"This is... an Umamusume! So cool!"
Amidst the cheers and applause, a young Umamusume, goggles perched on her forehead, leaned against the railing, her eyes fixed on Kousei's dazzling receding figure, filled with admiration. The girl's small silhouette seemed to overlap with Kousei's own radiant past, setting the hands of time in motion anew.
Manhattan Cafe tilted her head, feigning attentiveness, a hint of surprise flickering across her face. Air Shakur, gazing at Kousei's departing figure, murmured to herself, "Tachyon, is this what you wanted me to see?"
Just seven centimeters... could it all be resolved with just one step forward?
T and Sirius leaned against a wall, sharing a knowing smile.
"She won, didn't she?"
"Yeah, but...", T watched as the wind tugged at Kousei's silver hair, revealing a hidden crimson streak, "she's starting to look more and more like her mother did in her youth. I'm not sure if that's a good thing."
T and Sirius involuntarily conjured mental images, breaking into cold sweats.
"No, no matter how you think about it, that can't be good!"
In the crowd, Dicta Striker, hooded and concealed, smirked, "A brilliant victory."
Everyone instinctively chased after the retreating figure, but the radiant form suddenly swayed, visibly unsteady. After stumbling a few steps, it collapsed.
The sudden turn of events plunged the arena into tense silence, the cheers abruptly ceasing.
However, T remained remarkably calm.
Kousei lay collapsed before the Winner's Passage, closest to Caesar Rose. As if compelled by some unseen force, Caesar Rose approached, glancing at Kousei before reaching out a hand to touch her.
But her gaze fell upon two pairs of entirely different feet. Caesar Rose froze, her hand still outstretched, and her eyes flickered upward.
Standing before her were Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio.
"I advise you not to touch her with that hand," the Elite stood tall and aloof, their words cold as the wind.
"Foreigners should know their place. Just slink back where you came from," the Genius sneered, their smile sharp as a blade.
Caesar Rose's expression turned icy, her eyes gleaming faintly with golden light as the Crown materialized, showing faint signs of shattering.
Simultaneously...
Arcs of electricity crackled and stellar particles overflowed, the atmosphere growing increasingly volatile, as if on the verge of eruption.
Suddenly...
Another wave of royal authority descended, its overwhelming pressure causing knees to tremble involuntarily. Only one person at Tracen possessed such formidable power: Symboli Rudolf.
"Show no disrespect before Central!"
The Emperor herself had arrived. Before her absolute royal authority, everything else paled into insignificance.
Symboli Rudolf strode in with dignified steps, each measured footfall echoing rhythmically. Clutching the Japan Cup victory banner, she maintained her unwavering gaze as she stood before Caesar Rose, looking down without uttering a word.
Her outstretched hand twitched, but she ultimately withdrew it.
Before her stood the absolute royal authority of Central. Her eyes could not glimpse a future where victory was possible.
Symboli Rudolf half-knelt, enveloping Kousei in the victory banner like a cocoon, and lifted her horizontally.
"Leave, and a lavish banquet awaits you. Remain, and you will face the consequences of your insolence."
The unspoken message was clear:
The defeated should act like the defeated—tail between their legs, slinking away in disgrace.
Caesar Rose smiled faintly, her face betraying no hint of displeasure, and turned to leave.
The Umamusume of her group had been waiting for Caesar Rose.
"Damn, I think I'm starting to get a crush," Twilight Cloud confessed, her expression lovestruck.
"That wretched Kousei! Next time, I won't retreat so easily!" Speedstar vowed, grinding her teeth.
"Rose, what do your eyes see?" Tenmile Cloud asked, her voice remarkably composed compared to the other two.
"An intriguing future."
Defeated, the losers had no words. Loss was loss.
But next time might be different. After all, the future cannot be confined.
"Farewell, Kousei."
Symboli Rudolf cradled the slumbering Kousei against her chest, for breaking free from bodily constraints and touching the nascent form had been an arduous feat.
"So this is the answer you've given me? You truly are remarkable to have conceived such a thing."
Symboli Rudolf's expression softened. "Sleep now. When you awaken, you'll be reborn anew."
But before that, let us listen to the world's cries.
The roar of cheers erupted once more, and Glory's radiance once again illuminated the Tokyo Racetrack.
In the Winner's Passage, Etsuko Otonashi remarked with a hint of regret, "What a pity. We had arranged to interview her after the Japan Cup. Not getting to meet her feels like such a missed opportunity, doesn't it?"
Etsuko glanced to the side, recognizing a familiar face. A badge identifying him as an intern reporter was pinned to his chest—the same radio host who had voiced his support for Kousei before the race.
As Kousei had predicted, he had lost his job for publicly backing her before the race. Now, he carried a heavy camera, yet his face showed no trace of sorrow.
"That lottery ticket in your hand is now worth a fortune. If you sell it or cash it in right now, you could leave your intern reporter days behind and live like a lord. What do you say?"
He simply smiled, clutching the ticket tighter in his palm. "Don't tease me, Miss Etsuko. You know I'd never part with it. This is the treasure of my life."
It was precisely this absurd encounter that had rekindled his long-lost dream. This time, he vowed never to abandon it again.
"She's already worked so hard. Now it's my turn to push myself. Next time we meet, I'll be a Central Reporter, standing near her to cheer her on."
"Is that so?" Etsuko gazed into the distance. "That child is unknowingly carrying the dreams of so many people."
There must be countless people in the world inspired by that girl. Etsuko's own dream was to support those who strive tirelessly.
"Listen closely, world, to the heart's cry of the strongest Umamusume!"
Etsuko waved her hand, as if saying goodbye.
"Come on, intern reporter. We still have a long road ahead."
Etsuko strode forward without stopping. He cast one last glance back before turning to follow her brisk pace.
"Until we meet again, Kousei. Shine brightly."