Is running fun?
Why would Tokai Teio ask such a boring question? Isn't the answer obvious?
Of course running is fun. If it wasn't fun, how could she have persisted in running for over ten years? If it wasn't fun, she wouldn't crave victory at all.
It is precisely because she likes it that she persists, that she wants to win!
But can "just running" be lumped together with "racing"?
Mejiro McQueen truly didn't understand why Hishi Akebono was like this, and why Tokai Teio was as well.
A race is a competition. It's about winning!
Whether it's "fun" or not is completely unimportant!
She didn't think this way of thinking was wrong. In fact, she firmly believed her way was correct. All that talk about "winning or losing doesn't matter, just enjoy the race" was just the self-consolation of losers. In any competition, if there is a winner and a loser, then the sole purpose is to win!
Everything else is unimportant!
The winner takes all!
Mejiro McQueen glanced at the race schedule she had once drawn up. Many races were already crossed out. Because she had become too strong, she didn't want to participate in more races. She didn't deny this feeling. She had originally planned this schedule based on the races in "Training Mode."
But in "Training Mode," the reason she wanted to run more races was to familiarize herself with her skills. Moreover, the difficulty of "Training Mode" increases over time; the system's "robots" (AI opponents) would double in strength with every level up. She didn't feel much of a thrill from crushing them. The system only arranged a group of small-fry for her to enjoy in the first year; by the second year, it started to ramp up the difficulty. So she was never bored.
But in reality, she didn't need to familiarize herself with anything. She had even mastered ZONE. Her opponents were so weak they couldn't even force her to use her full strength. So, of course, there was no need to keep racing. Races of this level were no different from ordinary training. And winning meant she had to dance on the Winner's Stage, which was torture for her. So what was wrong with her crossing races off her schedule?
If she didn't have a feeling that conquering the Tenno Sho was related to clearing the "Story Mode," she might have even retired after the Arima Kinen. She no longer needed to compete against those weaklings. A competition that couldn't even draw out her full strength was, in her eyes, meaningless.
As for the other prizes from winning, it was nothing more than fame and money.
Glory and fame, she already had.
As for money, as the young lady of the Mejiro family, she had never lacked it.
And although she had given up on many races, she hadn't given up on running.
When she thought of the feelings Tokai Teio had shown, Mejiro McQueen felt angry and ridiculous. Just because I don't "enjoy" the race, you feel you must "correct" my way of thinking?
What is that?
Tokai Teio, you are too arrogant!
To harm your own body for such a boring reason.
Mejiro McQueen's evaluation of this was:
"Utterly foolish!"
She had thought Tokai Teio simply wanted to beat her once. That, at least, she could understand. But Tokai Teio was revealing a kind of—"I think you're
not happy right now, so I have to make you feel the joy of racing again" idea. This filled her with disgust. Perhaps Teio genuinely meant well, but this presumptuous idea was a huge bother to her!
As a friend, she is overstepping!
Furthermore, Teio wasn't even relying on her own strength, but was using the ZONE mechanism to obtain some "heretical" power. She seriously doubted if Teio even realized how contradictory her actions were.
Wanting to make a friend 'awaken' and wanting to win.
Too greedy!
But Tokai Teio still had the disposition of a child. It was understandable that she would stray onto the wrong path. The one who made McQueen angriest in this matter was Symboli Rudolf's inaction.
Is this how that old bastard takes care of Teio as her 'guardian'? Not only did she fail to resolve Teio's complex, she let her go down the wrong path, and now she's fucking fanning the flames, helping Teio go further and further astray. If she didn't know that Rudolf genuinely cared for Teio, she would suspect Rudolf was actually her enemy.
'If only I could be as heartless as I was in my human life. Then I wouldn't care about friends, wouldn't care what happens to Tokai Teio. But I can't just ignore it now, even if Teio is just an ordinary friend to me.' Mejiro McQueen was conflicted.
According to her life's creed, she truly respects the choices of others.
If that person wasn't her friend. This is also why she rarely makes friends.
Because she knew that when it came to people and things she cared about, she was actually a very weak person. If she cared about and craved too many things, she would eventually become a true weakling.
Therefore, she was extremely cautious in this regard. But she didn't expect to fall into this trap.
'Huu...'
So be it.
Although she was annoyed by this matter, what needed to be done still had to be done.
She really wanted to let go, but isn't not letting go at a time like this what makes you a friend?
Mejiro McQueen didn't want to regret this later, so she would do her best to correct Teio. This was the only thing she could do as her friend. As for the result Teio wanted? That was absolutely impossible. If, in the end, Teio still couldn't wake up, McQueen felt she would have no regrets. Because as a friend, she would have done everything she could.
She can't just let Teio have her way in everything, can she?
She wasn't that type of person.
'The next race, Teio, you will come chase me again, won't you? Will your ZONE be ready to use by then? In that case, I will make you see reality. It's time for that childish dream of yours to end!'
She had already shown almost all her abilities to Tokai Teio in the previous race. Teio's behavior was too obvious. She specifically entered races McQueen was in, but then showed no intention of seriously competing. The only possibility McQueen could think of was that Teio was "observing" her running style. The core of ZONE was, after all, a manifestation of a mystical power like spiritual strength. She wouldn't be surprised if some special abilities emerged from it. So, Teio was very likely collecting data on her.
Then let Teio collect her data. She was certain Teio's ZONE wasn't a "mimicry" type effect, because if it was, Teio would have no chance of winning.
The prerequisite for imitation is that one's own condition meets the standard for it. Her running style and Teio's body were simply not compatible. So Teio's ZONE couldn't be mimicry. She guessed it was highly likely Teio's ZONE had an effect similar to a "blocking skill" and possessed great explosive power.
It was probably the same type as Oguri Cap's ZONE. Of course, the effect might be more powerful and more targeted at her, because Teio's ZONE was clearly aimed right at her.
Mejiro McQueen looked at the race schedule.
The next mid-to-long distance race was the Takarazuka Kinen in June. Two months. That should be enough time for Teio to digest the data she'd gathered. As for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in October... that was a very important race for her. She didn't plan to wait until then to deal with Teio. She was confident, yes, but she hated surprises. Even if the chance of an upset wasn't even 1%, as long as it wasn't zero, she wouldn't gamble. If she didn't know, it would be one thing, but to know and still gamble? That was foolish.
She took out her phone and dialed Trainer P.
"Trainer, it's me, McQueen. Do you have time?"
"Yes, I want to run in the Takarazuka Kinen in June. Please help me submit the application. That's right. Yes, I suddenly want to run it. Also, please pass this message on to Teio. Tell her this will be the last race between us. I have no more interest in playing along with her nonsense."
"Okay. Thank you, Trainer. Sorry for the trouble."
Hanging up, Mejiro McQueen calmly glanced at the calendar.
She could already imagine Tokai Tei-
o's reaction to this news. But it didn't matter. She wouldn't give Teio the chance. She was already extremely familiar with the mechanics of ZONE. Because her ZONE wasn't the type that was overwhelmingly powerful or had a huge cost—its effect was only so strong because it was hers—she could explore its mechanics repeatedly in training. Her progress had already brought her to the "second door." She had also seen the figures of many horse girls here, including, of course, Symboli Rudolf.
But these were just shadows, proof that others had reached this place. Just as she could see Rudolf and the others in her ZONE, they could also see her, Mejiro McQueen, enter their domains. But it was impossible to communicate or leave messages. As for what was behind the "second door," she didn't know. She had once been confident she could break it open, but she had clearly underestimated the power of ZONE. The "second door" wouldn't budge at all.
But even with no leads on the "second door," her research into ZONE was now on par with Rudolf's. Therefore, she was extremely confident she could suppress Tokai Teio's ZONE.
As long as she didn't give Teio a chance to catch up, it wouldn't matter how powerful Teio's ZONE was. If it couldn't be unleashed, it was meaningless. And just entering ZONE, without unleashing its effect, wouldn't cause that much damage to the body. This was the solution she'd come up with. Let Teio meet the conditions to "burst," but never give her the chance to actually do it. She would use absolute strength to wake Tokai Teio up.