McQueen's words left Kousei speechless. She had only blurted out those words in the heat of the moment. After calming down slightly, she realized they were powerless against injuries.
"Let's leave it at that. I wish you smooth sailing." Since Kousei remained silent, McQueen decided to end the conversation.
"Kousei, excuse me, someone's here to see you."
Kousei wondered who could possibly be looking for her at a time like this. Before she could react, a strange cry echoed through the air.
"Wait, wait! Don't be so hasty!"
Even McQueen, who had been about to hang up, was drawn in by the sudden voice. Kousei turned around, her face instantly filled with astonishment. "Tachyon!"
Indeed, the newcomer was Agnes Tachyon. She was panting heavily, with Just a Way and Takuya watching from a distance behind her.
Kousei had never imagined she would see an old friend in a foreign country. Tachyon's arrival filled her with joy, but that joy quickly gave way to confusion.
"Tachyon, what are you doing here?"
"Heh heh... Good... cough! cough! question!" Tachyon tried to let out her usual eccentric laugh but was interrupted by a fit of coughing.
"Is the person you're talking to McQueen?" Tachyon asked.
"Yes."
"Good." Tachyon took a moment to compose herself, then smiled. "Looks like my usual training finally paid off."
Even after retiring due to injury, Tachyon often ran a few laps. If she didn't, her mind would never settle.
"Alright, let's get serious. I'm here for McQueen. I assume you're currently struggling with her suspensory ligamentitis."
Kousei knew Tachyon wasn't one to make empty boasts. Besides, she wouldn't have traveled all the way from Central just to play a prank on her.
"Tachyon... you mean you have a solution?" Kousei's voice was a mix of joyful surprise and lingering worry.
After all, the entire Mejiro Estate, along with Takuya and his daughter, had found the problem intractable. Whether Tachyon's proposed solution was reliable remained to be seen.
"Of course. Put me on speaker. We can't let McQueen wallow in despair on her own."
McQueen, the subject of their discussion, didn't hang up after hearing Tachyon's words. After all, she herself had no desire to give up running.
The familiar white lab coat, the same inscrutable demeanor, and then, after a burst of her signature strange laughter...
"Hehehe~ Research Topic: [Agnes Tachyon's Factor Research]! The results are in!"
"Ah~"
Kousei tilted her head like a confused kitten. She didn't understand a word, but it sounded incredibly impressive. Seeing Tachyon's triumphant expression, Kousei enthusiastically applauded.
Clearly, this was exactly the reaction our mad scientist craved.
"Kousei, do you remember? The experiment I conducted to run again."
Of course, Kousei remembered. It was before the Takarazuka Memorial, and Takuya had been the one to perform Tachyon's surgery.
"The process was risky, but you saw the results. I successfully broke through my limitations and returned to the racetrack."
Even if the outcome wasn't a happy one.
"After that, I kept thinking: could I do more? If I could help others with this, wouldn't my selfish desire be more justified? So, I never stopped that research... and now, it has finally borne fruit."
Kousei gasped. "You mean... when you asked Doctor Takuya to collect my data recently, that was also for this?"
Tachyon nodded with a smile and added, "I've investigated. It's not just you. I found the same factor in Ikuno as well."
"Ikuno?!" McQueen was shocked. She had no idea Tachyon had been secretly investigating her roommate.
"But... my factor should have disappeared, right?" Kousei asked.
"What do you mean?" McQueen was stunned yet again.
"Everything you've strived for has left its mark," Tachyon explained. "The same goes for your factor. I took the liberty of preserving your factor cells and culturing them. I then tested them on myself to ensure their safety."
"You experimented on yourself?!"
"Potions that make you glow or turn into a guinea pig are one thing, but I can't just give this to someone else without testing it first."
"...You shouldn't be giving any of those to people!"
"Let's get straight to the conclusion," Tachyon continued, brushing off the interruption. "The experiment was a success. While it wasn't enough to reverse my second injury, it demonstrated a significant healing effect."
"Isn't that too dangerous?" Takuya interjected, his tone disapproving. "I performed your surgery, so I know exactly what you went through. You were at death's door. If not for sheer luck, you would have been gone."
"Is anything ever risk-free?" Tachyon retorted. "Can you, Doctor Takuya, guarantee a 100% success rate for every surgery you perform? Besides, Kousei's factor is much milder than anticipated. And I'm not the only one who's used it."
"You administered it to someone else without authorization?!"
Takuya knew Tachyon was a madwoman, but he never imagined she'd go this far.
"Say what you will," Tachyon replied with a shrug. "I'm a scientist, not a doctor. I only provide possibilities. The actual success rate and the procedure are up to you."
"Um... Tachyon, who else did you give it to?" Kousei asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Didn't I tell you before? Scarlet, of course."
Takuya's brow furrowed, and he was about to protest when Kousei stopped him. "It's okay. Tachyon would never harm Scarlet. She must have been confident it would work."
"I don't mean to interfere," Takuya insisted, "but you can't just take a scientist's word for it—especially a mad scientist like her." It was clear Tachyon's recklessness still deeply unsettled him.
"Scarlet is very special to Tachyon. That's all you need to know."
Though Tachyon had no intention of defending herself, hearing Kousei speak up for her brought a flicker of happiness to her heart.
Just then, McQueen spoke up. "That's incredible. If what Tachyon says is true, then future Umamusume won't have to suffer from injuries. It's... a monumental achievement."
McQueen's words reminded everyone that while Tachyon's methods were extreme and dangerous, from a historical perspective, her work was undeniably a great undertaking.
Tracen's most extreme, most brilliant mind was creating something unprecedented—a legacy that would never be surpassed.
"Perhaps," Tachyon murmured. "I just don't want that girl, Scarlet, to end up like me."
Kousei suddenly recalled something Tachyon had once said.
We walk these difficult paths so that those who come after us won't have to.
She's poured all her dreams into Scarlet, Kousei thought, looking at Tachyon. Hoping Scarlet can achieve the dreams she herself could never realize.
"Let me be clear," Tachyon continued, her tone shifting back to business. "McQueen's situation is different from Scarlet's. Right now, surgery is the only option, and surgery always carries risks. So please, make your decision quickly."
All eyes turned to McQueen, waiting for her answer. After all, she was the one who would undergo the surgery. Kousei wouldn't pressure her; a decision this critical couldn't be swayed by emotion.
"There's no such thing as an absolute race. An Umamusume's life is a constant pursuit of possibility. My entire life has been dedicated to pursuing absolute victory to uphold the Mejiro name's honor, but if I must take a risk, I will not shy away.
"Besides... I don't want to break the promise I made to my dearest friend."
"McQueen!!!" Kousei's face lit up with a radiant smile.
"Goodbye!"
Before Kousei could say another word, McQueen hung up.
"Ah, what a shame," Kousei sighed. Now that things were looking up, she had hoped to catch up properly with McQueen.
"By the way, Tachyon, why are you here?"
"Ah~ Teio sent me."
"Teio? Tokai Teio?"
"I know you must be confused right now. But Kousei, you've been gone for quite a while. Everyone has changed from how you remember them."
Her words piqued Kousei's curiosity.
"How have you been conducting your research, Tachyon? After the Takarazuka Incident, everyone involved should have been under strict surveillance due to the Thorough Management Education Program. Especially you, for performing that surgery without authorization."
"Of course. My research lab was shut down. So, I've been conducting my experiments in Cafe's coffee shop. It's fantastic—the environment is quiet, and the coffee is free. If only Cafe would stop getting so angry with me."
Truly an extremely difficult-to-raise UMA—the kind that dies if you're not careful.
"Of course, I couldn't have done it without Teio covering for me. Otherwise, I would have been discovered long ago."
"Hmm?"
"Kousei, you'll understand when you return to Central. Teio has truly become an incredible figure."
Kousei could hear the genuine admiration in Tachyon's voice—an expression she rarely showed.
"Doctor Takuya and I will return to Central to prepare for McQueen's surgery. You have one last battle to fight. We will meet again... at Tracen Academy."
"Yes, we definitely will."
After bidding farewell to Tachyon, Kousei and her companions immediately set off for the Final Stage. The last battle of the NAU—a conflict Kousei could not speak of, no matter what.
The sky turned treacherous. Dark clouds gathered, thunder roared outside the window, and rain poured down in sheets.
Kousei gazed down from the aircraft window. The 3400-meter circular racetrack below resembled a ravenous beast, its bloody maw gaping wide.