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

"Hehehehehehehehe—!"

Unable to contain her joy any longer, laughter streamed freely from her mouth.

No, the game isn't over yet... You can't laugh, you can't laugh anymore!

In order to suppress the joy that had been building up for so long, the Emperor of the East Sea changed his sprinting posture once again.

Her body, which had been exploited countless times and whose legs were on the verge of breaking, felt incredibly pleasurable at this moment.

More satisfying for the emperor than any other end of a match.

I have to thank you, Stardust...

It is because of your existence that the emperor can become stronger... so unreasonably strong—

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

She could no longer suppress her laughter, because it was a reaction born from genuine joy.

The legend of the emperor's undefeated three-crown reign has officially entered its second phase today.

Let's start from here and let the grand stage begin here!

What pose should you strike to celebrate after crossing the finish line?

We need to think this through carefully... After all, this is the starting point of an undefeated treble, the most important beginning.

Oh right, I've got it.

That's what the chairman did back then, right?

Pointing one finger towards the sky symbolizes that one has won a championship.

Hmm, this gesture is very suitable for emperors... and Stardust Illusion also uses this single-finger pointing to the sky as its symbol.

Next, is this the last one?

The finish line was so close, and the final bend was almost at its end.

Once you cross the final straight ahead, victory will be in your grasp.

The Emperor of the East Sea took a powerful stride, his mind racing as he headed toward the finish line.

Nothing can stop her now, nothing can stop her anymore—

Suddenly, everything stopped.

The steps taken could not touch the grass.

In the sky, stars began to shine from there as they fell.

At that very moment, the girl, whose smile was still on her face, suddenly trembled.

A strong wind was blowing from behind towards the front; this was a wind direction that should absolutely not exist.

What drifted past my eyes were the fantastical particles that I had witnessed twice during this competition.

But the particles that originally helped her overcome the Eastern Merchants' reforms are now no longer destined to be emperors.

One after another, the fantastical particles began to float and move from all directions, converging on a certain spot behind the emperor.

(!!!)

That is—!

He opened his eyes wide in surprise, not because there was anything unusual about his body.

On the contrary, the Emperor of the East Sea's excellent condition at this moment made her more aware of her current situation.

The burning heat instantly turned to icy cold, as if I were in the depths of a damp and dark demon's lair.

A cold, an unusually cold, swept in at this moment.

The gale, carrying shards of ice, completely extinguished the raging flames that had been burning across the entire arena.

It was a presence so intense it almost suffocated the emperor; it was a pressure so overwhelming it could render the emperor immobile.

Even without turning around, one could clearly feel the gaze fixed intently on their back.

It was a terrifying gaze, filled with deathly aura, emanating from a zombie that seemed to rise again from its grave, like a dead person.

A terrifying aura, like an undead curse, attempts to stifle or even destroy everything around it... filled with monster-like terror!

[“Let the final battle begin!”]

The ear on the top of the East Sea Emperor's head suddenly trembled.

The sound, which seemed to come from nowhere, wasn't picked up by her ears, but rather exploded directly in her heart.

What was the source of that terrifying aura? At this moment, the Emperor of the East Sea understood completely.

The person behind him slowly raised his head, and the first thing that lit up was a blood-red eye.

With his brown hair, his ferocious face soaked in sweat, the blood clearly visible between his teeth, and his forward-leaning running posture that made one suspect he might fall at any moment... without a doubt, this runner was none other than the swift wind that surpassed all others.

—Stardust Illusion!

Three horse bodies?

No, two horse bodies?

That's not right... She's only a horse's length away from me now?!

Impossible! ...

How could someone with their last leg possibly catch up so easily at this distance! This is the last leg of a genius who has already unlocked the strongest domain!?

However, even with such doubts, the Emperor of the East Sea could no longer entertain any thoughts.

Because, while she was completely unable to move... the explosive footsteps of the Stardust Illusion were already very close to her!

This momentum came from behind, and like ink, it had already soaked the entire arena without anyone noticing.

The incredibly viscous black liquid gathered into a vast ocean, which even the Azure Flame Domain, which originally held an absolute advantage, could not resist.

The phoenix in the air had barely even had the thought of dodging when it was completely enveloped in endless darkness.

This terrifying pressure, so intense it almost made one want to vomit, pressed down entirely on the body of the Emperor of the East Sea.

At this moment, the runner probably had no energy left to think about anything else.

The suffocating feeling, as if someone were strangling you, and the terrifying aura of someone looking down on you.

Even the strongest will cannot withstand it, and can only obediently kneel before the tyrant's wrath.

But... even so.

But it could not extinguish the brilliant fighting spirit of the Emperor of the East Sea.

As a racehorse girl, no one doesn't yearn for victory.

Once everyone enters the arena, they all display an overflowing fighting spirit, a desire to win, and a yearning to shine!

Even in Uma Musume, few people possess such an indomitable fighting spirit as Tokai Teio.

That ping was overshadowed by endless glory and praise, but it was the runner's true killer move.

Teng!

In the boundless, pitch-black ocean of ink, a faint flame, almost invisible to the naked eye, suddenly ignited.

It seemed like a mere illusion; the empty flame was instantly engulfed by the overwhelming black mist, and anyone who saw it would surely say that it had been extinguished.

However, it has not yet been extinguished.

No matter how the dark waves washed over the flame, they couldn't diminish its brightness even by the slightest.

With the game nearing its end, the Emperor of the East Sea still refused to relinquish his chance to seize victory.

Having already reached this point, only one thought remained in her mind.

How did the stardust illusion catch up? And why was his own domain swallowed by darkness in an instant...?

None of that matters. What matters is—

"The important thing is..."

She was still in a completely still world, enveloped by the domain, and had no chance to move at all.

However, this runner, who should have stood in this still world, still being surpassed by the illusion of stardust, suddenly spoke these words.

Although it was said that it moved, it really was just a tiny movement of its lips.

Compared to runners like Uma Musume who can reach speeds close to 70 km/h, this can hardly be considered moving, right?

But in this silent world shrouded by the domain, her opening of her mouth created a tremendous sense of disharmony.

Then, he stomped his foot hard on the grass again.

With her resolute, burning will, she broke through the blockade of the dark domain and rushed forward.

With a running style that only the emperor of the East Sea could achieve, he took a step, broke through, and moved forward.

They clung to this last advantage, refusing to relinquish it to any opponent who was pursuing them.

Spica, the constellation of Spica, cast its final rays toward the direction of the Emperor of the Eastern Sea.

Above that pitch-black ocean, the previously barely visible flames coalesced into dazzling flames, growing stronger and stronger in the blink of an eye—

It was a dazzling light and heat, like the sun.

It revealed, and burned away... all the elements hidden in the darkness that wanted to defeat her.

Those fantastical particles, like the most impartial judges, once again converged around the Emperor of the East Sea.

Then, the phoenix was reborn.

No, it's not just about being reborn.

This enormous mythical creature, formed from the fighting spirit of the Emperor of the East Sea, completely swallowed even its pitch-black adversary.

With the special abilities granted by the fantasy particles, it took flight.

Above the endless sky, it completely shed all its feathers, transforming into a blazing sun... and revealing its true form!

Those were warriors who had returned from hell.

Destroy everything, and become the hero who carries the Phoenix Star!