But...
Ideals and reality are two entirely different worlds.
While Tokai Teio, her contemporary, was conquering the Classic Triple Crown races, Twin Turbo couldn't even qualify to compete. The "Hero" became Tokai Teio's rival instead.
In Tokai Teio's story, there was no Umamusume named Twin Turbo.
Victory was so rare, and her reckless front-running style was derided as a theatrical performance.
"It doesn't matter whether Twin Turbo wins or not. As long as she's racing, the competition becomes interesting. We just want to see how absurd this Umamusume can get."
Laugh on, laugh at her absurd recklessness.
But who could know that, unlike Silence Suzuka, who wove aesthetics into her stride, or Mihono Bourbon, whose approach was a perfect scientific formula,
Twin Turbo's slender frame meant that once trapped in the pack, she had no chance of breaking free.
A battle to survive versus a desperate flight.
If she didn't run, she would be crushed, trampled, and ravaged—the only escape route for a weak Umamusume.
"She got caught. Too bad, she didn't even make it to the reverse thrusters this time."
"Giving up so early is, in a way, very Twin Turbo-esque."
You laughed, I laughed, she laughed.
We offered our mockery to the one who had staged this spectacle.
Power output: 100 million percent!
Twin Turbo's heterochromatic eyes shone brilliantly as her lungs heaved, her engine roaring at full throttle. She arched her back, bent her knees, and then exploded forward in a single, fluid motion.
"What?!"
As if losing control and going berserk, Bitter Glasse shot off like an arrow loosed from a bow in the blink of an eye.
"What did she do? That burst of speed rivals even the Late-Surger Runner's final surge!"
Ohh!!!
Another round of cheers erupted.
"So she pulled this trick deliberately!"
"Seriously, if you could run that fast, why didn't you do it earlier? Or were you just putting on a show?"
Here it comes again. Why am I always so agitated?
"Shut up!"
The furious reprimand silenced the previously relaxed spectators, their faces now etched with apprehension. Kousei's fists clenched tightly, her muscles trembling with fury. Glaring fiercely, she resembled a bristling wild beast, perhaps a result of her constant interactions with Narita Brian.
"It's her—that problematic Umamusume."
"As expected, there's something wrong with her. It seems those rumors were true after all."
Perhaps out of fear, people began whispering. But how could human conversations escape the ears of an Umamusume at close range, especially Kousei's?
"Kousei!"
McQueen pressed a hand on Kousei's shoulder, her face etched with worry, fearing she might lose control.
Kousei's state was precarious, but with McQueen present, at least there would be someone to restrain her if she snapped.
"So that smug grin after winning the Japan Cup was mockery after all. This Umamusume is nothing but trouble."
Somehow, attention had shifted from Twin Turbo to Kousei.
"Has that annoying laughter finally stopped?" Twin Turbo glanced at the stands, just in time to witness Kousei's confrontation with the crowd.
"Was it you? Thank you. Now Turbo can focus on the race." A forced smile tugged at Twin Turbo's lips. "I'll keep my promise and lead from start to finish. I'll pry open the Emperor's Gate. I know you won't lose, because you're a genius."
Laugh all you want. Then go lead the race.
"With the starting speed of a Front-Runner, the explosive power of a Chaser, and a second burst of acceleration... this isn't some cheap gimmick, it's genuine strength!" Bitter Glasse's perception of Twin Turbo had completely transformed.
Should I wait for her to lose momentum? Bitter Glasse noticed Twin Turbo glancing back.
"Keep up! If you dare!"
Her heart clenched, and a nameless fire ignited within her.
I understand now. Very well, I accept!
Courage demands respect.
Bitter Glasse no longer held back. Her feet tore indelible tracks into the grass. The unmatched physical strength honed through relentless training would shatter the Front-runner's dreams of escape.
"I won't let you get away!"
Even matching the explosive power of a Chaser wasn't enough. Bitter Glasse was an elite among Chasers, surpassing them all in raw acceleration.
The gap wasn't wide enough. Bitter Glasse closed the distance in three strides, relentlessly pursuing Twin Turbo. Within moments, before the burst phase ended, she had caught up.
Though lacking in strategy, Twin Turbo's speed was undeniable. Most Umamusume would lose their composure in a race, their mental strain draining extra stamina.
This lack of composure prevented her from executing her preferred running style. Twin Turbo, however, had been in a frenzy from the start.
Once she began running, nothing could stop her acceleration as long as her legs had any strength left.
"I can't overtake her on the straight. I'll have to seize my chance at the next turn."
On the straight, Twin Turbo held an absolute advantage. Having abandoned everything for the lead, she would never allow anyone to surpass her, her pride as a Front-Runner demanded it.
"I know what you're thinking, Turbo knows. You want to catch me at the next turn, right?"
Would she pull off another display of ingenuity to escape this predicament, as she had before?
The answer was no.
"Come on!"
Only by maintaining the lead, with unwavering focus and unwavering commitment, could she find salvation.
Without slowing down or preparing for the turn, she plunged headfirst into the corner. The near-90-degree angle, compounded by her breakneck speed, placed tremendous strain on her knees.
In stark contrast, Bitter Glasse on the other side had meticulously adjusted her posture, slowed down, and prepared thoroughly. After entering the turn, she seemed to glide effortlessly, rapidly closing the gap on Twin Turbo.
The difference in skill was immediately apparent.
"Got you!"
"Is that so?"
Though the sharp-angled turn was demanding, the distance was short. In other words, she had already completed the turn in that instant.
Next came Twin Turbo's domain: the front-runner position.
Twin Turbo surged ahead with lightning speed, Bitter Glasse hot on her heels.
The battle intensified, the two maintaining a precarious distance. Twin Turbo desperately clung to the lead, knowing that any slowdown would allow Bitter Glasse to seize the advantage.
Bitter Glasse had also realized that Twin Turbo wasn't the type of Umamusume who would think rationally. True to her word, she would charge forward until the very end.
Victory would come down to sheer willpower.
Though the race maintained a calm stalemate—Twin Turbo leading, Bitter Glasse trailing closely behind—Kousei and the others grew increasingly tense as the final stretch approached.
The final stretch had arrived; the moment of truth had come.
Suddenly, Twin Turbo's pupils constricted as if she had glimpsed a terrifying sight. A hundred meters ahead, just before the final straight, a steep uphill slope loomed.
For a front-runner like Twin Turbo, this was catastrophic news.
Yet in an instant, Twin Turbo made her decision. Without slowing, she charged straight up the slope.
"An uphill climb at the end? Looks like the Three Goddesses are on my side after all."
Midway up the slope before the finish line, Bitter Glasse closed the gap from behind, catching up to Twin Turbo. This was the inevitable fate of a front-runner.
After Bitter Glasse caught up, Twin Turbo's speed noticeably decreased. For a front-runner, losing momentum just before the finish line was inevitable.
Moreover, for Twin Turbo, engaging reverse thrust was even more natural.
From some unknown moment, that unrestrained laughter had been ringing incessantly in Twin Turbo's ears.
"Ikuno told me everyone laughs because they like me. But I know there's a difference between one laugh and another."
"There it is again, that strange heartbeat!" Bitter Glasse nervously glanced at Twin Turbo beside her.
Sweating profusely yet grinning widely, Twin Turbo's heartbeat grew louder and louder, as if trying to break free from her body's constraints.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter! The way I carry my parents' hopes and dreams isn't something for you to mock with your laughter!"
Scalding steam erupted, burning not only Bitter Glasse but also Twin Turbo herself.
Overdrive Engaged
"If you're going to run, run all the way to the bottom!"
Steam continued to surge, the engine roared. On the final straight, where leading from the front was a disadvantage, Twin Turbo surged forward, seizing a dominant lead with undiminished ferocity.
On the racetrack, the steam-shrouded Umamusume ran with reckless abandon.
"Something's wrong! Terribly wrong! I can't let her keep running! I have to stop her!" Bitter Glasse, who had always relied on analysis, suddenly felt an inexplicable intuition.
In the final leg of the Final Straight, Bitter Glasse shone brilliantly. Shaped like a flying arrow and with the force of a thunderclap, her terrifying final leg propelled her forward like a lateral shift.
"If Kousei can win, so can I! If I try hard enough! I can definitely surpass even a Genius!"
The figure of her past self flashed repeatedly before Twin Turbo's eyes, while the finish line shimmered ahead.
"I have to win. I'm my parents' hero."
The frantic pounding of her heart abruptly ceased.
"Stop! Twin Turbo!" Kousei had already leaped onto the racetrack.
The white steam now stained crimson. Twin Turbo's consciousness blurred as blood streamed from her nose under the stunned gaze of the crowd. Her body swayed precariously before collapsing like a felled tree with a thunderous crash.
A hush fell over the racetrack, immediately filling with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Kousei rushed toward Twin Turbo, but before she could reach her, two hands blocked her path.
She looked up to see Little Cocon and Bitter Glasse standing before her.
The two were icily indifferent, utterly unlike the people Kousei knew. Their footsteps approached slowly, each step filled with oppressive weight. Following the sound, Kousei saw a line of stern-faced individuals standing behind Kashimoto Riko, their expressions as cold as frost.
"The competition is over," Kashimoto announced. "From this moment forward, the Managerialism Program will be officially implemented."