Into the turn.
Kitasan Black tilted her head ever so slightly, and in the corner of her eye, a glaring flash of crimson seemed almost within arm's reach.
That crimson was unbelievably fast, like a streak of gold carrying the sun itself, charging straight at her with irresistible, thunderous force.
And as that gold-red presence drew closer, the image in Kitasan Black's eyes grew clearer and clearer—
Silver-gray hair and tail streamed wildly at top speed, every strand seeming filled with life, boldly proclaiming defiance and forward drive.
Those pale pink eyes, usually so flippant and carefree, were burning with blazing light now, like a living sun, carrying the resolve of someone who would never stop until she reached her goal.
Her muscles were taut and powerful. In every push off the ground and every swing of her legs, one could see the immense force contained within her, like a great ship finally sighting harbor.
This was not the first time Kitasan Black had seen Gold Ship giving it her all.
But it truly was the first time she had witnessed it with her own eyes on the racecourse.
And perhaps the last.
The moment she realized that, Kitasan Black's heart gave a sudden shiver, and a memory rose unbidden to the surface.
It was from not long ago, when she had heard that this Arima Kinen would be Gold Ship's retirement race.
At the time, she and Yasui Makoto had been watching the announcement on television. As she watched her senpai's lips moving on the screen, all she had felt was the whole world spinning around her.
An indescribably complex wave of emotion had churned wildly in her chest—shock, reluctance, sadness, and a strange trace of panic.
After that, almost without hesitation, full of agitation and confusion, she had gone looking everywhere for her senpai based on instinct alone.
The rooftop of the school building, the statue of the Three Goddesses in the center of the courtyard, the tree hollow where people went to pour out their hearts, the pool, the game room, the shopping street outside campus...
In the end, she found that familiar figure on the training grounds.
Senpai... was actually training seriously.
At the time, the sunlight had fallen like an assassin across the mottled leaves at the edge of the field, and across senpai's sweat-covered face and tail as well, gilding her in a dreamlike golden outline.
Without time to think about anything else, she had hurried over and stopped in front of her senpai, voice trembling slightly with confusion and urgency as she asked:
"Senpai... why? Why did you choose to retire now? You... you're still this strong. You could still keep racing."
Senpai had not seemed surprised by her arrival at all. She looked over, and on that face that was always smiling and joking, there appeared a faint smile.
There was relief in that smile, and expectation, and something else Kitasan Black could not quite understand.
Wearing that expression, senpai walked over, lightly patted her on the shoulder, and said in a calm tone Kitasan Black had never heard from her before:
"So my guess was right after all. I knew you'd come, Kita-chan... Hey, Festa, Orfevre, I won the bet, so don't even think about welching on it."
After saying that with a tilted smile, senpai looked back at her.
"As for retiring now... how should I put it..."
"When some roads reach their end, you have to turn around bravely and begin a new journey. That's how I see it."
"I don't know whether you'll understand, Kita-chan, but..."
As she spoke, senpai's gaze grew deep and steady. She looked into the distance, as though she could already see the path ahead of her.
"Don't forget—I've only announced my retirement. My journey... is still far from over."
"There are still races like the Dream Trophy waiting for me. I'm just continuing to run in this field I love, only in a different role now!"
Then senpai looked back at her again, blinked, and gave her a thumbs-up.
"And besides, I believe in you, Kita-chan."
"You have limitless potential—potential even greater than mine."
"So in this Arima Kinen, give it everything you've got. Fight me in a match with no regrets."
"Let me run this last stretch without any lingering regrets, and put a perfect full stop on this part of my journey."
Kitasan Black could no longer remember clearly what she had said in reply back then.
But after that meeting, she had quietly made up her mind that in this Arima Kinen, she would absolutely fight with everything she had, and she absolutely would not let senpai leave the race stage with regrets.
She had never told Yasui Makoto about those words, or about going to find Gold Ship.
Her trainer had already done so much for her, worked so hard for her. He should not have to spend any more effort worrying over something like this for her sake.
More importantly...
It's not just about giving everything I have for senpai's sake, and it's not just about beating senpai...
This race is also the beginning of a new journey for me, and for Trainer too...
So, senpai, I... won't just beat you...
I...
I'm going to beat every opponent in this race!!
As that cry rang out in her heart, Kitasan Black suddenly realized that her body, already heavy with fatigue, had been flooded with fresh strength once more.
With that strength, she held on to first place and, in the smallest opening of time, cut into the fourth turn.
In her own perception, every one of her movements was exact, every breath perfectly measured.
The wind screamed past her ears like a battle song.
The earth trembled beneath her feet like the pounding of war drums.
Gold Ship was still pressing closer with every step, and all the other rivals were coiled and ready to strike.
But she felt no fear.
The vague dreams of her youth, the joy of her debut, the effort piled up day after day, the care poured into race preparation, the promise she had made in her heart to her senpai... all of it had become a single thought in this instant.
Win this Arima Kinen with overwhelming strength.
Make everyone who supported her proud. Give her trainer the best possible return for everything he had done. And let herself step onto a brand-new path.
So whoever you are... come chase me if you can!
Pouring out every technique she had accumulated until now, she stayed tight to the inside rail and charged toward the exit of the turn, roaring again in her heart.
And a few lengths behind her—judging by each footfall striking the turf, Gold Ship knew with precision that she had already surged into third or fourth.
At last, her gaze focused fully and without reservation on Kitasan Black.
Short black hair flew wildly in the rushing wind, every strand standing out clearly.
That race outfit, blending black, gold, and red in a festival style, shone like a brilliant star in the night.
Her back was held perfectly straight, her posture pressed slightly low, rising and falling with a strong rhythm as she ran.
The frequency of her alternating strides was astonishingly fast, every movement precise to the smallest fraction.
Her arms pumped powerfully, perfectly matched to the rhythm of her legs, driving her whole body forward toward the straight with blinding speed.
Sweat flew backward from her hair, race outfit, and tail. Gold Ship could not see those crimson eyes, but she could imagine the fire burning inside them.
Watching Kitasan Black run with everything she had, Gold Ship felt nothing but satisfaction.
She knew very well that the kouhai before her had limitless potential.
And this race was the finest possible stage for that kouhai to shine.
Just like I thought, Kita-chan—you've never let anyone down...
Gold Ship murmured inwardly, and without realizing it, the corners of her mouth lifted into the first smile she had shown since the race began.
But in the next instant, a sharp light flashed in her eyes.
If you're giving it everything you've got, then as your senpai...
I can't afford the slightest slack either!