Team Rigil versus Team Spica.
Grass Wonder versus Special Week.
This was a duel that truly belonged to their generation.
Even though Grass Wonder and Special Week hadn't crossed paths in an official race yet, Barbatos had a feeling this was going to be interesting.
In the previous matches, whether it was Symboli Rudolf or Maruzensky, the races were undoubtedly spectacular, but there was always a certain distance between them and her.
After all, they were her seniors. Special Week and Grass Wonder, on the other hand, were her classmates—peers who had even shared a cabin during the summer training camp.
Most importantly, Grass Wonder harbored a suspected crush on Special Week, while Special Week was openly infatuated with Silence Suzuka.
And wouldn't you know it, Silence Suzuka and Special Week were paired up together for this match.
Crack.
Barbatos popped another sunflower seed into her mouth.
Compared to the previous clash of titans, the technical level of this match was bound to be a bit lower.
Still, Barbatos couldn't help but feel that this game would be more entertaining than the last.
Calling it a "White Album" soap opera scenario might be a bit of a stretch—Special Week and Silence Suzuka were basically mutual, and Grass Wonder hadn't voiced her feelings, so it wasn't a true love triangle yet.
But you couldn't ignore the fact that they were all close friends. When people you know that well get into it, you have to stick around for the drama.
"Whoa, hang on a second. Isn't that a bit much?"
Barbatos couldn't help but gasp.
A moment ago, she had assumed Team Spica would likely take the win, but what was going on with Grass Wonder?
The aura surging from her body—that blue Zone—was a total visual assault.
It wasn't that nobody had used a Zone in the Summer Dream Cup before. Barbatos herself was the most frequent user, and Hishi Amazon had tapped into hers during their clash.
But whether it was Barbatos going at Full Power or Hishi Amazon's momentary activation, those were things that happened in the heat of a race.
Grass Wonder had just stepped onto the court; the match hadn't even started, yet she was already deploying her Zone.
Wasn't that a bit overkill?
"That doesn't look like a Zone," Seiun Sky remarked thoughtfully. At first glance, she had thought the same, but she quickly sensed something different.
With Seiun Sky's prompt, Barbatos realized it too.
"You're right. It looks like a Zone, but Grass Wonder's usual Zone doesn't feel like this."
Throughout the history of Uma Musume, a girl usually only possessed one unique Zone.
Barbatos was an outlier, though she knew that aside from her natural Zone, the others were manifestations of her system abilities. Essentially, she only had one true "self."
"This feeling... it's as if Special Week has been marked as prey."
"Is Grass Wonder trying for a full-match Zone coverage?!"
Confusion began to ripple through the Rigil ranks. The physical strain of maintaining a Zone, even in a running race that averaged two minutes, was immense.
Beyond the bodily toll, the sheer energy drain of keeping a Zone active for thirty minutes... even Barbatos would struggle with that, wouldn't she?
There was a fundamental difference between a standard Zone and going Full Power.
So far, no one had been able to replicate the sustained Full Power state that Barbatos displayed.
"So that's how it is?"
Maruzensky watched the court with a faint smile, having already formed a guess about the Zone-like pressure radiating from Grass Wonder.
"Yes. Intense mental focus combined with an overwhelming significance placed on the match or a specific opponent. It's 'Battle Spirit'—the manifestation of the mind asserting dominance over the flesh," Symboli Rudolf explained.
It wasn't that meeting these conditions automatically unlocked Battle Spirit; rather, everyone who manifested Battle Spirit met these conditions.
Battle Spirit and the Zone looked nearly identical.
The difference lay in the cost: a Zone placed a heavy burden on the body and drained stamina rapidly, though once mastered, it could be activated at will as a trump card.
There had been Uma Musume in history who utilized Battle Spirit, but they were rare even across the vast timeline of the sport.
Battle Spirit placed no major burden on the body, and its stamina consumption was perhaps even lower than Barbatos's "Full Power."
However, no one could truly "master" the method of triggering Battle Spirit.
It was a serendipitous state that couldn't be forced. Opponents targeted by an Uma Musume in this state often suffered stress reactions, causing their performance to plummet during the race.
The activation of Battle Spirit didn't follow one's conscious will; usually, the girl simply stepped onto the track already wreathed in it—much like Barbatos during the Takarazuka Kinen when she unleashed her Full Power.
"Service fault by Special Week!"
Toujou Hana's voice rang out. Special Week, serving first, had let the ball drop straight to the ground.
"Eh?!!"
Special Week stared at the volleyball, momentarily lost.
The moment she went to serve, her vision had blurred for a split second, as if she had glimpsed something terrifying.
Specifically, when she caught Grass Wonder's gaze, she couldn't help but feel a wave of agitation.
Having survived countless races and weathered many defeats, Special Week usually had nerves of steel. She rarely rattled like this during a match anymore.
Yet here she was, dazed. Grass Wonder had only opened her Zone; why did it feel so wrong?
Special Week was no stranger to the pressure of a Zone.
She had faced off against the Zones of Seiun Sky and King Halo before, and even against two at once, she could still mount a comeback. But now... something was off. Deeply off.
Still, she forced herself to focus and went for the serve again. If she messed up twice, it would be an automatic one-length lead for Grass Wonder's team!
Thump—
An aura like a conquering overlord washed over her, causing Special Week's movements to stiffen for a heartbeat. Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to finally send the ball over!
Since Grass Wonder had activated her "Zone," the "Centurial Overlord" certainly wasn't going to drag the team down!
"T.M. Opera O-senpai, you really don't have to do this," Grass Wonder said soothingly. In a sport like volleyball, a Zone wasn't the primary component of strength; it was more like a finishing touch.
She knew T.M. Opera O had only activated hers because Grass Wonder had done so first. But Grass Wonder knew her own state wasn't actually a Zone.
It was simply that by thinking of her opponent as Special Week, she had committed to a 120% level of seriousness, and this state had manifested unconsciously.
Despite her advice, the Centurial Overlord was not one to be outdone.
Special Week began unleashing an arsenal of varied techniques.
With over a dozen copied skills at her disposal, Special Week appeared to have no weaknesses or openings, tearing through the match with unstoppable momentum!
Meanwhile, because T.M. Opera O had forced her Zone open, her stamina began to flag midway through.
And then...
"Congratulations to Team Rap for winning 8 to 7, clinching the victory by one length!"
--+--
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.