"What's going on?! How is Kousei here?!" Kashimoto Riko demanded sharply.
"It seems she broke through the gate and forced her way out. If an Umamusume refuses to follow the rules, we can't restrain them."
"Why wasn't I informed?"
"We're not sure. The Emotional Test Center still hasn't responded."
"They're unreachable?"
"Yes."
Kashimoto Riko fell into thought.
Kousei's sudden intrusion sent shockwaves of pressure through the other competitors, causing most of them to start slightly slower out of the gate.
Her unexpected arrival also threw the initial jostling for position into chaos. Palmer seized the lead from the very beginning, controlling the race with a blistering Front-Runner pace.
McQueen settled into her usual fourth position, with both Mejiro runners adopting their preferred strategies. Only Kousei deviated from her usual mid-pack, wait-and-see approach, opting for a much more aggressive Leader style.
Her aura was worlds apart from before. The Flame Wheel that had ignited the moment she entered the track now blazed indiscriminately, scorching every Umamusume in its path. Flames erupted from the side rails, and in an instant, a Domain materialized across the course.
"What is she doing?! Is she trying to repeat the Takarazuka disaster?!"
The crowd, still haunted by the memory of the Takarazuka Kinen incident, voiced their intense displeasure at Kousei's appearance.
The other Umamusume were deeply wary of Kousei. This wariness fueled a heightened sense of caution, causing them to instinctively shy away, clearing a direct path straight to Mejiro McQueen.
This is perfect!
From the very beginning, Kousei's sole target had been McQueen.
Mark!
In an instant, lightning crackled and thunder roared. Arcs of electricity danced across McQueen's body as she unleashed the full power of the Mejiro Bloodline from the start!
BOOM!
A thunderclap exploded across the turf, the resulting shockwave tearing through the grass like a scythe. The two forces—blazing fire and crackling lightning—clashed violently, refusing to yield.
"You've gotten stronger!" McQueen's grin spoke volumes of her excitement.
"Everything was to defeat you!"
No more words were needed. Their long-awaited reunion would be spoken through the thunder of their hooves!
Electricity and fire intertwined. McQueen's powerful, heavy strides shook the earth, her hooves digging deep into the ground before tearing free. Clumps of turf and soil flew into the air, only to disintegrate before they could even begin to fall.
Her sound was thunder, her speed lightning.
The engine of the White Chariot roared to life after a long silence, once again unleashing its tyrannical, logic-defying power. An indomitable spirit, who else but I?
The chase.
The Red-Haired Fiend materialized on Kousei's back, shrouded in a crimson mist. Chains surged forth with all her might, just as they had in their very first pursuit.
Thunder and lightning tore through the air, shattering the binding chains with ease. McQueen closed the distance in a single step, breaking through the spatial barrier to press down on Kousei.
"It really is only you!"
Kousei unleashed her power without restraint, yet she still couldn't shake McQueen in the slightest.
The pride radiating from those bright eyes belonged to the only one who could withstand Kousei's full strength.
"No one runs alongside the Elite!"
Bolts of lightning seared every nerve. Even Kousei's body, forged through countless trials, couldn't match the innate physical prowess of a natural-born prodigy.
The same drama played out again, the same tug-of-war, yielding the same result.
The most gifted genius in history, a perfect creation of the gods. On the straight, McQueen slammed into Kousei, sending her stumbling.
Ascending to the Ninth Heaven, bathed in Heavenly Thunder—the Pegasus descended
In the eyes of the crowd, fear mingled with awe. For the first time, they clearly witnessed the Divine Form that had blossomed for a fleeting moment during the Seishun Cup.
Under Kousei's gaze and the watch of tens of thousands, McQueen unleashed an acceleration that existed only in legend—
One Strike, All Fall.
Her thunderous hooves broke free from Kousei's Domain, streaking across the turf like azure lightning. The crowd held its breath as she galloped, hugging the ground with a speed so immense that each stride echoed like thunder!
"Did McQueen see it too?"
Just as Teio had predicted, McQueen had spotted Her in the race footage.
"Damn it!"
McQueen closed in on Palmer at blinding speed. Palmer's desperate front-running strategy crumbled before McQueen's overwhelming charge. The bolt of lightning that was Palmer could only watch in bitter defeat as McQueen surged past.
"Kousei created an ultra-heavy Domain, yet McQueen is running as if completely unaffected! We're both Mejiros—why is the gap between us so vast?! Why?!"
The miracle wrought by a genius was so dazzling it seared the pride of the "ordinary" Umamusume.
A wave of heat slammed into Palmer's back, feeling as if it had shoved her forward.
"Kousei?!"
Following closely behind McQueen, she clung desperately to the lightning. The distance, far from shrinking, was actually widening. Yet, not a trace of hesitation could be seen on Kousei's face. Her legs were tempered like steel, her will ignited her fighting spirit—she would not yield to fear.
Further forward! Become Icarus, flying toward the sun!
Aaaah!!!
Piece by piece, the disguise tore away. The Red-Haired Fiend shed its skin, transforming into a Demon. Before her stood the rival of a lifetime, one worthy of risking everything.
The Demon Soul vanished into nothingness.
"Left or right?"
The Red Mist obscured the view behind her, preventing McQueen from seeing where Kousei would attack. Glancing at the approaching turn, McQueen understood.
"Come on! I'll crush you!"
After overtaking the front-runner Palmer, the Spring Tenno Sho had become a one-on-one duel.
Whatever tricks Kousei had, McQueen would defeat her head-on.
Entering the turn—
McQueen didn't slow down at all, clearly intending to once again display her lightning-fast cornering.
BANG!
Kousei burst out of the mist, and she too didn't slow down.
"What's Kousei planning? Is she trying to imitate McQueen?"
The crowd watched, their minds racing with different thoughts.
It's impossible to imitate McQueen. Kousei's speed is far lower than hers. A normal entry into the turn would never let her catch up. If she fails to stick to McQueen on this turn, the race will be over.
No matter what, Kousei had to withstand this impact.
"What will you do, Kousei?"
Just as everyone held their breath, McQueen suddenly adjusted her position the moment she entered the turn. Kousei's heart leaped in shock.
The crowd gasped. McQueen's block was so instinctive, so perfectly timed, that it sealed off Kousei's angle of attack. At this speed, Kousei had no time to choose another option.
"Damn it! I'm going to be left behind!"
Kousei's mind raced. Suddenly, a brand-new path appeared before her.
I can do it!
Pale, withered hands covered McQueen's eyes. McQueen froze for a microsecond. "At a time like this?"
This wasn't the first time McQueen had faced Kousei's Gate Technique. Kousei should have known it was utterly incapable of stopping her.
In less than half a second, the Ghost Hand was shattered by thunder and lightning.
A Gate Technique of this level couldn't possibly restrain McQueen. But in the next instant, Kousei's reflection appeared in McQueen's pupils.
"When did you—!?"
Kousei had closed in from behind. Since she couldn't gain an advantage on the turn, she'd changed her strategy: she would restrain McQueen on the turn instead.
Though the visual obstruction lasted only a moment, that brief window of darkness was not without purpose. McQueen's High-Speed Eyes processed visual information at an incredible rate, allowing her to navigate turns at such breakneck speeds.
The moment her vision was blocked, McQueen's instincts took over. Her subconscious judgment of the turning point would instinctively cause her to slow down.
It was a response born of instinct. An elite racer like her would always adhere to her established path and running style, making her all too predictable.
Countless chains shot out from the ground, desperately trying to bind McQueen.
"You've walked right into my trap, McQueen!"