It was brutal. My breathing grew increasingly ragged, and a sharp, nagging pain began to throb in my side.
Running a full lap around an arena this massive was taxing enough, but doing so while clearing a gauntlet of obstacles meant that by the time I neared the end of the middle stage, exhaustion was weighing me down.
I’d managed to reclaim the lead once during the Rubik’s Cube challenge, but that only served to stoke Megiddo-san’s fighting spirit. He had overtaken me again, and now there was a significant gap between us.
Still, he was barely within reach.
From the starting line to this very moment, I had kept my eyes fixed on the final stretch of the course. I’d been constructing my magic formula while calculating which obstacles lay ahead and which route would be the shortest.
The baseline physical stamina between Megiddo-san and me was on completely different levels. Even if I could run faster, I didn't have the endurance to maintain that speed from start to finish.
That was why I knew it would come to this.
Megiddo-san would take the lead, and I would be the pursuer. I only had one path to victory.
Auto-pilot. In this contest where I was the only one permitted to use magic, it was my absolute trump card. It was the only card I held that offered even a sliver of hope to surpass Megiddo-san.
However, this trump card was a double-edged sword. It was embarrassing to admit, but my magic power amount was pathetic. No matter how much I scraped together, I couldn't maintain Auto-pilot for even half the course.
That was the crux of the match: whether I could reach the final stage within a distance I could actually close.
"Now, with less than one-third of the course remaining, we've entered the final stretch! Megiddo-san maintains his lead, pulling far ahead of Kaito-san!"
It was time. Right here. The distance between Megiddo-san and me was right on the edge of what I could close, and whether my magic would last was equally uncertain.
But a slim chance was better than no chance at all.
"...Auto-pilot."
The moment I spoke the activation word, control of my body slipped from my hands, and I accelerated instantly.
The exhaustion didn't vanish, and I could still feel the pain. But Auto-pilot ignored it all, forcibly driving my body forward.
"Wait, what!? Kaito-san is suddenly accelerating! He's heading for the next checkpoint in a single burst! And waiting for him there is Stepping Stones Ver. 2!"
"You really like your stepping stones, don't you, No-chan?"
"They’re a classic, after all! However, these ones are huge, and the path is complex. Even Megiddo-san took some time here! Will Kaito-san be able to—wait, what!?"
I had modeled my running form after Hina. As for the movements to clear the obstacles... I’d had the perfect example right in front of me until just now.
The second set of stepping stones. My body leaped onto the footholds without a hint of hesitation, clearing them by using my hands as much as my feet.
"T-This movement... is it Megiddo-san’s!? N-No, because his physical ability is higher, he’s even faster than Megiddo-san!!"
"...He must have used the War King’s movements as a reference. I suppose an opponent with a wealth of experience and the same physical stats as yourself is the perfect model, but... it's not that easy to mimic. Does this mean he’s finally getting serious?"
"Oh! His speed on the wall climbing is incredible! Magnificent! He’s steadily closing the gap! The cornered herbivore has finally bared its fangs at the carnivore!!"
An herbivore, huh? Well, if Megiddo-san was the carnivore, I suppose there was no doubt I was the herbivore.
The carnivore in question glanced back at me while running, flashed an intense grin, and roared at the top of his lungs.
"Kaitooooo!! Good! That’s a hell of a speed! You’re the best! Come on! Show me you can sink your teeth into my throat!!"
Despite being pursued, Megiddo-san showed no signs of pressure. On the contrary, he looked like he was having the time of his life.
He was a battle maniac to the core—but right now, I fully intended to sink my teeth in.
My legs were screaming. The breathlessness was agonizing. Even so, my body wouldn't stop, forcibly extracting peak performance.
I was adjusting it to ensure I didn't actually break anything, but the pain was still brutal. Even as my body raced, various thoughts drifted through my mind.
Why was I trying so hard? Wasn't this enough? Even if I kept going, I might not catch up. It was absurd to try and win against Megiddo-san, one of the Six Kings, to begin with. It was fine to lose...
I desperately shoved those thoughts aside and kept Auto-pilot active.
At the start, this wasn't a match I couldn't afford to lose. It was just a game. I’d only participated because I’d been swept along by the momentum of the moment.
"Megiddo-san has cleared the final checkpoint, the tightrope walk! The rest is a straight shot to the goal! Kaito-san has reached the final checkpoint as well, but... is the distance too great to overcome?"
"The final straight is quite long, but the gap between him and the War King is... looking tough."
But that was just it. So many people had helped me. Eden-san, Pandora-san, Iris-san... and...
"Master! Do your best!!"
Amidst the heat and the roar of the arena, that voice reached me with surreal clarity. It felt as though strength surged into my legs, which should have been moving automatically.
That voice, and the brief glimpse of Anima, gave me the courage to play my final joker.
I cleared the tightrope walk. Even with the massive lead he held, I reached the final straight.
In that moment, I deactivated Auto-pilot for a split second, only to reactivate it with the final command.
"Auto-pilot... Limit Release!"
I didn't want to use this if I could help it. It hurt like death. But my opponent was Megiddo-san. He wasn't someone I could beat without putting everything on the line.
Limit Release. It was the command that removed the safety protocols from Auto-pilot—the restriction that prevented it from "performing movements that would destroy my body."
It was the same power I’d used when I fought Anima back when she was still a Black Bear.
Driven by the magic, my body began to exert power on a completely different level.
"W-What!? Kaito-san has made an explosive spurt! He’s fast! Incredibly fast!!"
"What!?"
With the limiters removed, my body kicked off the ground with terrifying force, and I began to sprint at more than double my previous speed.
Watching me rapidly close the distance with that sudden burst of acceleration, even Megiddo-san let out a shout of pure shock.
But it hurt. It hurt so much. I could hear popping and snapping sounds coming from my legs—noises no human body should ever make.
Wait, did a bone just break? Well, even if my bones snapped, the magic power would force my legs to keep moving anyway.
As my body screamed and I closed the gap, I finally realized why I was trying so hard.
Part of it was certainly not wanting to waste the help Anima and the others had given me... but more than that, I think...
"Only a little further to the goal! The gap has vanished!!"
Megiddo-san was truly amazing. This race had plenty of challenges that favored me, like the Rubik's Cube.
There must have been things he was doing for the first time today. Yet, Megiddo-san had cleared them all with ease and held the lead.
As I watched his movements to feed them into Auto-pilot, I found myself moved by the refinement of his form.
Megiddo-san wasn't just about raw power. He was a true powerhouse who had polished his knowledge and technique without compromise. He was a truly incredible person—and now, by some twist of fate, I was facing him.
That was why I wanted to win. Caught in the wake of his burning fighting spirit, a fire had been lit in my own heart.
Because Megiddo-san was an incredible person, a warrior I respected from the bottom of my soul... I wanted to beat him. Not because of Shiro-san's Blessing like when we first met, but with my own strength!
"Guh...!"
I overtook Megiddo-san. With the goal line just inches away, my magic power finally hit its limit.
Strength drained from my legs. I watched my body begin to collapse in what felt like slow motion.
No, don't run out yet. Just a little more. Just a few more steps! Squeeze every last drop of mana from my body! I have to win! I’m going to win against Megiddo-san!!
Magic power surged into my failing legs once more, and I regained my footing.
"GOAL! Kaito-san has taken the lead in a fierce dead heat and crossed the finish line!! Wait—hold on!?"
"Kai-chan!?"
I crossed the line. I beat Megiddo-san! The moment that thought surfaced, Auto-pilot deactivated completely.
That left me in the terrifying position of being at top speed while my legs refused to move. My body was flung forward.
This was it. I was going to face-plant into the dirt. It was going to be excruciating. I’d gone into this knowing it was a kamikaze run that would require a Fruit of the World Tree afterward, so I was prepared... but I’d still hoped it wouldn't hurt this much.
I closed my eyes, bracing for impact. But instead of the pain of the ground, I felt myself being caught in a soft, gentle embrace.
"...Eh?"
"Honestly... pushing yourself like that again..."
"...Kuro?"
"Goodness, Kaito-kun. You really are hopeless."
Kuro, who had caught me before I could fall, held her hand over my legs with an exasperated expression.
My legs were instantly enveloped in light, and the pain vanished as if it had never been there.
"...Still, congratulations. You worked hard."
"...Thank you."
"...But I'm going to scold you later."
"...Wait, what?"
While still in Kuro's arms, I slowly looked back. Megiddo-san was standing at the finish line, a soft smile on his face as he clapped his hands.
"Come on, Kaito-kun. Megiddo and the audience are waiting. Go on. Stand tall, like a winner."
"...Yeah."
Dear Mother, Father—Megiddo-san held back a lot, and the course was designed in my favor. It might not have been a complete, fair victory, but the emotion swelling in my heart was still immense. I think it’s because, despite all the help I received, I was able to grasp this victory with my own power.
I heard a cheer in my moment of need; Anima is definitely in the heroine position. Kuro is more of a hero... wait?