I don’t remember who said it, but there was a sentence about racing silk. It is something that changes you, but it can make you more confident, or more bold, or more energetic, and yet. It is our image, a blessing from the goddesses to Umamusume, to be what we are meant to be.
Eclipse mumbled as she entered the paddock; the white, thin silks fluttered easily, and her ribbon shifted down her back. Wearing the racing silk made her feel more in tune with the world, not society. But nature.
One step. No footprints, she isn’t wearing weighted cleats used for training in her boots anymore.
Two steps. No trace of her movement can be analysed from the ground. Her white pupils shimmered in the light, for she is in the [Flow].
Three steps. The Unbounded Wind is ready to run, as she stretches. The commentators said something, but the noises are all muffled for Echo Eclipse. It is her first G3 race, and yet she isn’t nervous or excited. She just wants to run, no emotions needed. The [Flow] has transformed into something else.
Echo doesn’t remember when she got into the gate; she’s already in her starting position.
‘Ahh… I’m in this world again…’ She thought to herself, this wasn’t her first time experiencing this; the world she is in isn’t the [Flow] or [Zone], she never awakened her [Zone] in the first pce. She would enter this world whenever she practised running like the goddesses; the sensation is shifting around her skin like a smoke being blown away. The ground is firm and perfect. She feels light.
She knows that this had something to do with her unique skill, which is connected to her state of mind. But she can’t be bothered to understand why.
The gates open as every racer unches out. But unexpectedly, the audience and commentator were shocked to discover that Echo Eclipse isn’t in the lead. Nor did she run yet; she is still in her gate!
“Oh… the gate are open…” The corner of her lips curled up in joy as she felt the fresh cold wind, despite it being sweltering hot as it is summer.
Only after 2 seconds of standing there, she finally ran. Her ribbons whip-sh left and right, and the racers ahead felt a deep vibration from the ground, chills travelled up their spine with a message. “I’m coming.”
All the racers ahead had simultaneously sped up at that moment; they didn’t know why! But their instinct and dread are sending a warning signal to their brain. Echo Eclipse, The Unbounded Wind, is coming.
The commentator shouted in shock and excitement, the audience roared, shaking the stadium and yet, Echo doesn’t hear them. She simply ran. Her opponents suddenly felt wind coming from behind and were initially confused; the weather should be clear with no wind or weather.
[Unique Skill activated]
Echo Eclipse doesn’t even recognise the alert of her system; her legs are weightless, her eyes are dull, but her white pupils are shining bright. Leaving behind a trail of white light as the world pushed the young Uma onward, no footprints were left behind as she gained sudden velocity, and the wind was blowing in her direction.
Just like a blur, Echo Eclipse ran after 2 seconds dey, running past the racers who were far ahead of her.
Nobody could’ve believed it. Nobody could’ve expected it. Yet here’s the evidence in their eyes. Echo Eclipse doesn’t need a headstart to win. Even if she ran ter than usual, she is still easily catching up to the other racers and easily surpassing them.
She is still speeding up.
Her presence is non-existent.
They would’ve first registered her as a wind before realising that it’s Echo Eclipse.
“Sorry… But I’ll have to win.” No matter the distance on the track, they heard her voice clearly.
The fpping of her white silk straightened for a moment as she positioned her upper body to 30 degrees to the ground, her legs kicked off the ground, and yet the amount of power behind her kick was unable to create a footprint in the turf. She is flying forward.
The crescent moon on her chest glimmers in the light as she continues running.
Her eyes, what are you seeing? Echo?
…
Perhaps this is something that even I, the narrator, can’t tell. You have truly left the restraint of the w of the world within this story. I am honoured to have you as my main character, although I doubt you would ever know that I exist.
Run, Echo. Run.
“Fuh… Fuh… Puh…” She breathe swallowly at times and deeply at others, there is no pattern, no rhythm. She is simply listening to her instinct.
She is still accelerating, trying to catch up to somebody. It isn’t clearly the girl who took the lead sees something further. What do you see?
Aah… I see…
She has now run past the 1st pce, currently in the lead. She is still speeding up. The audience cheers are at an all-time high. Echo Eclipse just keep on running, chasing after what seems to be the shadow of the three goddesses. They are so far ahead, but no matter how fast she is, she still cannot reach the shadow of those goddesses. 29 lengths gap between her and the goddesses' shadows.
She took a sharp inhale, feeling the cold air expanding her lungs before pushing her right legs down; she didn’t realise the despair she was causing to the racers behind her. They have finally reached the final corners, and yet there is a 16-length gap between Echo and 2nd pce.
They already gave up trying to reach 1st pce and are now fighting for 2nd and 3rd, but because of the aura Echo Eclipse emitted at the beginning, they expended more energy than they should have.
‘How much further do I have to reach until I can catch up to those goddesses… SS ranks? Or beyond SS rank?’ Echo Eclipse thought about her condition and stats before pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind.
‘Who cares… They’re running with me once again!’
She has finally stopped accelerating and continues running at her top speed, widening the gap between her and her opponents, who are slowing down at the end.
19 lengths. 22 lengths. The gap is so wide that the commentator doesn’t know the specific number anymore. Symboli Rudolf gripped her knee as she stared with intense concentration; she knew that if she were to ever get compcent, Echo would easily overtake her. As expected of her rival.
But she will win, that is her role as the emperor.
Echo Eclipse surrounding seems to flicker in and out for a moment before realising that she had finally crossed the finish line, setting another new record of 49 seconds. The st record was 1 minute and 11 seconds.
The distance between her and 2nd pce is over 31 lengths, and the 2nd pce only crossed the finish line 30 seconds ter, at 1:19. The gap is so rge that it registered as “Distance” on the scoreboard, allowing reporters in the G3 stadium to have a title in their heads.
The Second Eclipse is here.
[Ding!]
[You have won a race in 1st pce.]
[You have received 150SP.]
Echo Eclipse gnces at the notification before looking back at the stadium. The waves of hands are shifting as intense cheers come for her. Sweat is pouring down, and she is breathing heavily. Her legs felt shaky, her sight was dim, but she was smiling brightly.
She does her signature winning pose for the audience, but she pushes her body more than she should. To her, it was worth it; she had managed to get half a length closer to the goddesses’ shadows.
She looked back at her opponent; they were exhausted beyond what they should be, and at her sight, they looked away. They don’t want to be in the presence of this monster.
Seeing this made Echo's heart clench a little; she didn’t want to see others in despair. She wants them to be having fun while running- Oh…
I see now… They are running for something else, not about themselves.
Upon this realisation, her ears droop down a bit before she turns around and leaves for the winning stage. ‘What did I think. I knew that there won’t be anybody like Symboli Rudolf who could’ve run beside me…’
While she walks toward the winning stage, she checks her stats to decide which one to invest in.
[Name: Echo Eclipse
Track Affinity: [Dirt: A] | [Turf: S]
Running Affinity: [End: E] | [Late: C] | [Pace: A] | [Front: S]
Distance Affinity: [Sprint: A] | [Mile: A] | [Medium S] | [Long: B]
Speed: 330 (D: Intermediate)
Stamina: 343 (D: Intermediate)
Power: 314 (D: Intermediate)
Guts: 312 (D: Intermediate)
Wits: 299 (E: Amateur)
Zone: —
SP: 150]
Ever since her stats, except for Wits, reached D, it been more difficult for her to increase the stat with her past training level; she had to increase the intensity of all her training to be able to increase it, even then it would be a 5 increment a week at most.
She wants to catch up to the goddesses, and to do that. She needs…
‘Use 100SP in Speed’
Steam started appearing off her body while walking to the stage, and a photographer took a picture at that moment. Creating a legendary photo that will be remembered in history, a umamusume, the winner of the G3 race, the summer queen of 1984, is walking toward the stage with steam coming off her, and through the steam, they can see her white pupils shining brighter than ever.
Creating an ethereal impression for anybody who hasn’t seen her before, spot her in the newspaper.
