Fujiwara Chiya had honestly thought he wouldn't get to see her in Europe this year.
And yet, there Byerley was, standing right in his office.
"I was originally heading home, so I figured I'd stop by on the way," Byerley explained. "Then I heard about what you've been up to. Sounds like you're entering the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In that case, I thought I might as well watch the race before I leave."
"Where's your hometown, Byerley?"
"England."
After a bit of casual chatting, the topic naturally shifted to Shirayuki.
Byerley glanced at the white-haired girl and asked, "Are you planning to marry this child?"
"Yeah."
"Have you considered inviting me to the wedding?"
"Of course. I was planning to tell you about it, actually, but I could never find you. I didn't expect to run into you today."
"Then I'll be sure to come and bother you when the time comes."
Byerley looked at Shirayuki, who was sitting beside Chiya like a sweet little bird tucked against his side.
"Looks like both of you found your other half. Congratulations. Take this as a small gift from me. I hope your future child will have a physique no weaker than Eclipse's."
Byerley took a glittering golden plaque from her pocket and placed it in Fujiwara Chiya's hand.
There was a rock-like pattern engraved on its surface. It felt faintly warm to the touch.
Once upon a time, Eclipse had received a blessing from her as well.
Now, that same blessing was about to descend upon their child.
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Miss Byerley."
Fujiwara Chiya looked at it a few times, then casually slipped it into his pocket.
"I'll be staying in France for a while. When the race begins, I'll come watch you." Byerley rose to her feet. "I'm looking forward to seeing you and your uma musume run a race no one will ever forget."
"Miss Byerley, how should I contact you about the wedding?"
"When you get married, I'll know."
With a small wave, Byerley left the room.
Fujiwara Chiya watched her go.
She'll know… naturally?
Darley would probably tell her, right?
Fujiwara Chiya still remembered that the two of them were old schoolmates and kept in contact fairly often.
After Byerley left, Fujiwara Chiya returned to the sofa.
Honestly, he already wanted to marry Shirayuki and bring her home right this second.
But he couldn't.
Not yet.
There was still one final thing he had to do.
Fujiwara Chiya had decided long ago that he would become a senior trainer. He would use his final victory to lay down the step that carried him to that rank.
He looked at the white-haired girl beside him and kissed her on the lips.
There was still some time left.
But surely it was fine to call her this now, wasn't it?
Shirayuki.
My uma musume.
My wife.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
At last, the day of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe arrived.
Before the sky had fully brightened, Fujiwara Chiya got up, left the dorm, and went out for a morning run. His uma musume needed to conserve their energy. He, on the other hand, needed to burn off the anxiety clawing at his chest.
He was already used to races. This wasn't even his first time taking part in the Arc.
And yet Fujiwara Chiya felt more nervous than he ever had before.
This race carried a special meaning for him.
It was the final step toward becoming a senior trainer.
It was also Shirayuki's final Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Once this year ended, Shirayuki's prime would pass, and her races would shift to the Dream Cup.
Fujiwara Chiya did not want to leave behind an ending filled with regret.
Sure, perfect endings only existed in storybooks.
But who decided people couldn't chase storybook endings in reality?
At the very least, Fujiwara Chiya would give everything he had for that ideal.
He came to a stop, panting hard, and looked toward the rising sun in the distance.
Then he let out a long breath.
After running with everything he had, his heart felt much lighter.
Maybe his transformation into an uma musume had already reached its peak.
Even the way he vented his emotions was exactly the same as theirs.
Ring ring ring—
His phone rang.
It was a call from Tracen.
Before every race, they always called to check on him and cheer him on. This time was no different.
Only now, there were a lot of voices coming from the other side.
"Are you holding some kind of event over there?"
"Yes," Hayakawa Tazuna replied. "Everyone is at the training grounds."
Fujiwara Chiya checked the time.
"It should be eleven at night over there, right?"
"Eleven twenty."
"That's pretty late. What kind of event is it?"
"What else could it be?" Tazuna laughed softly. "A cheering event for the race, of course."
She continued, "We can't be there in person, but we can cheer for you from here. We hope our voices can cross the distant ocean and reach you over there… Can you hear them?"
"Lady Empress!!"
A thunderous cheer burst through the phone.
There was still some time before the race began, but the students were already fired up beyond belief.
"Yeah. I heard them."
Fujiwara Chiya closed his eyes.
"Their voices really did cross the ocean and reach me."
"I'm sure those children will be happy to hear that… Chiya."
Tazuna took a light breath.
"No matter where you are, Tracen will always be by your side."
"…Yeah. Thank you, Tazuna."
"And I'll be here too, wishing you luck."
The two of them ended the call.
Fujiwara Chiya stood there in silence for a long while, watching the sun rise higher.
Then, with renewed resolve, he took his first step forward.
When he returned to Tracen, Orfevre, Gold Ship, and Shirayuki were already waiting by the entrance.
All three of them were dressed in their race outfits.
"Trainer, why are you even more impatient than I am? Running outside this early in the morning."
"Looks like our Trainer's nervous! A tiny little Arc is nothing. The great Gold Ship-sama will smash it in two shakes!"
"Nervous? What is there to be nervous about? All he need do is quietly admire my figure."
"Is it really okay for you to say that, Orfevre? You lost to me in training last time, remember?"
"Wha— I refuse to acknowledge that as a race! You said we were running to the tree up ahead. When I reached it, you said you meant the one farther away! You deceived me!"
"I did not. I was pointing at that tree from the start. You just misunderstood because you didn't look carefully. That's not my fault."
"You were waving your finger around like a rattlesnake! How was I supposed to see it clearly?!"
"It's okay, Orfevre. Victory and defeat are common in battle. There's nothing embarrassing about losing once."
"I refuse to acknowledge it!"
"Yo, Chiya. Looks like you're all ready."
Just as Orfevre and Gold Ship were arguing so hard sparks were practically flying between them, Satake Mei walked over.
She was still wearing that yellow leather jacket.
However, the huge backpack she usually carried was nowhere to be seen.
"Those were all planning documents," Mei said. "Stuff I prepared back then for the Arc. I already threw them away."
"Why?"
"How should I put it? After seeing the way you trained with Orfevre and the others, I felt this warmth I couldn't really explain."
Mei placed both hands behind her head.
"If we followed those planning documents, it would be all dinners and drinks with executives, networking everywhere, currying favor left and right. That just feels way too calculating, you know?"
She smiled.
"Turns out, I still prefer this kind of easygoing feeling. Win or lose, the most important thing is that we get to enjoy the race. Right?"
Looking at Satake Mei's smile, Fujiwara Chiya widened his eyes.
"…Yeah. You're right."
Fujiwara Chiya turned around.
"Let's go, everyone."
His voice was calm.
"Let's enjoy the grandest banquet of all."