A few weeks later...
King once again continued her daily training on the track.
Her pace remained consistent as she held the lead, carefully controlling every step. She neither accelerated nor slowed, maintaining the pace as she rounded the turns.
This time, however, Urara remained on the sidelines.
At Yuiji's request, she had been sitting out of the session so he could make one final assessment of King's abilities before her debut.
Only three days remained.
Meanwhile...
Throughout the week, King still hadn't raced Seiun Sky since their last encounter.
Especially the day after Yuiji suggested they have another match, King decided she would take matters into her own hands.
Only to...
A few weeks earlier...
As the class ended, King stopped in front of Sei in the corridor.
"Hey, Sei."
Slowly, Seiun glanced toward her.
"Oh..."
"If it isn't my favorite Umamusume."
"Wassup?"
"F-Favorite...?" King's expression twisted.
She quickly leaned her head backward, as though physically distancing herself from the sheer absurdity of the statement.
Then she straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
"A-Anyway..."
"Today, I have a request for you."
"Do you remember how our last race was considered inconclusive?"
"Last race...?" Sei tilted her head.
Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling as she searched her memory, looking as though King had just asked her to recall an insignificant detail ages ago.
Then, suddenly—
"Oh! That!"
She slapped a fist into her open palm.
"Yeah, so...?" She shrugged.
And King's eyebrow instantly twitched.
"Don't 'so' me!"
She cleared her throat again, forcing herself to regain her composure.
"Ac-Actually... I was thinking about—"
"No thanks."
King froze.
For several seconds, she simply stood there.
Her mouth remained slightly open, and her expression was completely blank.
It took her a moment to process what had just happened.
Until—
"W-WHAT?!"
"I haven't even finished speaking yet!"
Sei glanced at her, giving King a knowing look.
"It was about a rematch, wasn't it?"
"You see, I just don't really..."
She yawned before continuing,
"...feel like it."
"W-WHAT?!" King leaned toward her, her composure instantly cracked.
"You were the one who claimed I hadn't seen the real you!"
"You acted as though you were some mysterious, first-rate Umamusume!"
"And now you're refusing to give me another chance to race you?!"
"The one and only first-rate—"
"Yeah, yeah..." Sei lazily waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm just not in the mood to race you."
At that, King stared at her in disbelief.
"Not in the mood...?"
"That's right." Sei stretched as her arms rose above her head.
"Besides..."
She glanced sideways at King.
"It's not as though we'll never race again."
"Our futures are still far ahead of us, ain't they?"
"So... why the rush?"
"Eventually, we'll probably race each other again."
She then gave a small, almost amused smile while lowering her arms.
"Maybe until then, you'll finally see what I'm capable of."
And... she yawned again.
"After all... spending all day at school, I'm already exhausted."
"Why don't you just get back to your training?"
"I'm sure Urara is waiting for you as usual."
At that, King's eye twitched.
"Damn you... Seiun Sky."
She huffed, folding her arms.
"How dare you turn down a request from someone such as myself?"
"I'll remember this!"
"Yeah... yeah..."
Seiun waved dismissively before glancing over King's shoulder.
"Speaking of which..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Where's Urara?"
"Don't tell me you let her wander off again like last time."
Instantly, King froze.
"W-What...?"
She immediately turned around.
And the spot where Urara had been standing was indeed...
...empty.
King's eye twitched again.
"Damn it! Not again!"
"Urara!"
She immediately dashed off in the direction Urara had disappeared.
Behind her, Seiun simply remained where she was, lazily raising a hand.
"Bye-bye, King."
"And try not to trip again."
"I'll remember this, Sei!"
"Just you wait!"
There, King shouted over her shoulder as she continued running, her voice gradually fading into the distance.
Meanwhile, Sei stayed where she was, watching her disappear around the corner.
Then, once King was completely out of sight, she casually turned and walked away in the opposite direction.
And just like that...
Their conversation ended without anything resembling a satisfactory conclusion...
...
...
...
Back in the present—
King continued running around the track.
Her pace was collected, and her movements were controlled.
Her acceleration was sharper than before.
Each time she pushed forward, her stride lengthened, her body leaning naturally into the increase in speed. She carried herself with a confidence that hadn't been there weeks ago.
On the sidelines, Urara watched with sparkling eyes.
"Whoa!"
"King is sure amazing!"
"Look at her go! She's so fast!"
Yuiji nodded proudly, rubbing his nose lightly as he watched King rounding the bend.
"Yeah... She really is."
"She's come a long way since the first time we met."
"Sometimes..."
He paused, his gaze softening.
"It's almost like she's ready to fly straight past everyone."
"Far beyond what I could ever reach."
Urara nodded enthusiastically.
"Right?!"
She clenched both fists as she bounced slightly on her feet.
"Sometimes King feels like she's in a whole different league!"
"I wonder when I'll finally get my chance to show off my own skills!"
Yuiji chuckled.
"I'm sure you will someday."
"I'm sure you'll..."
His voice trailed off.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
They simply watched King continue around the track.
Her footsteps struck the ground in a rhythm.
Neither spoke.
They were both quietly captivated by her performance.
Until—
"Who would've thought..."
"...that I'd never get another chance to watch my daughter race?"
A calm yet sharp voice suddenly cut through the silence.
Immediately, Yuiji's entire body stiffened.
He slowly turned around.
And the moment his eyes landed on the woman standing behind them, they widened.
"Y-Y-You are...?!"
The woman glanced toward him.
Her eyes traveled slowly from his head to his feet.
"So..."
"You're my daughter's trainer."
At that, Yuiji swallowed nervously.
Then she turned back toward the track, watching King as she ran.
"Her form is lacking."
"Her focus is elsewhere."
"And her endurance..."
She paused.
"...I suppose it's decent."
"But still... It isn't enough."
Her eyes then narrowed.
"Amateur."
Meanwhile, Yuiji quickly approached her, bowing slightly as he did.
"I-I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Halo!"
In response, King's mother gave him another brief glance.
"Is this..."
"...the best you can offer my daughter, Mr. Trainer?"
Before she turned fully toward him.
"From what I've observed, my daughter is still far from being properly prepared for the realities of competitive racing."
"Is this truly the best you can provide?"
"Or perhaps..."
She tilted her head slightly.
"...my daughter simply made the wrong choice in selecting you."
"W-Well, I—!"
Yuiji tried to respond, but before he could, King's mother simply raised one hand.
"Your name?"
Taken aback, Yuiji straightened.
"Yu-Yuiji!"
"My name is Yuiji! It's a pleasure to—"
"Timid."
"Sluggish posture."
"Poor articulation."
"Questionable manners..."
She paused.
"And a lack of meaningful eye contact."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you truly an amateur, Yuiji?"
At those comments, Yuiji froze.
For a moment, his voice simply failed him.
"I... I...!"
But before he could articulate, King's mother simply added.
"As expected."
She then turned her attention back toward the track.
"Your lack of guidance has clearly affected my daughter."
"She is nowhere near the potential she should possess."
"Or perhaps..."
She placed a finger against her chin.
"...perhaps she never will be."
With those words, immediately, something in Yuiji clicked.
His head lowered as his hands slowly clenched.
Then, he stepped forward.
"W-What are you talking about, Mrs. Halo?"
"King is clearly doing well."
"She's nowhere near as sluggish as you mentioned."
He pointed toward the track.
"I-I mean, look at her!"
"Her breathing is steady, and her pace is uniform."
"Even her focus hasn't completely fallen apart despite you being here."
"I-I'd call that a win."
"Is that so...?" King's mother tilted her head.
"Yet her form is inconsistent."
"Her arms and legs drift too far apart."
"Her eyes remain focused..."
"...yet occasionally wander."
"As though something else occupies her thoughts."
"Something preventing her from reaching her full potential."
"She clearly wasn't at her best—"
"NO!"
Urara suddenly stepped forward, clenching her fists.
And Yuiji and King's mother immediately both turned toward her.
"King is doing great!"
"Just like she always does!"
"You see..."
"King always pushes herself so hard on the track!"
"She stays ahead every time I try to catch her!"
"And she's faster every time I get better!"
She pointed toward King.
"King is clearly better than what you said!"
"And it's not just because of King!"
"Her trainer helped her too!"
"If it weren't for him, King probably wouldn't have improved this much!"
"I know it isn't perfect!"
"But improvement is still improvement!"
She clenched both fists against her chest.
"That's what King always told me!"
"And that's what I've been trying to do too!"
"So please..."
"Stop looking down on King!"
"She's doing her best!"
For a moment...
King's mother said nothing.
She simply studied her.
Then her lips parted slightly as her eyes widened.
"You..."
"I knew I'd seen you somewhere."
"You're the one who lost so badly during King's Trial Race."
"The one left far behind the field."
"The one whose performance made everyone question how you could possibly have entered Tracen."
She narrowed her eyes.
"And by what miracle..."
"...did you secure your place in this academy?"
She paused as her expression hardened.
"If you're here..."
"...then perhaps this academy truly has lost its standards."
She then stepped closer toward Urara.
"And you..."
"On what grounds do you think you may speak to me in such a manner?"
"You are nothing but an insignificant child..."
"Someone who has attached herself to another person's success."
"And now you have the audacity to interrupt an adult conversation."
She then leaned slightly closer.
"You barely understand what we're discussing."
"Yet you still believe you have the right to involve yourself with my daughter."
"Perhaps leaving my daughter in the academy's care has already diminished her standing."
"Especially if this is the sort of company she keeps."
"You little vermin—!"
Suddenly—
"That's ENOUGH!"
A breathless voice cut through the conversation.
And everyone turned.
There, standing nearby, King's hands braced against her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
"That's enough, Mother!"
Meanwhile, Urara's expression immediately brightened.
"King!"
At the same time, King slowly lifted her head, straightening herself to face her mother.
"Do not..." Her fingers curled into fists.
"...speak like that..."
"...about my friend."
There, King's mother turned fully toward her daughter.
"Took you long enough, King."
She glanced toward the track.
"And here I was wondering when you would finally finish that minuscule stretch of track
Tracen offers—"
Before she could continue, King stepped forward.
"Why are you here, mother?"
They paused.
For a moment, silence fell between them, and neither spoke.
They simply glared at each other, their eyes locked in a tense standoff, one radiating authority, and the other defiance.
Until—
"I said..." King added as her fingers tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"Why are you here?!"
"Mother!"
Author:
This will be the last chapter for a while, as I'll be taking an indefinite break. Thank you so much for reading this far. I'm going to take some time to reconsider the direction of the story, as it started to feel more like I was forcing it forward rather than genuinely letting it grow. Hopefully, I'll be back soon with a clearer plan for its future.
TQ, and peace