Uma Musume Girl, I'll tell you about my Santa Hat special move too?

Ai Mu's eyes widened suddenly, and her pupils contracted sharply. She realized that the pace of the entire match had accelerated again at that moment.

From her unique, bird's-eye view, all the runners seemed to have agreed to increase their speed.

As a runner specializing in chasing, she does have her own methods for conserving energy, and even now, when she admires Orihime, she can feel the abundance of energy within her.

However, she realized at that moment that she was wrong.

Seeing Narita Shirahito's figure from just now, hearing the sudden, loud shout and the hurried running footsteps, she finally understood what the real "last foot" was.

"Powerful" is no longer enough to describe the runners around her; the sounds from just now still lingered in Orihime's ears.

Even though the runner known as the "Shadow Monster" wasn't targeting her, Orihime could still sense her bloodthirsty, savage desires.

Is this... the strength of the player who will soon participate in the classic triple crown...?

Her wide eyes reflected the three people who had already begun their battle. Ai Ai knew very well that even though she still had plenty of energy, she didn't have their unparalleled explosive speed.

This difference leads to a conclusion that can almost be confirmed:

She can't catch up with these athletes, at least not in this match!

Indeed, she's just an unproduced racehorse girl. If she could match a racer of that caliber at this point, it would seem unreal.

On the bright side, at least she didn't fall to the very bottom of the pack like Twin Turbine and Rice Bath.

But... is that all there is to it?

Are you just going to give up like this...?

Orihime slightly raised her head and looked up at the night sky above.

The star Vega, hanging high in the dark sky, seemed to sense the gaze that admired Orihime. It twinkled, as if it wanted to do something for this contestant.

(You're looking at me too, right...)

Orihime bit her lower lip tightly and asked herself silently.

She didn't expect an answer, because there was something else to do now.

Rush up...

Charge forward!

Charge! I love Orihime! Charge!

Defeat all those opponents... just like the promise you made to Vega!

Beneath the sky, the star shone even brighter, and the magical view that was originally used to overlook the entire arena changed once again.

In a daze, Orihime felt as if she were inside her own body, with each blood vessel starting from her heart clearly visible, sending blood to every corner of her body.

That heart, as if sensing the call of the Weaver Girl in the sky, gradually began to twinkle regularly.

"From this moment on... crush everyone."

"It's coming!"

Ai Musashi felt her fighting spirit begin to surge, and the next moment, her mind went completely blank, as if she had stepped into a completely new world—

--no.

In that final moment, Ai-hime suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

------------

Stardust Illusion: Mi Yu once watched this runner's desperate sprint during the Japan-France exchange race.

That's a burning fighting spirit—unwilling to accept defeat no matter what, determined to win as long as the game isn't over.

That scalding heat seemed to transcend the distance between the arena and the stands, striking directly into Mi Yu's heart and giving her her initial strength.

But that's not enough.

Whether it's the starry illusion or other runners, their steps are always heavy yet firm.

These true runners experienced joy, anger, sorrow, tears, and resentment...

Compared to someone like her, the others were like stars hanging in the sky, their mere radiance enough to make Mi Yu realize that she and they were not on the same level.

From the audience's perspective, the girl could clearly feel that she was experiencing the emotions brought to her by the Stardust Illusion during the match.

That sparkling, exhilarating, even eager feeling.

Mi Yu understood that the happiness she felt was born after she was completely filled with the illusion of stardust.

However, when she finally mustered the courage to enroll at Central Treson College, she discovered the cruel truth.

Rather than shining brightly on the racetrack like a unique star, many characters in Uma Musume are pitiful beings who, no matter how much training they receive, cannot improve and have been failures from the very beginning...

Just like Mi Yu herself.

Let alone showcasing the results of her training, no matter how much courage Mi Yu mustered, once she got close to formal competitions like the selection trials, she would involuntarily run far away, not daring to let others see her running.

Why is it that those veterans in the competition never faltered, always running on the road of battling against others?

That was their fighting spirit.

Dreams, perseverance, family, promises, honor, unwillingness to give up...

Everyone has various reasons that support their feelings and enable these athletes to continue to strive.

(What about rice baths?)

She couldn't answer that question.

Perhaps, compared to these glittering runners, Mi Yu is inherently an empty, dark, and even filthy creature.

They yearn for the finish line, but lack the courage to run.

She had a dream of becoming a blue rose, but lacked the determination to make that dream a reality.

She felt that she might never be able to achieve the reality of her ideal.

Yeah, what good is it for someone like me to be able to stand on the field?

For a dark and gloomy contestant like her, even just competing alongside those dazzling stars is an absolute desecration.

Lacking any fighting spirit, even displaying a dark side, she faces off against these true runners who strive for glory and victory, fighting for the ultimate goal...

The thought of that scene would cause Mi Yu even more pain in her heart.

That's self-loathing.

The pitch blackness spread through Mi Yu's heart, as if transforming into the sky, completely obscuring her vision.

At one point, she even realized something terrifying.

That is, perhaps I should never have gotten involved in the world of horse racing girls in the first place.

A failure like her should just stay in the audience and watch.

The arena is a stage for girls who chase after the Top Star.

And a dark and gloomy loser like her shouldn't exist on this stage...!

(That's how it should have been.)

Click.

Click, click, click.

On that day, she met her.

The darkness that completely enveloped the rice bath began to show cracks at that moment.

And as time went by, the cracks widened, allowing golden-yellow, blazing sunlight to shine through them...

【……call!】

A strong wind blew across my face, scattering my thoughts.

The wind blew away the bangs that had been covering Mi Yu's eyes, revealing a glimpse of her dark pupil.

The girl's expression had never been so resolute. Her legs, which were originally at the very back of the pack, were still running at their top speed, showing no intention of slowing down.

Staring at Ai Mu Zhi Ji's retreating figure, Mi Yu's lips had already curled up slightly.

(So... why am I here now, racing alongside everyone on the same track?)

Even if others see it as wishful thinking, Mi Yu wants to run alongside everyone in the training matches…!

The words he had spoken to the Stardust Illusion earlier were now echoing in Mi Yu's mind.

Click-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack...

boom--!

The darkness that had enveloped the rice bath shattered completely at that moment, and the sunlight that shone in filled the girl's heart with warmth.

That was a stardust illusion, a unique brilliance on the field.

She stood before Mi Yu, offering her a tenderness and care she had never imagined.

This dazzling power even shattered the darkness, pulling her out of her endless inferiority complex.

Mi Yu knew that it wasn't because she was anything special, but just a stardust illusion... it was just that her brother was like that.

She will always lend a helping hand to those in need.

Stardust Illusion is not just a brother, she is also a hero of Rice Bath!

We can't wait any longer... If we want to win, we have to start here!

This girl, who had once accomplished nothing, felt a sense of fulfillment she had never experienced before.

That's trust.

That is courage.

That is power.

That's what she, as a racehorse girl, should have.

The parched throat began to taste blood.

Beneath Mi Yu's jet-black bangs, her eyes, faintly visible, seemed to possess an even more intense darkness.

She understood that she was different from the other racehorse girls... and from Stardust Illusion.