"The situation is critical. Mejiro McQueen's leg strength is astonishing. The already difficult Heavy Track has become even more treacherous under her relentless pounding. The Umamusume behind her are in danger. How can we break through the Elite's blockade?"
"There's no other choice. We have to do this."
McQueen's overwhelming power was undoubtedly forcing everyone behind her to the outer lanes. Kousei had no choice but to sacrifice speed for stability.
"We can't stay behind her. We have to restrain McQueen—we can't let her continue trampling the track unchecked!"
Kousei shifted to the outside, a small movement that brought a sudden, intense realization.
"My legs feel like lead. This is worse than ever before."
At her worst, her lungs had felt like they were tearing apart. But this time, it wasn't just about endurance. The feedback from her legs told Kousei they were utterly exhausted.
This had never happened before. No matter how grueling the race, Kousei had always managed to sprint at full speed until the end. But this time, her legs might give out before she collapsed.
"Stick to the plan! Steady progress—that's how we win!" Kousei shook her head sharply, banishing the nagging doubts.
"What am I doing?! Focus! I'm in a race!"
Instead of dwelling on irrelevant thoughts, Kousei needed to figure out how to stop Mejiro McQueen.
A brilliant flash of inspiration struck. No matter how strong McQueen had become, one thing remained constant: her relentless pursuit of perfect rhythm.
McQueen's entire running style was built on this foundation. That's where Kousei needed to strike.
"Break her rhythm, just like back then! Destroy her!"
Flames ignited in Kousei's radiant eyes as the Demon God reawakened within the rain-soaked arena.
"Mark."
"Hmm?"
McQueen caught a glimpse of red mist in her peripheral vision. The creature trailing behind it was closing in.
A crimson streak flashed, tracing an eerie arc through the air. The Red Demon God had arrived, and Kousei would meet it with thunderous fury.
The force of the impact threatened to stain her thunder with crimson.
They clashed mercilessly, locked in a fierce struggle. Even at full power, Kousei was losing ground. How could Mejiro McQueen, who prided herself on her physical strength, possibly lose in a contest of pure might?
"Is that all you've got? How naive!"
The wheels roared, tearing through the track with destructive force. Every joint creaked in protest, Kousei's body howling in agony, bearing witness to the consequences of defying McQueen.
A pair of withered hands covered McQueen's eyes, and almost instantly, Kousei understood their intent. She slowed her pace, breaking free from their physical struggle as she locked onto her target. A white figure blocked Kousei's path; even without sight, she knew the opponent's thoughts.
Kousei gazed deeply at McQueen, who simultaneously regained her vision. Their eyes met once more, needing no words.
Dark clouds summoned thunder, banishing the mist that shrouded the racetrack. Lightning flashed, sounding the horn of Finality. A crimson comet rose, eclipsing the shifting heavens.
Flash—
The Thunder Lord struck his drums, and the world trembled.
Flash—
Tempests raged, silencing the seas.
Flash—
Gods and mortals alike cowered, all hope extinguished!
What are you marveling at?
Mejiro.
What are you worshiping?
Mejiro.
What are you fearing?
Mejiro.
Who is the true protagonist of this sacrificial rite?
Mejiro! Mejiro! Mejiro!
Now, utter annihilation.
The Thunder of Finality roared, the Thunder Beast bellowing, bathing in the tears of the cowardly.
How—
Magnificent—
A lone boat drifted aimlessly in the tempest, its feeble red light flickering weakly, as if a mere gesture could extinguish it.
A fragile Ark adrift in the apocalyptic flood, evoking miracles without God's name.
Not a god, but a demon!
The slumbering demon beneath the earth stirred awake. The true blow would come from here!
A crimson streak tore through the rain, piercing Thunder with unexpected force.
A red blur grazed McQueen's shoulder, leaving her momentarily stunned.
"Demons are cunning, you know."
The scene was eerily familiar—the very move Leo Durban had used against Teio during the Kikuka Sho!
The sight instantly brought back memories of that race, as if the two figures on the track had transformed into Tokai Teio and Leo Durban themselves.
Though the details differed slightly, the underlying strategy remained identical.
"Concealing your true intentions within every movement, those apparent flaws were deliberate distractions. Whether it was the feints, vision obstructions, or even that clumsy dance, what should have been this arena's constraints on you became weapons against me.
You guided me, step by step, into this trap."
Yes, this was Kousei's dazzling new technique—"Guidance."
McQueen's eyes flickered. "If you can keep up with my movements, that means you've marked me, right?"
Every move she had learned from others was now being unleashed flawlessly upon McQueen.
"I only meant to bump into McQueen and disrupt her rhythm. But for some reason, my mind felt sharper than usual.
I don't have the 'vision' to see the future, but the moment I marked McQueen, an entirely new future flashed before my eyes. And it worked! I'm stronger than before!"
Kousei, on the verge of overtaking McQueen, couldn't resist glancing sideways.
"Now you won't be able to run wild anymore, will you?"
To Kousei's surprise, McQueen's composed Elite facade cracked into a ferocious grin, her face flushed with unrestrained glee.
"This is amazing!"
Time seemed to freeze. Every raindrop hung suspended in the air, clear as glass. Silence descended, broken only by the thunderous pounding of their hearts. A faint crackling sound pulsed in the air, as if something was sparking.
White lightning crawled across McQueen's body like ivy, slowly engulfing her entirely.
Frozen in this suspended moment, Kousei could only watch helplessly as McQueen gradually vanished into the radiant light.
"My rival... this is magnificent!"
A sharp crack shattered the stillness, and time resumed its flow.
"McQueen?"
She vanished. Where did she go?
A stinging sensation erupted across Kousei's skin as arcs of electricity crackled around her. Her eyes darted back and forth, following the dazzling light and resonating thunder that enveloped McQueen. The lightning illuminated the rain-soaked arena, its streaks racing through her pupils. As the image sharpened, she recognized the object within: the iron-shod hoof of Mejiro McQueen.
"I am Mejiro McQueen!"
Swift as the wind—Mejiro McQueen.
An awakened Umamusume needed a stage to unleash her true nature, and this storm seemed destined for McQueen.
Watching McQueen transform into a bolt of lightning, Kousei felt a sudden pang of helplessness. Never before had the gap between their talents been so starkly apparent.
"Why do I feel... almost relieved?" Kousei murmured in surprise. "I thought I'd be much more devastated."
The rain seemed eerily calm, as if its earlier ferocity had been a figment of Kousei's imagination.
"This stage belongs to 'us,' yet I can't even keep up with you."
The mist gradually obscured her rival's retreating figure. So it was me who was lost in the fog all along.
"Having fun, you two?"