Sea the Stars watched Kousei silently, seeing her bathed in flowers and applause—all things she herself had once possessed.
She felt no resentment. On the final straight, she had fallen behind by a full two horse lengths, and in the end, she couldn't catch Kousei.
She accepted her defeat gracefully.
A faint smile touched Sea the Stars' lips as she murmured, "If only I had understood myself sooner."
Her gaze shifted from Kousei to Nakayama Festa beside her. Sea the Stars had long achieved fame and fortune, no longer clinging to status or honor. Nakayama Festa, however, was entirely different. Sea the Stars could sense an undeniable obsession radiating from her—something far beyond mere competitiveness.
Perhaps Nakayama Festa will become extremely dangerous, she thought, even to the point of self-destruction.
"I couldn't even keep up! The gap between me and the world-class level is this huge?!"
While Sea the Stars had only been two horse lengths behind, Nakayama Festa had been completely left out of the frame. Aside from Sea the Stars, the other Umamusume couldn't even be called rivals. They represented the pride of their respective leagues, yet they had been utterly crushed.
Such is the cruelty of competition.
Regardless of an Umamusume's personal will, a lack of skill brings shame not just to herself, but to her entire academy.
"Why? How could I be so fragile?" Nakayama Festa seethed with frustration, seemingly trapped in a spiral of self-contradiction. "Why? I absolutely couldn't lose!"
Sea the Stars couldn't bear to watch any longer and started forward, intending to console her. But she stopped abruptly, a knowing smile spreading across her face.
"What's wrong? You look like the world's about to end," a pleasant female voice chimed in beside her.
Nakayama Festa's face paled. She whipped her head around and froze on the spot.
"Hanako?! But you're...!!!"
"Dead?" the young girl named Hanako tilted her head, asking with a cheerful smile.
Nakayama Festa was too stunned to respond, managing only a numb nod.
"If you keep obsessing like this, Festa, I won't be able to reincarnate peacefully."
Looking at the Hanako before her, Nakayama Festa understood. This was merely a hallucination, born from her own obsession.
The dead can't return, she knew. I understand that.
"It seems you didn't listen to your father," Hanako's illusion continued. "The Arc de Triomphe is still too soon for you."
"Teacher... he..."
Nakayama Festa had believed she could compete with the world's top racers. Only after arriving did she realize how far she still was from the world-class level.
"I just... wanted to do something for you," Nakayama Festa confessed, her voice trailing off. Hanako's death had left a permanent scar on her heart.
"I know," Hanako's illusion said softly. "I know you've always cared about me. But... you're rushing things, Festa."
"Kousei could do it, so why can't I?"
Nakayama Festa didn't understand why Hanako and her Teacher kept saying the same thing.
"Of course Kousei could," Hanako explained. "It took her five years to reach this point—nearly her entire career. And you? You haven't even been racing for a year, yet you're already dreaming of seizing the world's strongest throne.
"Are you looking down on the Umamusume of Central, or the Umamusume of the world? You're too arrogant. If claiming the throne were truly that simple, countless Umamusume across the globe wouldn't have shed so many tears."
Faced with Hanako's rebuke, Nakayama Festa lowered her head, realizing just how conceited she had been. A pair of hands gently lifted her face, and their eyes met. Hanako smiled warmly. "But don't torment yourself over a single failure. Those who can't understand defeat can never fully savor the joy of victory."
"Festa, start over again."
"You want me to challenge the Arc de Triomphe again?"
"Mm-hmm. Because in my heart, Festa is the strongest Umamusume. Go back to Central, compete alongside the generations, enjoy the races, and cherish your friendships.
"When you're ready, come back here. The Festa of that day will surely be even stronger than you are now.
"And when that time comes... I'll be watching over you from heaven."
Hanako's illusion dissipated with the wind, and in that moment, the knot in Nakayama Festa's heart unraveled. She took out a lollipop and popped it into her mouth.
She glanced back at Kousei in the winner's circle, a faint smile on her lips, then turned and walked away from the turf.
One day, I'll be back. I promise you.
One day, Longchamp will bloom with violets. For now, it belongs to the dazzling star.
Jade had watched everything unfold. Kousei's victory in the Arc de Triomphe proved that her own past loss to her was no fluke. In truth, even without the Arc, Jade knew Kousei had genuinely defeated her.
Morgan and Amel—weren't they both world-renowned Umamusume? Yet Jade couldn't understand: why had Kousei won?
"So? Did you understand?" Rohan asked, approaching Jade's side. She simply shook her head.
"It's not always the most talented who win," Rohan explained. "The saying 'There are no absolutes in Umamusume racing' isn't just empty words. Dreams and missions reside within her. Can you see it? The responsibilities she inherited from others... Who is the enemy she truly desires to defeat?"
Jade pondered, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "The successor to a legend, aiming to shatter the fallacy of bloodlines."
That's right. Generations of effort, passed down one after another. All to break the shackles of bloodline theory that bind Umamusume. Like the foolish old man who moved mountains, with enough persistent effort, their work will one day bear fruit.
"Everyone entrusted their unfinished dreams to her," Rohan continued, "believing that one day she would achieve this grand and difficult dream."
"You too, Rohan?" Jade asked suddenly.
Rohan didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Jade nodded. "I understand now."
Born among the clouds, she naturally couldn't comprehend the world on the ground. But Umamusume must ultimately run on the turf. Jade still had a long road ahead of her.
Kousei's emotions gradually calmed. She gazed at the cheering crowd, feeling as if she were still in a dream. Her eyes met Reiko's, and they shared a moment of unspoken understanding.
The "monsters" born from the Chiin Style's philosophy had proven that their methods were far from abusive. Now, they stood as the strongest partnership in the world, and in this moment, the Chiin Family's stigma was completely cleared.
Kousei wondered why no reporters had approached for interviews yet. Then she saw Sea the Stars walking toward her, holding the Arc de Triomphe Trophy.
"Congratulations. This honor now belongs to you."
Typically, a press conference would follow, where the Trainer and Umamusume would pose for photos with the trophy under a sea of flashing cameras.
But Sea the Stars insisted on personally handing the trophy to Kousei. No explanation was needed; Kousei understood the significance of the gesture.
She extended her hands and solemnly accepted the honor.
Now, it's up to you, Sea the Stars' eyes seemed to say.
This was more than just an honor; it was a responsibility. To become the King meant guiding others forward. The weight she felt wasn't merely physical—the moment she accepted this role, Kousei was entrusted with a new mission.
"Your Personal Racing Outfit seems to be missing an ornament," Sea the Stars teased.
Kousei looked down at the indentation on her chest. It was empty, a space where something should have been.
"Here, take this as a memento."
Sea the Stars casually tossed a glittering object. Kousei caught it and saw it was a gemstone, crafted with such masterful skill it could be called a work of art.
"Try it on."
At Sea the Stars' suggestion, Kousei placed the gemstone into the indentation on her chest. It fit perfectly, refracting the sunlight into a dazzling display of light.
"Thank you."
Kousei thanked Sea the Stars, who turned, waved dismissively, and walked away with effortless grace.
On one side, the Mejiro Emblem. On the other, Sea the Stars' gemstone. One marked the start of her journey, the other, its destination.
This long, arduous journey had finally reached its conclusion. Was it time for it to end?
No—
The cheering crowd suddenly fell silent. On the track, Kousei's head was bowed, her expression hidden from view. Her swaying tail was no longer mottled. The Umamusume leaving the field seemed to sense something and turned back to look at the center of the track.
"That... It's just like with Oguri Cap back then," Reiko gasped in awe.
Mysterious black particles swirled around Kousei, gradually coalescing into a quadrupedal creature that mirrored her form.
The Monster transformation was complete—the other side of the Legend.
Kousei raised her head and gazed into the distance. In that direction... lay her hometown.