the terror of being slowly peeled off was unbearable.

The difference between a tactical front-run and a rabbit’s role was stark, but the horror of the gap steadily widening was—for horse girls whose very being was tied to running—nothing short of indescribable despair.

The race had already become Apollo Rainbow’s solo show. The others were paralyzed. They wanted to chase but couldn’t. Blushing Charm, the sole rabbit, was utterly outmatched. Two had already effectively dropped out, and the rest were unwilling to make a move for fear of handing victory to a rival other than Apollo Rainbow.

A crushing psychological suppression. To catch the gray-haired girl who never slowed from start to finish, they’d need legs faster than hers to chase, overtake, and somehow break her.

But the feasibility of that "somehow" was dubious, and no one wanted to risk burning themselves out only for a third party to snatch victory. Worse, two graded race-winning horse girls had already been forced into a sudden deceleration, succumbing to oxygen deprivation or simply being overwhelmed by the pace by the 1000-meter mark.

At this point, no one could move. A race painted in such despair and terror robbed them all of aggression, leaving only passivity. But without action, they couldn’t win. Yet still, they couldn’t move.

Perhaps because of Dubai’s victory by Kayf Tara, there’d been a faint air of "Maybe we can do this" before the race. But once the illusion was stripped away, the girls’ hearts were no longer those of contenders.

Forced into an impossible choice, psychologically cornered, their pacing unraveled unnoticed, shaping the race perfectly for the gray-haired fairy—no, demon.

It was like an antlion’s trap. Once she took the lead, they were left with only the worst of choices. The pinnacle of front-running, a brutality only permitted by the strongest stamina.

This was the true Apollo Rainbow. The end of the moonbow she’d finally reached.

And she still hadn’t unleashed her second or third monstrous gears.

――【Angling × Skimming】
――【Nameless】
――【Toward the End of the Silver Snow, Where the Moonbow Shines.】

The boundless speed inherited from rivals across the world.

The fragments of passion forged to become the world’s strongest stayer.

And she hadn’t even activated them yet. The sheer weight of this fact was beyond the twelve’s comprehension.

『As they approach the second corner at the 1400-meter mark—oh! Exceller Mania falters!! She drops from the fight for second and falls back to the rear pack!! This is a terrifying war of attrition!! Already, the three front-runners have let victory slip away!!』

『I-I’ve never seen a race like this…』

By the 1400-meter mark and the second corner, Exceller Mania too had dropped out, leaving only Blushing Charm barely clinging to Apollo Rainbow.

Any notion of pace-making as a rabbit or pressuring Apollo Rainbow into collapsing was now impossible. That she could still keep up at all was solely due to the pride of a rabbit—a kind of resistance from a horse girl whose very existence revolved around yielding victory to her teammate.

The field had stretched into an extreme line. Fifteen lengths separated Apollo Rainbow from Blushing Charm in second, another eight lengths to third, and thirteen more to the last horse girl. Chief’s Glider, the second favorite, was in fifth, already forced to push—no, being pushed—to advance her position.

Meanwhile, Apollo Rainbow accelerated mercilessly through the second corner. The taste of stomach acid rose in Brushing Charm’s throat as her limits loomed closer.

(What kind of fairy is this… She’s a demon through and through!)

The 15-length gap wouldn’t close. No matter how much stamina or speed she poured in, she couldn’t catch up. The slowly widening distance mercilessly exposed her limits, grinding her down mentally far more than physically.

To put it in human terms, it was like a 1500-meter endurance run—pushing yourself to the limit, only for others to blithely pull ahead, leaving an irrecoverable gap. That inexpressible emptiness of "We started together, so why am I so far behind?" was hitting Brushing Charm tenfold.

And she wasn’t the only one mentally crushed despite not yet losing the race. All eleven aside from Chief’s Glider were now devoting more brainpower to thinking than running.

Apollo Rainbow would fade. She had to. Please, fade. Sink. This front-run was just a performance for her own victory—there was no way she could lose. They refused to be mere decoration, a backdrop to highlight her record.

(That’s right… Maybe we can still win.)

(Apollo Rainbow will sink!)

(Everyone, if we endure, we can win! She’ll sink! She has to! It’d be crazy if she didn’t!)

Doubt and fear blended as each arrived at their own conclusions to escape reality. A collective panic born of brutal attrition. Some horse girls were even hallucinating from oxygen deprivation. Ignoring the gray-haired girl’s past victories, their only solace was the desperate, irrational belief that this moment had to unfold the way they wanted.

And yet—amid this hellscape, one remained sane. Chief’s Glider.

(…The panicking horse girls are slowing. Unconsciously pressured, even tricked by natural tactics. For any horse girl who couldn’t handle 4000 meters, this was inevitable—but)

Even so, this version of Apollo Rainbow was too vicious. "Fairy" didn’t suit her. She was a demon. To fans, she might be the dream incarnate of front-running, but to her competitors, she was pure nightmare.

『And now they enter the final corner, with 1200 meters remaining in the race!! The fans packed into York Racecourse are already roaring for Apollo Rainbow, who continues her solo journey!! No one can catch her! No one can stop her! This is the Gray Fairy!! The hero who came from Japan!!』

As they approach the third corner with 1200 meters left—the last turn—Apollo Rainbow, who had broken away early, accelerates even further through the final bend, slamming down the light of the 『Unknown Territory Zone』 that plunges all the other horse girls into the depths of despair.

"——Ah."
"Apollo... Rainbow——"

Hoarse voices escape Blushing Charm and Chief’s Glider’s throats. But these aren’t voices of surrender.

They’re drained, awestruck murmurs—So you’re really going to fight us with everything you’ve got, huh? Chief’s Glider exhales sharply, surging into third place as she shifts into an ultra-long sprint stance.

They’re being shown it. Forced to witness it. Apollo Rainbow’s mental landscape—no, Seiun Sky’s mental landscape. The scenery before Blushing Charm’s eyes distorts as inky miasma spills from Apollo Rainbow’s body, swallowing her limbs. An overwhelming, violent emotion erodes her, devours her whole.

Then, a refreshing light pierces the darkness, and an impossibly dense mental landscape unfolds behind the twelve’s eyelids. For the European horse girls, this is the unfamiliar psyche of Seiun Sky—but it’s also the fragmented soul of a warrior who fought tooth and nail on a distant island nation.

A tranquil, deep teal sea with gentle waves. A lone boat adrift. Upon it, Seiun Sky and Apollo Rainbow sit, eyes closed, fishing rods firmly in hand. In an instant, their rods bend violently, and as they reel in their catch, they high-five and raise their prize triumphantly to the sky.

Their radiant smiles. A new 『Unknown Territory Zone』, born from two who pushed each other to their limits—as rivals, as friends.

――【Angling × Skimming】

Suddenly, Apollo Rainbow’s posture shifts forward aggressively. And then—acceleration erupting from the final corner. The crowd roars. In stark contrast, the twelve horse girls are hammered by bottomless despair. No one can stop her.

『Whoa!? Apollo Rainbow is already launching her final sprint!! She still had more speed in reserve, Apollo Rainbow!! What a terrifying, utterly unrefined way to race, so unbefitting her delicate appearance!!』

And then—without a moment’s pause, another 『Unknown Territory Zone』 pierces the world. A lightning-like flash shatters the twelve’s hearts, crushing their spirits. Apollo Rainbow’s own mental landscape blooms, swallowing everything whole.

The space around her distorts, fracturing like delicate glasswork. Beyond the miasma and light lies a distant snowfield and a grotesque, solitary cherry tree—its rainbow petals glowing under the moonbow’s light.

At its roots, the light of Double Trigger. In its trunk, the light of Seiun Sky. Both pour into the girl, gifting her monstrous speed. As snowflakes scatter, phantom wings manifest on the leading girl’s back.

Yet even in this hopeless situation, one insolent intruder forces her way into Apollo Rainbow’s psyche. Her name—Chief’s Glider. Battered by the blizzard, she screams at the gray-haired girl who refuses to face her.

"Apollo Rainbow—like hell I’ll let some upstart take it all from me!! Don’t you dare steal my dream!! Don’t take any more from us—!!"

She howls at the lone cherry tree standing defiant in the storm. Anyone who blocks her path to her dream will be crushed. For Brushing Charm, her teammate. For every rabbit who paved the way before her. And most of all—for her own pride. She cannot lose this race.

――When Chief’s Glider first committed to the long-distance circuit, Double Trigger stood as her greatest wall. Just as she thought he might falter, allowing her to rise—another monster, Kayf Tara, appeared.

Last year’s Cadran Memorial, avoided by Kafu Tara, finally gave her a G1 title—but she had never once beaten Double Trigger or Kafu Tara. She had never truly grasped glory.

And now, this year, two more monsters arrived—Angely and Apollo Rainbow. The Gold Cup would force her to face all three. If she didn’t prove herself here—if she didn’t show that they could stand against Apollo Rainbow—then her dream of becoming the strongest stayer would remain forever out of reach.

For Chief’s Glider, the dream wasn’t something she could achieve alone. It was only possible through the efforts of teammates like Blushing Charm. She carried their dreams too.

And there were other reasons she refused to break.

Because she had worked harder than anyone.
Because she had fought longer than anyone.
Because she loved long-distance races more than anyone.

Because she wanted to win more than anyone—she could not break.

She refused to lose. That fury weaves the light of her own 『Territory Zone』—an imperfect, fleeting transcendence.

Her soul erodes as she reaches for the gray-haired girl’s back. The gap—24 lengths. She doesn’t want to think rationally. Doesn’t want to imagine defeat. She surrenders to the heat of the moment, burning everything she has. In the midst of her desperate charge, her eyes meet Brushing Charm’s—faltering around the bend.

(Charm—leave the rest to me!!)

"Sen... pai—"

(—Here I come, Apollo Rainbow!! We’re your opponents now!!)

Brushing Charm’s hero arrives, sweeping past her in a gust. That back, so fragile-looking, is still the single ray of light piercing the despair-soaked turf.

"Senpai... my dream..."

――"I’m counting on you." Even those final words failed to leave her lips as Brushing Charm realized she had long since crossed her own limits. Her body rebelled against the strain, convulsing in near-spasms. Her torso lurched forward as something sour clawed its way up from her hollow stomach.

Gasping for air, her mouth hung open, eyes rolling back as she fought to breathe. Was she even getting enough oxygen? No relief came. Clutching her throat—parched and burning with acidic sharpness—Blushing Charm slowed to little more than a brisk walk. In her fading vision, Chief’s Glider appeared like a hero standing against a demon.

――And yet. To the fans watching the race, Chief’s Glider might have seemed the demon threatening the foreign-born hero, Apollo Rainbow.

Then, Blushing Charm’s consciousness slipped away, leaving everything in Chief’s Glider’s hooves.

『Around the final corner and onto the last straight—a long, grueling 1000-meter stretch!! Apollo Rainbow, already leading, kicks into another gear!! Only Chief’s Glider, 23 lengths behind, clings to her heels!! Only Chief’s Glider refuses to let go!! Will the supernova from the Far East steal victory!? Or will Europe’s seasoned veteran prove her resolve!? The gray-haired fairy holds an overwhelming lead, but the race isn’t over till it’s over!!』

Every other horsegirl had long since fallen behind, their spirits and stamina shattered by the oppressive pressure radiating from Apollo Rainbow. The final stretch of the Yorkshire Cup had become a two-horse match race, a duel between rivals separated by 20 lengths.

1000 meters remained—a flat, unyielding straight where raw power clashed in its purest form. To Chief’s Glider, Apollo Rainbow’s back seemed impossibly distant.

Her legs had hit their limit long ago. Her breathing was ragged, her body running on sheer will and momentum alone as she chased the runaway. In contrast, the gray-haired girl’s back was serene—calm, unshaken, as if the world existed solely within her absolute [Unknown Territory Zone]

For a fleeting moment, the word "god" flashed through Chief’s Glider’s mind. In this instant, she was certain: Apollo Rainbow had transcended into omnipotence. Even if imperfect, if her own awakening into the [Unknown Territory Zone] couldn’t so much as scratch this foe, then the only explanation was that Apollo Rainbow had already stepped one hoof into the "Divine Realm Zone."

She’d heard the legends. The divine sprint—"Divine Realm Zone"—a power only manifested once in a lifetime by horsegirls who etched their names into history. Like Dancing Brave’s Arc de Triomphe, those blessed with a godlike final sprint existed.

This… this domination was surely a glimpse of it. An absolute closing speed attainable only by those with both supreme talent and the favor of the goddess of victory.

――But so what?

God or not, she would crush anything standing in the way of her dream.

She would fight for this moment with everything she had.

"――That’s our answer!!"

Under Blushing Charm’s fading gaze, Chief’s Glider’s final sprint exploded to life. Carrying the dreams of all who supported her, Europe’s seasoned veteran poured every last ounce of strength into the turf.

She felt it—the grinding collapse of her knee cartilage, the raw agony of her overworked body screaming in protest. Yet her pride burned brighter than ever. Bathed in sunlight, her coat gleamed with dazzling radiance.

『Oh—!? Chief’s Glider is charging hard!! The 20-length gap shrinks to 15 in an instant!! What an incredible burst!! Apollo Rainbow can’t afford to lose for Stayers Million’s sake, but neither can she!! This is a clash of sheer willpower!!』

600 meters remained. Chief’s Glider was lost in a runner’s high. Every ounce of oxygen was spent, her body pushed to the brink of suffering—yet she soared in euphoria. Every technique, every ounce of strength, every memory of training fueled her acceleration.

The stands grew closer, yet no sound reached her ears. Amid the chaos, Lumos, Double Trigger, and Yates roared in frenzied cheers, while Momozawa and Mio shouted themselves hoarse, urging Apollo Rainbow forward.

The deafening roar of the crowd—cheers for the rising star, furious shouts for the veteran, thunderous applause welcoming them—wrapped York Racecourse in a whirlwind of excitement. The ground itself seemed to tremble as the girls raced on, engulfed in the frenzy.

Yet even in this maelstrom, Apollo Rainbow’s breathing remained steady. Chief’s Glider looked ready to collapse at any moment—yet it was she who was closing the gap.

I can do this. I can win.

The instant she tried to shift into an even higher gear—

——The gray-haired girl’s back shimmered a third time.

Chief’s Glider’s body remembered that light. Years of suffering under its brilliance were etched into her very bones.

"——Wha… ——Double… Trigger…?"

――[Nameless]

That light was the same—the [Unknown Territory Zone] inherited from Double Trigger.

"You’re stealing from me AGAIN—!!"

A raw, ragged scream tore from Chief’s Glider’s throat as Apollo Rainbow rocketed forward like a missile. An unjust second acceleration. The distance she’d fought so hard to close was mercilessly ripped open once more, the gap stretching back to 20 lengths.

There was nothing left she could do.

『400 meters to go—and Apollo Rainbow still leads!! Fast, too fast, this is the real Apollo Rainbow!! Chief’s Glider in second has nothing left!! It’s over!!』

The gray-haired girl pulled away.

The gray-haired girl took everything.

Victory. Dreams. All of it.

Tears streaming down her face, Chief’s Glider screamed.

"——APOLLO RAINBOW!! You’re taking it ALL!? Our dreams… our hopes… EVERYTHING!?"

200 meters remained.

Through tear-blurred vision, Apollo Rainbow’s back never once turned to her.

"Our dreams… our hopes… our efforts… ALL OF IT—CRUSHED WITHOUT MERCY!! I… I love long-distance races more than ANYONE!! Because I love them… I NEVER wanted to lose…!! And yet YOU—YOU—!!"

The anguished cries of the powerless go unheard.

Only the victor stands in the spotlight.

――Yet, was it an illusion?

Just before the gray-haired girl crossed the finish line—far, far ahead—she turned back with a serene smile.

"……I’ll take it all. Your dreams, your hopes, everything. For the sake of my own dream."

"……—!!"

"I have no intention of surrendering the title of 'Strongest Stay-er.' So if—if* I prove myself worthy of that crown…"*

"Then come and take it back from me, Chief."

"Huh—?"

"We gamble our dreams. We fight with them on the line. That’s what us horsegirls do, isn’t it?"

――Ah.

…I see.

――――……Everything grows clear.

My heart, my body, all of it…

――【Toward the End of the Silver Snow, Where the Moonbow Shines】

『――A-and just like that—the G2 Yorkshire Cup has its winner!!』

Chief’s Glider slowed to a steady trot, her gaze fixed on the finish line she had crossed long ago. There, she saw Brushing Charm and the others, arriving dozens of seconds behind.

And ahead of her—

The gray-haired girl, fist raised triumphantly toward the stands, her radiant smile and glistening sweat telling the entire story of Apollo Rainbow’s Yorkshire Cup.

"……So you’re the one who’ll be the 'Strongest Stay-er,' Apollo Rainbow? Fine. Next time… I will win. Just you wait."

Chief’s Glider looked up at the clear blue sky, her expression refreshed.

『FIRST PLACE—APOLLO RAINBOW!! The gray-haired fairy from Japan dominates by a staggering 25 lengths in a record-breaking time—2:47.7!! A horsegirl who chased her dreams across continents has taken her first step into legend!!』

The transparent droplet tracing down her cheek vanished into the crisp winds sweeping through York Racecourse.