"Don't be afraid, Rice Shower."
Rice Shower's reaction confirmed Kousei's suspicion. As a Gate Technique user, Rice Shower's temperament was far too gentle. This was not a good thing. If she became timid during confrontations, the Gate Technique would lose its greatest advantage.
That being said, Kousei was no longer the same person she once was.
Inheriting her mother's fiery personality, Kousei never shied away from a challenge. Her world tour had further honed her edge, and her title as the "King of the Arc de Triomphe" was renowned far and wide.
Tracen Academy was crawling with the Central Committee's spies. Kousei had released her Gate Technique with two intentions. The first was naturally to test Rice Shower. The second was to use this opportunity to send a message to the Central Committee.
The mist lingered, and a palpable sense of unease spread through the crowd. The gazes directed at Kousei were a mixture of scrutiny and apprehension.
Before the Central Umamusume could even gather their thoughts, more gazes, sharp as daggers, fell upon them.
Morgan leveled her eyes, her reputation as the infamous "King of Killers" making her danger plain to see. Twilight Cloud wore her usual mocking expression; as a foreign competitor who had invaded Central during Kousei's era, she had left a deep and lasting impression on Tracen.
Though Speedstar and Tenmile Clouds weren't as overtly malicious as Twilight Cloud, they were far from harmless.
The foreign competitors watched like tigers stalking their prey. Even Leo and her allies, who were nominally on the same side, couldn't help but frown.
Without a doubt, Kousei was using her actions to make a show of force.
Nominally, they were exchange students, but everyone knew that Kousei wouldn't have brought such a formidable group just to quietly return home.
They clenched their fists in helpless frustration. This was the most powerful Foreign Legion Central had ever faced. As the saying goes, "you reap what you sow." This day was bound to come sooner or later.
"After all this time, consider this our greeting."
Within the Central Committee, the members argued incessantly. Rudolf propped her chin on her hand, watching the farce unfold. Kashimoto Riko sat upright and silent, as if none of this concerned her.
T stood to the side, fighting off a wave of drowsiness.
"The prophecy has truly come to pass! She's back! All our efforts will be reduced to ashes!" one member cried in panic. Rudolf knew the Central Committee feared the prophecy, but she hadn't expected them to be this terrified.
"Panicking like this—what a disgrace!" another member snapped, clearly dissatisfied with the panicked member's display.
"Kousei isn't the main issue. The real problem is that Akikawa Yayoi has returned with her."
"Akikawa Yayoi? How could that be? Is this information reliable?"
"The information came from T."
Hearing that the news came from T, the member didn't press the matter further.
After all, Central Legitimacy still rested with Akikawa Yayoi. The Central Committee had forced her out, assuming she would never return. Now, Kashimoto Riko's position was incredibly awkward.
With all three branches of power consolidated, Central should have been an unbreakable monolith. In reality, this was far from the truth. The dire straits Central faced had already been explained and need not be repeated.
Setting those issues aside, Rudolf was now openly defying the Central Committee's orders while maintaining a facade of compliance. She would show up but put in no real effort, leaving them with no pretext to punish her.
Kashimoto Riko's behavior was also abnormal. She remained utterly indifferent to the changes within the Academy. Furthermore, during the previous resistance movement, the Committee had only asked her to handle Leo Durban and her group. Instead, she had gambled away the position of Acting Director as well.
1 + 1 + 1 < 3.
The Central Committee was deeply troubled. The pressure from public opinion was also impossible to ignore. A recent string of accidents and poor performances had led the public to severely question the Academy's leadership and policies.
Numerous bloggers were even openly calling for the "impeachment" of Kashimoto Riko and the Central Committee online. One could only imagine the immense pressure the Committee was under.
The Central Committee knew that someone must be fanning the flames behind the scenes for public opinion to escalate so rapidly and intensely. Yet, they were powerless to stop it. The person manipulating the narrative had become a thorn in the Central Committee's side.
They were already overwhelmed, struggling to keep their heads above water. The Central Committee had to deliver results, or they would eventually be devoured by public opinion. To make matters worse, the Academy itself was rife with hidden turmoil.
"The Director has suddenly returned. Has the Acting Director nothing to say?" a Committee member asked, shifting the focus to Kashimoto Riko.
"It matters not. As long as the Emperor is here, all problems will resolve themselves," Kashimoto Riko replied, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further. She immediately tossed the topic to Rudolf.
Rudolf, who had been enjoying the spectacle, sat up straight as the spotlight suddenly turned on her.
"Indeed. As long as the Emperor is here, Central will forever remain under our control."
Symboli Rudolf, the legendary figure with extraordinary influence within Central. The vast majority of Umamusume had once been swept up in the fervor of the "Symboli Rudolf Craze." Throughout Central's turbulent history, this towering figure had been like a shot of adrenaline. As long as she remained seated on her throne, she gave people boundless hope.
This was the weight of the Symboli—Central's greatest Umamusume in history, a radiant moon hanging over Tracen Academy.
Rudolf remained silent, treating the Central Committee's flattery as background noise, nothing more than empty words.
"Her Majesty the Emperor seems to have something on her mind?"
"No," Rudolf said frankly. "It's just that Tracen's affairs are demanding, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed."
"Oh? That's strange. As far as I know, the Empress handles most of Tracen's administrative duties. Her Majesty the Emperor should have more leisure time."
"I've been in this position for a long time. It's only natural to feel weary."
At Rudolf's words, the Committee members immediately exchanged glances.
Cough, cough. After two light coughs, one member spoke. "We certainly understand the Emperor's fatigue. Perhaps you should set aside your duties for now and take a rest?"
The members' tone softened, their opinions unusually aligned for once.
They never addressed Symboli Rudolf by her full name, always referring to her as the Emperor—a testament to her immense influence within Central.
This wasn't surprising. After all, Rudolf had been the sole candidate for their "God-Making Project" from the very beginning. But within Tracen, she had already become something akin to a True God.
"Since the Committee is so rarely offering me a vacation, I have no reason to refuse," Rudolf replied, choosing not to slight them.
"Rest well, Emperor. After all, you may soon need to lead the charge personally."
A flicker of hostility flashed in Rudolf's eyes before vanishing. She averted her gaze and said calmly, "If my intervention is needed, I will act."
"Of course, we don't wish for you to be involved either. But if that moment truly comes, we hope you won't hold back."
The Member enunciated the words "won't hold back" with deliberate force, the warning unmistakable.
"After all, we have an agreement."
Rudolf swept her gaze across the room, uttered a curt "Farewell," and rose to leave. Kashimoto Riko followed her out of the conference room less than five minutes later, leaving only the Committee members and T behind.
"It seems the Emperor's heart is no longer with us."
"Why deceive ourselves? She was never on our side to begin with."
"Hmm... The Emperor does have a point. She has indeed held this position for too long, and her deterrent power is gradually weakening. The defeat in the Japan Cup has undoubtedly broadcast to the world that Central has no one left to deploy. The next Japan Cup will likely be even more brutal."
"Most importantly, we cannot afford to fail again."
We must find the next Symboli.
"Should we approach Tokai Teio? Since she was willing to join the Student Council, she must be aware of the relationship between us and the Emperor."
Tokai Teio was indeed a strong candidate, yet the Committee members felt something was missing.
Suddenly, one Member proposed, "I have someone in mind."
"Who?"
The proposing Member turned to look at T, who was standing nearby. A single glance was all it took for T to sense that something was terribly wrong.