Thunder crackled within her eyes, erupting in erratic bursts. The engine's roar harmonized with the celestial symphony, bathing the White Chariot in lightning as it surged forward like an enraged Thunder Beast.
Something streaked across the racetrack—the Gentle Breeze stirred by the Empress. Even the Thunder Beast was caught in its vortex as it charged into the fray. Calm, restrained, and indomitable, an invisible cage bound McQueen.
Like an unseen prison forged from the Gentle Breeze, its formidable power dissipated into thin air upon impact.
"Damn it!"
Her usually unstoppable force was now severely diminished. Air Groove's defense remained impenetrable. Unlike Kousei, who met brute force with her body, Air Groove maintained a strategic advantage, advancing when McQueen retreated and retreating when she advanced.
It was like punching cotton—an unparalleled rhythm master, Air Groove had imperceptibly trapped McQueen in her grasp.
McQueen was forced to confront a harsh reality: Air Groove was a supreme champion of the Veteran Horse Front. Their rivalry had long transcended generational clashes; the gap in talent between them was steadily narrowing.
"For the first time, I truly feel it—this is the Monster Garden!"
Those still active here were true monsters in every sense of the word.
"Then let's try this!"
With a twist of her foot, Thunder streaked across the grassy field, her super-heavy stride leaving shocking scars in its wake, like lightning scorching the earth. Her instantaneous acceleration shattered Air Groove's containment zone in the blink of an eye.
McQueen attacked from the rear flank. Air Groove glanced at the grass crushed beneath McQueen's hooves, knowing full well that once McQueen gained the lead, the race would become an uphill battle.
In truth, everyone present understood this; they had witnessed Mejiro McQueen's formidable leg strength far too many times.
"To defeat McQueen, this is the key—absolutely, absolutely, we cannot let her take the lead."
"I've entered the Transcendence Path! I'll surge ahead in one burst!"
An acceleration so sudden it defied reaction, striking like thunder in an instant.
Air Groove froze momentarily, deliberately slowing down. In the next instant, McQueen shot past her. In that fleeting exchange of glances, McQueen couldn't mask her shock.
Air Groove's gleaming eyes, impossible to meet, pierced the air as the cape of her Personal Racing Outfit billowed in the wind.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if she could see the footprints of the wind itself. Petals of Begonia flowers gently brushed past her ear, lifting McQueen's flowing hair before letting it fall again.
"You can't keep accelerating like this. The straightaways are too short, and there are too many turns. If you maintain this pace, you'll quickly lose control and fly off the track."
The Gentle Breeze, a symbol of ideals, caressed the entire racetrack. As the lightning faded, McQueen realized she had already entered a turn.
"Talent is a double-edged sword. Over-reliance on it will only trap you in place. Sticking to the old ways will lead you step by step into the Abyss."
McQueen immediately slowed down, narrowly avoiding crashing into the guardrail.
The Empress's figure reappeared before her, this time even lightning couldn't easily breach her presence.
"You're different from Kousei."
McQueen paused, startled. This was the Forbidden Gate. Air Groove stood before her—the resonance they had shared that day was no coincidence.
"Kousei has always raced against opponents stronger than herself, so she knows how to handle them. But you, McQueen, have always been the best. As the Elite's prized gem, you've never faced setbacks in talent. I'm sure you've noticed by now that talent alone isn't enough to win these races."
Air Groove's words struck at the heart of McQueen's anxieties. McQueen could only manage a bitter smile.
"I just don't understand. From the moment I was born, I've been burdened with a mission: to win the Tenno Sho and fulfill the Mejiro Family's long-cherished dream. After that, I was supposed to dominate the Umamusume world with overwhelming, almost predictable strength, and make the Mejiro name resound throughout the world.
I've never complained, never slacked off. Everyone says I can do it, and I firmly believed it myself. But the more I train, the more powerless I feel. Even though I'm undoubtedly stronger now—both physically and technically—I inexplicably feel like I haven't progressed at all."
McQueen paused, lost in thought. "I don't know what to do anymore."
Air Groove, watching McQueen's slight dejection, saw her past self reflected in the younger Umamusume. Both carried missions, both bore immense expectations.
"Just be yourself," Air Groove said. "The you I saw at the Derby. Laughing freely, competing fiercely with your Dearest Friend. The McQueen at the Derby was the real McQueen."
The Derby—that was their most intense clash, their most dazzling showdown.
And the person watching her from the stands...
"Hey, Teio," Kousei asked, her eyes never leaving McQueen. "Do even geniuses hit a wall?"
"No way! We're geniuses! How could we ever hit a wall?"
Teio clasped her hands behind her head, utterly unsurprised by Kousei's brilliance.
"After all, I'm Tokai Teio, the genius among geniuses~"
Her absolute arrogance was the true barrier; McQueen's obstacle wasn't a bottleneck, but a self-imposed mental lock.
Anxiety over something so trivial? This isn't like McQueen at all, Kousei mused. What exactly does this Elite, with her unparalleled talent, truly seek?
McQueen's expression strained, her Thunder silenced by the Gentle Breeze—an unexpected turn of events.
"Is this for real? Did McQueen's leg injury flare up again?"
People preferred to believe McQueen's leg injury had resurfaced rather than accept that she could perform so poorly.
Kousei's dominant victory had created the illusion that "if McQueen or Teio had been in her place, they would have won effortlessly."
In reality, Kousei's win had been far from easy. As mentioned earlier, if Narita Brian hadn't voluntarily abandoned her Shadow, Kousei would have been consumed.
The Student Council was far more powerful than anyone realized.
"It has nothing to do with my leg injury! I'm just... completely helpless."
McQueen trailed behind Air Groove, the faint floral scent drifting into her nostrils with the breeze. This was the second time she had fallen behind in a one-on-one showdown.
If Kousei were here, what would she do?
McQueen pondered this, several scenarios flashing through her mind. She knew what Kousei would do, but that was because she was Kousei.
That approach didn't belong to Mejiro McQueen.
Air Groove had secured an excellent position, and the multiple turns further restricted McQueen's ability to accelerate.
Thunder rumbled ominously, and arcs of electricity crackled across the racetrack behind her. The Thunder Beast crouched, poised to strike.
Too complicated. I'll just run!
Discarding all distractions, respecting her opponent, and giving her all.
This is what I learned from my Dearest Friend.
Mejiro McQueen abandoned all thought.