A crimson mist blotted out the Hero's vision. This was the Minotaur's Maze, where the ever-shifting mist concealed treacherous Evil Ghosts.
"Damn it! I can't catch that creature!"
Though Kousei's radiant Power far surpassed Tenmile Cloud's imagination, it wasn't insurmountable. However, after her initial strike, Kousei had retreated into the mist, her figure flickering in and out of sight.
The Umamusume's position shifted constantly, but whenever a gap appeared, Kousei would materialize to block the only escape route.
This wasn't a mere encirclement; the gathered malice clung to Tenmile Cloud like a miasma. Like a frog slowly boiled alive, Kousei intended to use this "maze" to gradually devour her strength.
"I won't let you have your way!"
The Hero stood firm, gathering her strength. With a thunderous step, the ground shook violently. Her imposing figure radiated defiance as she prepared to shatter the maze's constraints.
"I didn't want to resort to this!"
The explosive Power was a natural, divine gift—a force so potent it could crush any obstacle in its path.
She glanced back, her eyes wide with terror.
Why was such a colossal being lurking in the collision zone?
Merciless and utterly indifferent to "all living things," it never even spared them a glance.
Closing her eyes, she braced for the impact—but it never came.
Puzzled, the Evil Ghost suddenly materialized from the mist.
"How about picking someone as vile as you?"
Asura Diagram, a Hero haunted by Evil Ghosts.
That figure once again blocked the Hero's path forward.
"You can't escape, Hero! This is your final resting place!"
The mournful wail of ancestral souls, the death knell tolling for whom? The Maze shifts, a mirage shimmering in the air.
How could Tenmile Cloud have imagined that her formidable physique would prove ineffective in the chaotic melee?
"Just as I thought! This one is infuriating!"
She had touched the Genius's raw nerve, unleashing Kousei's fury of unprecedented magnitude.
"I'll utterly destroy you!"
Rage-fueled footwork, her Talent fully unleashed. Her foot stomped down, the once-pristine grassland compacted into a solid mass under the crushing force. A deafening roar erupted as the earth shattered into dust.
Blazing and colossal, like a meteor crashing from the heavens.
The Hero's charge threatened to purge all life!
"Cry out my name now!"
The moment of annihilation had arrived, heralded by the unstoppable "Chicxulub."
Heh heh heh...
A bone-chilling cackle filled the air as a pair of withered, deathly pale hands covered Tenmile Cloud's eyes.
Darkness—an abyss of absolute darkness.
"What's happening?! Tenmile Cloud seems to have lost focus for a split second!" the commentator shouted in a frenzy.
This scene felt eerily familiar; they had witnessed it countless times on this very land.
If mortals cannot slay gods, let demons do the deed.
"If it were McQueen, she wouldn't falter from such trivial interference."
The demon's whisper echoed in her ear, followed by a violent impact that slammed into Tenmile Cloud.
The apocalyptic collision came to an abrupt halt.
Regaining clarity, Tenmile Cloud glanced around.
It wasn't an Umamusume at all. Like a raging flood, the beast pinned her down, forcing her inward.
"What's happening?! I can't exert any strength!"
Their Power should have been evenly matched, yet she was being completely overwhelmed.
Tenmile Cloud's shoulder slammed against the guardrail, and an indescribable humiliation surged through her.
"I, Tenmile Cloud! Being humiliated to such an extent!"
Her face twisted in a mix of rage and a hint of fear—the shame of being defeated in her most cherished domain was unbearable.
"Red Ghost, how much more will you humiliate me?!"
In the end, the Evil Ghost had devoured the Hero.
"Relying solely on brute strength hardly qualifies as skill. Sleep forever, Hero!"
With this strike, the Hero fell.
"Heh heh~"
A grating laugh echoed through the crimson mist as the cunning fox suddenly materialized ahead.
"How did she get there?" Kousei thought, startled, and quickly retreated, missing her chance to defeat Tenmile Cloud in the collision zone.
"Hehe~ Cloud, I saved your life! Remember to thank me later~"
Tenmile Cloud shot a deep, suspicious look at Twilight Cloud. How could this cunning fox possibly have any genuine good intentions?
"Well, it's not like I meant to save you. I just wanted to cause some trouble for Senpai," Twilight Cloud chuckled, her smile taking on an even more fox-like edge. "Let's play with Senpai a bit, shall we? We'll play her favorite game—hide-and-seek!"
Kousei vanished into the mist, using the stampeding horses as cover to conceal herself.
She can see me through the mist? This level of interference is useless against her?
The Gate Technique had failed to activate, leaving Kousei genuinely surprised.
"It's rare for someone to come seeking you out personally. To avoid them would be such a lack of courtesy, don't you think?"
Kousei had seen through Twilight Cloud's true nature at first glance—the malice hidden beneath her smile. If this woman wasn't mentally unstable, she was simply born evil.
Worse even than Speedstar.
"Since you've come looking for trouble, let's see what you've got."
The mist churned as the cunning fox darted through it. Crimson and black mirrored each other in the fog. Though this was a chaotic battlefield, their movements together seemed like playful sparring.
Nimble steps carried her freely through the maze. To her, the labyrinth that trapped heroes was merely a playground for her amusement. She laughed, radiating arrogance.
"As expected, a maze of this level can't contain her."
Kousei wasn't the only one skilled in chaotic combat.
A crimson glint flashed in her eyes as the cage to hunt the fox silently descended.