Chapter 30: Awakening, Light of the Shooting Star

The early stages of the race were surprisingly calm—almost unnaturally so.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Mihono Bourbon took the lead, the pack forming neatly behind her. I, as usual, lingered at the rear, quietly observing.

This time, I wasn’t going to disrupt the others’ rhythm from the start. That technique was powerful, sure—but it demanded complete concentration. It gnawed at my focus, and with this race being longer than the last, using it recklessly could leave me drained before the finish line.

"Now taking the lead—Mihono Bourbon! She’s pulling away from Polite Salute and charging down the straight!"

The Oka Sho, unlike the Fillies’ Review, used the outer track. That meant the final straight stretched even longer—470 meters this time. In that sense, it favored me more than before.

And there was another key difference. The inner track had a long, gentle downhill that turned into a steep uphill, but here, the downhill was sharper—and the climb that followed was even fiercer.

"They’re charging down the back stretch—Mihono Bourbon now entering the curve! What a beautiful cornering technique!"

"Amazing. With turns that clean, she’s barely losing any speed at all."

In a GⅠ race, every Uma Musume had near-perfect cornering. But even among them, Mihono Bourbon stood out. Her smoothness and precision were almost breathtaking.

Guess it’s about time I start getting ready too.

"The leader remains Mihono Bourbon! One length behind is Polite Salute, and another length behind that—Nereid Rendezvous!"

I slowly exhaled, thinning my breath, erasing my presence. This ability—to melt into the turf itself, to make my existence faint and weightless—was something I’d stolen from Manhattan Cafe… or rather, from the presence beside her.

Blurring myself into the background, I shifted my awareness toward the others around me.

"And at the very back… Mithialx! There she is—you could almost miss her entirely!"

"Hardly noticeable until the final stretch—just like a shooting star. No doubt many fans have been captivated by that fleeting brilliance."

This time, every Uma Musume seemed determined to maintain her own rhythm, wary of Mihono Bourbon’s iron control over the pace. Because of that, the pack stretched long and thin. Not ideal.

I started closing the gap to the girl ahead, my hooves thudding rhythmically. The sound must have startled her—her pace quickened slightly.

"Mihono Bourbon still holds the lead! But Polite Salute refuses to be shaken off!"

"We’re approaching the middle phase of the race, and the pack is tightening! Each Uma Musume is picking up speed!"

There was no need to manipulate the entire race as thoroughly as last time.

Instead, I nudged the flow in my favor—gradually increasing the overall pace, wearing down everyone else’s stamina, while preparing myself to strike.

I’d already chosen the point of attack: the end of the final corner, right where the slope began.

"Mithialx—showing a calm, measured run today, quite the contrast to her previous bold performance! Still conserving energy at the rear—almost eerily composed!"

"Her strength lies in that explosive finishing burst. I’d say there’s no doubt she’ll make her move before the home stretch!"

The moment was drawing near.

"And now—it’s the final corner! Will anyone be able to catch Mihono Bourbon in the lead?!"

At the midpoint of the final curve—just as the downhill began—I unleashed it. Using the slope’s momentum, I surged forward.

I cut through the curve aggressively, skimming past the girls ahead so closely I could feel their wind. One noticed and tried to block me—but I knew she would.

Before she could close the path, I accelerated again and slipped past her flank in an instant.

"There’s movement in the rear! Mithialx is on the move—an incredible burst of speed down the hill!"

"She’s countering the weakness of high-speed cornering by swinging wide for the home stretch!"

I’d only overtaken three from the back so far, but a wall of runners still stretched ahead—each chasing her own dream of the front. They swelled before me like a living barrier.

But barriers are meant to be broken.

I dug my hooves into the turf and drove harder. At the same time, I sent out a wave of pressure—forcing the girls ahead to falter, to shift just enough to open a path.

"Onto the final straight! Mihono Bourbon leads, pulling two lengths ahead of Polite Salute! But from the rear, Mithialx is closing in fast!"

"She’s charging from the far outside! Skillfully weaving past blockers—she’s already passed four!"

The rush of overtaking—it was intoxicating.

I thundered down the track, pounding the ground loudly on purpose, as if to declare to the world, I’m here!

With each stride, my awareness sharpened. I could see every runner ahead, sense every breath. A heady mix of omniscience and raw momentum drove me forward.

"The Hanshin outer course—the final stretch extends over 450 meters! There’s still plenty of ground left!"

"Polite Salute is closing in on Mihono Bourbon again! The gap’s narrowing—just one length now! Can she strike back?!"

One by one, I overtook them. Those who wavered dropped sharply behind, while my speed only grew.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Not enough to reach my limit—not enough to reach her. Mihono Bourbon.

So I pushed harder. I remembered King Halo’s dazzling sprint—the brilliance of that final kick—and poured every ounce of strength into my legs. Using the downhill’s lingering momentum, I accelerated again.

"Whoa! Mithialx is accelerating again! From the back of the pack, she’s already climbed to mid-field!"

"But ahead lies a steep uphill! She conquered it once before, but—"

"Let’s hope this isn’t an early burst brought on by poor timing!"

I surged forward, closing in until Polite Salute’s back filled my vision.

Then, the ground tilted upward. The incline flipped—now it was uphill, a sharp 1.5-degree climb. But I’d faced this slope before.

The instant it began, I poured my entire body into one final acceleration.

"Here comes the hill before Hanshin’s finish line! It’s striking down the Uma Musume one by one—but Mihono Bourbon refuses to slow!"

"Polite Salute still holding on with sheer grit—but she looks to be struggling now!"

Sprint Turbo. A move I’d stolen from Sakura Bakushin O.

According to Agnes Tachyon, it wasn’t a skill suited to my build—or my running style.

But that only made me think harder, experiment more, until I finally perfected it. I hadn’t used it in the Fillies’ Review because it wasn’t ready. But here, in this moment of truth—I’d done it.

As if guided by something beyond me, I drove all my power into my legs.

"This is incredible! Mithialx is accelerating furiously, even on the uphill stretch! She’s carrying the full momentum from the downhill, closing in fast on Mihono Bourbon!"

"I’m shocked… They say she accelerates on slopes, but I never imagined she’d show this much speed!"

This is my personal Sprint Turbo—no, at this point, it might as well be called my signature move. A technique born from Symboli Rudolf’s comeback style, fused with the sprint turbo I use to charge uphill.

By combining the two, I’ve forged my own ultimate formula—a move that belongs to me alone.

"Mihono Bourbon is running away! But her expression is tense! Can she hold out until the end?!"

Just one moment—that’s all I need. Like a shooting star that burns bright before vanishing into the night sky. That’s why I’ll stake everything on this single, fleeting instant—on this final stretch.

Right before the finish line, I dug my hooves deep into the turf and kicked off with enough force to tear it apart.

Then I surged past Mihono Bourbon—!

"Mithialx and Mihono Bourbon cross the line almost simultaneously! Did Mithialx just edge her out at the very last moment?!"

"Yes! It looks like she definitely overtook her right before the finish!"

I sprinted through the goalpost and slowed gradually, breathing hard as the roar of the crowd washed over me.

Even without looking at the results board, I already knew. In that final heartbeat, I had surpassed Mihono Bourbon.

"The board lights up! First place—Mithialx! Mithialx takes the victory! Defeating Mihono Bourbon, she claims the glory of a GⅠ win!"

"What an incredible finishing burst! Honestly, I thought she wouldn’t have enough left, but to accelerate like that on the slope—unbelievable!"

When I finally looked up, my number—15—was shining at the very top of the board.

I tried to hold it back, but the tears almost burst out anyway. I never realized that winning a GⅠ could feel this overwhelming.

Still, with everything I had, I held back the tears, turned toward the stands, thrust my right arm high, and pointed my index finger to the sky—declaring to everyone watching: I’m number one.

"With Mithialx’s victory in this mile GⅠ, her record against Mihono Bourbon now stands at two wins and two losses apiece! We don’t yet know when their next race will be, but this rivalry is one to watch for sure!"

"In second place we have Mihono Bourbon, and third is Polite Salute! Polite Salute also ran a great race today—definitely a promising horse girl for the future!"

After the race and the post-race interview wrapped up, I returned to the waiting room.

Even after everything was over, the rush in my chest wouldn’t fade—and the moment I stepped inside, I threw myself into my trainer’s arms.

"I did it! Trainer, I finally did it…!"

I buried my face against his broad chest, sobbing with joy.

"I actually beat Bourbon… and in a GⅠ, no less…!"

"You really did amazing. That final acceleration was incredible. You truly are an exceptional horse girl."

I must have stayed like that for quite a while. When I finally calmed down, a realization struck me—

Wait. Isn’t this… kind of bold? Throwing myself into his arms, crying my eyes out, and burying my face like this…

"That makes Mithialx officially a GⅠ-winning horse girl now. We’ve also got those interviews postponed after the Oka Sho, so we’ll need to plan around that too."

"U-um, Trainer…"

"Also, how’s the live performance? You practiced plenty, so I’m sure you’ll be fine, right?"

Well, that’s fine and all… but right now definitely isn’t fine.

Trainer still had his arms around me, gently stroking my head. It didn’t feel bad at all, honestly… so maybe I could just stay like this a little longer.

And so, until the staff came to tell us the live preparations were ready, I remained in my trainer’s embrace—soaking in the quiet, glowing warmth of victory.

The Three Goddesses rejoiced in wild celebration.

Through their divine blessing, “Mithialx” had awakened to a new potential—and claimed the glory of a GⅠ victory.

They were astonished by such an early awakening. For the power of an Uma Musume is born from feelings—from the hopes, prayers, and determination of countless souls, and from Mithialx’s own indomitable will.

Yet, countless trials still awaited her.
A cruel fate destined to strike the dark-haired maiden…
The awakening of the mechanical girl…

But the Three Goddesses believed.
They believed that “Mithialx” would overcome every hardship that lay ahead.

And so, the Three Goddesses bestowed their blessing upon her—