She lost, but not completely.
She could lose countless times in simulated training, as long as she could win in official races. What she needed to do was learn from failures and reflect on how to do better.
Even for her, stamina was not infinite, and although she had learned almost all the skills she could, there were still certain limitations.
Yellow skills, as acceleration techniques, inevitably increase stamina consumption when you accelerate; blue skills are stamina recovery techniques. Although some can recover stamina out of thin air (which she considers the most mysterious aspect of this world), most still focus on reducing stamina consumption. Moreover, even if stamina is recovered, it can only serve as an emergency measure relative to the overall amount, and using blue skills also consumes mental energy; red skills are the simplest, only requiring the release of one's "aura." Although it seems very unscientific, aura does indeed exist. For example, when you see a bald, muscular man in a black suit and sunglasses, you might feel intimidated by him, which are all manifestations of aura. Red skills are techniques that deeply manipulate one's own aura, which is already much more scientific compared to the blue skills that create stamina out of thin air.
Because of this, even the number of skills she used in a single race was limited. Otherwise, exhausting her stamina and mental energy would ultimately be putting the cart before the horse. Therefore, knowing how to use the right skills at the right time and finding the right moment are what Uma Musume need to do in a race. After all, with techniques, you can always gain some understanding by learning them; at most, there's just a difference in proficiency and compatibility.
In that race, she hadn't been able to use her full strength. Her later interference with their domains was actually just using the theory of red skills to release her own aura and counter the suppression brought by the domains.
So, if aura can counter domains, is it possible that red skills are the key to forming a domain?
And if red skills can, what about yellow and blue skills?
Seeing Rei Zai lost in thought, Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross said nothing. They walked to a stone table and chairs in the shade, sat down, and casually took out sports drinks from the insulated box Rei Zai had brought and began to drink.
For ordinary people, drinking cold drinks immediately after running is bad for the stomach, but nothing would happen to Uma Musume. Let alone cool sports drinks, they wouldn't have problems even if they ate ice cream or popsicles directly.
Of course, whether it causes stomach damage is one thing, and whether it causes diarrhea is another ( ).
Humans are too weak! (crying)
Perhaps having figured something out, the two watched Rei Zai continue to run, sighing at how energetic young people nowadays were, while also taking out some desserts that Rei Zai said could restore stamina and eating them.
After taking a bite, Tamamo clearly saw a strong light burst forth in Oguri Cap's eyes, and she immediately began to eat faster.
"Kora! I said there's still enough for her team members! Don't eat it all, you idiot!"
"Hmm, but Z-chan said I could get more if it wasn't enough." Although Oguri Cap slowed her hand speed, she still didn't stop.
"Didn't you say there would be a meal later!? How will you eat then if you eat all this now… Never mind, I'm the idiot for saying that…" Tamamo Cross, who was about to scold her, remembered Oguri Cap's appetite and covered her face, a headache forming.
Hoping Oguri Cap wouldn't be able to eat was less likely than hoping Rudolph Symbol was actually a soft girl.
"Hmm?" Oguri Cap, eating happily, looked towards Rei Zai, who was running. Xiao Tamamo also looked over, feeling the same way.
Reaching the same final turn as before, this time Rei Zai also began to accelerate, but with a slight difference.
Running another 3000 meters after having just finished one with only a few minutes of rest, even Rei Zai felt her stamina depleted. Blue skills couldn't make up much, not to mention that she had already been burning Guts during the previous 3000 meters.
The final section of the track, due to the full-speed sprints of the two gray coats and her own fierce stomping, had become uneven. The originally good turf track was now like a heavy track, and just running on it felt like stamina consumption was increasing. It was also fortunate that her adaptability to poor track conditions was still working at this time.
[Bad Road: Adapts to poor track conditions]
In her mind, she simulated the two who had run with her just now, even specifically using Qi Shi to simulate the corresponding pressure on herself.
I wonder if any of you have tried putting your hands together and pushing both hands in opposite directions at the same time?
The saying "one's greatest enemy is oneself" refers not only to the mental aspect but also to the physical. Just as a person, no matter how strong, cannot lift themselves by their own hands.
Rei Zai was in this state at this moment. Immense pressure from herself suppressed her, while power from herself resisted that pressure, making the pressure around her extremely heavy. If this were in a race, the Uma Musume around her would also be unable to run.
But this was not what she wanted; she needed to put up a stronger resistance.
Her sprinting speed visibly slowed down, and she was already experiencing a loss of speed, even with Senri Shippu - Shinsoku.
"Stop quickly, if you continue, you will suffer irreversible damage!" Tamamo Cross also shouted, even wanting to rush over and stop that foolish child, but she was held back by Oguri Cap.
"She has her own plans, and have you forgotten? Her medicines." Oguri Cap's gaze remained fixed on the figure on the track.
Although Tamamo Cross said to let go, her resistance was not as fierce as it had been initially.
She had also experienced the medicines produced by Rei Zai, or rather, she was a direct beneficiary. Otherwise, with her physical condition at the time of her retirement, even if she ran again, it would be impossible for her to sprint like that and even open her domain.
So, it's only normal for her to have some secret medicines, right?
Moreover, she really wanted to witness the moment she broke through her limits.
However, Zero's condition at this time was very bad.
(Almost at my limit...)
Not the kind of limit that could be broken in the literal sense, but the limit that could be reached after breaking through the so-called "limit."
Her body was already in an explosive state; stopping now would mean losing an opportunity for insight, but her physical capabilities had already increased sufficiently.
Maintaining the suppression made her head dizzy, and her brain desperately issued commands like "stop now," "that's enough," but she ignored them.
Recalling many years ago, she was much weaker then than she was now, but even so, she still didn't stop, or rather, didn't want to stop.
Just like when practicing downhill techniques, the injuries sustained from rolling down such a steep and long slope were not ordinary, and if it weren't for the system she had, there was a possibility of being crippled due to delayed treatment.
"..." No sound could come from her mouth, and every breath brought a burning pain, a sensation she had even grown accustomed to.
Her hair was disheveled in the wind, and the accessories she always wore had long since fallen to who knows where; nothing remained in her vision except what was ahead.
At this moment, the Spica group, who had arrived at the training ground, watched the scene with shock and worry, accompanied by Tokai Teio, who had come along for some unknown reason.
When they initially tried to intervene, everyone was stopped by Oguri Cap.
Zero's mind was almost empty, with only her own figure remaining.
Domain... Since the Emperor and the others could learn it, would the Three Goddesses not have it?
How could that be? If so, it would be a laughingstock.
She had to learn the domain; otherwise, she wouldn't even have the qualifications to challenge.
But, she could clearly stop, rest, and continue a few days later, as these insights would still exist, or perhaps it would be easier to grasp them when fully recovered at that time.
However, she didn't want to stop; the stubbornness in her heart surprised even herself, and she never thought she would be so persistent.
In psychodynamic theory, Freud once proposed three main parts of the mind in his structural theory: the id, ego, and superego, to explain the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious.
Among them, the "id" (completely unconscious) represents desires, suppressed by consciousness; the "ego" (mostly conscious) is responsible for dealing with the real world; the "superego" (partially conscious) is the conscience or internal moral judgment.
And at this moment, she relied on her id to completely suppress her conscious mind.
Everything about an Uma Musume is three times that of a human, be it their physical body or their desires.
She didn't want to think about anything; at this moment, she only wanted to succeed, only wanted to achieve, this was her current desire.
Her mouth felt a little moist, with a hint of metallic taste.
Did her gums bleed from clenching her teeth too hard? She was too lazy to think, but this bit of blood did slightly moisten her throat.
Her dream had never changed: to reach the pinnacle. If she retreated now, would she ever truly touch that pinnacle?
Perhaps, but she dared not gamble; she considered herself a very timid person.
Absolutely must do it, absolutely must not retreat, absolutely... must break through!
Her stamina was depleted, her willpower burned out, and even her body could barely support her.
But it didn't matter.
Her "desire" still propelled her, her "will" still supported her, her "resolve" had never faded!
Taking another step, everything around her suddenly became clear; her vision, body, and consciousness all returned to their peak state, as if her previous self, who was burning her life, had merely dreamt it.
But she knew it wasn't a dream.
In her vision, four figures were sprinting.
Although she didn't know who they were, she knew they must be the notorious quartet who were always peeking.
Catch up?
"Catch up... How is that even possible?!"
[Senri Shippu - Shinsoku → Zettai Shinsoku]
No longer appearing as a suffix, what existed here was absolute divine speed!
The shackles that had been impossible to break through shattered completely; if only for this moment, she could unleash her full divine speed.
The moment she surpassed those four figures, a voice echoed in her heart.
[You did it]
A smile spread across her lips, and then her vision went black.
Using the last bit of her strength to protect her head, she fell heavily to the ground, sliding for quite a distance.
"Z-chan!!"