Bang!
The gate burst open.
"Get out of the way! The Executioner's here!" Speedstar snarled, reacting the instant the gate loosened. If speed was a blade, then bursting from the gate was the moment it was drawn from its sheath.
Speedstar had used this explosive start countless times to drag her rival Umamusume into the depths of Hell. No one could react faster than her, and no one could outrun her.
"Crush them all!"
This time, however, a minor anomaly occurred. The Front-Runner renowned for her lightning-fast starts stumbled out of the gate, missing her usual explosive burst.
"What's going on? Did Speedstar get off to a slow start? For a runner like her, that's a fatal mistake!"
Only Speedstar herself could truly know what had happened on the track.
"No! I didn't get a slow start! It's that bastard!" Speedstar's furious gaze shot toward a figure within the surging pack of Umamusume.
Kousei didn't even deign to glance her way. After witnessing Silence Suzuka's otherworldly running style, Kousei understood that a desperate flight meant certain doom upon capture.
That seemingly insurmountable speed harbored a single, unavoidable flaw. Her deadliest weakness stemmed from her most cherished Talent.
A hand reached up from Hell and grabbed the Front-runner's ankle. No matter how fast you run, you'll always be within the Gate.
"Step aside, Front-runner. This is the end of your life."
Ahead lay an unfamiliar landscape, the sound of hooves echoing through the blood-red depths of Hell. So this was the view from the rear—the Executioner had ultimately fallen into Hell.
"ONE."
The countdown began.
"Huh? Not only Speedstar, but Kousei is lagging behind too?"
Normally, Kousei would be in the middle of the pack. But now, as the horses clustered at the front, she lingered at the back.
"It's hard to say," the Trainer, acting as commentator, remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"Kousei has a trait most have forgotten: her free-spirited running style. This means she can adapt to any situation. Perhaps this is her deliberate strategy. Think carefully—who's at the back of the pack?"
The other commentator gasped, "Tenmile Cloud?!"
"Exactly. According to Central's announcement, Tenmile Cloud follows Speedstar."
She was going to make these arrogant Geniuses retire one by one.
Tenmile Cloud trailed at the back of the pack, as she always did, calmly observing the situation and seeking the perfect moment to strike. But today, the usually quiet rear of the field was marred by a discordant note.
She had faced countless provocations before, but never anything as aggressively confrontational as this. Kousei had deliberately adopted the same running style, her eyes burning with arrogance—it was truly... infuriating!
"What's wrong, Genius? Not running?"
Faced with Kousei's brazen taunts, Tenmile Cloud suppressed her rising fury.
"Stay calm," she reminded herself. "There's no need to compete with her. I just need to maintain my own pace."
As an End Closer, the final straight was her true stage.
But a debuff uma is born to disrupt the racetrack. If you don't want to run, I'll force you to.
Tenmile Cloud's senses flashed red, Kousei's brilliant eyes glowing crimson. Though she had no idea what was coming, a strange premonition seized her.
I can't fall behind! If I fall behind now, I'll never catch up!
A tremor ran through her.
What's happening behind me?
The thunderous beat of horseshoes hammered against her heart. Through the swirling mist, a jet-black figure surged forward.
The chaotic rhythm of her strides suggested she was fleeing some monstrous presence.
Once again, the Tokyo Racetrack was shrouded in mist.
"What's happening? Why did Tenmile Cloud charge headfirst into the pack? Is this a riot?"
Twilight Cloud, maintaining her position in the middle of the pack, kept a wary eye on the commotion behind her. She had noticed Tenmile Cloud's erratic behavior the moment the mare surged into the pack.
Cloud's expression... is that fear? Before she could ponder further, a crimson mist descended, carrying an ominous, obscure dread.
"You truly are arrogant."
Twilight Cloud's pupils flickered slightly as a crimson figure materialized behind her.
"Long time no see, Senpai~" Despite the sudden appearance, Twilight Cloud remained remarkably composed.
The crimson figure vanished without a word.
"Want to play? Then I'll play along~" In the swirling mist, a fox opened its eyes.
"What's going on? The pack has become a chaotic mess since Tenmile Cloud and Kousei joined. This is bad news—if this keeps up, we'll be caught in a free-for-all. Caesar Rose will swoop in and claim victory."
Rice Shower, watching the pandemonium unfold, murmured, "It's alright. A free-for-all favors Kousei."
Her footsteps slightly hurried, the other Umamusume were agitated by the hostility hidden within the Mist, their resolve wavering.
Tch, Tenmile Cloud clicked her tongue, choosing to plunge into the chaotic throng of Umamusume to escape the obstructed future.
Surrounded by Umamusume on all sides, she had no room to maneuver.
The fleeting opportunity to break through demanded immediate action, leaving no room for hesitation. Most crucial was locating the instigator lurking somewhere nearby, the one who had unleashed this chaos.
"The first turn is coming up. I'll create an opening there."
A leg strength worthy of a champion could break through even the most chaotic pack of horses, simply by circling to the outer lane.
"Hm?"
"Trying to go to the outer lane?"
A detestable smile stretched across Kousei's face as she blocked Tenmile Cloud's path, appearing as if from nowhere.
"How could you be here? It's as if you knew I'd be here in advance!"
Even Tenmile Cloud had only just devised her strategy, yet Kousei had already anticipated it, blocking her path as if she could foresee the future.
Does she possess the same foresight ability as her?
But if that were true, could she truly be considered a "Mediocre Talent"?
"Hmph! This is getting interesting!"
Her battle spirit surged, revealing her hero's true form. Brows furrowed in fury, her eyes blazed with ferocious determination.
This strike—
Let the Evil Ghost's blade be tested!
The sword cleaved the air with a thunderous roar, shattering into echoing fragments. Even a lion hunting a rabbit would strike with full force. Her body transformed into a blade, slashing through the Mist.
"Let me test you! Do you possess the worth to be destroyed?!"
With earth-shattering force, she proclaimed her genius.
Even mired in a muddy swamp, she could turn the tide!
Retreat? Evade? With the blade already at her throat, what choice remains?
But first, let's ask a question:
"You... how do you compare to that thunder?"
Bang!
Like a thunderclap shattering the sky, the two Umamusume collided. The impact sent tufts of grass flying like they had been scythed, the shockwave rattling the hearts of every Umamusume watching.
No retreat, no evasion.
The Red Evil Ghost met the Hero's slashing strike head-on. Even more astonishing, Tenmile Cloud seemed to be overwhelmed. A thunderous roar emanated from beneath her Personal Racing Outfit as her body, defying all reason, pressed forward with overwhelming force!
"This is impossible! I'm actually being overpowered!" Twilight Cloud exclaimed in disbelief.
She who was renowned for her physical strength, was losing in a direct clash of bodies.
"Damn it! What's with this girl?! She's as hard as granite! What kind of training has her body endured?!" A flicker of savagery crossed Tenmile Cloud's face.
Perhaps Mejiro's overwhelming strength had made everyone forget: raw power was the foundation of the Gate Technique, and physical dominance remained the simplest, most direct form of restraint.
"As expected, I can't compare... to a god."
Though she wasn't even present on the track, everyone inexplicably recalled that legendary grey horse who had arrived with the thunder:
The "Thunder Beast," a divine being who had dominated the Japanese Derby.
Come.
Behead, then triumph.