"You want to challenge Mejiro McQueen?" The trainer stared in disbelief.
"Impossible! Kousei doesn't stand a chance against McQueen, even without a race!"
"Yeah! This is reckless!"
The training grounds buzzed with voices, all dismissing Kousei's prospects. Doubts, mockery, and derision filled the air. Yet one figure stood apart, her presence ethereal amidst the crowd, her calm eyes holding a hint of amusement.
"Very well, I accept your challenge," McQueen responded from the crowd, accepting with her usual graceful composure. Maintaining her customary elegance, she approached Kousei.
"Turf track, 2000 meters, clockwise," Kousei proposed, selecting a course where both could showcase their strengths. McQueen nodded in approval.
"McQueen actually accepted the challenge? Unbelievable!"
"I just hope this doesn't crush Kousei's spirit. After all, her determination is one of her few strengths."
As expected, few believed in Kousei's chances.
"I've accepted your challenge, but don't think for a moment I'll hold back," McQueen warned at the starting gate, shedding her usual grace. Her aura shifted to that of a drawn sword, ready to strike.
"I chose you precisely because you wouldn't hold back. You've probably heard things about me, so I wanted to see for myself just how much I lag behind so-called geniuses."
McQueen said nothing, turning towards the starting gate with a faint smile. Mediocre? Not quite.
Inside the gate, waiting for the starting gun, Kousei's mind raced. The elite seemed like beings completely detached from her world, as if only they deserved to tread this track. If the world rejected "mediocrities," then "mediocrities" must reject the world in turn.
Kousei settled into her starting stance, her focus absolute.
"Come on, Elite! Open the Forbidden Gate for me!"
3!
2!
1!
Bang!
The starting gun fired, and Kousei and McQueen surged forward almost simultaneously.
Kousei's start was flawless, her solid fundamentals and sharp reflexes catching the Trainer's eye. However, mindful of her stamina, she deliberately slowed her pace, shadowing McQueen.
Trying to use me to reduce wind resistance? Then have it your way!
McQueen sensed Kousei's intent but maintained her lead. Though neither was running at full speed yet, Umamusume were naturally fast.
On the track, Kousei could clearly feel the wind whipping past her ears, the surrounding scenery blurring into streaks. Her entire world narrowed to the back of McQueen ahead.
"Huh? Have I ever felt like this before?" Kousei clearly sensed something unusual within herself.
For some reason, watching McQueen run made her heart pound uncontrollably.
"She's speeding up!"
As they reached the midpoint of the track, McQueen began to accelerate. Seeing McQueen suddenly pull away, Kousei refused to be outdone.
"I won't let you get away!"
McQueen sprinted ahead, with Kousei hot on her heels.
"I can't let McQueen run so comfortably. I need to surge forward and run alongside her! I have to box her in!"
Approaching the second turn, Kousei exerted herself, shifting to the right and blocking McQueen's path.
"Hmm? At this timing?" The Trainer, observing the pair, noticed something peculiar. He hadn't seen this kind of racing tactic in a long time. A possibility suddenly occurred to him.
"Could it be that? But the chances are so slim."
McQueen was surprised by Kousei's maneuver. "To appear in this position at this moment... she's quite skilled at blocking."
Just before entering the turn, Kousei effectively boxed McQueen in. Forced into a poor position, McQueen had to slow down more than usual to navigate the curve smoothly, resulting in both of them exiting the turn at almost the same time.
"Interesting, but not enough."
This was the arrogance of an elite. McQueen accelerated again, instantly shattering their stalemate. Her explosive burst of speed, like a catapult's launch, was a testament to Mejiro McQueen's tank-like power.
Her flowing hair danced in the fierce wind, swirling like a dazzling flurry of sakura petals caught in a gust.
"I won't let you catch me!"
In an instant, she pulled ahead by three horse lengths, leaving Kousei stunned. A bitter frustration gnawed at Kousei's heart, yet she strained every muscle to keep pace.
"No, this won't work at all. If I can't find a way to restrain Mejiro McQueen, I don't stand a chance."
Mejiro was an endurance powerhouse. If McQueen dragged her into a stamina race, defeat was inevitable.
Kousei knew this all too well, yet something was missing. She felt she was so close, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't figure it out. She had thought a single race against McQueen would reveal the answer, but instead, she found herself completely outmatched by her rhythm.
"I should be able to win! I know I can! What am I lacking?!"
Kousei watched McQueen's receding figure, a distant, majestic presence racing toward the horizon of light. This was the kind of Umamusume that would immediately come to mind when anyone thought of the sport.
Kousei had failed countless times. She had worked tirelessly, yet she still couldn't break through that door. Perhaps she truly wasn't suited to be an Umamusume.
"Should I give up?"
McQueen's figure receded further into the distance, her graceful silhouette a constant reminder of Kousei's own mediocrity.
"But why is my heart pounding so fiercely? Why does McQueen's retreating back fill me with such agitation? That's Mejiro McQueen! Losing to her wouldn't be so bad, right? No one would blame me... right? Enough already!"
I've done my best. Even if I quit, no one would hold it against me.
No!
No no no no no no! I refuse to lose! McQueen!
Each stride struck the earth like a thunderous drumbeat, the suffocating pressure coiling around McQueen's legs. A crimson meteor streaked across the ground, crushing the turf beneath it as it closed in like a specter.
McQueen instinctively glanced back. The Kousei behind her seemed transformed. McQueen's image was reflected in Kousei's eyes, trapped as if in a cage.
A deep crimson aura utterly at odds with her dapple-gray coat. Just who was this Umamusume chasing after her?
Doubts, ridicule, the future? Cast them all aside! Run like an Umamusume, racing for the purest freedom!
"Run! Faster than anyone else!"
McQueen's retreating figure was reflected in Kousei's dazzling eyes.
"Faster than anyone under the heavens!"
Kousei took a deep breath and exhaled a crimson aura. Her feet dug into the turf as she surged forward with explosive force, tearing up grass and dirt that flew into the air.
A almost demonic presence materialized, becoming the metaphorical shackles that clamped onto Mejiro McQueen's ankles.
"Got you!"
"That's more like it!"
The two wills clashed violently as Kousei's body slammed into McQueen, forcing her relentlessly toward the inner lane.
"You should have done this sooner! Be honest with yourself, you tightwad!"
Mejiro McQueen's eyes blazed with fury as she snapped back. "If this is all you've got, you're not even worth the prize!"
The engine roared to life. Kousei felt an invisible force, a lethal gravity born from their physical struggle, pushing back against her.
"Get out of my way! Don't stand before the Elite!"
The white chariot roared to life, tearing through the earth with a thunderous roar!