Like lightning brushing past, the fluttering gray coat, crackling with electric arcs, reclaimed the lead.
No need to predict shifting trajectories, no need for flashy footwork. Accelerate, then break through—it was only natural.
Never letting down her guard.
A sharp blade thrust from the narrowest gap in her vision—long awaited.
Clashing once more.
"I knew it."
Plasma spilled from McQueen's eyes, her gaze locking with Kousei's, echoing the brilliance of the Flame Wheel.
"Of course I knew!"
Mejiro McQueen in her perfect form could never be defeated by such a simple ambush. Her absolute dominance in long-distance races rendered all tricks meaningless. Conserving stamina was the worst possible strategy.
If I don't stick to her now, I'll never catch her again!
They both understood this perfectly.
McQueen's smile held a mix of mockery and excitement.
"You bastard—"
Though the words were harsh, Kousei was smiling.
Zzzt... Zzzt...
Amidst the dancing arcs of electricity, she would chase the Thunder once more
The Thunder Blossom bloomed, dazzlingly brilliant. Lightning pierced the heavens, a dagger splitting the sky in two.
BOOM!
In an instant, dark clouds gathered, and the rolling thunder threatened to shatter eardrums.
Upon the earth, a nameless figure looked up at the sky, taking one step, then two, then three. Watching, watching. At this moment, did their heart feel like that of the one who chased the sun?
"Are they... smiling?"
Encounter
A gentle breeze blew past—an insignificant nobody.
Understanding
A name unmentioned in the Classic Triple Crown. The bitterness swallowed whole. The racetracks where they once ran together.
No matter how much effort they poured in, no matter how much hardship they endured, no matter how desperately they yearned...
The result was everything.
Effort never seemed to pay off, always falling just short of what they desired.
Hopes unfulfilled, a dearest friend they could no longer run beside.
People had forgotten.
Forgotten who had stepped forward to protect their fragile dignity.
Forgotten who had defied the powerful, shouldering infamy to pave the way for others.
They should have known.
They had long understood.
Even so!
My dream won't be erased!
"What is McQueen doing?!" The crowd gasped as McQueen abandoned her usual running form.
"Wait a second... No way?!" The commentator, speechless with shock, conveyed this tremor through the microphone to every corner of the racetrack.
"Hmph! You really have a trick up your sleeve, McQueen!" Teio's admiration was tinged with a hint of resignation.
Gradually, astonishment spread through the stands as nearly everyone grasped a terrifying truth.
Mouths hung agape, too stunned to utter a single word.
"Welcome to my domain!"
The roaring thunder heralded the arrival of the storm!
She launched her attack from here—an ultra-long-distance sprint from the mid-pack, aimed straight at the finish line!
"She's insane! She must be insane! This is the Spring Tenno Sho! There are still 1,400 meters to the finish!"
A godlike, super-long-distance charge—from here, the Gray Coat Legend would be pushed to its absolute climax!
"How can anyone beat this monster?!"
Despair, a bleak gray color, swept through the world like a storm.
"I'll see you to the end!"
Spark hidden in the cosmos, burn once more! Even amidst the storm!
Isolated from the rest of the field, on this supreme stage, only the breathing of the two could be heard. At this moment, the crowd had long forgotten the so-called rules and regulations.
Behold, a clash of wills!
Charging into the turn, she defended her position flawlessly. The pride of an elite, a self-respect that would never allow anyone to pass.
"Don't even think about it!"
I won't let her get away! I'll tear out her throat with my teeth!
Appearing on a line no one else would dare take, Kousei cut in sharply along the inner rail, dragging the elite into a life-or-death struggle!
"Come on! Kousei! McQueen!"
Crush her!
Thunder and fire erupted into the sky. Kousei was squeezed closer and closer to the edge until she finally slammed into the rail, stumbling and falling behind McQueen.
The elite showed no mercy, casting a final glance back before surging forward again.
Cough!
The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth. Crimson threads, like spiderwebs, spread across her entire eye.
"That's Kousei! She's injured!"
An unexpected scene unfolded: the earlier collision seemed to have severely injured Kousei's right eye.
But that wasn't all. Kousei's breathing heaved violently, coming in ragged gasps.
"This distance is too much for her!"
She'll die if she keeps running! Nearly everyone in the crowd shared the same thought. Her body had reached its limit. She should have given up, yet she continued to push forward.
My body feels so light, as if all my restraints have been broken. Right now, I don't want to have any regrets!
The flames dwelling in her eyes had yet to be extinguished!
"Quick! Forget the rules and the race! Stop her!" Kashimoto Riko roared, waving a hand frantically.
"What?!"
Her entire life had been a battle for her mission. She was supposed to dedicate herself completely to it, with no room for anything else. So why had another figure now carved a place in her mind?
Sweat poured down Kousei's forehead, desperately trying to blind her. Her heartbeat had become a scream of agony, and each harsh gasp burned her throat.
A candle in the wind, a lantern in the rain.
McQueen couldn't help but wonder: Why does she keep running through such pain? Why force those heavy legs forward?
Kousei gritted her teeth, swallowing everything down, and smiled away all her past hardships.
Just what kind of person is she?
By the time McQueen snapped back to reality, her rival's shadow was already looming behind her.
No compromise. No yielding.
This is the only path to the summit—the path of an Umamusume who never gives up.
"I will give my all to defeat you!"
Run!
Still not enough! I haven't caught her yet!
Still not enough! I haven't surpassed the peak!
Burn!
Extinguish, then reignite. An endless cycle.
Immersed in this inferno, I realize it's my own soul that's burning.
This stage was never meant for me; I am merely an invader. Even my will to press forward has vanished, leaving me to stare at her back, unable to see the scenery ahead.
All I can see is her back.
Nothing else exists.
I can only run with reckless abandon, yearning for that radiant figure. Shattered, diluted, then rebuilt.
My hand reaches for the sky, desperate for that untouchable light.
"Laugh!"
Laugh at my recklessness! Laugh at my overconfidence! Laugh at my futile attempt to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms!
Laugh at me all you want!
But in this moment, I'll cast the entire world aside!
O peerless Umamusume!
"I will give my all to defeat you!"
Kousei & McQueen: "To stand before everyone! In a place no one can reach! To stride toward a peak no one has ever approached—"
"Here, we spread our wings and soar!"