What was Special Week thinking at that moment?
In those brief moments before the starting gates flew open, was she concentrating intently, or simply spacing out?
Neither. Special Week was feeling—or rather, immersing herself in her own sixth sense.
Though her eyes, the human body's primary means of gathering information, were now closed, the actual impact wasn't as great as one might think.
True, she was now surrounded by darkness—a pitch-black void.
The condition of the track, the expressions of the staff, even whether the gates had opened—none of these could be perceived immediately. In theory, it looked like she'd given up.
But would Special Week really do that? Would she slack off during such an important test?
No. Neither the dream she carried in her heart nor the days of rigorous training would allow her to. If closing her eyes wasn't about giving up, then this stance of hers held a deeper meaning.
"Ha…"
Her ears twitched continuously. Already more sensitive than a human's, they could now even pick up the faint tremor of mechanical springs inside the starting gates, the referee's breathing, the rustling of grass brushed by the wind.
Through these sounds and memories from earlier, the surrounding scene took shape in Special Week's mind.
"It's clear. I can 'see' everything around me."
Special Week's mind was as calm as still water.
This was something Platinum had emphasized repeatedly during training.
Originally, she had been too easily distracted and prone to overconfidence. Because of that, Platinum would often trip her up during their side-by-side training runs.
For example, suddenly covering the ground with her "Domain," causing Special Week to misjudge her footing, then stumble or break her rhythm.
Or abruptly shifting position and pace just as Special Week was preparing to sprint, causing all her built-up momentum and stamina to drain away in an instant.
Over time, Special Week had forcefully weaned herself off relying solely on her eyes—not that she stopped using them altogether.
Hearing, sight, instinct… every sense she could use to perceive the world was harmonized and unified.
Special Week processed all the information she gathered in her own way, developing a unique method of observation.
This posture of waiting for the start was the same—a habit forged through countless training sessions.
Platinum ran with remarkably light footsteps, never roaring or stomping heavily. And for some reason, her presence was faint.
If you let your guard down even slightly, she would already be at your side. Relying on a single sense alone made it nearly impossible to counter her.
So you had to rely on "heart."
Since the physical body had its limits, you had to drive your spirit.
Unlike that elusive footwork, once Special Week learned to perceive the "Domain," she could no longer overlook Platinum—because that anomalous presence was far too strong, too overwhelming, leaving her deeply unsettled.
'I don't need to rely on sight—it can deceive me sometimes. But the domain and aura can't be hidden. This is a much better way to sense.'
Using this method, Special Week was never fooled by Platinum's stealth again. So now, she followed the same routine, waiting for the slightest fluctuation in that intangible energy.
"Wait… wait for the moment the fluctuation shifts… Hm? Why does it feel a bit noisy?"
Special Week, eyes still closed, frowned in puzzlement. She suddenly felt the surroundings grow clamorous, which confused her.
"…Open…"
"…exam…"
"…gate… open…"
Scattered, distant voices drifted over. Though too far to make out clearly, the anxiety in them was unmistakable.
So Special Week opened her eyes.
Before her lay an empty grass track, a long straight stretching forward, curving into the distance. Nothing stirred on the turf—the kind of emptiness that most stirred an Uma Musume's passion to run.
Wait… empty?
Special Week's eyes widened sharply as she finally realized something.
The entrance exam had no other runners alongside you. It was just a test to see if your speed met the qualifying standard—meaning all you had to do was run your absolute hardest, with no one to interfere.
Special Week realized she'd been outsmarting herself all along.
With no opponent, where would any aura fluctuation come from? Might as well rely on her physical senses.
"Just great."
Muttering in slight irritation, she finally launched into her run—by now, three or four seconds had already passed since the gates had opened.
Special Week had broken late in her entrance exam.
--+--
"Tch. This girl… did all that practice scramble her brains?"
Centorea frowned unhappily and turned her head away, refusing to watch the "Special Fool" who remained rooted in place even though the gates were clearly open.
"How could this be? Hurry up and run!"
"Hey, over there! The gates are already open!"
King Halo and Grass Wonder were anxious, cupping their hands around their mouths and shouting, trying to snap the seemingly dazed Special Week out of it.
"Nearl, what's with Special Week…?"
Rudolf scratched her head in confusion. She still had confidence in her own judgment, even if Special Week had hit a minor snag now.
But this was the first time she'd seen something like this. It didn't seem like a simple late break—more like spacing out?
"She's just being an idiot. Inflexible and unable to adapt. This embarrassing display is her own fault—though it's better to have this problem surface now than during an actual race later."
Nearl didn't speak; it was Centaurea, who had been too lazy to talk earlier, who answered Rudolf instead. But judging by her tone, Special Week was clearly in for a hard time later.
"Inflexible? What kind of situation would make her choose to close her eyes right at the break? Just what has Special Week been through?"
Rudolf felt her confusion only deepening, but before she could collect her thoughts, the three young Uma Musume ahead began chattering excitedly, their admiration barely contained.
"So fast! She's already at 400 meters? How long has it been since she started?"
King Halo covered her mouth with both hands, clear unrest in her eyes.
"Yeah, she seems much faster than even you, King Halo-san. Feeling a bit discouraged?"
Seiun Sky leaned against the railing, cheek propped on her hand, eyes slightly narrowed as she teased. But that was just her surface demeanor—the turmoil within remained unknown to anyone else.
"Hmph, why should I feel discouraged? A king exists for a reason. My radiance will never be overshadowed by anyone else."
Left hand on hip, right hand over her chest, King Halo struck her favorite pose. Though her words were still full of bravado…
The fact that she avoided answering the question directly already revealed the wavering in her heart. She was certain she couldn't match the Special Week now racing like the wind.
The figure sprinting with the wind, the power in each lift and fall of her hooves, and that indescribable, beast-like aggressive aura—all of it deeply shook these youngsters who had just been brimming with pride over passing the entrance exam.
They weren't on the same level. Whether in strength or mindset, the gap between them and this running Uma Musume was immense.
That textbook-perfect run became the only scene they would remember from that day.
Special Week.
Grass Wonder remembered that name.
--+--
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.