Chapter 196: We Are All Stars, and We Deserve to Twinkle Ⅱ

Nice Nature.

That name has come to carry a rather heavy meaning in the current Twinkle Series.

For example—there’s the girl who calls herself the one-and-only best friend, and the most terrifying rival, of Hoshino Wilm.

Or the fact that Tokai Teio considers her one of the very few opponents worth watching during a race.

Or how she’s spoken of as a third star of this “generation of stars,” lined up alongside those dazzling luminaries.

…Honestly, it feels like far more praise than I deserve.

As things stand, I don’t see myself as any kind of protagonist.

I can’t really call myself a background character or a side role anymore, but still… at best, I think of myself as a modest supporting lead.

…Whenever I say that, though, Trainer-san, Rice, and Will all give me this look like, “What is she even talking about?” and immediately shut it down.

Seriously… why am I rated this highly?

My… “sparkle,” I guess you could call it—it doesn’t measure up to Will’s or Teio’s.

I’m not like Will, a naturally gifted, unbeatable Uma Musume.

And I’m not like Teio either, a once-in-a-generation genius who can stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

Sure, I work hard—desperately hard—but in the end, I’m just a hardworking, ordinary girl.

Against true geniuses who work just as hard… at the very least, I can’t match that brilliance.

To begin with, the only reason I made it this far… is because I got lucky.

—

This goes back to before we even entered the Classic Class… over two years ago now.

Nice Nature suddenly caught the attention of a future strongest Uma Musume.

And I mean that literally—I was singled out.

My trainer suddenly arranged a practice race for me. I wondered who it would be against… and it turned out to be that monster people said might even break Tokai Teio’s dominance at the time.

I was terrified.

But even so, I threw everything I had into it—for the sake of the trainer who gave me that opportunity.

…and somehow, she took a liking to me.

To be honest, even back then, there were already countless girls who admired Hoshino Wilm.

She had that cool, composed aura, stayed independent without joining any group, and on top of that, she pulled off a runaway victory in her debut by a massive margin.

People were already saying she might stand alongside Teio.

Of course people admired her.

Honestly… I did too.

So if you got the chance to race her, plenty of girls would give it their all. Some wouldn’t give up either.

It’s not like I was anything special.

And yet… she noticed me.

She chose Nice Nature as her very first rival.

…Luck.

That’s really all there is to it.

Later, I heard about her home life.

I won’t speak badly of someone else’s situation, but… apparently, it wasn’t a good one. It left her rough around the edges—the kind of person who intimidated those around her.

So for someone like her, the experience of “someone chasing her without ever giving up” was something new.

That’s why… she treated someone like me as special.

I really was the luckiest one of all.

That single practice race my trainer arranged—pure coincidence—ended up opening my path.

The back of the brightest Uma Musume was always right in front of me.

A guiding star—one most people could never clearly see—was shining just within reach.

That’s why I worked harder than anyone.

Why I could work harder than anyone.

I plotted, trained my body, honed my skills, sharpened my mind.

Using every possible method, I pushed myself to surpass her—again and again and again.

—

Without her… I probably would’ve been nothing more than one of countless ordinary Uma Musume.

Becoming the best of my generation would’ve been out of the question.

At best, I might’ve been called a solid supporting player—never quite making it to even a secondary lead.

But reality is different.

Right now, I’m recognized as a third star of the generation… one of the strong contenders standing alongside Wilm and Teio.

Even though it’s not true.

Even though it’s all just coincidence.

How many times have I piled up excuses like that?

No matter how far I go, I can’t bring myself to believe in my own worth.

So I keep putting up these pointless safeguards—creating escape routes so I can say, “Well, losing was inevitable anyway.”

…Seriously.

What am I even doing?

The fact that I don’t have talent—that’s a given.

Despite the name “Nice Nature” suggesting otherwise… well, maybe that’s not entirely wrong.

I do have enough ability to compete in G1 races.

That alone is something incredibly blessed—something that puts me near the top even among the girls at this academy.

So yes, I probably do have “wonderful” potential.

…Just not outstanding potential.

I can aim for a good finish in G1 races, sure.

But I’m not on the level of those girls who change the world or rewrite history.

—

But so what?

Does that mean I should quietly accept defeat?

That I should know my place and stay in it?

Like hell.

—

It’s fine if I feel frustrated.

Losing… at worst, I can accept that.

Getting jeered at, insulted—I can endure all of it.

But betraying the dreams of the people who believe in me…

That’s the one thing I absolutely cannot do.

The rare fans who support someone like me, stuck in this awkward “third place” position.

My adorable junior, Rice, who looks up to me as her senior.

My bold, fearless trainer, who claims we’ll surpass Hoshino Wilm someday.

And… my best friend, Hoshino Wilm, who continues to place her expectations on someone like me.

The dreams entrusted to me by all of them—

I will never throw them away.

—

That’s why… I have to become a third star.

To stand alongside Hoshino Wilm and Tokai Teio—and even surpass them as one of the strongest.

So that she can smile and say, “I was right to believe in you.”

So I can be her… most terrifying rival.

Hoshino Wilm remains, as always, a star in the heavens—the object of admiration for every Uma Musume on earth.

Tokai Teio has finally reached her level, claiming her first crown and earning the honor of the shield.

So I have to stand beside them too.

As one racing Uma Musume—

Nice Nature.

—

The Tenno Sho (Autumn).

This race was supposed to be where I’d face Wilm and stand alongside her… but she withdrew, so part of my preparation went to waste.

Still, the core of this race—Mejiro McQueen-senpai—is, like her, a physically dominant runner.

Which means this isn’t unwinnable.

No… I’d say my chances are more than sufficient.

I have to win.

This is a race Wilm and Teio would win as a matter of course.

…And I’m sure every Uma Musume here carries a resolve just as unyielding.

McQueen-senpai is no exception.

As a Mejiro runner who’s lost the Tenno Sho (Spring) twice in a row, she must be desperate to claim a second consecutive autumn victory.

But that’s no reason for me to give up.

No reason to yield.

No matter how exceptional she is.

No matter if she’s a chosen protagonist—a shining star.

Even so…

I’m a third star that people have placed their hopes in.

I’m one of the Uma Musume living in this world—no different from the others… no different from them.

So—

I’ll use, take, and trample over the wishes, prayers, and dreams of all seventeen runners here.

—

I will win, McQueen-senpai.

—

---

—

"The pack enters the backstretch! Daitaku Helios leads, with Mejiro Palmer right beside her! About half a length behind, Mejiro McQueen and Ikuno Dictus follow, then a length and a half back comes Destinate—and on the inside, Nice Nature!

The ‘escape duo’ is setting a slower pace than usual! The gap between them and the rest hasn’t widened much, and the field remains tightly packed as they charge down the backstretch!"

—

"…."

Without breaking my breathing, without letting my heart waver, I run within the pack.

So far, everything is going almost exactly according to plan.

There are minor adjustments, sure—but the overall structure is unfolding just as I built it.

This race isn’t just about grinding down McQueen-senpai.

At 2000 meters, it’s a distance that suits escape types like Helios and Palmer.

If I want to stop them, I need to keep the pace from dropping too much.

I also have to watch how Ikuno moves—she’ll likely run somewhere between escape and lead—and use her as a kind of projectile to pressure McQueen-senpai.

And beyond that, this is a G1 race.

There are so many runners.

I have to predict everything—who moves when, what they’re thinking, how they’ll run—then assemble, distort, and adjust it all to create the most favorable outcome for myself.

…Yeah.

None of that is especially difficult.

So then—

let’s begin.

"—!"

I plant my foot hard into the ground and kick off—

—and release the pressure.

Destinate, running just ahead, visibly flinches and begins to accelerate.

…As if she felt that if she didn’t speed up now, she’d be overtaken.

Well—not “as if.”

That’s exactly what I made her think.

—

"As they near the end of Tokyo Racecourse’s long straight, Mejiro Palmer takes the lead, followed by Daitaku Helios! Behind them, Mejiro McQueen and Ikuno Dictus battle for third!

Destinate and Nice Nature are steadily closing the gap! A rare sight in middle-to-long distance G1 races—the pack is tightly clustered!

Halfway point—1000 meters remaining! The race is only just beginning! Who will make their move—and from where!?"

—

…Pressure.

What exactly is that “pressure” strong runners give off? What creates it?

Put simply—it’s confidence, and fear.

The strong believe—absolutely—that they will win.

They have the skill, the physical ability, and the vision to make it reality.

And those around them feel it.

That overwhelming confidence creates fear—what if I can’t win?

That gap—the difference in mentality—warps perception.

It creates the illusion that the opponent is radiating pressure.

So then—can I naturally produce that kind of overwhelming presence?

The answer is no.

At my core, I lack confidence.

Coming to this academy shattered whatever childish pride I once had.

And even if I piece it back together, it will never match those who have never been broken.

But I needed it.

So I learned it.

—

Thankfully, this isn’t some mysterious power.

It’s just a psychological effect grounded in logic.

Which means—

it can be reproduced through technique.

It’s true—I can’t match Wilm or Teio in raw physical ability.

But when it comes to mastering ordinary, widely applicable techniques…

…I won’t fall behind anyone.

I’ve spent three years in the best possible environment—right beside Wilm, right under my trainer.

If we’re talking about effort—its quantity and quality—

I won’t lose to anyone.

—

I know better than anyone—

the light of a star that ensnares people.

The brilliance of that most dazzling… most ominous star.

More than anyone else, I’ve had my eyes burned by it.

I’ve watched her run—watched her glorious journey—closer than anyone else.

That’s why—

I can recreate her light.

Overwhelming strength.

Overwhelming confidence.

Overwhelming exhilaration.

Overwhelming pressure.

As if I were letting her possess me—

for a fleeting instant, I reach myth, and force an excessive brilliance into this body.

—

If anyone else tried this, it would look like nothing more than a cheap trick.

Against someone truly strong—someone like McQueen-senpai—it shouldn’t work.

And yet—

the existence known as Nice Nature now carries weight in the Twinkle Series.

As a third star, I’m expected to perform—and at the same time, people are watching my every move.

And then… the absolute confidence I displayed before the race—an act.

That—that—is what makes every runner here overlap me with Hoshino Wilm.

A sense of unease, as if someone who shouldn’t be here… is.

The illusion that an overwhelmingly powerful presence has suddenly appeared.

That alone burns into their eyes and minds—already pushed to the limits of their focus—and throws their composure into chaos.

“““—!?”””

As my presence swells explosively, Ikuno reacts first—then the other runners around us begin to falter.

It even reaches McQueen-senpai… just barely.

“…!”

But—

McQueen-senpai can’t see me.

Because I’m hidden behind Destinate, slipping perfectly into her blind spot.

"They pass the big zelkova tree and enter the final corner! McQueen looks around—who is she searching for!? That’s not like her usual calm and composed self!"

"The entire pack is losing its rhythm in confusion—and breaking through that chaos is… Mejiro McQueen accelerating first, followed by… Nice Nature!"

"Was this part of the script as well!? The race-maker closes in on the leading actress!!"

The overwhelming radiance of a star shakes the entire pack.

And now—this very moment—

as we pass the zelkova and enter the final phase of the race—

I slip through the gap that opened in the field and surge forward all at once.

A fleeting illusion—just an instant—

but enough to create a lapse in awareness.

And the only one who could respond to it…

…the one truly exceptional runner—

…McQueen-senpai.

So she did handle it.

But that’s fine.

I disrupted her rhythm—even if only slightly.

And more importantly—

my goal was never to take the lead.

From fifth position, I pass Destinate, then Ikuno Dictus, then Mejiro Palmer—

and finally, I arrive.

Third place.

The position etched into my soul—the place that opens the landscape of my spirit.

---

A star shines in the distance.

My goal. My guiding star.

…Though not the ashen one shining ahead—

but the star of my own dream.

What stretches toward it is a golden thread, like a strand of spider silk, extending from beneath my feet.

It glimmers, lighting the way…

but it’s far too thin—so thin I could lose my footing at any moment before reaching my goal.

—

So I weave that thread into a rope.

—

It’s not just a single strand hanging from that star.

There are seventeen more threads, stretching out all around it—

the runs of the eighteen Uma Musume who make up this race.

I take them all in hand—

"Use everything… exploit everything…"

Like a game of cat’s cradle, I connect, align, and intertwine those golden threads.

And from that—

I construct a plan that leads to victory.

A path that guides me—

an absolute route that no one can interfere with.

"I’ll fulfill my dream—with my own hands!!!"

---

No one can obstruct this path.

This plan—woven together by me, the third star of this generation—

can only be disrupted by two people.

…And you’re not one of them, McQueen-senpai.

—

If I pull on the woven thread—

the plan that leads to victory—

then every runner ahead of me is forced outward along the curve.

Startled by the sudden shift in the race, they accelerate—

but because they’re in the corner, centrifugal force pushes them wide, preventing them from cutting back in.

Of course, the effect is only momentary.

In just a second or two, the gap will close again.

But even so—

it creates just enough of an opening for me to intervene.

All that’s left—

is to run through it faster than anyone else!!

"Here—now!!"

"Just before the final straight, the pack stretches out—and bursting through on the inside is Nice Nature!! Threading through a narrow opening, she charges straight ahead!"

"Mejiro McQueen drifts slightly wide—can she hold on!? Leaving Daitaku Helios behind, this is now a head-to-head match between the two!!"

That day—the very first “domain” I witnessed.

The world of Symboli Rudolf-senpai.

The strongest, as far as I know.

Accelerating while interfering with others, forcing them aside to carve out a path—

for a late-runner like me, it’s the ideal form of racing.

Not that I consciously copied it…

but maybe this was always the destination.

My own evolved “domain” is something similar.

Using every runner’s movement—

controlling them, binding them together—

and then forcing open a path.

A road to victory.

A road that leads to my dream.

—

With everything I have, I drive my legs forward.

Just forward.

Ahead of everyone else.

That’s all I focus on as I run.

The final straight at Tokyo Racecourse is long.

A full 525 meters—the second longest of any track, only behind Niigata.

Among G1 races, it’s the longest of all.

And unlike Niigata’s mostly flat stretch, this one includes an uphill section—

which means the strain may be even greater.

In other words—

this course favors McQueen-senpai.

Stayer-type runners don’t usually have explosive finishing speed.

Their acceleration is gradual—

but they can sustain it for a long time.

…Actually, that’s exactly what defines a stayer.

So for McQueen-senpai, a long straight makes it easier to fully bring out her leg power.

Even if she can’t fully capitalize on her greatest strength—stamina—

she can still maximize her running style.

That’s probably why she won last year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn).

…At least, that’s what my trainer believes.

And he’s probably right.

—

…So then—

how does someone like me, who can’t even reach first- or second-magnitude star level,

defeat someone with overwhelming physical strength under these conditions?

First, I create the optimal race scenario.

That’s a given. It’s something I have to do.

Eighty percent of my strength depends on it.

But even then—

it’s probably not enough to beat McQueen-senpai.

Just as I devise strategies to defeat physical monsters like her—

she runs in a way designed to crush strategists like me.

We’re natural enemies.

And at the G1 level, preparing countermeasures is a given.

That’s why—

eighty percent of my racing relies on strategy.

—

…the remaining twenty percent has to come from somewhere else.

—

In the end, if I cling too tightly to something like “my own style,”

victory will never smile on me.

Because I’m weak.

Just an ordinary Uma Musume who climbed this far through luck—

nothing compared to those protagonists of another world.

So I’ll use everything I can.

And even as a tactician—

I can’t rely on tactics alone.

Just like I borrowed Wilm’s overwhelming presence.

Just like I learned from Teio’s body control.

There’s someone else, even closer to me, who gave me strength.

Relentless—almost demonic—training.

The discipline to endure it.

And above all—

the endurance to run even the longest distances.

That—

is the remaining twenty percent.

The foundation that allows Nice Nature to fight—

even without extraordinary talent.

"—Hah… haah!!"

Along with the sound of cutting through the wind, I hear a short, sharp exhale.

…Of course, I’m not the only one who’s gone through brutal training to get here.

Mejiro McQueen-senpai—she’s undoubtedly faced this stage with the same life-or-death resolve.

At this level, everyone naturally has a certain degree of talent and foundation.

To win a race like this, you need something beyond that.

For example—setting aside that one mythical exception—a truly unmatched level of stamina.

Or perhaps a bloodline among the finest in Japan, one that makes such endurance possible.

…Or something that can overturn even that—

like the environment I gained through sheer luck, combined with a stubborn refusal to give up… forming what is known as “Nice Nature, the racing Uma Musume.”

—

From the early to middle stages, I disrupted the rhythm of the two runaway leaders to create a bottleneck.

At the end of the middle phase, I used pressure to make them hesitate—just for a moment—before accelerating.

That hesitation dulled their acceleration… though it was partially compensated for by their “domain.”

Still, in doing so, I managed to blunt one of its advantages.

I’ve dulled Mejiro McQueen’s legs enough.

From here on—

it’s a contest of whether my legs hold out, or hers accelerate further.

—

"The decisive final stretch! Breaking free from the pack—Nice Nature on the inside, Mejiro McQueen on the outside!

The gap to the rest is about one length! From behind, Shall We Run begins to close in—and from the far outside, Spotlight surges forward!!

But neither will yield—neither can yield! Chasing the glory of victory, Nice Nature and Mejiro McQueen race on!! Just 200 meters remaining!!!"

—

"Hah… hah… ngh—!!"

It’s brutal.

A dull pain runs through my lungs—and my legs.

Of course it does.

For someone like me, keeping up with a pure stayer is no easy task.

Matching her speed—no, exceeding it—burns through my stamina at an absurd rate.

…And yet—

"Me… I…"

I can’t stop here.

Not yet.

My dream—my future—lies ahead on this path.

"…I’m going to win!!"

Win against what?

That should be obvious.

This race? …No.

Mejiro McQueen? …No.

Tokai Teio? …No.

Hoshino Wilm? …Not that either.

What I want to defeat is—

—

the part of myself that gives up.

—

"I want to become a shining Uma Musume / There’s no way I ever could."

"I want to win a G1 / There’s no way I ever will."

"I want to stand at the center of the world / I have no right to."

"I want to live up to the name Nice Nature / That’s impossible."

—

Those pathetic doubts, still writhing somewhere in my heart—

I’ll crush them all.

—

I want to become someone who can bring happiness, joy, excitement—dreams—to others.

A Uma Musume like that.

—

To stand tall and say I’ve become that person.

To proudly show myself to them.

Here and now—

I’ll outrun a true champion, head-on.

—

"HAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

With feelings too embarrassing to tell anyone but my trainer locked in my chest—

I force my creaking, screaming body forward with a mind gone completely dry.

Pouring everything into my run—

until nothing remains but the fire burning in my chest—

—

And then—

—

"The one who crosses the finish line—Nice Nature!! Nice Nature takes first place!!!

Beating Mejiro McQueen by a length and a half, she claims a truly magnificent victory in the Tenno Sho!!

The final page written by the race-maker tells of her own triumph! Following Tokai Teio, the second star who claimed the spring title, the third star has now secured her first G1 victory!!"

—

---

—

Ahh… I’m exhausted.

My whole body is throbbing.

It’s not even pain—it’s heat.

It’s always like this after a race… that feeling of giving everything, of not being able to take another step.

It’s brutal…

…but I can’t bring myself to hate it.

"Nice Nature."

Hearing my name from behind, I lift my hands from my knees and turn around.

There she is—

my rival—

wearing a smile free of regret… yet somehow tinged with frustration.

"Splendid. …Truly splendid. There are no other words. To say anything more would only be an insult to you.

So, from one who has been defeated… just this one thing."

The silver-haired senior gently closes her eyes—

and when she opens them again—

"Congratulations, Nice Nature."

All that remains is pure admiration.

…She really is an incredible person.

"Thank you… McQueen-senpai."

"You may call me McQueen, not ‘senpai.’ You are, just like her, an equal rival."

—

When I turn to face the stands again, I finally realize—

just how loud the cheers are.

For my first G1 victory, the fans—

no, probably even the fans of the others—

are celebrating.

The third star of the generation…

has now become something undeniable.

In front of them all, I raise one finger straight into the air—

…and then slowly lower it, pointing toward a single spot in the crowd.

—

My dearest friend.

The one I admired.

My greatest rival.

Hoshino Wilm.

At the tip of my finger—

she’s smiling.

Bright. Amused. Just slightly twisted.

…Yeah.

I get it.

I’m probably wearing the same expression right now.