Under the blade-like pressure that Dream Weaver materialized in the air, Sakura Chitose O found her awakening—a Zone of cherry blossoms. Sheltered within this floral sanctuary, she clung to her sanity, preserving a sliver of hope for victory even at the brink of peril.
And the very moment her Zone unfolded, Narita Brian stepped into the final stretch.
Feeling the murderous edge radiating from Dream Weaver behind her, a faint smile touched Narita Brian's lips.
This was a far more ferocious and terrifying slash than the one she'd faced in the Spring Tennō Shō. The mere thought that Dream Weaver would soon turn this demon blade against her sent Narita Brian's blood boiling with exhilaration.
"She really has grown stronger since the Spring Tennō Shō!"
Back then, it had taken Dream Weaver five draws of her demon blade to defeat both Brian and Rice Shower. But with a slash like this now—
"Two strikes? No—just one would be enough!"
"The me from the Spring Tennō Shō could never have withstood this blow!"
The more she thought about it, the more her smile widened. Dream Weaver truly was a kindred spirit worthy of her recognition—even the speed of her growth was terrifying.
But after months of recovery, Narita Brian had also reached her peak.
Injury had kept her from any intense training during that time, yet she couldn't allow herself to remain idle—not if she wanted to defeat Dream Weaver in the Autumn Tennō Shō.
So she sought out a long-abandoned room, and there, in solitude, she pondered how to overcome her rival.
Alone, with only her own shadow for company.
And if she were honest—that shadow frightened her.
The so-called "Shadow Roll Monster" had begun as nothing more than a psychological trick: a strip of tape over her nose, a way to avoid facing that shadow.
Narita Brian had always sensed something savage lurking within it. Even during the Spring Tennō Shō, when she'd used her Zone to bind and harness that power, a deep unease toward her own shadow remained.
It felt like being controlled. As much as Brian relished fighting her equals, she had no desire to truly become a beast.
And yet, within that shadow dwelled a truly ferocious wolf.
Her Zone had first awakened to restrain it—but every time she used it, the shadow clouded her mind, twisting her temperament, making her volatile.
That's what happened at the climax of the Spring Tennō Shō. When the shadow-wolf enveloped her, she'd felt, for an instant, as if she were no longer herself.
Her withdrawal wasn't solely due to injury—more than anything, it was because she refused to be devoured by her own shadow.
But during those months of meditation, the only thing she could confront was that very shadow.
Each day, after treatment, she would return to that quiet room to contemplate how to defeat Dream Weaver. The shadow on the wall shifted with the sun's passage, until moonlight returned it to her.
At first, she averted her eyes, avoiding it. But as time passed, she grew accustomed to its presence.
Sometimes, she even confided in it—sharing her thoughts about Dream Weaver, her strategies for victory, entrusting everything to that silhouette.
Slowly, she began to feel the shadow merging with her being. It wasn't some separated monster, some shadow-wolf—it was Narita Brian herself.
Months later, when she walked out of that silent room, her shadow was just a shadow again.
And so, Narita Brian's Zone ascended to a new level.
In her three confrontations with Dream Weaver, the first had seen her Zone still dormant—she could only rely on instinct, unleashing her feral aura wildly.
The second time, she'd awakened her Zone, forging it into chains to bind the shadow-wolf within, drawing its power as her own.
But today—she no longer needed to restrain her shadow. The shadow was part of her, Narita Brian's own strength. Why bind what was already hers?
"Come, then! Our—"
"Clash, once again!"
As Narita Brian growled those words, every Uma Musume on the track seemed to hear a roar that shook the very heavens.
It was the howl of a wolf—and Narita Brian's cry for victory.
She had sharpened her fangs. This time, what she meant to tear apart was everything in her path.
An extreme Zone power condensed around her, a palpable pressure. The shadow was just a shadow—what was truly fearsome now was Narita Brian herself.
She stood like the alpha of the pack—no need to join the fray herself. A single sweeping glance was enough to make the whole hunt yield its spoils.
Her golden eyes blazed like fire. As her Zone continued to expand, the surrounding Uma Musume felt like lambs surrounded by wolves, their will to resist crumbling in an instant.
But she hadn't lost her edge—Narita Brian simply disdained wasting her power on those too weak to withstand her Zone.
As the alpha, she would bare her fangs only for another of her kind—one who sought to become a king in her own right.
So Narita Brian waited—for the moment Dream Weaver would draw her demon blade and meet her head-on.
Yet even with this restrained use of her Zone, she surpassed them all. In just a few breaths, she tore through the pack of front-runners, breaking alone into the lead.
"It's Narita Brian! Narita Brian has broken through! She's now taken the lead—by three lengths over the second-place Uma Musume!"
The cry from Akasaka Rin drew the eyes of all Tokyo Racecourse onto her, and in the next instant, she voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"What about Northern Dreams? Hasn't she started her sprint yet?!"
"Just how long is she going to wait?!"
The moment those words fell, Seiun Sky and the others turned as one, their gazes locking onto the crimson streak at the rear of the field.
But in the commentary booth, with its superior view, Sugimoto Kentaro saw it even clearer. In the instant after Rin's shout, Dream Weaver—who had been lingering at the very back—planted a foot into the final straight.
A surge of raw excitement erupted in Kentaro's chest. Gripping the microphone tightly, he roared in a voice that broke from his usual professional tone—
"Now's the time!"
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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.