"Meteor," Symboli Rudolf asked, tapping the paper, "was this answer something you made up… or something you actually saw?"
Eternal Meteor leaned closer to the exam.
Ah. That essay question.
Seeing how serious Rudolf looked, a dangerous thought crossed Meteor's mind:
…Wait. Don't tell me Rudolf's Domain in real life actually looks like that?
So… does she admit it? Deny it? Play dumb?
Meteor hesitated—just a beat too long.
And that hesitation alone was enough.
Rudolf's eyes narrowed slightly. She'd already confirmed it: Meteor knew something.
Rudolf changed tactics.
"Let me ask differently. Meteor—do you know what a Domain is?"
"Nope," Meteor replied immediately.
Are you kidding? Why would anyone assume a runaway horse girl knows high-end race metaphysics? Even if she did know, she'd say she didn't. Better to see what Rudolf reveals first.
Meteor shook her head with an innocent, clueless expression—like she'd never heard the word in her life.
Rudolf actually didn't want Meteor learning about Domains yet.
At Meteor's age, if she tried to "push open that door," the physical strain would be brutal—far beyond what an un-developed body could bear.
But since Meteor had already seen it—and clearly had the talent—Rudolf couldn't risk her trying it on her own one day.
So Rudolf gave a warning first, explanation second.
"A Domain," Rudolf said, "is a state reached when a horse girl's desire for victory is pushed to the absolute extreme. In that moment… it can feel like every opponent around you has stopped moving."
Meteor nodded enthusiastically, playing the role of impressed audience.
"Whoa. That sounds insanely strong."
"It is," Rudolf said. "You're forcing your body beyond its limits—but…"
Her expression hardened.
"The burden on the body is enormous. In the worst case, using a Domain even once can leave you unable to race for the rest of your life."
Meteor blinked.
…That's it? That's the "Domain lecture"? Just the cool part and then the threat?
You're not going to explain how it manifests? How it works in reality? How you "open the door"?
So Meteor tried to pry more out of her.
"Then what does that have to do with my answer?"
Rudolf answered calmly:
"What you saw was our Domain. Focus becomes something tangible. Only those who possess a Domain—or have the talent for it—can see it."
Meteor's brain immediately spun off in multiple directions:
So people without the talent can't see it—do they just feel like they're being dragged around by something invisible?
How is this fair racing?!
And "focus becomes tangible"… hm. That still doesn't match exactly with what she felt before.
Meteor fell into thought.
Rudolf cut that off immediately—lightly tapping Meteor's forehead twice.
"Did you already forget what I said? Your body is too fragile right now. Don't try to use it. Absolutely don't. If you do, you might suffer damage that leaves you unable to race again."
"Only after you've fully developed—after you're properly 'formalized'—can you even consider it. Understood?"
"Yes! Understood!" Meteor answered crisply.
Of course, like always, that was just the mouth talking.
Inside, Meteor had already decided she'd try it in her very next race.
Because if she didn't, and she ran against Domain-users while staying "normal," she'd get hit with some invisible debuff and dragged to death on the track.
I need this advantage. Period.
Her face still looked obedient and earnest—so convincing you'd swear she'd taken the warning to heart.
But even seeing that "good kid" expression, Rudolf didn't fully relax. Meteor's past behavior had left too deep an impression.
"This isn't a joke," Rudolf pressed. "Even for fully-developed horse girls, Domains are an extreme burden. Don't test it."
"Mm-hm, I'll remember it forever," Meteor said sweetly.
(I didn't say I'd never use it, Meteor thought.
If it "happens" during a race because I wanted victory… that's just how competition works, right?)
Rudolf finally signed the paper and handed it back.
Then she added, more practically:
"Meteor, you need to catch up on your studies. If you failed, there may be a makeup exam for everyone who didn't pass. You can ask Teio to help tutor you."
"No need," Meteor waved it off. "It's history. Not math. I'll just memorize it."
And she was very confident—because if she lowered her head and begged X, he'd never survive her shamelessness. He'd help eventually.
"Well then, President—I'm going!"
"Go. And remember what I told you."
"Yes, sir!"
Meteor even saluted before leaving, which made Rudolf's mouth lift into a faint smile.
As soon as Meteor left, X, who'd been silent throughout the whole conversation, finally spoke up:
"You'd better take her warning seriously."
Meteor snorted internally.
"What? If I use it, do I just drop dead on the spot?"
"No. But it will massively accelerate your body's rejection of your soul," X said bluntly. "Because once you enter Domain, you can't avoid injury—continuous injury."
Meteor pushed back immediately.
"Then what? I just ignore a huge advantage? And how much can it shorten my lifespan anyway—down to a couple years?"
X gave a precise number.
"One year. If you use Domain in every race from now on."
And strangely, that made Meteor relax.
A whole year?
And that's only if she activates it in literally every single race?
That's… generous.
Still, she wouldn't really spam it every time. The real question was whether there were tricks.
Meteor tried the first idea:
"What if I keep it in a half-on, half-off state? Like—about to activate but not fully?"
"No," X said immediately. "Entering Domain and not entering Domain are fundamentally different states. Maintaining the threshold is not worth the cost."
Rejected.
Meteor immediately pivoted to a second idea:
"Then what if I turn it on for a second, borrow it, and shut it off instantly?"
X paused.
"That… might be possible. But first, you'd need insane control. Second, you don't even have Domain awakened yet, so what are you talking about? Stop getting ahead of yourself."
X continued crushing her dreams:
"At least wait until you have an opponent worth opening it for. In a stomp match, where are you even going to activate it?"
Meteor answered quietly:
"I do have an opponent."
X froze.
"What?! You were dominating. Nobody threatened you."
Meteor's hand unconsciously touched her neck.
She could feel it—silent, always behind her, always closing in patiently, waiting for the moment her strength ran dry.
"Yeah," Meteor said.
"…Who?"
Meteor's smile was calm.
"Death."
Then the author note kicks in: the next stretch was originally going to be mostly daily-life pacing (Halloween, New Year, winter break, open campus day), but the author wants to insert an extra race to raise intensity—"add some blood scent."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 31
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 27
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 26
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin