Yet Yurei blamed herself for everything.
"If only I could have won! It's all my fault!"
This conviction drove her to become an Umamusume Idol and dedicate the rest of her life to Rukomachi.
"Again! Always! Why can't I ever win?!" Staring at Kousei's dazzling form ahead, an inexplicable rage flared in Yurei's heart. "What exactly is the difference between Kousei and me? Between me and those victors? Why? Why do they so easily crush our dreams?!"
What infuriated Yurei wasn't the gap in skill, but Kousei's nonchalance, mirroring the Umamusume who had defeated her years ago. That dismissive attitude was the true source of Yurei's rage.
"Are you going to crush our dreams again?! Villain!" In Yurei's eyes, Kousei's figure gradually morphed into that of the Umamusume from her past.
Now, just like back then.
"I won't lose! Don't underestimate us!"
With a sudden burst of speed, she charged forward with unwavering resolve.
"Little Belle!"
Genbao cried out in alarm.
Her already unstable left leg, pushed to its limit, risked catastrophic injury. Lost in the heat of the moment, Yurei completely disregarded Genbao's training, her mind consumed by a single thought.
"Crush her!"
Her aura shifted dramatically, and Kousei's radiant expression sharpened. Yurei's sudden acceleration had caught her completely off guard; by the time Kousei noticed, Yurei had already entered the Transcendence Path.
"Come on!"
Kousei assumed a fighting stance, bracing herself to meet her opponent head-on.
Genbao, focused solely on protecting his most precious treasure, had forgotten that wildflowers, despite their delicate appearance, are tenacious. Their roots burrow deep into the earth through the tiniest cracks, enduring wind and rain with unwavering resolve.
The approaching phantom-like figure tore through the ground, sending up clumps of weeds and gravel. The rhythmic clatter of horseshoes grew ever closer. The two racers clashed at the narrow turn, their figures merging in a blur of motion.
"I'll definitely win!"
Their eyes locked, each gaze burning with unwavering determination.
The runner who had shed her disguise now held nothing back, revealing the full fury of her pursuit.
Yurei's leg strength was astonishing, allowing her to close the distance with uncanny ease, moving almost as if sliding across the ground. Even Reiko was amazed. "Is this the explosive burst Kousei has experienced before?"
"Come on! Try to grab me with your chains again!"
Her words carried the weight of destiny. Flames erupted once more in Kousei's eyes, and the chains around her body surged forward. But in the next instant, Yurei's figure vanished, accelerating once more as she rounded the turn.
"Little Belle! Stop!" Genbao's desperate shout echoed across the track, horrified by her reckless maneuver.
"I've run this track countless times! I know it better than anyone! I can do this! It's because I've always been so timid and cautious that I've made no progress all these years!"
Her foot slammed down, the force surging through it stronger than ever before.
"I'm willing to risk everything!"
A firm resolve always finds its response. Instead of being flung off as expected, Yurei clung tight, tearing through the racetrack like a fierce gust of wind.
"This move! I should have made it nine years ago!"
Her performance stunned the crowd. At that moment, her cornering technique was truly masterful!
"I'll secure Rukomachi's future!"
Having broken through her limits, Yurei intended to end the race here. Just as she was about to accelerate, a raspy laugh pierced the air.
"You can't see me!"
A ghostly figure suddenly materialized beside her.
Whoa!!!
"Kousei! When did you—?! I accelerated the instant the chain extended! How could she...?" Yurei was bewildered. She had taken a massive risk by accelerating into the turn, yet gained no advantage whatsoever.
"As expected, that girl's true weapon isn't talent, but adaptability."
The players were blinded by their own strategies, but the observers saw clearly.
Genbao observed everything with crystal clarity: "From her stumbling start to her current effortless grace, Kousei adapted to Rukomachi's turf in less than a single race. When Little Belle tried to shake her off by accelerating through the turn, Kousei maintained her own cornering while strategically positioning herself to force Little Belle to exit the turn from the designated spot. Although Little Belle was faster through the turn, Kousei neutralized the gap with strategic positioning and calculated distance."
Adaptation, in essence, meant mastery.
"I've seen faster, more powerful cornering before," Kousei thought.
Yurei's heart jolted. "Lost again?!"
The figure of Desire overlapped with Kousei's, blurring the lines of time in Yurei's mind.
"Perhaps the gods are toying with me," she mused. "Everything until now has been predetermined. They merely watch from above, laughing at my futile struggles despite knowing the outcome.
It's as if they're saying, 'Yield, abandon your stubborn self. Change your ways, accept your fate, and you will be saved.'
That's why they granted me only mediocre talent—just enough to see the insurmountable gap between myself and the world-class.
What a joke!"
With a grinding screech, Yurei clearly saw the Forbidden Gate trembling violently. This time, Kousei's image was no longer in Yurei's eyes; instead, her gaze was fixed on the future.
Taking a deep breath, Yurei balanced the airflow in her chest.
"Even if my legs shatter, it doesn't matter!! I'll burn through my life force to prove I lived in this moment! I won't let the world forget Rukomachi!"
Soaring flames seize the future that was rightfully hers!
"Come on! Final Leg!"
The final straight—where victory would be decided!
Crack—
Like a mirror shattering, Yurei suddenly saw the scenery around her shift.
"I'd love to see how this plays out, but I'll pass. I don't want to witness the same tragedy again."
In the brief buffer zone before the final straight, Kousei made her only move of the entire race, gently bumping Yurei as she tried to accelerate with all her might.
Instantly, Yurei snapped back to reality, the accumulated fatigue from the race and her long-exhausted reserves crashing down on her.
"Ah... I lost."
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Yurei's mind raced.
"The gap between the Central and Regional Leagues is truly vast. This is the caliber of Central Umamusume. Their physical capabilities are on a completely different level—it's like being struck from a higher dimension."
For some reason, she found herself laughing.
"I surrender. If you were going to bump me, why wait until the very end? I can't decide if that's gentle or cruel."
When she came to her senses, Yurei was already standing at the finish line, the scoreboard unequivocally declaring her defeat.
I should have made up my mind sooner.
Perhaps my left foot wasn't as fragile back then; my own resolve simply wasn't strong enough. Over time, even a perfectly healthy left foot would have deteriorated.
I hesitated to give my all when I was young. Now, even if I wanted to, I no longer have the ability?
"Little Belle..."
"Trainer," Yurei murmured, staring blankly at Genbao as he approached. A warm tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry... I lost again."
A torrent of guilt that had been building for years erupted, and she burst into uncontrollable sobs.
"Just as Kousei said, she defeated Little Belle without mercy. We all have dreams we can't abandon, but for me, this outcome is actually more reassuring."
Genbao's words stunned Yurei. He pulled a small box from his coat pocket and knelt on one knee.
The situation had completely reversed.
Yurei immediately understood the meaning of his gesture, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
"Because Little Belle has always been chasing her dream, I never felt the right time to say this. But now might be perfect. Your body has reached its limit, and I've walked beside you to the end of your dream. So, will you fulfill my dream next?"
"Wait! Wait a minute, Trainer! Everyone..."
"Exactly! Nine years is far too long for an Umamusume. Little Belle has already given her all. How could we blame you? Besides, Rukomachi doesn't need to rely on the power of Umamusume Idols. We'll all work together, with our own hands, to show the world who Rukomachi is."
Yurei watched her fellow villagers, unsure of what to say.
"That's right, Sister Yurei! It's time for you to rest. I'll train even harder! I'll run the NAU in your place! So... it's okay!"
"Me too!"
The young Umamusume chimed in one after another. Yurei's gaze swept around the crowd, gradually returning to Genbao's face. They locked eyes, holding the pose in a long, silent moment.
Until the first evening breeze swept through.
"Ask me."
"Miss Yurei, will you marry me and become my wife?"
"I will."
A ring slipped onto her ring finger.
"Please take good care of me for the rest of our lives, Trainer... No, Mr. Genbao."
Cheers erupted, filling the air with joyful energy, but everyone seemed to have overlooked one thing.
Kousei: "..."