The group of Uma Musume strolled along the street, eating as they went, feeling quite content.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Starlight held a cob of roasted corn with both hands, nibbling on it unhurriedly.
Seiun Sky had taken over the duty of pushing the chair behind her.
Beside them, Helios was carrying several bags, all filled with various types of food.
"If you eat this much at night, you're going to gain weight~"
Glancing at the other girl's slightly protruding belly, Starlight teased her with a giggle.
"No need to worry, Starlight-chan. I'm planning to go out and play tomorrow too, I'll digest it all by then..."
"Haha, last time we went to the amusement park, Helios ate so much that her little belly looked like she'd swallowed a whole baby."
Up ahead, leading the way, Mejiro Palmer finished her roasted chicken leg, tossed the bone into a trash bag she was carrying, and turned around to start making fun of Helios.
"For real? Do you have photos?"
"I do, I do! we all took some back then~"
Seiun Sky slowed to a stop, bringing Starlight to the side of the road.
Palmer squatted down next to the silver-haired Uma Musume and took out her phone, scrolling through to find the photos for Starlight.
"Don't do this... Palmer! Don't show that to Starlight!"
Helios tried to step forward to stop them, but unfortunately, she was directly intercepted by Seiun Sky.
"There, there, just let Starlight-chan have a look. Let's go eat over there."
"Let go of me! Starlight-chan! I beg you, don't look..."
It was too late. Starlight had already laid eyes on the photo of Helios with her round, bulging belly.
In the picture, she was even flashing a peace sign at the camera.
In her other hand, she was clutching a bucket of unfinished fried chicken.
"So cute. Hahaha! I really want to touch it, it looks so round..."
"Right? It feels like a leather ball— smooth and very bouncy."
"Oh right! While I was in the dorm earlier, Helios even danced for me. I recorded a video."
As she spoke, Starlight also took out her phone and started playing the short clip of Helios.
"Haha, you'll get used to it, Helios~"
Eating a fried meatball, Seiun Sky offered some "comfort."
After dinner ended, the four Uma Musume returned to the dormitories.
"Wait, hold on. I have a question. How is Starlight-chan supposed to go upstairs to sleep or wash up in her current state? How does she... use the restroom?"
In front of the dormitory building, as they were about to part ways, Helios stared at Starlight in the wheelchair for a long time before finally asking.
"Sky-chan helps me."
"What! She helps you... as in, carries you upstairs?"
"Mhm."
"Carries you into bed?"
"Yes."
"Carries you to the toilet and the bath?!!"
"Yeah, yeah... is there a problem?"
The string of questions, paired with Helios's shocked and frantic tone, left Starlight a bit confused.
"Well, it's getting late, so I'll take Starlight back first. Bye-bye~"
Seiun Sky, standing to the side, didn't give the two of them any more time or opportunity to speak.
She immediately turned the wheelchair around and left.
It wasn't until the two of them had entered the dormitory lobby that Helios finally snapped out of her shock.
She stiffly turned her head to look at Mejiro Palmer, who was standing with one hand on her hip.
"P-Palmer, if I had brought this up with Starlight-chan first, would that mean I could have carried her upstairs to sleep and bathed her too?"
"Uh, probably? But you can't even take care of yourself, so how could you take care of an injured and sick Starlight-chan?"
"...That's... a fair point."
The sky was very clear and the wind was slow. It was the day of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Countless spectators gathered, the stands were packed to capacity, and the sound of conversation and cheering was endless.
Many white pigeons flew across the sky as ceremonial cannons and streamers filled the air.
Having finished her final preparations, El Condor Pasa, dressed in her red and yellow racing clothes, stood among the crowd of Uma Musume.
Standing right next to her was Montjeu.
The other girl was tall, her wavy blonde hair paired with a mature aura that made her look very dignified and elegant.
Her face was brimming with smiles.
She waved to the audience with total composure.
As for El Condor Pasa, whether she was in a bad mood or simply too nervous, her expression remained flat.
Then, the frame slowly zoomed out, turning into a television screen.
Starlight, along with the members of Team Spica (who had just returned from their training camp) and the members of Team Rigil, were all sitting together in the cafeteria.
They were watching this race.
This was a crucial battle to determine whether El Condor Pasa could become the best in the world. Naturally, it was of the utmost importance.
Crunch, crunch...
By unspoken agreement, everyone remained silent and still, but the sound of chewing was so abrupt that they all turned to look.
A Gray Uma Musume with a bulging belly was holding a plate of fried rice piled high like a small mountain.
Seeming to realize that many eyes were on her, Oguri Cap slowly raised her head, her mouth full as she waved a hand.
"Carry on... Auntie, another plate of fried rice please!"
"Ah, that looks so delicious!"
Special Week was starting to crave some too.
Just as she thought about grabbing a plate to eat while she watched, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet grabbed her from both sides, pinning her down.
"Spe-chan, did you forget you're supposed to be managing your weight right now?"
"Exactly. Lunchtime is already over."
"...O-okay then!"
"The race is starting!"
Bang!
The gates swung open, and the Uma Musume surged out.
El Condor Pasa chose her preferred running style, maintaining a very steady rhythm through the early and middle stages.
Seeing the surrounding Uma Musume closing in, she immediately shifted gears into a lead position and burst to the front.
"That's it, the rhythm is good! Keep this up and she can do it!" Tojo Hana remarked solemnly.
"Why did she burst out so early? What will she do for the final stretch?"
"Foreign races are different from domestic ones. Once you're boxed in, it's very hard to break out again, so she has to do this."
Hearing Grass Wonder's patient explanation, Special Week understood.
Returning to the race, El Condor Pasa maintained a lead of three lengths all the way to the final corner.
'I can do it! I can start accelerating!'
The moment her hooves struck the ground, a blue light flickered in El Condor Pasa's eyes, and a faint golden aura began to radiate from her body.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
As El Condor Pasa bounded across the turf, hoofprints were left in her wake.
Between the flying clumps of dirt and grass, only her sprinting silhouette could be seen.
But...
From behind, a rhythmic sound of galloping hooves echoed.
Her ears pricked up, her pupils shrank in shock, and she turned her head slightly to look.
She saw Montjeu following no more than three lengths behind her, clinging to her position like a shadow. The distance simply wouldn't widen no matter how hard she pushed.
'What?!'
On the final straight, Montjeu slowly ramped up her speed, gradually eating away at the gap between her and El Condor Pasa.
At the finish line, she overtook El Condor Pasa by a single length to win the race.
This scene shocked everyone.
Similarly, El Condor Pasa, who had felt that relentless closing speed firsthand, was equally stunned.
'I... did I just lose like that...'
Before she could even process it, the viewers saw El Condor Pasa on the screen leaving the track in a daze amidst the cheers of the entire stadium.
"...Sky-chan."
"Ah, yes? What is it, Starlight-chan?"
"I'm a bit hungry. Take me to order a portion of fried rice~"
"Oh, okay."
Even though the race was lost, everyone wasn't as heartbroken as one might imagine. Instead, the atmosphere was quite subdued.
However, from the regret in everyone's eyes, one could still see their reaction to El Condor Pasa's defeat.
With the curtain closing on her Arc, a new year and a new Triple Crown were about to begin.
Meanwhile, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, who had already secured five victories, were about to embark on their own legendary paths...