"And it's over! We have our winner, Margaret Nearl! Deserved, and no surprise there!"
"Powerful and beautiful, that run felt absolutely overwhelming, truly in a class of her own!"
"Incredible, just incredible! How far was that lead? Twenty lengths? Thirty, or even more?"
"But hold onto your excitement, folks, the other Uma Musume are still pushing hard, aiming for that precious second place!"
"Here she comes! We have our second place! After that long, sustained sprint, Fujimasa March takes second with an absolute commanding performance! That's our top-tier Uma Musume from Kasamatsu for you!"
"Southern Actress crosses the line in third!"
The commentator was rapidly calling out the placements, but Fujimasa March couldn't hear any of it now.
The world swayed violently before her eyes. Her legs burned fiercely, so hot it felt like a cold numbness was setting in. Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe, as if her lungs couldn't expand to draw in air.
'Haha... ha... why's the sky getting dark?'
With that fleeting thought, March's legs gave a violent twitch, and she pitched forward, collapsing.
The racetrack was a roaring sea of voices, everyone caught up in sharing their excitement. Almost no one noticed the sudden incident.
Except for March's trainer.
"March!"
The cigarette he'd just put to his lips fell to the ground in his shock. Trainer Shibasaki instinctively moved to vault over the railing.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
The trainer next to him, Kawamura, was startled and quickly grabbed his arm.
"What do you think? Didn't you see March, she's—"
He turned back, agitated, but his anger vanished in an instant.
"...Nearl caught her?"
Yes. In that brief moment, Nearl had appeared in front of March, catching her body with a gentle yet firm hold, preventing her exhausted form from hitting the ground.
"Thank goodness."
Patting his chest, Trainer Shibasaki let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly made his way down through the nearest aisle, heading for the back.
Meanwhile, Nearl, holding the unconscious March, let out a quiet sigh. She looked down at March with a mix of helplessness and heartache, unsure what to say.
'I've seen you push yourself to the point of injury chasing your limits twice now. Is it because you take running far too seriously, March?'
"..."
The unconscious March offered no response, only the faint rise and fall of her chest proving she wasn't just a lifeless body.
'With your innate talent, you shouldn't be able to manifest a [Domain]. Yet, during that final sprint, I distinctly felt the ripple of one from you. I knew something was wrong then.'
She gently placed a hand over March's eyes. A soft golden glow emanated from her palm.
'As I thought, it wasn't a true [Domain]. It was you, burning yourself out.'
Sensing the drained, flickering light within March and the excessive wear and tear on her joints, Nearl felt a surge of anger at how little March seemed to value her own well-being.
'[Domain] and [Burnout]...'
Nearl let out a long, weary sigh.
For an Uma Musume, these were two entirely different concepts. While the effects might seem similar, their natures were worlds apart.
Those who possessed a [Domain] were all Uma Musume capable of defining an era.
After confronting their truest selves, their spirits expanded immensely, creating a tangible area of influence—almost like a separate realm.
The process was draining, both mentally and physically, but with controlled use, it caused no lasting harm, leading at most to a period of exhaustion.
But for other Uma Musume, it was different. Their talent wasn't sufficient to form a [Domain]; by all rights, they should be utterly incapable of it.
There was only one scenario where they could achieve an effect akin to a [Domain] on the track, just once: [Burnout].
Ignoring all bodily feedback, pushing their physical form beyond its limits.
Setting their very thoughts ablaze, using their spirit as fuel to reach the level of a [Domain] in a single, brilliant flash.
But this was 'heresy'.
An unrepeatable miracle. The consequence was the ruin of one's body and the withering of one's spirit, making a return to the track nearly impossible.
In severe cases, even living a normal life could become a struggle.
'So you really are far too strict with yourself. Or perhaps, March, is there some goal you absolutely must achieve?'
Nearl withdrew her healing hand, quietly musing.
--+--
Just then, the commentator's voice boomed again.
"How astonishing! This race will surely go down in Kasamatsu's history! We've never seen times like these!"
"Not only the transcendent Radiant Knight, but both Fujimasa March and Southern Actress, the participating Uma Musume, have shattered the historical record for the Kasamatsu Kinen! And all in a single day!"
"The Kasamatsu Kinen record has been broken three times today! What an extraordinary feat!"
'Hah, do you hear that?'
Nearl gently smoothed the furrow from March's brow and looked around at the spectator stands.
Wherever she looked, she saw cheering figures. Their cries of amazement and support were powerful enough to feel like they might lift the entire Kasamatsu Racecourse off its foundations.
'It seems your running has earned their praise, March. But then again, who wouldn't be moved after witnessing such a desperately determined performance?'
'This is the scene I wanted to see. While there's only one victor in a race, every Uma Musume who gives her all deserves the crowd's cheers.'
'But our time together is up. Mr. Shibasaki is rushing over here in a panic. He's very worried about you.'
'For your trainer's sake, you need to hold back a little in the future. I won't always be right beside you, you know.'
Supporting March by the shoulders, Nearl carefully lifted her up, waiting for Shibasaki Koichi to approach.
"Huff, huff... Nearl! Is March alright?"
The trainer arrived before Nearl, panting heavily. The long sprint had taken a lot out of him.
"She's fine, Mr. Shibasaki. It seems March has just... fallen asleep from exhaustion. Please let her get plenty of rest."
She carefully transferred March from her arms onto Shibasaki's back.
"You should keep a closer eye on March's physical condition from now on. If she keeps running like this, she'll eventually break down."
"I know. I'll be much stricter with her from now on. Thank you for your help, Nearl."
Shibasaki Koichi nodded, indicating he understood.
"Nearl, I'll take her to rest now. Don't forget you have the Winner's Stage ceremony. We won't trouble you any further."
"Goodbye, Mr. Shibasaki. Please give March my regards when she wakes up."
Waving slightly, Nearl watched as the two of them, one carrying the other, moved away. Trainer Shibasaki glanced back at March repeatedly, his gaze filled with pride and tenderness.
Seeing this, Nearl felt reassured.
'It seems I needn't worry about March's future. With a trainer who cares for her like family by her side, she'll surely be just fine.'
--+--
T/N: 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.