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

"When we competed, he only talked about Stardust Illusion for a short while before getting annoyed with me... Was it really because I was too weak?!"

As he spoke, the flight attendant looked aggrieved.

Although being pulled 14 horse lengths was a bit too embarrassing, Stardust Illusion had only exchanged a few words with him back then before trotting away from the arena. This seemed completely different from how he patiently waited for King Kong Wei to provide fan service today.

"Huh? Stardust has always been very enthusiastic, hasn't she?" Zhuo Fu tilted her head, somewhat confused as to why the flight attendant would think that way.

Meanwhile, Cai Zhigao, who was the brains of the group, understood the problem and rolled his eyes.

(Fine, I'll let bygones be bygones for your big win last time, considering your performance in today's game. I'll even offer a few words of explanation.)

"Stardust was probably hungry, right? If she expends too much energy during a match, she'll immediately become hungry. I guess that's when you struck up a conversation with her, which is why Stardust was in a hurry to rush back to the rest room to eat and replenish her energy."

"Is she a Tesla? Two hours to eat, three minutes of battery life?!"

The flight attendant was speechless at this explanation, but Zhuo Fu, who was standing next to him, answered with great seriousness:

"No, Stardust is Godzilla, gao!"

--------

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Stardust Illusion."

After thoroughly satisfying the enthusiasm of the audience, King Kong Wei turned around and apologized to Stardust Illusion, who was waiting for him. The two then continued walking towards the contestant passage together.

"It's alright, let's continue our previous topic."

As Stardust Illusion spoke, he withdrew his gaze from the densely packed group of people, a hint of doubt in his mind.

She felt like she saw a familiar figure, but because there were so many people around, she couldn't confirm it.

"Well... First of all, I want to apologize to you for what Grandpa Alan did—I know that was quite an insult to a real racehorse girl, and I ask you to forgive the old man for his momentary lapse of judgment."

Jin Gangwei looked apologetic and apologized again.

Early this morning, she received an email signed "Toyama," which detailed her trainer Alan Wertheimer's negotiations with Stardust Illusion that day, using pictures, text, and audio recordings.

To be honest, she almost lost all the fighting spirit she had been building up over the past few weeks. After having a big argument with her trainer, with whom she had a close relationship, she rushed to the racetrack early and contacted Stardust Illusion, inviting her to the racetrack for a meeting.

Putting herself in Alan's shoes, Jin Gangwei certainly understood how angry a runner would be after being humiliated like that, but she could also understand why Alan made such a foolish move...

In short, now that things have already happened, it's too late to blame the trainer.

What King Kong can do is solve this problem before the match, even if it's a temporary solution, at least it shouldn't affect the competition between him and his opponent.

Chapter 356 I am the one who will surely seize victory!

"I'm actually fine, you don't need to worry about it too much."

Stardust Illusion shrugged, showing no particular indignation or rage.

Actually, when she watched the old man named Alan perform that day, she couldn't control her anger for a moment.

But the source of this anger was not the trainer's contempt, but the possibility that if King Kong Wei was also aware of this, it would mean that her long-awaited opponent in the final showdown was nothing more than a pathetic creature who didn't even have the courage to accept a challenge.

Then all her anticipation and excitement would have been for nothing, wouldn't it?

Fortunately, it was eventually learned through intimidation that at least this was just the old man's single-minded decision and had nothing to do with Jin Gangwei, who was a runner.

As for the so-called offenses and humiliations, she didn't take them particularly seriously—after all, since their debut, Stardust Illusion has often suffered from various malicious comments and even overwhelming ridicule.

If she has to spend time and effort dealing with things like this, and it even affects her training and competition performance, then where will she find the time to become the strongest racehorse girl?

As for Toyama Scarlet, it seems she extorted some money from the other party as compensation for emotional distress. At least Stardust Illusion knows that Toyama Scarlet accepted both boxes that Alan brought.

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

Like Stardust Illusion, Vajra Might was not actually aware of the details. After hearing the other party's nonchalant response, she couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

Seeing her demeanor, the Stardust Illusion realized that its words were insufficient to dispel her worries, so it simply changed the subject:

"In that case, as compensation, you can grant me one request."

“One request?...Okay.” Jin Gangwei nodded.

Although agreeing to a request doesn't sound easy.

But in any case, Alan is her trainer who has taken care of her for so long, and it is her duty to take responsibility for the mistakes he made... At most, she can give that old geezer a good talking-to after everything is over.

Seeing her so nervous, Stardust Illusion suddenly waved its hand, its index finger stopping straight in front of Vajra Might's nose:

"Then I want you!"

"……what?"

Jin Gangwei was stunned for a moment, and his originally carefree expression became somewhat flustered.

As a renowned French runner, it's true that she wanted to take responsibility and make amends to her opponent out of pride as a racehorse girl.

But she wasn't mentally prepared for this—and it wasn't even the race yet, so was this horse not actually a proper racehorse girl at all?!

"Etc., etc!"

This world-class runner, who is usually incredibly composed when dealing with fans, had a slightly flushed face and hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "Although I'm granting your request, that kind of thing is impossible!"

"That kind of thing?" Stardust Illusion didn't understand the meaning behind Vajra Might's words, but at least it understood that the other party seemed to have some misunderstanding, so it further explained:

"What I mean is, in this match I need someone who can play at their full potential... no, I need someone who can play exceptionally well as my opponent, and then become a stepping stone for me to reach the other side!"

"Uh……"

Jin Gangwei, who had been watching the show with an expression of pure enjoyment, stiffened again after hearing Xingchen Illusion's words, even forgetting the derogatory meaning behind them.

So I was just overthinking it?

Looking at his junior's spirited expression, Jin Gangwei felt a pang of shame. It seemed that his previous conversations about what to do after retirement had prevented her from focusing on the competition...

"Cough cough!"

She cleared her throat, easing her own embarrassment, and then resumed her pre-battle enthusiasm, responding to the Stardust Illusion's challenge:

"Do you want to use me as a whetstone for your young to sharpen their claws and teeth?"

boom.

Jin Gangwei stepped forward with his right leg towards the girl in front of him, and a heavy footstep echoed throughout the passage.

Stardust Illusion felt her breath catch in her throat, and the whole world seemed to shake violently with that one step, as if an invisible giant was casually manipulating the Deauville Racecourse where they were now.

The tooth-grinding sound echoed in his ears, and Stardust Illusion felt a blur before his eyes, and the next moment he found himself on a desolate mountain.

boom--!

boom--!

boom--!

A deafening roar erupted from beneath their feet, causing Stardust Illusion's heart to pound, its rhythm involuntarily quickening due to the shock.

She subconsciously looked down, only to see the towering mountain range beneath her feet suddenly break apart!

A massive, dark brown figure crashed into the mountain, breaking it completely in two, before turning its head toward the stardust illusion that was beginning to fall from the air.

It was a terrifying bull, towering and imposing, its two enormous horns twisted and intertwined at the top of its head—the very horns that had smashed the entire mountainside in half.

"—!"

With a bite of the tip of my tongue, the stardust illusion instantly dispelled all the hallucinations before my eyes.

But that indescribable chill still crept up from the depths of her spine, and the terrifying premonition made her involuntarily tense up.

The girl, Jin Gangwei, who had been all smiles just moments before, had just given her a tremendous shock.

That was a deterrent that would make even the most determined warriors feel fear, and the Stardust Illusion could feel its power even with its eyes closed!

"Do you want to hunt me down as an opponent, and have it etched into your memory as a glorious achievement?"

Jin Gangwei asked a second question, grinning widely.

This runner, who just last year became the European Marathon King, finally revealed a sliver of his true strength in the face of the Stardust Illusion as a response to her provocation.

However, the next second, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from behind the stardust illusion.

It started as a gentle breeze, but quickly intensified into a strong wind, followed by a biting, icy chill.

Jin Gangwei only had time to see a few snowflakes falling in front of him.

"—!?"

"No, it's not just prey."

The stardust illusion's words were cold, as if they came from the deepest hell. This voice transformed into chains, instantly binding Vajra Might's hands and feet layer by layer:

“I will draw strength from the competition, and then overcome it together with you… and the source of that strength includes you!”

Snowstorms swept across the sky, obscuring the sun. In an instant, Jin Gangwei found himself amidst the icy landscape, before whom stood three colossal ice pillars that rose into the sky and pierced the clouds.

Inside the central ice pillar, Vajra Power could clearly see the three snow-white heads slowly awakening.

Six crimson eyes, symbolizing calamity and destruction, began to look down upon the mortals below from within the ice pillars.

If you only look at one of its heads or bodies, you might think it's an ordinary dragon, but once you see its whole body, you'll reject that assumption.

This is absolutely not the shape of a creature that should exist in this world.

It can only be used as the final weapon for the world-ending awakening!

However, they were faced with ice pillars thousands of meters high, and a white three-headed dragon temporarily sealed inside them.

Looking up at Jin Gangwei, only a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Then, he resumed his usual loud laughter:

"Hahahahahaha!"

"I see! Stardust Illusion, are you also a runner treading on this edge?"

"Haha, this is great, really great! I never expected to run into a racehorse girl of your caliber before I retire. It seems my four-peat challenge was definitely worthwhile!"

"Don't worry, Stardust Illusion. I will absolutely give you my best performance ever in this match. This is a promise I make to you on my honor."

For Jin Gangwei, encountering such a rare opponent was more exhilarating than anything else.

Since her debut, she has participated in more than 20 competitions, including nearly 20 G1-level matches, which is an extremely high level of competition.

However, she rarely encountered runners who could give her a truly exhilarating experience, as if everyone was consciously avoiding her. Despite her constant victories, she was never truly satisfied.