The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

Saint King's Halo nodded somewhat blankly. No wonder she unconsciously shared her thoughts about Embroidered Star Dream with the beloved Oriole Princess; it was the sense of intimacy that came from being her older sister.

"But... I never got to see her..."

"My sister...she sacrificed herself for my life..."

The words of love for Orihime were like a sharp blade, cutting open the most painful part of his heart and exposing it to the Holy King's halo.

Faced with Orihime, whom he admires, suddenly starting to hurt him, the Holy King's Halo is somewhat at a loss.

She really didn't understand why anyone would show their most vulnerable side to a stranger. Despite clearly admiring Orihime, every word she spoke was tinged with pain, as if she had been torn to pieces.

"I've always wanted to see her, and I really want to say sorry to her."

"The horse girl's love for Orihime's pursuit of victory is all an act of atonement for her sister."

"Only when I become a top star on the field can I tell myself that I am qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with my sister."

Ai Mu's fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her skin until it turned white, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the mental anguish she was suffering.

Seeing the love and admiration for Orihime, the Holy King's Halo fell silent, as if he couldn't bear to see this scene and quietly turned his gaze away.

"look at me!"

However, a rebuke from Orihime brought the Holy King's gaze back to the present.

"I know that everything I've done is just self-comfort."

"No matter how many championships I win, my sister will never come back."

"but--"

As she finished speaking, Ai Musashi's tone became increasingly intense. She gripped the shoulders of the Holy King's Halo, forcing her to look directly into her eyes.

“You’re different! Your sister is still alive! She’s still alive and well!”

"If you want to apologize, just take two steps behind you and you'll see me!"

"They actually backed down because of such a ridiculous excuse as cowardice and lack of courage!"

His words of admiration for Orihime were deafening, causing even the Holy King's aura to unconsciously clench his fists.

Under the gloomy sky, the purple eyes of the woman who admired Orihime flickered with emotions that were not yet clear even with the halo of the Holy King. She remained silent for a while, as if trying to soothe the pain in her heart, before speaking softly.

"Don't wait until it's too late to regret it."

Ai Mu's tone returned to its previous calm. She patted the Holy King's Halo on the shoulder without saying anything more, and walked past the Holy King's Halo straight towards the Zhongshan Racecourse.

Outside the Zhongshan Racecourse, where dark clouds hung low, the damp air seemed to solidify, each breath causing a dull, stabbing pain in Shengwang Guanghuan's chest.

The words of love for Orihime still echoed in his ears. The Holy King's Halo suddenly realized that he was not the only one who stepped onto the racetrack with a heavy reason. On this racetrack, everyone had a reason not to lose.

She turned around and gazed at the Zhongshan Racecourse, recalling the words Xiu Xingmeng had once said to her.

"The racehorse named Embroidered Star Dream has no talent what you call talent."

"But she still managed to win the Satsuki Prize!"

"She will use abilities inferior to other popular racehorse girls—"

"Win the Satsuki Prize!"

She must have had her own compelling reasons for not being able to fail, but she only saw her own disappointment and failed to notice the pressure on Xiu Xingmeng.

"How foolish indeed."

After muttering something to himself, the Holy King Halo finally started walking towards the Zhongshan Racecourse.

The Holy King's Halo clenched her fist, letting her nails dig into her palm—after this duel, she would stand before her younger sister as the older sister.

Instead of using a pretentious, top-notch racehorse girl mask, she delivered her belated "sorry" and "congratulations" with the most honest smile.

Chapter Thirty-One: Entrance

Inside the contestant's room, Xiu Xingmeng opened her backpack, about to take out her final outfit.

However, Xiu Xingmeng, who had focused all her energy on training, clearly didn't have the extra energy to worry about the final outfit.

When the professionals who came to inquire asked about it, Xiu Xingmeng was only thinking about what the school uniform would look like, and casually said that a sailor uniform would be fine, and then she didn't ask any more questions.

Only now is she seeing her final outfit for the first time.

It was a rather retro-styled black and red sailor uniform. The top and skirt were pure black, so the only bright color became particularly eye-catching. Several red stripes, like blood, ran across the collar and eventually converged at the chest to form a tie.

Besides the sailor uniform, Embroidery Dream also found a pair of black stockings and a pair of fingerless gloves in the box containing the final outfit.

After changing into her winning outfit, Xiu Xingmeng, with a red ribbon in her mouth, was about to tie her hair into a ponytail.

"Hahahaha! My nemesis, are you ready to step onto the stage of the first chapter of 'The Legend of the End of the Century'?!"

Just then, the door to the contestants' room was suddenly pushed open, and with a burst of loud laughter, Good Opera appeared before Xiu Xingmeng's eyes.

Startled, Xiu Xingmeng's hand trembled, almost causing her neatly styled hair to come undone. She glanced at the opera singer who was still laughing to himself, then said nothing and simply tied her hair back into a ponytail.

Seeing that Xiu Xingmeng ignored her, Hao Geju turned to stroke her chin and began to observe.

Black sailor uniforms generally give off a serious vibe, but on Xiu Xingmeng, that majestic and unwavering solemnity, like a mountain range, seems to have been forged from iron and fire into the sharpest blade, gleaming with a chilling sharpness.

The red patterns on her body resembled blood or molten iron, and even their mere presence exuded a dangerous aura. A huge red ribbon tied in a knot at her chest pulsed with the girl's breath, like a blazing furnace that could erupt at any moment.

Those deep, abyss-like pupils, accentuated by the decisive outfit, seemed to transform into a jet-black, sharp sword, while the high ponytail and ribbons tied behind her head became the sword's body and tassel.

Fiery, sharp, and fierce like a drawn sword—that's the impression Xiu Xingmeng gives after donning her decisive outfit.

As if drawn by the sight of the opera, Xiu Xingmeng's smile grew increasingly wild. She examined it from top to bottom several times, as if appraising a precious artifact, before slowly speaking.

"My nemesis, it seems you're ready to draw your sword."

"but--"

Good Opera paused for a moment, brought its amethyst-like eyes close to Xiu Xingmeng, and proudly announced in a loud voice.

"I will be the only victor! The ultimate ruler of the world—Belle Opera!"

The crown atop the opera singer's head shone brilliantly under the lights, as if announcing the arrival of a king with its splendor.

"There can only be one victor."

"And I will never lose!"

Not to be outdone, Xiu Xingmeng responded sharply, her eyes fixed on Hao Geju.

They pressed close to each other, their hot breaths locked in the small space between them, driven by their burning fighting spirit and determination, as if they were about to turn the entrance room into a battlefield ahead of schedule.

"Um... is your relationship really bad?"

Suddenly, a third voice rang out in the room. Good Opera and Xiu Xingmeng looked towards the door and found that it was Naritaji looking at them with some difficulty.

After being interrupted by Narita Road, Good Opera returned to her usual demeanor, laughing loudly while patting Xiu Xingmeng on the shoulder, completely unrecognizable from her previous unrestrained and arrogant appearance.

"How could it be worse! We're like sworn enemies! Hahahaha!"

"That's just how they are with their chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), don't worry about it."

Xiu Xingmeng nodded to Cheng Tianlu and then spoke.

After watching for a while, she continued.

"The final outfit suits you very well, and the bow is adorable too."

Unlike Xiuxingmeng, who casually decided on her final outfit, Naritaji clearly put a lot of thought into it. Her violet jumpsuit, adorned with gold decorations, looked incredibly glamorous, and the high boots under her purple leg straps were even carefully tied with a pair of bows.

Upon hearing Xiu Xingmeng's praise, Narita Lu blushed instantly, especially since Xiu Xingmeng had even noticed the subtle details on his winning outfit, causing him to immediately forget the tense confrontation from just moments before.

"Hey hey hey-"

"Is that so? I was worried that the bows would look a bit out of place."

As she spoke, she chuckled somewhat foolishly.

At this moment, Good Opera suddenly moved between the two and asked Xiu Xingmeng a question.

"What about me?"

As she spoke, she spun around, her cloak whipping across Narita's face, causing her to let out two strange yelps.

To be honest, the purple and gold costume worn by the opera singer looked quite stylish, and the pendant hanging behind the cape sparkled in mid-air as the singer moved.

"How exactly did you manage to keep that little crown in place?"

Instead of doing what the opera had hoped for, Xiu Xingmeng pointed to the crown on her head and asked curiously.

"A king has his own way of doing things!"

She hummed a couple of times, and seeing that Xiu Xingmeng didn't praise her, she simply took the lead and left the contestant's room.

"That cape of yours is so annoying!"

Narita, who was following behind the opera, was startled by the pile of pendants and complained.

"A cape is the symbol of a king!"

"Where did you learn all this?"

Xiu Xingmeng followed in their footsteps and entered the contestant passage.

"That's exactly how Louis XIV is in 'The Sun King'!"

"You really are a fan of opera..."

As they talked, they quickly reached the end of the contestant passage, where they saw a figure leaning against the wall as if he had been waiting there all along.

"Orihime—"

Narita emerged from behind the opera singer, calling out and waving. Behind her, Hideyuki nodded to Orihime, who admired her.

"too slow."

Narita didn't seem to care about her coldness at all, and spoke enthusiastically instead.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Upon hearing this, Orihime, who admired him, turned her head away somewhat awkwardly.

"I wasn't waiting for you on purpose."

"I just happened to run into you because something came up."

"Hahahahahaha!"

Suddenly, the opera singer burst into a flamboyant laugh, a laugh that instantly drew the attention of the three people present, like a stage spotlight. She tossed her cloak, the golden pendant tracing a dazzling arc in the air.

"The actors on stage are finally all here!"

She spread her arms wide in an exaggerated, operatic pose, her cape fluttering behind her.

"So--"

With a graceful turn, she pointed towards the entrance to the arena, her eyes blazing with intense light.

"The Legend of the Last Overlord of the Century, Chapter One, is now beginning!"

Xiu Xingmeng followed closely behind her, her black and red battle attire flashing like a burning flame as she moved swiftly. Narita and Ai Mu Orihime exchanged a glance before simultaneously taking their steps.

Four figures, like intertwined strings of fate, stepped together onto the stage of this destiny-bound duel.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Opening

Zhongshan Racecourse, rain, a good horse track.

Raindrops, like silver needles, pierced the gray sky, splashing fine droplets on the Zhongshan Racecourse. A gentle breeze brushed the faces of the spectators, bringing the cool rain, mixed with the scent of earth and grass, to their faces.

Even though the rain had soaked their sleeves, it couldn't extinguish the burning passion in the hearts of the audience.

This is the venue for the Satsuki Sho, the opening act of the classic Triple Crown Tournament, a stage brimming with the geniuses of this generation. The beginning of the story, the start of the legend, everything about glory will officially begin today.

So how could the audience not be excited and thrilled?!

"A stage built by geniuses among geniuses, yet only one winner can emerge! Let us witness the true glory of this generation!"

"Welcome to Zhongshan Racecourse! The prologue to the classic Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho, begins now!"

The rousing female voice resounded throughout the Zhongshan Racecourse, creating ripples in the humid air and adding fuel to the already enthusiastic crowd.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

The cheers and shouts, the massive sound waves created by people shouting, seemed capable of shattering the rain curtain.

"Can her undefeated streak continue to this day? Can she inherit her mother's glory, and can she wash away her sister's disgrace? The next contestant to appear is—"