Kousei had missed her chance, and now it was McQueen's turn. With a powerful surge of leg strength, McQueen surged into the lead.
Kousei knew that with McQueen's legendary stamina, hoping she would slow down was futile.
A deep crimson aura erupted from Kousei's pupils. McQueen's mind jolted as if invisible hands were gripping her ankles, each step growing heavier than the last.
This suffocating sensation of being relentlessly targeted felt like wading through quicksand, making every movement an exhausting struggle.
Kousei neither attacked nor attempted to hinder McQueen, not even considering using her as a windbreak.
"What is she planning?" McQueen wondered, unable to decipher Kousei's intentions.
Under the combined pressure of Kousei's Intense Gaze and deliberate guidance, McQueen's composure began to fray.
Even a sliver of unease could shatter her perfect coordination, creating an opening.
This was precisely what Kousei wanted—the prelude to a new offensive.
"Charging up? But I know your leg strength isn't enough to overtake me here. So, another feint, right?"
As Kousei surged forward, her toe subtly shifted. McQueen noticed this minute adjustment instantly, anticipating Kousei's move and reacting first.
"Heh~"
Unexpectedly, Kousei revealed a triumphant smile, as if her plan had succeeded. Instead of leaning into a feint, she charged straight ahead. No false pretenses—Kousei had intended to sprint at full speed from the start!
Truth and deception intertwined, all the groundwork leading to this decisive moment. For the first time, the nimble phantom had overtaken Mejiro McQueen.
"She's passed her! Kousei has actually overtaken Mejiro McQueen!"
"What kind of running style is that?"
The world marveled as the once-failing underdog managed to surpass the elite's shining star on the racetrack.
Mejiro McQueen smiled faintly. "It seems you've gone to great lengths to defeat me. But I'll crush you head-on, fair and square."
In that instant, the wind fell silent.
Electric blue crackled in McQueen's eyes. From this stride onward, the race would enter a new realm.
While the world still marveled at the newly reborn dancer, the noble war chariot had already gathered momentum. Thunder rolled, coalescing into a luminous streak that tore across the racetrack.
"Is that all you've got? You dare call yourself my rival with that pathetic effort!"
Mejiro McQueen descended, her iron hooves shattering the earth. McQueen's arrogance burned as fiercely as ever—the same McQueen who had once utterly crushed her.
Kousei's hard-won lead vanished in an instant. Still unaware, she found McQueen already surging far ahead!
[Speed Star]
The pounding hooves rang like the death knell of Doomsday.
"It's Mejiro McQueen! She's moving! She overtook Kousei in a flash!"
Her proud figure surged forward with unstoppable momentum. Though Kousei strained behind, she couldn't close the gap. She was powerless against this behemoth.
"Is this what it means to face a Star-level competitor? Am I destined to lose again?"
Reluctantly, the thought crept into Kousei's mind.
"No... even though I'm shocked, I guess I still can't beat McQueen."
"Yeah. The difference in skill is too vast. No cheap tricks can close it."
"Let it go. She's already tried her best."
Resignation settled in. It always ended like this.
She had given it her all, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't win. Just let it go.
Why did everyone keep saying the same thing?
Time seemed to stand still, shrouded in pitch-black darkness. Kousei was alone on the track, running tirelessly through the silence, broken only by the sound of her own ragged breathing.
She saw it—that gate that always remained just one step beyond her reach.
"So close... so close... Why am I always so close? I've given it everything I have! Why is it never enough?"
The gate offered no answer, much like the silent, unyielding future stretching before Kousei.
Come to this side of the door.
"What exactly separates me from Mejiro McQueen?" she wondered.
Talent? Desire? Perseverance? What did she need to do to become an Umamusume like her?
"Still clinging to such trivial things?" A familiar voice echoed from the darkness.
Kousei jerked her head up. Mejiro McQueen stood before the gate.
"Is this what's been holding you back?"
Kousei stared blankly at McQueen, unable to comprehend why she was here.
"What do you mean by 'this'?"
McQueen didn't answer. Instead, she continued as if speaking to herself, "Listen carefully."
Listen carefully?
A cacophony of voices suddenly erupted from the pitch-black void, filled with scorn, warnings, and denials. The volume swelled, recounting Kousei's life to this point, etching a stark truth: mediocrity.
"No matter how hard I struggle, I'll never win. What a pathetic, low-tier Umamusume," Kousei muttered bitterly, unable to help but mock herself.
Ding.
A single drop of water fell into a spring, sending ripples through the void.
"Keep going, Kousei! Mom and Dad are always watching over you."
"It's already a miracle you can run, Kousei. Your father just wants you to keep enjoying it."
"Excellent. Come to me."
It was her father, her mother, and President Rudolf. Before her, McQueen slowly raised her hand. "So, what truly qualifies someone to become an Umamusume? Once you've figured it out, come to me."
What qualifies someone to become an Umamusume?
Kousei suddenly understood. She finally realized what she had been lacking all along.
As her fingertips brushed against McQueen's, she slapped McQueen's hand away with a decisive motion.
"Get out of my way, McQueen!"
Her eyes blazing with resolve, Kousei surged through McQueen's illusory form, rushed to the gate, and wedged her fingers into the narrow crack.
"All along, I've been misunderstanding something. I thought only the strongest Umamusume deserved to win races, deserved to carry the dreams of others."
To achieve victory, to let my talent blossom, what I truly needed was to become myself!
The Umamusume who carry people's dreams—that's precisely why I've never been able to win. Because I couldn't become that ideal!
The gate creaked ominously, a chorus of accusatory voices echoing from within. The pristine white Umamusume peered through the narrow gap, searching desperately for a sliver of hope.
A sharp cracking sound shattered the silence as the gate slowly swung open. A ray of dawn pierced the darkness, illuminating the roan-haired girl who turned to face it.
"You've come."
-
"It seems the outcome is decided. As expected, no one in our class can defeat Mejiro McQueen."
"Kousei has lost three in a row now. I really hope she takes some time to reflect on her future."
"You're right... Hmm? Wait a minute!"
A gasp rippled through the crowd as all eyes snapped back to the track.
"Is that... Kousei?"
Her running posture was low and fierce, her face contorted in a ferocious grimace. An unsettling red aura radiated from her, making her utterly unrecognizable.
"I refuse to hide myself any longer!"