Immediately after Sanglamore, Terimon drew in a deep breath as well and strode out of the competitors' tunnel.
Now only two figures remained in the dim passageway, both surrounded by a faint, ghostly glow.
Outside the tunnel, a fierce, hot-blooded voice rang out at just the right moment.
"A powerhouse from her Far East expedition, here with the intent to overturn the world!"
"She has already conquered the Prix d'Ispahan and the Prince of Wales's Stakes, trampling through the glory of countless formidable rivals to claim an incomparable Mejiro radiance!"
"And now, she will launch the fiercest challenge yet toward the throne of the champion: the second favorite, Mejiro McQueen!"
"Ooooooooooh!"
"McQueen! McQueen!"
"Mejiro McQueen, you can do it!"
As the commentator's impassioned voice thundered across the entire venue, a wave of cheers ten times, a hundred times more intense than when Sanglamore and Terimon had entered instantly set the air of the whole racecourse ablaze.
Even from the deepest part of the competitors' tunnel, Mejiro McQueen could clearly feel that ocean-like expectation and frenzy.
"Hss... hah..."
The girl gently inhaled and exhaled, two white trails of mist slipping past the corners of her mouth.
Just as McQueen adjusted her breathing and prepared to step toward that radiant stretch of turf, a voice came from beside her.
"Mejiro McQueen, the final goal of your expedition is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, correct?"
The voice was half cool, half soft.
McQueen turned her head and saw Generous standing tall beside her.
This blonde girl, normally gentle in temperament, had forced her spirit taut as the race drew near. At the moment, she looked like a strikingly aloof beauty, full of contrast yet still carrying an immense pressure.
"...Yes."
Although McQueen did not understand why she was asking at a time like this, she still nodded without the slightest attempt to hide it.
"Hehe, nothing much."
As if sensing McQueen's confusion, Generous smiled faintly and shook her head as she explained.
"The entry list for the Arc hasn't been officially announced yet. Many people online are guessing at your target, so I was merely curious whether the rumors were true."
"..."
McQueen frowned slightly, but said nothing more. She nodded, then turned to head onto the track.
Behind her, however, the blonde girl softly added, "My goal is the Arc as well."
Tap.
McQueen's steps paused.
Then she walked on again, leaving only a clear, cool voice echoing through the tunnel.
"Then you may experience it in advance, right here."
The undisguised confidence and peerless ambition in the gray-haired girl's words left Generous momentarily stunned behind her.
She stared forward in a daze.
At the end of the competitors' tunnel, dazzling sunlight and deafening cheers wove together, making McQueen's composed back seem brighter than ever.
"...Was that her looking down on me?"
After standing blankly for a while, Generous shook her head with a wry smile, yet the sharp gleam in her eyes burned even brighter.
Then, as the next broadcast rang out, she lightly brushed one hand over the rapier at her waist and stepped forward with her leather shoes clicking against the ground.
"The absolute ruler of the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby! The undisputed king of the racecourse!"
"The first favorite: Generous!"
...
In the stands.
As Kuroha felt the deafening cheers of the spectators around him, his gaze shifted from McQueen, who had just appeared, to the blonde Umamusume entering last.
"Her racing outfit actually comes with a sword..."
Although he had studied Generous's race footage long ago, seeing it through a screen and witnessing it with his own eyes were two entirely different things.
Now that he was personally seeing someone run a race while carrying a rapier, even the well-traveled Kuroha could not help showing a strange expression.
Then again, on second thought, Umamusume racing outfits were already wildly varied.
Under the blessing of the Three Goddesses' rules, never mind carrying a sword. Even if someone ran in a wedding dress and high heels, it would never affect her true strength.
"Wow. What an excellent child," the Blue Goddess beside him suddenly said, praising her with a gentle laugh.
"Generous?" Kuroha asked.
Godolphin gazed tenderly at the blonde girl below, a smile in her eyes.
"More or less."
She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod before shaking her head again.
"It is her, but not the her of right now."
"She has the talent to step into that realm."
"...I see."
Watching Godolphin begin speaking in riddles, Kuroha pondered for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
In truth, it was not difficult to grasp.
As stated before, when every great legendary Umamusume reached the summit, beneath her feet there would always be a powerful "foil" whose strength matched her own.
And as the protagonist of the racecourse in this era, Suave Dancer had undoubtedly found her strongest enemy in Generous during her brilliant career.
Judging from her past results and innate gifts, Generous possessed strength that was indeed enough to crush the other Umamusume of her generation.
Even when placed within the long history of Umamusume, she could absolutely be called a famous and formidable figure.
Precisely because Suave Dancer defeated such a powerful Generous, she earned the right to have her statue raised at Longchamp Racecourse, forever standing among the glorious throne of the Arc.
So what Godolphin saw in Generous was that terrifying potential to one day contend against the protagonist of the era.
That incomparably brilliant future of hers was what the Three Goddesses truly called "excellent."
Whether talent could be fully converted into strength, however, remained unknown.
...
On the racecourse, after all the participating Umamusume had made their appearances, the commentator's voice rose once more, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Europe's absolute overlord and the invincible powerhouse from the Far East have finally gathered upon this glorious turf!"
"Will the throne prove unshakable, or will a new king step upon the old king's crown and be coronated?! Let us witness it together!"
"Now: all Umamusume, prepare to enter the gates!"
(End of Chapter)
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