"So this is what failure feels like."
Jade watched as the winner's circle was claimed by another. The thunderous cheers from the crowd had nothing to do with her. Now, she was no different from the Umamusume she had once defeated.
The victor's triumphant stance seemed to declare, "I've taken your undefeated streak!"
"I see..."
Jade's heart felt as if it were being squeezed. She finally understood why those she had beaten wore such expressions in defeat.
"It's so frustrating..."
Jade lowered her head, her expression hidden, lingering amidst the cheers meant for another, unwilling to leave.
Kousei basked in the crowd's fervent enthusiasm, the people gathered here showering her with unrestrained applause.
I can win! My victory is allowed!
After crossing a long stretch of time and enduring countless hardships, Kousei finally received their blessing. A genuine smile bloomed on her face.
"Kousei!"
Kousei turned toward the voice. Click! Reiko grinned, lowering her camera.
"What are you doing? If you wanted a photo, you could have just asked Aoi to take one," Kousei said with a laugh.
She then noticed Kawauchi Aoi shouldering a professional video camera, with a crew of staff bustling behind him.
"Huh?"
As Kousei looked on in confusion, Reiko shouted, "Accept it! This is a gift from everyone!"
The massive screen at the Eastern Lands Racetrack flickered, and Director Akikawa appeared.
"Congratulations!"
The camera then pulled back, revealing more and more students from Northern Academy.
"Congratulations, Kousei-senpai!"
"That was an amazing race! I'm so moved!"
Next, the people of the Northern Lands appeared, all smiling and cheering for Kousei, holding Kousei plushies in their hands.
"Senpai! Senpai! So cool! Ahhh!!!"
It was Caesar's group, who had left earlier. Twilight Cloud waved a plushie, ecstatic.
"As my rival, this level of performance is only natural!" Speedstar said, as tsundere as ever.
Caesar and Cloud remained silent, but their expressions clearly showed their joy.
Everyone... Even when they weren't together, their hearts were connected.
A stream of bullet comments began to float across the screen, starting as a trickle and slowly filling the entire display.
"Who is she?! That was an incredible run!"
"Wow! That was absolutely spectacular! It's been a long time since I've seen such an exciting race."
"I looked it up. Seems like it's an NAU race."
"NAU? Never heard of it."
"It's really obscure, but it's definitely a legitimate circuit."
"Who cares about that?! What's the main character's name?"
"Hold on, I'm looking it up!"
Countless bullet comments flooded the screen, discussing the race. Kousei stood there, bewildered, with no idea what was happening.
"As of now, the stream has over thirty million views, with one point seven million concurrent viewers," Aoi reported.
Reiko smiled. "As expected of the Eastern Lands, capable of building a network platform that can handle such numbers."
Kousei's battle with Jade had been uploaded to Uma-tter, bridging the gap to the rest of the world and allowing more people to witness the rising star from the North.
The discussion continued to escalate as more and more viewers poured in. The time was ripe.
After Kousei's interview concluded, everyone assumed the livestream would end. But to their surprise, Rohan Ye took over the camera, instantly drawing attention. Both the crowd at the racetrack and the online viewers grew curious about the young man.
"First, let me introduce myself. I'm an administrator for the Eastern Lands Umamusume Association and also an ordinary Trainer."
"I have something to say, and I won't take up too much of your time. I hereby formally announce to the entire world that the Eastern Lands are willing to welcome all Umamusume who harbor dreams, whether you are a once-in-a-generation genius or simply a mediocre talent.
"The Eastern Lands will welcome all. We will provide the highest quality training resources, a fact that has been evident to everyone these past few days. Our sincerity is the very will that supports the Umamusume."
"Of course," Reiko added, "we also warmly welcome any Umamusume who wish to join the Northern Academy. While we may not be able to offer the same resources as the Eastern Lands, when it comes to our dedication to the Umamusume, we won't lose."
The livestream ended there, but the statements from both sides ignited a firestorm online. The two Umamusume at the center of it all naturally became the focus of widespread attention, each now representing their respective factions.
Kousei's UG account saw an explosive surge in followers overnight. She stared thoughtfully at her profile, which featured only a single post: a picture of a parfait.
In the days that followed, Rohan Ye was incredibly busy and rarely seen. His strategy, it seemed, was working. The Eastern Lands were astonishingly wealthy, and the prize money Kousei received left everyone, including Reiko, utterly dumbfounded.
He had given them far, far too much.
From then on, Kousei began to realize just how many people were supporting her from behind the scenes. She understood that people who truly admired her existed, and that Reiko and Aoi had secretly orchestrated this massive effort without her knowledge.
The funds that had supported her expedition from the very beginning had been painstakingly accumulated, bit by bit, through the sale of those plush dolls. She had swallowed the food they bought, turning it into flesh and blood, consuming everyone's hopes and dreams piece by piece, and growing stronger.
No matter what, the form she had achieved was built upon the collective will of everyone who supported her. Over several quiet nights of reflection, Kousei thought long and hard, secretly making a decision in her heart.
As for Jade, she, like Rohan Ye, had vanished. The last time Kousei saw her was at the racetrack, where Jade's figure disappeared down the loser's tunnel, her whereabouts unknown.
The hurdle of failure was one that only Jade could overcome on her own; no one else could help her. Yet, Kousei didn't believe Jade would succumb to such a setback. On the racetrack, Kousei had heard her clearly: Jade had smiled and said she loved running more than anything.
One day during her rest period, Reiko suddenly handed Kousei a letter.
The letter announced that Kousei had been named the NAU's Representative Athlete of the Year. While not a particularly prestigious nomination, it was at least proof that the NAU Association recognized her achievements and dedication.
As a result, the NAU had arranged a special press conference for Kousei. This would give her more exposure and allow those who cared about her to learn more about her.
"Perfect timing," Kousei remarked.
Her words left Reiko completely baffled, but Kousei just smiled without elaborating.
Time flew by, and soon the day of the press conference arrived.
Kousei stood before the mirror, adjusting her appearance. It was her first time attending such an event, and she was a little nervous.
"My bangs... they look okay, right?"
"They're fine! How many times are you going to check them?" Reiko sighed in exasperation. It was strange—Kousei hadn't been nervous facing Jade, yet she was anxious about facing reporters. Just a Way and Aoi had already gone ahead. Ever since Reiko had taken that photo of Kousei, Just a Way had insisted on taking pictures of her too. She was probably squatting outside with Aoi right now, waiting eagerly.
"It's so lively out there. You can feel the excitement carried on the wind all the way here."
Kousei turned around. Jade was standing at the doorway, smiling warmly at her.
"You're here," Kousei said. She'd had a feeling she would see Jade again.
"Well, we haven't known each other for long, but you're leaving soon. It's only proper that I come to see you off. I wouldn't want to be rude, after all."
Jade's words reminded Kousei of their first meeting, when Jade had said something similar. But now, Jade carried herself with a much greater sense of maturity.
"I knew you'd bounce back," Kousei said, "but I didn't think it would take this long. We didn't even get to go shopping together one last time."
"Well, the 'pain of losing one's innocence' takes quite a while to get over, you know."
"The pain of... what?"
"You don't know? It's when..."
"Okay, stop! That topic is way too advanced for you!" Reiko cut in, steering the conversation away from dangerous territory.
Fortunately, neither of them lingered on the subject.
"I don't have much to say," Jade continued. "We haven't known each other long, and our styles are completely different."
"But you still wanted to see me."
"That's right," Jade said decisively. "You go on ahead. When you become the strongest in the world, I'll be there to challenge you."
She had come all this way just to deliver that one challenge before Kousei's departure.
Jade waved her hand and turned to leave. Kousei's memories flashed back, scenes of her past with McQueen replaying endlessly before her eyes.
"Aren't you going to say a few more words?"
Kousei chuckled lightly and shook her head. "There's no need."
We met on the racetrack, and we'll surely meet there again.
"Well then... let's go."
"Right."
The press conference finally began. Kousei appeared before the crowd with composure as camera flashes captured her every detail. The atmosphere was celebratory, filled with congratulations and fan questions. The reporters were highly professional, refraining from difficult inquiries and focusing instead on Kousei's preferences and daily training routine.
Even with her limited experience, Kousei handled the questions with ease. There were, however, a few surprises. The extraordinary response to the Eastern Lands Battle had attracted some reporters with a keen sense of smell.
They had noticed Kousei's enigmatic past—a record that was completely blank until she burst onto the scene late in her Classic Year. Central's deliberate erasure of her history only added to her mystique, making more and more people curious about her past.
"Kousei, what are your plans for the future? Will you continue to challenge the NAU as planned?"
This question wasn't meaningless. Kousei's brilliant performance had already attracted scouting offers. She could easily skip the NAU and join another league to shine—a seemingly optimal choice, especially since no one had ever advanced through the NAU before.
High difficulty, low prestige—it was a thankless task.
"I was just about to address that," Kousei said, her voice clear. "First, let me answer the question on everyone's mind: I will continue to challenge the NAU."
Her answer sent a ripple of commotion through the crowd.
"But no one has ever advanced through it! Kousei, you must have received offers from other leagues. Why not transfer?"
"No one ever has? Then I'll be the first." Kousei's gaze swept across the room. "As for the other leagues, I have something I'd like to say. I know some of you came here specifically for this, so what I'm about to say will benefit both sides. I hope you'll report it exactly as I say it."
Her words piqued the reporters' curiosity. They flipped to fresh pages in their notebooks, ready to record.
"Say," Kousei began, her tone shifting, "there must be plenty of extraordinary Umamusume out there in the world, right?"
"Huh?" The reporters were taken aback by her sudden question but answered honestly, "Of course."
"I see. That's good," Kousei nodded.
The reporters were utterly baffled.
"To the Umamusume across the world, each a living legend—each a match for a thousand."
"My name is Kousei, and I am the one who aims for the Peak. So I often wonder: is winning on the grandest stage enough to call oneself the strongest?"
A deliberate silence hung in the air, stoking the crowd's curiosity.
"I think not."
The gentle smile at the corners of her lips slowly twisted into a wild, arrogant grin. She stood tall, radiating an aura of triumphant ambition.
"How can one claim the name of Peak without defeating all the strongest?!"
How many heroes truly walk this earth?
"I hereby declare my challenge to every Umamusume in the world. I will ascend from the NAU all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. Anyone may try to stop me. Feel free to choose your most advantageous racetrack. I will defeat you in your own domain! To go Beyond the Peak, I must!
"The only thing I can offer you is a race. You should know my value—there is no greater prey than me. And so, I await your challenge."
Trial of the Stars, Ladder to Godhood.
Open the Endless Gate, release the Crimson Mad King.
A mad flurry of camera shutters erupted. Pens scraped across notepads, leaving trembling script in their wake.
No one could have imagined that this ordinary day would one day be known as [The Event]. The reporters' souls burned with an unquenchable fire.
We must know. We must uncover the truth. We have to ask—ask about the past she's hiding.
Yet, when one reporter finally opened their mouth, the question that tumbled out was—
"Who... who are you?"
A knowing smile touched Kousei's lips. Finally, she thought.
"Kousei—"
The Dawn that Shatters the Heavens, the Ominous Radiant Star.