Several months later.
"Damn it!"
The Umamusume glared ahead, her heart filled with unwilling resentment. At the finish line, the winner's Personal Racing Outfit fluttered majestically, and the scoreboard proclaimed her name.
"Kousei!!!"
The crowd seemed to have gathered solely to cheer for her at this very moment. The overwhelming gap between her and the rest was no mere rumor.
A true monster was rampaging through the NAU. People from all corners of the country were flocking here, eager to witness this monster with their own eyes.
"Incredible! That's five consecutive wins, right? The gap never closes! She's simply not in the same league as other Umamusume!"
The more the spectators talked, the more excited they became. Kousei, however, remained remarkably calm.
Hearing this, Just a Way flashed a smug grin. Reiko and the others tried to suppress their smiles, but the corners of their mouths betrayed their delight.
"She's so beautiful, especially that gradient tail flower," a bystander sighed, sounding rather disappointed. "It's a shame she rarely smiles."
"What do you know?!" another person immediately retorted. "The contrast when she does smile is her real charm!"
"Oh? Is that so?" The first bystander's interest was piqued.
Somehow, the two of them began exchanging notes on their newfound appreciation.
Kousei's popularity soared. Soon, the rumor of the "Silver Demon of NAU" spread so widely that it no longer needed any deliberate guidance.
With this, Reiko's first step was complete.
Although Kousei already had Aoi as her dedicated reporter, her rising fame attracted other journalists who now actively sought interviews.
When asked about her future goals, Kousei gave a four-word answer.
"Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
After the interview, Just a Way and the others rushed over to greet her.
"That was amazing, Kousei! You're practically invincible!"
"Invincible is an exaggeration," Kousei replied with a smile, accepting the water bottle from Just a Way. If anyone else had seen her smile, it would have undoubtedly sparked another round of discussion. After all, Kousei was merely quiet and a bit socially awkward.
Back when McQueen and Teio were around, no one paid her much attention. Now, being the sole focus of everyone's gaze made her feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Alright! To celebrate, let's go eat a feast!"
"Yeah!!!"
Following Reiko's suggestion, the group set out to find a place to eat. With Kousei's increasingly impressive race results, they had accumulated a substantial amount of prize money. Their financial situation was no longer as strained as it had been at the beginning. Another benefit of her rising popularity was a significant boost in merchandise sales.
However, Kousei had no idea where Reiko was actually selling the merchandise. Whenever she asked, both Reiko and Aoi would just hem and haw evasively.
They chose a nearby restaurant that looked promising, ordered their food, and began chatting idly.
"When I first heard about 'the harshest promotion system in history,' I was terrified. I never expected it to go this smoothly," Just a Way said, seemingly relieved.
Kousei thought about it and realized it was true. So far, she hadn't faced a truly formidable opponent. It sounded arrogant, but she had yet to go all out in any of her races.
The ease of her current situation felt almost dreamlike, especially when she remembered how McQueen had dominated her from her Debut Race all the way to the Spring Tenno Sho.
"The ease of your races proves the effectiveness of your grueling training," Reiko said matter-of-factly. "As the sayings go: 'Many grains of sand build a pagoda,' and 'Water dripping wears away stone.' That's the principle at work here."
"Hmm... Idioms?" Just a Way tilted her head.
"I saw them in a book. That's how they were translated."
"Oh~"
Watching the two of them act as if they understood, Kousei wore a complicated expression. "Is that really what they mean?"
It was a classic case of being born at the wrong time. Kousei's training had actually been incredibly effective. If she hadn't been in the same generation as Mejiro McQueen, she might have become the "Mihono Bourbon" before Mihono Bourbon herself.
Of course, this was just Reiko's opinion. Kousei herself didn't seem to agree. In her own words, if it weren't for McQueen, she probably would have just focused on her studies, and none of this would have ever happened.
Given Kousei's temperament, though, forcing her to quietly study and advance through school would likely have condemned her to a life of gloom.
"Reiko, what's that?" Kousei noticed a thick notebook lying beside Reiko.
"This? It's a gift from Heizuma Senpai. I just got my hands on it a few days ago. It's his notes on hill training. I've skimmed through it, and it's incredibly hardcore. It won't be easy to fully master Heizuma Senpai's techniques."
"Toyama... Is he Bourbon's Trainer?" Kousei had heard the name before.
"Yes."
"How do you know him, Reiko?"
"I don't know him personally; my father did. The Chiin Family and Heizuma Senpai's training philosophies are very similar. We both believe that powerful Umamusume can be developed through rigorous training rather than relying on bloodlines. Because of this, my father and Mr. Toyama were close friends. When I was just a little girl, I often saw Mr. Toyama visiting our estate.
"But the Chiin Family later declined, and Mr. Toyama also seemed to face difficulties. Life is unpredictable. Over time, by my generation, we had lost contact.
"Although our philosophies are similar, the Chiin Family emphasizes arcs, while Mr. Toyama focuses more on turns. So, the types of Umamusume we aim to develop are actually quite different."
Kousei was curious why Toyama would give his notes to Reiko, but based on past experience, she knew asking wouldn't get her an answer. So, she didn't press the matter.
"By the way, wasn't Aoi always writing reports? Why haven't I seen any lately?" Just a Way suddenly asked.
Aoi, who had been sitting quietly to the side, looked flustered when suddenly called out. "I'm writing, I'm writing! You know how writers need inspiration."
Kousei's intuition was always sharp. She's hiding something.
Aoi glanced over and saw Kousei's clear, beautiful eyes fixed on her. She immediately turned away, which only made her look even more unnatural.
Startled, Kousei quickly grabbed Aoi's hand.
"Huh?" Aoi's voice trembled with shock as she stared at Kousei, completely bewildered.
"Aoi! I know things were tough for us at the beginning, but it's different now! We have money! You don't have to write... weird stuff anymore!"
"Who would write stuff like that?!"
Aoi yanked her hand away, utterly shocked that Kousei could misunderstand her so completely. Kousei withdrew her hand, looking somewhat innocent. She had genuinely thought Aoi had taken on some strange side hustle for the team's sake.
Mr. Takuya remained perfectly composed, leisurely savoring his drink. "Ah, the energy of youth," he remarked.
As the team doctor, Takuya had the least pressure of anyone. Since Kousei was in excellent health, his daily routine consisted mainly of monitoring her physical condition, ensuring no accidents occurred.
Who would have thought that this small team, which had started with such difficulty, now had the strength to protect itself? Immersed in laughter and joy, they celebrated a wonderful day.
Congratulations, congratulations.