"The former Queen of the World sets foot upon the turf once more, launching one final charge toward the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—the race woven into the very fabric of her destiny."
"That's how they're introducing you. Sounds a bit tragic, doesn't it? I don't hear a single shred of a blessing for your victory in those words."
The rain in Paris was coming down in sheets. Through the gray, stifling veil of water that seemed ready to drown the world, the other girl's voice reached her ears with crystalline clarity.
"They're looking down on you. Even though Longchamp is roaring with a fervor it's never seen before just because of you, not a single soul truly believes in their heart that you can win today's Arc."
A silhouette in blue remained untouched by the gloom.
Emerging from the ashen world, Sea the Stars appeared before Dream Weaver's eyes, clad in a ghostly deep blue that felt utterly foreign to a Parisian December.
The design of Sea the Stars' racing silks was the polar opposite of Dream Weaver's.
While Dream Weaver wore a military-style dress uniform, intentionally ornate to ensure everyone could witness her triumphant form, Sea the Stars' attire was exceptionally sleek.
The upper half was clearly inspired by an Irish hacking jacket—the kind of sharp, practical gear European aristocrats wore for country hunts. The collar stood tall, its edges cut with lethal precision.
Below, her divided skirt flowed like a breaking wave; within that abyss of midnight blue, flecks of silver-white shimmered like the reflection of stars—or perhaps, like the stars themselves.
Perhaps it was the clothes, but Sea the Stars' entire aura had undergone a tectonic shift.
A sense of oceanic depth and celestial detachment clung to her, making her seem so lofty and remote upon the track that she felt untouchable.
Dream Weaver wasn't caught off guard by the transformation. It wasn't rare to find an Uma Musume who became a different person entirely the moment they stepped onto the turf.
She was exactly the same, after all.
Every Uma Musume who knew Dream Weaver off the clock felt that same jarring shift when they stood on the line with her.
The girl who was usually easygoing and helpful to a fault became something terrifying on the track—like a blade drawn from its sheath, radiating a cold edge that made one's skin crawl just by standing near.
But this sense of danger, which would make any ordinary girl recoil, seemed to delight Sea the Stars.
She narrowed her eyes, taking a deliberate step forward against the invisible pressure that felt like a knife pressed to her throat.
"But they're all wrong."
"That hunger for the Arc—the one you once lost—has returned to your eyes. The person standing before me isn't some relic discarded by history. You are a true, world-class Uma Musume!"
"And I have a feeling..."
"Today's Arc will be the grandest, most glorious, and most spectacular stage the world has ever seen!"
The pressure surged toward Dream Weaver.
A heavy, suffocating sensation, like an encroaching tidal wave, instantly transformed the rainy mist into the deep sea.
This was the manifestation of Sea the Stars' will—a power distinct from Shinzan's; it was the strength of a world-class athlete in her absolute prime, brimming with unstoppable spirit.
"And by defeating you, I will become the true champion of the Arc!"
She spoke as if defeating Dream Weaver was some mandatory rite of passage for every Arc winner.
Sea the Stars was visibly buzzing with excitement, but Dream Weaver offered no reaction.
She understood why the other girl was so fired up. Because of her mother, Sea the Stars had been determined from a young age to win the Arc and ease her mother's burdens.
But before she could truly grow into the celestial body her name promised, a star had appeared in the racing sky that commanded the gaze of the entire world.
It wasn't just the powerhouse rivals she loathed; even her own mother spent her days gazing at the horizon, dazzled by that star's brilliance.
In such a situation, how could Sea the Stars not develop an obsession with that star—with Dream Weaver herself?
To defeat Dream Weaver before the eyes of the world and once again become the brightest light in her mother's eyes, Sea the Stars had spent years preparing for this race.
Yet, on the eve of her wish being granted, she had suddenly received word that Dream Weaver was retiring to become a trainer.
With her long-chased goal suddenly snatched away, Sea the Stars felt a void in her heart, even after defeating rivals from across the globe and being crowned a world-class champion.
That sense of incompleteness haunted her, driving her so far as to collaborate with Equinox just to goad Dream Weaver back into the spotlight.
Though it wasn't the provocation that ultimately brought Weaver back, the result was the same. She had finally made it onto the same stage, standing here in the pouring Parisian rain.
To regain a goal she had chased for years and nearly lost... now, she could finally fill that hole in her soul and find true peace. How could she not be ecstatic?
But what did that have to do with Dream Weaver?
Unlike any previous scenario, there was no inherent reason why Weaver and Sea the Stars had to decide who was better.
Dream Weaver could complete her primary objectives even without winning the Arc; all she had to do was arrange a G1 race for Liberty Island or Hishi Miracle next year.
Therefore, there was no practical conflict between the two of them.
In terms of the world they occupied, since it was modeled after reality, there was nothing here that had to be changed through victory, unlike her encounter with Shinzan.
Whether she defeated Sea the Stars or not, the world wouldn't become a better or worse place.
The only reason she stood here today, in the middle of this downpour, was because she—Dream Weaver herself—wanted to be on this stage.
In a conversation a week ago, Dream had already said it: Sea the Stars was not her rival.
Of course, she hadn't just said that because the "rival" slots in her life were already full.
A true rival required more than just enmity; there had to be a reason why no one else could take their place. Sea the Stars wasn't that girl.
No matter who Dream Weaver faced at the Arc today, her only task was to seize the win.
She hadn't entered the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for anyone else.
She was here for herself, and only herself, driven by the simple, singular desire not to lose.
If a rival had to be found for this race—a corresponding star to match her own—it could only be the Dream Weaver of this world's past.
The one she needed to surpass wasn't Sea the Stars.
It was the Dream Weaver of the past who, in this timeline, had discarded miracles to meet the expectations of others, only to fall at the Arc time and time again.
"I am going to end the curse of the Arc."
Dream Weaver spoke the words. It wasn't so much a response to Sea the Stars as it was a cold declaration of a future fact.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.