Chapter 119: Did you stick a tiny ventilation fan in your lungs or what?!

Recently, as my appearances in the media have increased, there is a question I am asked with growing frequency: “How can you run long distances without running out of stamina?”

It seems that I, Mejiro McQueen, am now regarded by the public as either second only to Hoshino Wilm—or perhaps her equal—as the strongest active stayer. That reputation, I suppose, is why so many aspiring stayers seek my advice on how to approach long-distance races.

Each time, I speak about my mindset during a race and the way I regulate my breathing…

But to be perfectly honest, those answers are little more than polite evasions.

Put bluntly, there is no special “trick” to my running.

Mejiro McQueen’s style is the very definition of orthodoxy: seize a forward position, press the pace, and break away at the decisive moment. It is nothing like Seiun Sky’s or Nice Nature’s, who manipulate the field through tactical ingenuity. Nor is it like Tokai Teio’s, whose flawless racing sense guides her unerringly to the optimal choice. And I certainly do not glide across the turf with otherworldly strides like Hoshino Wilm.

I simply maintain a demanding pace with superior endurance and continue running until the others exhaust themselves and fall away.

There is no elaborate strategy. It is merely a run that proves my strength.

All I do is reveal my inborn gifts—the blood of Mejiro—through my performance.

That is why there are no “tips” to offer.

One must train endlessly and run in a manner worthy of oneself. That is all I know. That is what my running amounts to.

And so, on that day as well, I devoted myself to further refinement.

It was Monday, April 6—the day after the Osaka Hai, which had stirred considerable buzz, for better or worse. Though we are athletes, we are also students, and so we attended our morning classes as usual. In the afternoon, after meeting with my trainer, we began full-scale training.

Today’s focus was pool training: reducing strain on the legs while strengthening lung capacity. Dressed in the academy-approved swimsuit, I swam lap after lap with all my strength.

Mejiro McQueen’s greatest weapon is, without question, stamina.

I force the race into a pace others cannot endure—and while they fall behind, I alone cross the finish line at full speed.

That is my golden pattern of victory.

…However, in my next race—the Tenno Sho—I will face Hoshino Wilm, whose endurance rivals my own, and Tokai Teio, a racing genius.

There is no chance I can win by relying solely on the same approach as always.

That is precisely why I continue this pool training—building my stamina while allowing my legs to recover—so that I may extend my strengths even further.

I touched the pool wall, completing my lap.

Hoisting myself onto the poolside, I turned toward my trainer, who stood with stopwatch in hand.

“Phew…! Trainer, what’s the time?”

“Eight-tenths of a second faster. You’re improving—and you’ve still got some left in the tank.”

“That is reassuring. I cannot afford to plateau at a time like this.”

Fatigue weighed on my body, yet beneath it lay a sense of fulfillment—the quiet joy of steadily expanding my limits.

Next time, I will run faster. Next time, I will run stronger.

Step by step, little by little, I accumulate progress.

Surely it is that accumulation which leads racing Uma Musume to victory.

And the victories born of such effort—that is the meaning of my running.

They will, without fail, prove the blood of Mejiro.

As I performed light stretches to ease the fatigue, my trainer spoke, a note of concern in his voice.

“…You’re in good shape. Honestly, I was a little worried. After that news, I’m impressed you’re this focused.”

That news… there was no doubt he meant Hoshino Wilm.

The report that she had collapsed after finishing the Osaka Hai—and even vomited.

It was undeniably shocking.

For an Uma Musume, the gravest injury is one to the legs—the foundation of her racing career.

But next to that, brain injuries are equally serious.

We run at speeds approaching seventy kilometers per hour. A bad fall, or striking one’s head against the gate or rail, could easily result in severe neurological damage.

What happened to Hoshino Wilm might have been something dreadful—something that could even have ended her racing career.

“I was certainly surprised. But she contacted me at noon to say she was ‘fine.’ And besides…”

“Besides?”

“She is my rival—Hoshino Wilm. I do not believe she is the kind of girl who would be broken by something like that. Even if an obstacle tries to trip her, she will overcome it—and return stronger. I believe that.”

“…You say that, but this morning you were flustered, asking, ‘She’s okay, right?!’”

“Believing and worrying are two different things! Please forget that at once! And besides, I have properly switched gears during training, have I not?”

It is embarrassing to admit… but yes, I was shaken that morning.

Hoshino Wilm is not merely my rival.

She—and her trainer—once saved me.

Until last year, on the day of the Kyoto Daishoten, I had been cornered by repeated defeats and my inability to run as I wished.

Despite bearing the prestigious blood of the Mejiro family, I could not win the Tenno Sho or the Takarazuka Kinen. I disappointed my fans again and again.

It was like walking beneath a perpetually overcast sky, my feet sinking into rain-soaked mud—I lost sight of what I should do.

The ones who dispelled that darkness were those two.

Hoshino Wilm and her trainer, Horino Trainer.

Thanks to Horino Trainer’s advice, I was able to commit wholeheartedly to walking alongside my own trainer.

And it was seeing Hoshino Wilm run ahead of me with such joy that allowed me to face races with everything I had.

Of course, it was I who stood back up. And it was my trainer who supported me.

But without those two, I might still be lost in the dark.

The Hoshino Wilm camp is, without question, the sworn rival of Mejiro McQueen and her trainer.

And yet at the same time, they are indispensable rivals—and benefactors who once saved us.

And that very Hoshino Wilm may have suffered a serious accident.

Her passion for competition might have been cut short.

…We might never race together again.

Would that not shake anyone?

Even if such incidents are not uncommon among racing Uma Musume, it is different when it concerns someone precious to you.

Shock, grief, anxiety—all of it surged within me.

She loves running more than anyone.

She delights in racing and competition more than anyone.

The thought that it could suddenly end here—I cannot bear it.

And above all…

I have yet to take my revenge against her.

She is my greatest wall—my strongest rival. It would be most inconvenient if she were to stop here.

I have yet to repay my debt.

I must answer the kindness she once showed me.

Through a blazing, all-out race against the strongest opponents—the form she desires most—I shall repay my debt and settle my score.

And at the same time…

This time, I will surpass that towering wall.

I will slay the Ashen Dragon.

…Of course, to voice such feelings openly would attract far too much attention.

If we were alone, I would not hesitate to confess them to my trainer.

“At the Takarazuka Kinen, I lost to Wilm by three and a half lengths. At the Japan Cup, by half a length. At the Arima Kinen, by just under two lengths… I have continued to lose to her. Is it so strange that I wish to defeat her at full strength?”

I pouted slightly as I retorted, and my trainer gave a wry smile.

“Sorry, sorry.”

He quickly grew serious.

“Hoshino Wilm is formidable, of course… but Tokai Teio is scheduled to run in the next Tenno Sho as well. She struggled at the Arima Kinen, but judging from the Osaka Hai, she’s back to top form. It will almost certainly be a three-way battle—you, Hoshino Wilm, and Tokai Teio.”

“Yes… that is true.”

Tokai Teio.

Another of my rivals—known as the Uncrowned Emperor.

She, too, will run in the Spring Tenno Sho.

After her fierce duel with Wilm at the Japan Derby, she suffered a fracture. Following a long recovery and a struggle to redefine her running style, she fell short at the Arima Kinen.

Yet at yesterday’s Osaka Hai, she ran as though she had surpassed even her pre-injury peak.

In both name and reality, Tokai Teio has returned to the front lines.

As someone who knows her personally, I was well aware she remained a formidable rival.

Even so… I had not expected quite that level of performance.

Truly, a little emperor.

Just as I thought on that day—she is a fearsome Uma Musume indeed.

“That Teio… and I will finally compete against one another.”

When I close my eyes, the memory of that day resurfaces vividly.

I first met Teio shortly after her enrollment. Having heard rumors of an exceptionally talented Uma Musume, I went to watch her selection race.

The Tokai Teio I witnessed was, without question, a prodigy beyond measure.

Overwhelming leg strength. Astonishing flexibility in her hips and joints. From third position, she unleashed explosive acceleration, sweeping around the far outside in a breathtaking charge—and by the time she crossed the finish line, she had opened a tremendous gap over second place.

I still remember the chill that ran down my spine as I watched her win with effortless composure.

That was no ordinary talent.

That was a genuine monster.

In that instant, I felt I had witnessed the birth of an Uma Musume destined to become the strongest.

Later, through several opportunities to speak with her, we gradually formed a personal connection.

And yet… in truth, Teio and I have never once raced against each other.

If Hoshino Wilm is added to the equation, such a race would be unprecedented—perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

After all, the competitive careers of racing Uma Musume are not long.

We do not have the luxury of facing the same rivals again and again.

“…When I think about it anew, what a terrifying fate it is—the Ashen Dragon and the Uncrowned Emperor, born into the same generation.”

Two years ago, I never doubted that Teio—the prodigy I had witnessed—would claim the throne.

But reality unfolded differently.

An unexpected dark horse, Hoshino Wilm, shattered the emperor’s dominion.

I had heard rumors of Wilm at the time, certainly—but I never imagined she could surpass the brilliance I had seen in Teio that day.

And yet, her talent exceeded even my expectations.

With commanding victories at the Habotan Sho and the Hopeful Stakes, Wilm revealed her strength to us—and to the world.

A fearsome serpent rising from the ashes.

Or perhaps a radiant first star, casting aside the very ash meant to dull her brilliance.

She tore at the emperor’s throat while Teio still harbored complacency—and even after the emperor cast off that arrogance, she defeated her in a titanic clash.

In the end, it was Hoshino Wilm who claimed both the Satsuki Sho and the Japan Derby.

And yet, had they been born into different generations, surely—no, without question—each of them would have monopolized those two crowns.

Perhaps sensing my meaning, my trainer nodded.

“No question about it. Two pure prodigies in the same generation? The Three Goddesses must have a mischievous streak.

Honestly, the fact that Tokai Teio still hasn’t won a graded stakes race is strange in itself. With her ability, an undefeated Triple Crown wouldn’t have been out of reach.”

“Indeed… If Teio chose to enter a G2, she would likely secure a graded title with ease.”

“She wouldn’t take that route. What Tokai Teio wants to defeat isn’t a graded race—it’s Hoshino Wilm. She wants to beat her head-on.”

“Yes… I believe so as well.”

I cannot say I fail to understand that feeling.

After all, I feel it too.

Hoshino Wilm—the dazzling first star of the Twinkle Series.

The undefeated Triple Crown heiress to Symboli Rudolf. A dragon weaving a new legend in this era.

There is no other Uma Musume whom so many long to defeat.

Teio and I are no exception.

…Yes.

I, too, am one of those who yearn to defeat Wilm.

It is true that, being from a different generation, I was able to win the Kikuka Sho and the Autumn Tenno Sho.

But in honesty, had Hoshino Wilm been there, I cannot say with confidence that I would have prevailed.

Like Teio, I would have been forced into a brutal struggle.

…No. The version of myself from that time might not even have been able to push her that far.

To date, only three Uma Musume have truly cornered Hoshino Wilm.

Silence Suzuka. Special Week. And Tokai Teio.

Of those three, only Tokai Teio succeeded in driving a fully fit Hoshino Wilm to her absolute limits.

I have faced Wilm three times—the Takarazuka Kinen, the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen.

And yet… even then, she never revealed the true depths of her strength.

Of course, she was running at full power.

She unleashed everything at her disposal—her explosive start, that distinctive forward-leaning posture, every ounce of her physical ability.

…And still, it was not beyond full power.

It was not that terrifying, self-destructive resolve I witnessed—through the monitor—last year and again yesterday in her duel with Tokai Teio, when she ran as though she cared nothing for injury or consequence.

Naturally, it is wrong to race recklessly and risk harm.

It is.

And yet… it is also true that she never felt compelled to go that far against me.

At the Japan Cup—

She maintained a margin of exactly one length.

The gap never shrank. Nor did it widen.

She matched my speed flawlessly, prepared for any move I might make—controlling the race with absolute composure.

In other words, Hoshino Wilm was clearly holding something in reserve.

I could draw out her full strength—

But I could not force her into a life-and-death struggle.

That alone was the merciless truth before me.

…However, all of that occurred in middle-distance races.

The Takarazuka Kinen is 2200 meters. The Japan Cup, 2400 meters. Even the Arima Kinen is 2500 meters.

For a stayer like myself, those distances are not truly ideal.

Mejiro McQueen’s true fighting style lies in exploiting superior endurance and driving the race at an unrelenting pace.

In that regard, the upcoming Spring Tenno Sho presents the perfect stage.

Kyoto Racecourse. The daunting slopes of Yodo. A full 3200 meters.

The longest distance among G1 races—a course that demands overwhelming stamina.

In short, the most favorable possible conditions for Mejiro McQueen.

Here, perhaps even Hoshino Wilm—

…And yet.

At that thought, I could not help but smile wryly at myself.

After all, when speaking of “favorable conditions,” I failed to win the Tenno Sho last year.

Last year’s Tenno Sho—standing in my way was…

A member of the Golden Generation. The trickster—Seiun Sky.

To be honest, after a year and a half of recovery, I never imagined she would return without decline—let alone stronger than before.

Or perhaps, in hindsight, even that assumption had been subtly guided by Seiun Sky herself…

In any case, I was thoroughly drawn into her strategy and suffered defeat.

And that very Seiun Sky was later defeated by Wilm at the Takarazuka Kinen.

Furthermore, I am not the only stayer who excels over long distances.

Hoshino Wilm is also a natural stayer—one who grinds down her rivals with immense endurance.

The Spring Tenno Sho suits her just as well.

Taking everything into account—

It is undeniable that a gap still exists between Hoshino Wilm and myself.

One I have yet to close.

That is precisely why I lost to her at the Takarazuka Kinen, at the Japan Cup, and at the Arima Kinen.

“…………”

…I suffered many defeats last year.

Even now, it would be difficult to claim that I surpass Hoshino Wilm.

And Tokai Teio’s brilliance is enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

And yet—

…No.

None of that changes who I am.

I am Mejiro McQueen—an Uma Musume who bears the blood of Mejiro and strives to defeat them.

I cannot run with Hoshino Wilm’s boundless freedom.

I cannot race with Tokai Teio’s innate genius.

I can only claim victory through my own natural gifts—prove the strength and dignity of the Mejiro bloodline—

And seize the honor of the Shield with my own hands.

That is the destiny into which I was born.

“McQueen?”

It seems I had drifted too deep into thought; my trainer called my name with concern.

That will not do. Passion has its place—but we are in the midst of training.

I must focus on the present.

“No. I was simply renewing my vow to win the Tenno Sho. I shall resume training.”

With that, I stepped toward the pool—

Pling.

A notification chimed from my trainer’s smartphone.

“…Wait, McQueen.”

He glanced at the screen and stopped me.

“What is it?”

“This.”

He handed me the phone. On the display was Hoshino Wilm’s Umatter account, and there—

『Sorry to worry everyone—it’s me.

I went through a full set of detailed examinations, but the results are completely clear. No issues at all.

I’ll, of course, be running in the next Tenno Sho (Spring). And in the showdown against Teio and McQueen—I’ll be the one who wins!』

…Ah. Of course.

You are coming, aren’t you, Wilm?

To this fated three-way clash—between you, Teio, and myself.

“…All right. Let’s go win this, McQueen.”

“Yes. This time, I will seize victory with my own hands.”