In terms of physique alone, Palmer was more robust than Dai Yusaku. Yet Dai Yusaku possessed an extraordinary fighting spirit. When facing the stronger Palmer, she unleashed her own potential, turning the tables and suppressing her opponent.
At first, Palmer could withstand Dai Yusaku's pressure. But as time went on, she gradually lost ground. Dai Yusaku's competitive drive was at its peak, and she grew fiercer with every stride.
Like a true warrior, for every step Palmer retreated, Dai Yusaku's fighting spirit surged. So what if her career had been a rollercoaster of highs and lows? Today, she was the hero who had defeated Mejiro McQueen! Ravens circled overhead—it was victory or death!
"I will once again be draped in glory!" Dai Yusaku's battle lust surged. Driven by sheer willpower, her body erupted with unprecedented power. Her seemingly frail frame stood as tall and unyielding as a giant.
Realizing she couldn't win a physical contest against Dai Yusaku, Palmer's mind raced, and a plan formed. She completely relaxed her muscles, allowing Dai Yusaku to push her toward the inner rail.
The sudden shift on the track sent a cold sweat through the crowd. Palmer's supporters felt their hearts stop!
"Oh no! Palmer's about to be pinned!"
If she failed here, the race would be over before it even began!
The crowd was frantic but helpless. In the blink of an eye, just as Dai Yusaku was about to completely pin her, Palmer suddenly accelerated, breaking free from her opponent's grasp.
"What?!"
Dai Yusaku was stunned, as were the spectators in the stands. They couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Kousei, however, had seen it all clearly, a hint of approval touching her lips.
"Decisive and swift. An excellent decision."
Nearby, Dober, who had been scared to death, first cheered with relief when Palmer broke free, then fell into the same confusion.
"A baiting tactic. One of Kousei's signature moves," McQueen identified Palmer's maneuver instantly. After all, as the Umamusume who had fallen for it the most, she knew it all too well.
"Baiting?" Dober, who had yet to debut, was still naive about the competitive dynamics between Umamusume.
McQueen explained, "During the positioning battle, both were racing in the middle of two lanes. Dai Yusaku was determined to completely suppress her. When Palmer suddenly 'lost her footing,' Dai Yusaku naturally pressed her attack relentlessly, aiming to eliminate Palmer right then and there.
"At that moment, both were in a state of intense concentration. Just as they were about to touch the rail, Palmer deliberately feigned a rebound. Dai Yusaku subconsciously assumed Palmer had hit the rail and, due to the rules, immediately ceased her offensive."
The sliver of space was all Palmer needed. With subtle, imperceptible adjustments, she executed the maneuver perfectly, breaking through the blockade in the instant their minds clashed.
"It's a technique only Palmer could pull off," McQueen continued. "She used every advantage she had."
Dober's eyes widened in realization. "So you mean Palmer tricked Dai Yusaku into misjudging the distance!"
"Exactly, Dober. Remember this: you don't always have to be stronger than your opponent to gain an advantage. Feigning weakness is a tactic too."
"You're amazing, McQueen!" Dober gazed at her with pure admiration.
McQueen simply glanced toward Kousei's direction and said softly, "I've just seen it happen enough times to understand."
Having broken free, Palmer didn't dare pause for even a breath. She lowered her head and sprinted desperately, terrified that Dai Yusaku would catch up from behind.
Damn it! How much farther is it?!
Though the race was only 2200 meters, it felt to Palmer like she was running another Spring Tenno Sho. The finish line, usually a clear sight in training, now seemed impossibly distant.
"MEJIRO PALMER!" A furious roar thundered across the track as Dai Yusaku closed in at incredible speed.
"You want a fight to the finish? Then bring it on!" Shaking her head to clear it, Palmer rallied her spirits.
In terms of explosive power, Palmer was no match for Dai Yusaku. It wasn't long before her rival caught up to her at the front. Palmer was out of options; if she got pinned down again, she knew she wouldn't escape.
Backed into a corner with nowhere to retreat, Palmer's will flared even brighter. She drove her legs forward relentlessly, stubbornly resisting Dai Yusaku's onslaught.
The world around them dissolved into an eerie, silent darkness. Only the ragged gasps of Palmer and Dai Yusaku echoed in the cold void.
It was a frantic struggle, neither willing to yield an inch.
A sliver of light pierced the darkness enveloping them—the final turn had arrived.
Almost there! Hold on! Palmer gritted her teeth. She had to withstand Dai Yusaku's pressure. She refused to fail again.
Their lines through the final corner were sloppy, a clear sign that neither had the stamina left for refined technique.
It was pure instinct now: instinctive flight, instinctive pursuit.
Then, a sudden, muffled grunt shattered the tension, pulling Palmer back to reality. She sensed something wrong with Dai Yusaku behind her. Everyone watching tensed—they sensed it too.
Dai Yusaku's speed dropped precipitously. Her breathing became ragged. The signs were unmistakable.
Dai Yusaku is stalling!
Of course!
Of course she would stall! In a pace this lethal, in a chase this relentless! Every decision Dai Yusaku had made to suppress Palmer had drained her stamina. Now, she was utterly spent!
Realizing this, Palmer surged with renewed life. Her strides grew more powerful, swifter. Victory was within reach—she had a chance to become a true Mejiro again!
Am I going to lose? Time seemed to slow for Dai Yusaku, as if she were no longer in a race.
The sensation was both strange and familiar. Wandering through the darkness, she felt an unexpected serenity. This fervent warrior, now as quiet as a kitten, stopped before a tightly shut gate, utterly lost.
She asked herself—
Looking back on the past, do I have any regrets?
Here and now, have I given my all?
In the distant future, will my wish be granted?
"I'm going to win! I can win! Only 200 meters left!" Palmer's face lit up with joy, as if victory were already hers. But in an Umamusume race, no one can be certain of the winner until the very moment they cross the finish line.
An immense pressure descended from above, so powerful that even Kousei and the others in the stands flinched. A deafening roar, like a tidal wave, crashed down upon them!
"DAI YUSAKU!!!" A piercing shriek, laced with terror, reached Palmer's ears.
The Fervent Warrior rises from the dead!
"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" she roared, like a wild beast unleashed. "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!!!"
[An Umamusume who struggles even in G3 races wants to win a G1? What a joke.]
[McQueen lost... Her form must have been off. Dai Yusaku just got lucky.]
[How could a loser like her ever beat McQueen? Comparing her to McQueen is an insult to McQueen herself.]
"My world has always been filled with mindless gossip. I fight to move forward, yet fate keeps pushing me back.
"My world has always been filled with mindless gossip. I fight to move forward, yet fate keeps pushing me back.
I fought with everything I had to reach the Twinkle Series, not to listen to you fools spout nonsense! You who understand nothing! You who insult me, and insult McQueen!
I'LL STOMP YOUR FACES INTO THE DIRT!!!"
So what if she was a no-name? So what if she'd lost race after race? Dai Yusaku came to this stage to prove herself. If the world questioned her victory, then she would show them again! No one would ever forget her!
The Strongest Shot that once brought down Pegasus!
"I fight, therefore I am!"
On the brink of oblivion, she laughed wildly into the wind! One final, desperate gamble—a dream chased across the green turf!
For that one moment of glory in a lifetime, she would bet everything
"No! No! I can't lose again!"
Dai Yusaku's pressure was suffocating, weighing Palmer down so heavily she couldn't even lift her head. Despite running with all her might, the gap between them was visibly shrinking.
At this rate, I'll lose!
Fear drowned Palmer, extinguishing her fighting spirit. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the thought of what would come next.
Accusations? Curses? Once she lost, they would lose their only chance to defy the Central Committee. How many other racers would be implicated?
Palmer couldn't bring herself to think about it. Her legs began to tremble, whether from fear or exhaustion, she couldn't tell.
"If only McQueen were running..." At that moment, Palmer couldn't help but think of McQueen. If it were McQueen, she would never lose. Even if Dai Yusaku gave her absolute best, McQueen would never lose to her again. Because McQueen was the strongest. Because McQueen was... a Mejiro.
"What's with that 'end of the world' look on your face?! Pull yourself together!" McQueen's sudden, sharp rebuke snapped Palmer back to reality.
Palmer's head shot up. She saw Speedstar and Daitaku Helios running alongside her at the edge of the paddock, having appeared there at some point without her noticing.
"Lift your head, Palmer!"
"Pal! Stop overthinking it! Just run your front-runner race all the way!"
Her friends' words shattered the weakness in Palmer's heart. She instinctively lifted her head, and the Hanshin wind, so crisp and refreshing, slapped against her face.
"Lift your head, Palmer!" Everyone supporting her was shouting, urging her to raise her head.
Palmer stared at the scene in disbelief, then suddenly burst out laughing. "What's this? There's no one in front of me at all."
The Forbidden Gate hummed, and a fierce whirlwind swept through Hanshin Racecourse.
"Come on, Dai Yusaku! I'm here to avenge McQueen!"
An intense resonance drew the two Umamusume together. Their intentions were clear—no words were needed!
The most brilliant fireworks of the Summer Festival! The Takarazuka Memorial wasn't a disaster; it was a midsummer frenzy!
Final Leg vs. Front-Runner!!!
In an instant, a gale erupted. A gust of wind, racing across the heavens, swept the track like a tempest!
[Fugitive of the Raging Tempest]!!!
"I will win! I will win! Even if I'm an Outcast, I am still a Mejiro!!!"
The Mejiro Bloodline boiled within her, and a surge of hidden strength erupted from deep inside.
"Trying to bring down the Mejiro Family? In your wildest dreams!"
The young girl who had always kept her head down since her debut now held it high, charging forward in an absolute front-runner race, leading all the way to the end.
Yes, lift your head, Palmer. Lift that head that was suppressed by [McQueen], constrained by the world's expectations, yet still refused to fade into obscurity.
On the final stretch, the pursuing figures traced the Umamusume's initial thrill—glory and dreams, now within reach.
This was the reward for her growth. Today, she would be proud of herself!
"I am Mejiro Palmer! I am! The creator of Mejiro Glory!"
Such speed! What exhilaration!
"Glory belongs to the Mejiro Family!!!"
Leading the entire race, upright and proud! The only thing chasing her from behind was her own pride!
Finish—
Mejiro Palmer! Conquers the Takarazuka Memorial!