Chapter 151: Sky and the Heavens

For me, Hoshino Wilm-chan was, in a manner of speaking, like a blue bird soaring through the sky.

A distant, boundless blue sky.

A blue bird flying more freely than anyone else—so free that one day she might even lose the boundary between herself and the sky.

…My ideal.

A dream I once wished I could become.

And now, that very bird is running before my eyes.

As a rival… as a fellow racing Uma Musume.

---

Three years ago, when I first met that crab-like little Wilm-chan, I understood immediately.

At her core, she was the same as me.

We probably weren’t anything extraordinary to begin with.

Spe-chan, El-chan, Grass-chan, King-chan, Tsuru-chan… and Sky-chan.

I was… different from those girls who shone with golden brilliance.

Unlike them, I wasn’t guided by some overwhelming destiny. And even if I was guided by something, it surely wasn’t very strong.

I wasn’t connected to some grand fate beyond the horizon, nor to something far out of reach.

I was just a supporting character who wanted to become something special—an ordinary, unremarkable Uma Musume. In the end, that’s all I was.

In truth, I couldn’t win at all until my Classic year.

I trained against Sky-chan countless times.

I entered graded races again and again.

My trainer taught me over and over how to win.

And still… I couldn’t.

My trainer was troubled. How should he raise me, with my unprecedented aptitudes? How could he guide me to victory?

Even my trainer—who came from a prestigious family, who should have won many more races and earned the praise of countless people—couldn’t make me win.

Under that pressure, we began to drift apart. Eventually, Sky-chan’s trainer stepped in to help us. After that, we often found ourselves chatting about trivial things…

And as time passed, I finally began to glimpse the form I was meant to take.

Little by little, I started winning graded races.

Very little by little.

First, a few G3s.

Six months later, a G2.

And after a full year, at last, a G1.

In the Spring Tenno Sho of my second Senior year…

I finally became a top-class active Uma Musume worthy of my trainer.

…And yet.

“…Huh…?”

Before I realized it, the girls who had once surrounded me—no, they were gone.

They had shone like the sun, dazzling and beautiful, like something seen through glass, sparkling brilliantly.

Some moved on to the next stage—the Dream Trophy League—after leaving behind great achievements.

Others, unable to reconcile their hearts and bodies, had already passed their peak.

By the time I thought, “Now I can finally catch up to everyone”…

“The golden moment when countless fine steeds gathered” had already come to an end.

Only then did I understand.

The time I lived in moved differently from that of other Uma Musume.

Even after my second Senior year, I continued to grow, little by little—a super late bloomer.

Now, in my fourth Senior year, my condition is still good, and there are still many races in the Twinkle Series I haven’t won.

“It’s still too early to move on to the next stage”—that was the conclusion my trainer and I reached together.

So of course, I intend to keep running in the Twinkle Series.

But most girls—especially G1-level Uma Musume—often moved up to the Dream Trophy League at the end of their first Senior year. Some even retired, depending on their judgment and their trainer’s.

And in my generation, the intergenerational showdown—the URA Finals—had just begun.

Many chose that moment to step onto the next stage.

Sky-chan, my longtime rival, was no exception.

Though in her case, she didn’t declare she would move to the Dream Trophy League—it was an unavoidable decision brought on by injury.

"Well, Sei-chan did her best, you know? Time for a little break~"

Right after winning the Long Distance Division Final at the URA Finals, she developed tendinitis and was forced to step away from the front lines.

She smiled as if it couldn’t be helped—and as if she had no regrets.

Seeing that, my shoulders slumped.

When she said, "Sorry," with a faintly apologetic look, she must have thought I was disappointed for her sake…

But the feeling surging in my chest wasn’t sympathy.

It was frustration.

In the end, I never beat Sky-chan.

My hand never reached that dazzling blue sky streaked with clouds.

That’s what I believed.

That year, with a run that could only be called magnificent, the winner of the URA Finals Long Distance Division was Seiun Sky.

…And the second-place finisher, remembered by no one, was Happy Meek.

That was the name of the Uma Musume who stood among the Golden Generation yet never once defeated her rivals—who became no one.

---

And that’s precisely why—

I wanted to cheer for Wilm-chan. For her, who had once been no one, just like me.

I was already a G1 Uma Musume. At a glance, I could tell she was far stronger than the other incoming students.

But that strength wasn’t talent.

It was the result of effort.

When she moved into our room, she brought an unbelievable number of training shoes—far more than anyone would use in a year of moderate training.

She wore them all out in just two months.

…Though I heard her newly contracted trainer gave her a thorough scolding afterward.

Perhaps I saw myself in her.

Arriving at Tracen unnoticed. Being taken under the wing of a prestigious trainer. Gaining a powerful rival. Working desperately hard…

In her small, youthful figure, I saw my past self.

Of course, she was also genuinely kind, and we became personally close…

But just as much, perhaps I wanted to entrust her with the dream I couldn’t fulfill.

The dream of surpassing that cloud-streaked blue sky.

And another dream… one that wasn’t mine alone.

And then, that day—

Half of that dream was fulfilled in the best possible way.

"Right now, Hoshino Wilm crosses the goooaaaal in first!!!

Unbelievable—Hoshino Wilm! It’s Hoshino Wilm!!

The Classic Champion Hoshino Wilm claims the spotlight at Takarazuka and fulfills the fans’ hopes and dreams!

The first Classic-age winner in Takarazuka Kinen history—this girl, Hoshino Wilm!!"

"Second is Seiun Sky! Third, Mejiro Ryan!

She’s overtaken seasoned veterans and hidden powerhouses alike, proving there is nothing she cannot do!

The serpent that crawled upon the earth has risen to the heavens, reborn as a dragon dancing in the sky!

The legend continues—just how far will she carry our dreams?!"

I witnessed it with my own eyes.

The moment a girl who had once been no one became someone.

The Uma Musume once called a snake soaring beyond the blue sky into the heavens—reborn as a dragon.

"Ah…"

Without thinking, I pressed a hand to my chest.

Joy welled up from the depths of my heart. Admiration. A faint trace of jealousy.

And above all… a boiling heat I hadn’t felt since everyone had gone.

It surged within me.

---

That heat from that day still burns deep in my chest.

Ever since I saw that run… I’ve wanted to surpass Wilm-chan.

The rule-breaking front-runner called Japan’s strongest, drawing attention even from overseas.

I wanted to defeat her.

Not because I’m projecting my old rival onto her.

It’s simply that…

As a racing Uma Musume, I want to defeat this junior who flies through the sky like a free bird.

Beyond flying higher than her—that’s where the version of myself I longed to be must exist. That’s where the shade of blue I sought must lie.

So…

This Takarazuka Kinen—

I’ll be taking it, Wilm-chan.

---

"We’re entering the backstretch, and Hoshino Wilm still leads! Mejiro Palmer holds second, Daitaku Helios in third—no change in that order!

A small gap back to Ribbon Gabbott! The second favorite, Happy Meek, moves slightly ahead! In pink silks, Elegant General! And the third favorite, number six Yggdrasil Valley, is right there! Will she finally claim her long-awaited G1 victory?!"

"Fuu… haa…"

As I exhaled upon entering the backstretch, I sorted out the situation.

First: Hoshino Wilm.

Second, two lengths back: Mejiro Palmer.

Third, another length behind: Daitaku Helios.

Then a gap of about four lengths to the chasing pack.

And I—

Running in fifth, just behind Ribbon Gabbott on the inside.

…All right.

Up to this point, just as predicted.

Each piece is clicking perfectly into place.

Relief welled up inside me—along with a faint trace of joy.

This time, I have to admit, we were lucky.

For a season as rainy as June, the sky cleared beautifully.

If there is a god, I ought to give thanks.

But more than that…

I’m grateful to my trainer and my junior teammates, who made hundreds—no, thousands—of teru-teru-bōzu charms.

Because of everyone supporting me, I can chase after Wilm-chan.

I can reach out toward that brightest star beyond the blue sky—far into the heavens.

"…Not yet."

Happy Meek, as an Uma Musume—and it’s awkward to admit this myself—isn’t that strong.

Mejiro McQueen-chan, an outstanding physical elite who can pressure others simply by running her own race.

Tokai Teio-chan, who possesses an almost miraculous racing intuition that transcends logic itself.

And Hoshino Wilm-chan, who boldly builds enormous leads with her runaway style, yet hardly slows in the latter half—sometimes even accelerating further.

Unlike those elite runners, I don’t possess overwhelming physical ability. Nor do I have extraordinary talent.

I don’t even have a single, clearly defined strength worth boasting about.

But of course, that’s only natural.

I’m just… an ordinary Uma Musume, fortunate to have a good trainer and strong rivals.

And yet—

No. Precisely because of that—

To compete with those “renowned” Uma Musume, I polished my own world to perfection.

For a brief instant, I close my eyes.

The turf of Hanshin Racecourse fades away, replaced by a white world.

Within it, I fit another puzzle piece into place.

…Wilm-chan must have noticed by now.

That my domain is filling in the blank spaces of this race.

That her options are narrowing.

And so, Wilm-chan…

Attempts to widen her lead by another length and a half.

…But I won’t allow it.

"They round the third corner and head into the fourth! Still in front—still in front—Hoshino Wilm! But here comes Happy Meek, moving up into fourth! Daisangen and Musha Lady are advancing as well! Yggdrasil Valley along the inside, Mejiro Palmer charging from the outside!

Just over 600 meters remain—the moment of truth is fast approaching!!"

I could see it clearly.

What Wilm-chan would do. What Palmer-chan, Helios-chan, Valley-chan, San-chan, Lady-chan—the entire field—would do.

…No, perhaps “see” isn’t quite right.

I am assembling it in real time.

Click. Click. Click.

Fitting each piece into place.

Alone. Calmly. Thinking of the distant blue sky.

In my world, a race is a jigsaw puzzle.

Each piece has four unique sides, and in the end they bind together into a single shape.

The completed picture—that is the race result.

And perhaps it is already determined the moment the race begins.

People say victory and defeat are decided before the battle starts. I think that’s true.

A girl’s innate aptitude. The training and effort she’s accumulated. Her condition that day. The precision of her world. Track conditions. Distance. Direction. The size of the crowd.

All of these become puzzle pieces.

Individually, they are meaningless symbols.

But connect them. Test them. Rearrange them again and again until they fit…

And finally, I fill the last gap so the desired image is complete.

I—capable of adapting my run in countless ways—become the final piece that paints the picture of my victory.

That is my world.

My domain.

My run.

It is not a powerful world.

Unlike the others, I cannot produce results beyond my own ability.

I am just myself—no one special. I cannot push my run past its limits.

…But even if I cannot exceed my limits—

I can achieve my ideal run.

Before the race, I look up at the blue sky and think.

How should I run? Where should I accelerate? How should I move my legs?

Arm swing. Eye line. Posture control. Center of gravity.

Every motion anticipated in advance.

Each movement crafted in my mind to become the final piece.

Thanks to today’s clear skies, the shape of my piece is already set.

All that remains is to run exactly as planned.

To trace the optimal line without deviation—

And complete the picture called “race.”

Click.

Another new piece slides into place.

From the outside inward, I carefully fill the remaining blanks.

That means the other Uma Musume in this race lose their options.

Suddenly, I remember something Sky-chan once said.

"That was close—you almost had me dancing in your palm."

It was sometime after the URA Finals, when she looked at me with slightly sharper eyes.

But that was a misunderstanding.

My domain doesn’t control others.

It simply fills the blanks so that their movements—the flow of the pack—lead to my best possible result.

So that no other action can be chosen.

So that no other option remains.

I bring everyone down to my position.

I eliminate their escape routes.

I confine them within the white world.

That is all my domain does.

And now—

My puzzle is nearly complete.

"Happy Meek is stretching forward! She passes Daitaku Helios and Mejiro Palmer in one sweep to take second!!

Mejiro Palmer fights back! Yggdrasil Valley surges as well! 400 meters remaining, three lengths to the leader—the battle moves into the final straight!!"

In this slow-paced race, I’ve conserved my legs perfectly.

From here, I only need to overtake her at full speed.

Yes, Wilm-chan’s finishing kick is terrifying.

But even so—

Within the white world, I can defeat her.

"…I’ll win!"

Click.

The final puzzle piece falls into place.

---

It is a world wrapped in fog—pure white in every direction.

No matter how one struggles, there is no escape. A scene suspended within the clouds.

Even there, I run.

Even someone like me has people who cheer for her.

My fans. My friends. My juniors. My former rivals.

And above all—my trainer.

They all support me.

They all push me forward.

So I can’t stop.

Not here.

Not in a world like this…!

"…From here."

I pour strength into my legs—and suddenly, my body feels light.

It is the culmination of everything I have built until now.

The final piece that engraves victory.

I can go.

Like a bird leaping into the sky. Like a fish cutting through the sea.

Right now—I can reach that world!

"Higher… go higher…!"

As if flying—no, as if swimming—I surge upward.

And then—splash.

As though breaking through clouds, or diving beneath water, the color of the world changes.

From white to blue.

Beyond the firmament. Beyond illusion.

To the world where I am meant to run freely.

A world vast, distant, endlessly beautiful.

It may last only an instant—a fleeting sparkle—

But just for now…

Even I… can be like them…!

"Further than anyone—forward!!"

---

Before my eyes, the wavering green turf stretches onward—beneath a brilliantly blue sky.

The race-puzzle has been assembled perfectly. My domain is fully deployed.

Within it, I confine the others inside the white world dictated by the puzzle’s image—while only I run freely in the ideal blue world.

…But this development is no simple matter.

On a perfectly clear day, I must look up at the sky, gather every piece, and fit them together without a single mistake.

Including today, I have succeeded in this full deployment only eight times.

Other days, the sky wasn’t clear enough to see the pieces. Or I misread their shapes. Or I placed them incorrectly. I failed again and again.

My success rate is… probably less than twenty percent.

And yet, today—

The moment I saw the clear sky above Hanshin Racecourse, I knew.

Today, it would open.

I could reach that blue world.

Because at the core of this race—shaping its very flow—without question stands Wilm-chan.

And I have watched her longer, and closer, than anyone.

I won’t mistake the shape of that piece now.

I won’t hesitate about where it belongs.

I won’t misread the race that piece creates.

When it comes to Wilm-chan…

The one who has stood beside her the longest—me—I know her best.

"Hoshino Wilm continues to run! But here comes the veteran, Happy Meek, closing in!!

Just over two lengths remain—not a safe lead for Hoshino Wilm!!

And now the hill! Hanshin’s uphill stretch begins here! From downhill to a sudden climb—the nemesis of front-runners!!

Can Hoshino Wilm hold on?! 200 meters left!!"

"Hah… hah…!"

My breathing is ragged.

But my legs are light.

I can still go.

My legs are still there.

Not as monstrous as Wilm-chan’s—but I, too, have the stamina for long distances.

Still—don’t rush.

Wilm-chan’s domain… the one she opens in her red racing silks.

From studying her with my trainer, we deduced its activation condition is likely this: when an Uma Musume closes to within one length behind her.

If I surge too early, she will open her domain and counter me.

And I will lose.

To be frank—

I cannot defeat Wilm-chan once her domain is fully unleashed.

No matter how I combine the pieces, once she reveals her true self, the result becomes my defeat.

That’s how far ahead she stands.

So I must close the gap to the final fifty meters.

From there—before her acceleration fully blooms—I slip ahead by a nose and cross the finish line first.

That was the only winning line I could envision against her.

I can do this.

I can. I can. I can.

Don’t let her open it.

Don’t let her go all out.

Keep her as just another piece within the puzzle—

I can win.

Against Hoshino Wilm.

Against the new legend of this era.

Just a little more—just a little more, and I’ll reach that side too—!!

---

"I see… just as Ayumu-san predicted."

Her voice echoes across the tranquil blue world.

…No. Stay calm.

It’s fine. She can’t escape. There’s no way out.

To break free from the white world—from my domain’s influence—there’s only one method.

Deploy your own world. Your own domain.

But in the picture I completed, Wilm-chan had no path to escape.

If she tried to open her domain, it would already be too late. She wouldn’t finish accelerating before I overtook her.

That was my vision. My constructed future.

It can’t be overturned.

After all, only one Uma Musume has ever shattered my fully deployed domain.

The girl whose name carries blue skies and clouds—the protagonist of this world.

…And that very Sky-chan—

Was overtaken by Wilm-chan.

"I’ve watched Spe-senpai. Teio. And you too, Meek-senpai. I’ve seen plenty of examples.

…Now it’s my turn!"

This voice—

What is this voice?

It isn’t coming from ahead.

It’s far too clear for that—and more than that, this isn’t merely sound.

It’s her heart.

Her will.

…The opponent?

The opponent is—

A domain overlapping with mine…?

"Ah—overlapping? They’re overlapping, aren’t they? Wow, it’s been a while! Can you hear me, Meek-senpai?"

I hear Wilm-chan’s voice—her heart.

Overlapping… our domains?

My trainer once told me:

When two racing Uma Musume’s domains collide, on rare occasions their emotions resonate.

They call it “overlapping domains.”

And now… it’s happening?

While I stand frozen in confusion, Wilm-chan continues brightly.

"Senpai, Meek-senpai! As expected of you! Honestly, when I realized halfway through that I was being swallowed by your domain, I got chills like never before!

And to deduce my activation condition and counter it so cleanly… the title of one of the strongest active racers is no exaggeration!"

To anyone else, it might sound like simple excitement—

But no.

Her emotions are flowing directly into me.

What fills her heart is joy.

Joy that her rival is strong enough to push her. Joy at a race worthy of her.

And above all—

Joy at surpassing that rival.

"Hehe… of course I’ll surpass you. I absolutely will.

Today, I came to surpass Happy Meek—

And become, in both name and truth, Japan’s strongest."

Her voice trembles—electric.

Danger. My instincts scream.

Yet my reason insists: this is fine.

There’s no way I misread Wilm-chan.

At the start of the race, I perfectly understood the shape of her piece.

The puzzle is complete. No gaps remain.

If she continues like this, I overtake her. If she forces her domain open and slows even slightly, that alone seals her defeat.

The image of my victory is finished.

Just run as planned, my reason says.

But instinct whispers: you will lose.

And as I hesitate—

The clouds beneath my feet split apart.

"I’m going now… Meek-senpai!!"

---

In a cold, dark void, she runs.

Nothing is visible. Nothing is illuminated. An empty world.

Yet she keeps moving forward, undeterred by the chill or the darkness.

And then—

Pop.

Countless stars ignite at once.

This isn’t an empty void at all, but a sky brimming with stars.

A warm, beautiful world celebrating her existence.

And now—

Another star is born.

"Faster, more fun… hotter, hotter still!!"

With a roaring flare—

Within her.

In the depths of her once-colorless soul, a gray flame ignites.

Among countless lights, it burns brightest—

No… this is no mere flame.

It is the light of a first-magnitude star.

No longer a nameless planet warmed by others—

But a star that shines for others in turn.

That resolve grants new strength to her legs.

"Forward…! Further than anyone!"

Beneath the starlit sky, her presence intensifies as she runs—

A radiant, childlike smile blooming across her face.

---

…Wilm-chan has opened her domain.

How?

She’s still a length and a half ahead of me.

At this distance, it shouldn’t activate.

What—?

A domain evolution?

At this very brink?

And with flawless precision—loosening the activation condition itself…?!

"Because I’m trusted, you see."

From far, far away… from high above the sky where I had been flying, from distant heavens beyond even that, a voice called down to me.

When I looked up, there she was.

At some point, she had grown far stronger than when I first saw her—Wilm-chan.

With joy, delight, and respect shining in her eyes, she looked down at me.

"I’m trusted by so many people.

The fans, the underclassmen, my rivals, my trainer… so many people believe in what I can do.

That’s why I’ll live up to their expectations."

…Yes.

Now she is the strongest in Japan.

The Uma Musume expected to shine more than anyone—the one everyone longs to see win.

Pushed forward by that heat, by those feelings, she wants to answer them.

Through the overlapping of our Domains, I can feel those emotions—her burning resolve—flowing directly into me.

And those feelings are…

"Meek-senpai, you’re the same, aren’t you?"

…Yes. I’m the same.

Even someone like me—someone half-formed, someone who never quite became anything—there are people who place their hopes in me.

The fans. The rivals I once competed against. My trainer.

More than a few people want to see me run.

And…

Wilm-chan is one of them too, isn’t she?

"Of course! I was expecting you to show me an incredible run—and you went way beyond anything I imagined! As expected of my beloved senpai!"

After declaring that in high spirits…

She smirked and added,

"…You’ll stay that way until the very end, won’t you?"

At her slightly provocative words, I can’t help but let out a small chuckle.

…Yes. Of course I will.

After all, I’m the same as Wilm-chan—and everyone else.

A racing Uma Musume.

The instant our overlapping Domains unraveled, I hurled my body forward with the last of my strength.

…The picture of the puzzle I had assembled had already collapsed.

I had intended to trap Wilm-chan inside a white world—create a state where only I could give everything I had and decide it at the very end… but—

A Domain for a Domain.

The moment she opened her own world, she stepped outside the reach of mine.

At that point, the only option left was a head-on collision between two opened Domains.

…Even if that meant there was no chance of victory.

There is an undeniable physical gap between Wilm-chan and me.

Even under equal conditions, I have no hope of defeating the girl she has become. That’s precisely why my trainer and I consulted, gathered countless pieces, and constructed a picture to prevent it from ever coming to this.

The situation is already checkmate.

The Wilm-chan before me now is not the same as she was before the race.

Just one piece—only one—but unmistakably, its shape has changed and expanded.

The image I wanted to complete can no longer be formed.

…Even so.

The girls who once ran ahead of me—when they thought, “It’s impossible now,” did they ever give up?

No.

They never gave up.

They kept running desperately, right until the very end.

That’s why their figures remain etched so deeply in my heart.

I know that better than anyone.

I watched that brilliance—so dazzling it almost made me look away—over and over again.

So…

So I, too—

As a racing Uma Musume of the Golden Generation, alongside them—until the very, very end…!!

"Kh—AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

"Hoshino Wilm is in a breakaway position!! Happy Meek chases desperately, but the gap won’t close—her stride shows no sign of fading!!

And now—it really is this girl, Hoshino Wilm!! Hoshino Wilm holds on and wins!!!

The first-ever consecutive Takarazuka victories! The Spring Senior Triple Crown!! No room for doubt any longer—the strongest active Uma Musume in Japan’s Twinkle Series, Hoshino Wilm!!

A new chapter is woven into the myth, and the next engraving will be a battle in France! Will the next miracle come to pass!?"

"Haa… haa…"

An overwhelming heaviness crashes over me—the exhaustion of running with everything I had.

But this fatigue feels heavier than ever before.

That’s only natural.

I truly drained myself to the very last drop.

…And yet, in the end.

My hand never reached that bird soaring through the sky.

"…Phew."

Lacking the will to do anything else, I let my arms hang loosely at my sides and look up.

Above me stretches a vast, cloudless sky—blue and endless.

And strangely enough… my heart feels just as clear.

Of course, I’m frustrated.

I let everyone down. I missed one of the few chances I had to defeat Wilm-chan.

That frustration still bubbles up from deep within my chest.

And I had believed that by beating her, I would finally become someone—become something.

But I couldn’t do it.

That regret, that frustration—it hurts unbearably.

But still…

…I think it’s okay to feel frustrated.

The instant our Domains overlapped—during that split second before Wilm-chan even realized it—I understood her feelings.

"She’s strong! She’s incredible! I want to become even more!!"

…Wilm-chan—that Wilm-chan—

She truly, from the bottom of her heart, thought I was amazing.

"This is what a true late bloomer looks like! Part of the same Golden Generation as Spe-senpai! Just like me, yet completely different—the greatest Uma Musume!!"

She acknowledged that I, too, belonged to the Golden Generation.

That I could stand alongside Spe-chan.

Maybe that voice from her heart—that heat—warmed mine as well.

Before I realized it, I had forgotten my original objective and was simply running straight ahead, enjoying the race.

And somehow, that felt fun. It felt joyful. Almost ticklish.

That’s why… I think it’s all right to remain frustrated today.

Because I didn’t lose as some nameless Uma Musume.

Nor as the Golden Generation’s dropout, defeated by the Ashen Dragon.

I lost as one Uma Musume—to another Uma Musume.

And at the same time…

I can’t help but think—if it’s her…

If it’s this girl…

She might be able to fulfill our—

The dream the Golden Generation left behind.

"Meek-senpai!"

As I stand there absentmindedly gazing up at the sky, she calls out to me.

To me, she is a cute underclassman, a fellow student at Tracen Academy, sometimes a rival who runs the same races…

And an Uma Musume I deeply admire—Hoshino Wilm.

Unable to contain her excitement, she looks at me with sparkling eyes.

…We’ve known each other for a long time, but this is the first time she has ever looked at me like that.

Just as I imagined—or rather, even more than I imagined—she looks adorably childish, and I can’t help letting out a soft "Hehe."

She really is always like this.

Cool yet cute. Incredibly strong, yet somehow a little unreliable.

That’s my beloved underclassman, Hoshino Wilm-chan.

…And perhaps it’s precisely because she is both extraordinary and ordinary that she makes us dare to dream.

"Wilm-chan. …There’s no need to say much, is there?"

"Yes. It was a great match. A great race."

As those who overlapped Domains, we’ve already exchanged our feelings.

So we simply praise each other’s efforts and share a handshake.

A wave of cheers erupts from the stands.

…Wilm-chan truly is watched by so many people.

I can’t help feeling a little envious… though it must also be a heavy burden.

But if it’s her—who seems not to be crushed by that weight—

May I… no, may we, entrust our hopes to her?

"…Wilm-chan."

"Yes."

"For us, El-chan’s narrow defeat in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was a great tragedy. …It’s a result that can’t be overturned, no matter what we do.

…But emotionally, there are some things we simply can’t accept."

We wish.

To the girl who pierced through the dark clouds, seized the sky, and became a new star—

…No.

"As the new number one Uma Musume in Japan. Go win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe… win the world."

"Yes!!"