The words reached Silence Suzuka's ears.
She gripped the recovery potion in her hands tightly, looking at the silver-haired Uma Musume before her and the innocent smile on her face.
Every time she saw that expression, Suzuka would recall the moment she first met Starlight.
'Starlight-chan... why is it that you always radiate light to illuminate me whenever I fall into darkness?'
Her eyes gradually grew moist.
Through her blurred vision, Starlight's expression turned frantic, her hands waving about in a fluster.
"W-What's wrong, Suzuka-chan... don't cry."
She was adorable.
The silver-haired Uma Musume looked so cute like this that Suzuka shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Thank you, Starlight-chan... thank you... thank you... so much—"
Leaning forward, Suzuka pulled Starlight into a hug, burying her head in the other's shoulder while whispering words of gratitude.
The two talked for a long while afterward.
Only after watching Suzuka finish the recovery potion did Starlight take her leave.
She had a race coming up soon, and it was one probably the most important one of her career: The final leg of the Triple Tiara.
She needed to prepare properly.
Suzuka understood this well, so she didn't try to make her stay. Instead, she said with a smile:
"Good luck, Starlight-chan... I'll be there at the track to watch you race."
"Mm, okay!"
Back in the dormitory, Symboli Rudolf sat beside Starlight.
She took a sip of the freshly brewed black tea in her hand, her tone carrying a hint of regret.
"What happened to Suzuka-san is indeed hard to accept, but... for an Escapist runner like her who risks everything, it is rare to keep one's legs intact."
"You have a race the day after tomorrow, Starlight-chan. You should keep her in mind."
"I understand, Luna-chan. Don't worry, I'll definitely be careful."
"That's exactly why I'm worried. Regardless of whether you win or lose this race... I hope you don't participate in any races for at least three months afterwards. Keep your training light, too."
"It's not that serious, is it? I feel like my body is in great shape!"
Clink.
Setting the teacup down, Rudolf leaned in closer.
She took Starlight's hand firmly and slowly pressed it against her own cheek.
"Please, be a good girl... I really don't want the same to happen to you. As your senior, I know very well that for an Uma Musume like you, once an injury occurs, it is very likely to be irreversible."
"Perhaps before, I looked forward to galloping alongside you on the turf, but now, I only wish for you to be safe and healthy..."
The usually cool and persistent Symboli Rudolf now showed a rare expression of soft melancholy.
She knew this line of thinking was somewhat inappropriate, but Starlight's training was truly terrifying.
Moreover, she had recently heard from Inami that Starlight would sometimes daze off in place after a run.
When asked, she'd simply say it was nothing, but it was truly worrying.
"Mm, rest easy... your expectations won't be in vain. I really want to run on the same track as you, too!"
After Rudolf left, Starlight was the only one left in the room.
She stood up slowly and walked to the bedside, gazing at the fading glow of the sunset.
"I'll do as Luna-chan says. Honestly, I've been feeling like something is slightly off lately. I just hope this race goes smoothly..."
Shaking off her thoughts, she tidied up a bit, went out for dinner, and then headed to bed early after washing up.
Looking at the 99+ messages on her phone, Starlight patiently replied to them one by one.
She didn't find it tedious, after all, these were the encouragements and blessings from her friends.
It made her feel very happy.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Shuka Sho! I am your old friend, Akasaka!"
Today is the final showdown for our Starlight-chan! Will she achieve the title of Undefeated Triple Tiara Champion, or will she be sunk here by an old rival?!"
"Let's wait and see—"
With that, Akasaka slowly took off her headset, bent over, and pulled an itasha-style shirt printed with Starlight's cute selfies out of a box, slipping it over her clothes.
"Uh... Akasaka-san, what are you doing..."
The commentator beside her watched the scene with a twitching lip.
"To tell you the truth, I'm actually a member of the Starlight Fan Club!"
After the inspection, Starlight scanned the other competitors on the field. There were many familiar faces.
"Air Groove-san! Y-You're here too?"
Looking at the gallant figure with short hair, Starlight was somewhat surprised.
"Hmph... don't look so shocked. Don't stumble over me this time. Good luck!"
With a gentle smile, Air Groove slowly raised her hand and extended a clenched fist toward Starlight.
"Yeah! You too, Air Groove-san!"
All the Uma Musume slowly entered the gates. As the signal light turned from red to green...
Bang!
Thump-thump-thump—
The thunderous sound of galloping erupted.
Starlight spotted an opening and moved to the front of the pack to take the lead.
But suddenly, a beautiful black figure blocked her path.
It was Daiichi Ruby.
Her racing clothes today consisted of a black and blue dress, and her running style seemed to have changed along with them.
In the past, she would never fight for position with the front-runners.
Clatter, clatter, clatter...
Starlight tried to break away from the outside, but Air Groove was holding her position at her right rear, cutting off any exit.
As the race entered the middle phase, many Uma Musume began activating their skills one after another, shifting their weight and focus toward Starlight's position.
It was clear that they were prepared to suppress her completely.
An invisible pressure began to converge on her.
It was easy to see that Starlight had become the target of everyone on the field.
'Tch... what do I do? If I don't break through now, I'm really going to be boxed in to death.'
Sweat beaded on her forehead.
She watched the shifting figures ahead of her, desperately calculating a route to escape.
"Starlight-chan, keep going!!!"
"Starlight-senpai, do your best!!"
Down by the fence, the same pink-haired and dark-blue-haired Uma Musume were waving their cheering lightsticks and shouting at the top of their lungs.
In the upper stands, sitting in the highest seat, Silence Suzuka stroked her own leg.
Watching Starlight surrounded by the pack, her brow furrowed with worry.
'Starlight-chan...'
"As expected, the final battle won't be that easy. Everyone is trying to stop you."
Hearing Ryo Nishizaki's grim words beside her, Inami clenched her fists tightly, her expression dark.
Back on the track, seeing that they were nearing the final half of the race, Starlight decided to stake everything on one big gamble.
Abruptly decelerating, she dropped straight to the very back of the pack.
To make such a move at such a critical moment was no different from announcing her withdrawal from the race.
The spectators were shocked.
If it were any other Uma Musume, they would have assumed she had given up, but this was Divine Starlight, a girl known for her late-race speed.
Would she succeed?
She had to... right?
'Since you've all decided to gang up on me, don't blame me if my blade is too sharp!'
Seeing the slightly-bewildered Daiichi Ruby in the lead about to enter the final corner, Starlight poured all her strength into her legs.
BOOM!
A violent wind brushed past her cheeks, whipping her silver hair, her golden streaks flew like lingering shadows.
The hexagrams in her eyes began to glow faintly.
It was as if time itself had hit the pause button on the world around her.
Starlight let out a roar and began to accelerate with everything she had.
Crack—
Shatter—
But this Unique Skill had long since been analyzed. Several Uma Musume used their own Unique Skills to collide with it, and the sound of shattering echoed.
The surroundings remained a desaturated grey and white, but the figures of the Uma Musume flickered with distinct, vibrant colors.
Rounding the corner, Starlight surged from last place to third.
Ahead, Air Groove had already overtaken Ruby to claim the top spot.
There was less than half a length between the two leaders, and Ruby was naturally gritting her teeth, refusing to give up.
The distance continued to shrink. The cheers and shouts from the crowd gradually faded into silence.
Had they stopped?
No. It was that Starlight could no longer hear them.
Her sense of hearing was stripped away, followed by her sense of touch.
She could no longer feel the scent of the track or the air rushing into her lungs, her sense of taste dissipated.
Finally, her vision.
Her golden, hexagram-patterned pupils slowly lost focus, and the whites of her eyes became bloodshot...
The sensation she felt during her battle with Rice Shower resurfaced, but this time, it was far more severe.
Starlight's speed rocketed upward in a straight line.
To the outside world, her figure seemed to teleport forward.
On the final straight, she passed Daiichi Ruby. She passed Air Groove. The finish line was right before her eyes.
But then, her speed suddenly plummeted like a kite with a snapped string.
Passing seventeen Uma Musume in a short window during the latter half of the race was simply too taxing.
It was like giving Usain Bolt a thirty-meter head start in a hundred-meter dash and still overtaking him. There was no way she could keep that kind of speed up.
The strain on her bodily functions was undoubtedly violent. Coupled with the underlying risks, Divine Starlight finally reached her limit.
Fortunately... fortunately, by sheer final persistence, she managed to hold on and win the race by two lengths.
She had won the final leg of the Triple Tiara.
Her body gasped for air as if in a seizure. Starlight's five senses gradually returned. The cheers reached her ears, the confetti fluttered in the sky.
The announcer's voice rang out.
"She did it! In the last four hundred meters! From last place after losing speed, she charged to the top in one fell swoop! This silver Uma Musume is like a miracle..."
But the sound gradually faded. Starlight felt a wave of confusion.
'What's happening? Where did the sound go... why can't I feel my legs again...'
Her balance faltered. Starlight watched helplessly as her legs gave out beneath her.
Then, her eyelids grew heavy, and she slowly lost consciousness.
"What?! She's collapsed! Quick— get the medical staff on the field immediately!"
Akasaka hadn't even finished her victory speech.
Looking at the silver-haired figure lying on the grass, she screamed in desperation:
"Starlight-chan!!"
Beside Ryo Nishizaki, Mejiro McQueen was the first one to bolt down toward the track.