To understand what Northern Dreams truly meant to Narita Brian, we must go back to their very first meeting.
The Kikuka-shō, the final leg of Narita Brian's Triple Crown pursuit. Hailed as the strongest of her generation, she was viewed as nothing short of a monster by the other Uma Musume.
From shattering records in the Satsuki-shō to a five-length victory in the Japanese Derby, Narita Brian was utterly invincible in the classic Triple Crown races.
Yet, despite receiving unprecedented support and becoming the focal point of the entire horse racing world, Narita Brian was lonely.
Not only was she avoided at Tracen Academy, her cold demeanor and intimidating aura marking her as a monster to be shunned, but also because she hadn't felt a thrill from racing in a long time.
No matter how glorious the honors heaped upon her, Narita Brian only found it all dull. Honors without a worthy rival were merely cold, lifeless trophies.
But the Triple Crown was still the Triple Crown. Though she found the races tedious, Narita Brian steeled herself and stepped onto the Kyoto Racecourse.
It was on that day she met the one she would spend her life chasing—that fleeting crimson streak, always dancing just before her eyes yet perpetually out of reach.
The presence or absence of a 'Zone' was often the key to victory.
Even as Narita Brian herself began to approach that realm in the latter half of the race, she could not escape being severed by the demon blade.
As the crown of the Triple Crown fell, Narita Brian faced a defeat more crushing than any she had ever known.
Yet, in that moment, Narita Brian was thrilled.
She had finally found a rival worth fighting on the track, a true kindred spirit who could ignite her fighting will.
Driven by this excitement, the usually taciturn Narita Brian mustered her courage and invited Northern Dreams for a rematch after the Arima Kinen.
But the story's ending was already sealed. Northern Dreams did not come to the Arima Kinen. Feeling slighted, Narita Brian's obsession with that crimson streak only grew heavier.
By the time of the Tenno Shō (Spring), desperate for victory and to capture Northern Dreams's gaze, Narita Brian had nearly surrendered her entire body to the shadows, forcing her Zone to erupt, hoping to confront Northern Dreams head-on.
Yet, she was met with a defeat even more devastating than in the Kikuka-shō.
Just as she was despondent, believing she might never enter Northern Dreams's sight, the latter unexpectedly came to the backstage after the race.
There, she made a promise with Narita Brian: to recover fully and meet again in the Tenno Shō (Autumn) for a true, peak showdown.
Feeling seen and valued by a kindred spirit, Narita Brian was immensely happy.
She canceled all her prior plans, focusing entirely on recuperation and restoring herself to peak condition, all for the purpose of seizing that red cape in the Tenno Shō (Autumn).
During this time, she even made peace with her own shadows, reaching a peak state she had never imagined possible.
Therefore, when Narita Brian stepped onto the Tokyo Racecourse for the Tenno Shō (Autumn), she was exhilarated.
During the Kikuka-shō, her Zone hadn't awakened; during the Tenno Shō (Spring), she couldn't control the shadows.
In her eyes, she had never had the chance to face Northern Dreams at her absolute best.
For Narita Brian, who suffered the loneliness of invincibility, she felt this was unfair to Northern Dreams.
But now, in the Tenno Shō (Autumn), she had finally reached the best state she was capable of. This time, Narita Brian was determined to have the ultimate, unprecedented showdown with Northern Dreams.
And this time, she still could not withstand the sharpness of the demon blade.
After the race, while somewhat disheartened, Narita Brian still felt it had been a good match. A faint doubt lingered, though—could she truly be considered a worthy rival for Northern Dreams?
However, when she heard the words of acknowledgment from Northern Dreams's own mouth, that disheartened feeling in Narita Brian's heart instantly vanished.
She immediately issued another challenge for a rematch.
The Tenno Shō (Autumn) wasn't the end.
They could still face each other in many more races to come. She looked forward to the future Arima Kinen, and even the next Tenno Shō (Spring).
But just as she was eagerly anticipating a rematch with Dream Weaver, she suddenly saw that crimson streak—which seemed like it could forever dance upon the racetrack—collapse right before her eyes.
In that moment, Narita Brian's mind went blank. She couldn't comprehend what was happening.
How could Dream Weaver fall?
How could she, the one who had defeated Narita Brian three times, the one so incredibly strong, possibly be injured?
Even as she helped carry Dream Weaver to the infirmary with Zaizen Shuuji, her mind remained numb, completely unable to process the situation.
It was only when the doctor shook his head in silence, announcing he couldn't identify the problem, and when Zaizen Shuuji, with a grave expression, rushed out of the infirmary as if realizing something, that the truth dawned on Narita Brian.
Was it possible... that she would never share the same racetrack with Dream Weaver again?
Later, when Narita Brian learned that Dream Weaver had been racing with physical limitations all along, she was even more at a loss.
The Tenno Shō (Autumn) had never been the peak showdown she imagined; it was Dream Weaver's last dance.
From beginning to end, she never had the chance for a truly evenly-matched fight with Dream Weaver.
Even if Narita Brian had grown stronger since the Tenno Shō (Autumn), there was no longer any possibility of a rematch.
At that moment, Narita Brian suddenly recalled a phrase she'd heard somewhere.
'Missing out doesn't mean you did something wrong. It just means it's passed you by, and you no longer have a chance to grasp it.'
That crimson streak in Narita Brian's eyes was the same. She no longer had any chance to chase Dream Weaver.
Thinking of this, the look in Narita Brian's eyes grew increasingly complex.
She was never an eloquent person.
Although she visited Dream Weaver whenever she had the time, she never knew what to say.
But today, for some reason, the memories of the past flooded back, stirring her emotions and giving her a sudden impulse to speak.
"Even now, I still relive the races we shared together in my dreams. From the Kikuka-shō to the Tenno Shō (Autumn), the memories flash before my eyes, as clear and sharp as if they'd never faded."
"I found many of your flaws there."
"So, during the Kikuka-shō, you never truly had the stamina for a full-on, sustained Great Escape. Disrupting the race's rhythm with your Zone was your path to victory."
"If I had kept my composure back then, awakened my Zone sooner, perhaps I could have found a way to win."
"During the Tenno Shō (Spring), that fifth 'unsheathing' of yours was already your limit. If I had chosen to dodge in the previous instances, I might have been able to push forward and capitalize when your stamina ran low."
"As for the Tenno Shō (Autumn)... that's even simpler."
"If I hadn't let you save your strength for that final strike, if I had unleashed my Zone at full power earlier to pressure you, you, limited by your bloodline's curse, would have had no chance of defeating me."
Narita Brian paused, then slowly closed her eyes.
"But what's the use of all that now?"
"We can never go back to the past."
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T/N: translating this again made me forget how ts kept making me tear up, cause im listening to regression for some reason.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.