"Oh ho, I thought there was nothing left to surprise me in this race, but it turns out another monster was hiding in there all along."
In the private box, Agnes Tachyon, who had been lounging lazily just moments before, had somehow appeared by the floor-to-ceiling window. Her dull, grayish eyes narrowed with interest.
"A Domain at this age, and clearly under control too, hmm..."
As she spoke, Tachyon glanced back at Manhattan Cafe.
"What's that junior's name?"
"Ines Fujin."
"Ines Fujin, huh? Not bad. She'll definitely run her own miracle someday."
Unlike here, where only Tachyon had noticed, the room next door was full of anything-but-ordinary Uma Musume.
Among them, three possessed Domains. Symboli Rudolf could even use hers outside the racetrack, in daily life.
Here, a Domain wasn't exactly rare.
But that didn't mean Domains were common. You had to consider that each of these three was destined for a place in history.
The reality was that ninety-five percent of Uma Musume would never even brush the edge of a Domain in their entire lives.
"Hey, Rudolf, how old were you when you first awakened your Domain?"
Mr. C.B.'s eyes were wide with astonishment.
She could completely accept Nearl having a Domain—in fact, given Nearl's record, it would be more shocking if she didn't. But she couldn't be used as a benchmark.
"For me, it was around this time too," Rudolf replied. "During the Japanese Derby, I brushed against the edge of my Domain. That was a real hard-fought battle, fresh in my memory."
"That early?! That's ridiculous! You were still a little girl who'd often act spoiled with me back then!"
Mr. C.B. racked her brains, trying to reconcile the image of the junior who used to give her faint, gentle smiles with the imposing 'Emperor' whose Domain dominated and suppressed all others.
Even though the Symboli Rudolf standing before her was one and the same, her perception of the girl was sharply split into two distinct eras.
"I was not spoiled!"
Rudolf's face flushed slightly as she retorted, thrown off by Mr. C.B.'s tangent. They were having a serious discussion, what was with suddenly bringing up the past?
'But was I really spoiled back then? Ahem, snap out of it, Luna, now's not the time for this.'
Just then, Mr. C.B. turned her gaze to Maruzensky, opening her mouth to speak. But the seasoned Maruzensky spoke first, before the question could even be asked.
"I don't remember."
"Huh?"
"Really. My Domain just appeared one day out of the blue. It was like waking up to the morning sun, stretching, and realizing your pajamas are all askew. By the time I became aware of it, the Domain was already there."
"So we get no reference at all?"
"Senpai," Rudolf interjected, stepping forward, having shaken off her reverie.
She crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the whirlwind-generating Ines below, who was engulfing all the runners behind her.
"A Domain is an extension of our spirit. No two are the same. There is no standard answer."
"But one thing is certain. After this, Ines Fujin is probably going to leave some psychological scars on her peers in certain future races."
--+--
"What's going on? I can't run? No, it's that running takes more effort. My stamina is draining faster than expected!"
Mejiro Ryan felt a chill run down her spine, but she had no means to resist, forced to press forward under this unknown pressure.
If there was one small comfort, it was that everyone around her wore the same pained expression.
Clearly, Ines's Domain was an exceptionally troublesome one.
The gale she whipped up made things miserable for all her opponents, the effect like running straight into a strong headwind. It was all about hardship and resistance.
But this wasn't Ines' goal. What was the point of hindering the stragglers behind? The radiance ahead was the final trial she needed to overcome.
Yet no matter how Ines stirred her spirit, her Domain simply could not reach Nearl's body. The raging green tempest ultimately failed to smother that brilliant golden world.
'This isn't working. Nearl's speed isn't being affected by me.'
Mid-stride, Ines Fujin stared fixedly at the back ahead of her. Maintaining her Domain left no room for further thought.
'I need to strengthen my Domain enough to completely overwhelm Nearl's. If our Domains keep clashing like this, I'll be the first to give out.'
In that moment, Ines Fujin felt an intense envy for Nearl's seemingly bottomless endurance.
Time ticked by. The Japanese Derby was now past halfway, but the gap on the track was absurdly large.
The two at the front were engaged in a breakneck duel, while all the other Uma Musume behind them seemed to be running a tortoise-and-hare race.
"This race has gone too far."
Rudolf on the viewing stand let out a soft sigh, feeling a pang of pity for the other competitors.
"Using such a malicious Domain against these girls... she's utterly merciless. Or perhaps her desire for victory is just that intense."
"After this race, the confession tree at Tracen Academy is going to need overtime."
This show of compassion earned Rudolf a pointed side-eye from Mr. C.B., the resentment in her gaze making Rudolf unconsciously turn her body away.
"You have the nerve to call someone else's Domain malicious? At worst, hers just causes physical discomfort."
"Yours attacks the spirit, suppresses others, doesn't it? Forcing your opponents to accept your command, to make way for you, to become stepping stones on your path to victory. You're the nasty one."
"Senpai, please don't put it so harshly. It damages my image."
"So you're not denying it?"
"…"
Symboli Rudolf covered her face with her hand. What could she do? She was desperate too, but her Domain simply had that effect. Her inner pride wouldn't allow her to lie through her teeth.
"Ahem, let's just watch the race."
But in the time they had been chatting, the situation on the track had undergone a startling change.
'I can't keep going like this. My chances to race against Nearl are few to begin with. The Kikuka Sho isn't suited for me. Beating Nearl there would be a pipe dream. Only this Japanese Derby holds that sliver of hope. I absolutely cannot give up.'
"I will win!"
Ines Fujin gritted her teeth. Tiny blood vessels surfaced around her emerald eyes.
She was prepared to stake everything, to throw caution to the wind and pour out all her strength, even if it meant leading for just a fleeting moment.
But then...
"My Domain…?! It hurts!"
Suddenly, an intense, searing pain shot up from below. It felt as if the tendons in her legs were snapping layer by layer.
The cramping in her calves and the tearing sensation in her thighs were so severe she couldn't even maintain her Domain.
"Why...?"
--+--
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.