Oguri Cap didn't hear any commentary or cheering. She just fixed her eyes on that familiar yet strange figure ahead.
That back… is it March…?
Amazing. In just a month, she's gotten this strong…
Is it an illusion…? Somehow, she now…
Feels a little like little Tamamo during that training race.
What did Kitahara say again? That Tamamo back then entered some… domain?
Truly incredible… March…
Kitahara said she was strong, but I didn't understand it… and yet, here you are, understanding it already…
Truly incredible…
But I won't lose!
"March!!! Ahhhhhh!!!"
Echoing Oguri Cap's sudden roar, the commentator's voice surged higher than ever.
"Oguri Capaccelerates again! It's so obvious! She accelerates once more!!"
"This is her famous 'Second Acceleration'! With this, she has already won 11 consecutive races! Can she win the 12th?!"
"The distance hasn't shrunk! It hasn't shrunk! The gap between Oguri Cap and March remains unchanged!"
"Still one length! Still one length! Unbelievable! For the first time, Oguri Cap falls behind even after using her Second Acceleration!"
"Is this due to the extra distance earlier?! Even with special training, she still can't fully compensate?! Oguri Cap?!"
The stands erupted, chaotic yet exhilarated.
"Is this really a local race?! My god! Even more thrilling than the Central ones?! Are these really just local horse girls?!"
"Go! No matter who wins, I'll be fans of both of you! I'll cheer my hardest! Oguri Cap! March!"
"Who will win?! I… I can't watch!"
And once again, Kitahara's expression grew grave—more serious than before.
…A domain… the one March touched is… this…
Is it her obsession with beating Oguri Cap that allows her to charge forward single-mindedly, making her like Tamamo back then…?
Kitahara's expression darkened further.
That she could touch a domain confirmed Kitahara's earlier thoughts: with her lineage, carrying the lineage of a G1 Kikuka-sho gray champion, March had indeed been delayed in another world…
But there was no joy in that…
Still a length, still a length… no sign of catching up…
Could it be that Oguri Cap will lose in an official match for the first time?
Just before leaving Kasamatsu and heading to the Central races…
Rrriip, rrriip—
A strange sound came from his arms. Kitahara hadn't wanted to look, but a sudden prickling pain in both arms forced him to glance sideways.
He had torn his sleeves.
Without realizing it, he had clenched his fists so tightly that ten tears appeared on the fabric.
Not just the sleeves—he tore the skin as well.
Bright red slowly seeped through the cloth.
…Was Oguri Cap feeling like this after losing that training race…?
He suddenly recalled that night a month ago.
He remembered watching Oguri Cap leave the dorm, head down, walking step by step.
He watched her clench her fists, until red seeped from between her fingers.
…That day, you felt that unwillingness too…
And he remembered the look in her eyes that night.
Like flames, burning with desire, fighting spirit, and unwillingness.
That desire, that spirit, that unwillingness was so intense that even if someone tried to extinguish it with water, it would reignite from the embers.
Until it burned everything away.
With those eyes, would you really lose this match?
Before heading to the Central races, before facing the strongest horse girls in the world, would you carry the regret of losing the last Kasamatsu race?
No, you wouldn't…
Because you are…
"Oguri Cap!!!"
"Run!!"
"Run!!"
"Run!! AHHHHH!!!"
…Kitahara?…Is that Kitahara calling me?
…It must be.
…He's probably saying something, but too far away to hear clearly…
But.
I understand.
I'm sorry, March.
Today, you are strong.
But.
My trainer has spoken.
"Again! Accelerating!!! My god!!! What am I seeing?! A third time?! After the Second Acceleration, Komahime… accelerates a third time?!!"
"Closing in! Closing in! She's finally closing the gap to March! She's nearly there!"
"Half a length!"
"A quarter length!"
"Side by side—!"
The commentator's voice completely cracked, and the crowd's cheers became almost a roar.
Like surging waves, the tide of shouts crashed through the stadium, shaking the ears of Kitahara, Belno Light, Super Creek, and Kyoko Miyamura.
Belno Light, Super Creek, and Kyoko Miyamura were already shouting hoarsely for Oguri Cap, but Kitahara's sudden roar froze them.
They had never seen him lose his composure. In their impression, the chief trainer of the team was strict, even rigid, but always calm during training and competitions, as if nothing could shake him.
But they quickly realized—Kitahara is just a normal human too.
He knows a lot about training and racing, has vast information sources, and manages everything meticulously every day, but he's still human.
Perhaps after nearly a year of diligent work in Kasamatsu, striving to bring his horse girls to the Central stage, the first step toward that dream was about to be taken, and he was overwhelmed.
He desperately wanted his first charge, Komahime, to shine brilliantly, without regret, entering the Central stage with all eyes on her, showcasing her unparalleled presence.
"Run—Oguri—!"
"You are—going to be the greatest Uma Musume in the world—!"
"Go, surpass, inspire, give courage, hope, and strength to everyone watching—!"
"Run—Oguri Cap—!"
Kitahara didn't know how long he shouted, only that his throat hurt, his temples throbbed, and his head felt like it was being hammered by a giant mallet, everything turning chaotic.
His vision blurred; he could no longer see the track clearly, nor the silver-gray figure barreling like an avalanche toward the finish line.
But he could still hear: the hoarse shouts of Belno Light, Super Creek, and Kyoko Miyamura; the thunderous roar of the crowd; the commentator's trembling cries.
"She's passed! Oguri Cap has passed! She's ahead!"
"A quarter length! She's ahead by a quarter length!"
"Half a length!"
"Oguri Cao crosses the finish line!!!"
"She comes from behind to win! Crosses the finish line!!!"
"In the last 200 meters, she accelerated three times! Finally coming from behind to win! Crossing the line in first place with dignity!!!"
"Let's congratulate Oguri Cap ! She achieved 12 wins in 12 races! This is Oguri Cap!
This is the Kasamatsu star, Oguri Cap!"
"Let's… congratulate her!!!"
After the finish line.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
For the first time… so exhausted. March… you're really strong…
The unprecedented fatigue spread through Oguri Cap's body; for the first time, she bent over, hands on her knees, gasping.
Yet her heart was filled with excitement and joy.
"Ha… ah, March, you're really too strong…"
She wanted to share this exhilaration with her friend and rival—because the unexpected strength of her opponent gave her a newfound thrill and fighting spirit. She wanted to share this excitement and gratitude for March's strength.
But when she turned, she froze.
March looked strange.
Her steps were steady, but her breathing was chaotic.
Post-run breathing is crucial; Oguri Cap had heard this from Kitahara many times. Normally, even heavy breathing is controlled according to trained rhythm.
March's breathing was not.
Like a broken bellows, chaotic, with strange rustling sounds.
Yet she could speak. When speaking, no gasping at all, just a weak-sounding voice.
"…Truly… a monster, Oguri Cap…"
She even smiled. "I… trained so hard for so long, and yet… I still lost to you…"
"As I thought… I was right…"
"You… shouldn't go to the Tokai Derby…"
"The Triple Crown… that's your true stage…"
Komahime stepped in front of Marching Song, instinct telling her that her friend's condition was off.
But she didn't know exactly what was wrong. Confused, she reached out instinctively.
At the same time, she whispered in her heart:What… what's wrong with Marching Song, Kitahara…
As if hearing her thoughts, from the trackside, an urgent voice came.
"Oguri Cap! Hold March! Don't let her move anymore!"
"Huh? Kitahara…"
Looking toward the voice, she hadn't seen him yet, but in her peripheral vision, March suddenly swayed and fell.