Bound by chains and trapped in a cage, Twilight Cloud showed no sign of panic. Instead, her eyes burned with fanaticism.
"Her capture range has expanded," Caesar mused. "She's reached a higher level since the Japan Cup."
The Red Flame Wheel was exceptionally conspicuous. Constrained by the Gate Technique, Kousei gradually closed in on Twilight Cloud. Had this been during the Japan Cup, Twilight Cloud would have shaken her off at this distance long ago.
The burning sensation in my eyes is stronger than ever. It really can't be cured.
The lingering ailment from the Spring Tenno Sho, like the unforgettable, crushing defeat etched into her heart, relentlessly resurfaced through the searing heat in her eyes—the Strongest Demon in History.
Trying to bait me? Fine. I accept.
Twilight Cloud might be brilliant, but she struggled to hide her emotions. For a technique that required guidance, she was far too transparent—hardly a good thing.
Let's see just how far you can control me.
Perhaps, like with Narita Brian, she would evolve once more.
Here it comes! the three of them knew instinctively.
Immediately following the Gate Technique came the suppression. The fluttering flame-tail whipped up wind and snow as the Red Python opened its gaping maw.
BANG!
Kousei pressed forward fiercely—her signature tactic after pinning an opponent on the straight. The most fundamental of fundamentals: power suppression.
Cunning fox. Now for the dogfight.
Twilight Cloud's strength was far inferior to Kousei's. Among the original four, only Cloud had ever been able to match her in power. Pinned close, Twilight Cloud was steadily suppressed by Kousei's relentless pressure, gradually being forced toward the inner rail.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to control me?" Kousei stared at Twilight Cloud.
"Hmph! So crude, Senpai!"
Kousei ignored Twilight Cloud's words and paid no mind to the expression on her face. She wasn't sure what Twilight Cloud would do next; a moment's carelessness could mean stepping into a trap.
Don't listen. Don't react. That was Kousei's current strategy.
The two advanced at a steady pace. Twilight Cloud's unique three-step acceleration was now impossible to execute. There was no need to rush. Kousei just had to constrict like a python, tightening her coils until her prey suffocated.
"Senpai seems intent on maintaining this state," Twilight Cloud said. "While I don't dislike being this close to you, have you forgotten? The racetrack isn't a place where you can just relax."
A sharp glint flashed in the fox's eyes. Kousei instantly understood, her gaze fixed ahead on the approaching second turn.
"Welcome to my stage."
Kousei has to break away before entering the turn!
"I have to pull back, but there's still something I can do!"
Kousei disengaged but didn't move far, maintaining a distance of just two fists. She had to block Twilight Cloud's entry into the turn from here.
I can't let her enter the turn comfortably.
The less space available, the harder it was to navigate the turn. Kousei knew she herself couldn't pass through such a narrow gap. She had learned this lesson the hard way, first against Caesar and then against McQueen, crashing into the rail to force her way through.
Where will she make her move?
Stimulated by the Mark, Kousei mentally rehearsed every possible path Twilight Cloud might take, preparing a counter for each one.
I absolutely cannot let her shake me off on this turn!
The sky was a dark crimson. The chains stirred restlessly, filling the seemingly frozen space with unbearable pressure.
"Heh~"
"Huh?"
"You're wound too tight, Senpai."
Twilight Cloud shifted her posture, stretching her body with the fluid grace of a fox.
"There are ways to gain an advantage other than just attacking, you know."
Twilight Cloud suddenly decelerated. By the time Kousei realized the danger, one of her own feet had already crossed into the turn.
The only thing that can stop her now is...!
The lurking chains shot swiftly toward Twilight Cloud, but she dodged them effortlessly with a turn, as if she had anticipated the move. Before entering the turn, Twilight Cloud successfully maneuvered to the outside. Though it cost her some stamina, she broke free from Kousei's trap.
The two strategists officially began their game of wits on the turn.
The turn was a circular arc, a type Kousei excelled at. Relying on pure technique alone, she could maintain stability through it.
Just as Kousei prepared to navigate the turn safely, a chilling sensation crept up her side, like being stalked by a wild beast.
Twilight Cloud? It's fine. All I have to do is nothing! The primary conditions for a turn battle are to suppress the opponent and gain a psychological advantage. I made no mistakes before entering the turn and didn't fall into any traps, so I don't need to recover from a disadvantage here.
I just need to watch for her exit timing and restrict her then.
Seeing Kousei's expression, Twilight Cloud smiled knowingly.
Just as I predicted. The fox, after all, is a cunning creature.
Twilight Cloud's posture shifted again, adopting the same technique she had used before. Thanks to the Mark, Kousei could see every one of Twilight Cloud's movements clearly. Even the slightest bend of her knees set off alarm bells in Kousei's mind.
Is she going to use that again?!
After breaking through to the outside, Twilight Cloud had ample space to execute her move. Though she had entered the turn hastily, Kousei was struck by a chilling thought: If I let her succeed again, will I ever be able to catch her once she's on guard?
With no time to weigh her options, Kousei instinctively used the Gate Technique, trying to stop that strange breakthrough on this very turn.
I can't let her jump.
Just as Kousei thought this, Twilight Cloud suddenly grinned triumphantly. She turned her head to look at Kousei, her expression radiating absolute confidence.
"Victory is mine!"
Twilight Cloud abruptly crouched low. The bent knees hadn't been for a jump but for acceleration. The Golden Crescent Blade left a scornful smile in its wake, showcasing the arrogance of a prodigy with a dazzling display of technique on the turn.
How dare she.
A trap within a trap. Twilight Cloud had anticipated this step from the very beginning. Her "Guidance" was never a one-time affair. Kousei's vision had been too short-sighted; the lingering fear from the previous encounter had sealed her fate in this split-second gamble.
Twilight Cloud's Guidance wasn't merely for gaining an advantage—it was designed to seize victory itself.
It was planned further ahead, with more detail, and with greater surprise. Even though Kousei had resolved to do nothing, she still fell into the trap. A Guidance that could shatter even a prepared defense was truly...
"This is exhilarating!"
Incredible! Absolutely incredible! For the first time, someone has defeated Kousei in her own domain!
The Flame Wheel burned fiercely, the Fires of the Underworld blazed, and her dormant fighting spirit was reawakened.
"Defeat her!"
Horseshoes shattered as her burning leg strength transformed into a spreading karmic fire.
In an instant, she was upon her. The impact was coming!
The moment they exited the turn, Kousei pressed from behind. Feeling the scorching heat at her back, Twilight Cloud unexpectedly stopped.
The agitation fueled by the Flame Wheel could be called a frenzy in her, but it was impossible to tell if she was truly affected.
Because she seemed intent on meeting Kousei's charge head-on!
"Come! Great Python! Let me tear you to shreds!"
Kousei's body had undergone rigorous training. She would never lose a physical confrontation, her pride and joy.
"Don't get too cocky, you fox!"
At the moment of impact, Twilight Cloud shifted, her body angling as if aiming for something. She bumped Kousei lightly.
The gentle blow seemed to contain immense power, twisting Kousei's posture into a bizarre shape.
"Physical confrontation isn't a privilege reserved for 'big girls'."
Second, Balance Break.
Show weakness to the enemy, use the small to defeat the large. To prey on a fierce beast, you don't need sharp claws and fangs—you just need to aim for a weak point and strike for the kill.
Twilight Cloud seized the opening and surged forward. Kousei barely managed to stabilize herself, narrowly avoiding a fall.
"Forgot to watch the track?"
Caesar brushed past, leaving those words behind. Kousei's heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat broke out. It wasn't Caesar who had rattled her, but the guillotine hanging over her head.
Sometime during the chaos, Speedstar had already shifted to her second tempo. The Executioner was about to eliminate everyone in the Hellish Breakaway.
"Suffer a miserable defeat, you fools!"
Speedstar had already pulled far ahead. Kousei chased desperately, but she could only struggle to stay ahead of the death line.
"Damn it! How is she running so fast?!" Twilight Cloud cursed in frustration.
Her clash with Kousei had cost her too much time. Despite being in second place and running with all her might, she could only maintain her relative position.
Now, their positions had shifted, with Kousei and Caesar running closer together.
"Marking? You really underestimated us. A race isn't a duel. Did you take us for mere commoners?"
Caesar's words held truth. Kousei knew better than anyone that the Gate Technique was a double-edged sword. Against powerful opponents, Marking had always been a significant advantage for her.
But because she had always been in one-on-one situations, the drawbacks of Marking had never become apparent. Once activated, Marking narrowed Kousei's field of vision.
Just as Caesar had pointed out, her obsession with Twilight Cloud had caused her to completely overlook Speedstar. From the very beginning, she should have been most wary of Speedstar's Great Breakaway.
"Caesar was right. My old marking tactics are completely inadequate on the world stage. With the strongest racers from around the globe gathered here, I can't rely on Marking anymore. I have to evolve again!"
Kousei immediately deactivated Marking. As the Mark vanished, her speed visibly dropped, and the intense focus she had locked onto Twilight Cloud dissipated.
"She deactivated Marking? But the race is already decided," Twilight Cloud murmured, her gaze fixed on the front.
"Victory is mine!" Speedstar declared, as if the win were already in her grasp.
Suddenly, Kousei heard a sound like a drumbeat.
An invisible force surged past on the far outside, slicing through wind and snow with unstoppable momentum.
Just before the finish line, a black shadow materialized beside Speedstar.
"When will you ever learn to stop popping the champagne before you cross the finish line?"
As Speedstar stared in shock, Tenmile Cloud surged past, crossing the finish line half a horse length ahead.
It was an absolutely breathtaking finish.
The Hero of the Final Leg—her explosive speed overturned the race in an instant. No wonder... no wonder everyone loves her so much.
"I couldn't even see her move!" Kousei exclaimed, her excitement palpable. "It was like she teleported! A final leg like that is truly worthy of the name 'Hero'!"
These were the legendary powerhouses known as Geniuses—those who hadn't revealed their true strength in the Japan Cup had now descended upon the track.
The simulation race ended. The racers stood in their finishing positions, gazing at one another.
Kousei's eyes shone like stars.
"I see it now... The World!"
For Kousei, about to embark on her journey to the world stage, this was the greatest gift imaginable—
The possibility of defeating them in the future.
Director Akikawa had appeared beside Reiko at some point, both wearing the same determined expression.
"With these five," the Director declared, "we will tip the scales of the world!"