It was the first time Glory had ever learned that silence could be deafening.
It felt as though the whole world had receded from her. The rapid pounding of hooves, the ragged sound of heavy breathing, the roar of the crowd, even the rush of wind at her ears… all of it vanished.
She could not even hear her own heartbeat anymore. She felt as though she were moving purely by instinct, mechanically driving her legs forward, as if she had suddenly fallen into the vast terror between life and death and could do nothing but endure it.
The sensation did not last long. Soon, everything returned to normal. The sky, the turf, the people crying out and cheering her on—all of it came back to life, vivid and clear, as though that terrible moment had only been an illusion.
But Glory's face had gone deathly pale. Sweat burst from her body like a spring breaking through the earth, soaking her from head to toe.
She gasped violently, as though she could somehow expel that horrifying feeling with every breath. A twitch ran through the corner of her eye.
What… was that just now?
Could it have been the power of a Domain? It certainly seemed possible. Xingyun Liuge had displayed control over darkness before, and the black mist looked exactly the same as it had then.
Wait… black mist?
Only then did Glory realize something was terribly wrong.
Why had the track become pitch-black? A moment ago, it had been perfectly normal.
And was that really mist? Why did it look so thick? So sticky?
By the time her charge finished, Xingyun Liuge had already recovered her earlier pace—and was now moving even faster than before.
Because what she had thrown was not only A Thousand-Year Lament.
She had cast Wasteland as well.
A Thousand-Year Lament forcibly shut down Glory's Domain, and then, centered on Glory herself, it erupted. A tide of black mist surged outward in an instant—thick, twisted, filled with the phantom screams of countless suffering souls. It roared along the turf like a flood, spreading in every direction!
Wherever the black tide passed, even the vibrant earth itself seemed to let out a cry of despair.
The scorched-black vapors—shot through with rippling veins of green—spread at terrifying speed. The grass was swallowed beneath a layer of crawling, sticky, corpse-green blight, like a fungal mat spreading over a battlefield.
It was like a cancer growing out of control. It spread, multiplied, and devoured. In only a few breaths, it had expanded so far that there seemed to be no end to it. As though it meant to turn the entire world into a wasteland of ruin, stamp out every trace of life, and drag everything into despair.
The three girls running behind Glory were the first to suffer its effects.
The instant they touched that "burned earth," the spiritual light surrounding them—the glow that lit their path—began to sputter and dim, trembling as though it were a candle about to gutter out in the wind.
But that was not the worst of it.
Far more terrifying was the freezing, bone-deep sluggishness that rose from the depths of their souls.
It crawled into their limbs and minds alike, tangling both flesh and thought, making them feel as though they had fallen into a freezing black swamp.
Their bodies grew heavy. Their steps slowed. Every lift of the leg, every swing of the arm, seemed to demand their entire strength.
Their thoughts grew dull as well. Their reactions were slowing.
If this went on, forget winning—they would be lucky just to reach the finish line at all.
The girls gritted their teeth and tried to force their bodies to move. This had to be the effect of Liuge's Domain. Since they had broken through the obstructing gates before, they could surely break through this black fog now as well.
If you believed hard enough, miracles would come. Hadn't they just proved that?
But this time, no miracle came.
No matter how desperately they struggled, they could not break free. The black fog remained wrapped around their legs, ceaselessly draining both stamina and spirit.
And in their hearts, they heard Xingyun Liuge's voice:
Of course this is how it is. Domains are miracles, yes—but they're not purely the work of emotion or faith. They still rely on physical reality. You've already spent too much stamina. You can't even maintain your own Domains anymore. No matter how hard you pray for a miracle, no one will answer you.
Because what can't be done simply can't be done.
A faint, inevitable smile curved at the corner of Xingyun Liuge's lips.
She rounded the bend with effortless ease, and in the process overtook Not Enough, who had exhausted herself leading the race and finally burned out under the constant pressure.
As she passed the tall athlete, Liuge even had the leisure to greet her.
"You led the race for quite a while. You've made your mark. There's nothing left to regret now, right?"
"Go ahead. Fall back into the pack."
Her tone was calm, as if she were merely stating some trivial fact. She did not even look at Not Enough directly, her eyes lowered as she spoke.
To Not Enough, however, that voice felt like a final judgment pronounced by some god high above the clouds. Looking at Liuge's faintly green-glowing eyes, at the way she moved as though she were merely strolling through a garden, she felt a wave of pure dread wash over her.
Her teeth began to chatter. Her limbs grew weak.
One thought alone remained in her mind.
It's over.
This race is already over…
The crushing pressure shattered Not Enough's spirit in an instant. She no longer believed anyone could shake Xingyun Liuge's victory.
And yet, at that very moment, a firm voice rang out:
"It's not over yet! There are still four hundred meters left! If you give up now, that's when it really ends! So don't give up!"
But the ash-gray despair had already spread through Not Enough from head to toe. Her heart had already made its choice. No amount of shouting from others could reach someone who had truly given up.
A person who had abandoned hope would never regain it from a few words alone.
With Not Enough's collapse, Xingyun Liuge once again gained the restorative effect of The King's Decree Has Fallen. Warm, revitalizing power flowed through her body, and the comfort of it nearly made her narrow her eyes in pleasure.
To the girls around her, that expression looked like unmistakable proof that she was truly enjoying herself.
For a moment, they were struck speechless by the sight.
But this was still the middle of the race. There was no time to marvel.
Then came the host's voice, rising high over the course:
"Unbelievable—unbelievable! In the very final stage of the race, a tremendous presence has erupted from the outside lane! A most unexpected assassin has entered the stage, launching a final challenge at the great five-crown queen herself!"
"Mototo! This tiny horse girl has resolved to deliver a true shock to our five-crown champion! No—at this moment, her very existence is the shock itself!"
And to that, Xingyun Liuge could only think:
Please. I already saw this coming back in the Eclipse Stakes.
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter260)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter135)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 240
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 280
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 260
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 135
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 91
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 90
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 100
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 90
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 105
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 85
After Maxing Out Every Class 85
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 70
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 55
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 55
From Trilobites to Titans 55
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 66
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 70
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 50
Honkai: The Fire Devil 30
Honkai Transformation Cards 35
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 45
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