The central banquet hall of the WMA Olympic Village.
A welcome party was being prepared, of extreme luxury, full of American enthusiasm and glamour.
The place was packed with celebrities: business magnates, Hollywood stars, sports legends.
Glasses clinked and people mingled.
Countless journalists, armed with cameras and equipment, documented the grand event, which could be called the "G20 Summit" of the Uma racing world.
On the colossal LED screens of the banquet hall, the dazzling and overwhelming achievements of the main representative of WMA Umas were continuously broadcast.
It was not simply a welcome party.
It was a blatant and undisguised display of "national power" and "physical strength"
Kaito and his Harem Legion were, undoubtedly, one of the central points of the party.
Their faces, overflowing with a mysterious oriental beauty and a unique charisma, and their figures, which had nothing to envy of those of any world-class supermodel, attracted countless intense and curious glances.
However, they formed their own circle.
With politeness, they treated all the "successful people" who approached to chat, using a distant smile.
Their eyes reflected a hint of suspicion that was out of place in that noisy environment, along with a silent scrutiny of everything around them.
This was a smokeless war, a battle of "aura" and "style"
And the group that Zenyatt was most proud of.
When the party reached its midpoint, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed.
The spotlight hit the main stage.
The presenter, with a vibrant voice that livened up the atmosphere, announced loudly:
"And now, ladies and gentlemen! Give a warm welcome to the pride of America, our undefeated Triple Crown Queen..."
"Justify!"
In the midst of thundering cheers, an incredibly beautiful young woman, wearing a magnificent strapless dress in the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag, slowly entered the room from backstage.
Her blonde hair was bright, like sunlight.
Her smile was perfect and sweet, like that of a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood.
Every one of her movements was imbued with the impeccable composure of a superstar, meticulously sculpted by the most elite etiquette coaches.
She was the starry glory: Justify
She was the most powerful fighter of the WMA and the national idol of the United States.
Personally introduced by Catherine, president and director of the WMA, she smiled and approached the Tracen group.
She reached out and gently shook Kaito's hand.
"Mr. Kaito, welcome to the United States"
"Your reputation precedes you"
Her voice, her smile, and the firmness of her handshake were so perfect they seemed calculated by the most precise computer program.
Not a single flaw could be found.
Nor was there a trace of genuine warmth to be perceived.
The highlight of the party came immediately after.
In the small indoor glass track built specifically for demonstrations next to the banquet hall, Justify performed a solo speed challenge, in the style of an exhibition!
She was going to personally demonstrate to those challengers from the East how terrifying the power of the WMA ace truly was!
The competition began!
Justify put on her racing silks, which also featured the glorious colors of the stars and were full of power and beauty.
She demonstrated a perfect racing technique, worthy of a textbook!
Whether it was the instant burst of speed!
Or the smooth, low flight when taking the curves!
Or the incomparable and overwhelming power and beauty during the final sprint!
Every one of her movements seemed produced with top-tier computer graphics: precise and yet full of stunning visual impact!
Finally, with an extremely relaxed posture, she effortlessly broke the historical record for that track!
The entire room erupted in thundering applause and cheers!
The expressions of the young women in Kaito's harem group from Tracen turned incredibly solemn.
Gold City whispered in a voice only those nearby could hear: "...So strong... This one is very troublesome"
Symboli Rudolf also nodded her head: "Undoubtedly top-tier, perhaps... even superior"
Meanwhile, Catherine wore the proud smile of a victor.
She directed a defiant look at the man on the sidelines, Kaito, who had maintained a serene expression from start to finish.
Amidst the frenzied cheers of the crowd.
Justify stood in the center of the track, waving her hand to all the spectators.
Her face showed her characteristic sweet and perfect smile, like icing.
But—
From Kaito's point of view, the situation was completely different.
His perceptive eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through the soul, told him clearly:
Beneath the "perfect" and cold appearance of Justify
Her mind, her soul, was in a state of extreme compression and tension, as if it were about to break completely at any moment!
Every smile, every wave, was frantically draining the last reserves of her already dwindling mental energy.
It was in the split second the spotlights crossed...
Kaito, with astonishing sharpness, caught it!
"Justify's perfect smile had an extremely subtle rigidity of 0.1 seconds!"
"In the depths of her eyes, a flash of indescribable and unfathomable exhaustion and pain, almost enough to consume her entire being, passed fleetingly"
This detail, so fleeting it seemed like an illusion, went unnoticed by everyone else present.
The exhibition race concluded and the party continued.
Catherine Underwood held a glass of premium Burgundy red wine, chatting animatedly with several major sponsors of the event and enjoying the glory of her victory.
Kaito, with a glass of champagne in his hand, approached at just the right time and interrupted her conversation in an extremely natural way.
"Ms. Underwood" he said, smiling at Catherine "Ms. Justify's performance was truly amazing, worthy of being called 'perfect'"
"However..." He changed the subject, his voice taking on meaning "as a reasonably professional rehabilitation specialist, I have a small, somewhat immature suggestion"
"Even the 'most perfect' machine always needs lubrication and maintenance"
"You are using her too often in 'extreme mode'..."
"The wear and tear on those precise and irreplaceable 'parts'..."
"Could far exceed your imagination"
Hearing Kaito's words, the smile on Catherine's face slowly faded.
She motioned for the sponsors to wait a moment, then pulled Kaito toward the deserted floor-to-ceiling window.
"Mr. Kaito, I thank you for your 'professional advice'"
With elegance, she swirled the wine in her glass, but her tone denoted a cold and cutting contempt.
"However, you may not understand the monitoring system WMA is most proud of: 'SkyNet'"
"We maintain continuous, uninterrupted, and real-time monitoring of the physical condition of every athlete we represent, 24 hours a day, with precision down to the millisecond"
"Therefore, Justify's normal wear and tear is completely within our calculations and within a controllable range"
She stepped closer to Kaito
Lowering her voice, she spoke with a tone laden with warning:
"Furthermore, Justify is our 'treasure', the 'symbol of America'"
"I sincerely hope..."
"That this Hand of God from the mysterious Orient..."
"Does not intend to harbor any inappropriate intentions toward our 'national treasure'"
Kaito did not argue with her.
He simply shrugged his shoulders, showing a meaningful smile, as if looking at a stubborn fool.
"Of course, I am just a small and insignificant rehabilitation specialist, just a friendly warning"
"I hope your 'SkyNet'..."
"Can truly calculate everything"
With that said, he ignored her, turned around, and walked away elegantly.
Observing Kaito's serene figure as he retreated, Catherine frowned almost imperceptibly.
She didn't know why, but Kaito's confident look and the phrase "calculate everything" inexplicably caused her a subtle feeling of unease that seemed ridiculous to her.
Instinctively, she lifted her wrist and displayed Justify's Mental Stress Curve on her specialized smartwatch.
It was a curve so smooth it was almost perfect.
But—
Her pupils suddenly contracted!
She saw an extremely small, almost insignificant, anomalous peak in the smooth curve!
And the exact moment the peak occurred... was precisely when Justify smiled and waved to the entire audience after the race!
...
After the party ended.
That same night, Justify returned alone to her palatial, luxurious, and empty room.
After confirming she was completely alone.
The perfect and sweet smile she had worn all day instantly vanished, like a broken mask.
It was replaced by an endless fatigue, so heavy it seemed capable of crushing her entire being, and an unfathomable pain.
Slowly she crouched down, hugging her knees.
She buried her face deep between her cold knees.
Letting out suppressed, desperate, and silent sobs...
...
And then, the following day.
The WMA officially announced it to the whole world.
In order to further demonstrate to the world the power and superiority of the "SkyNet" system.
They issued a new directive to their star athlete, the glorious Justify—
"In the upcoming preliminaries of the 'Strongest Uma World Championship',"
"She must win every race by breaking the world record!"
This cold and undeniable death order.
It was like the straw that broke the camel's back.
It was about to completely push this "American Idol," who was so perfect under the spotlights... to the abyss of collapse.
Meanwhile, the "hunter" from the East waited silently in a dark corner... the optimal moment for the hunt.