"We're entering the first turn. Condition is perfect—no sense of fatigue at all."
Nearl was now firmly in the true front line, leading the Uma Musume behind her by three to four lengths.
Normally, without turning her head noticeably, it would be impossible to even catch a glimpse of anyone else.
But the corner was right ahead, and she was running on the far outside. Using the turn itself as cover, she tilted her head just slightly, letting her peripheral vision sweep over the field.
"As expected… Ines Fujin is right behind me. Well, that figures. The gap in overall strength is already pretty clear."
She shook her head lightly and withdrew her gaze.
"Her domain has fully awakened. That level of talent rivals even Oguri Cap. But with that underdeveloped body… can she really withstand it?"
Of course she couldn't.
At that very moment, Ines Fujin was already sensing that something was wrong.
"My heart… it's beating way too fast. And my legs…"
Her legs were still performing normally, responding perfectly to her will.
Fatigue and soreness had piled up, yes—but that was to be expected. She had been running an escape strategy for this long; not feeling tired at all would have been stranger.
Yet hidden beneath all those "normal" sensations was something cold, something lethal, like a venomous snake lying in wait. Ines Fujin caught onto it with frightening sharpness.
And still, she chose to ignore it, continuing to squeeze every last drop from her body.
"As long as I can finish this race… even if I end up hospitalized afterward, I won't complain."
With that resolve, Ines Fujin followed closely behind Nearl into the turn.
The Uma Musume behind them, however, were having a truly miserable time. The pace had once again been dragged into a high-speed battle by the two geniuses in front.
In order not to be left too far behind, they had no choice but to force themselves to keep up. Control of the race was already slipping away.
Sadly, the sprint-type runners—those with strong acceleration but insufficient stamina—were completely sunk this time. Truly sinful, Nearl.
"Everyone is bursting out of the turn! Nearl has widened the gap again to an almost incomprehensible degree! She's too strong—this has to be the strongest active Uma Musume right now!"
"Oh my, that commentator really dares to say it out loud."
Maruzensky chuckled, teasing the remark.
"What, isn't it just the truth? Nearl's strength is obvious to anyone. There's basically zero chance of her fumbling this."
Mr. C.B., for one, clearly enjoyed the praise in the commentary.
"True enough. If it were any other Uma Musume—Rudolf included—that kind of statement would spark endless debate. But when it's Nearl…"
Thinking back on Nearl's record since her debut, Maruzensky could only slowly shake her head.
"There's no way to argue against it."
Elsewhere, far away at an orphanage in Kasamatsu, Director Komori and everyone else were gathered together, sitting neatly in rows and watching the huge TV mounted on the wall. Every now and then, the children would burst out with awed gasps.
Compared to when Nearl had left, the orphanage was almost unrecognizable. Aside from the basic framework, everything had been improved. All in all, it had become a spacious, comfortable place to live.
Naturally, all of this was thanks to Nearl. Not just the money she sent back, but also the attention she drew—many people had learned about the orphanage through her, and donations followed.
Now, "Sister Nearl" was a story every child there knew by heart. How could they possibly miss the live broadcast of her competing in a top-tier race?
Even if many of them didn't fully understand the subtle jockeying for position or high-level tactics, something like the distance between runners was obvious at a glance—and the shock of it might be even greater.
And today, it wasn't just the kids. Fujimasa March and Norn Ace were there too, all gathered together.
"That's the Japanese Derby! She's incredible—Nearl's basically reached the very top of Japan now, hasn't she?"
Norn shouted excitedly. Everyone around her nodded in agreement, dreaming along together.
March didn't join the discussion. Her entire focus was locked onto that golden figure on the screen.
"Nearl… win. Claim victory, and stand at the very center, at the very top."
--+--
"One thousand meters passed! The race has just cleared its early phase, and things are getting tense!"
"But Nearl has already opened up a huge lead—this is terrifying! Her stamina feels practically endless!"
"Wait—Ines Fujin is making a move! That speed… is she planning to run away to the end as well?!"
"No way!"
Mejiro Ryan stared in shock at Ines Fujin accelerating ahead, unable to make sense of it.
"My strength should be roughly on par with Ines', but what she's showing in this race is on a completely different level. Why? Training results accumulate gradually—can this kind of explosive leap really happen?"
Unfortunately, Mejiro Ryan couldn't see it.
She couldn't see the faint blue wind spilling from the corners of Ines Fujin's eyes—the sign of surpassing one's limits.
Ines Fujin had officially stepped into the realm of legendary Uma Musume.
Talent really was an unfair thing. The G-series races were a brutally honest stage for showing exactly that.
"She's closing in! Ines Fujin is getting closer to Nearl! The gap is still huge, but there's still half the race left—she absolutely has a chance to overtake!"
Nearl naturally felt Ines's locked-on gaze. She understood—it was Ines's challenge, the declaration of war from before the race, now being answered.
"Honestly… sometimes I really get scared. If you ran like this against someone other than me, what would you do about the aftermath?"
"But there's no way Ines would listen now, is there."
Nearl took a deep breath, almost in resignation. She had no intention of merely showing a hint of her domain the way Ines had. If she was going to do it, she would go all the way.
Domain Expansion: Radiant Knight of the Long Night
A golden kingdom unfurled like a painted scroll.
Unlike before, the fully awakened Ines Fujin now possessed the ability to perceive another's domain. She witnessed the entire process of heaven and earth changing color with her own eyes.
"So this is the true form of Nearl's 'that power'… it's beautiful. Magnificent. Completely different from mine. And this warmth… it's like touching Nearl's golden heart itself."
"Oh no, I think I'm being charmed. Is this what Nearl's power does?"
Ines Fujin joked lightly—but it was also her way of signaling that she was about to respond in kind.
"If you're going to start first, Nearl, how could I back down? I can use this power too—though I'm still a bit clumsy with it."
Inhale. Exhale. She focused her mind. In a thousandth of a second, Ines Fujin felt a hurricane carve across the sky—exactly the force she wished to unleash upon the track.
Domain Expansion: Rampaging Tempest.
--+--
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.