It's quiet.
The world went silent. The crowd's whispers were lost in the falling snow. The announcer's words reduced to a distant call. The only thing she could hear were the faint breaths of the other runners she stood amongst, and the rapid beating of her own heart.
Tamamo Cross took a shuddering breath as she dug her thumb into her chest. The subtle pain was far more welcome than the dread that simmered in her gut. And quietly, she counted the seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
She took another breath—slower this time. She released right after, her breath turning into mist as it met the cold that surrounded them all. Her heart continued to beat erratically, and she could almost imagine them like the repeated strikes of a thunderstorm.
Four.
Five.
Six.
The Turf beneath her felt strange, even after all the time she spent adapting to it. She'd heard that it was an experience shared by everyone else, and that the Director could only apologize that she'd only given them a week at best.
Tamamo didn't mind. She understood what this Turf was for. She'd seen the devastation Star left behind her during the homestretch of the [Japan Cup]. Had anyone else tried to follow behind her, the Turf beneath them would've given out entirely. This strangely colored Turf was here to prevent that.
Seven.
Eight.
But a more durable Turf was also to her benefit. Because it meant that it would likely withstand whatever might happen next.
Nine.
Ten–
BANG!
"The gates have opened!"
Lightning burst forth from the soles of her shoes, and Tamamo's eyes burst bright white as she lunged forward. The lightning she left behind was very much real this time around, and she could hear the screeching of metal behind her.
As she expected, she soon bore witness as Star charged ahead, the snow around her burning into steam as she ran far ahead of the pack. But she wasn't alone this time; sparks exploded behind Dicta Striker as she followed just behind her. And not far from those two was Chiyono O, fighting to follow behind those two until the very end.
She turned her focus back towards the rest of the pack. She immediately ran forward, aiming for the front half of the pack this time around, though she remembered to take into account the pace that would inevitably be set by Blossom Star's Great Escape.
It was a farther position than she normally would aim for, and it was risky, but there was no other way. She could not remain in the latter half of the pack—Oguri Cap would devour her if she remained there.
"Blossom Star takes the lead, with Dicta Striker just behind her! Sakura Chiyono O is only two lengths behind them both!"
"Super Creek is now 4th place, and Tamamo Cross is 5th!"
"Oguri Cap is at the very end of the pack! Are we going to witness another Great Chase!?"
The struggle was brief, but relentless. Neither Muteki or Creek were willing to let her easily take her desired position. And though Creek remained in front of her, she decided to stop struggling for it. Being 5th wasn't the most ideal, but she'd make do. She just had to be careful whenever an uphill climb came arou–
Suddenly, a wave of heat shot across the entire track. The snowfall abruptly halted, immediately turned to steam before they could even touch the ground. An overwhelming orange glow illuminated the dim day, and she could hear the almost-maniacal laughter coming from behind her.
"Inari One's Domain!?"
"Inari One is advancing! She's accelerating!"
Tamamo narrowed her eyes. It was still only the second corner, and yet she was already moving ahead? She could feel that heat growing stronger as she approached, and Tamamo quietly bit her lip.
She'd expected this too. This was just how Inari One was—bright, explosive, and blindingly eager. Her excitement bordered almost on arrogance, but it was one she could back up. Maintaining a Domain throughout an entire race was virtually impossible, but Inari's monstrous Guts allowed her to push through until the very end.
Once upon a time, Tamamo had derived great enjoyment from triggering her Domain together with her and Obey.
…
Tamamo turned her focus back to the front as she entered the second straight.
"Inari One is now 7th! She's aiming to pull ahead, but Yaeno Muteki isn't letting her!"
There it was. The first uphill.
She took a deep breath as the uphill came closer and closer, and she couldn't help but glance at Super Creek. She remained just in front, her expression masked by the abundant steam that now covered the track. But the ambiguity had only made her nerves even more taut.
She needed to escape. Uphills were Creek's most dangerous weapon, and if she got caught even once in her inescapable grip, it would be the end.
…Fine.
"Tamamo Cross slows down!? She's fallen to 7th place!"
"Inari One finally passes Yaeno Muteki! She's now 5th!"
Her heart beat loudly in her ears, and she could feel the lightning pulsing through her veins as every step took her closer to the uphill.
And then–
Nothing happened.
"Inari One passes Super Creek!"
But her instincts then rang like a gunshot, and through the lingering steam, she barely caught the faint smile that slowly curled across Creek's lips.
Every part of her body moved as one.
White Lightning flashed across her entire body. Her headband fluttered wildly behind her as static electricity filled the air. And she roared, agony pulsing through her bones as Susanoo arose around her, almost as if he had literally torn himself out of her skin.
And just in time, because right after the first uphill was another, and this time–
The world seemed to stop for a moment, before gravity itself quintupled. The rising steam was suddenly forced down onto the strangely-colored Turf, pressed down onto the ground like a low-hanging mist. The blazing Foxfire around Inari was abruptly flattened, and her expression tightened as her limbs suddenly refused to cooperate. Muteki's complexion was even worse, and she gasped loudly as her face went pale.
All the while, an enigmatic smile came onto Creek's lips as she lunged ahead, the heightened gravity leaving only her untouched. No-, it was more than that. It was almost as if gravity itself had turned off for her, and she cleared the second uphill with record-breaking time, before she began accelerating, intent on catching up with Star who'd already reached the fourth corner.
But Tamamo wasn't willing to let her escape so easily. She screamed as she dug her foot into the Turf and ran, pushing past the gravity that tried to chain her down. And Susanoo howled along with her, his lightning rising towards the heavens as he did his best to shield her from Creek's gravity.
She wasn't the only one.
Soon after, Inari One's flames burnt anew, and her roar pierced through the steam and snow as she lunged ahead. Mejiro Ardan suddenly passed Muteki, and her shock soon turned into determination as she began accelerating as well. And all the way at the end of the pack, an all-encompassing darkness began spreading from Oguri Cap, as if she carried behind her an insatiable black hole.
The second phase of the race had begun;
It was time to chase the Guiding Star.
"Everyone is moving forward! Creek is in 4th place, but she's quickly moving forward! It won't be long until she reaches Sakura Chiyo-"
"Blossom Star accelerates as well! And Dicta Striker too–!"
And yet,
Tamamo's eyes went wide as the flames bursting from Inari suddenly grew even larger, the typhoon of flames suddenly merging to take the vague shape of a fox-like deity. The flames seemed to cover her entire face, and her flame-bathed grin turned almost demonic as she howled. "HERE I COME, STAR-ANEUE!!"
The lead she'd built over Inari suddenly began shrinking as Inari accelerated even further. She grit her teeth as she kept running as fast as she could, all while she could feel Susanoo trembling slightly, shielding her from both the lingering pull of Creek's gravity and the even hotter flames that rose from Inari's skin.
They were just about to enter the fourth corner now, and she wasn't going to let Inari overtake her again like before.
Yet–
Instead of Inari or even Obey, the one who suddenly moved past her was Mejiro Ardan. She clung right to the corner, barely an inch away from hitting the railing. And yet she did so with apparent ease, her steps light and silent. A thin smile was on her lips as she kept her eyes trained on Dicta Striker, who was still just a length behind Star.
"M-Mejiro Ardan!? When did she-!?"
"M-Mejiro Ardan is now 5th!"
"Super Creek is closing in on Sakura Chiyono O! Can she maintain her lead!?"
Even Inari looked surprised as she saw Ardan suddenly move ahead, her flame-covered expression looking almost comical with how wide her eyes went. But excitement then shone in her eyes, and her laughter than echoed across the track as she accelerated even more.
And inevitably, even Susanoo failed to completely shield her from the immense heat, and she could only gasp weakly as Inari passed her.
"Inari One is 6th!"
Tamamo's eyes trembled, and she screamed as she pushed ahead. Enough was enough; there was no point in conserving her stamina if it meant she'd be pushed to the back of the pack. She couldn't lose her position now, especially now that Blossom Star had entered the third straight! She couldn't–!
But before she could even make her move,
"OOOUUHH!!" The roar of a hundred men sounded from behind her, before she suddenly felt the Turf beneath her begin to tremble. Unconsciously, she found her eyes slowly being pulled back, and she caught the world turning monochrome—the Turf beneath them was momentarily by an endless world of black and white squares.
There, she could see hundreds of phantom soldiers manifesting all around Belno Light, and her eyes burnt like amber as her lips parted. "My soldiers," She spoke, her voice overlaid by another. "Charge."
And as one, the soldiers roared as dozens of different divine armaments appeared in the air.
Domain Awakening—
{Commandment of the Divine General}!
Suddenly, the skies were overwhelmed by black and white. Dozens of Divine Spears were thrown forward, impaling everyone who ran in front of her and afflicting them with weakness. Dozens of soldiers sounded their Divine Trumpets, causing everyone behind her to slow down, their senses suddenly scrambled. Tens of Divine Javelins were thrown to the other side of the track, raining down onto Star and Dicta, forcing them to slow down or evade the incoming projectiles.
All the while, Belno Light suddenly sped forward, aided by a Divine Chariot, pulled along by a strange four-legged animal. And running just beside her were several dozen more phantoms, their spears and shields forming together into a deadly Divine Phalanx that broke through every obstacle.
None were spared, and Tamamo least of all. She gasped weakly as agony struck her—a synchronic resonance with Susanoo. She could feel him physically breaking apart as he shielded her from Belno's relentless assault, and she could now see visible holes appearing across Susanoo's form.
Belno Light charged past her and everyone else, quickly closing the gap between her and Creek as she chased after the lead. All Tamamo could do was watch as her figure shrunk as the distance between them grew.
"W-W-What was…? Belno Light's…"
And before she could even make sense of what was happening, a deep darkness overwhelmed her sight for a moment, and suddenly Oguri Cap rushed past her. There was a small, expectant smile on her lips as she chased after Belno, as if that devastating Domain had only heightened the Beast's hunger.
She was now 9th. Everyone else had overtaken her.
…
Ha.
Haha.
"Hahaha!" She began laughing. She didn't know if the wetness of her cheeks came from the melted snow or her own tears, but she didn't care. She was now in the third straight. There was only so much left before the homestretch began. And with Susanoo in a critical condition, her own Domain would soon end.
Haha. Fuck it! She could feel her own body protesting, begging her not to push on lest she go past a point of no return. She could also faintly hear Susanoo beg her to stop, but he was in no condition to try to stop her.
A single spark of White Lightning shot from her. Then another. And then dozens more came. And her laughter was lost to the winds as she turned into a raging thunderstorm. Her legs trembled as she slammed her foot down onto the Turf, and her grin went wide as she leaned forward and–
"So loud~"
But before she could advance, a wide nebulae spread beyond her, and suddenly Obey Your Master ran past her, her entire body sparkling like the starry sky.
Yet,
"Wha're ya' doin'?" She whispered, unconsciously gritting her teeth in anger.
Because Obey hadn't accelerated further. Despite showing that she was more than capable of catching up to everyone else, she remained just a length in front of her; the threads of stardust unconsciously forcing her thoughts away from whatever she was preparing to do.
"What are you doing?" Obey asked in return. There was a smile on her lips, but the smile was as fake as it could be. "Did all the lightning make you an idiot? Stop thinking so loud and just chase after everyone."
A laugh forced itself out of Tamamo's lips, and her anger burnt anew. "Ya' think ah' haven't tried!?" She screamed. "I can't do it, dumbass! Ma' legs're–, I can't ca'ch up 'nymore! I–!"
"Then stop chasing after them." Obey said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
…
"What?"