After the race, Kousei underwent a medical examination. Kashimoto Riko and Rudolf stood outside the examination room, waiting.
Kashimoto Riko's gaze toward Rudolf was complex. She scrutinized the Emperor's face, trying to discern any sign of abnormality.
But Rudolf's expression remained impassive, leaving Kashimoto Riko empty-handed.
"Is this what you wanted me to see? Watching an Umamusume lying on a surgical table for examination?" Kashimoto Riko's voice was sharp and cold.
Rudolf faced her accusation calmly. "You're an excellent trainer," she said.
Kashimoto Riko's brow furrowed slightly, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning behind Rudolf's words.
Just as she was about to press further, the examination room door swung open, and the Central Doctor emerged, holding a report.
"How is she?" Kashimoto Riko asked, setting aside her thoughts about Rudolf for now.
The Doctor handed her the report.
Kashimoto Riko's expression shifted from anxiety to astonishment. Her eyes seemed to ask the doctor, "Are you sure you have the right report?"
The doctor noticed Kashimoto Riko's skepticism and reaffirmed that he hadn't made a mistake.
"How is this even possible?"
Colliding with a barrier at such high speed, especially with the impact near her eyes, should have caused severe injuries. During her fierce race against Narita Brian, Kousei had repeatedly crashed into the barrier. By the time she crossed the finish line after that grueling long-distance battle, she looked utterly exhausted.
"To be honest, we're astonished ourselves. This child possesses an unimaginable level of physical resilience, making her incredibly resistant to injuries. Her recovery rate is equally astonishing. Despite enduring such a brutal race, her body began repairing itself without any medical intervention.
It's almost as if her body has its own consciousness. Once she exceeds a critical threshold, her body seizes control and protects her."
"Medical recommendations?"
"Rest and recuperation. Aside from mild fatigue, her body is completely unscathed."
Competitive sports are brutal, especially for Umamusume, who walk a razor's edge. Countless Umamusume have been forced into early retirement due to injuries. Whether a prodigy or an ordinary talent, all are equally vulnerable to the ravages of injury and illness.
"Hey, Trainer! Will I become the number one Umamusume?!"
"Look! I won!"
"Huh? Why can't I?"
Kashimoto Riko suddenly clutched half her face in pain, the memories she had deliberately suppressed flooding back into her mind.
Rudolf, observing Kashimoto Riko's distress, suddenly spoke up: "Acting Chairman, have you ever heard this story?"
"What story?"
"Once upon a time, in a small, unremarkable town, there lived an exceptionally powerful Umamusume. Her appearance and demeanor were like flames, and on the racetrack, she devoured her opponents like a raging fire. Victory after victory, she left both her rivals and spectators in awe of her talent.
Yet one day, this very Umamusume abruptly left the competitive stage, catching everyone completely off guard.
"'I've finished my time as a racing Umamusume,' she declared. 'Now I'll begin a new life as a mother.'"
Though some felt a pang of regret, people quickly turned their attention to the unborn child.
As her due date approached, the Umamusume awaited her child's birth in the Delivery Room. One day, she beheld the legendary Three Goddesses.
"Do you wish to pass your Talent onto your child?"
Instead of answering immediately, the Umamusume countered with, "Can I exchange my Talent for something else?"
"Of course," the Goddesses replied.
The Umamusume gently stroked her belly, her eyes brimming with maternal love. "I wish for this child to be healthy, safe, and happy."
The health she gained by exchanging all her Talent, accompanied by a resounding cry, was born into the world, imbued with her Mother's love.
Playful laughter, carefree joy, and healthy growth followed, just like any ordinary life.
Later, even though the Three Goddesses were never seen again, every child would make the same wish as their Mother.
People gradually forgot the Umamusume who burned like a flame, and they gradually became just another face in the crowd. Yet the Goddesses' blessing never faded. Surely, that flame-like Umamusume must still be watching over her descendants.
Kashimoto Riko paused, slightly taken aback. "You mean Kousei...?"
"Hahaha!" Rudolf suddenly burst into laughter. "Don't mind me, Acting Chairman. It's just a story, after all. There's no way to verify its truth.
But I do have a question for you.
Knowing they'll get hurt, knowing they might fail, why do Umamusume still charge onto the racetrack, one after another?"
Kashimoto Riko clearly hadn't considered this question before. She couldn't answer Rudolf's question.
"Can't answer? I thought you'd have figured it out by now, having gotten this far."
The Doctor's gaze darted back and forth. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke up. "Kousei's doing well. Would you like to go in and take a look?"
The two finally pulled themselves out of their intense conversation.
"You're right," Rudolf said, stepping forward first. Kashimoto Riko followed close behind, her thoughts unreadable.
Kousei lifted her arm to her nose, immediately grimacing. "It reeks of sweat."
She sniffed again.
Ugh, still stinky.
Rudolf and Kashimoto Riko happened to witness this scene. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
"Hey, call the doctor again. It seems she's got a problem with her head," Kashimoto Riko said sternly as she began dialing the phone.
"President! Acting Chairman! You came all the way here just to see me?" Kousei exclaimed. But with her radiant personality, she couldn't care less about the situation.
"Yes, you seem exactly as the doctor described," Rudolf replied with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry! I'm fine, just a little hungry," Kousei said cheerfully, her genuine smile showing she wasn't forcing herself.
"Oh! Look, Acting Chairman Kashimoto! I beat Narita Brian!" Kousei flashed a V-sign at Kashimoto Riko.
As Kashimoto Riko gazed at Kousei, her mind conjured the image of another Umamusume.
"You got lucky this time and weren't injured. But that won't always be the case. Do you understand what it means for an Umamusume to collide with the rail at full speed?"
Though Kashimoto Riko had already discussed this issue with Rudolf earlier, seeing Kousei lying in the hospital bed still stirred a surge of anxiety in her. Despite knowing Kousei was unharmed, the scene felt too eerily familiar.
Kashimoto Riko didn't even know who she was angry at.
Kousei smiled faintly. "I know. I understand better than anyone else. Remember what I told you?
'It's not about us winning against you; it's about you winning against us.'
In my debut race, I ran three times—without a Trainer, a proper rest area, or anyone watching out for me.
I lost my first G1 race and didn't win a single race in the Classic Triple Crown. After parting ways with my friends, I drifted through G3 races, enduring scorn and contempt. Every day, people would swarm online to tell me to 'stop running'.
I had a friend named Dicta Striker. She was the Derby champion—the most special race in the Classic Triple Crown. But that Derby became her inner demon. She avoided the Japan Cup, and people called her a coward. Overnight, the radiant Derby champion became a pariah.
Do you know where she is now? She left Central, left Tracen, and vanished to a place known only to herself.
Urara has run countless races without ever winning. Her race venues are far from Tracen. Even though she lives with us, she's never run alongside us. But Urara never complains. She keeps running and running, always hoping for the day she can run with everyone else.
She wanted to become a hero, protecting the future she would run towards alongside everyone else.
"Acting Chairman Kashimoto, do you understand what this means?"
Kousei slowly slid off the hospital bed, the accumulated fatigue in her body making her steps falter slightly. She fixed her unwavering gaze on Kashimoto Riko.
"Even in the face of overwhelming despair, we continue to exist.
Perhaps you don't realize this, but the Japan Cup might have been my last race. I wagered everything on it.
My scientist friend always told me, 'Since you're here, this is your stage.'
I don't need protectors; I need comrades.
To run when we want, to run however we want—this simple, self-evident truth, why can't you understand it, Acting Chairman?
Don't look at me with that guilty expression. Every decision we Umamusume make stems from our own desires.
If Central stands in our way, we'll crush Central. If the Emperor blocks our path, we'll overthrow the Emperor.
This has nothing to do with talent. I will always run with all my might, heedless of the consequences, until I catch up to my dreams, until the day my soul finds eternal rest.
Because we exist for this very purpose."
In a place unknown to the world, a fanatical scientist sacrificed her life for the sake of running. Meanwhile, an exquisite doll, left alone in the shadows, envied every Umamusume who stepped onto the racetrack.
We are not masters of our own fate, yet we never give up.
Rudolf smiled, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Kashimoto Riko offered no response, her gaze equally radiant.
"We'll win the next race," Rudolf declared.
It seemed they would never persuade each other.
Very well, she thought. Let our running speak for itself.
Downstairs, Rudolf and Kashimoto Riko stood side by side.
"What about the rest of that legend you mentioned?" Kashimoto Riko suddenly asked.
"Ah, the rest of it? Later, every child chose to step onto the racetrack, as if their mothers had all made the same wish. Even in defeat, they would swallow their pride and struggle to rise again. Generation after generation, their burning spirit never seemed to fade."
Little Cocon and Bitter Glasse stood in the sunlight, waiting for Kashimoto Riko. She glanced at her Dedicated Umamusume before stepping out of the shadows into the light.
"Is that so? It doesn't sound like just a legend."