April's wind already carried the dry heat of early summer. It swept across the abandoned gravel-and-earth track on Tracen's back mountain and brushed the fresh, soft turf of the Central training grounds.
Several weeks had passed since the storm of a race that electrified the nation, yet the air still seemed to hold traces of smoke. A strange calm had settled over the entire academy, and everyone knew it was merely the prelude to another storm—
because an even grander stage awaited them.
The Japanese Derby was approaching!
Just over a month remained before the race.
The entry list had already been announced the previous week.
At this point, nearly every entrant was deep in tense preparation.
-----
That afternoon,
at Tracen Academy's training grounds,
within the area reserved by Team Spica,
Daiwa Scarlet, who had only recently completed her debut and was now advancing steadily, stood beside the starting line.
She carried out her usual warm-up. Once she finished, Daiwa Scarlet habitually looked toward the opposite end of the track, preparing to begin the day's endurance training. The next instant, as though she had witnessed something impossible, her eyes widened sharply.
"No way..."
A familiar figure was racing across the course at astonishing speed.
A visibly turbulent current seemed to burn around that figure. Every footfall was like a massive stone cast into a still lake, sending layer after layer of invisible ripples outward.
Her astonishing speed made it seem as though she were flying over the grass.
"She's so fast..."
The sight stunned Daiwa Scarlet.
"Is that... Suzuka-senpai?"
Hadn't Silence Suzuka left the hospital only a week ago? When she first returned to the academy, the Trainer had said she needed additional rest and forbidden her from training.
Did this mean the Trainer had now lifted the restriction and Suzuka-senpai had officially returned to the team?
But hadn't Suzuka's injury come close to becoming a severe fracture? How could she run like this so soon after returning? That form and speed looked nothing like someone who had only recently completed rehabilitation. She looked like a "champion"!
Daiwa Scarlet had assumed Silence Suzuka would need time to recover her condition and had even planned to encourage her. Now, however, she felt that the person most in need of encouragement might be Daiwa Scarlet herself. Suzuka had only just resumed structured training, yet she could already run this fast. Disbelief filled Daiwa Scarlet's heart.
She still remembered the doctor's diagnosis and Silence Suzuka's pale face in the hospital bed. Yet the body racing single-mindedly before her, seemingly merged with the wind, overflowed with vitality. It even possessed a composure and resolve that had not existed before the injury. The force of her presence could be felt from the sidelines. Daiwa Scarlet thought Suzuka-senpai might have become even stronger than before.
While Daiwa Scarlet stood frozen, a hand gently patted her shoulder.
She jolted and found a familiar face directly before her.
"Not ready yet? Then I'll go on ahead!"
Vodka swept past her like a gust of wind.
"Wait!" Daiwa Scarlet's fighting spirit ignited instantly, her stern expression replaced by competitive fire. "Damn it, get back here, Vodka! How dare you get a head start!" She chased after Vodka. Even in training, she absolutely refused to be the last one.
On the track, Silence Suzuka ran alone at the front.
There were no opponents in her world, no spectators, not even the concept of "victory." All that remained was the track extending beneath her feet and the heart pounding in her chest from the pure joy of running. Her defeat in the Hopeful Stakes had left no shadow. Instead, it showed her what she truly desired—not to surpass someone else, but to overcome herself.
She simply wanted to run. She simply loved the "scenery ahead."
Her steps were firm and certain, every landing unwavering.
Her legs looked as though they had never been injured.
"Running really is fun..."
Silence Suzuka surrendered herself completely to the act of running.
Beside the training grounds,
Team Spica's Trainer, Nishizaki Ryuya, leaned against the rail with a stopwatch in hand, his gaze sharp as a hawk's. He was not merely timing her. He observed every detail of Silence Suzuka's performance: her stride frequency, breathing rhythm, and the condition of her working muscles.
She passed 1,000 meters.
He immediately stopped the watch.
Then he lowered his eyes to the time.
Nishizaki Ryuya's brows drew tightly together as shock flashed through his heart.
"This is..."
He did not know how to evaluate it.
It was not that Silence Suzuka had recovered poorly.
On the contrary, this result was exceptionally good—almost too good.
Her speed was already close to her peak before the injury.
From everything he could observe, Silence Suzuka truly did seem completely healed.
Even so, her present condition was exceedingly rare.
To reach this level, the injury had to be genuinely healed, but she also had to be completely free of any psychological fear of being hurt again. After leaving the hospital, most people underwent a lengthy "protective period," instinctively avoiding any movement that might cause the old injury to recur. In that state, it was impossible to devote oneself fully to training of this intensity.
Silence Suzuka, however, seemed to carry no such psychological burden. She ran openly and without reservation. Rather than fearing another injury, she appeared liberated, growing more relaxed the longer she ran.
"Maybe it's because Suzuka genuinely loves running so much."
At some point, Gold Ship had appeared beside him.
For once, she was not slacking off. She watched Silence Suzuka with a serious expression.
As someone who routinely avoided work during training, Gold Ship was not usually impressed by another runner's performance. But as an umamusume, she could not help admiring this version of Silence Suzuka.
"True." Nishizaki Ryuya looked away thoughtfully. "Maybe being forced to rest for so long only made the urge build up inside her."
That was simply who Silence Suzuka was.
Her entire life seemed to exist for the sake of running.
"By the way, Trainer." Gold Ship suddenly remembered something and took out her phone. "I just saw that Suzuka registered for the Japanese Derby. Did you know about that?"
"Hmm? Mm!" Nishizaki Ryuya made a distracted sound, then processed her words and spun around. "What?!"
Gold Ship held out her phone.
The official Umamusume Association website filled the screen. At the top of the Japanese Derby entry list, the name "Silence Suzuka" was printed in unmistakable letters.
Nishizaki Ryuya rubbed his temples helplessly and looked back toward the track.
The girl was still running, seemingly tireless.
"Not again..." He sighed.
Gold Ship could not help laughing at his expression.
"Are you going to object? She should still be able to withdraw."
Nishizaki Ryuya shook his head.
"That's how it should be, Trainer."
Gold Ship gave him a thumbs-up.
"As long as you're still your usual self, I can relax."
"What? What are you planning now?!"
Nishizaki Ryuya jumped in alarm at Gold Ship's words.
"Relax. This time it's genuinely good news. I found a newcomer willing to join our team."
"A newcomer?"
Nishizaki Ryuya looked unconvinced.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. She's a relative of mine, and I can vouch for her strength." Seeing that the Trainer still wanted to object, Gold Ship hurriedly continued, "Just leave it to me. I guarantee she'll surprise you when the time comes."
Nishizaki Ryuya was helpless.
"As long as you don't frighten me instead."
Despite his words, he did not stop Gold Ship.
For one thing, he knew he could never change her mind. For another, he was genuinely curious about the person Gold Ship had mentioned.
Could she be one of the prodigies from the "Gold" family? Gold Ship's name might sound strange, but her talent was extraordinary, and her family contained several other prodigies.
...
Meanwhile, on the abandoned track on Tracen's back mountain, Special Week had just completed a set of weighted sprints. She stopped with her hands braced on her knees, breathing heavily. Sweat had soaked her athletic clothes and made them cling to her body. She picked up the phone beside the track, where a news alert filled the screen: "Silence Suzuka Returns to Racing and Announces Japanese Derby Entry!"
Special Week stared at the news in mild surprise. The next instant, her lips curved upward.
"Silence Suzuka..." she murmured, complicated light flashing through her eyes.
There was anticipation—and a trace of rekindled fighting spirit.
"Good. I hope you'll stand before me in perfect condition."
Then she looked at the other entrants.
Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa...
"Interesting. It looks like this race might finally let me enjoy myself."
Looking at her opponents' names, Special Week felt her freshly trained body grow hot once more.
Then she ran another lap.
...
At the opposite end of the training grounds, within Team Rigil's area,
everything differed from Spica's training methods.
The work proceeded in perfect order, with assistants recording data nearby.
Every detail reflected an elite team's rigor and efficiency.
Student Council President Symboli Rudolf, known as the "Emperor," had brought a special visitor that day. The girl bore a slight resemblance to her. Long silver-white hair fluttered around her forehead, and her gaze was clear and resolute. She was Tokai Teio, one of the most closely watched prodigies among this year's new students.
An eye-catching training race was taking place on the track.
Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa chased each other. Though both held something in reserve, their strength and coordination still left Tokai Teio deeply impressed by the sight.
Symboli Rudolf turned toward the promising junior and spoke gently. "Teio, have you decided which team you want to join?"
Like El Condor Pasa the previous year, Tokai Teio had attracted everyone's attention the moment she entered the academy. She was a prodigy among prodigies. Symboli Rudolf, the legendary undefeated Triple Crown winner,
was naturally eager to help Tokai Teio bear the weight of her own crown.
The intelligent Tokai Teio understood the President's good intentions. She tilted her head adorably, then answered with complete seriousness. "Actually, President, I've already chosen the team I want to join."
"Have you?"
Symboli Rudolf's voice revealed no emotion, but the moment Tokai Teio said those words, she guessed the girl probably did not intend to join Rigil.
"Mm." Tokai Teio looked past the training grounds and into the distance, as though she could see through the buildings to Spica's location. "I want to join Suzuka-senpai's team."
The air seemed to freeze for an instant.
Symboli Rudolf remained silent for a moment before slowly asking, "Why do you want to join that... team? Surely you've heard the stories about its past?"
Both its Trainer and the umamusume it had signed were known as "problem children." Its reputation and small membership had once left the famous team facing the threat of dissolution.
"Because Suzuka-senpai is really strong!" Tokai Teio's reasoning was simple. "If I can train with her, I'm sure I'll become stronger! And the strange rumors don't bother me. I think that Trainer is someone who acts for good reasons."
In her eyes, aside from the lofty "monster" Special Week, Silence Suzuka was currently the strongest. Tokai Teio had replayed recordings of Suzuka's Great Runner performances countless times. That unwavering spirit—burning everything and refusing to retreat—had left an indelible impression upon her.
As for Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa before her?
The former's performances were restrained and profound, and Tokai Teio's present experience was insufficient to see their true depths. The latter might be praised as another monster, but she had yet to prove herself on a GI stage. Silence Suzuka's "strength" was therefore more tangible in Tokai Teio's mind and inspired her far more deeply.
In any case, her decision was made.
Tokai Teio had investigated several teams in advance.
She had examined Rigil particularly thoroughly, as it was the team to which the President belonged.
She had also reviewed the team's history, including Special Week's former membership and departure.
Then she realized that Rigil did not suit her.
Its rules were too strict, and its Trainer held too much authority.
Here, an umamusume's personal will often had to yield to the team's overall strategy.
Tokai Teio understood the value of such a model, but she had her own dream and wanted the freedom to make some decisions herself. She did not want to become a chess piece precisely calculated and placed upon a board. Spica, by contrast, possessed several powerful seniors, and its Trainer was a famous "eccentric"—one of the rare people willing to indulge an umamusume's reckless ideas and accompany each of them into madness.
That investigation had convinced her.
"Are you certain?"
Under the Student Council President's seemingly all-seeing gaze, Tokai Teio felt invisible pressure. She straightened her back without a trace of retreat in her clear eyes.
"Yes, President. I believe Spica is the team that suits me best."
Symboli Rudolf studied her deeply, appraisal and expectation mingling in her gaze.
At last, she nodded. "Very well."
She knew the young junior had made her choice and that persuasion would be useless. A true emperor was destined to walk her own road.
Even so, Rudolf did not intend to abandon a prospect as promising as Tokai Teio. If she later decided that Spica's Trainer was incapable of bearing the responsibility of developing Teio, Rudolf would not hesitate to find another solution. As Tracen Academy's Student Council President, she possessed the authority to do so.
...
Rain began to fall.
At a racecourse, a rookie debut was underway.
As the race entered its short final straight, a small umamusume displayed astonishing explosive force before the finish, passed the leader, and won her debut.
Cheers rose from the stands.
The audience was not large for a debut race,
but the sound filled the victorious umamusume's eyes with emotion.
"Rice Shower... did it."
In one corner of the stands, Special Week watched Rice Shower enjoy her victory from beneath a hat and sunglasses. Her lips curved faintly. She knew the girl no longer needed her guidance. After one final look at the victor below, she left.
"This is only the first step. Do your best to catch up."
...
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