After winning another race, the Overlord felt no joy whatsoever.
Defeating weaklings like these brought no sense of accomplishment, nor could it satisfy her needs. Targets weaker than herself could only bring very limited improvement. This progress was far too slow. She longed for stronger opponents, longed for more powerful strength.
Have they... already given up?
Recently, the Overlord had only been able to see Tokai Teio and Rice Shower. Kitasan Black, whom she had originally decided would be her next target, had stopped appearing some time earlier. This made her feel it was time to change her actions. If she only waited now, perhaps no one would come anymore.
Moreover, this world's strength was itself too weak.
Putting away the trophy, the Overlord decided it was time to leave this world.
Now, she finally had the confidence to use the system functions. The only person she did not have complete confidence in defeating was Mejiro McQueen. Unlike at the beginning, she now possessed the power to protect herself.
At the same time.
Location: Kitasan Black's world.
Racecourse.
Below, an intense race was currently underway.
The time in this world was now the end of the year.
While receiving special training under her seniors' guidance, Kitasan Black had also returned to her own world to race in the new year. Now, she was running her final race of the year.
After this race ended, she would be at the age where she became a senior herself.
"We are now broadcasting this year's Arima Kinen!"
The commentator's voice echoed above.
"The runners are currently at the second corner. The first to break out is number 7, Kitasan Black. As expected, her strength is outstanding. She has opened a very long gap from the runners behind her. Fellow popular runner Satono Crown is in the center of the Leader group, while her teammate Satono Diamond is improving her position from behind..."
Satono Crown, currently in fourth, was on a section of track slightly closer to the inside. Her eyes focused on the figure in red ahead. The fighting spirit she had possessed before the race had already been battered away by now. She felt extremely unwilling.
"I can't put out my strength. No, I've already surpassed my limits long ago. So this is Kitasan-san, Kitasan Black's true strength! As expected, we aren't on the same level. This powerlessness... I hate how it feels."
Satono Crown gritted her teeth. The next instant, she began squeezing out the last of her power, no longer controlling her speed.
Before the race ended, she wanted to show her own light. Under Kitasan Black's pressure, even if it was only a little, she wanted the spectators to notice her running style in this race.
"Satono Crown is beginning to push forward at this moment!"
That girl!
Little White Cap (Cheval Grand), who had originally been near Satono Crown, could no longer remain calm after seeing this opponent move. She also wanted to express herself in this race. Ending her career with mediocre results, as a passerby umamusume of an era, was something she truly could not accept.
Kitasan Black, you are strong. You are a truly great umamusume. I am nothing more than a weakling who has always looked up at you from behind. But even so, I...
"Cheval Grand and Satono Crown are competing!"
At this moment, both of their eyes held only that figure.
They gave everything, refusing to keep falling behind.
And what that fighting spirit brought was the activation of ZONE.
Possessing the necessary foundation, holding the proper resolve, and still chasing the glory of victory even while knowing the danger...
That would bring the opportunity to awaken.
The spectators, who had originally been almost completely drawn to Kitasan Black, now noticed the performances of the other runners as well. Every runner was giving everything. Even if it was only to get a little closer, even if it was only for that faint thread of a chance at victory, they all wanted to recover the previous gap on this straight and enter the final corner together with Kitasan Black.
"Amazing."
The Trainers sighed nervously at the scene.
Some Trainers even felt guilty.
We actually gave up before they did.
Fearing the powerful opponent, they had thought their own children had already lost the race as soon as the list of participants came out. After seeing the umamusume's performances in the race, that thought had completely vanished. Not being able to win? They no longer understood such words. As Trainers, what they could do now, and the only thing they needed to do, was believe. Believe that their umamusume would win.
"Go, Gold Ship!!!"
Nishizaki Ryu shouted toward [Gold Ship] in the race.
Win back the race you lost last year. Even facing Kitasan Black, I believe you can absolutely win!
...Seriously, Trainer?
Gold Ship's perception radar sensed her Trainer's feelings. She felt that her Trainer was really overestimating her. It was true that she was quite confident, but this time's opponent was far too outside the standard. In smaller terms, Kitasan Black was now a genuine Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe ruler and world number one. In larger terms, she was a fierce character who had reached the final of the cross-dimensional Goddess Cup.
To be honest, Little Gold Ship truly had no confidence this time.
But... well, this was a race. It would not be fun if she were not serious. And the stronger the opponent, the more valuable the challenge. Otherwise, she would not have signed up, right? World number one and all that. What a wonderful opponent. This was simply the perfect target!
I hear it. The wind, the waves, and...
My Super Gold Ship!
The unsinkable ship. It was time to set sail again.
Raise anchor!
An aura like a surging sea unfolded from the rear of the pack. At that moment, the participating runners all seemed to hear the sound of waves rushing in from behind. When they turned back, they seemed to see an enormous ship, one that could charge into space, riding wind and waves toward them.
That was Gold Ship's specialty.
"Oh."
Orfevre, watching the race, looked a little surprised.
She had not expected Gold Ship, whose physical ability had already begun to decline, to rediscover her condition over these two years, even breaking through her former limits. Was all of this because of the influence that person had brought?
"It's that move, but..."
Gentildonna felt Gold Ship was being a little greedy.
She had seen this move before. Its intimidation was indeed tremendous, but the problem was that the probability of releasing it was too low. Even if Gold Ship's condition was excellent that day and she successfully opened this ability, there was still a capture-range limit if she wanted it to hit the target and achieve the desired effect. And one did not even need to think to know that Gold Ship's chosen target right now was Kitasan Black, because choosing any other target would definitely not allow her to win.
Kitasan Black's strength was simply that great.
But the gap between Gold Ship and Kitasan Black was now too large. How would Gold Ship approach Kitasan Black while maintaining this state and successfully throw out the follow-up effect of this skill?
The moment someone in the race made that judgment, Gold Ship heard footsteps striking the ground from behind. They were slightly different from the footsteps of ordinary umamusume. They sounded almost like some kind of omen, some kind of sign. That footfall instantly cooled Gold Ship's previously high-spirited mood.
Oh no!
That birdlike pressure directly scattered Gold Ship's skill state. The figure charging up from behind her was Duramente, who had already entered ZONE. Looking at Duramente's current domineering posture, Gold Ship immediately recalled painful memories from the past.
Back then, Orfevre and Donna had crushed her exactly like this. Unless her ability had already completed its activation, it might be able to clash with a domain. But before completion, it simply could not withstand the impact of a domain, especially this type of domain with powerful pressure, which countered her.
The commentator had been delighted when she saw Gold Ship's movement earlier.
"Gold Ship is moving forward! Could this be the legendary revival? Wait, Duramente has caught up. Duramente has over... overtaken her! Gold Ship has fallen to last place..."
No one expected Gold Ship to drop the ball.
Even Gold Ship's Trainer and teammates were at a loss as they watched her grow slower and slower, clearly with no hope of continuing the chase. This girl had tricked them into being moved!
"...Hmph."
Orfevre, who had originally held some expectations, let out a cool and displeased snort. She had not expected herself to misjudge her.
That girl still had not grown at all.
"Retreat!"
Little Gold Ship failed spectacularly!
Gold Ship let out one last cry.
But returning to the race, the race was still continuing.
Third corner.
Kitasan Black, wearing a new race outfit and dressed in red, entered this area first with an expressionless face. Her calm, steady running posture gave the impression that she had ample room to spare. Under Mejiro McQueen's guidance, setting aside other abilities, her improvement in basic running form had been explosive. Combined with Kitasan Black's own outstanding physical ability, what it brought was an absolutely terrifying sense of zero mistakes.
Speed, power, route...
Everything was perfect, beyond even textbook level.
It made one feel that this was unquestionably the world's strongest.
"This really is amazing."
Treve, as a traveler, expressed her thoughts.
This umamusume called Kitasan Black had grown much stronger than when Treve saw her in the Goddess Cup.
The previous Kitasan Black had also been very strong, but her running style back then had been wilder. And while her ability to imitate others was cheating, the actual performance was not as good as the original being imitated. In this race, however, what Kitasan Black displayed was herself.
And it was a self that had improved.
Treve also noticed that in this race, Kitasan Black seemed able to use other runners' abilities in her own way without needing to deliberately imitate them. It felt unbelievable.
Could this umamusume's ability advance even further? Not simple imitation, but true acquisition.
What a perfect body.
What terrifying learning ability.
She could only be described as a [monster].
Treve even felt some sympathy for the children below.
Meeting such a monster in the same era was simply too despairing.
Even if she and her mentor met such a monster in their prime, they might be struck until they doubted themselves as umamusume. That was the kind of monster this was.
"Kitasan Black remains in the lead. The runners behind her are closing the gap. The difference from second place has now been reduced to eight lengths. But this is truly incredible. This composed front-running... is this the strength of last year's Arc winner?"
"Following her are Satono Crown and Cheval Grand. Duramente and Satono Diamond have also begun chasing from behind..."
Through the third corner.
Fourth corner.
The final straight was right before them!
"Step!"
Kitasan Black completed her burst in an instant. Only after her body had surged forward did the radiance of a skill flash across her. That powerful appearance filled every runner with fear. It was as if skill activation no longer required thought. Even the preparatory motion for activating a skill was no longer needed. Or rather, this was the most perfect activation. While they still needed to focus on activating skills, Kitasan Black had already trained skill use to the level of breathing.
"As expected of Kitasan!"
Satono Diamond smoothly charged into the front group. Having gone through special training and improved quite a bit during the Goddess Cup event, she was finally able to catch up to Kitasan Black's back in a race.
Satono Diamond and Duramente caught up from behind. With more stamina and skills preserved, they surpassed Satono Crown and Cheval Grand, who had originally been second and third. Compared with the exhausted Satono Crown and Cheval Grand, Satono Diamond and Duramente still looked in excellent condition. After all, they had endured that enormous gap and fear, controlling the rhythm of the race from behind the entire time. They had neither rushed too early in a fit of excitement nor given up on the race.
"The strongest!"
Duramente's mind was filled with her dream.
Her desire for victory had already become somewhat obsessive.
That birdlike pressure also became incomparably aggressive.
Even Satono Diamond, who had greatly evolved by now, felt Duramente's pressure was somewhat frightening. But she would not give up here, especially after learning some things from other worlds last time. That made her even less willing to let go so easily.
Catch up!
I absolutely have to catch up!
Until she accomplished that, she would never stop.
The intense charge began.
The challengers behind Kitasan Black had given everything.
But the gap still existed.
No.
There was a large gap.
Kitasan Black's speed had not dropped in the slightest. Rather, it had become even faster. No one knew what her serious eyes were watching, but every runner looking at her back felt it: Kitasan Black was not treating them as opponents at all. Her accelerating figure seemed to be competing with some unknown opponent.
"..."
In a corner of the spectator stands, a figure resembling Rice Shower, but with far wilder hair and a pitch-black coat, appeared. Her burning molten-gold eyes stared coldly at Kitasan Black's figure. Just the little aura that leaked unintentionally from her made the nearby humans feel the temperature drop, while the nearby umamusume felt frozen stiff, their entire bodies trembling.
"Kitasan Black, you truly delight me. Let me make good use of that power. You have nowhere left to run."
...
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