Chapter 52: The Revue of Confession!
What—!
What is this—!!!
Amidst the crowd, the pink-haired horse girl, Agnes Digital, stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at the figure on the stage.
Her hands unconsciously touched her own throat, trying to alleviate the suffocating feeling this way, but it was utterly futile.
The dazzling performer on the stage had already firmly locked onto her entire being.
Agnes Digital felt as if the control over her own body had been stolen by the other, completely turning her into the puppet of Miss Stardust Mirage...
How could she be this cool, this beautiful!!!
Agnes Digital realized that just watching a Winner's Live of this level was almost enough to make her faint.
At first, she was merely anticipating what kind of performance it would be.
As a umamusume ["Ultra Enthusiast"], Agnes Digital's usual favorite was witnessing various horse girls shining on stage.
When it came to various Lives of horse girls, she wouldn't claim to have seen them all, but at least for those she could find footage of, she had watched most of them.
Before the lights came on, Agnes Digital even had time to chat with the staff member next to her about what song might come next.
"Should be 'Umapyoi Legend,' right? That song has the lowest difficulty, being the most widely spread," Agnes Digital said, just as the sound of large lights switching on consecutively reached her ears:
[Click!]
[Click, click!]
"Just... by running out."
The moment the singing voice reached her ears, Agnes Digital was stunned, rooted to the spot.
Because this song was definitely not any Winner's Live she had ever heard before.
The clear yet slightly husky vocal tone of the performer on stage wasn't outstanding, but it perfectly complemented the song's simple and lively style, as if this song was made for her from the very beginning.
Is this... a new Live?
An exclusive song for Stardust Mirage?!
Countless lights illuminated at this moment, transforming into a path of starlight evenly scattered on either side of the singer.
Like servants kneeling to welcome a monarch, they guided her from the elevated platform at the center of the stage to the very front.
"Look, it can be grasped in hand."
"That once-let-go ticket—to tomorrow!"
The entire stage was bathed in pale blue light, like a gentle breeze blowing, ultimately converging on her raised right hand.
As the song resounded, the large screen at the deepest part of the stage suddenly lit up.
The images flashing behind Stardust Mirage were scenes most of the audience had never seen before.
It was Stardust Mirage, her experiences as a runner.
She had failed, she had suffered.
In an unnoticed corner, tears flowing freely after losing a race.
On the early morning training ground, collapsing and vomiting from pushing for one more 200m sprint.
In race after race, gradually running faster and faster, letting the strong wind brush her face, reclaiming victory.
Agnes Digital was now completely certain this was no ordinary live. The visuals before her had merged perfectly with the song, this was...
This was Stardust Mirage, this runner, this once-failed but ever-strengthening runner, declaring her existence to everyone through song!
Digital AI couldn't help but whisper, trying to vent the uncontrollable ecstasy in her heart: "Losing to Tokai Teio, you were really unwilling, right?! That's why you're doing this!"
"To stand on the same track, the same stage with her again, you've shed so much sweat..."
"Run, sing... wanting to compete with her again for that winner's throne!"
"This is no mere Winner's Stage."
"This is what you want to show all the spectators, all the umamusumes today, what you want to show Tokai Teio... something unique to you, Stardust Mirage—"
"—A Revue of Confession!"
"I understand!"
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"Is this... an original Winner's Stage?"
Tokai Teio stood at the very front of the spectator stands, looking up at Stardust Mirage on the stage.
But as the performance unfolded, her face gradually began to flush, her ears started twitching back and forth, and her ponytail began to swish uncontrollably, unable to stay still.
Watching the Stardust Mirage performing before her and the images behind her, Teio's heart was greatly shaken:
"Stardust...? Is that me? And everyone else, what does all this mean..."
Her mood also grew complex at this moment. From that clear singing voice, she began to discern its meaning.
It was Stardust Mirage denouncing her former, failed self.
That self which had lost to her in the debut race.
Watching the scenes flow one after another, Teio understood this opponent's feelings for the first time.
So even she, who usually seemed like nothing could ever break her, had also cried after losing a match?
Was this why, after that Winner's Stage, she issued a challenge declaration to me?
The emotion of this song wasn't exactly passionate, but it wasn't sad either. It was more like an optimistic runner declaring she would continue striving tomorrow.
Tokai Teio could feel that sunny, confident sensation. Only feelings sincerely expressed from Stardust Mirage's heart could make the song so moving.
She was showing everyone her most vulnerable side...
By doing this, Stardust Mirage made everyone present face her past failures alongside her, giving her the courage to take the first step into tomorrow.
This was a song for herself alone.
Stardust was using her song to tell herself that she would stand on the stage of the Classic Triple Crown, firmly grasping the vast world belonging solely to the victor in her own hands!
She was challenging herself!
Tokai Teio thought secretly in her heart.
But just as she thought this, Teio noticed the share of images featuring herself on the big screen was increasing more and more.
Not just herself on the racetrack, every image Stardust Mirage had seen with her own eyes was being shown to everyone.
You could even see, in her runs in the subsequent two races, she constantly remembered Teio, who had once beaten her...
"This, th-th-th-th-th-this!!!"
With a poof, Tokai Teio's entire face turned crimson, like a boiled shrimp.
The screen happened to flash to a scene from when she and Stardust Mirage were talking in the hospital room.
Teio's mind immediately, involuntarily, recalled the picture book Agnes Digital had mysteriously shown her after Stardust Mirage left that day...
No way?!
Could Stardust really be—
"What is she doing! Idiot! Why keep showing scenes of me!?"
"Don't look! Stop... letting everyone see me anymore!"
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Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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