Chapter 115: The Unthinkable

The Henry II Stakes was a whirlwind of rapid developments and stunning moments, but when it was all over, the results aligned with expectations. First place went to the top favorite, Kayf Tara. Second place, to the second favorite, Jarajara-chan. Third place, to the third favorite, Golden Nedawi-san.

Jarajara-chan had executed her own perfect countermeasures, but Kayf Tara simply outdid her. That was all there was to it. Of course, if Kayf Tara hadn’t unleashed that final burst of speed, the outcome could’ve been different…

“What a race that was.”

“Yeah. I wasn’t the only one who got stronger. Everyone’s leveled up by several notches.”

“Right. Jarajara’s gotten sneakier, and Kayf Tara—well, she’s gained a completely different level of power and closing speed. Especially that closing speed—no matter how many times I watch the replay, I still don’t get it… I honestly thought she had flippers or something. …Might be time to rethink our training menu.”

Right after crossing the finish line, Jarajara-chan was utterly spent—she couldn’t even stand. She had poured everything she had into the race, yet couldn’t lay a finger on Kayf Tara. Seeing Kayf Tara extend a hand to her and Jarajara-chan accept it, biting her lip in frustration, stirred something deep and painful inside me.

—It felt like the rankings had been permanently decided. Only the two of them really know how it was, but Jarajara-chan looked utterly crushed—physically and emotionally.

Only Kayf Tara appeared on camera. The winner’s interview, the minimum fan service, the unique atmosphere of the winning live performance, the race recap—all of it centered on Kayf Tara-san. Jarajara-chan and Golden Nedawi-san were pushed off to the sides of the frame.

…I know this kind of cruelty is part of the harsh world of competition. But still—if not for that absurd final sprint, Jarajara-chan had a very real shot at winning.

The front was blocked, and the chase group was running an extremely slow pace. If Kayf Tara’s closing speed had been the same as before, the one under the spotlight could very well have been Jarajara-chan.

But now—Kayf Tara-san’s closing speed is just that. With such a devastating burst, Jarajara-chan’s chance of winning in that moment was basically zero. And she’s surely not satisfied with that. It was just too irrever-sible.

—To counter that ab-surd closing speed, we’ll have to fight absurdity with absurdity. I’ll have to run a great escape, get so far ahead not even her “Unknown Domain Zone” can catch up.

In other words—this is my fight. I have to defeat Kayf Tara.

As I suppressed the fire burning deep inside my core, I recalled the winner’s interview from the Henry II Stakes.

『Apollo… you made me remember what it means to dream. You’re the reason I’ve gotten this strong. It’s still not enough. You’re gonna take responsibility for this aching fire in my chest.』

『As a fellow warrior on the turf—I’ll devour you at the Gold Cup.』

Despite it being a winner’s interview, Kayf Tara-san’s words felt like she could see right through my heart. No—more than provocation, it felt like a formal declaration: “I accept your challenge.” Either way, I’m not the type to forgive a smug rival whose attitude is going to become a cringey memory in a few years. I resolved firmly to defeat Kayf Tara-san at the Gold Cup.

I heard that Montjeu-chan, the favorite, won the Prix du Jockey Club—the French Derby. News updates online were flooded with reports of both Kayf Tara-san and Montjeu-chan’s victories, and on Japanese social media, people were showering Jarajara-chan with praise for being the only one who managed to stick close to Kayf Tara.

At the same time, voices wondering “How are we even supposed to beat Kayf Tara-san?” also began to crop up. Her winning time of 3:43.1 was fairly average, but her closing section time was just too abnormal. It wasn’t some lucky break born of camera angles and inside cuts like the GolShi Warp—it looked like a true warp, a literal explosion of speed.

It’s helpful that we now have tangible proof of Kayf Tara-san’s growth. But… when asked if we have any concrete strategy to beat that—well…

“Ugh…”

Honestly? My gut reaction was: This is a damn impossible game.

I mean, come on… she pulls off this monster-level acceleration at the very end of the race. Even though Jarajara-chan was clearly giving it everything, she got completely left behind. Kayf Tara-san feels like a different species altogether.

Ever since the Henry II Stakes ended, Tomio and I have been brainstorming ways to counter Kayf Tara-san and Angely-chan. Meanwhile, the day after the Henry II Stakes, the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier took place—and Angely-chan secured a clean win with a three-length lead.

It’s still impossible to say which of the two—Kayf Tara-san or Angely-chan—is stronger. But for now, prioritizing a plan to counter Kayf Tara-san, the clearly more dangerous of the two, is the right call. It’s not like we’re ignoring Angely-chan entirely—it’s just a matter of prioritization.

If I had to describe it, Angely-chan is a slightly tricky type of horse girl. On the other hand, Kayf Tara-san is a purely physical powerhouse. When it comes to a head-on clash of raw output and closing speed, the latter is far more troublesome.

Day in and day out, I throw myself into intense training while constantly thinking about countering Kayf Tara-san. Then, a week after the Henry II Stakes, I was suddenly summoned by Kayf Tara-san to meet her on the training ground.

We’ve definitely grown closer than when we first met, but now that the Gold Cup is drawing near, we haven’t been hanging out much. At most, we share lunch with Angely-chan now and then or chat briefly after school. Once the race schedule opens up again, I wouldn’t mind relaxing together, but for now… not so much.

Still, for her to call me out during this final stretch before the Gold Cup—what could it be? It must be something really important.

So, with my heart thumping nervously, I headed to the meeting spot at the training ground—only to hear:

“Race me, Apollo Rainbow.”

“…Huh?”

――Kayf Tara-san just made a completely outrageous statement.

With so little time left before the real thing, she was openly revealing her hand. While I stood there stunned, mouth agape, she tilted her head and asked, "Is it really that weird?"

Wait, isn't it weird? Isn't it normal to keep your cards hidden until the Gold Cup? …Or are we planning to do a mock race while keeping our “Unknown Domain Zones” secret from each other? If that’s the case, then how is that any different from a regular side-by-side run?

"I'm having a mock race with you. It'll be on the track in the forest, 4000 meters. No tricks—just a straight-up match."

"…Wh-Why would you do that?"

"?"

"With your finishing speed, there’s no need to give away information by doing a mock race with me. Angely-chan and I have been trying to come up with countermeasures for your ‘Unknown Domain Zone’..."

"…Yeah, I figured. But don’t get it twisted. I’ve also challenged Angely to a match race. I need to gather info on both of you, right before the GOLD CUP."

…Even if it’s called a mock race or a match race, the contents are often as intense as the real deal. Of course, it won’t be as brutally demanding as the Gold Cup itself, but still, it means I’ll have to adjust my schedule accordingly before and after.

Among the Uma Musume, there’s a certain number of us who actually perform better when we do mock races before the real event—either to gather info or to psych ourselves up.

The fighting-spirit type… or rather, the kind that doesn’t lose stamina from racing and values data—basically the ultra-durable kind. Like Ikuno Dictus-san? Apparently, Kayf Tara-san is a superhuman hybrid of both types.

She collects data, doesn’t get cocky about her own power, and is also a battle maniac. You think she’s a tricky type who hides her thoughts behind a poker face, but she actually overwhelms you with sheer physical force. She’s got all the worst traits you could want in an opponent.

On the other hand, I’m the type who slowly eases into the final stretch with a relaxed training schedule, using rest and delicate adjustments to peak at the real event. The classic "easy adjustment before the race" type—not really suited for back-to-back races. Which means doing a mock race before the main one risks throwing off my condition.

I know my recovery after races is quick, and my body’s pretty tough. But I also understand that the amount of energy I burn per race is kind of insane. It’s probably because of my all-out runaway racing style that eats through stamina like crazy.

――Under normal circumstances, I should be declining Kayf Tara-san’s invitation. I’ve had success in Japan using this method, and I don’t want to mess with a winning streak. Disrupting a routine might ruin the delicate rhythm that keeps an Uma Musume in peak condition.

That said, her proposal was incredibly appealing. Facing off against Kayf Tara-san before the real thing? She’s not the type to hold back, and seeing that finishing speed up close would be more valuable than any data.

…Of course, there was another reason. If I turned her down, Angely-chan would end up having that experience alone, and I’d be left behind.

I don’t want to be outpaced by my rival. I’m a runaway Uma Musume, after all. I came to Europe representing Japan. I’m here to defeat Kayf Tara-san and make my dream come true.

"Understood. Let’s do it."

――The desire to fight outweighed my instinct to say no. As I typed out a lightning-fast message to Tomio behind my back, I accepted Kayf Tara-san’s proposal.

"――Heh. I knew you’d say that, Apollo."

"When will the mock race be? The sooner, the better for me, but I’ll have to coordinate with my trainer."

Tomio replied to my message in a flash: ‘I’ll handle the schedule adjustments, so leave everything to me and just go fight how you want.’ Looks like instead of sticking to the flow that’s worked so far, he’s planning to go all-in on data gathering. Well, since we’re not likely to win in our current state, we’re abandoning routine to take a shot with everything we’ve got.

He said, "go fight how you want," but I don’t think he meant I should hold back. When your opponent’s someone like Kayf Tara-san, you have to give it your all if you want to draw out a real performance.

"You pick the date. …I’m the one asking, after all. Do what you like. Besides, you’re not the type who thrives on being whipped into shape last-minute."

"Well, yeah…"

"If you can’t decide now, message me later."

"No, my trainer just got back to me—how about the day after tomorrow, after school?"

"No problem. Let’s do that."

According to Tomio, ‘If we’re going full throttle with the finishing touches, we can be ready for a race by the day after tomorrow.’ Of course, the Gold Cup is the real target, so it’s not like we’ll be peaking then. Tomio’s handling all that perfectly, and I’m seriously grateful.

…Though, if Tomio hugged me, I’d probably hit peak condition instantly.

"…Let’s just hope this mock race doesn’t end up backfiring on you."

"Sorry to disappoint, but you don’t need to worry. I’ve got no intention of losing to either you or Angely. …Still, this overwhelming confidence only holds true in one-on-one scenarios… I’m not as sure of myself as I was during the Dubai race a few months ago. I’m not confident I can take both of you at once on the day of the real thing. This year’s Gold Cup isn’t going to be that easy."

"…………"

――If only Kayf Tara-san were just some reckless muscle-brained Uma Musume. But unlike her bold racing style, she’s incredibly thoughtful. No matter how much she believes in her strength, there’s not even a hint of carelessness. That cautious, bridge-testing mindset—that’s the true source of her strength.

"You get it too, right? The public’s hyped about a three-way showdown, but from our side, it just means winning a G1 has gotten that much harder. …Still, I can’t help but feel a bit glad this is happening, in a way."

That’s exactly right. The more strong Uma Musume there are, the happier the fans are—but for us competitors, it just means the win rate goes down, so it’s hard to be completely thrilled. I’d say it’s half joy, half pain for me. It’s tough to beat a rival, and there’s little time for strategy, but managing all that is what makes it fun.

Right now, I’m filled with both excitement and frustration. Why are you so strong?—this swirling feeling could be a complaint or pure joy, maybe both.

It makes me ache.

I want to unleash this emotion.

It’s your fault. So you’re going to take responsibility, okay?

—As I got to that thought, I nearly burst out laughing. Isn’t this exactly what a certain someone said during the victory interview after the Henry II Stakes? Chuckling to myself, I poked Kayf Tara-san on the shoulder.

“We’re pretty similar, you and me, Kayf Tara-san.”

“Huh? No way. Our birthplaces, appearances, personalities, even race styles… we’re completely different.”

“That’s not true. You know it too, don’t you?”

“………………If you’re just going to babble nonsense, I’m leaving. See you the day after tomorrow.”

“Hey, come on! Since you’ve come all the way to the training ground, let’s at least do a quick run together!”

And so, after a few runs side by side, we parted ways to return to our individual training.

Two days later—at the forest track course. Under Tomio’s watchful eye, Kayf Tara-san and I were set to face each other in a direct showdown.