Kousei's feints grew more frequent, weaving in unpredictable shifts in tempo. At first, McQueen managed to keep up, but as time wore on, the disruption to her rhythm took an increasingly heavy toll.
McQueen's breathing grew ragged. The moment was ripe. Kousei spotted a defensive opening and lunged to cut in. Her timing was exquisite, exploiting the brief recovery lag after McQueen's last move. Just as the crowd thought Kousei had broken through, McQueen reacted with an astonishingly exaggerated maneuver mid-motion.
A sound like thunder, a shadow like a falling star—lightning flashed across the racetrack. A net of electricity woven across the heavens—not even wings can help you escape now!
"Oh no!" The spectators couldn't bear to watch, covering their eyes. But to their astonishment, Kousei hadn't moved an inch. Instead, it was McQueen who went flying sideways like a beast that had lost its footing.
"It was a feint!"
When the real is feigned, the feint becomes real; when the feint is real, the real becomes feigned. When it came to body control, Kousei was leagues ahead of McQueen. McQueen's body reacted faster than her mind, making her far more susceptible to feints than other Umamusume.
A triumphant smirk spread across Kousei's face. She had outmaneuvered countless geniuses this way.
The situation shifted in the blink of an eye. McQueen rallied and immediately reached the second turn. Kousei held a positional advantage on this curve, but based on their initial probing, it seemed unlikely their paths would cross here. Kousei's pride and joy—her strategic play on the curves—was rendered useless.
Arcs of electricity gathered around McQueen once more as she prepared to enter the turn. Her gaze locked onto Kousei. How will she counter my curve?
"If she can't stop McQueen here, all the advantage she's gained will evaporate," Teio said, her expression grim.
The pressure on Kousei was immense, both offensively and defensively. Even the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. After all, her opponent was the Pegasus—this was only to be expected.
After all these years, had Kousei finally found a way to contain that lightning curve?
The bolt of lightning shot into the turn. Just as it was about to surge out again, a figure cloaked in flames blocked its path.
McQueen's heart leaped. Kousei stood directly in front of her. Instead of hugging the rail, she had charged to the same position as McQueen.
First, create distance! Then... McQueen planned to maneuver around her, only to find she had no room to retreat.
"Could it be?!" McQueen realized with a jolt. "No wonder she chose the deep outer lane! So that was the reason!"
The restless arcs of electricity around her instantly fell silent. The ball of flame—Kousei—shot her a mocking glance before turning and surging ahead.
"So that's it," McQueen murmured. "You've grown this strong. Fine. Watch closely! This is the rival worthy of me, Mejiro McQueen!"
A thunderous roar shook the air as savage lightning crackled. Dark clouds gathered, and McQueen's hair whipped wildly, her pupils turning stark white. Plasma sputtered around her, transforming her into a being of pure energy—a masterpiece of creation, as if she had stolen the very power of heaven and earth to achieve this form.
"Come, Kousei! This is our stage!"
The earth served as her launching pad, her horseshoes screaming in protest. The sound came first, then the form—a descent of furious thunder. Before anyone could blink, she was already closing in on Kousei!
Flames blazed in Kousei's eyes. She had been waiting for this moment.
"Come, Strongest!"
The inferno danced like a python, while thunderous might shook the nine heavens. The sky darkened, the universe shifted, and golden lightning and fiery serpents slithered across the ground. Beacon fires raged, staining the sky blood-red as the two titans clashed on the battlefield to decide their fate.
A roar that shook the heavens, a meteor strike like divine punishment—even a celestial being descending to the mortal realm would pale in comparison!
The Strongest of Their Era—Mejiro McQueen—had ascended to the realm of immortals.
Forget the Umamusume from Central; even the foreign, world-class competitors watched this spectacle with a mixture of terror and awe.
Never before had anyone witnessed such a spectacle. Inexplicably, a sense of admiration welled up within them.
"Kousei debuted alongside that kind of monster?"
Jade stared, dumbfounded. She had always believed her talent was second to none in the world, but now she truly understood the meaning of "there's always someone better, and a heaven beyond the heavens."
Her pride took a severe blow. "No wonder Rohan told me to see more of the world. This world truly has no shortage of geniuses."
Jade uncarved cannot become a gem. This journey to Central, just as Rohan had hoped, would thoroughly temper Jade's impetuousness.
The shock among the Central Umamusume was far greater than that of the foreigners. They had watched every single one of Mejiro McQueen's races. McQueen had always been dominant, but never had she displayed such terrifying power as she did today.
Kousei's appearance seemed to have ignited an infinite fighting spirit within her. At this moment, Mejiro McQueen was stronger than ever before—strong enough to inspire fear.
Even the most arrogant competitors had to admit: the Mejiro McQueen of this Spring Tenno Sho was the greatest of all time.
"That's our McQueen! She's guaranteed to win! McQueen truly is the strongest!" McQueen's overwhelming performance gave Central hope. If even the King of the Arc de Triomphe was no match for her, what did a few losses matter?
In contrast, the faces of the Northern contingent turned grim. Throughout Kousei's entire career, McQueen was the most formidable opponent she had ever faced—so powerful it was utterly outrageous.
"Hey, everyone! Don't lose heart! We're here to cheer for Kousei!"
Suddenly, someone's loud reminder snapped the Northern contingent back to their senses.
"That's right! We're not here to drag Kousei down! We can't let her see us looking so pathetic!"
The Northern contingent rallied, waving their glow sticks and roaring their support for Kousei.
"Go, Kousei!"
The Central crowd quickly followed suit, cheering just as fiercely for McQueen: "Go, McQueen!"
On the track, the two Umamusume representing the peak of their respective regions were locked in a fierce struggle. Off the track, their cheering squads were equally unwilling to back down. But this was Central's home turf; compared to the thunderous roar of the Central crowd, the Northern cheers were like the faint chirping of cicadas.
"Can you hear them? They're cheering for you," McQueen said softly, her eyes fixed on Kousei.
"Of course. I can hear them loud and clear."
Kousei might have been at a disadvantage, but within the storm, her flame had never once flickered. Kousei never gave up—Mejiro McQueen, her dearest friend, knew this better than anyone.
Even as McQueen's assault raged like a tempest, the fire in Kousei's eyes burned with unwavering calm, not a single tremor of doubt.
She smiled. "When it comes to resilience, my dearest friend is the best in the world!"
Within the storm, the flame surged anew. The Sun Wheel rose high, like Helios itself, to dispel the gloom.
"I will win! Because I am everyone's hero!"
Today, the cicada's song will challenge the heavens themselves!
The great serpent roared, and its cry shattered the raging black wind. Kousei unleashed a sudden burst of power, forcefully shoving McQueen aside.
Flames erupted around Kousei, the Flame Wheels in her eyes spinning at blinding speed. The inferno spread across the racetrack, so vast that not even Pegasus could escape its reach.
"Let's end this!"