Chapter 5: Escape from the Unknown Domain

"Ahh, pure bliss, pure bliss. Civilization really is amazing."

Unable to endure the summer sun and scorching heat, I went straight back to the trainer’s room right after the mock race, making sure to excuse myself to King-chan and Spe-chan first.

As expected of my trainer, he immediately handed me something like a cooling pack the moment I finished racing. While I pressed it to the back of my neck to soak in the chilled air, he removed my shoes and cooled down my legs as well. I guess he realized how stuffy race shoes can get for a Uma Musume, especially with the horseshoe plates attached.

While I was cooling down, Spe-chan and the other trainers suddenly started panicking, and for some reason King-chan began apologizing, so in the end we all decided it would be best for me to leave for now.

"Does it feel tight anywhere?"

"I'm okayyy."

As I sprawled out in the trainer’s room, he kept massaging my legs, checking them over and over again. He was touching me more gently than usual, which only made everything feel extra ticklish.

He examined everything thoroughly—from how my muscles reacted when pressed to how my toes moved when he manipulated them—and all that attention almost made me feel like I was injured. But I had no pain, and my fatigue had already recovered long ago. Well, even so, if someone told me to go run again, I’d definitely refuse.

"Are you really sure? If you feel even the slightest discomfort, I want you to promise you’ll tell me immediately, no matter what."

After a while, he seemed convinced there was no abnormality in my legs, and whatever massage-like routine he’d been doing finally came to an end.

Just as I sat up with a "phew" to grab my controller, my trainer asked something strange.

"From the fourth corner into the final stretch—did you feel anything odd?"

At first I thought he meant my legs, but he had already asked absolutely everything about that. So… probably nothing in particular. If anything, the sun was blinding and the heat made the distance look a bit hazy.

"Umm, maybe it was really bright? And things looked a little fuzzy?"

When I answered, he nodded with a look of understanding.

"Hmm… you might be close to reaching the Domain Zone."

"Domain Zone?"

I reflexively repeated it.

"The Domain Zone is… well, hard to explain. The most convincing theory right now is that it’s a sort of ‘victory pattern’ your soul remembers. It supposedly occurs at the critical moment of the race where a Uma Musume performs at her absolute best, granting her extra strength. When it’s fully activated, some say it even comes with hallucinations."

"I see…?"

This suddenly felt like an occult story or something. Is this trainer okay? I definitely didn’t feel like I was experiencing anything that bizarre.

"In modern Uma Musume science, it’s often explained as intentionally removing the usual limiter on the body to gain a burst of power. Think of it like turning that emergency super-strength you hear about in life-or-death situations into a usable technique. You could even call it a kind of trance.

Judging from how you accelerated coming out of the fourth corner today, you may be getting close to triggering it. But it's a double-edged sword. If you unconsciously remove your body’s limiter, you might push yourself past your limits entirely."

Huh? Does that kind of technique actually exist? I’ve only ever heard of that stuff in battle anime or hot-blooded sports stories. I don’t want that! The heat is already unbearable; I don’t need anything making things even hotter!

"So that means… I shouldn’t use it?"

Not that I could use it even if someone told me to.

"At the very least, until you can use it properly, you should avoid it. If we train and you can learn to control it, then maybe—"

My trainer stopped mid-sentence and gave a wry smile when he looked at my face. Apparently, my expression made it very clear just how much I hated the idea.

And so, the plan to put me through inhumane training and remodel me into a brain-fried turf Uma Musume was safely thwarted.

Suzuka & Spe’s Trainer POV

"Um, Trainer, Wee-chan is going to be okay, right? Trainer? Hellooo, Trainer?"

While watching Spe fluster around beside me, I looked toward Witolum Pedes and Trainer Yokoshima as they headed off.

The moment Witolum Pedes crossed the finish line, he immediately started cooling her legs, which made me think something was wrong. But considering she was walking just fine, there probably wasn’t any noticeable abnormality—nothing she felt herself and nothing he detected by touch. More importantly, Witolum Pedes herself looked completely relaxed, tilting her head in innocent confusion from start to finish, so perhaps it was all just Trainer Yokoshima worrying too much.

Still… it’s not something we can laugh off.

I turned my eyes to the stopwatch in my hand. Without thinking, I had stopped it right at the moment Witolum Pedes hit the wire, and I checked the time again.

"1:32.1."

That was the time that monster just produced. Yes, the turf on this course is dry, smooth, and in excellent condition. There was no traffic, no bumping with other Uma Musume, and no lane disadvantage that would increase the actual running distance. I can’t deny it was a time-friendly environment.

But even so—can you really hit 1 minute 32 seconds just from that?

And she’s a Uma Musume who’s still a full year away from her debut, her body not even fully developed yet.

Taking that into account, it was a run intense enough to break her legs. Considering the acceleration she showed coming out of the fourth corner, it’s no wonder Trainer Yokoshima tossed his stopwatch and rushed for an ice pack.

I’ve heard before that they can’t increase the intensity of her training, but at this rate, her legs won’t survive. Perhaps the hardest decision for any trainer is forcing a Uma Musume—who loves to run more than anything—to stop running for her own good. But the moment you can make that rational choice, that’s when you’re finally a real trainer.

Still… switching back to my perspective as the trainer of Witolum Pedes’s rivals—Spe and Suzuka—I can only think…

The rumors didn’t do her justice.

Spe’s time wasn’t bad at all. For a pre-debut horse girl to clock 34.3 for the final three furlongs—if she ran like that in her debut race, it wouldn’t be surprising if she won by open lengths.

Considering she had a poor start and was left that far behind, even many graded-level horse girls couldn’t produce a run like that from such a disadvantage. There’s no doubt she’s within reach of the title of Japan’s No.1 horse girl. At least—she would be, in an ordinary generation.

But right now, 1600 meters separates them by 3.6 seconds. You don’t even need to discuss race developments or tactical advantages. She’s an absolute powerhouse—precisely the kind of wall that makes the title of Japan’s best worth challenging.

I called out to Spe, who still looked uneasy.

"Spe, you’ve always said you wanted to become Japan’s No.1 horse girl, right?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Then be happy. If you can beat her, you’ll undeniably be Japan’s best."

"Trainer!?"

Spe looked up at me in pure astonishment. Her other emotions were hard to read, but one thing was certain—she isn’t the type to give up because of this.

While I was talking with Spe, Suzuka—who had been watching the race from a short distance away—quietly approached.

Of course she would come. Seeing Suzuka smiling, even though she rarely shows much expression, she must have felt something from Witolum Pedes’s run.

"Trainer! I… um—"

"Suzuka. So you felt it too."

It had been a year since I became Suzuka’s trainer. I like to think I understand what’s in her mind.

Today’s run by Witolum Pedes—even accounting for the trouble at the gate—was clearly a front-running style up to the third corner.

The pace was slightly on the fast side, but she took the optimal racing line, secured a safe distance from the pack behind her, and entered the fourth corner. Even with a long final straight, she would need to accelerate before the fourth corner for that momentum to carry through.

Whether consciously or not, selecting the ideal timing to move and dictating the race flow is the essence of front-running. In fact, King Halo fell victim to an early burst before the straight, got caught on the incline, and was ultimately overtaken by Spe from behind.

However, Witolum Pedes’s run from the fourth corner onward was unmistakably a stalking-style performance. She judged her remaining stamina against the distance to the finish line and the slope, calculated the optimal moment to strike, and launched her spurt.

It might not have looked like it because no one was ahead of her, but it was undoubtedly the running style of a horse girl specializing in stalking and overtaking.

To execute both approaches in a single race… that’s something even Suzuka must have noticed.

"Yes… the view from there… I feel it’s close to what I’ve been seeking," she said.

We’ve discussed countless times how to make the most of Suzuka’s abilities in a race.

When people first see her run, they’re usually drawn to her finishing kick—a perfect balance of sharpness and endurance. Sitting in mid-pack and advancing at the end of the fourth corner to overtake—under normal circumstances, that would be her basic strategy.

But her nature, combined with her other talent, won’t allow that. Suzuka’s true value lies in her early-race speed. If she runs from a stalking position, her legs idle; she’s better suited to applying pressure from the front and holding her position.

"Indeed… theoretically, if she could lead and still deliver a stalking-style burst at the end, she might become the ultimate horse girl. But turning that into a reproducible strategy… is extremely difficult."

Even Witolum Pedes’s performance earlier might not have been deliberate.

"Distance, pace, the racing style of the other horse girls—these factors all change the ideal front-running pace and the timing for a stalking spurt. Balancing both is more than twice as difficult as executing just one."

"Even so… I am faster. No, I will become faster. If I can be faster than her, faster than any other horse girl… then…"

For some reason, I gently patted Suzuka’s head, which seemed a little wistful. Yet at the same time, her eyes were filled with unwavering resolve.