—I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot lose!
And so.
Admire Vega clawed her way back from hell.
She was remembering.
After training alone... she'd often stand on the track, staring up at the loneliest star in the sky. She remembered what she'd felt then—her wish, her strength, everything—and how she'd hardened her resolve to make it real.
Because... of that star.
Admire Vega clenched her fist.
I... I'm alive for one reason only—to give her glory!
I'm not running alone... What I carry is heavier than anything any of you do. My desperate, do-or-die will to win is the same—no, stronger than all of yours put together. I want to win, I want to win, I want to win!
Even that crushing, extreme pressure didn't break Admire Vega.
Because...
"...Sister."
She felt her heart jolt for no reason—like someone had shoved her from behind, pushing her out of the shadows. Everything that had been dragging her down, keeping her from moving forward, popped like bubbles and vanished, taking that suffocating feeling with it. The light returned to her eyes. Even if her rhythm was gone—if she'd fallen into the pack's tempo and become just another ordinary runner—it didn't slow her adjustment at all. She snapped everything back into place and surged forward in a furious chase!
...Was that you?
Admire Vega didn't dare think about it too hard, because she understood:
She wasn't running alone.
Her gaze steadied.
That star carries the dreams of two people. So... sorry. I'm going to win.
With each breath, the noise in her mind thinned away. The shadow was cut clean, and she became pure again—focused, serious—just like Garden Gale was right now. It was an incredibly powerful state.
...
Before this, it had been obvious to anyone watching: Admire Vega's rhythm had fallen apart.
So they stopped believing she could win, and turned their hopeful eyes toward Garden Gale instead.
A race is short—one or two minutes, and it's over for an Umamusume. If you don't adjust in time—in time meaning within an absurdly tiny window—then ten seconds later the gap becomes a gulf you can't possibly bridge. And that's the hard part: when your rhythm breaks, it breaks all at once, and you can only patch it back together little by little.
Admire Vega's rhythm had crumbled so badly she'd dropped into the pack and become ordinary.
...Everyone thought there was no way she could win anymore.
However...
In an instant.
The ordinary Admire Vega burst back into prominence!
From inside the pack, she fixed her rhythm and began to claw her way forward!!!
A wave of shocked cries swept through Kyoto Racecourse. Blood was practically boiling—so that's how it's going to be? Then we've got ourselves a show. Can she catch Garden Gale or not? The knife-edge clash between the two had the crowd unconsciously licking their lips.
...
"ADMIRE VEGA IS COMING UP!"
"EVEN AFTER BEING DRAGGED DOWN BY THAT HEAVY BURDEN, SHE STILL GOT EVERYTHING BACK INTO PLACE IN TIME—WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM THE GRADED-STAKES QUEEN? THE GAP BETWEEN HER AND GARDEN GALE IS SHRINKING! IT'S SHRINKING! THE PACK BEHIND THEM IS SPEEDING UP AGAIN—MY GOD, WHAT KIND OF RACE IS THIS!?"
Even the commentator couldn't help but scream until his voice broke.
This pace...
It's too fast—way too fast.
He glanced at the stopwatch and felt the shock hit even harder.
This is insane!
But now there really is something to see. He had Garden Gale's data in hand and hadn't even opened it yet—he couldn't tear his eyes away from the duel between Garden Gale and Admire Vega, their contest of speed.
No exaggeration.
Really.
What was happening on the track right now was utterly mesmerizing.
...
A smile curled at the corner of Garden Gale's mouth again.
Good.
This is the opponent I should be beating.
She wasn't upset that Admire Vega had stabilized and could catch up... If anything, she was happy. Happy that her opponent had found her rhythm and could come up to her—because then she'd have someone worthy to measure herself against, and she could say she'd beaten her fair and square, not by taking advantage.
Come on. Admire Vega.
Then I'll show you... the edge I've honed and tempered for the past half month.
Watch closely.
Even the Emperor should be taken aback.
A wicked grin spread across her face.
She simply held her speed—no extra burst—took the third turn cleanly, and waited for the runner behind to catch her.
And Admire Vega didn't disappoint. She knew this was the chance. If she waited until the finish line to make her move, it would be too late. She'd seen Garden Gale's debut race; she knew her finishing kick was all technique, and her speed was nothing to underestimate.
So she had to quicken here.
...
Chase... chase!
Rashomon Warrior behind her was on the verge of despair—damn it, what are these two even doing? Running a 100-meter sprint? Why don't you—why are you running this fast, nonstop?! I'm just trying to keep up to them and I'm already about to collapse, forget catching them. What the hell kind of race is this?
But the pace dragged her with it. She had to chase anyway.
Rashomon Warrior's lungs were about to catch fire.
Her throat felt raw enough to spark.
Did the two in front feel nothing at all?
...
Of course they did.
They just didn't care. The only thing either of them paid attention to was speed.
The distance between Admire Vega and Garden Gale shrank and shrank.
And the finish line drew closer and closer... only the final turn and the home straight remained. You could almost say the winner was about to be decided. Air Shakur and Tokai Teio couldn't help but feel their hearts clench with tension.
It was so contagious it hit them in the face even off the track.
This was what running tasted like.
...
Within five meters of Garden Gale now.
I'm here.
It was as if the sound of her strides said it aloud.
And Air Shakur watched as the overlord's story kept being written.
Admire Vega felt free. Hardship hadn't crushed her—it had forged her, forcing that unbreakably tough Umamusume into a clean, violent breakthrough right in the moment. Now she was brimming with confidence, utterly convinced she could win.
Pass Garden Gale!
The winner will be me!
I'll stay undefeated, and charge toward the Classic Triple Crown!
That was what she thought—and she executed beautifully. Admire Vega drew closer and closer to Garden Gale. Truthfully, her usual running speed was faster than her opponent's, so the closing gap was only natural.
And when the two ran shoulder to shoulder again—
The wicked grin on Garden Gale's face deepened.
...So you finally made it.
All right—let me show you what it looks like when the final boss arrives. Now, it's my turn.
DRAW!!!