Hearing the name "Northern Dreams," Dream Weaver drew a deep breath, then resolutely stepped onto the racetrack, raising her hand high to meet the roaring cheers of the entire Tokyo Racecourse.
Today might be the most challenging race she had ever faced—she had to challenge Narita Brian at her peak, using a body eroded by a curse.
But Dream Weaver couldn't back down. She no longer had the luxury of retreat.
A month ago, she had given her Perfect Limiter to Mejiro Ardan, trading the possibility of saving her mother for the other's chance to return to the track.
Now, Dream Weaver would rely on her own two feet to win this race and earn enough points to exchange for the Hope Gem.
From the moment she entered this scripted world, she had taken on one burden after another—each heavy enough to crush an ordinary person.
If in earlier scenarios her greatest pressure had come from powerful rivals on the track, this time the weight came from her own identity.
Carrying the last hopes of the Northern family, her mother's unfinished dream of the Tenno Sho, the grudges with the Mejiro family, and debts of gratitude she had to repay—Dream Weaver had borne it all, step by step, from the Kobe Shimbun Hai to this very day.
But now, she was finally free of it all.
The future of the Northern family had been entrusted to Matikanetannhauser.
Her feud with the Mejiro family had been severed with one decisive stroke.
The kindness Mejiro Ardan had shown her over months of gentle care had been repaid.
Now, nothing remained to bind Dream Weaver.
In this scripted world, Dream Weaver was at her weakest—perhaps even weaker than when she first arrived. Yet her heart had never felt so light.
She no longer needed to consider anything else. The moment she stepped into the Tokyo Racecourse, the only thing she needed was victory. Nothing more.
This was her last stand, free of all burdens—her final battle in this scripted world. To defeat Narita Brian at her peak, Dream Weaver had to surpass herself, to transcend this so-called curse.
"System," Dream Weaver called inwardly.
At her thought, a translucent blue interface materialized before her eyes.
--+--
[Uma Musume Training System — Scenario Panel]
Character: Northern Dreams
Speed: S [Crown Class] → B+ [Elite Class] [Restricted]
Stamina: S+ [Crown Class] → B+ [Elite Class] [Restricted]
Power: A+ [Elite Class] → B+ [Elite Class] [Restricted]
Guts: S+ [Crown Class]
Wit: B [Elite Class]
Compatibility: Turf A, Dirt C
Domain: [Cursed Blade/Murasame]
Skills: Intuition (Purple), Phoenix (Blue), Pilgrimage of Pain (Blue), Burning Embers (Purple), Blueblood (Purple)
[Current Restriction Level: B+]
--+--
It was common knowledge that Uma Musume grew stronger through training.
A Triple Crown winner, after a year of refinement, would only become more powerful.
With physical stats capped at B+, winning even the Satsuki Shō during her classic year would have been a distant hope—let alone challenging Narita Brian at her absolute peak.
Yet, in this moment, Dream Weaver felt not a trace of fear. She had long foreseen this day and made her preparations.
So what if her base stats were only B+? She would win the Tenno Sho (Autumn) with these B+ attributes!
At that very instant, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Dream Weaver's ears.
--+--
[Proof of the Roar]
[Activated.]
--+--
As the system's words faded, Dream Weaver immediately felt the power at her disposal surge dramatically.
Proof of the Roar was a reward from her last scenario quest. Its effect granted her stat bonuses based on her popularity.
If her popularity ranked low, it boosted her Speed more the further behind she was.
If her popularity ranked high, it enhanced her Power more the higher she stood.
The effect had triggered in previous races as well.
That was how she had won the Kikuka Shō by five lengths and the Tenno Sho (Spring) by seven—Proof of the Roar had amplified her Speed.
Back then, though, while it helped her widen the gap, it was merely the icing on the cake.
Even without it, Dream Weaver at her peak could have defeated Rice Shower and Narita Brian to claim the title.
But now was different. Facing a peak-condition Narita Brian with B+ stats, every point mattered.
Thinking of this, Dream Weaver touched the golden crown pinned to her bangs—a reward for defeating T.M. Opera O, slightly intensifying the pressure she exerted on other Uma Musume.
Her black ears twitched, and the hexagram hanging from them glimmered. After defeating Orfevre, the star shining above her head had also become part of her strength.
Wearing the hexagram allowed her to slightly resist Narita Brian's zone ability.
Dream Weaver stamped firmly on the turf beneath her feet. The grass felt reassuring—the track was in good condition, allowing the Uma Musume to perform at their best.
Yet, for that same reason, her item, Banner Against the Tide, couldn't be activated this time.
But Dream Weaver felt no discouragement. She knew she still had one last card to play—an item that could decide the race.
And to activate it, Narita Brian had to take the field.
Just as Dream Weaver thought this, the announcer's voice once again reverberated across the Tokyo Racecourse.
"From another celebrated Triple Crown Uma Musume to a stunning solo victory in the Arima Kinen—she always displays a monstrous presence on the track! The title 'Shadow Roll Monster' is no empty praise!"
"Yet even someone as powerful as her has known defeat—each time at the hooves of the same Uma Musume. After losing the title of the strongest of her generation, does she feel resentment? Does she regret?"
Akasaka Rin took a deep breath, then mustered all her strength to shout:
"But it doesn't matter!"
"So what if she's been defeated twice?! As long as she has a chance, she'll roar once more on the track—with that monstrous form, she'll run for victory—"
"Second in popularity! The second contender! Narita Brian!"
The moment Akasaka Rin's voice faded, a terrifying presence, thick with the scent of blood, surged from the entrance tunnel. A pair of golden, wolf-like eyes ignited in the darkness.
As the overwhelming pressure solidified into a gusting wind that whipped Dream Weaver's red cape wildly, that cold, mechanical voice sounded again.
--+--
[Challenger's Badge.]
[Activated.]
--+--
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.