A crushing aura pressed down, forcing all who entered the Forbidden Zone to bow their heads.
Their hearts pounded wildly, as if on the verge of exploding. Yet even so, the beasts refused to slow their pace.
I must bite through her throat!
I will answer the King's arrogance with blood and roars!
"A beast is nothing but a beast!"
Displaying a new form, everything would change from this moment onward. Her acceleration was so sudden, it seemed as if she had vanished, making it impossible to pinpoint when she began to accelerate. As Caesar Rose surged forward, the roses on her suit bloomed fully.
"Catch her on the turn!"
The Evil Ghost's hands covered Caesar Rose's eyes. Kousei had to block her on this turn!
"Don't even think about it!"
Caesar Rose shifted her body, blocking Kousei's path forward.
"As long as I have these eyes, you'll never beat me!"
The road ahead vanished; there was no time to adjust her course after entering the turn. That should have been the case, but why was Caesar Rose accelerating instead of slowing down?
No road left? Not necessarily!
Collisions were forbidden in the turn zone. Why had she charged in?
Caesar Rose suddenly froze, seeing Kousei brushing against the guardrail, mere millimeters away.
Could she really squeeze through that tiny gap?
But just as Kousei was about to exit the turn, her shoulder collided with the guardrail. The unexpected impact threw her off balance, nearly causing her to fall.
Kousei barely managed to regain her footing, narrowly avoiding crashing into Caesar Rose or tumbling to the ground.
"Is this girl's brain made of mush?"
This was undoubtedly a reckless maneuver. Had she miscalculated, the consequences would have been far more severe than a mere injury.
Yet despite such a dangerous stunt, Kousei wore a triumphant smile.
Caesar Rose had never encountered someone like this before, and a strange feeling stirred within her.
"Magnificent! I shall adorn my royal court with your head!"
Excitement! Desire!
No matter what, Caesar Rose had to claim this warrior!
"What? Did your eyes fail to foresee this future?"
The Royal Authority Sword materialized—the King, destined to rule the world, would now personally take the field!
"I have seen the future! You will be utterly defeated before me!"
Blazing speed shattered the sound barrier, leaving a golden trail across the racetrack. Within the royal court, roses bloomed amidst thorny thickets, making every step treacherous.
Rose petals fluttered, and a billowing cape proclaimed the King's majestic presence.
Intrusion. Disruption.
Eyes that gaze into the future, a scepter that obstructs destiny.
Crimson Mist surged anew, a harbinger of doom signaling the dynasty's impending doom.
"Mere royal authority! Mere thorns! We've waited far too long for this victory!"
The Demon God descended, chasing madness. Blood-colored flame wheels rose, a new sun blazing over Tokyo Racetrack.
Burn! Burn!
Destroy everything! Tear that complacent King from his throne!
With the Blood Edict etched in your heart, run with savage joy!
Even from the stands, one could feel the scorching breath of the race, the dazzling will permeating the racetrack.
"This is your fury! Magnificent! But it's useless against me!"
The Crown continued to radiate boundless light, majestic and sacred, utterly oblivious to human suffering.
Chains erupted from the earth, shattering the instant they touched the King.
"I was born a King! Now learn to kneel, beast!"
Unaffected by the Gate Technique, his future-seeing eyes completely blocked Kousei's path.
Was she truly helpless?
"No! It's not over yet!"
Sirius's words echoed in her mind: You must see through Narita Brian.
I'm not Narita Brian, the overwhelming talent. But! Brian is far more than just a genius!
Even if she's no longer the Monster! She's still the strongest! The Seeker!
Even without her invincible running form, she remained Narita Brian!
The indomitable Narita Brian, who dared to bare her fangs at the strong!
Her mother wouldn't be afraid, and neither would Narita Brian.
"You talk about surpassing your peak! But you're still hiding in your own shadow! Stop crying, you coward!"
If she faltered now, how could she face the younger self who had yearned to grow up to be like her?
Each thunderous stride left craters in the grass. Step after step, her speed surged higher.
Every footfall felt like her utmost effort, every step like her last.
The demons charging through the Thorny Briar were left battered and torn.
Like a Seeker, she would evolve through this life-or-death struggle!
"Caesar!"
"I WILL REACH YOU!"
Kousei drew close to Caesar Rose, but those eyes—those eyes she could never overcome!
This was the insurmountable gulf between genius and ordinary talent.
"I won't lose! This time, I absolutely won't!"
Even if she couldn't break through Caesar Rose's defenses, Kousei still had a chance.
The final stretch—the ultimate stage where all Umamusume would determine victory or defeat.
The Crimson Demon God rose into the sky, its claws bared and teeth gnashing.
"Didn't I tell you it's useless?!"
The Crown's Radiance erupted, preventing any malevolent entity from approaching even a hair's breadth.
But when did the Gate Technique ever require restraining the opponent?
"ROAR!!!!!!"
This wasn't a triumphant roar; it was a howl laced with boundless agony. More like the mournful cry of a trapped beast, a demonic deity clinging to brilliance.
The crushing pain in her nerves, her body's silent screams, her eyes blurring the path ahead—she had become a grotesque caricature, half-uma, half-demon.
Caesar Rose's heart shuddered at the sight of this grotesque form. "Can she still be called an Umamusume in this state?"
"They always told me I shouldn't keep running.
So sometimes I doubted myself, wondering if giving up would be better.
But I also saw people who were counting on me.
Am I not allowed to carry a dream?
How could I forget? I started running for myself in the first place.
If there were a story with me as the protagonist, I'd tell the Divine who created me-
Go die!"
Just like at the Japanese Derby, Kousei's radiant body shielded her once again.
Tortured by the Gate Technique, her steps grew slower and slower. It wouldn't be long before Kousei stopped running altogether.
The fusion of thought, will, and reaction, that was the answer Kousei could offer.
"If you vanish, I'll vanish with you."
Unprecedented, never before had an Umamusume destroyed herself.
Air Shakur's eyes widened. In that instant, she saw Agnes Tachyon.
"Are you running, Tachyon?"
So that's why, Air Shakur finally understood why Tachyon had said she and Kousei were so similar.
They each possessed what the other envied most: the generation-sweeping genius trapped by her frail body, and the mediocre talent with a healthy physique tormented by her lack of innate ability.
The Divine was truly playing a cruel joke.
"What kind of joke is this?!"
Air Shakur tore off her disguise, rushed to the front lines, and shouted across the racetrack, "Run!"
It was an unexpected sight. The crowd stared at Air Shakur, unsure how to react.
Yes, run.
Like an Umamusume!
Extreme pain, a reckless gamble with full awareness of the consequences. Risking everything for a future where she could keep running.
"I am Kousei, the one who has sacrificed everything for the sake of running!"
This is who I was meant to be.
"Continuing to run might lead to injury. Are you sure you want to proceed?" the enigmatic Umamusume before her asked.
"Of course," she replied, her voice concise and powerful.
"Is that so? Then let us fight on without reservation! My precious treasure!"
The shadow receded, revealing the Umamusume burning like a flame in her true form.
Shattered, then reborn, surpassing her peak!
Tearing apart her soul, she ripped out her true heart!
A crisp crack, something shattering.
"I see it now—the path of the wind."
The world before me transformed anew.
"Vanished?" Caesar Rose stared in disbelief. Her eyes, which could see the future, failed to glimpse even a trace of Kousei's brilliance.
"Where did she go?"
An ominous premonition set alarm bells ringing in Caesar Rose's mind.
Silver hair danced in the wind, revealing vivid crimson streaks beneath. The red mist that had shrouded the racetrack vanished completely, replaced by a single, brilliant star.
Alone or reviled, it mattered not.
The answer had been declared to the world from the very beginning. If the world had forgotten, she would say it again.
This is the Umamusume world!
Here, dreams reign supreme!
Run! Charge into the domain of the Divine!
"This is!" Rudolf gasped in astonishment. Something was rapidly expanding from Kousei's radiant core.
But then, for some unknown reason, it suddenly vanished.
"Kousei is coming! She's charging ahead!" the commentator shouted excitedly.
Final stretch!
"Time for a desperate final push!"
Her footsteps were so light they barely seemed to touch the ground. How could she move with such effortless grace while sprinting across the flat ground?
"Control your knees! Take your first step here!"
As if vanishing into thin air, Kousei's final stride sent her streaking across the earth like a meteor.
"I don't care what you've learned! Victory will be mine!"
The figures of geniuses like Caesar Rose, Teio, and McQueen flickered before Kousei's eyes.
"Get out of my way, Genius!"
Final stretch. Caesar Rose won't lose. She's a Genius!
But Kousei's figure overtook her, leaving Caesar Rose bewildered and confused.
There was no clash, no parallel stride—the gap between them widened relentlessly.
"I'm a Genius! How could I possibly lose on the final straight in a test of talent?"
Caesar Rose glanced back and saw a tidal wave of malice surging behind her.
"Has she been carrying this burden all along?"
So that's it. Caesar Rose faltered, unable to run at full strength.
Even roses wither under the relentless onslaught of malice.
From the purest malice, the purest Umamusume was born, flawless and pristine.
"Four lengths! Look at that!
The legend of the Grey continues! A brand new third chapter!
Regional blood triumphs over the orthodox once again!
Her name will echo across the world!"
Grey manes fluttered across the finish line, stars shimmering on her Personal Racing Outfit. So this is the view from ahead, she thought, extending her hand to feel the wind slip through her fingers.
Tell me, Genius, what does your future-seeing eye see now?
"Did I... win?"
Kousei seemed uncertain. There were no cheers, no applause—the arena was eerily silent.
But it doesn't matter.
Kousei strode toward Caesar Rose, who appeared lost in thought. When their eyes met, a steely resolve shone through Caesar Rose's beautiful, starry eyes.
"Get lost," Kousei said. "Tell them Central sent you home."
A sudden tremor surged through Caesar Rose's chest, as if Kousei had no intention of hearing her reply.
Step by step, Kousei approached the Winner's Stage. The reporters and spectators tensed, their gazes fixed on the champion with complex emotions.
But Kousei stopped just before the Winner's Area. One step short, just one step.
Her silence only heightened the tension in the arena. Then, in the midst of tens of thousands of spectators at the nationally televised Tokyo Racetrack, she finally cracked a smile, a twisted, mischievous grin.
"Watch closely. This is my winner's pose."
Kousei lowered her eyelids, stuck out her tongue, and made a face at the cameras, directed toward the audience.
The crowd froze, stunned into silence.
"Idiot~" Kousei muttered softly, turning toward the Winner's Passage.
Absurd, utterly absurd.
Bearing the weight of a thousand condemnations, yet I cannot abandon my rebellious spirit.
Yes, why should I care about their judgments?
I run for myself, needing neither their praise nor their scorn.
My heart burns bright, my soul shines fiercely, I have earned my place among the Umamusume.
This was Kousei's first time walking through the Winner's Passage, her first step toward a new beginning.
At the passage's gate, her two dearest friends were waiting for her.
It was strange, how when you finally commit to moving forward, applause suddenly erupts from behind.
"You won."