As the two stepped onto the training field, King and Seiun Sky began warming up in silence.
King went through her usual routine with practiced precision.
Meanwhile, nearby, Sei stretched in ways King could hardly believe.
Her movements were fluid and controlled.
Every motion flowed naturally in a sequence, as though she had repeated the routine countless times before.
It was meticulous.
Especially for someone King had always assumed spent most of her days sleeping or avoiding effort.
There hadn't been the slightest hint of athletic seriousness in Sei's behavior around campus.
At least...
That was what King had believed.
This time, however, she paid close attention.
She had already made the mistake of underestimating El and Grass before.
And both had shattered her confidence once.
Victories she had assumed were hers had slipped through her fingers because of her own arrogance.
And today, she promised she wouldn't repeat that mistake, not again.
This time, she would treat her opponent seriously from the very beginning.
After all...
Anyone who had earned a place at Tracen Academy had done so for a reason.
Their abilities had already been proven on the track.
And someone willing to challenge King Halo directly...
Surely possessed confidence backed by skill.
And Seiun Sky was probably hiding far more than she ever let others see.
Especially those deliberate stretches of hers, it only reinforced King's assumption further.
Those movements weren't something an amateur could imitate.
They had been practiced and refined many times.
There, King narrowed her eyes.
"She's dangerous..." she thought to herself.
But even knowing that... She had no intention of losing today.
Not after everything that had happened.
Not after the bitterness of her previous defeats.
Not after the mistake she had made with Urara.
Not after...
Wait... Urara...?
King suddenly stopped in the middle of her stretches.
Her movements froze, and her gaze slowly fell to the ground.
"Urara...?" she muttered.
Her hands then tightened into fists as her concentration slipped away once again.
She stood there in silence as the image of Urara crept back into her mind.
Along with the guilt she had tried so hard to suppress.
And then...
Something even heavier followed.
The thought of Urara's impending dismissal.
The thought that their friendship might truly have come to an end.
The thought of another farewell...
Another relationship falling apart...
Just like...
Just like...
...
...Asaji...?
King's breathing suddenly grew uneven as the old memory threatened to resurface.
Before she could sink any deeper—
A gentle hand patted her shoulder.
"Are you alright, King?"
King jolted instantly.
It was Seiun Sky. So lost in her thoughts, King hadn't even noticed Sei approaching.
"I wonder why the self-proclaimed first-rated Umamusume is getting lost in her thoughts again?" Sei continued.
"W-What?! I-I... I'm fine!" King blinked repeatedly before finally snapping back to reality.
Sei tilted her head.
"Are you sure?"
"I don't know what's been going on with you..."
"But it's pretty obvious."
"You're not in the right state of mind."
King quickly looked away.
"I..."
"I said I'm fine."
She insisted, yet her gaze remained fixed on the ground.
There, Sei quietly watched her, looking directly at King's trembling posture.
The uncertainty she was trying so hard to hide.
Yet betrayed by her own body.
After a moment, Sei let out a small sigh and shrugged.
"You know what..."
"I think we should just cancel this race."
King's head shot up with her eyes widened in disbelief.
"W-What?!"
"What do you mean, cancel it?!"
Sei looked at King for a moment before shaking her head.
"Just look at yourself."
"You're clearly not in any condition to race." She sighed.
"Honestly..."
"It kills my motivation just thinking about racing someone wearing that miserable expression."
"W-What?!" King immediately protested.
"I said that I-I'm perfectly fine!"
Sei simply stared at her.
"The fact that you can barely get your words out..."
"And the way your mind keeps wandering." She shrugged.
"If we race like this..."
"It'd be like beating a dead horse."
King's ears twitched.
"N-No!"
"I-I'm fine!" She quickly turned away.
"E-enough talking and l-let's just get this over with already!"
"I still have a training schedule to finish."
Without waiting for another response, King briskly walked toward the starting line.
Sei watched her leave before letting out a small shrug.
"Well..."
"If you insist."
She then slowly followed.
"But don't blame me if I leave you behind."
"Because you're obviously not ready."
"At least..."
"Not in the state you're in right now."
King lowered herself into position.
"Just..." She clenched her fists.
"...stop talking and get into your stance."
"I don't have all day."
Before either of them settled completely, Yuiji stepped forward.
"King... Are you really sure about this?"
"She was right."
"You don't exactly look like you're in the best condition to—"
"Shut up!" King instantly cut him off.
Her fists tightened.
"I..."
"I..." She took a shaky breath.
"I'm fine!"
"So..."
"Please..."
"Just start the race, Trainer."
Yuiji looked at her with concern.
"King..."
"You heard her."
Sei turned toward him with her usual calm expression.
"But—" Yuiji protested.
"Don't worry, Mr. Trainer." But Sei interrupted gently.
"Just start the race." She glanced sideways at King.
"Sometimes..."
"A race is exactly what someone needs."
"A wake-up call." Her faint smile returned.
"So don't worry too much about it and just start the race."
There, Yuiji immediately fell silent with his gaze lowered.
His hand trembled slightly before finally reaching for the whistle hanging around his neck.
"Right..." He quietly sighed.
"Then... I guess so..."
Without long, Yuiji stepped beside the starting line, and he raised the whistle.
"Alright, Runners...!"
"Get ready!"
Together, King and Seiun lowered themselves into position.
"On your mark!"
"Get set!"
Suddenly, the field fell silent.
Only the wind drifted across the track.
Then—
*Tweet!*
"GO!"
Both racers exploded from the starting line.
Their feet slammed into the turf, sending clumps of dirt and grass flying as they launched forward with tremendous force.
For the first few strides...
Neither gained an advantage.
They ran almost... Perfectly parallel.
Each fought to take the lead...
Each fought to seize the front...
Because they shared the same philosophy.
The same strategy.
They both wanted to...
Lead...!
...
...
...
Four years ago...
The evening sun stretched long shadows across a small training track.
And two young Umamusume raced down the lane.
Far behind... Asaji struggled to keep up.
"Wa..."
"Wait..."
She reached one hand forward.
"You're..."
"You're..."
"...too fast, King!"
Ahead of her—
King continued running, pushing forward without slowing and never once looking back. Yet from time to time, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Meanwhile, a trainer stood near the edge of the track, quietly observing.
Or rather...
Observing King Halo specifically.
Ever since she was young, the academy had assigned her a personal trainer to oversee her development.
Not because she had requested one.
But because the school wished to honor the legacy of King's mother.
As a result...
King had been training under a personal trainer from a very young age.
Except...
Today was a little different.
Not long before the session had begun, someone had invited herself along.
It had started exactly as King expected.
An hour or more earlier...
"Wait!"
"You're going to training?!" Asaji's eyes sparkled.
"Can I come too?"
"Can I?!"
King instinctively wanted to refuse.
Then...
Asaji looked at her with pleading puppy eyes.
"Please...!"
With that, King reluctantly sighed.
"A-Alright..." The answer escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.
And just like that...
She found herself with a training partner.
Back to then... About thirty minutes later—
Both of them had finally reached the finish line.
Yet, the difference between them was obvious.
Asaji lay sprawled beside the track.
"I..."
"I'm exhausted..."
"I can't..."
"I can't even feel my legs anymore..."
She stared blankly at the sky, completely flattened against the grass.
Nearby, King simply calmly unscrewed her water bottle and took a sip, sighing.
"Then perhaps..."
"You should have stopped earlier."
"Heck no!" Asaji suddenly pushed herself upright.
"I'm not giving up until I reach your level!"
King paused.
"Reach... my level?"
"Yep!" Asaji nodded enthusiastically.
"So one day..."
"We can finally train together without either of us having to hold back!"
She grinned brightly.
"Just like you did to me today!"
"Wait...What...?" King blinked.
"I..."
"...I did?"
She stared at Asaji in disbelief.
Unbeknownst to her...
Throughout the training, she had instinctively slowed her pace so Asaji could keep up.
As though...
She genuinely enjoyed having someone beside her during training.
As though...
She actually found herself loosened up slightly.
Still unconvinced, King immediately turned toward her trainer.
"Did..."
"...Did I really?"
The trainer awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"A-Actually..."
"...Yeah."
"You did."
"See?!" Asaji happily pointed at the trainer.
"I told you!"
"And I'm really thankful for it, Halo!"
King's eyes widened.
She immediately snapped toward her trainer.
"Then why didn't you tell me?!"
"Why didn't you remind me I wasn't training at my full potential?!"
The trainer frantically waved both hands.
"W-Well..."
"B-Because..."
"You looked like..."
"...you were enjoying yourself."
"So I thought it'd be rude to interrupt..."
Before he could finish, King cut him off.
"On what possible grounds did you come to the conclusion..."
"...that I..."
"...King Halo..."
"...a first-rated Umamusume..."
"...was enjoying..."
"This..."
"This...!"
"...This...!"
"...This utterly nonsensical training session?!"
At those blurted-out words, her trainer stammered.
"I-I...!"
But before he could explain,
"Don't worry about it, Halo!" Asaji added.
Without warning—
Asaji sprang to her feet and wrapped both arms around King from behind.
The sudden embrace made King's entire body stiffen.
"It's okay to have fun sometimes!"
"After all! There aren't any rules against it!"
"W-What?!"
King immediately pried herself free.
"Get your filthy hands off me!"
"You're covered in sweat!"
"You're absolutely disgusting!"
Asaji simply placed her hands on her hips and grinned.
"Oh ho..."
"Am I now?"
"Yes!"
King pointed at Asaji with an irritated look.
"Stay right there!"
"And keep your distance!"
"I don't want your sweat all over me!"
Asaji blinked as she smugged.
"Oh... Then... I guess..."
She slowly shuffled her feet across the grass, swaying from side to side.
The grin on her face made King's eyebrow twitch.
"Wh-what?!"
She was clearly planning something.
Before King could respond, Asaji crouched slightly.
"I don't have any choice but to..."
"...LUNGE AT YOU!"
And she leapt.
"Wha—?!"
But King reacted instantly.
She sidestepped just as Asaji launched herself through the air.
Without anything to catch herself—
*Thud!*
Asaji landed face-first on the grass.
She slid a short distance before coming to a complete stop with her face buried in the ground.
King's expression immediately changed.
"I-I told you not to do that!"
Silence then settled between them.
Even after a few minutes, Asaji still hadn't responded.
At that, worry began to creep into King's heart.
"Asa... Asaji?"
"Are...Are you alright?"
Panic quickly seeped into her voice.
"Asaji!"
"W-What do I do...?"
"What do I do?!"
Before the trainer could even move—
King rushed over first.
"Asaji!" She dropped to one knee beside her.
"Asaji! Are you alright?!"
Still... No response.
Until—
Without warning, Asaji sprang upright and threw both arms around King, hugging her tightly.
"I got you!" she declared.
Instantly, King's entire body froze as she stared blankly ahead.
"W-What...?!"
Then realization slowly dawned on her.
"You..."
"You tricked me!"
Asaji simply giggled.
King struggled for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh, realizing that the more she protested...
The more determined Asaji became to tease her.
"You're impossible..." she sighed.
"Well! You deserve a hug after all!"
"And trust me, it's nice to hug someone from time to time!"
There, after a brief pause...
King then slowly attempted to return the hug.
The moment she did—
The world around them changed again.
The warm afternoon vanished.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky.
Rain poured relentlessly.
The laughter disappeared.
Instead...
They stood in the middle of a storm.
Asaji was still hugging her.
Only now...
She was trembling, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm..."
"I'm sorry..." Her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry, Halo!"
"I..."
"I never wanted..."
She tightened her grip.
"I never wanted us to end like this...!"
"Asa...Asaji...?"
King stood frozen.
She couldn't bring herself to move.
Asaji clung tightly to her, her shoulders trembling as she cried.
For a long moment, King simply stared.
Then, slowly... She lifted her arms.
"Asaji... What... What's wrong—"
As she was about to return the embrace.
The instant her hands closed—
Asaji vanished, and King stumbled forward several steps, nearly losing her footing.
"Asaji?!" She shouted before frantically looking around.
"Asaji! Where are you?!"
The rain continued pouring.
Then suddenly...
A silhouette emerged through the curtain of rain.
And it looked... exactly like her.
A version of her, soaked from head to toe.
The figure then slowly raised an arm and pointed directly at her.
"If only..."
"If only you'd spoken up..."
"You could've saved her."
"You could've saved..."
"...us."
King's eyes widened.
"N-No..."
"Wh-Who are you...?"
"Wh-What do you want...?!"
"Where's Asaji?!"
"You know what happened, King Halo." The figure replied.
"We know..."
The figure then took a step forward.
"Remember? We could've saved her and us."
"Instead..."
"You chose yourself."
"You chose your own benefit..."
"...over her."
"...Over us."
"That's...!"
"That's not true!" King protested.
"Look at yourself, King Halo!" the figure retorted.
"Look at what we've become."
"Is this..."
"...the future you wanted?"
"Is this..."
"...the 'us' you wished for?!"
"No..." King staggered backward.
"No..." Her breathing became uneven.
"I didn't..."
"No..."
"NO!"
"Asaji left because of her own reasons! It wasn't my fault she chose to leave!"
The figure tilted its head.
"Wasn't it...?"
At that, King froze.
"What if... It was your choices..."
"...that led everything here?"
"You could've spoken."
"You could've reached out."
"You could've stopped her..."
The figure then lowered its hand.
"But...you didn't."
"All of it..."
"...for what?"
"A mother who never truly acknowledged us?!"
"That's not true!" King shouted back.
"If only we kept pushing ourselves..."
"If only we worked even harder..."
"Mother would eventually notice us!"
"She only neglected us because we weren't good enough..."
"Because of our..."
"Our..."
The figure stepped closer.
"Is that really the reason why she never looked at us, King?"
"...Or was it because she never truly believed in us to begin with?"
King clenched her fists.
"No!"
"Our mother supported us when we were younger!"
"She believed in us! Remember?!"
The figure gave a hollow laugh.
"When? Eight years ago?"
"Nine?"
"What about after that?"
King was taken aback.
"That's...!" And the words caught in her throat.
But the reflection continued.
"No matter what we accomplished..."
"No matter how hard we tried..."
"It always ended the same."
"'You're not enough.'"
"Wasn't that always her answer?"
"That's..."
"...That's not true!" King's voice shook.
"S-She...!"
"She...!"
"Look at us! Look at you! You're about to make the same mistake again." The figure interrupted.
"The same choice."
"The same ending."
"From the same scenario..."
"...with a different person."
"...With Urara."
"N-No..."
King staggered backward.
"NO!"
"Urara's fate... I-It's not my fault she's going to be dismissed!"
"Just like Asaji being transferred..."
"...It wasn't my fault!"
"It never was!"
The figure then tilted its head.
"Then why..."
"...why do you still feel guilty?"
"Why..."
"...do we still feel guilty?"
"Tell me, King Halo."
"Why?"
"WHY?!"
With that, King's breathing became even more ragged.
"I..."
"I..."
"I—!"
Before she could answer, the figure raised its hand once more.
"You're going to lose everything, King Halo."
"Just like before..."
"Just like the future waiting for you..."
"Just like how you are..."
"...going to..."
"...have..."
"...NOTHING!"