"This can't—be possible!"
Under Grass Wonder's disbelieving gaze,
Special Week sprinted across the finish line.
The racecourse fell silent for a single instant. Then a deafening roar erupted.
"Special Week reaches the finish line first!"
"The winner of the Satsuki Sho is—Special Week! Without question, she is creating new history!"
the commentator shouted excitedly.
That half-length gap stood as undeniable proof of the difference between Special Week and Grass Wonder.
It also proved that the umamusume who had won this race was Special Week.
"She truly deserves to be called a monster."
"I traveled all this way to watch this race, and it was absolutely worth it!"
"She's too strong—far too strong! I feel as though I'm watching the birth of a new legend!"
"If she wins the Japanese Derby and the Kikka Sho next, she'll become the second undefeated Triple Crown winner!"
Special Week did not respond to the spectators' passionate cheers. She remained dazed for a moment, then silently turned toward the somewhat disheveled Grass Wonder.
She had to admit that Grass Wonder's strength had truly surpassed her expectations.
Special Week might have appeared to win easily, but in reality, she had used nearly everything she possessed.
This was a first!
Since arriving at Tracen Academy, this was the first time she had become genuinely "serious." During that final moment, she had even felt the instincts inherited by this body stirring within her. It was an entirely new sensation.
She had the premonition that one more step might have allowed her to touch that realm. Unfortunately, she had missed the opportunity. She had not completely entered that state—or, to put it another way, the pressure and stimulation Grass Wonder provided were still insufficient.
It sounded terribly condescending, but Special Week could not help sighing inwardly. *Grass Wonder, why couldn't you have been a little stronger?*
Fortunately, she kept the thought to herself.
If Grass Wonder learned what she was thinking, the anger might genuinely make her ill.
As the competitors crossed the finish line one after another, the race drew to a close.
Regrettably, aside from Special Week and Grass Wonder, none of the runners received a placing.
Special Week had not defeated second place by a huge margin, but Grass Wonder had opened a huge margin over third. Consequently, every runner from third place onward received only the character for "defeat" on the results sheet, with no official ranking.
Naturally, those without a placing could only serve as supporting dancers around the edge of the Winner's Stage. The only two allowed onto the main stage were Special Week, the winner, and Grass Wonder in second.
The Winner's Stage came to an end.
Special Week did not cause any trouble during the performance.
It was an established custom of the sport, and the Winner's Stage itself was an event dedicated to the Three Goddesses. She was not like certain transmigrators who would refuse to participate merely because they were uncomfortable onstage.
As a transmigrator, one ought to possess a proper sense of reverence toward the divine.
----
Time passed.
The smoke of the Satsuki Sho had long since cleared,
but the tremendous waves it raised had yet to subside.
The entire umamusume world in Japan—and even beyond it—remained immersed in the shock and lingering aftertaste of that godlike duel.
Special Week's name seemed enchanted, spreading to every corner overnight.
At Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, enormous electronic billboards repeatedly showed the dazzling replay of her defeating Grass Wonder by half a length on the final straight. Screens in Akihabara had likewise begun displaying this prodigy who had appeared from nowhere.
The internet was in complete uproar. Hashtags such as "#SpecialWeek," "#TheMonsterDescends," and "#SatsukiShoRecordBroken" occupied the top three trending positions for days. Forums overflowed with fans, praise, and doubt. Some hailed her as the "Emperor of a New Era" and declared her undefeated Triple Crown a foregone conclusion. Others attributed the victory to her overwhelming raw stats, lamenting that her terrifying talent could drive any opponent into despair at the final moment. Some even compared her with the legendary Symboli Rudolf and declared that the coming age would belong to Special Week.
And yet, at the center of the storm sweeping the nation,
Special Week herself cared nothing about any of it.
On the back mountain of Tracen Academy,
heavy, rhythmic footsteps were the only sound on the simple private track of gravel and earth beside the forgotten, abandoned school building.
Alone beneath the sunset, the brown-haired girl carried out a training routine monotonous to the extreme. Sweat had soaked through her athletic clothes, making them cling to her body. Her face showed no emotion—neither the pride of setting a new record nor the slightest restlessness from receiving the attention of the masses. Her gaze remained focused solely on becoming stronger.
----
The uproar outside, the media's pursuit, the fans' fervor...
She shut all of it beyond the walls of her heart.
To her, victory in the Satsuki Sho was nothing more than an insignificant marker on a long journey.
She had won. Good. That was all.
Far from satisfying her, the victory was like a stone cast into an abyss, stirring deeper and fiercer ripples within her—
an endless desire to become stronger and reach still greater heights.
Only one thought occupied her heart.
"I'm still not strong enough!"
During the final few dozen meters of that race,
Grass Wonder's [ZONE] had placed her under unprecedented pressure.
Although Special Week ultimately won through the pure strength of her running, she knew the victory had not come easily. Grass Wonder's [ZONE] had genuinely made her feel threatened. Grass Wonder was the strongest opponent she had faced so far, someone capable of making her heart accelerate with excitement.
In fact, had Special Week's stats not been high enough for her body to endure the burden of activating multiple skills in rapid succession—and even layer several skill effects into a single burst—then given Grass Wonder's condition at the time, Special Week might not have won even if she had used the red skill she kept hidden.
She had won
only because the effort and sweat of her ordinary training brought her good fortune at the decisive moment.
Without that daily effort and perspiration, it was impossible to say who would have won the race.
But reality had no "ifs."
The truth was that none of her work had gone to waste.
The signal ending her training interval sounded.
Special Week gradually slowed, braced both hands against her knees, and panted softly.
She raised her head toward the sunset and the sky stained gold and crimson.
She thought of Silence Suzuka, and then of Grass Wonder.
"ZONE..."
What did that legendary realm of the gods truly feel like?
Why, after touching the threshold of that door countless times, had she still failed to push it open and step through?
She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms and bringing a sharp sting.
At that moment, the phone in her pocket suddenly rang.
Special Week looked at the contact information on the screen. The ice on her face instantly melted, and rare gentleness entered her eyes.
Her mother was calling from Hokkaido.
"Hello, Mom." Her voice softened considerably.
"Spe-chan, you were incredible! You really won the Satsuki Sho—and broke the record too? I've made up my mind. No matter what else comes up next time, I'll put it aside and come to Tokyo to watch your race!"
"Call me when the time comes. I'll come pick you up."
A faint smile touched Special Week's lips.
She did not care much about such minor matters,
but being held in the heart of someone important truly felt comforting.
Special Week did not grow impatient as she listened to her mother's endless concern. She patiently answered every question: whether training was difficult, whether she ate regularly, and even what her true dream was. She had always carried herself openly and honestly, and there was nothing wrong with speaking of such things. The person on the other end of the call was her mother, after all.
"I..." Special Week looked toward the distant mountain range and spoke softly. "I want to become the strongest umamusume. I want to stand at the top of the world as its one undisputed strongest runner." It was her dream—the dream she had wanted to realize ever since she came into this world.
The other end of the call fell silent for a moment.
Then came her mother's gentle but resolute voice. "I believe in you. No matter what you want to do, I'll always support you. But Spe-chan, promise me you'll take care of yourself, all right?"
"Mm. I know."
After the call ended, Special Week's gaze became sharp as a blade once more.
She straightened and stepped back onto the track, beginning another round of weighted sprints.
The sunset stretched her shadow far into the distance, like a lonely road leading toward an unknown summit. She knew that she was destined to walk this road alone.
But for the sake of that dream, she feared nothing.
...
Meanwhile, in the Team Spica dormitory at the opposite end of the academy, Silence Suzuka carefully unwound the final layer of bandages from her leg.
After several weeks of meticulous treatment, physical rehabilitation, and rest, her injury had finally improved considerably. Although her attending physician still sternly warned that she must avoid all strenuous exercise for the next three months to prevent irreversible secondary damage, the long-absent urge to run had grown like spring grass within her heart and could no longer be restrained.
She remembered the Hopeful Stakes and the Great Runner charge in which she had burned as though spending her own life.
She had carried the resolve to die, wanting to use that heat to overwhelm everything merely to glimpse the matchless scenery that belonged to her alone. Yet Special Week's terrifying finishing kick had risen like an insurmountable wall and mercilessly crushed her dream.
That defeat had not destroyed her.
Instead, it became a fire that burned away her confusion, hesitation, and attachment to the "safe zone." During the endless days and nights in her hospital bed, she repeatedly tasted that despair and frustration. The answer she ultimately found was not resignation, but a deeper realization: she had seen that scenery and understood the meaning behind her running. It was not about surpassing anyone or proving anything to someone else. It was about recovering the call to run from the depths of her own heart.
"...This is what I want." Silence Suzuka murmured, her fingertips lightly brushing the healed but still somewhat stiff muscles of her lower leg. Unprecedented resolve shone in her eyes. "I won't lose my way again. My life as an umamusume exists so I can run."
She picked up the phone beside her bed and opened the Umamusume Association's official website.
Then she navigated to the Japanese Derby registration page.
She stared at the race icon symbolizing the highest honor, took a deep breath, and pressed the registration button without hesitation. The instant her fingertip landed, some heavy burden seemed to fall away, replaced by unprecedented freedom and exhilaration.
She would return to the course not for revenge, but to prove something—
that she deserved to compete on the same stage as the "monster" standing at the summit.
Whatever the cost, she would use her own two feet to pursue that unique scenery belonging to her once more.
----
At Rigil, the team members were receiving the finest professional guidance.
"Haaah—!" With a crisp shout, an exhausted golden bolt of lightning crossed the finish line with astonishing explosive power, leaving her training partners far behind. A confident, radiant smile covered her face, and her eyes held a pure hunger for victory. Since her debut, she had continued her triumphant advance, winning race after race. Through indisputably dominant performances, she had earned her place in the Japanese Derby.
Every victory declared to the world:
El Condor Pasa's name was no empty boast.
"Spe-chan, wait for me!"
El Condor Pasa wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked toward Tracen's back mountain, fighting spirit blazing in her eyes. "I'll defeat you fair and square in the Japanese Derby! I'll make you admit that I'm the strongest!"
On the opposite side of the training grounds, Grass Wonder was carrying out a recovery endurance run.
Although defeat in the Satsuki Sho had struck her hard and even plunged her into doubt for a time, there was no trace of dejection in her eyes.
On the contrary, that peak confrontation with Special Week had been like a mirror, showing Grass Wonder the limits of her own ability with perfect clarity and igniting an even fiercer fighting spirit within her.
She accepted the loss wholeheartedly, yet remained unwilling to accept defeat.
She had given everything and even used the move she kept hidden, but still failed to defeat Special Week. That frustration became the force driving her forward.
"El," Grass Wonder suddenly stopped and turned toward El Condor Pasa, who was stretching. Her voice was calm but carried undeniable force. "Train with me."
She was more focused than ever and longed to prove her own strength.
The only way to break through within a short time was to train against an umamusume whose strength was close to her own.
El Condor Pasa froze for a moment, then replied excitedly, "Sure! I've wanted to test your strength too! Don't hold back—show me the power you used in the Satsuki Sho!"
Grass Wonder nodded with a smile. "All right."
If El wanted that, then they would fight!
Even in a training race, no one wanted to lose.
Had El Condor Pasa not asked, Grass Wonder would not have intended to use her hidden power. Without it, however, she would probably lose. El's improvement during this period was obvious.
From then on, a unique scene appeared on Rigil's training grounds.
The formerly elegant young lady and the newly risen prodigy—a pair of umamusume with entirely different styles—began shedding sweat together. They competed and supported one another, honing each other's technique through repeated confrontations. Grass Wonder freely taught El Condor Pasa her distinctive experience in reading opponents, controlling the rhythm, and conserving stamina. El, in turn, continually pushed Grass Wonder to surpass her limits and try new approaches with her fearless drive and raw explosive power. They shared only one goal: the Japanese Derby.
There, they would launch their fiercest challenge against the "monster" standing at the summit!
In a quiet corner on the top floor of the academy library, Rice Shower held a thick copy of *Exercise Physiology* and read with exceptional focus. The breathtaking duel between Special Week and Grass Wonder on the Satsuki Sho's final straight played repeatedly through her mind. Every detail, every breath, every contraction and relaxation of muscle seemed engraved into her memory.
The beauty of such pure strength and the will to surpass ordinary limits touched the softest place deep inside her. Rice Shower had always suffered profound insecurity because of her timid personality, ordinary aptitude, and poor luck. She believed she might not be suited to becoming an umamusume at all, that she was merely a burden serving as someone else's background. But after seeing that race, something sealed within her heart had been set alight and opened.
"So... running can be this beautiful and this amazing. It's just like being a hero." Rice Shower murmured, unprecedented light shining in her eyes. It was something called "hope."
She remembered what Special Week had told her on the track beside the abandoned school building several days earlier: "Come watch my race. If you still don't want to give up running after you've seen it, then you'll know your answer."
Now she had it.
Rice Shower closed the book and drew a deep breath, as if taking courage itself into her lungs.
She rose and walked to the library's computer area. After opening the Umamusume Association website, she solemnly entered her name on the race registration page. The moment she pressed Enter, she felt an unprecedented sense of release.
She would run again. She would stand upon that stage of dreams. Even if a mountain of blades and a sea of fire waited ahead, she would use her own two feet to pursue the "scenery" that belonged to her.
----
Night descended, and Tracen Academy gradually grew quiet.
Special Week finished five hours of hellish training and dragged her exhausted but fulfilled body back to the dormitory. She showered, changed into clean clothes, and then opened her computer out of habit.
The screen remained flooded with news and comments about her, but after one hurried glance, she closed every window. She opened an encrypted local folder containing all the umamusume race footage she had collected, including recordings of Silence Suzuka, El Condor Pasa, and Grass Wonder.
She opened recordings of Silence Suzuka and El Condor Pasa's training, analyzing every detail frame by frame and considering how she would overcome them when they met again. Next, she reviewed footage of other rivals she had encountered, studying their increasingly mature running styles and acceleration abilities.
At last, her cursor stopped over Grass Wonder's folder.
She did not open it immediately. She merely stared at the file name in silence. Images from the Satsuki Sho still lingered before her eyes. She knew Grass Wonder would be stronger the next time they met.
Therefore, Special Week had to become stronger as well.
...
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