A crimson thunderbolt flashed in the periphery of Dream Weaver's vision. A gaze, feral and predatory, swept over her, carrying a thrill of palpable danger that seized her entire body.
Narita Brian's savage power raged across the track, a torrential release of her burning desire for battle. As the one standing directly before this lone wolf's roar, Dream Weaver naturally felt immense pressure.
But this was far from the end. If Dream Weaver wished to seize the Tenno Sho (Spring) crown, her rivals were not limited to Narita Brian alone.
Amidst the vicious, blood-tainted aura, a piercing, icy sharpness abruptly bloomed on the track. Unlike Narita Brian's violent domain, Rice Shower's assassination intent was cold and detached. This black-clad assassin, who had personally snuffed out countless hopes, moved with lethal finality.
Caught in the pincer assault of these two extreme dangers, Dream Weaver's body screamed with internal alarms.
Instinctual survival desire washed over her mind in waves; a moment's hesitation would see her succumb, instinctively yielding ground to their call.
But for Dream Weaver, she had long since learned, through trial after trial in countless races, how to suppress her body's primal reflexes. She had already proven, with speed and fortitude that shattered limits, who was the true master of her own form.
Her will was so resolute, it had even been recognized by the system, successfully sublimating into a skill named [Burning Embers]. Therefore, no matter how terrifying the domains of Narita Brian and Rice Shower became, Dream Weaver's stride would not falter in the slightest.
Yet, this alone was not enough to carry her to victory in the Tenno Sho (Spring).
If Dream Weaver wanted to win, she had to ascend to yet another level, right here, right now. Only by breaking through the deadly encirclement of Rice Shower and Narita Brian would she be worthy of the champion's radiance.
She took a deep breath.
Her hoof slammed down, catapulting clods of earth and grass into the air with tremendous force.
Beneath the gray sky, countless scattered fragments flew wildly amidst the purple and blue afterimages, seeming on the verge of being utterly annihilated in the combined onslaught of fangs and blades.
But before that second could pass, time and space seemed to stutter for an instant. The arc of Narita Brian's wolf-like golden eyes was severed mid-air. The brilliance blooming from the blue rose on Rice Shower's hat was frozen in place. A humming sound, like a drawn sword leaving its scabbard, cracked like thunder under the leaden sky.
A red wave of energy instantly engulfed Narita Brian and Rice Shower.
An indescribable, scorching heat turned into a furnace, rapidly burning their stamina.
Losing power for even a moment during such a high-speed turn was extremely dangerous; the slightest misstep could mean losing control and being flung into the rails by centrifugal force.
'So the Zone… it's finally unfolded, has it?'
'Then come! Our second struggle!'
But were Rice Shower and Narita Brian ordinary opponents?
When Dream Weaver's Demon Blade Zone surged forth, Rice Shower, tempered by countless powerful rivals, instantly perceived its menace.
A brilliant blue light erupted in her eyes. Her petite frame sharply lowered its center of gravity, her fluid movements merging seamlessly with the track itself. This was the muscle memory forged through thousands of turns.
As she leaned into the turn, her knees maintained a perfect golden angle, her hooves grinding along the familiar curve of the track, subtly diverting the slash of the Demon Blade into the earth.
The inertia built from her high-speed charge transformed into an invisible cushion, precisely countering the instant imbalance caused by the Zone.
As the queen of the Kyoto Racecourse, every blade of grass was etched into her memory. In the space of a breath, she wrested back control of her rhythm. Mastery of her body was once again in Rice Shower's hands.
Though her stamina continued to burn within Dream Weaver's Zone, Rice Shower had already stockpiled ample reserves earlier. Even allowing her energy to drain like this, she was confident she could sprint full power to the finish!
Narita Brian lacked Rice Shower's soul-deep familiarity with the Kyoto racecourse, and she didn't possess the same wealth of counter-experience. But she was, after all, the strongest Uma Musume of her generation, the one who had defeated Rice Shower to claim the Arima Kinen crown.
Her own ferocious Zone, under the sharp pressure of Dream Weaver's Demon Blade, did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, like a fire doused with oil, it erupted with even more violent ferocity!
Perhaps the gloomy sky had completely devoured the light—in that moment of deepened darkness, the twisted, stretching shadow at Narita Brian's feet eerily collapsed inward, condensing and solidifying, then vanished from the track in an instant.
No… that wasn't it. It hadn't vanished!
It was more like it had been utterly devoured and refined by a force of pure brutality!
The next moment, that immense dark energy roared into tangible form behind her, manifesting as another phantom—a perfect replica of Narita Brian, forged from pure malice.
This phantom, condensed from the essence of her own Zone, was like a shadow-wolf. The moment it appeared, it let out a silent snarl across the track, as if declaring the entire course its hunting ground.
Its nearly substantial pressure slammed headlong into Dream Weaver's all-consuming Demon Blade Zone!
Upon the dim, lightless track, the world as seen by all the Uma Musume suddenly erupted in a flash of searing intensity! This was the extreme radiance bursting forth as Narita Brian's Zone wrestled directly with Dream Weaver's!
A deafening roar seemed to resound in the ears of every Uma Musume present. They couldn't help but cast astonished glances towards Narita Brian and Dream Weaver.
Even Rice Shower, who had been following closely behind them without blinking, gasped in surprise, her mouth falling slightly open.
'To directly attack a Zone with a Zone?! This Narita Brian—'
'What ferocious aggression! What a dangerous nature!'
Rice Shower hadn't imagined that since their parting after the Arima Kinen, Narita Brian had improved so dramatically. It wasn't just her physical prowess; the intensity of her Zone had been utterly reborn, as if it knew no limits at all.
What she didn't know was that Narita Brian's Zone hadn't originally been this powerful. It was only after experiencing Dream Weaver's disregard, and facing a situation almost identical to the Kikuka Sho, that it had transformed into this.
By fueling her Zone with her rage, resentment, and reason alike, Narita Brian had traded it all for absolute power. Much like Dream Weaver's [Burning Embers], she had paid a price for strength.
But unlike Dream Weaver, Narita Brian, blessed with immense innate talent, didn't need to pay such a heavy cost. Once her emotions peaked, she could force her Zone to evolve once again, just as she had now.
Under the direct clash of Zones, the omnipresent, scorching pressure that burned stamina and will before Narita Brian was torn asunder, ripped open like a torrent severed by sharp fangs.
Her eyes fixed on the crimson streak of light so close ahead, she let out a wordless, guttural growl, pure and feral.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.