Uma Musume are powerful.
Their instantaneous explosive force can churn up an entire turf, and their speed reaches far beyond the limits of a normal human.
Yet, they are equally fragile.
No matter how god-like their physical prowess, they are biological creatures at the end of the day.
They get hurt. Just like athletes in any other sport, their careers can be cut short by the cruel hand of injury. Because of this, they cannot create miracles through raw physical strength alone.
And yet, the racetrack is undeniably a place where miracles happen.
There is one reason, and one reason only: the Zone.
A powerful will is like a scorching flame, providing an endless supply of energy to the Zone.
In turn, the Zone erupts with all manner of impossible power the very instant it receives the Uma Musume's resolve. They are fragile, unable to forge miracles in isolation—but they are also lucky.
The Zone is the very manifestation of their will, and through it, they can achieve one shining miracle after another.
Under the influence of Dream Weaver's words and the pressure of her Zone, Liberty Island made her first move on the track that wasn't born of a desperate flight.
She bit her lower lip hard. In the midst of her extreme velocity, droplets of fresh blood trailed behind her like a crimson arc across the grass.
That very real sting of pain tore a rift through her hallucinations, allowing Liberty Island's consciousness to truly stand upon the track.
As her awareness snapped back, the numbing, hazy sense of danger began to prickle against her skin once more. Even with her thoughts returning, her situation hadn't improved one bit—in fact, it had arguably gotten worse.
But a clear mind is everything. Only by knowing exactly what she was doing and understanding the sheer depth of the abyss she stood over could Liberty Island figure out how to fight back.
To counter a Zone... you need a Zone of your own!
Without a moment's hesitation, she found the answer the very instant she regained her senses.
But the next question followed immediately: how on earth was she supposed to awaken her own?
She didn't have the luxury of time to ponder. Perhaps it was because of that initial full-tilt sprint under the threat of the Divine Blade; her legs now felt impossibly heavy.
Every step forward drained what little remained of her stamina.
In twenty seconds at most, she would lose the ability to maintain her speed entirely, leaving herself defenseless before that blade-edge pressure that threatened to cleave her in two.
In those twenty seconds that would decide her fate, the first thing she thought of was the hint Dream Weaver had given her.
"The stronger the will... the more the Zone... responds to the girl's desire..."
She gritted her teeth, chanting the words in her heart, wondering how to push that untouchable Zone to its limit.
But before she could even think, her subconscious provided the answer.
As she focused on the idea of an intense will, the image of an Uma Musume with long black hair and a white crescent moon in her bangs surfaced in her mind.
Equinox.
Without a doubt, it was her.
Only she could provide the fuel to ignite Liberty Island's will to move forward.
If it were her, how would she handle this?
Liberty Island couldn't help but wonder. Through eyes blurred by exhaustion, a shimmering silhouette seemed to appear before her.
Equinox had debuted a year earlier; she had undoubtedly forged a stronger body. If she were here, she would surely still have strength to spare.
As the thought took root, the phantom back before her seemed to grow more solid.
She had raced on stages that the whole world watched—from the Autumn Tenno Sho to the Arima Kinen, and even the Dubai Sheema Classic. Her rivals were all legendary Uma Musume.
From seasoned veterans to the most beloved icons of recent generations, to the powerhouses of the international stage, she was a racer who had fought her way out of a sea of legends.
Facing a blade that made one's hair stand on end, Equinox wouldn't just adapt—she'd likely be used to it by now.
In Liberty Island's eyes, the figure clad in the light blue trench coat seemed to cast a glance back at her.
No—that wasn't right.
She wasn't looking at her.
Liberty Island strained to shift her gaze, looking toward that piercing streak of red in the dark night.
The one Equinox was looking at... was the Trainer.
At that realization, a fierce, overwhelming wave of indignation exploded within Liberty Island's heart.
"No! You can't be looking at her!"
"Just as I have to be the best Uma Musume in her eyes, your eyes... should only be fixed on me!"
She screamed it in her mind, adjusting her stride to place her own body directly in the path of Equinox's backward glance.
But the other girl was merely a phantom of her imagination; those eyes naturally remained unaffected by reality.
Even with Liberty Island standing between them, the shadow continued to look through her toward Dream Weaver.
Presence... it's because my presence isn't enough!
Compared to that red flash of light lightning up the track, compared to that searing blade that could practically cut the sky in two, her own existence was simply too small!
Only one star can truly shine on the track.
If she wanted to steal someone's gaze, she had to become the most eye-catching star in the firmament!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The wild pounding of her heart was deafening.
Liberty Island could clearly feel something being born from within her soul.
But it was still just a bit short. Just a hair's breadth away.
Because this wasn't a real race. There was no competitive spirit hot enough to boil the air, no cheering loud enough to rival the sun, and the girl before her was just a ghostly memory.
This was a mock race—it could simulate the conditions for a Zone's birth, but it couldn't truly reach that pinnacle.
If she had to awaken here, she needed more. She needed even greater pressure!
"STRIKE!"
Liberty Island screamed with every fiber of her being. It was her first word in this mock race, and her last.
The tiny bit of air left in her lungs vanished with that shout. After this, she would lose all momentum in three seconds flat.
But before that happened, she wanted to gamble.
If a mere ceremonial swing of that blade could push her to the brink of awakening, then when it truly struck, she would finally feel that budding presence in her heart under the weight of absolute pressure.
Dream Weaver quietly gripped her blade.
Liberty Island had already shown her resolve; there was no reason to hesitate.
"I call this the Divine Blade."
"True to its name, it once cut down an Uma Musume praised as a god."
"Feel it—the strike that brought down Shinzan."
As the words fell, so did the Divine Blade.
A gold-and-red light ignited the night sky in an instant.
In Liberty Island's eyes, there was no more turf, no more phantoms.
There was only the infinite, blinding light of the blade.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.