The intersection of light and dark. The moment the two souls merged, the [Ultimate] descended!
That's right!
That is...
"Hey, what's going on? Why are both of us still here?"
A mature-sounding voice asked with a childish tone.
"I don't know."
The cool, girly voice was filled with unease.
Hmph hmph hmph~
These are the other two 'me's~
But I am the ultimate existence born from the merger of both their strengths, the strongest Horse Girl in history!
Look up! Worship! Sing praises!
Fire the salute for the birth of Teio!
The joy of birth filled her heart.
"Hey, did she just smile?"
"How could that be? She should still just be an empty shell body."
"I'm not mistaken! Damn it! I don't know what's going on, but this person is faking sleep!"
"..."
These two voices naturally belonged to Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen, who had just finished the Winner's Stage, returned to the system room, and activated a new character.
But events unfolded beyond their expectations. They had thought that after activating a new character, one of their souls would temporarily enter the new body. However, after the new character appeared, they found that neither of their souls could enter the body.
The discovered new character opened her eyes.
Mejiro McQueen and Gold Ship, who were staring at her, were startled and retreated a distance.
"Crap! It's haunted!"
"...The body moved on its own."
The new character was a petite and adorable girl with brown hair, blue eyes, and a white, peach-colored streak in her bangs.
Her name was "Tokai Teio."
She was the well-deserved popular protagonist of the Horse Girl anime. With the game version updates, her strength was expected to be competitive, and the fame of her real-life counterpart was immense.
She was also the character in the anime with the [Fated Rival] buff with Mejiro McQueen.
Of course, in addition to that, she also had the debuff of fragile bones and two career fractures.
As a newly produced native body, the current Tokai Teio was physically no different from the original version.
However, her eyes felt strangely familiar to both Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen, giving them a feeling of looking into a mirror.
"Hmph hmph hmph~ Hello there~"
Tokai Teio greeted the two with enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
Her sweet tone gave them both goosebumps.
"Who are you?!"
"Damn it! Give the body back, or I, the Great One, will make you regret it!"
Mejiro McQueen's tone was icy, and Gold Ship even raised her fist.
What kind of spirit dared to occupy their clone?!
"Wait a minute!"
Tokai Teio quickly waved her hands.
Although she was the [Ultimate] who surpassed the strongest, she was still in her native body state and couldn't possibly be a match for [Graduates].
"I am you."
"Do you think I, the Great One, will believe that?!"
Gold Ship lunged and tackled Tokai Teio, violently pinning the weak and helpless Tokai Teio onto the bed.
"What is this thing?" Gold Ship asked Tokai Teio, holding up her fist.
Tokai Teio was covered in cold sweat: "No, stop! I'm telling the truth!"
"McQueen, save me! Gold Ship is crazy!"
"See if she saves you!"
"Wait a moment, she might be telling the truth."
Mejiro McQueen stopped Gold Ship from committing violence.
The rescued Tokai Teio gasped for air and quickly nodded in confirmation.
"That's right, I really am both of you. I'm just a brand-new personality born from the fusion of your two souls."
"Oh? Fusion? Are you perhaps the Ultimate Warrior?"
"That's right, I am... No."
Seeing Gold Ship raise her fist again, Tokai Teio wisely chose to yield first.
She is a mature lady and won't stoop to arguing with this mentally unstable brat. Tokai Teio consoled herself, smiling on the outside while a vein throbbed on her forehead.
"I see. Because there are two of me, the new clone's personality automatically generates by extracting a part of us?"
"No way, do you really believe that?"
"You shut up first."
"..."
Mejiro McQueen glared at the interrupting Gold Ship. She didn't understand this either, but since this was the situation, she could only try to convince herself.
Ultimately, when Gold Ship first entered the story mode and she was kicked out, her state of mind had already suffered one shock.
Seeing Tokai Teio's situation now, she could only say she understood.
"McQueen, you truly are the good one."
"..."
"You—"
"Gold Ship, be quiet."
Gold Ship was indignant. She had intended to play with the new body, just like Mejiro McQueen had played with her body.
But she didn't expect Tokai Teio to be born with a soul right away!
Why didn't she get that treatment back then?
Doesn't she deserve respect?
"Alright, you know what to do, right?"
"Of course, leave it to me."
Tokai Teio smiled confidently.
Heh heh heh, finally—
Finally, I, Teio, get to touch the computer!
System, GO!
Having inherited light and dark, having surpassed god and demon, the [Ultimate] Horse Girl—
I, Tokai Teio, am finally going to begin my reign of dominance!
After activating the simulation training mode, Tokai Teio's figure disappeared from in front of the computer.
Gold Ship said to Mejiro McQueen, "Do you really believe what that person said?"
"Whether it's true or false doesn't matter. Although it's a clone, aren't you and I also independent personalities now? It's meaningless to be suspicious."
"Damn, I never realized you were so cocky before."
"I also never knew that you, as my clone, would be so childish."
"Damn it, don't think you can stay on top of me just because you won once!"
"Heh~"
Mejiro McQueen pulled out a can of black coffee and sat on the only gaming chair, looking at Gold Ship like a mafia boss.
Gold Ship's beautiful face twisted into an expression that made others lose their impulse to fight. She let out a "tsk" and looked away.
Meanwhile, Tokai Teio, who entered the training mode, had already begun her rampage.
Mastering the powers of Mejiro McQueen and the Demon King, she was invincible~
Fusion is a powerful force, isn't it?
Not long after in reality, Tokai Teio completed three years of training in the simulation training and returned to reality.
"Hmph! What a pathetic look. You didn't lose to a robot, did you?"
Seeing Tokai Teio looking utterly exhausted, Gold Ship couldn't help but mock her.
"Demon King, don't ask the obvious. Do I need to tell you the reason why you aren't entering the training mode right now?"
"Tch!"
That's right.
While the training mode is good, to make [Graduates] like them stronger, it requires a massive consumption of mental energy.
Gold Ship had originally intended to use the new character's body, just like Mejiro McQueen did, to pull off an extreme operation.
Anyway, as long as the new character entered the story mode, her own state would recover.
But she didn't expect Tokai Teio to deny her the chance!
Why did a new clone have to be born with a soul at this exact moment? Couldn't she have let her farm some training first?
"It seems you truly can be called the [Ultimate Warrior]. I look forward to your results."
Mejiro McQueen, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with Tokai Teio's current performance.
Although she seemed to have inherited some of Gold Ship's arrogance, she was recklessly bold yet stable, a personality more like a complementary and perfect state.
"Don't you want to share the experience first?"
"No need. We'll talk about it after you return from the story mode."
The feeling of sharing a large amount of experience was uncomfortable. She had just endured it without letting Gold Ship notice before.
So, rather than sharing twice, it was better to wait until Tokai Teio completed the story mode and share the total experience all at once.
"Then wait for my good news. My mission should be very easy."
The story mode mission clearly corresponded to the original character's greatest wish.
Mejiro McQueen's was to achieve the glory of the Mejiro family.
Gold Ship's was to enter the Hall of Glory and achieve a perfect conclusion.
For Tokai Teio...
It would be that mission.
The undefeated Triple Crown!
For her, it was an incredibly easy mission.
She was going to break the record for the fastest clear!
Tokai Teio's lips curved into a confident smile as she entered the story mode.
It was only then that Gold Ship sneered: "Idiot. She'll temporarily lose her memory after going in, and..."
Because of her chaotic actions in the story mode, the world level had now been raised.
Would it truly be that easy for Tokai Teio to break the record?
How laughable. What if she gets beaten up by the evolved residents of the original world?
"Calm down, Gold Ship. Look at her character card panel before you laugh."
"Huh? Uh!"
Gold Ship's eyes widened as she looked at the panel full of SS-rank stats.
"Impossible!"
How could this person have reached this level of strength in her very first training mode run?
Mejiro McQueen couldn't even achieve this after three consecutive training runs!
"Your expression is a little rude. I can do it now if I want to."
"McQueen-sama, you are right."
Gold Ship secretly chuckled. Did McQueen forget that they just completed an experience share? What's the point of lying to 'herself' like that?
Meanwhile, in the story mode, although Tokai Teio, like the previous two, did not have her memories awakened right after the reincarnation, her life trajectory strangely didn't change much.
Having inherited Mejiro McQueen's calm maturity and Gold Ship's confident dominance, she miraculously cultivated the personality of a perfectly chosen, powerful prodigy from the start.
Like the original [Tokai Teio], she loved running and things that were cool.
She loved sweet food, but she didn't have the original's picky eating habits.
She was also more confident than the original, believing that she was the sun destined to illuminate the world.
And she diligently studied from a young age, growing step-by-step into a qualified Horse Girl.
Although she possessed terrifying talent, she was never overly arrogant or conceited.
Today, on her mother's suggestion, she came to the Tokyo Racecourse to watch a race.
As if by a red thread of fate, Tokai Teio's destiny intersected with the Emperor's once again.
After the interview, the quick-witted Tokai Teio stopped the Emperor on her way.
"You are?"
Symboli Rudolf looked curiously at the young girl before her. Although it was their first meeting, she immediately felt a connection with this child.
Tokai Teio was initially nervous, but suddenly, a current passed through her mind.
It's back, it's all back! The dormant memories are awakening!
"I... My name is Tokai Teio, and I will be the one who will, in the future, become like you—"
"No, that's wrong!"
"I want to become a Horse Girl who surpasses you, surpasses everyone, and is the coolest in the world!"
Tokai Teio suddenly raised her hand, pointed her index finger skyward, making a gesture towards the heavens.
In that instant, Tokai Teio's small figure, illuminated by the sunlight, seemed extraordinarily brilliant.
Symboli Rudolf fell silent.
...
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