The long-awaited race had finally reached its culmination.
Only minutes remained before the start, and the runners were more anxious than ever.
Inside the public locker room, the competitors prepared themselves one last time. Each kept their distance, focusing on their own routines, warming up for the biggest race they had ever faced.
Murashi stood before her locker, stretching her legs as she practised.
Nearby, Mary sat on a bench, carefully adjusting the horseshoes beneath her running shoes.
And a little further away—
Rush sat alone on another bench, tying her laces tightly.
This was it.
The final race.The final stretch.
Only the strongest in the school had made it here.
With a swift twist and turn, Rush pulled the knot tight and rose from the bench. She took a deep breath and followed the others out toward the open track.
Then the broadcast echoed across the field.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally reached the main event of the race! Please welcome our runners to the track!"
As the runners stepped out of the locker area, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Names rang out from every direction.
Each voice calling for the runner they believed in.
Most of the cheers were for Mary.
And occasionally, Murashi's, given that both had secured first place in their qualification matches too.
Meanwhile, Rush's name was almost completely drowned out by the rest.
Only a few voices reached her.
Three voices she knew well.
Urara, Lidden, and Young.
Rush turned her head toward the fence.
There they were.
Leaning over the rail, hands cupped around their mouths.
"You can do it, Sky!" Young shouted.
"Beat them all!" Lidden added.
And finally—
That energetic pink figure, bouncing in place.
"Do your best, Rush-chan!" Urara yelled louder than anyone.
With that, Rush faintly smiled.
She nodded and waved back at them.
Then, just as quickly, she turned away and began stretching again.
Making sure every muscle was ready.
After all, this race mattered. Mattered more than most.
Most importantly, it was the one she had promised them she would win.
"They may take one final warm-up and formulate their strategy before the race officially begins! After all, this is a once-in-a-year opportunity to earn merit for their future! Who knows what these runners may become one day?" the broadcaster added.
Rush's eyes then drifted across the track as he did her final routine stretch.
First to Mary.
Then to Murashi.
After analyzing them, she curled her hands into fists, swallowing.
Those two were monsters compared to the rest of the runners—the ones she should fear the most. The ones she should be aware of the most.
As she looked further around, she noticed the other competitors watching them as well. Their glares were fixed on Mary and Murashi, as if each of them had already decided their targets as well.
For a moment, Rush felt a small relief.
If everyone focused on them…
Maybe there would be a path for her.
Maybe there's a chance for her to seize victory.
But…
Could she?
Murashi's words repeated in her mind.
"And I will be waiting… to crush your dream for real this time."
The threat lingered longer than she expected.
Her chest tightened.
What if—
She really was meant to be ordinary?
The doubt began creeping back in, pulling her thoughts downward.
Until—
"Are you going in or not? I don't want to wait any longer than necessary."
A girl's voice spoke from behind her.
Rush turned slightly.
The girl's ears twitched impatiently.
"Oh… I'm sorry," Rush said quickly, turning toward her while clutching her chest. "I just need a little more time to prepare."
The girl clearly wasn't pleased with the answer, but she walked past Rush anyway.
"Well, suit yourself," she said. "But hurry up. I ain't got all the time for this."
She paused briefly.
"After all… the longer we wait, the more likely we are to botch it."
She began stepping toward her gate.
"What do you mean…?" Rush asked.
The girl stopped.
Then turned back to face her.
"Look around you," she said. "We're all anxious. Nervous. Some of us are already doubting whether we're going to win or not."
"If we keep dilly-dallying like this, we'll lose our motivation to race. And eventually we'll just let those two seize the whole race for themselves."
She tilted her head toward Mary and Murashi.
"Well… I'm not up for that."
Her finger pointed straight at Rush.
"And I'm sure you don't want that either."
"We're nobody," she said bluntly. "And nobodies stick together to take down giants."
"That's why we should hurry this match along before everyone loses focus on them."
"A perfect chance for us to synchronize our motives… and stop those two," she concluded.
"But… shouldn't we just race fairly?" Rush said. "We can't just target them because they're stronger."
"It's supposed to be a test of our feats, after all."
"Are you dumb or something?" the girl shot back immediately. "Relying on feats alone won't win you the race. It's all about strategies."
"Whether that means forming an unspoken alliance against the strongest… or finding ways to sabotage each other."
She let out a tired sigh.
"…Just get in your gate and start this already. You'll probably thank me later."
"Not that I'll personally hand you the win," she added with a shrug. "But a chance to defeat us? That much you'll get."
Her eyes flicked toward Rush again.
"Though that's pretty unlikely, considering you're just an average Joe like the rest of us."
She turned away.
"So stop wasting time and get in your gate already."
Then she stepped into her gate.
Rush remained where she stood.
"An average Joe…" she muttered quietly, her hand clutched tighter.
Then her head lowered.
Maybe she was right. Maybe she was indeed an average Joe.
Given that, Rush was no Mary Jane.
No Ryu Murashi.
She was… a nobody.
With that thought still pounding on her head, Rush finally decided to step into her gate, her motivation quietly fading.
One by one, the rest of the runners followed, slipping into their own gates and settling into their racing stances.
Meanwhile, Rush stood still.
The girl's words replayed in her mind.
The belief she thought she had overcome.
The thing she swore she was no longer was.
Average.
Perhaps she had never truly moved past it.
Maybe it was simply the ugly truth she could not deny.
She was still nobody.
Just an ordinary Umamusume chasing a dream far beyond her reach.
As the thought lingered, the broadcaster's voice rang across the track again.
"All runners have entered their gates! Now—get ready, runners!"
Every competitor tightened their posture instantly, focusing their bodies for the perfect start.
All except Rush.
She fumbled in place, head still lowered.
And the sounds of the world around her faded into a distant blur.
Until—
BANG!
The gates flew open.
"…set… AND OFF THEY GO!" the broadcaster shouted as the crowd erupted.
All the runners exploded forward.
All except Rush.
She stood frozen for a split second—startled.
Then realization struck.
"—!" She choked and immediately dashed forward, launching herself into the race.
Marking her first late start. Ever.
"It seems all runners—oh, wait! What is that?!" the broadcaster exclaimed. "Number 10, Rushing Sky, has started late! That could be a huge disadvantage!"
"Especially with Number 1, Mary Jane, and Number 2, Ryu Murashi leading the field!"
At the fence, Young clenched her fists.
"God damn it, Sky! What happened…?"
"I—It's okay though! She can still catch up!" Lidden said quickly.
And beside them—
Urara leaned even further over the railing.
"Rush-chan! You can do it!"
Back on the track, nearly every runner had their eyes on Mary.
Her start had been flawless.
Several of them tried to close in around her, attempting to box her in early.
But Mary had already anticipated this before the race even began.
She knew she would be the primary target.
She knew she would be boxed in if she were to go loose.
Thus...
With a short burst, Mary surged forward, slipping past them and immediately claiming the lead.
"God damn it!" one runner cursed behind her. "She broke out!"
"I have to catch up and box her in!" the runner shouted, trying to accelerate.
But every time she attempted to gain speed, Mary matched it effortlessly, ensuring no one could pass her.
Before the race, Mary had already changed her strategy.
Normally, she preferred the Pace Chaser approach—waiting, observing, striking later.
But today was different.
She predicted the others would target her.
So instead, she switched to a Front Runner strategy.
Stay ahead.
Never allow anyone to trap her.
And with her stamina far superior to the rest, she was confident she could hold that lead until the end.
The runners then quickly realized how futile it was to stop Mary.
One by one, their attention shifted.
To the second threat.
Ryu Murashi.
Like Mary, Murashi had anticipated the possibility of being targeted.
But instead of fighting for the front, she chose a safer approach.
She stayed near the back of the pack.
Observing.
Analyzing.
Using the End Closer strategy.
She waited patiently, studying every runner, every movement, every mistake. When the race reached the homestretch and everyone abandoned their strategies for a desperate burst toward victory—
That was when she would strike.
After all, during the final stretch, most runners lost their composure. In the frenzy to reach the finish line, strategy often collapsed entirely.
And Murashi intended to take advantage of that moment.
While they meticulously played out their strategies...
Rush had finally caught up.
She pushed her way back into the middle of the pack. Blending back in with her common approach, the Late Surger strategy.
But somehow... something was wrong.
Her pace seemed uneven.
Her steps were heavy. Her breathing unstable. And she was clearly unfocused.
She was burning stamina faster than anyone else.
From the back of the formation, Murashi watched carefully.
Her eyes had been on Rush ever since the race began.
With her early poor performance, that faint smirk on her lips immediately disappeared.
Her gaze then sharpened, muttering quietly while maintaining her pace.
"In the end…"
"You never changed, Rushing Sky."
"You're still a loser."
"A quitter."
"A nobody," she scoffed.
Meanwhile, despite still running with the pack, Rush was no longer fully present.
Her mind drifted.
And once again—
A figure appeared before her.
Just like before.
A silhouette of herself.
Standing directly in front of her path, glaring with the same disgust.
"You're pathetic, Rushing Sky," the figure scoffed. "An ordinary Umamusume trying to play hero again? How miserable."
Rush's breath hitched.
"You thought you changed?" the figure continued coldly. "You thought you were better now?"
Then the laugh echoed.
"No… You never did."
"You'll always stay the same."
"As who you are."
"And who you will be."
The silhouette leaned closer.
"A nobody."
"An ordinary Umamusume."
"Destined for nothingness."
Rush choked as her stride faltered with a hit, and her pace staggered.
From the stands, Young and Lidden gasped.
"Come on, Sky! Keep it up!" Young shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"You can do it!" Lidden called out beside her.
But Urara—
Urara didn't shout.
She just stared at the track, eyes wide.
Watching Rush's movements closely.
Watching her lose her pace.
Her speed.
The spark she had shown before.
And it frightened her.
Meanwhile, Easy Crown stood by the fence, arms crossed, watching the race unfold.
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Rush.
"So… you still haven't figured it out yet," she muttered quietly.
"Who you truly are…"
She sighed.
"What a shame…"
She then turned and moved on.
"Well... Maybe next time, then."
Back on the track, Rush's steps only grew heavier.
Her pace faltered.
Then faltered again.
And again.
Her tempo collapsed.
Her mind drifted further away.
Her determination was fading with every step.
It looked hopeless.
Like everything was slipping away.
Everything she built, everything she fought for, everything she—
She—
—
Suddenly, a voice erupted from the stands.
Louder than any cheer.
A small boy jumped up from his seat, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Big sis! Stop messing around!"
Everyone nearby turned in surprise.
"Please! I beg you!" he cried, his voice shaking with tears.
"You promised me…!"
He sobbed, fists clenched.
"YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU WOULD…"
His voice broke again.
Then he screamed with everything he had.
"YOU WOULD BE SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY!"
"ONE... I WOULD ADMIRE!"
"ONE... I WOULD ASPIRE TO BECOME!"
His eyes then burned with desperation.
"The one and only—"
"RUSHING SKY!"
As his voice echoed across the field, Rush heard it.
Her dull, lifeless eyes finally flickered.
Then slowly—
They lit again.
She lifted her head.
Far across the stands, she saw him.
Her little brother.
Standing on his seat, shouting, tears running down his face.
"Yoshio…?" she muttered.
Right…
She remembered.
When they were young.
When he was bullied by the neighborhood kids for being just a normal human.
She jumped in, saving him by scaring other kids away.
Then...
She had promised him something.
She promised she would show him what it meant to be extraordinary.
To become someone special.
Even if you started as nobody.
Even if you are born average.
Even if you were just...
Ordinary.
After all... Failure doesn't mean you're nothing.
It meant a spark to try harder.
To become better...
...
...
Then another voice joined in, bursting through the noise.
This time it was bright, loud, and unmistakable.
"RUSH-CHAN!"
It was Urara.
She leaned over the fence, shouting with everything she had.
"IT'S TIME TO RUN, RUSH-CHAN!"
"IT'S TIME TO SHOW THE WORLD WHO YOU ARE!"
"IT'S TIME TO SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF!"
"AND IT'S TIME TO SHOW THEM..."
...
"...RUSHING SKY!"