Oguri Cap's words gave Kitahara a strange moment of clarity.
Could it be that this thing called "Domain" really was a gift bestowed upon the Uma Musume by the Three Goddesses?
Something like "True Form"?
It seemed plausible. After all, even on the international level, "Domain" was still a phenomenon not yet fully understood. "True Form" was similar — both gave the Uma Musume obvious performance boosts. It was hard to say there wasn't some connection between the two.
Thinking this far, Kitahara had the urge to run back to the dorms immediately and pull an all-nighter, comparing and analyzing every bit of data he could get his hands on to see if his guess was correct.
Because, just like Tōra had been so excited about earlier, "Domain" was cutting-edge research even by international standards — no conclusions existed yet. If he could uncover the truth of "Domain," it would be a discovery that could shake the world.
Not only that — if they could master Domain, every Uma Musume in his team would effectively gain a trump card, boosting their win rates in domestic races, even giving them a real shot on the world stage.
He wanted to stay up and get to the bottom of this, to help his Uma Musume advance to the next level.
But in the end, he didn't follow through.
After walking Oguri Cap back, he returned to his dorm. He only stayed up a short while before receiving a phone call — from Oguri Cap.
"Hello? Oguri Cap? What's wrong? I'm in the middle of—"
"You should rest now, Kitahara."
"Uh, I… actually, this is really—"
"You should rest now, Kitahara."
"Next time then. Next time for sure, okay? I—"
"You should rest now, Kitahara."
"Fine. Good night."
"Mm. Good night."
And so, Kitahara could only reluctantly shut off the computer, turn off the lights, and obediently lie back down in bed.
Lying there, he couldn't sleep. His mind was spinning with theories — but this time, he calmed himself.
His guess had too many flaws.
First of all, "True Form" was indeed a phenomenon unique to Uma Musume — but "Domain" was not.
Uma Musume could access it, yes — but so could humans.
And it didn't even require extraordinary talent; enthusiasts like Tōra and Komiyama could tap into it as well. That suggested Domain might not be something exclusive to Uma Musume at all.
Second, while "True Form" was originally described as a divine blessing, it had already been explained scientifically.
Biologically, the structures of Uma Musume and humans were largely similar, yet full of key differences.
For example, the hormones driving growth in both species originated from the pituitary gland. Both were generically labeled "Growth Hormone," distinguished by prefixes "Umamusume" and "Human."
But the number of amino acids, their arrangement, the biochemical mechanisms — all of it differed significantly. They weren't the same hormone at all.
In addition, the calcium structures in bones, muscle fiber composition, blood composition ratios — countless details diverged.
In other words, "True Form" could be fully explained through physiology, chemistry, and other fundamental sciences. It wasn't some mystical, unknowable doctrine.
But Domain was different. Neither Japan nor any other country, group, or individual could clearly explain what Domain actually was.
Most importantly, "True Form" had an oracle tied to it — a genuine "divine attribute."
And there was no contradiction there.
The oracle regarding True Form was that some Uma Musume did indeed sense from the Three Goddesses that this phenomenon existed to protect their most golden years of racing, allowing them to display their full talents without restraint.
Science merely provided a human-understandable perspective on it.
Domain, however, had no such explanation — no divine revelation, no scientific model. No Uma Musume, at least publicly, had ever clearly known what Domain truly meant to them.
…Alright then. Looks like Domain is something that still has to be gradually probed through science — better wait until Kyoko's data analysis comes back.
Good thing I didn't rush over to Kyoko and the others to bring this up. Otherwise, I'd have panicked and thrown out some half-baked theory even I couldn't explain — that would've been embarrassing.
Turning over in bed, Kitahara let out a quiet, self-mocking sigh.
Step by step, then. Use the equipment they had, collect data, analyze slowly.
And also…
A sudden thought struck him. Kitahara slowly sat up, walked over to the window, and gazed wistfully across the moonlit courtyard toward the Uma Musume dorms.
Over a month of training together — and soon it would all come to an end.
Just one more week…
No — maybe less. Tama would soon be heading back to Tokyo to race in the "Naruo Kinen"…
Once the "Shiwasu Special Cup" on the same day was over, Inari and Tōra would return to Ōi as well…
They would meet again, of course. But still…
A farewell is still a farewell.
Hah. Guess I really am getting old. Just like my juniors said — here I am sighing like some middle-aged uncle.
He slowly clenched his fist, walked back to bed, and lay down again.
Do everything right. Prepare for Naruo Kinen and the Shiwasu Special Cup.
Deal with the farewells later.
With that resolve, he drifted into a deep sleep.
Kitahara had now realized that this team was approaching a parting. The others were beginning to sense it, too.
No one knew exactly when each person first noticed, but as that final week of training went on, the mood began to shift — among both the trainers and the Uma Musume themselves.
Tōra and Komiyama increasingly sought out Kitahara and Kyoko Miyamura to plan training together, analyze data together. Originally, each trainer handled their own duties, carefully avoiding overlap.
Oguri Cap and the others also seemed to throw themselves harder into practice, preparing for their upcoming races. Laughter on the training grounds grew rarer; their sessions became more focused, and afterward, the girls spent nearly all their free time together.
Kitahara didn't try to separate them for efficiency anymore. He allowed it.
He knew — everyone was quietly saddened by the impending farewell, treasuring the time they still had together.
December 3rd came. Three days remained until the Naruo Kinen and the Shiwasu Special Cup. This day was their final day off.
He took Oguri Cap and the others to watch their favorite "Godzilla" movie — the newly released Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The film featured four of the franchise's most famous kaiju: Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan — all appearing together.
Throughout the screening, the theater was filled with cheers from fans, sometimes loud enough to drown out the deafening sound system.
And amidst that thunderous audio and cheering, Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, Super Creek, and Inari One all quietly fell silent.
They watched the entire movie without a word.
So did Kitahara and the others.
Tamamo Cross and Komiyama's train was right after the movie.
Inari One and Tarō's would depart the same time tomorrow, after the Shiwasu Special Cup.