Son of God.
A storm rages across the mortal world. Wind and thunder gather beneath her feet as she kicks the air to soar, her thunderous charge piercing the Nine Heavens.
A thousand miles, measured in a single stride.
Son of Man.
Her eyes gaze up at the heavenly light, fixed on the Twins—two stars shining brilliantly in the highest sky.
Never letting go, never giving up.
Azure Thunder strikes the earth, its roar echoing across the entire racetrack. The lightning maiden, tearing open the ground, displays the full might of the reigning champion. Each stride gouges irreparable scars into the turf.
Bathed in lightning, the goddess is unstoppable.
The strongest charge—one that will never halt, one that will never be stopped.
A Flame Wheel rises within the storm, as dazzling as the sun. Even in the heart of the tempest, hope persists.
The Crimson Demon, her shackles broken, unleashes her astonishing legs, surging forward from a standstill. Relentless, she closes the gap with every step!
Chains shoot from the earth toward the sky—what is their purpose?
"Bind her once more!"
This is... deicide.
Obsession forged into chains, their target the figure in the clouds.
"I've got her!"
Kousei holds her breath, her gaze locked on Mejiro McQueen from behind. In this ultra-long-distance sprint, she has finally latched onto her!
"Can she do it? The distance is...!?"
Still a thousand meters from the finish line—how long can she hold on?
"I won't let you run wild!"
Amid the storm, the sound of a gate opening is crystal clear. Passing through the Limit Gate and entering the Domain of Speed, the Demon strikes from behind!
McQueen feels a terrifying presence, her limbs instinctively trembling. A pair of blood-red eyes are locked onto her.
Closer... closer!
"Is this... the gate to the New World!?" Before McQueen looms the immense Forbidden Gate.
"Glory will forever belong to the Mejiro Family."
BOOM!!!
"Aaaah—"
Mejiro screams, her hooves pounding like war drums. The deafening roar announces the walking catastrophe known as Mejiro McQueen.
From the swirling dust and debris, sharp claws emerge as the Crimson Demon slowly reveals her form.
"Got you."
On the final straight, Kousei has finally caught Mejiro McQueen.
Running side-by-side for the first time in ages, Kousei's heartbeat echoes the thunderous drums.
"Go," T says, her eyes conveying that she has given everything.
A late bloom, once again sacrificing all for her rival.
"Aaaah!!!"
Absolute fighting spirit! Absolute pride
Like thunder wrapped in flames, they charge ahead, locked in a desperate struggle, their indomitable spirit refusing to yield the lead. The True Self of the Umamusume is steadily consuming their minds!
The Turn Gambit!
McQueen knows all too well: an Umamusume who is the personification of fighting spirit will never back down.
"Frontal assault! Counterattack!!"
At the same moment, Kousei locks onto Lane 3. Just as they enter the turn, her eyes flick inward for a split second. Any other Umamusume would have missed it, but McQueen is different.
No detail escapes those eyes.
As expected, though Kousei still looks straight ahead, her body drifts toward the inside lane.
"Don't even think about it!"
McQueen surges forward, a torrential beast determined to completely suppress Kousei.
But Kousei stops as lightly as a feather. McQueen's body, unable to halt its momentum, presses uncontrollably toward the inside. A mocking smile touches Kousei's lips.
"You bastard—" McQueen laughs, fully understanding the meaning behind Kousei's move.
A feint—payback for that earlier slight.
"You really hold a grudge, don't you? But you're still a step behind!"
Thunderous might—what was once a fatal distance is now well within Mejiro's grasp.
Body faster than thought, reacting on sight. Super-heavy legs—like an anchor dropped to the seabed—root McQueen in place. Unlike Kousei's gentle stop, McQueen's is a forced halt, the impact visible to the naked eye.
Then, a turn and re-acceleration with near-zero startup time. The Heavenly Horse's Rainbow Legs embody perpetual motion. Kousei seizes the fleeting opportunity, pulling ahead first.
"I'll beat her right here!"
"Don't be so arrogant!"
Azure Thunder strikes in an instant, giving no time to react.
"Damn it!"
The difference in talent is stark. Even after pulling out of the turn first, the disparity in acceleration prevents Kousei from reaching top speed before McQueen overtakes her.
"Just how strong are you, McQueen?!"
The roar of the Thunder Drum once again echoes across the racetrack. The natural disaster is far from over.
Hoping for a single, paralyzing moment, they strain with all their might to seize the painful glory of the ultimate stage.
For those awaiting the Victory Seize...
Watch. Our fate rests in her hands.
In this instant, the flames of destiny burn out and fall.
Yes, it was for this moment! That's why I...!
"...That's why I've fought so hard until now!"
Just once is enough!
After burning everything to ash, the "One" thing I seized.
"The uphill slope! Mejiro McQueen is the first to reach it!"
A shadow surges from behind, sparks flashing!
"Kousei is coming!"
McQueen is faster—McQueen is faster! But!
"Common sense! Rules! Even the world's prejudices!
I'll shatter them all with these legs!
I'll trample the world's preconceptions! I'll trample[Heaven]itself!"
A vision of the past emerges—do you remember the figure who once challenged everything without hesitation?
"That's right! Kousei, do you understand now? Not every Umamusume becomes a great legend, but a legend can come from anywhere," CB suddenly laughed.
Beside her, Maruzensky's eyes filled with envy. "A worthy rival... How wonderful. Enjoy it to the fullest, Kousei."
Aaaahhhh—!!!
Shattering common sense, defying the current! The forbidden uphill acceleration!
"Impossible!"
After so many years, they witness this forbidden running style once more—a style that tramples all knowledge and common sense underfoot, utterly crushing them.
"I can do it! If it's me, I can do it!"
Like an otherworldly being, she defies all principles, forging her own path. The Spark ignites—Fly! Fly! Fly!
"Go!"
The most fiery third act!
The Crimson Demon exhales a red mist. Kousei's eyes, already bloodshot, grow even more severe—a dual torment of body and spirit.
Suddenly, Kousei veers, rapidly switching lanes.
"What's happening? What is she dodging?"
Though only McQueen is ahead, Kousei's movements suggest she's evading something.
Within the Domain unique to Umamusume, she is enveloped in the red mist. Former rivals appear one by one: Narita Brian, Agnes Tachyon, Caesar Rose, Twilight Cloud...
The unconsciously unleashed Gate Technique reconstructs her past adversaries, creating a final, desperate struggle. Umamusume, each capable of facing a thousand foes alone, now clash to devour one another!
The strongest, most chaotic deathmatch in history!
Weaving Heavenly ThunderDestinies converge. From the moment they met, karma and consequence were forever etched upon their hearts.
Flame Demon's ConfrontationFate's cycle turns. Crimson sun and heavenly thunder clash. Golden blades meet, and karmic flames consume the body, yet they never retreat.
Mortal DemonPoisonous mist seeps into bone. Riding wind and thunder, she breaks through the siege. Alone, she pursues the reflection of the moon in water, commanding a hundred demons.
Celestial ImmortalA divine spirit descends, refusing to yield the lead. Raging thunder strikes, and treacherous clouds roll back, purging all evil.
A flash of lightning, and the sound of shattering echoed across the entire track. Blood streamed from Kousei's mouth and eyes as the Flame Wheel enveloping the racetrack collapsed with a deafening roar.
Her starry eyes dimmed in an instant. The unextinguished spark, which had never once faded, was finally extinguished in the storm. Kousei lost speed like a puppet with its strings cut. The race was decided.
Or so it should have been.
After stumbling for a few steps, Kousei began running again.
"Enough... Enough! Stop running!"
The crowd fell silent. Unable to bear it any longer, Rice Shower burst into tears. Palmer, left far behind, watched the scene with a pained heart. "Enough! Why?!
Why won't Kousei give up?!
Why won't McQueen yield?!
Even now, you're still going to run?!
You two!
Aren't you dearest friends?!"
No one could understand. No one.
"It's so dark. Pitch black all around. I can't see the path ahead... The Tenno Sho is so long."
Even without the light in my eyes, it doesn't matter. I just need to follow that thunder, and I can reach her side.
It doesn't matter that I'm alone. I'm not lonely. Behind me, my sun is always shining on me.
"McQueen!!"
"Kousei!!"
Come! The curtain call!
For my rival, I offer even my soul!
A final, resurgent flame ignited, bathing her in white fire. Kousei assumed a posture she had never used before. For an instant, her breathing stopped.
New Stance × No Breathing = ? ? ?
"BAKUSHIN!!!"
Chaotic Blaze, Dance of Falling Cherry Blossoms! Compressed to the absolute limit, burned in a single breath.
A duel of pure sprinting power, with no tricks. Win the race before you collapse!
Like a white rainbow streaking across the setting sun.
We met, we understood each other, and now, I thank you.
On principle, I must defeat you.
Among rivals, you are a worthy adversary.
"Thank you for keeping your promise. My greatest... rival."
An absolute lead of three lengths. A record-breaking finish in 190 seconds.
Mejiro McQueen stood majestically at the finish line, the absolute elite allowing no one to run beside her.
Behind her lay her battered dearest friend, her grieving family, and countless Umamusume whose dreams she had crushed.
[One Horse Leads, Ten Thousand Horses Fade to Shadow]
The first back-to-back champion in history. Unquestionably the Strongest in History.
Congratulations, Mejiro McQueen.
By trampling over a genius, over your dearest friend, over your own family, you have ascended to a divine throne no one has ever reached.
Truly deserving of the title, [Strongest in History].
"This is where it ends." Kashimoto Riko appeared by the fence, her expression resolute. "Kousei, due to your repeated disregard for the rules and violation of Tracen Academy's educational policies, endangering yourself and other Umamusume, effective immediately...
...your Personal Racing Outfit is confiscated, and your Central registration is revoked."
Kashimoto Riko spoke with chilling calm. "I'm sorry, child, but this is where it ends."
The race was over.