The storm stirred up by Kousei spread rapidly, with Tracen Academy being the first to feel its impact. Following Kousei's spectacular success, discontented voices targeting Central began to surface and intensified dramatically in a very short time.
Long-simmering tensions finally boiled over, and the first to bear the brunt was Acting Director Kashimoto Riko. The Thorough Management Education Program had been controversial since its implementation, but the issue had previously been resolved through the simplest means possible. Led by the Student Council and Kashimoto Riko, they had defeated Sirius, led by Tokai Teio, in the Seishun Cup showdown, bringing the matter to a crude and forceful conclusion.
While this heavy-handed approach yielded quick results, it failed to address the root problem. The apparent calm concealed a turbulent undercurrent. The Thorough Management Education Program was an extremely risky move, one whose pros and cons could not be easily summarized.
Its educational philosophy of equal treatment, indiscriminate allocation of training resources, and absolute priority for Umamusume had benefited a significant number of students. As a result, Acting Director Kashimoto still had a substantial base of supporters.
Without delving further into the Thorough Management Education Program itself, let's discuss its problems. As a potent remedy, it had propelled Tracen Academy to rapid prominence in a short time.
However, it overlooked the human element. At their core, Umamusume racers are just young girls, and suppressing them during their most turbulent adolescent years naturally leads to various psychological problems.
Secondly, the thorough management and centralization of power threatened to erase the Umamusume's individual will.
Throughout history, free will has never coexisted peacefully with the cage of control. Tracen Academy had no shortage of mavericks, and the most disruptive among them were the runners with the "Golden Blood."
They were defiant, wildly imaginative, and acted on impulse. They were the least likely to thrive under the Thorough Management Education Program, causing endless trouble for Kashimoto Riko and giving her constant headaches. Then there were loners like Narita Brian.
While they didn't cause trouble, they were equally ungovernable, rarely accepting any instructions and acting solely on their own judgment. Narita Brian's position as Vice President made the impact of her actions particularly difficult to gauge.
CB, Maruzensky, Tachyon... Tracen was filled with eccentrics. On top of that, since Kashimoto Riko took office, one unexpected incident had followed another.
Kousei, Tachyon, Twin Turbo, Bourbon, Rice Shower, and the humiliation of the Japan Cup—these crises piled up one after another, leaving her completely overwhelmed.
The Thorough Management Education Program was originally intended to protect the Umamusume, but now it seemed the costs far outweighed the benefits. Thanks to Air Groove and Symboli Rudolf, who still stood by her side, Kashimoto Riko was barely managing to cope. With these two titans in her corner, she could just about hold things together.
A mighty dike can collapse from a single anthill. All the problems were merely on the surface; the real issue lay within Kashimoto Riko's own heart. Did she still believe in her Thorough Management Education Program as fervently as she once had?
The journey had been fraught with far too many unexpected situations. It wasn't just exhaustion; it was a silent suffering she couldn't articulate. Indeed, who in the Central administration could possibly understand her? Who were her allies?
The situation was volatile. If anyone planned to make a move, now was the perfect time.
On a quiet morning, a bombshell story spread like wildfire across the internet. Leo Durban and Black Bullet had formally challenged the Central administration to a Seishun Cup showdown, their sights set directly on Symboli Rudolf. Their goal: a complete overhaul and the establishment of a "New Student Council."
The news sent shockwaves through the community. Even Kousei, who was abroad, was stunned when she heard.
Because Kashimoto Riko herself had reinstated the Seishun Cup's competition format, she couldn't refuse the challenge without undermining its legitimacy. But even so, Kashimoto Riko had no reason to back down from such a direct confrontation.
With the conflict escalating, she urgently needed something to soothe public sentiment. Leo Durban, the charismatic [Hero], was the key. If Kashimoto Riko could secure her assistance, Tracen Academy would surely stabilize.
Kashimoto Riko's confidence stemmed, naturally, from Symboli Rudolf. It didn't matter if other Student Council members refused to help; as long as the [Emperor] was present, no one could overturn the established order.
The weight of the [Absolute] was enough to suppress the entire Central administration.
As speculation swirled, Acting Chairman Kashimoto's lineup seemed almost transparent. Air Groove and Symboli Rudolf were certainties. Tokai Teio, having recently joined the Student Council and idolizing Rudolf, would likely follow her into battle. Little Cocon and Bitter Glasse, Kashimoto Riko's own trainees, were two powerhouses with every reason to compete.
The other members were uncertain, and the lack of substitutes reduced their flexibility and adaptability. However, the core team's quality was top-tier; they feared no opponent.
Leo Durban's side, however, was a different story. Currently, it consisted only of Leo Durban and Black Bullet. Though both had matured into first-rate competitors, they still seemed outmatched against the Student Council. No matter how much public support they commanded, a lack of raw power would be their downfall.
Almost everyone thought of the same person at once. The answer was obvious.
The inheritor of legends, the reigning [Strongest] Umamusume—Mejiro McQueen.
She had been among the first Umamusume to oppose the Thorough Management Education Program. Logically, she should not approve of Kashimoto Riko's actions. But with this opportunity now before her, it was highly likely she would join the fray.
Compared to the previous Seishun Cup, Mejiro McQueen was now at her absolute peak. Unrivaled in the long-distance domain, she had claimed Seven Crowns, matching the [Emperor]'s record and carving her own legend of consecutive victories—a legacy destined to be celebrated for generations.
The prospect of a clash between the [Strongest] and the [Absolute], or a rematch of [Heaven vs. Earth], sent shivers down everyone's spines. The mere thought was breathtakingly exciting.
In such an era of legends, how could one not feel, "Even in death, I would have no regrets"?
Naturally, these rumors reached Kashimoto Riko's ears, but she paid them no mind, treating them as mere background noise. She knew that the current McQueen was indeed far stronger than before; the title of reigning [Strongest] was no empty boast.
But McQueen's mindset had long since changed.
Frankly, Kashimoto Riko felt that McQueen was losing control. After succeeding as the head of the Mejiro Clan, the obsession with "fulfilling her noble mission" had taken root in her heart like an inner demon. She grew paranoid, and following the Takarazuka incident, McQueen forbade any other Mejiro Family Umamusume from participating in URA races.
She would win every prize herself. No one else would get hurt, no one else would suffer. The era of Mejiro's dominance would be achieved by her alone.
Paranoid yet powerful, she was becoming more and more like a [God].
Ryan withdrew from the world, and Palmer left for distant lands. The [God] remained blind to her family's pain, lost in her own mission. She was gradually transforming from Mejiro McQueen into the guardian deity of the Mejiro Clan.
Everyone saw it happening, yet everyone was powerless to stop it.
In the relentless tide of the era, you and I are far from the only ones who are helpless.