The blockade was airtight, and the thick mist completely obscured Jade's view of the path ahead.
"Where can I possibly break through?"
Before Jade could even think, she felt something strange beneath her feet. Looking down, she exclaimed, "What is this?!"
The turf was completely torn up, yet only Kousei ran ahead of her. Jade began to watch Kousei's footsteps closely. Each of her strides sank deep into the earth, a testament to their immense weight.
The inner lane had become incredibly sticky, like running through a swamp. Every step drained Jade's stamina, and the resistance she felt when lifting her feet disrupted her rhythm.
Though Kousei couldn't match McQueen's level of control, it was more than enough to trouble Jade. She wasn't a power-type runner; her leg strength was insufficient to handle such treacherous terrain.
It was just like when Kousei had been unable to counter McQueen.
To see such a genius suppressed so thoroughly—the crowd held its breath. Had she truly run out of options?
"Hmph~"
A smirk curled Jade's lips, her face betraying no hint of panic. Her pace gradually slowed, and the gap between her and Kousei widened even further.
"What's happening? Has Jade given up?"
"No way! She must have run out of stamina!"
"The situation does look grim. She's tried to break through several times without success. She's probably out of options."
Jade could hear the commotion from the paddock. I am a genius. I will absolutely not lose.
With a disdainful smile, her Gold Eyes flared once more.
If the inner lane is blocked, then I'll just take the outer lane!
She wasn't giving up; she was deliberately widening the gap, all to prepare for another "Cloud Step"!
Good turf, a long enough straight—the so-called gap was nothing before the Dragon's Feet. A perfect position to unleash her full power, like a dragon gaining the clouds.
The Change of Wind Cut extended from the outer lane, suddenly carving open the path to victory! The Dragon's Path was unstoppable!
With a godlike straightaway run, the gap closed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A despair-inducing velocity—the Dragon of the Eastern Lands taking flight from level ground. Could anyone possibly stop her?!
Of course.
A pair of deathly pale hands covered Jade's eyes, plunging her world into darkness.
"Petty tricks!"
Jade knew it was just a distraction. Her feet blurred as she burst through in an instant. Kousei was already pressing in beside her; even without the guardrail to aid her, she was determined to restrict Jade with all her might.
"You couldn't contain me even with the guardrail! You have no chance now!"
"Don't be so sure!"
A Flame Wheel rose, and surging flames instantly engulfed the entire racetrack. In this endless inferno, we'll fight to the death.
She's definitely different from Narita Brian!
Narita Brian would immediately counter anyone who got close, even if there was no advantage to be gained, forcing them to back off. She was the type who wouldn't allow anyone to intrude on her race.
Kousei, however, fought like a python, slowly draining her opponent's stamina until they could no longer resist. In short, she was incredibly tenacious.
Both were formidable in one-on-one duels, with Narita Brian even holding the title of "Invincible in a Duel."
My breathing is ragged, and my steps are unsteady. Jade knew her condition was dire.
Gate Technique could also be described as momentum. Though she hated to admit it, Kousei had clearly overwhelmed Jade in sheer presence.
"2000 meters passed!"
Just maintain this pace. If I can hold this, I'll win.
"You can't escape now!"
Silence was her only reply. Kousei watched as Jade slowly raised her face. The moment their eyes met, Kousei's heart jolted in shock.
A predatory smile spread across Jade's face. Under the gaze of her Gold Eyes, the phantom of an Azure Dragon materialized. Kousei heard it—the sound of a gate opening.
"Running is exhilarating!"
The black fabric of Jade's Personal Racing Outfit peeled away, carried into the air by the fierce wind. Beneath the jet-black outfit, another one was hidden. Glistening golden dragon scales—this was the true form of the Azure Dragon!
The Forbidden Gate swung wide open, unveiling its mysteries.
With a single step, Jade's stride frequency surged to its peak, her acceleration further enhanced.
"You're not the only one who can evolve in a deathmatch!"
Kousei felt a dizzying blur. She could see the trail Jade left behind but couldn't pinpoint her position. They were no longer in the same dimension!
Fast. She's too fast. This is beyond the level of a miler!
"It's not over!"
The Flame Wheel hung high in the air, its Gate Technique trapping a fifty-meter radius. Unleashing her full power, Kousei seized an opening in Jade's defense. Jade's steps faltered, and she reappeared from the clouds.
"It worked!"
"As if!"
"What?!"
An unnatural sound ripped through the sky. Kousei looked up, her eyes instantly filling with terror. "It can't be!"
Descending from the heavens was Sovereignty!
"I'll admit it! I love running! I love it more than anything!"
Unaffected! Jade reveled in the supreme ecstasy of victory. One horse leading, all others fading into obscurity.
Kousei's legs felt impossibly heavy. The King's oppressive presence crushed her, making it hard to breathe. A Gate Technique is a manifestation of spirit, and Sovereignty was a higher form of Gate Technique—the embodiment of pride, the proof of a King.
It required no activation, no maintenance, and was immune to all interference. Like a haughty monarch, it tolerated no equals.
"Fine! A fine King you are! But you won't be the first King I've killed!"
Her will would not break. A cornered beast fights to the death. Enduring pain like shattered bones, Kousei forced her body up, inch by agonizing inch, ready to lunge and tear out Jade's throat!
The final turn!
The endgame had arrived. Victory and defeat would soon be decided.
"This is Kousei's last chance on the final turn! Jade's line is poor—there's still an opening!"
Jade charged into the final turn. Everyone expected her to slow down as before, but to their astonishment, not only did she maintain her speed, she accelerated.
"What is that?!"
She was using the exact same footwork Kousei had used. With just a single glance, she had perfectly copied it.
"A monster..."
It wasn't power I sensed, but terror—an existence straight out of fiction, a Phantom Umamusume that should never have existed in this world.
McQueen's talent, Teio's Crown, Kousei's learning ability—she was the true Child of destiny.
"She's won," Rohan Ye said nonchalantly.
Ten consecutive victories wouldn't be the end. It seemed unlikely anyone would ever defeat Jade in the future.
"In a race, nothing is certain until you cross the finish line."
Rohan snapped his head toward Reiko, who was watching him with an unsettling smile. "Clear the way. The Villain is coming."
An ominous aura erupted across the racetrack, instantly making hearts pound with dread.
What's happening? My heart is racing! What is this thing?
"Hahahaha—Exhilarating!!!"
Fire and mist intertwined, twisting her features as she made her grand entrance amidst horrified gazes.
"This bloodline... as an opponent to prove my claim as the Strongest, it is more than worthy!"
The ominous demon ran, clinging to Jade like a shadow. Jade thought she had shaken Kousei off, but she was gravely mistaken.
"Impossible! How can she keep up with my speed?!"
I'm within Sovereignty! Why?!
Gate Techniques are the treasures of the ordinary. By believing in them and honing them relentlessly, one can eventually make them bloom.
"Every step I've taken to reach this day will open the gate to my victory!"
Sovereignty might be powerful, but the Gate Technique's capabilities extended far beyond. The technique to break innate shackles and slay a King was being performed once more.
"Did she... use the Gate Technique on herself?!"
"This is it!"
[Pay any price, heed no consequence. Every savage act is allowed. Desires cloaked beneath the skin—you and I are no different.]
"Good! Bring it on! I'll crush you underfoot!"
This is how it must be. Only then is she worth shattering.
A Fierce Beast brought calamity, seeking to slay the serpent and claim kingship over Qingzhou. Dark clouds gathered abruptly, threatening to shake the mountains and churn the seas.
The Golden Dragon murmured, "Domain—"
The world began to peel away. In an instant, ten thousand miles turned to dust, revealing a surging, overwhelming Divine Domain.
"Heaven and Earth are now in my grasp."
Time slowed to a crawl. Had it stopped? No—Jade was simply moving so fast that everything else appeared frozen.
Kousei didn't understand what was happening. She could only watch as Jade's figure slowly vanished into the distance.
"I permit you to witness my King's path from the closest possible distance."
The arrogant words lingered in the void, announcing the completion of her transformation.
"Your opponent isn't just me, you know?"
The frozen time shattered. Countless figures surged forward from behind.
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because I've been quiet, you bastard!"
"Some dragon! I didn't come here just to be a stepping stone!"
The herd surged forward like a raging tidal wave. Too engrossed in her duel, Jade had forgotten that a race couldn't be won by just two people.
The Final Straight—the ultimate stage to seize victory, reached at last after countless trials and tribulations.
The struggle against Kousei had consumed too much of Jade's stamina. Compounded by the indescribable exhaustion that swept over her the moment her incomplete Domain shattered, she was instantly overwhelmed.
"I won't just beat you! I'll beat all of you!"
Her stamina was nearly gone, but she refused to surrender. Her surging will urged her onward to claim victory.
"Come on!"
Radiance of the Dragon Scales! Three Phases Return to One! One Strike to Cleave the Waves!
She effortlessly crossed the chasm that ordinary people could never bridge, a dragon soaring through the clouds, untouched by the mortal world. Even against the herd, Jade moved with ease, as if nothing was beyond her reach now.
Her overclocked Dragon's Feet shattered the Dimensional Wall, becoming an Untouchable Shadow that even admiration couldn't catch.
"Come on! Come on!"
Jade knew one person remained—a predator lurking within the herd, waiting for the perfect moment to strike on the Final Straight.
Kousei made her move, but Jade, having anticipated it, easily dodged. The buffer zone was over. Now, the Final Straight.
"You can't do anything anymore! I've won!"
This was the ultimate stage, a contest of the final leg where no schemes or tricks were permitted.
"11.9."
Kousei stared at Jade and spoke the number—the same number she had been muttering from the very beginning. Jade didn't understand, not until she saw the Finish Line.
A chill ran down Jade's spine, and a suffocating fear filled her entire being.
"Witness my victory from the closest possible distance. I permit it," Kousei said, throwing Jade's own words back at her.
"Impossible! Impossible!" Jade's fear turned to rage. "She actually used a Strategy to trap my final leg!"
No! Even I couldn't do that! She's bluffing!
The scene that followed shattered Jade's understanding of reality. Kousei's breathing stopped, her form blurred, and the air filled with the scent of sakura blossoms.
Indistinct, like a phantom cloaked in darkness.
"You want to compete with a Pace-Chaser in the final leg?"
I am the villain. I am the antagonist. I am an incomprehensible demon. They erected high walls of rules to force me to compromise, but I rose again from failure after failure.
I am uncontrollable. I will never yield. I will surpass everyone, smashing through every obstacle on the path to the summit.
"I've won."
The racetrack fell silent, the crowd seemingly still lost in the race. They stared blankly, until...
(WAAAAAAAHHHH!!)
A deafening roar of applause erupted, instantly followed by a frantic storm of camera shutters, each click trying to etch this moment into history.
Cheers loud enough to banish the shadows from any heart rained down upon her. All the passion of the racetrack transformed into a sonic assault, battering her as she stood on the turf.
"KOUSEI!!!"
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!"
"I've never seen a race this amazing! I'm so glad to be alive!!!"
In a battle-like, ferocious race, Kousei, who had relentlessly chased her dream, had finally proven herself.
"Enjoy it. Like a true victor. You've earned all of this," Reiko said, her eyes filled with undeniable tenderness.
"What's happening? My heart feels so warm," Kousei murmured, watching it all as her eyes grew moist. She simply closed them, listening quietly, basking in the cheers. Only now did she truly feel like a victor.
The applause thundered on, unending. As the last one standing on the stage, Kousei took a deep breath.
"UOOOOOHHHHHHH—!!"
She roared, a cry powerful enough to tear the sky asunder.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!!!"
The cheers didn't stop. The race she had created in her pursuit of the pinnacle had captivated people's hearts too intensely.
This roar was her declaration to the world—
[The Dragon that Ruled the Azure Sky has Fallen by My Hand.]