Moments passed.
And time did as well.
The morning continued to move forward.
At Kyoto Race Course, the final preparations for the Shuka Sho were already underway.
At Nagoya...
They were running out of time.
The race would begin in approximately one hour.
And they were still an entire prefecture away.
Inside the multi-story car park of the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel...
Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black were running as fast as they could.
Their footsteps echoed through the concrete structure.
The sound bounced off the pillars and walls as the two Umamusume hurried through the parking level.
Teio was breathing rapidly.
"Man, man, man! We're so late!"
Kitasan nodded rapidly as she ran beside her.
"I know, Teio-san! I know!"
Teio looked ahead.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the familiar Sky Step Blue FD3S.
Her RX-7.
"There!"
She accelerated.
Kitasan followed closely behind.
Teio reached the driver's side door.
She grabbed the handle and pulled it open quickly.
The door swung outward.
"Come on!"
She immediately climbed inside.
Kitasan reached the left-hand corner of the parking lane.
Her foot landed awkwardly.
"Whoa!"
She nearly slipped.
Her arms swung outward as she stumbled.
For a second, it looked like she was going to hit the concrete floor.
But she caught herself.
"Whoa..."
She regained her balance.
Then immediately continued running.
"Wait for me!"
Teio was already inside.
She slid into the driver's seat.
Her hands went straight for the ignition.
The key was inserted.
She twisted it immediately to the ignition-start position.
The starter engaged.
Rrrr...
The engine didn't turn over.
Teio froze.
She held the key.
The starter tried again.
Rrrr...
The cabin lights dimmed.
The dashboard illumination flickered.
The starter sounded weaker.
Then...
Nothing.
Teio's eyebrows rose.
She tried again.
Rrrr...
Then came the sound.
CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!
The starter relay chattered rapidly.
Kitasan had just reached the passenger side.
She threw the door open and climbed inside.
Then she heard it.
She looked toward Teio.
"What's that noise?!"
Teio's eyes widened.
She knew immediately.
Her palm slammed against the top of the steering wheel.
"Crap!"
Kitasan froze.
Teio looked at her.
Her forehead was already beginning to sweat.
"The battery's gone flat!"
Kitasan's mouth dropped open.
"WHAT?!"
Teio turned the key again.
Nothing.
Another weak click.
Then silence.
Teio released the key.
She stared at the dashboard.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
Kitasan placed both hands behind her head.
"Ohhh! What are we gonna do?!"
Teio rubbed her forehead.
"We're already late!"
"And now the car won't even start!"
The two looked at each other.
Neither had an answer.
Finally, they climbed back out.
Teio stepped out of the driver's seat.
Kitasan climbed out from the passenger side.
Almost in unison, they closed their respective doors.
THUNK.
The sound echoed through the parking structure.
The two met in front of the RX-7.
Teio crossed her arms.
Kitasan inserted both hands into her pant pockets.
"Now what?"
Teio shrugged.
"I don't know."
Kitasan looked toward the exit.
Then toward the elevator.
Then back toward the RX-7.
"Could we jump-start it?"
Teio looked at the battery.
"Even if we find someone with jumper cables, we'd still have to wait."
She sighed.
"And we don't have time!"
Kitasan groaned.
"This is bad..."
Teio nodded.
"Really bad."
Then...
They heard something.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The sound of heels against the concrete floor.
Both of them turned toward the elevator area.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A figure emerged from the elevator lobby.
The two girls stared.
Their eyes widened.
And almost simultaneously...
"Ardan-san!"
Mejiro Ardan stopped.
Her eyes widened slightly.
She looked toward her left.
"Oh."
She smiled.
"Teio and Kita-chan."
Ardan walked toward them.
Her heels continued clicking against the floor.
She stopped a few meters away and gave them a polite little bow.
"What's going on?"
She looked toward the RX-7.
"Problems?"
Teio rubbed the back of her head.
"My car's battery's gone flat."
Kitasan nodded.
"And we need a ride to Kyoto!"
Teio nodded rapidly.
"We've got to get to the Shuka Sho!"
Kitasan clasped both hands together.
Teio did the same.
The two bowed.
"Can we ride with you going to Kyoto?!"
Ardan blinked.
Then she chuckled softly.
"Of course, you two."
The two lifted their heads.
"I'm heading there myself anyway."
Teio's eyes widened.
"Really?!"
Ardan laughed again.
"Of course, silly."
Kitasan looked at Teio.
Teio looked at Kitasan.
Neither needed to say anything.
Their problem had just been solved.
Kitasan immediately straightened.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
She turned toward Ardan.
"Let's head out, then!"
Ardan nodded.
"Alright."
The three began walking across the parking level.
Teio glanced back at her RX-7.
She frowned.
"Sorry, buddy..."
Kitasan looked back as well.
"We'll deal with the battery later."
Teio nodded.
"Yeah."
The Sky Step Blue FD remained parked beneath the fluorescent lights.
Its engine was silent.
Its battery was too weak to turn the starter.
For now, it would have to stay behind.
The three Umamusume continued toward Ardan's car.
And soon...
They reached it.
The 1995 Alpina B12 750iL 6.0 sat quietly in its parking space.
Its long body and elegant proportions looked almost out of place among the ordinary vehicles surrounding it.
The Alpina wore its understated appearance well.
No unnecessary side graphics.
Only the subtle bumper decal.
The silver HRE Classic 305 wheels caught the overhead lighting.
Ardan reached into her bag.
She retrieved the key fob.
She pressed the unlock button.
CLICK.
The door locks unlocked.
The alarm chirped once.
The hazard lights flashed twice.
Teio smiled.
"Nice."
Ardan walked toward the driver's side.
Being a left-hand-drive car, the steering wheel was on the left.
She grabbed the driver's door handle.
Pulled.
The door opened.
Ardan stepped inside.
She lowered herself carefully into the driver's seat.
Teio immediately walked around toward the front passenger side.
Kitasan followed.
Teio opened the passenger door and climbed inside.
Kitasan opened the rear passenger door.
She hopped into the back seat.
The B12's cabin was spacious enough to accommodate all three comfortably.
Ardan closed her door.
Then Teio closed hers.
Kitasan pulled the rear door shut.
The cabin became quiet.
Ardan inserted the key into the ignition.
She turned it to the first position.
The dashboard came alive.
The gauges illuminated.
She paused briefly.
Then twisted the key farther.
The starter engaged.
Rrrr...
The large 6.0-liter V12 turned over smoothly.
Then...
It came to life.
The engine settled into a quiet, refined idle.
A deep, almost effortless mechanical hum filled the cabin.
Teio smiled.
"That's more like it."
Kitasan leaned forward slightly from the rear seat.
"Wow..."
Ardan smiled.
"She's always been a very quiet car."
She adjusted her mirrors.
Then pulled the seatbelt across her body.
Click.
The belt locked into place.
Ardan checked the mirror again.
Then looked toward Teio beside her.
Then toward Kitasan in the back.
"Ready?"
The two nodded.
Teio pointed forward enthusiastically.
"Let's go!"
Ardan smiled.
"Alright."
She placed her right hand on the gear selector.
The B12 was an automatic.
She pressed the brake pedal.
Then moved the selector from Park into Drive.
The transmission engaged smoothly.
Ardan released the brake.
The Alpina began creeping forward.
Slowly.
Quietly.
The steering wheel turned as Ardan guided the long sedan out of its parking space.
She checked for traffic.
Then turned toward the exit ramp.
The three were finally on their way.
Out of the parking structure.
Onto the streets of Nagoya.
And eventually...
Toward the expressway.
But the clock was not waiting for them.
The Shuka Sho was only an hour away.
Kyoto was still a considerable distance from Nagoya.
Even with the expressway ahead, they had a long journey in front of them.
Teio looked at the clock.
Then at the road.
Then back at the clock.
"How long does it take to get to Kyoto from here?"
Ardan answered honestly.
"Normally?"
She paused.
"About two hours."
Teio's ears dropped.
"Two hours?!"
Kitasan leaned forward from the back seat.
"Then..."
She looked toward Teio.
Teio looked back.
The two slowly realized the problem.
If everything went normally...
They might arrive after the race had already finished.
Teio's hands clenched.
"We can't miss King's race."
Kitasan nodded.
"We won't."
Ardan glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
"Don't worry."
She smiled.
"We'll get there."
Teio looked forward.
The Alpina moved onto the expressway.
The V12 settled into its rhythm.
The road stretched ahead.
Nagoya slowly disappeared behind them.
And somewhere far to the west...
Kyoto Race Course was preparing for the Shuka Sho.
The gates.
The crowd.
The cameras.
The racers.
King Halo.
Everything was moving toward the same moment.
Teio looked down at her phone.
The race schedule was still displayed.
One hour.
Her eyes widened.
"We've got to make it."
Kitasan nodded firmly.
"We will."
Ardan kept both hands on the steering wheel.
Her eyes remained focused on the road.
"We'll do our best."
The B12 continued west.
A two-hour journey lay ahead.
And with the race starting in less than an hour...
There was a very real possibility that Teio and Kitasan would arrive too late.
Unless...
Something changed.
Because the Shuka Sho was getting closer.
And the clock...
Was still ticking.
Back at the racecourse...
Inside the changing room.
The atmosphere was quiet.
The sounds of the enormous crowd outside were muffled by the walls.
Occasionally, the distant announcement system could be heard through the building, followed by the faint roar of spectators somewhere beyond the corridors.
The Shuka Sho was getting closer.
And King Halo was almost ready.
She stood in front of the mirror, finishing the final details of her G1 race dress.
She looked down.
Then bent forward slightly.
Her fingers reached toward the center buckle of her white Mary Jane heels.
She carefully looped the strap over the gold-colored side buckle.
Click.
Secure.
She repeated the process on the other shoe.
Click.
Secure.
King straightened herself.
She took a few steps toward the mirror.
Her heels made quiet tapping sounds against the floor.
She stopped.
And looked at herself.
Her brown hair framed her face.
The familiar long, wavy locks that had become one of her most recognizable features.
King stared at her reflection.
She exhaled slowly.
Today was different.
This wasn't simply another G1.
This wasn't simply another Triple Tiara race.
This was supposed to be the end.
The end of her Twinkle Series career.
The end of one chapter of her life.
She turned away from the mirror.
Then walked toward her duffle bag.
King crouched down.
She opened it.
Her hand moved through the contents.
Her racing gloves.
Some spare clothing.
Personal belongings.
A few necessities.
Then her fingers stopped.
There was another item inside one of the pockets.
A knife.
King stared at it.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she carefully picked it up.
She stood.
And walked back toward the mirror.
Her reflection stared back at her.
King's eyes narrowed slightly.
She lifted the knife.
Then reached behind her head with her free hand.
Her fingers grabbed the back portion of her long, wavy brown hair.
She pulled it forward.
The strands fell over her shoulder.
King looked at herself one more time.
Then...
She cut.
A section of her long hair fell away.
She continued.
Another cut.
Then another.
The long locks that had reached down her back were gradually shortened.
King worked carefully.
Not hurriedly.
Not violently.
Just deliberately.
When she finally stopped...
She lowered the knife.
Both of her hands fell to her sides.
Her iconic long, wavy brown hair was gone.
Her hair was now short.
The front portion, however, remained long.
It still fell naturally around the sides of her face and down toward her shoulders, preserving the recognizable shape of her hairstyle while giving her an entirely different appearance.
King stared at herself.
She tilted her head slightly.
The girl in the mirror looked familiar...
But different.
Older.
Sharper.
Almost like she was leaving something behind.
King slowly ran her fingers through the newly shortened hair.
She exhaled.
"This final race..."
Her eyes hardened.
"I will give it everything."
She looked directly into her own eyes.
"I will..."
She paused.
"...go the distance."
King placed the knife safely back into the duffle bag.
Then closed it.
She stood there for another moment.
No hesitation.
No second thoughts.
Whatever happened after today...
Today was still hers.
She turned toward the door.
The Shuka Sho was waiting.
At the main grandstand...
Unknown to King...
Her mother had arrived.
Goodbye Halo had managed to find a ticket.
It had not been easy.
The race was completely sold out.
The entire venue was packed.
But somehow...
She had gotten in.
Goodbye walked through the crowded grandstand area.
She held a piece of paper in one hand.
The paper listed the runners.
Their odds.
The expected contenders.
And the fan favorite.
She looked down.
Her eyes moved through the list.
Then stopped at the very top.
King Halo.
Highest odds of winning.
Fan favorite.
Goodbye's expression changed.
Her ears drooped slightly.
Her eyes softened.
"Oh, King-chan..."
She lowered the paper.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
She remembered the argument.
The parking area.
King crying.
The ticket.
The words.
The anger.
And finally...
King telling her not to come.
Goodbye shook her head.
She couldn't think about that right now.
She had come anyway.
Not because King had invited her.
She hadn't.
Not because their relationship had been repaired.
It hadn't.
But because this was King's final Twinkle Series race.
And Goodbye wanted to see it.
Even if King didn't want her there.
She continued walking.
Eventually, she reached the front railing.
She stopped.
Then looked out over the racecourse.
The sight was enormous.
The entire venue was packed.
Rows upon rows of spectators filled the grandstands.
Other Umamusume stood among the crowd.
Human spectators held banners and signs.
Cameras were positioned throughout the venue.
The atmosphere was electric.
Everyone was waiting.
Everyone was talking.
Everyone was anticipating the same thing.
The Shuka Sho.
Goodbye looked around.
Then turned to her left.
She noticed two familiar figures.
Orfevre.
And Gentildonna.
Goodbye's ears perked slightly.
She walked toward them.
As she approached, she raised one finger politely.
"Excuse me, ladies?"
Orfevre opened her right eye.
She looked toward Goodbye.
Gentildonna turned her head directly toward her.
Goodbye gave a small bow.
"You must be Gentildonna-san and Orfevre-san, correct?"
Gentildonna nodded.
"That's right."
Orfevre gave a slight nod.
Goodbye smiled.
"It's nice to finally meet the legendary Triple Crown and Tiara winners."
Orfevre nodded.
"Thanks."
Gentildonna smiled politely.
"I appreciate the support."
She paused.
"Miss?"
Goodbye's ears perked up.
She placed one hand against her chest.
Then bowed.
"Goodbye Halo."
Silence.
The change was immediate.
Gentildonna's eyes widened.
Orfevre's remaining closed eye opened.
Both of their expressions changed.
Their ears moved backward.
The warmth disappeared from their faces.
Goodbye noticed.
But didn't understand why.
Gentildonna raised an eyebrow.
"Goodbye Halo?"
Goodbye nodded.
"That's right."
She smiled politely.
"I was a former Tracen student myself."
Gentildonna and Orfevre looked at one another.
Neither said anything.
Then they looked back at Goodbye.
Orfevre slowly closed her eyes again.
She turned her attention toward the racecourse.
"This conversation is over, Miss Halo."
Goodbye blinked.
Gentildonna nodded.
She then opened one eye and looked directly at Goodbye.
"If I were you..."
She gestured subtly toward the surrounding grandstand.
"...I'd find another spot."
Her tone remained controlled.
"The view is pretty bad from here."
Goodbye blinked twice.
She finally understood.
They didn't want her around.
Not after what had happened.
Not after hearing what King had gone through.
Goodbye's ears lowered.
"A-Ah..."
She bowed slightly.
"I see."
She tightened her grip on the piece of paper.
"I-I'll take my leave."
She turned around.
Then began walking away.
She carefully moved around the other spectators, excusing herself as she passed.
"Excuse me."
"Sorry."
"Pardon me."
Eventually, she disappeared farther into the crowd.
Gentildonna watched her leave.
Orfevre remained facing the track.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Then Gentildonna sighed.
"That was probably for the best."
Orfevre opened her eyes.
"Agreed."
Gentildonna looked back toward the track.
"But..."
She paused.
"...she came."
Orfevre's expression remained stern.
"Apparently."
Gentildonna folded her arms.
"King told her not to."
"I know."
"And she came anyway."
Orfevre's ears twitched.
"Then King will decide what to do about that."
Gentildonna nodded.
"Exactly."
Neither of them knew what Goodbye intended to do.
Neither knew whether she would try to approach King after the race.
Neither knew whether King would even acknowledge her.
But for now...
There was only one thing that mattered.
The race.
Far away from the grandstand, behind the closed doors of the changing facilities...
King Halo was preparing to step onto the track.
And outside...
The entire racecourse was waiting for her.
The final race of the Triple Tiara.
The final Twinkle Series race she had announced.
The Shuka Sho.
And somewhere in the packed grandstand...
Her mother was watching.
Whether King knew it or not...
Goodbye Halo had made it to the race.
Meanwhile.
The Alpina B12 6.0 of Mejiro Ardan was rapidly approaching the expressway.
The large sedan had already left the streets of Nagoya behind. Buildings and elevated roads surrounded them as Ardan guided the B12 toward the on-ramp, the deep, refined sound of its V12 barely audible inside the well-insulated cabin.
Teio sat in the front passenger seat.
Kitasan was in the rear.
Both had been expecting a comfortable, relaxed drive.
After all, Ardan had described the Alpina as quiet and comfortable.
She had never said anything about being fast.
The Alpina reached the on-ramp.
Ardan's hands remained steady on the steering wheel.
Her eyes flicked toward the road ahead.
Then, without saying a word, she pressed the accelerator pedal farther down.
The V12 responded immediately.
The engine note deepened.
The transmission sensed the increased throttle input and automatically kicked down through multiple gears.
The engine climbed rapidly.
3,500 RPM.
4,500.
5,500.
6,000.
The smooth V12 continued pulling without hesitation.
The scenery outside began to blur.
Teio's eyes widened.
She looked down at the speedometer.
Then back toward Ardan.
Ardan remained completely composed.
Her left hand rested naturally on the steering wheel while her right hand stayed nearby, ready to make whatever steering corrections were necessary.
The engine climbed toward its upper rev range.
Then—
The automatic transmission shifted.
The next gear engaged smoothly.
The V12 dropped slightly in pitch before immediately climbing again.
The Alpina surged forward.
Teio stared.
She slowly turned her head toward Kitasan.
Kitasan was already staring back at her from the rear seat.
Teio mouthed the words.
"I didn't know Ardan-san drives fast!"
Kitasan's ears perked.
She nodded vigorously.
"Me too!"
Teio turned back toward the windshield.
The Alpina continued accelerating.
Ardan's foot remained heavily planted on the accelerator.
The big 750iL was deceptively quick.
Its long body and luxurious interior made it feel like a grand touring limousine, but beneath the hood sat a 6.0-liter V12 capable of pushing the car forward with effortless authority.
There was no drama.
No violent shaking.
No frantic engine noise.
Just relentless acceleration.
The expressway opened ahead.
Ardan merged cleanly into traffic.
She checked her mirrors, indicated, and moved into the appropriate lane.
Then she continued onward.
Nagoya was rapidly disappearing behind them.
The skyline became smaller.
The elevated structures gave way to longer stretches of expressway.
Road signs appeared overhead.
Kyoto.
The destination was getting closer.
Much faster than Teio and Kitasan had expected.
Time flew by.
The Alpina continued eating up the kilometers.
Inside the cabin, the three Umamusume remained relatively quiet.
The only constant sound was the refined hum of the V12 and the faint rush of air around the bodywork.
Eventually, Teio glanced at the clock.
Her eyes widened.
Thirty minutes.
Only thirty minutes remained until race time.
"There's no way..." Teio muttered.
Kitasan looked at her phone.
"I know."
Teio looked toward Ardan.
The Mejiro Umamusume looked completely relaxed.
Her posture hadn't changed.
Her hands remained steady.
Her eyes remained focused on the road.
The Alpina continued onwards.
The speedometer hovered around 180 kilometers per hour.
At that speed, the large sedan seemed to glide across the expressway.
Ardan didn't appear nervous.
She wasn't gripping the wheel excessively.
She wasn't making sudden movements.
Every steering input was smooth.
Every lane change was deliberate.
Every throttle adjustment was controlled.
Teio stared at her for a moment.
Then looked back down at her phone.
Kitasan was doing the same.
Both began doomscrolling through their phones.
Race updates.
Live traffic reports.
Social media posts.
News articles.
Fan reactions.
Everything imaginable was appearing on their screens.
Teio's thumb stopped.
She looked at another headline.
Then another.
She sighed.
The entire country was watching.
And somewhere ahead, King Halo was preparing for what she had publicly declared to be her final Twinkle Series race.
Teio lowered her phone slightly.
She looked at Ardan.
"Ardan-san?"
Ardan glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Yes?"
"Am I bothering you at all if I ask something?"
Ardan shook her head.
"Not at all. Go ahead."
Teio scratched the back of her head.
"Uh..."
She glanced toward Kitasan.
Kitasan looked back.
"It might be a bad time, but..."
Teio hesitated.
"Have you heard about what happened with King?"
Ardan's expression changed.
Only slightly.
The relaxed look on her face faded.
She sighed quietly.
"I've heard from Maruzen."
Her eyes remained on the road.
"It's horrible that King had to go through something like that..."
Kitasan blinked.
She lowered her phone.
Then leaned forward between the front seats.
"What King's mom did was very wrong."
Ardan nodded.
"I know."
Her hands remained steady on the wheel.
For several seconds, none of them spoke.
The V12 continued humming.
The expressway continued stretching ahead.
Then Ardan spoke again.
"The argument was so bad that King could have gotten drunk, you know."
Teio's eyes widened.
"Drunk?!"
Kitasan's ears shot upright.
"King drinks?!"
Ardan immediately shook her head.
"No."
She raised one finger from the steering wheel for emphasis before returning it to the wheel.
"She only had one sip of a beer."
Teio blinked.
"One sip?"
"One sip."
Ardan nodded.
"But one sip can mean anything."
Her eyes drooped slightly.
"It wasn't the alcohol itself that worried me."
"It was everything that happened before it."
Teio's expression became serious.
Ardan continued driving.
"King was already emotionally overwhelmed. She had been carrying all of that for years. Then the argument happened, and everything came out at once."
Kitasan slowly nodded.
"She finally snapped."
"Yes."
Ardan sighed.
"Then came her announcement."
Teio looked at her.
"The retirement announcement?"
Ardan nodded.
"Yes."
She paused.
"She changed who she said inspired her."
Teio tilted her head.
"Who, Ardan-san?"
Ardan glanced at Teio for a brief moment.
Then returned her attention to the road.
"Her mother."
Teio's expression tightened.
She understood immediately.
"Now that's even worse."
Ardan nodded.
"King was badly hurt by what her mother did."
Her voice became quieter.
"She had to alter who inspired her to get into racing."
Kitasan looked down.
The thought clearly bothered her.
Because King had told Forever Young something different.
She had admitted that her mother was the person who originally inspired her to become an Umamusume racer.
Rudolf had become another inspiration later.
But that wasn't what King had said publicly.
She had changed the story.
Not because she wanted to deceive everyone.
But because saying the truth about her mother probably hurt too much.
Teio looked out the window.
The scenery continued rushing past.
"That's really sad..."
Ardan nodded.
"It is."
She kept her eyes forward.
"Imagine admiring someone so much that they become the reason you choose your entire future."
Her fingers shifted slightly around the steering wheel.
"And then imagine that same person eventually telling you that the future you chose isn't good enough."
Nobody answered.
There wasn't much to say.
The Alpina continued forward.
180 kilometers per hour.
The kilometers between Nagoya and Kyoto were disappearing rapidly.
The trio remained quiet for several moments.
Then Kitasan looked down at her phone again.
The race countdown was still there.
Twenty minutes.
Only twenty minutes remained.
Kitasan's eyes widened.
"We're twenty minutes away."
Teio leaned forward.
"What?"
"Twenty minutes."
Teio looked toward the windshield.
The signs ahead were becoming more familiar.
Kyoto was getting closer.
Much closer.
Ardan checked the next overhead sign.
Their exit was approaching.
She eased off the accelerator slightly.
The V12 settled down from its sustained high-speed pull.
The transmission shifted smoothly.
The Alpina remained composed as Ardan moved toward the appropriate lane.
The exit was rapidly approaching.
Teio looked at Kitasan.
Kitasan looked back.
Neither of them said anything.
They didn't need to.
They were going to make it.
Somehow, despite leaving Nagoya late, despite Teio's RX-7 refusing to start, despite the wasted time in the hotel parking structure, they were almost there.
Ahead, the expressway exit sign came into view.
Ardan switched on the indicator.
The Alpina moved smoothly toward the exit.
Kyoto was just ahead.
And somewhere beyond those roads, beyond the buildings and the traffic and the packed streets, Kyoto Race Course was waiting.
So was King Halo.
And her final race.
At the Race Course, however...
The atmosphere could not have been more different.
Deep beneath the main grandstand, away from the roar of the crowd and the constant movement of spectators, there was a long underground passageway leading toward the infield.
The passageway was quiet.
Almost unnaturally so.
The walls were lined with fluorescent lights, their pale glow stretching across the polished floor. Staff members occasionally moved through the distant corridors, but for the moment, there was little activity around the passage itself.
King Halo walked alone.
Her footsteps echoed.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The sound of her white Mary Jane heels traveled down the corridor with every step.
Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides.
Her arms remained still.
Her posture was straight.
But her eyes were only half-open.
Not from exhaustion.
Not from sleepiness.
She simply looked inward.
Her mind was somewhere else.
Yesterday.
Her mother.
The argument.
The parking lot.
The ticket.
The pieces of paper scattering across the concrete.
The bar.
The beer.
Forever Young.
Rudolf.
Everyone coming to find her.
And then...
Her announcement.
She had told the entire country that this would be her final Twinkle Series race.
After today, she would transfer to the Dream Trophy League.
No more G1 races.
No more Triple Tiara campaigns.
No more Twinkle Series.
At least, that was what she had decided.
King continued walking.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Ahead of her, the end of the underground passageway was becoming brighter.
The light from the infield was spilling into the corridor.
King narrowed her eyes slightly.
She could hear something now.
The distant rumble of the crowd.
Thousands upon thousands of voices.
A low, indistinct roar that grew louder with every step.
The Shuka Sho.
Her final race.
Her final chance to complete the Double Slam.
Her final chance to write her name into history.
King's fingers curled tighter.
Then—
Another pair of footsteps.
Faster than hers.
Approaching from behind.
Click-click-click-click.
King's ears twitched.
She slowed slightly.
The footsteps caught up.
Then came a light tap on her shoulder.
"Hey. King?"
King stopped.
She turned her head to the left.
Cesario stood beside her.
The Umamusume had clearly been heading toward the infield as well, her expression bright despite the tension surrounding the race.
Cesario smiled.
Then her eyes moved upward.
She looked at King's hair.
Her eyebrows rose.
"King! Your hair. It's shorter now!"
King reached up and briefly touched the back of her hair.
The difference was obvious.
The long, wavy brown hair that had become so closely associated with her appearance was gone from the back.
Now it stopped around her shoulders.
The front remained longer, framing the sides of her face.
It was a dramatic change.
A last-minute one.
King gave a small nod.
"Last-minute hairstyle change."
Cesario nodded slowly.
"I see."
She looked at King for another moment.
There was something different about her.
Not just the hair.
Not just the expression.
King looked like someone who had finally reached the end of something.
But at the same time...
She looked more determined than ever.
Cesario smiled.
Then gently patted King's back.
"All the best today!"
King nodded silently.
Cesario moved ahead.
Her footsteps joined the growing echoes of the underground passage before gradually becoming quieter.
King watched her disappear toward the light.
Then she continued walking.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A few more steps.
Then another pair of footsteps.
This time, slower.
Measured.
Familiar.
King's ears twitched again.
The footsteps came closer.
Then an arm gently rested across her shoulders.
King looked to her right.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Kaichou?"
Symboli Rudolf smiled.
"All the best today, King."
King looked ahead.
Rudolf's arm remained comfortably around her shoulders.
"Go get that Double Slam."
She paused.
"Write your name into the history books."
King's expression slowly changed.
The heaviness in her eyes didn't completely disappear.
But something else appeared.
Confidence.
The familiar confidence that had made her King Halo.
She smirked.
"I will give it all I've got, Rudolf."
Rudolf smiled.
"I know you will."
King nodded.
Rudolf gave her back a gentle pat.
"Go out there and win it, then."
King nodded again.
She stepped forward.
Rudolf slowed.
King continued walking.
The light ahead became brighter.
The sound of the crowd became louder.
And as King approached the incline leading out of the underground passageway, Rudolf stopped.
She watched her student walk away.
King's silhouette gradually became surrounded by sunlight.
Her heels clicked against the final section of flooring.
One step.
Then another.
King reached the top of the incline.
She paused for only a fraction of a second.
Then walked into the light.
Rudolf smiled.
Her eyes narrowed with pride.
"Go get them, Ace."
King was gone.
Only the sound of the crowd remained.
Then—
Rudolf's phone rang.
She reached into her pocket.
The screen displayed a familiar name.
Gentildonna.
Rudolf answered immediately and brought the phone to her ear.
"Gentil?"
Gentildonna's voice came through instantly.
"Kaichou."
There was something in her voice.
Something serious.
"Goodbye Halo is here."
Rudolf's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Goodbye Halo is here."
Gentildonna repeated herself.
Rudolf looked toward the light at the end of the passageway.
"How?"
Gentildonna lowered her voice.
"I don't know. But she's here."
Rudolf's expression hardened.
"That ticket King said was ripped to bits."
"I know."
Gentildonna looked around the grandstand.
"I don't know how she got another one, but she's here."
Rudolf slowly turned her back toward the light.
She began walking in the opposite direction.
Away from the infield.
Away from where King had just disappeared.
"Where is she?"
"Near the front."
Gentildonna paused.
"She's watching."
Rudolf stopped.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her expression became completely serious.
Then her voice lowered.
"Let her watch the race."
Gentildonna remained silent.
Rudolf slowly turned her head.
She looked over her shoulder.
Back toward the light.
Back toward the infield.
Back toward the daughter who was about to run the most important race of her career.
"Let Halo see how her daughter really runs."
She paused.
"Let her see what a first-rate Umamusume can really do."
There was silence on the other end.
Then another voice suddenly came through the call.
"Any guesses on distance, Kaichou?"
Rudolf blinked.
"Chiyono?"
Chiyono's voice came through.
"Yes."
Rudolf closed her eyes for a moment.
She knew exactly what Chiyono was asking.
The question wasn't about whether King could win.
Everyone already knew King was capable of winning.
The question was how much she would win by.
How much destruction she intended to unleash on the field.
Rudolf opened her eyes.
"More than thirty lengths."
There was silence.
Chiyono's voice became noticeably quieter.
"Thirty?"
"Lengths."
Rudolf nodded despite knowing they couldn't see her.
"Or distance."
Chiyono's eyes widened.
She slowly turned toward Maruzensky.
Maruzensky had clearly heard everything.
Her expression changed instantly.
She leaned closer toward the phone.
"Thirty lengths?!"
Rudolf remained completely serious.
"That's my estimate."
Maruzensky stared at Chiyono.
Then back toward the track.
"That's..."
She couldn't even finish the sentence.
Forever Young suddenly butted into the conversation.
"Wait, wait, wait."
Her voice carried a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
"You are telling us that King will either match or shatter Secretariat's record?!"
Rudolf nodded.
"Yes."
She paused.
"If not..."
Her expression softened into a small, confident smile.
"I'll give you all five thousand yen."
There was a moment of silence.
Forever Young immediately responded.
"You've got a bet, then, Rudolf!"
Rudolf smiled.
"Deal."
She lowered the phone.
The call ended.
Rudolf stood alone in the underground passage.
The phone remained in her hand.
She looked toward the infield one last time.
Beyond those walls was a packed racecourse.
Thousands of spectators.
Cameras.
Reporters.
Staff.
Rivals.
Friends.
And one Umamusume who had decided that this would be her final Twinkle Series race.
King Halo had already made her decision.
Now there was only one thing left.
She had to run.
And if Rudolf's prediction was anything to go by...
She wasn't planning on merely winning.
She was planning on leaving nothing behind.
Nothing but distance.
Nothing but history.
Nothing but the sound of the crowd screaming her name.
Rudolf slipped her phone back into her pocket.
Then she turned.
And began walking toward the grandstand.
Toward the place where she could watch.
Toward the place where King would soon stand at the starting gate.
Outside, the roar of the crowd grew louder.
The final minutes before the Shuka Sho were ticking away.
And the King was coming.
At the Car Park.
The Alpina of Mejiro Ardan had finally arrived.
After the frantic drive from Nagoya, the large 750iL swept into the designated parking area surrounding Kyoto Race Course.
The V12 had carried them across the distance with remarkable ease.
Ardan guided the Alpina through the entrance, following the signs toward the reserved parking area.
Then she spotted it.
A row of parking slots clearly marked for Tracen Academy Umamusume and authorized personnel.
Ardan immediately moved toward the nearest available space.
She eased off the accelerator.
The Alpina slowed.
The automatic transmission downshifted smoothly as she applied the brakes.
The large sedan rolled into the parking slot and came to a quick, controlled halt.
The V12 continued idling for another moment.
Ardan shifted the transmission into Park.
Then turned the ignition off.
The engine fell silent.
For a brief moment, the cabin was completely quiet.
Then—
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The metallic sounds of the hot engine and exhaust system contracting filled the silence.
The V12 had worked hard.
The long journey from Nagoya to Kyoto had been cut down considerably by Ardan's pace, and now the engine was rapidly shedding its heat.
Teio immediately released her seatbelt.
Kitasan did the same from the rear.
Ardan opened her door.
Teio climbed out of the front passenger seat.
Kitasan stepped out from the rear.
"Come on!" Teio said.
"We're going to miss it!" Kitasan added.
The three immediately started jogging toward the Main Grandstand lobby.
Teio looked at the massive racecourse ahead.
The sound of the spectators was already overwhelming.
Thousands of voices.
Cameras clicking.
Announcers speaking.
Music playing somewhere in the distance.
The atmosphere was completely different from when they had left Nagoya.
This wasn't simply another race.
This was the Shuka Sho.
And everyone knew what was at stake.
King Halo's final Twinkle Series race.
Her chance to complete the Double Slam.
Her final race before transferring to the Dream Trophy League.
The three Umamusume hurried through the entrance.
They had barely made it into the Main Grandstand lobby when—
The loudspeakers around the course crackled.
A brief burst of static echoed through the venue.
Then the announcement came.
"All racers to your starting gate!"
The words immediately echoed throughout the entire racecourse.
"All racers, head to your starting gate!"
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The waiting was over.
The final preparations were finished.
It was time.
The racers began making their way toward their respective gates.
King Halo stood among them.
She looked up.
The bright Kyoto sky stretched above the racecourse.
The sunlight illuminated the stadium, the track, the spectators, and the massive grandstand surrounding them.
King slowly closed her eyes.
She took a breath.
In.
Out.
Her hands relaxed.
Then she whispered to herself.
"One last time in the Twinkle Series, King."
Her eyes opened.
A small smile appeared.
"Let's end with a bang..."
She turned toward the starting gate.
Her shortened hair moved slightly with the breeze.
The change was still unfamiliar.
The long hair that had followed her throughout so much of her racing career was gone.
But King didn't care.
Today wasn't about how she looked.
It wasn't about her mother.
It wasn't about the headlines.
It wasn't even about what everyone would say afterward.
Today was about the race.
The final race.
One more time.
One final run.
King began walking.
The other racers were already taking their places.
One by one, they approached their gates.
Officials moved around the starting area, checking positions and making final preparations.
The crowd grew louder.
Then louder.
Then louder still.
The excitement rolled across the racecourse like a wave.
Cesario approached her starting gate.
She glanced to her left.
King's gate.
Empty.
Cesario blinked.
"King?"
She looked around.
King wasn't there.
For a brief moment, Cesario wondered if something had happened.
Then she looked behind her.
And there she was.
King Halo.
Walking toward her gate.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Confidently.
Cesario watched her approach.
And then she noticed something.
Something she couldn't immediately explain.
Something that was difficult to put into words.
At first, Cesario thought it was simply the sunlight.
A trick of the eyes.
Perhaps the reflection from the track.
But as King came closer, it became more noticeable.
A faint green hue seemed to surround her.
It wasn't bright.
It wasn't something that could easily be pointed out to someone else.
There was no obvious glow.
No dramatic flash.
Just a subtle effect around King.
Almost like an aura.
A faint green presence that seemed to move with her.
Cesario's eyes widened slightly.
She stared.
"What..."
King continued walking.
Her expression was completely different from the one Cesario had seen earlier.
There was no hesitation.
No fear.
No uncertainty.
Only determination.
Cesario's eyes followed her.
The faint green hue remained.
She couldn't explain it.
It almost felt like something from a story.
Something that shouldn't exist.
Yet there it was.
Cesario swallowed.
"King's aura..."
She watched King approach her gate.
The crowd continued roaring around them.
Cesario's ears lowered slightly.
A strange feeling settled over her.
She had raced against strong Umamusume before.
She knew what it felt like when someone was confident.
She knew what it felt like when someone was in peak condition.
But this was different.
There was something about King today.
Something that made Cesario feel as though she wasn't looking at an ordinary racer preparing for another G1.
She was looking at someone who had reached the absolute limit of what she was willing to give.
Cesario's thoughts raced.
I have a feeling that we're going to be left behind.
Her eyes narrowed.
Or something else...
King reached her gate.
She stopped.
An official guided her into position.
King stepped forward.
Her heels clicked against the surface one final time.
She entered the starting gate.
The mechanism remained open for the moment.
King settled herself.
She looked straight ahead.
Her breathing was controlled.
Her posture was steady.
Her hands relaxed.
She didn't look toward the crowd.
She didn't look toward the cameras.
She didn't search for her mother.
She didn't look for Rudolf.
She didn't look for Fumino.
She didn't look for anyone.
Her eyes remained fixed on the track ahead.
The green hue seemed to linger around her.
Cesario looked toward her one last time.
There was something different about King Halo.
Something she had never seen before.
Then the officials began closing the gates.
One after another.
Metal doors slid into position.
Click.
Click.
Click.
King remained completely still.
Then—
The gate behind her closed.
King was locked into position.
The crowd erupted.
The final race of her Twinkle Series career was seconds away.
And whatever King Halo had left inside her...
She was about to unleash all of it.
At the Grandstands.
Goodbye Halo stood in an elevated section of the grandstands.
From where she stood, she had a clear view of the starting gates below.
The entire racecourse stretched out before her.
The track.
The infield.
The packed grandstand.
The thousands of spectators.
And, most importantly, the starting gate where her daughter was waiting.
Goodbye Halo remained quiet.
Her hands rested against the railing.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the gates.
She could barely make out the individual racers from this distance, but she knew exactly where King was.
Her daughter.
The Umamusume she had once held as a child.
The Umamusume who had grown into one of the greatest racers of her generation.
The Umamusume who had just announced that this would be her final Twinkle Series race.
Goodbye swallowed.
She had found another ticket.
Somehow.
She didn't know whether King would be happy to see her.
After what happened yesterday...
Probably not.
But Goodbye had come anyway.
She wanted to see King race.
She wanted to see her daughter one more time.
Maybe she could finally understand.
Maybe she could finally see what King had spent so many years trying to accomplish.
The crowd continued to murmur around her.
Then—
Footsteps.
Goodbye's ears twitched.
Someone was approaching from behind.
The footsteps grew closer.
Then stopped.
A familiar voice spoke.
"Hello, Goodbye Halo."
Goodbye froze.
Her eyes widened.
She slowly turned her head to the right.
"Rudolf?"
Symboli Rudolf stood a short distance away.
Her expression was unreadable.
She wasn't smiling.
She wasn't looking at Goodbye.
Her attention remained focused toward the racecourse.
"How are you?"
Goodbye blinked.
She wasn't expecting this.
"I'm well."
She hesitated.
"You?"
Rudolf slowly turned her head.
Her eyes met Goodbye's.
"Been better."
The words were calm.
But the tone wasn't.
Rudolf's eyes narrowed.
She looked back toward the starting gate.
Then back at Goodbye.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Goodbye raised an eyebrow.
"What am I doing here?"
She gestured toward the racecourse.
"I'm here to see King race."
Rudolf scoffed.
"See King race?"
Her voice carried a sharp edge.
"Or are you here to tell her to give it all up?"
Goodbye's eyes widened.
"What?"
Rudolf finally turned fully toward her.
She stepped closer.
"Don't."
Goodbye stared at her.
Rudolf's expression hardened.
"Don't stand there and pretend you don't know why everyone is angry."
Goodbye's ears lowered slightly.
"I don't understand—"
Rudolf raised a hand.
Then pointed directly at her.
"Look."
Her voice became firm.
"I'll cut it down short for you."
Goodbye remained silent.
"King nearly got drunk because of your actions."
Goodbye's eyes widened.
"Drunk?"
Rudolf nodded.
"That's right."
Goodbye stared at her.
"I—"
"She had a sip of beer."
Rudolf's voice remained controlled.
"But that isn't the point."
She stepped closer.
"The point is that she was so emotionally overwhelmed by what happened between you that she ended up at a bar."
Goodbye's expression fell.
Rudolf continued.
"Do you understand how serious that is?"
Goodbye shook her head slowly.
"I didn't know she would..."
Rudolf moved closer.
Their faces were now only a short distance apart.
"Everyone at Tracen knows what happened between you and King yesterday."
Goodbye's eyes widened further.
"Everyone?"
Rudolf nodded.
"Oh, yes."
Her voice was quiet now.
Almost colder than when she had raised it.
"King snapping in front of you."
"The argument."
"The things she said."
"The ticket she bought for you."
"The ticket she tore into pieces."
Goodbye's expression tightened.
She looked down.
Rudolf continued.
"King leaving the parking lot in tears."
"Driving away without knowing where she was going."
"Ending up at a bar."
"Then having to be found by her friends."
Goodbye's eyes slowly closed.
She hadn't known all of that.
She knew King had been angry.
She knew the argument had become ugly.
But she hadn't understood how far it had gone afterward.
Rudolf's eyes narrowed.
"So..."
She paused.
"Let me cut straight to the point."
Goodbye looked back at her.
Rudolf's expression was stern.
"You owe every Uma here today an apology."
Goodbye blinked.
"Every... Uma?"
"Yes."
Rudolf pointed toward the enormous grandstand.
"King's friends."
"Her classmates."
"Her rivals."
"The people who spent last night worrying about where she was."
"The people who drove across prefectures to find her."
"The people who stayed awake because they were afraid something might happen to her."
Goodbye lowered her gaze.
Rudolf's voice remained firm.
"And you are very overdue on King's apology."
Goodbye swallowed.
"I..."
Rudolf stepped back.
"Apologize."
The single word echoed between them despite the roar of the stadium.
Goodbye didn't answer.
Rudolf continued.
"Apologize to King."
"Apologize to the people who had to pick up the pieces after what happened."
"And understand that an apology isn't just saying the words."
Goodbye looked at her.
"It means acknowledging what you did."
Rudolf's eyes softened for only a moment.
"King has spent years trying to make you proud."
"She wanted you to see her."
"She wanted you to understand her."
"And yesterday, she finally told you exactly how much she had been hurting."
Goodbye's eyes began to glisten.
Rudolf noticed.
But she didn't back down.
"Whatever happens between you and King after today is between the two of you."
She turned slightly toward the track.
"But if you intend to remain part of the Tracen community..."
Rudolf looked back.
"...then you need to make things right."
Goodbye remained silent.
The crowd suddenly grew louder.
Both Umamusume instinctively looked toward the starting gate.
The race was getting closer.
Rudolf took one final breath.
Then she stepped back.
"Apologize."
She paused.
"Or never show your face around Tracen Academy ever again."
Goodbye's ears drooped.
Rudolf turned her back.
She began walking away.
Her footsteps gradually disappeared into the noise of the grandstand.
Goodbye remained where she was.
Alone.
She stared toward the starting gate.
Her eyes fixed on the distant figure of King Halo.
Her daughter.
The daughter she had failed to understand.
For the first time, Goodbye didn't know what to say.
She had come here thinking she could simply watch.
Maybe see King race.
Maybe talk afterward.
But now...
She understood that simply watching wasn't enough.
Not anymore.
Below her, the starting gate remained closed.
King Halo stood inside.
Waiting.
Waiting for the race to begin.
And for the first time in a very long time, Goodbye Halo wondered whether she had finally pushed her daughter too far.
At the Starting Gate.
King Halo closed her eyes.
The starting gate surrounded her.
Metal bars stood on either side.
The narrow space gave her just enough room to settle into position.
She slowly lowered her body.
Her knees bent.
Her weight shifted forward.
Her feet found their position beneath her.
Her fists clenched.
Then she got into the preparation position she had used countless times before a race.
Her breathing slowed.
Her heartbeat didn't.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
She could feel it in her chest.
She knew.
The favorite was clear.
She was the favorite.
The winner of two out of the three races required for the Triple Tiara.
The winner of the Oka Sho.
The winner of the Japanese Oaks.
The Umamusume standing one race away from completing the Double Slam.
She had already accomplished what so many before her had attempted.
And failed.
Now the second crown was within reach.
Just one race remained.
The Shuka Sho.
One final race.
One final test.
One final chance to prove that everything she had done this season had not been luck.
King's ears twitched.
She knew the opponent beside her.
Cesario.
A proven runner in her own right.
An Umamusume who had fought her way through the season and had never won the Shuka Sho herself.
Cesario was hungry.
She wanted this.
King knew it.
And that was exactly how it should be.
There was no room for pity.
No room for hesitation.
No room for friendship once the gates opened.
Only racing.
King slowly opened her eyes.
She looked straight ahead.
The track stretched into the distance.
The starting area was surrounded by thousands of spectators.
Cameras were pointed toward the gates.
Broadcasters were talking rapidly.
The crowd was waiting.
Everyone knew what was at stake.
The favorite.
The potential Double Slam.
The final Twinkle Series race of King Halo's career.
And King could feel all of it.
But she didn't let it weigh on her.
Not anymore.
Because somewhere near the front railing stood Fumino Nase.
King's trainer.
Fumino stood silently.
Both hands were inside the pockets of her coat.
She didn't cheer.
She didn't shout.
She didn't wave.
She simply watched.
Her eyes remained fixed on the starting gate.
Fixed on King.
Her mind traveled backward.
Every training session.
Every lap.
Every sprint.
Every recovery run.
Every difficult workout.
Every time King had complained.
Every time King had pushed herself further.
Every time Fumino had demanded more.
Every time King had come back stronger.
The ups.
The downs.
The arguments.
The laughter.
The frustration.
The exhaustion.
The moments where everything seemed to work.
And the moments where nothing seemed to.
Months of training had led to this.
Everything they had done together...
Everything Fumino had learned...
Everything King had sacrificed...
It would all come down to this race.
Fumino leaned forward slightly against the railing.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Bring it home, King."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She remembered the strategy.
The plan they had discussed.
The countless times they had gone over it.
Fumino's lips moved quietly.
"Run as pace."
She paused.
"Push instinctively."
Her eyes followed the distant figure inside the gate.
"And trust yourself."
Fumino's expression became softer.
Then more serious.
"Ignore your mom."
A breath.
"Be yourself."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Be King Halo..."
Fumino opened them again.
The starting gate remained motionless.
King was still waiting.
And behind the starting gate at the south end of the racecourse, King Halo prepared herself.
She closed her eyes again.
One breath.
Deep.
Slow.
Controlled.
She drew the air into her lungs.
Held it.
Then slowly exhaled.
Her shoulders relaxed.
Her fingers loosened.
Her ears remained upright.
Her eyes snapped open.
The noise of the stadium seemed to disappear.
Not completely.
She could still hear it.
The thousands of voices.
The announcers.
The cameras.
The movement of spectators.
The distant rumbling of the crowd.
She could even feel the subtle vibration beneath her feet from thousands of people moving around the venue.
But her mind had separated itself from all of it.
There was only her.
The track.
The starting gate.
And the race.
Her heartbeat became the loudest thing she could hear.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
She remembered yesterday.
Her mother's voice.
The words.
The argument.
The anger.
The tears.
The ticket.
The pieces of paper scattered across the parking lot.
The bar.
The single sip of beer.
Her friends coming to find her.
Her announcement.
Her retirement.
Everything that had happened.
For a brief moment, the memories threatened to return.
King closed her eyes.
Then pushed them away.
Not because they didn't matter.
They did.
But they didn't belong here.
Not now.
This was her race.
Not her mother's.
Not Rudolf's.
Not Fumino's.
Not the newspapers'.
Not the spectators'.
Hers.
King lowered her body further.
Her weight shifted slightly toward the balls of her feet.
Her arms relaxed beside her.
Her hands tightened again.
She could feel the track beneath her.
She could feel her breathing.
She could feel her heartbeat.
She could feel the adrenaline beginning to spread through her body.
And strangely...
She felt calm.
This was a place where nobody could tell her who she was supposed to be.
Nobody could tell her what dream she was supposed to have.
Nobody could tell her what future she was supposed to choose.
Nobody could change her.
Nobody could take this moment away from her.
For these few seconds...
She was simply King Halo.
An Umamusume standing at a starting gate.
Ready to run.
One race.
One moment.
One stride at a time.
She lowered herself.
Ready.
Her heartbeat continued.
Thump.
Thump.
Then—
Her heart beat once.
Hard.
King's eyes narrowed.
The world was about to move.
Then—
CLANG!
Every starting gate burst open simultaneously.
The entire field exploded forward.
King Halo's right foot slammed into the turf.
Her leg compressed against the ground.
Then—
She launched.
Instantly.
Violently.
The force of her first stride sent her body forward with almost no hesitation.
The other runners were still beginning to settle into their rhythm.
King was already gone.
The grandstand erupted.
"So they're off!"
"What a fantastic start!"
"Excellent reaction from the entire field!"
Dozens of Umamusume surged onto the course.
Footsteps hammered against the turf.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Grass scattered beneath their shoes.
The opening seconds were chaotic.
The entire field surged together, jockeying for position as they entered the first section of the race.
But one runner had already separated herself from everyone else.
"LOOK AT KING HALO!"
"She's exploded out of the gates!"
"AN ABSOLUTELY EXPLOSIVE START FROM THE DOUBLE TIARA WINNER!"
"AND SHE'S ALREADY BUILDING A GAP!"
King Halo continued accelerating.
Cesario immediately reacted.
She pushed forward as well, attempting to contest the early lead.
But King was already increasing her pace.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
"And look at Cesario!"
"She's trying to contest the lead!"
"But she's falling back!"
"King Halo is simply too fast!"
Cesario gritted her teeth.
She pushed harder.
But the gap was already opening.
King didn't even look back.
Her expression tightened.
She was picking up the pace.
Her speed continued increasing.
Yet her breathing remained controlled.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Every stride was deliberate.
Every movement had a purpose.
She wasn't simply sprinting blindly.
She wasn't throwing everything away during the opening meters.
Her acceleration was smooth.
Measured.
Controlled.
Exactly as she had planned.
At the grandstand railing, Fumino Nase watched in disbelief.
Her teeth clenched.
Her hands tightened inside the pockets of her coat.
Her eyes followed King.
"King..."
Fumino's mind raced.
You're running as a front runner.
She immediately understood what was happening.
This wasn't the strategy they had discussed.
King was supposed to run as a pace chaser.
She was supposed to sit behind the leader, conserve her strength, and make her move later.
Instead...
King had taken the lead.
And she wasn't slowing down.
"Conserve your stamina!"
Fumino's eyes narrowed.
"Or you'll run out of pace at the final stretch!"
But King couldn't hear her.
And perhaps that was for the best.
Because King wasn't thinking about strategy anymore.
She was running.
Her body had found its own rhythm.
Her breathing remained calm.
Her stride remained consistent.
And despite her unexpectedly aggressive positioning, she wasn't wasting energy.
There was no unnecessary movement.
No frantic acceleration.
No wild arm motion.
Just controlled speed.
The runners entered the opening section.
The course began curving.
King remained at the front.
And then the gap grew.
Five lengths.
Seven.
Then—
Nine.
By the time King entered the first corner, she had already opened a staggering nine-length advantage over the field.
The crowd roared.
"WHAT A GAP!"
"KING HALO IS NINE LENGTHS CLEAR!"
"THIS IS INCREDIBLE!"
King leaned slightly into the turn.
Her stride remained smooth.
Her arms moved in rhythm with her legs.
She could hear footsteps behind her.
She could feel the presence of the other runners.
But she didn't react.
There was no reason to.
She didn't need to look.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
The corner passed.
The long backstretch opened ahead.
King accelerated again.
The rest of the field began stretching apart.
The pack was no longer one giant mass.
Runners began finding their own rhythm.
Some settled into the middle.
Others began chasing from behind.
Cesario was still fighting.
Still running.
Still trying to close the distance.
But King was becoming smaller and smaller in front of her.
"King Halo continues to extend the lead!"
"Cesario is trying to respond!"
"But she's losing ground!"
King continued.
Her breathing remained calm.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Her legs were working.
Her lungs were working.
But there was no burning sensation yet.
No overwhelming fatigue.
No heaviness.
Nothing that suggested she was approaching her limit.
She still had plenty left.
A lot left.
The distance continued to disappear beneath her.
Ten lengths.
Twelve.
Fifteen.
The officials continued tracking the gap.
King entered another section of the backstretch.
One stride.
Steady.
Another.
Don't waste energy.
Another.
We still have time.
Her mind was quiet.
For the first time in a long time, there was no voice telling her what she needed to become.
No mother.
No expectations.
No comparisons.
No criticism.
No past.
Just the track.
Just the wind.
Just the rhythm of her own body.
The crowd was screaming her name.
But King barely heard it.
She was somewhere else.
She was inside herself.
The lead continued growing.
Twenty lengths.
The announcers could hardly believe what they were seeing.
"KING HALO IS TWENTY LENGTHS AHEAD!"
"TWENTY!"
"This is no ordinary lead anymore!"
Fumino stared.
Her jaw slowly dropped.
"There's no way..."
King wasn't slowing.
If anything...
She was getting faster.
At the railing, Fumino gripped the edge.
"King..."
She watched the lone figure tearing down the backstretch.
"This isn't a pace chaser anymore."
Her eyes widened.
"You're turning this into a front-runner race."
King continued.
The distance kept building.
Twenty-two lengths.
Twenty-four.
Twenty-six.
Then—
Twenty-eight.
Fumino's mouth fell open.
"Twenty-eight..."
She shook her head.
"How?"
King was still running.
Still smooth.
Still controlled.
Still composed.
She began gradually moving toward the inside.
Not abruptly.
Not recklessly.
Just a small adjustment.
Then another.
Her racing line tightened.
Her stride remained clean.
Her momentum continued building.
The rest of the field was becoming almost irrelevant.
Cesario was no longer a threat to the lead.
Nobody was.
King had separated herself from them so completely that the race had begun to feel like two separate events.
King Halo's race.
And everyone else's.
At the railing, Fumino couldn't take her eyes off her.
"A front-runner strategy..."
She swallowed.
"That is building a record-breaking gap?"
She shook her head again.
"King Halo..."
A smile slowly formed on her face.
"You are one hell of a legendary Umamusume racer."
The final turn was approaching.
The race had transformed.
The runners behind were now fighting their own battles.
Some were shortening their strides.
Some were beginning to fall backward.
Others were pushing desperately, trying to find another gear.
But King remained composed.
For some reason...
She couldn't feel the fatigue.
Her legs weren't heavy.
Her lungs weren't burning.
Her breathing was still under control.
She could still accelerate.
She had something left.
A lot left.
The final right-handed turn approached.
King entered it.
The track curved beneath her.
She leaned into the corner.
Her body remained balanced.
Her feet struck the turf in rapid succession.
The final straight appeared beyond the curve.
And there it was.
The finish line.
King's eyes narrowed.
Her teeth clenched.
For one moment, she simply stared at it.
Then—
Her eyes snapped wide open.
Her right foot slammed into the turf.
The ground compressed beneath her stride.
Her entire body loaded against the surface.
Then—
She exploded.
The acceleration was immediate.
Violent.
Precise.
Her body surged forward.
Her arms pumped harder.
Her stride lengthened.
Her torso leaned forward.
Her speed increased dramatically.
King was moving.
And fast.
"THE FINAL STRAIGHT!"
"HISTORY IS BEING MADE TODAY!"
"KING HALO HAS FOUND ANOTHER GEAR!"
"ACCELERATING INTO THE FINAL STRAIGHT!"
"NOBODY CAN ANSWER!"
"NOBODY CAN STOP HER!"
King gritted her teeth.
Her breathing became heavier.
But she didn't slow.
She screamed.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The crowd became one continuous roar.
"KING HALO!"
"LOOK AT HER GO!"
"THE SPEED IS INSANE!"
King's legs moved faster.
The gap widened again.
Three hundred meters.
She pushed harder.
Two hundred.
Her legs finally began screaming.
She ignored them.
She screamed again.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
One hundred meters.
She didn't look back.
She couldn't.
She wouldn't.
The finish line was coming.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Every part of her body was committed.
There was nothing left to save.
No reason to save it.
This was her final Twinkle Series race.
Her final opportunity.
Her final run.
The final hundred meters.
And history was waiting.
The commentators were barely able to keep up.
"TODAY, IN THE SHUKA SHO, WE ARE REWRITING HISTORY!"
"FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN UMAMUSUME RACING ASSOCIATION HISTORY!"
"WE HAVE A DOUBLE SLAM WINNER!"
"AND LOOK AT THAT GAP!"
"THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE!"
"IT'S ALL OVER!"
The white finish line rushed toward her.
King took one final stride.
Then—
She crossed it.
First.
Alone.
Clear.
The stadium erupted.
A wall of sound slammed across Kyoto Race Course.
Fumino's fist shot into the air.
"YES!"
Her entire body twisted with the celebration.
"YES! YES!"
She laughed.
"YES, KING!"
She covered her mouth.
Tears were already beginning to form in her eyes.
King Halo had done it.
She had won.
She had completed it.
History.
The first ever.
The Double Slam.
The Classic Triple Crown.
The Triple Tiara.
She had dominated the entire campaign.
And now she had dominated the final race.
Completely.
Utterly.
Without question.
Behind her, the rest of the field finally began crossing the finish line.
Ten lengths.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Then more.
Cesario finally crossed.
Second place.
She was breathing heavily.
Her body exhausted.
But she looked ahead.
At King.
And even from that distance, Cesario understood.
There had been no chance.
Not today.
Because King Halo hadn't merely won.
She had destroyed the field.
And the official margin would soon make that clear.
The scoreboard updated.
The numbers appeared.
The crowd fell into stunned silence for a fraction of a second.
Then—
The announcer screamed.
"FORTY-FIVE LENGTHS!"
The stadium erupted again.
"FORTY-FIVE LENGTHS!"
"A FORTY-FIVE-LENGTH VICTORY!"
"AN UNBELIEVABLE MARGIN!"
"A RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE!"
"KING HALO HAS DONE IT!"
"THE DOUBLE SLAM!"
The number remained displayed.
45 LENGTHS.
A gigantic victory.
A crushing victory.
A statement.
A performance that had shattered the previous record and established a new benchmark that would be remembered for years to come.
King slowly began reducing her pace.
Her powerful strides became lighter.
Then shorter.
Her arms gradually lowered.
Her breathing became heavier.
One breath.
Another.
Another.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She finally slowed to a walk.
Her hands dropped to her knees.
She lowered her head.
Visible clouds of breath escaped from her mouth each time she exhaled.
Her legs trembled slightly.
She had given everything.
Every ounce of energy.
Every bit of speed.
Every piece of training.
Every painful morning.
Every exhausting afternoon.
Every difficult evening.
Every moment where she had wondered whether she was good enough.
All of it had been spent on this one race.
King closed her eyes.
Just for a second.
And memories flooded through her mind.
Yesterday.
Her mother.
The argument.
The criticism.
The tears.
The years of being compared.
The accusations that her victories were luck.
The feeling of never being enough.
The ticket.
The pieces of paper falling apart in her hands.
The bar.
The beer.
Her friends finding her.
Rudolf.
Forever Young.
Fumino.
Everyone who had stayed beside her.
Everyone who believed in her.
The Umamusume who had tried to achieve what she had just accomplished.
The ones who had fallen short.
The ones who had suffered beneath the pressure.
And then—
King remembered who she was.
Not her mother.
Not her past.
Not a name attached to someone else's legacy.
She was King Halo.
She slowly straightened.
Her knees still trembled.
Her breathing was still heavy.
But she stood.
She opened her eyes.
The entire grandstand was standing.
Thousands upon thousands of spectators.
Cheering.
Clapping.
Waving flags.
Calling her name.
"KING HALO!"
"KING HALO!"
"KING HALO!"
She stared at them.
For a moment, she didn't say anything.
The sound washed over her.
Then her expression softened.
A tear formed in the corner of her eye.
It rolled down her cheek.
Another followed.
King's lips trembled.
A small sob escaped.
She clenched one fist.
Then slowly raised it.
Higher.
Higher.
Until her arm was fully extended toward the sky.
And she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
The crowd erupted.
King's eyes burned with determination.
She lowered her arm.
Her knees finally gave slightly.
She crouched.
Then bowed her head.
And cried.
One sob.
Then another.
Then another.
All the emotions she had been holding back came pouring out.
The pressure.
The anger.
The fear.
The uncertainty.
The relief.
The joy.
Everything.
It all came out at once.
King Halo had done it.
She had finished the Triple Tiara.
She had completed the Double Slam.
And she had done it in a way nobody could ignore.
Not her mother.
Not the newspapers.
Not the spectators.
Not the history books.
Nobody.
Footsteps approached from behind.
King didn't notice at first.
Then she felt arms wrap around her.
Cesario.
She had walked over after catching her breath.
She hugged King from behind, careful not to squeeze too tightly.
Her own voice was trembling.
"Y-You did it, King!"
King froze.
Then slowly looked over her shoulder.
Cesario smiled through her own exhaustion.
"You really did it."
King's eyes filled with more tears.
She laughed weakly.
A broken, exhausted laugh.
"I..."
Her voice cracked.
"I actually did it."
Cesario tightened the hug slightly.
"Yes."
King closed her eyes.
The roar of the crowd continued around them.
And for the first time all day...
King Halo allowed herself to simply feel happy.
No expectations.
No arguments.
No future.
No mother.
No retirement.
Nothing.
Just this moment.
She had run.
She had won.
She had made history.
And whatever came after this...
Could wait.
At the Grandstands...
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then—
The entire section where King's friends were standing erupted.
They cheered.
They shouted.
They laughed.
Some of them were jumping up and down, completely forgetting every ounce of composure they usually carried with them.
The result had finally sunk in.
King Halo had done it.
She had won the Shuka Sho.
She had completed the Double Slam.
And she had done it by forty-five lengths.
Forty-five.
The number was still displayed across the enormous electronic scoreboard above the track, almost absurdly large compared to every other finishing margin listed beneath it.
There was no disputing it.
No close finish.
No photo.
No desperate final sprint against another runner.
King had crossed the finish line alone.
She had run away from everyone.
And now, the people who had spent the previous night worrying about her were finally allowing themselves to celebrate.
C.B. threw both arms into the air.
"She did it!"
Forever Young laughed loudly beside her.
"FORTY-FIVE LENGTHS!"
She could barely contain herself.
"FORTY-FIVE!"
Chiyono O was smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt.
"King..."
She shook her head in disbelief.
"She actually did it."
Rudolf stood with her arms folded for only a moment.
Then even she couldn't contain the smile spreading across her face.
"She certainly did."
Her eyes remained fixed on the track.
Down below, King was still with Cesario.
Still crying.
Still trying to comprehend what she had just accomplished.
Rudolf slowly exhaled.
"First-rate..."
She smiled.
"Just as she always was."
Beside her, Maruzensky suddenly grabbed Chiyono O.
"CHIIYONOOOO!"
"W-Whoa!"
Maruzensky pulled her into a tight hug.
"We're celebrating!"
"Maruzen!"
Chiyono laughed as Maruzensky squeezed her.
"You're crushing me!"
"I don't care!"
Maruzensky laughed.
"She did it!"
Then—
A very unusual sight occurred.
Orfevre, who was normally the picture of composure and dignity, suddenly grabbed Gentildonna.
Gentildonna barely had time to react.
"Orfevre—"
"WE WON!"
"Technically King won."
"I KNOW!"
Orfevre jumped.
Actually jumped.
Both feet left the ground.
"FORTY-FIVE LENGTHS!"
Gentildonna stared at her.
Then she started laughing.
"You're acting like a child."
"Today I am!"
Orfevre grabbed her again.
Gentildonna finally gave up resisting and wrapped an arm around Orfevre.
The two of them began jumping together.
"King Halo!"
"YOU DID IT!"
"DOUBLE SLAM!"
"FORTY-FIVE!"
C.B. looked over.
She blinked.
Then smiled.
"I've never seen Orfevre this excited."
Forever Young shrugged.
"Neither have I."
Rudolf glanced over at them.
"Enjoy it."
C.B. nodded.
"We will."
For once, there was no tension.
No argument.
No concern about what tomorrow would bring.
No discussion about Goodbye Halo.
No debate about King's future.
No worry about whether King was making the right decision.
Right now—
None of it mattered.
Because King had run.
And King had won.
The people who loved her were celebrating her victory.
Not her mother.
Not the newspapers.
Not the records.
Not the expectations.
Her.
King Halo.
The Umamusume standing on the track below them with tears streaming down her face.
The friend they had watched struggle.
The friend they had watched grow.
The friend they had worried about.
The friend who had finally reached the end of her Twinkle Series career exactly as she had promised.
With everything she had.
Up at the elevated stands...
Goodbye Halo watched.
She hadn't moved.
She had remained standing near the railing, her hands resting against it.
The roar of the crowd surrounded her.
But somehow, all she could hear was her daughter's breathing.
Even from this distance, she could see King.
The short brown hair.
The tear-streaked face.
The exhausted posture.
The trembling legs.
And the smile.
That smile.
The same smile she had seen when King was a little girl.
A tear slowly formed in the corner of Goodbye's eye.
It rolled down her cheek.
She sniffed.
Then another tear followed.
She didn't wipe it away immediately.
She simply watched.
Her expression slowly changed.
The sternness disappeared.
The pride she had refused to show for so many years finally surfaced.
Her lips trembled.
And when she finally spoke, her voice cracked.
"A-All this time..."
She swallowed.
"I've been living in such a delusion..."
Her fingers tightened around the railing.
"Seeing you r-run your best..."
She took another shaky breath.
"Finally made me realize..."
Her eyes remained fixed on King.
"The mistakes I've made."
"And the things I've said..."
Her voice broke.
Goodbye covered her mouth.
A sob escaped.
She quickly wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand.
But there were too many.
She had spent years convincing herself that she knew what was best.
She had convinced herself that racing was dangerous.
That fame was temporary.
That King needed a more stable future.
That becoming something other than a racer would protect her.
She had told herself that she was being a mother.
That every criticism was discipline.
Every dismissal was guidance.
Every comparison was motivation.
Every time she refused to praise King, she believed she was somehow preparing her for the real world.
But standing here now...
Watching her daughter make history...
Goodbye finally understood something.
She hadn't been protecting King.
She had been pushing her away.
And she hadn't realized just how far she had pushed.
Her eyes lowered.
"I'm sorry..."
The words barely escaped her lips.
"I'm so sorry, King-chan..."
Down below, King was still crying.
She was surrounded by the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators.
But Goodbye could see her.
Really see her.
For perhaps the first time in years.
Not as an extension of herself.
Not as a daughter who needed to be guided.
Not as someone who needed to follow the path Goodbye had imagined.
But as King Halo.
An individual.
A racer.
A daughter.
A person who had worked herself to the bone to reach this moment.
Goodbye smiled through her tears.
Her voice became almost a whisper.
"I'm so proud of you, King..."
She sniffed.
"You did it..."
She placed one hand over her chest.
"You really did it..."
Down on the track, King slowly raised her head.
Cesario was still beside her.
The crowd was still roaring.
The sound was enormous.
It rolled through Kyoto Race Course like thunder.
King wiped her cheeks with both hands.
Her breathing was still uneven.
Her eyes were red.
Her legs still trembled from the effort.
But slowly...
She stood upright.
Cesario looked at her.
"King?"
King didn't answer.
She simply looked toward the grandstands.
Thousands upon thousands of people were standing.
Some waved flags.
Some held banners.
Others held signs with her name written across them.
KING HALO.
KING HALO.
KING HALO.
The chant started somewhere near the middle of the grandstand.
Then another section joined.
Then another.
Until the entire stadium seemed to pulse with her name.
"KING HALO!"
"KING HALO!"
"KING HALO!"
King's eyes widened slightly.
She swallowed.
Then she smiled.
A genuine smile.
Not the proud smirk she usually wore.
Not the confident expression she used when facing cameras.
Not the arrogant grin she used when teasing her friends.
This one was different.
It was soft.
Relieved.
Happy.
She slowly raised one fist.
High above her head.
The crowd immediately erupted.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!"
The roar was deafening.
King held her fist there.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
She listened.
For once, she didn't think about what came next.
She didn't think about her mother.
She didn't think about Dream Trophy League.
She didn't think about leaving the Twinkle Series.
She didn't think about whether people would remember her.
She simply listened to the sound of everyone celebrating.
Celebrating her.
King lowered her fist.
Cesario stepped closer.
"Ready?"
King sniffed.
Then smiled.
"Yeah."
Cesario smiled back.
"Come on."
Together, they began walking.
Their shoes pressed against the turf as they made their way toward the infield entrance.
The noise of the stadium remained behind them.
The closer they came to the entrance, the more distant the roar became.