Chapter 26: Transcendence! A Realm Beyond the Domain
As the race progressed, Stardust Mirage suddenly remembered something.
During their seventeen days of training side by side, she had never once seen Oguri Cap use the Festive Miracle technique she had learned from her. Whether she had mastered it relied solely on Oguri Cap's own account.
Even Musaka Ginjirou hadn't raised any objections, and since Oguri Cap could effortlessly overpower her even without using this technique, Starry Phantom had simply forgotten about it.
But now, watching Oguri Cap's gray-white figure bursting with extreme destructive power as she approached that point, Stardust Mirage couldn't help but wonder:
What would happen when an already monster-like Oguri Cap—who could overwhelm her and, in the original timeline, had seized victory—combined her power with the ultimate move of Festive Miracle?
In the next moment, Oguri Cap gave Stardust Mirage the answer.
—The monster has awakened here!
Thud.
A low, dull roar from somewhere unknown reached Stardust Mirage's ears.
Instantly, she felt as if she had entered another dimension. Her heartbeat synced with the unique, powerful rhythm of those footsteps, and everyone else vanished from her vision.
Under the dark canopy, the cheers, the commentator's voice, even the creaking of Rokuhei Ginjirō's cane beside her—all were swept away, plunging the surroundings into utter silence...
Suddenly, a gray-white figure, blazing with intense flames, skimmed low across the ground!
Thud.
That mysterious roar echoed once more from behind the gray-white apparition. Squinting against the light of the flames, Stardust Mirage saw—
In the dark space, a colossal, towering shadow loomed, faintly visible in the flickering firelight.
The shadow was immense, so tall that even craning her neck, she could barely make out its peak. Yet, Stardust Mirage finally understood one thing: that low, heavy roar was the sound of this phantom taking steps, its feet striking the ground.
What kind of behemoth was this? It could easily be sent to an Ultraman series and last at least two episodes. Is this even still a horse girl?!
[.........Oguri Cap, Oguri Cap is making an early move to chase the leaders... The other horse girls are suddenly showing signs of agitation!]
[What in the world is happening?! There are still over 500 meters to go, but Oguri Cap has chosen this moment to begin her final sprint!]
Faintly, Stardust Mirage could hear the commentator's desperate shouts beside her.
With that declaration, the sole gray-white figure in Stardust Mirage's vision accelerated to a speed almost beyond what the naked eye could follow.
In just a few hundred meters, Oguri Cap, accompanied by the illusory monster behind her, had charged into the final straight—the last 200 meters!
No other horse girl could keep up with her pace, whether it was Mejiro Ardan, Osaichi George, or Yaeno Muteki.
Even Mejiro Ryan, who in the original timeline had battled Oguri Cap down to the wire, now couldn't even touch her dust. Her only remaining opponent was herself!
And in the final 200 meters, Oguri Cap did not maintain her current state.
Stardust Mirage watched as the lone figure before her burst into flames, transforming instantly into a towering wave of crimson that surged forth.
In that moment, she suddenly realized something:
Festive Miracle—this innate skill originally belonged to Oguri Cap. So, just how far could she take it now?
Stardust Mirage's eyes were locked on Oguri Cap's form, unwilling to miss a single second of the spectacle.
Right now, Oguri Cap was not only using Festive Miracle she had learned from Stardust Mirage but also her own running style, yet to be unleashed.
What would happen when two of her innate skills erupted simultaneously in the same race?
Like a Godzilla-like monster, faint dark red light began to glow beneath its skin...
Finally, it erupted.
—Victory's Pulse, activate!
THUD!
A heavy step tore through the earth, dark red magma surged forth, and the Godzilla-like creature lowered its body, wrapping its arms around the dappled gray horse girl.
The magma from the fissures was drawn into the creature's body, causing it to gradually dim, leaving only a dark red aura enveloping Oguri Cap.
Now, Oguri Cap's blazing form charged forward with unstoppable momentum, a presence so ultimate that even this domain could barely contain it, captivating everyone's gaze.
Just watching such a run made Stardust Mirage's heart burn with a scalding heat, her throat so tight she could barely breathe.
Though she couldn't comprehend what realm Oguri Cap had reached at this moment, she understood one thing: in this race before her...
There was definitely something she had been longing for!
The next moment, Stardust Mirage's mind wavered. She returned to the roaring stadium, the commentator's passionate shouts filling her ears once more:
[Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap has broken away, entering the final 200-meter stretch! Is the final showdown about to begin?!]
[What is this?! Oguri Cap is still accelerating! The thirst for victory pulses in this horse girl's chest!]
[Ryan is giving chase! Ryan is chasing! But it's no use! Oguri Cap's burst of speed surpasses them all!]
[Oguri Cap leads! Oguri Cap leads! Oguri Cap leads! Oguri Cap leads! Oguri Cap leads! Oguri Cap—]
[—Oguri Cap, first place!]
[Oguri Cap takes first! Oguri Cap is first! In this retirement race, Oguri Cap has reminded everyone of her title: the Monster.]
[Her three explosive final spurts were like miracles descending upon the track. In the last 500 meters, she forcefully broke through all her opponents, winning by a decisive five lengths and bringing this battle to a perfect close!!!]
Beside Stardust Mirage, Musaka Ginjirou was trembling slightly, using his hand to cover his face.
And behind her, 170,000 spectators unanimously chanted the name of the victor:
"O-Gu-Ri-Cap—!"
"O-Gu-Ri-Cap—!"
"O-Gu-Ri-Cap—!"
The cheers boiled over at Nakayama Racecourse, their momentum enough to shake the heavens.
Oguri Cap had presented a perfect race to all. She didn't run merely to win but to push beyond her own limits.
On the final stretch, she seamlessly integrated three different running styles. In just over 700 meters, she repeatedly shattered the audience's expectations of her final speed, delivering this great victory to all who supported her.
And now, the audience responded in kind!
Stardust Mirage gazed at the frenzied stadium and took a deep breath.
If the power she had witnessed before—from Tokai Teio, Rudolf Symbol, or even the Oguri Cap who trained beside her—was within the realm of her understanding,
Then the Oguri Cap she had just seen, whom not even a domain could fully describe, had shattered her perception.
This kind of strength was unlike anyone else's. Though everyone always called Oguri Cap the [Monster], Stardust Mirage now felt that only one word could capture her feelings:
God.
If there were a runner among them who could be called a god due to her strength...
Then without a doubt, it was that Gray Monster before our eyes – Oguri Cap.
"Is that... a Zone?"
Stardust Mirage, combining it with her knowledge from her previous life, guessed.
"No, that's not a Zone." Beside her, old man Musaka, his voice trembling but resolute, firmly denied Stardust Mirage's statement.
"This is a miracle that can only happen once. In this race, Oguri has surpassed all Uma Musume, reaching a realm beyond the Zone—"
His cane had already slipped to the ground at some point. Both hands gripped the railing in front of him tightly, his body leaning forward as if he wanted to get just a little closer, just a bit nearer, to see his charge clearly:
"It's true after all! A realm beyond [Zone] really does exist! After pushing herself to the brink..."
"Oguri... she finally succeeded!"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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