A cold dread settled in her heart as invisible, ashen-gray hands seemed to grip her and Mejiro McQueen by the throat.
A blinding red light flashed into existence.
I ran shoulder to shoulder with you once. How could I bear to sink into oblivion now? Even if it's just a flickering flame in the wind, I'll seize this one last chance.
"Does she still have strength left?" Dicta Striker wondered in shock, her heart pounding.
How much had she sacrificed to claw her way here from the Outside fringes? An unspoken fervor blazed fiercely with each beat of her heart.
For some inexplicable reason, witnessing that menacing red silhouette only fueled Mejiro's ferocity.
"Come on! Let me crush you!"
"Shut up! Bring it on!"
Dicta Striker froze momentarily as a red mist began to envelop the racetrack, saturating it with a deadly tension. This was no longer a mere racetrack; it had become a battlefield.
Thunder roared, and comets streaked across the sky, shifting left, right, then back again. Electric arcs danced in dazzling patterns, blindingly fast. In a flash of lightning, a beautiful flower forged from thunder blossomed in the rain-soaked air. Blessed by the gods, an Elite blooming defiantly amidst the storm.
The crowd would never forget this sight: Mejiro, now adorned with thunderous wings, hurtling forward.
Onward! Further onward!
Even as lightning assaulted her, she refused to waver. Not a prodigy, not a Red Demon, but merely an Umamusume.
Stripped of every advantage, with no strength left for her Gate Technique, she still ran.
"You?"
Have you ever seen fear in her eyes?
"WOOO! Why does this feel so exhilarating?!"
No Umamusume could resist witnessing this dazzling spectacle firsthand!
"Take me too! I came here to be the strongest!"
A gunshot rang out, and a pitch-Dicta Striker pierced the rain curtain.
One crimson, one pitch black, chasing thunder's footprints.
But it wasn't just thunder that answered the call. Dark clouds gathered, unleashing a torrential downpour, the relentless raindrops drumming a maddening requiem.
Heavy, stinging arrows of rain descended from the sky.
Deafening thunderclaps, skies blotted out by storm clouds, and rain that never stopped.
Enough!
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Kousei roared incessantly, her brilliance erupting amidst the deluge.
No one could hear her voice. Memories flooded back, and once again, she heard that voice:
"Do you still wish to run as an Umamusume?"
What a foolish question.
"I've always been an Umamusume!"
An easier life? Who wants that? I want my dreams, my desires, my purpose! Since I have these legs meant for running, this is where I belong!
"Just a little less talent, just a little less luck."
The luckiest Umamusume wins the Derby.
If fate refuses to grant me luck, then I'll seize what's rightfully mine with my own hands!
"This rain is too noisy! McQueen!"
A primal roar erupted from across the track, born from the throbbing crimson. The red mist thickened like liquid, solidifying into a palpable wave of malice.
"From this moment on, pour every ounce of strength into your legs. Surrender completely to that part of yourself that craves to run!"
Run, crimson runner, run!
"I underestimated the Derby. I thought only Mejiro McQueen posed a true challenge. But you're here too! Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent! Your struggle against this torrential downpour is breathtaking!
Will you open that Gate for me?"
The Jet-Black Runner knew no fear. An abyss of insatiable desire oozed from the rain.
Outer lane and Forbidden Zone—the strongest collision of their generation, an unavoidable clash!
Towering above, arrogance answered every challenge.
Evade? Should the Elite shrink from the fray?
Thunder will provide the answer. Welcome to the Mejiro Graveyard.
In an instant, everything stopped.
The Evil Ghost's roar vanished, Dicta Striker's trajectory disappeared. Only the echo of thunder lingered as an impossible scene unfolded on the track.
Mejiro McQueen alone had halted the advance of two formidable rivals from her generation.
A one-sided domination—the Grey Monster reigned supreme.
"It's so heavy! I can barely breathe!"
Once again, McQueen dominated the racetrack with her renowned strength. As the race neared its end, the outcome seemed settled.
"Damn it!"
Kousei glared fiercely, McQueen refusing to yield an inch. Their gazes locked, their cold, relentless intensity embodying the ruthless spirit of the Elite.
"The Derby! This is the Derby! If anyone can be the star, why can't it be me?!"
A crimson figure flickered in Kousei's vision, that familiar surge of heat coursing through her veins, stirring an inexplicable frenzy.
"I won't give up! I still have one final burst!"
On the final stretch, casting aside all restraint, she gambled everything on her Final Burst.
Her arch tensed, crimson light coalescing beneath her hooves. This once-in-a-lifetime stage—the Japanese Derby! She would give it everything!
Target locked, bullet chambered. Listen closely... pull the trigger.
Go forth! Let glory shimmer amidst the thunder!
"I absolutely have to win!"
Her pounding hooves devoured the ground, relentlessly bridging the distance. Though splattered with mud, her magnificent form would be forever etched in the eyes of the world.
The Japanese Derby—who would become the next legend?
"It's over," Sirius observed the racetrack with detached indifference.
"Huh?"
Time seemed to freeze, the world fading to monochrome.
"Why can't I run anymore?"
Kousei stared in disbelief at her legs. No matter how hard she willed them, they refused to move even an inch.
A terrifying thought exploded in her mind: If I start thinking, I'll drown in suffocating fear.
"No! Don't be so cruel! At least let me finish the race! Move, damn it! I—!"
All the signs pointed to one inescapable conclusion: Kousei had lost her momentum on the final stretch. Her body, unable to withstand the intensity of the race, had shut down to protect her. Her stride grew slower and slower, barely resembling a run anymore.
Sensing something amiss, McQueen abruptly turned back. Kousei's figure receded into the distance, and a chilling thought struck McQueen. Could Kousei be injured? Distracted and uneasy, McQueen unconsciously slowed her pace.
"What an upset! Dicta Striker wins the Japanese Derby!" the host roared in celebration.
The cheers erupted on cue, but neither of the Umamusume on the track showed any joy.
"Tch!" Dicta Striker snapped her head back in annoyance. She knew McQueen had lost focus at the critical moment. Looking back with concern, she saw the silver-maned McQueen standing forlornly at the rear of the pack, covered in mud.
Is it over? Why can't I hear the cheers?
A strange weight pressed against her chest.
"Dicta Striker! First place in the Derby!"
"It's alright. Keep training, you'll win next time."
"At this Derby, where the strongest gather, Dicta Striker surged through the pack like a dark horse, truly deserving of her name."
"Failure is normal. I need to work even harder."
"Let's congratulate Dicta Striker!"
"Oh, right, we should applaud properly. Come on, say it like you usually do."
Her trembling hands collided clumsily, out of rhythm. Her mouth opened slightly, her throat tightened, but no words came out.
"How strange..."
"Dicta Striker! With a final burst like a bullet and a grip like a grappling hook, she's the Derby champion! This is the Umamusume worthy of being Mejiro's rival! The strongest in the Derby!"
So, some people can give it their all and still fail without even a glance.
"How strange... Why isn't anyone looking at me? I even beat McQueen once!"
Her voice cracked, tears mixing with the rain streaming down her face. She was smiling, yet why did she feel so heartbroken?
McQueen's heart twisted painfully. The words died in her throat, and for the first time, she lacked the courage to approach.
"Congratulations, Dicta Striker."
So, it's grief overflowing... Good thing it's raining today.
This Tokyo rain was truly torrential, so heavy that no one could hear the young girl's silent sob.
How fortunate...
At the Kikuka Sho, McQueen dominated the long-distance race with overwhelming power, leaving no rival in her generation who could truly challenge her.
Despite her brilliance, Kousei failed to win a single leg of the once-in-a-lifetime Triple Crown Race.