...
Silence Suzuka felt as though every nerve in her body was being scorched by flames. The pain was so intense that she wanted to scream, yet her throat seemed strangled, allowing only faint, agonized whimpers to escape.
Even now, she couldn't collapse—she had to rely on instinct to keep running for just a little longer.
She couldn't obstruct the horse girls behind her, nor could she risk being trampled if she fell. A single stumble would lead to unimaginable consequences.
Silence Suzuka's figure dominated the big screen. The once-raucous venue had fallen so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath.
Meanwhile, El Condor Pasa and the others caught up and overtook Silence Suzuka.
Horse girls could reach speeds of up to 70 km/h, so despite their concern, they couldn't simply stop.
Silence Suzuka's vision blurred. The overwhelming pain made her breathing ragged, cold sweat pouring down her forehead. Every second was torture.
Leaning on her right leg, she staggered toward the grass, swaying like a sheet of paper that might crumple at the slightest breeze.
Toujou Hana, her face still frozen in shock, quickly urged, "We can't let her left leg suffer any more damage!"
On the spectator stands, Special Week vaulted over the railing and sprinted toward Silence Suzuka like a madwoman. "Suzuka!"
But someone reached her even faster.
"Suzuka!"
Just as Silence Suzuka was about to collapse, a breathless Lucian caught her and carefully lifted her onto his back.
"Lucian-kun... it hurts..."
"I've already called for medics—they'll be here soon!"
"But... I wanted to finish this race..."
Her voice was frail and weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, as if it might vanish at any moment.
Even now, at the very end, she was still thinking of others.
"Suzuka..." Lucian cradled her body, feeling an unbearable weight in his arms.
His voice choked, tears streaming down his face.
Yet Silence Suzuka mustered the last of her strength to lift her hand, gently brushing his cheek as if to wipe his tears away.
"Lucian-kun... don't cry... the Frunt running strategy was my choice. I don't blame you... You're the best trainer..."
Lucian clenched his teeth, a sudden resolve hardening in his heart.
"Suzuka, remember when you all asked me what my dream was? I wasn't lying—I didn't have one. I always thought I was here to atone... until I truly got to know all of you. Suzuka, running is your purest essence. I'll save you. I swear I'll save you."
Once, there was a foolish jockey who, through misguided tactics and pre-race negligence, failed a racehorse.
The cruelest irony? After the race, the staff found a horseshoe lying on the track.
A horse with a fracture had almost no chance of recovery—horses were creatures of motion by nature. To spare it further suffering, they euthanized it that very day.
That horse was one Lucian had bought from a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. He had been drawn to its intelligent eyes. When he brought it home, he even saw tears in them.
He named it "Bright Moon in Snow."
It was an incredibly perceptive horse, always trotting over to nuzzle him whenever he appeared in the pasture.
It became the start of his career—until its death marked the end. He couldn't bring himself to ride another horse after that.
That was why, before every race, Lucian obsessively checked his team's shoes and horseshoes.
It wasn't just diligence—it was trauma.
...
Silence Suzuka's hand fell limply, her consciousness slipping away.
"Suzuka!" Special Week finally reached them.
The ambulance arrived swiftly. Lucian helped the medics load Silence Suzuka inside.
...
Outside the operating room, Lucian and the other horse girls waited in suffocating silence.
When the light above the door turned green, the doctor stepped out. "Mr. Lu, could you come here for a moment?"
Lucian gave the others a reassuring glance before following the doctor to a corner.
"Doctor, how is Suzuka?"
"Comminuted fracture. With treatment, she'll walk normally again—but intense running like before is absolutely out of the question." The doctor's tone left no room for doubt.
"...I understand." Lucian wasn't surprised. "How is she now?"
"She's still unconscious, but there's no danger to her life. She should wake up soon."
"Alright. Thank you, Doctor."
...
As Lucian finished speaking with the doctor, he worried how to break the news to the others—only to turn and find them eavesdropping.
Special Week's eyes brimmed with tears, her lips trembling as she fought back sobs.
"Spe-chan..."
"Trainer... I promised Suzuka we'd run together... So why...?" She clung to Lucian, her voice breaking.
Dextrous Bailey's expression was grim.
Tokai Teio, usually so lively, was now shadowed with gloom.
She grieved for Silence Suzuka—but also recalled the doctor's warnings during her own checkup.
If she fractured her leg too, wouldn't all her goals and dreams become meaningless? For the first time, fear took root in her heart.
Haru Urara wanted to comfort everyone, but how could she, when she didn't even know how to comfort herself?
"Urara..." Rice Shower watched her with concern.
Seiun Sky stood silently nearby, a hollow emptiness in her chest.
Seeing them like this, Lucian knew he couldn't let despair spread further. "Everyone, don't lose hope. I'll tell you a secret... I've invested in an advanced medical research team. They've made major breakthroughs in treating comminuted fractures."
"Really?!" All eyes locked onto him, shining with desperate hope.
Lucian hesitated for a split second—then nodded firmly. "Really. I'll call them right now. I promise Suzuka will recover completely."
"When she wakes up... take good care of her."
...