"… …"
"Well, well, what a rare sight. The top trainers from rival teams, standing side by side."
Tojo and Okino stood together, watching Canopus's practice session. The two trainers, representing the pride of Tressen Academy's elite teams—Rigel and Spica—were unusually united in observing the same workout.
"Got some business here?" Tojo asked.
"Nah, not really…" Okino replied, his eyes betraying not exhaustion but a kind of exasperated awe. "Just… what the hell's going on with Canopus, seriously?"
His gaze carried the weight of disbelief. Twin Turbo had just obliterated the Oaks with a jaw-dropping double-acceleration burst, leaving the field in her dust. Though she'd already lost once, ruling out an undefeated record, the Triple Tiara was now tantalizingly close. If Turbo clinched it, Canopus would achieve the absurd feat of back-to-back Triple Crowns by the same team—a near-mythical accomplishment.
"The driving force behind it? That'd be Rampage, mostly," Tojo said.
Okino sighed. "…Should've scouted her when I had the chance."
"Seriously, how'd you even convince that one to join?" Okino asked, incredulous.
Tojo smirked. "Convince her? More like she fell for me—or rather, for the team—on her own."
Looking back, it felt almost nostalgic. Rampage had been the turning point, the spark that somehow elevated Canopus to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rigel and Spica. Thanks to her, even their paychecks had gotten a nice bump—a welcome perk.
"Is Twin Turbo on break?" Okino asked.
"Right after the Oaks, Rampage arranged for her to recover at the Mejiro family's retreat," Tojo replied.
"That's cheating!" Okino protested.
"Well, Turbo's a distant cousin of the Mejiro family, so it's not exactly unfair."
"…Is she now?" Okino muttered, surprised.
At the retreat, Turbo wasn't just resting—she was studying. Inspired by Akiyama's '86 model and Rampage's Impreza, she'd declared her intent to get a car of her own and was now cramming for her driver's license. The retreat staff raved about her diligence, saying she'd likely pass with flying colors soon. Tojo couldn't help but wish she'd show that same seriousness in her regular classes, a thought that slipped out as a grumble.
"But man… she's something else," Okino said, his tone shifting to admiration.
His words weren't about Turbo, though—they were aimed at Rampage. Flora, steadily leveling up through her rigorous training menu, had sharpened her tactical eye to the point of outsmarting opponents in the Victoria Mile. She was growing, undeniably, and yet…
"She switches her running style between turf and dirt like it's nothing. How does she pull that off?" Okino wondered aloud.
Tojo chuckled. "We had her pounding the toughest sand dunes at training camp."
"No way, that brutal regimen? I thought you mixed it up with Kuronuma's program!" Okino exclaimed.
"You thought I was planning for a dual-surface star?" Tojo laughed. "Nah, back then, I was only thinking about the Japan Cup. Nothing else."
The dirt adaptability from the beach training was a complete happy accident. Back then, international races weren't even a blip on their radar. But with Rampage, nothing was truly coincidental—her potential to take on the world had always been obvious.
"Next up's the Derby, huh? Your Nature's a real pain in the neck—Teio's got her work cut out," Okino said, half-complaining.
Tojo grinned. "Oh, do your best, then."
"Don't give me that bystander crap!" Okino shot back.
"It's not my team, and you're the enemy, so…" Tojo shrugged.
"Even you, Hana?!" Okino groaned, turning to another trainer nearby.
Hana just nodded. "Pretty standard reaction, honestly."
The current practice session featured Ikuno, Rice, Tanhoiza, and Ticket tearing up the track. But Okino's real target, Nature, was nowhere in sight.
"Speaking of, where's that hotshot Uma Musume of yours?" Okino asked.
"Rampage? She's got the day off. Said she's going for a drive to clear her head," Tojo replied.
"A drive, huh? Oh right, she's got her license and a car," Okino said, impressed.
"Buying a car outright? That's a star Uma Musume for you," another trainer chimed in.
Okino winced as Hana cut in. "You, on the other hand, need to save some cash. Spending it all on your Uma Musume is fine, but if you're broke afterward, what's the point? And stop mooching off me!"
The one-two punch of her words hit Okino square in the gut. It was the undeniable truth, leaving him no room to argue.
"Sorry, feels kinda bad making you drive me around like this," Nature said, settling into the passenger seat.
"No big deal," Rampage replied, gripping the wheel. "I was planning to cruise around for a breather anyway."
Rampage was behind the wheel of her Impreza, originally intending to aimlessly wander for a change of pace. By chance, she'd run into Nature, who was heading out to shop for new shoes, so she offered her a lift.
"You look pretty comfortable there," Nature teased. "Been driving since forever? Or, well, since you were, what, twelve?"
Rampage smirked. "Who knows? Back then, I don't think I had the time for it."
Given her past—something about "Hito-soul" or whatever—it wasn't entirely impossible. Still, she hadn't touched a car until she got her license, obviously.
"The Derby's coming up, huh? How's your form?" Rampage asked.
"Pretty good, I think. Trainer says I'm in shape to get a solid result," Nature replied.
"A solid result," Rampage echoed with a laugh. "That's so like Minami. Never says 'you'll win,' just some vague, 'it'll be good for you' line. Sneaky."
It was classic Minami—framing even a loss as a "good result" if it fueled growth. A trainer should be hyping their Uma Musume to win, shouldn't they?
"Nah, I like it that way," Nature said. "Relaxes me. That's how she was when she scouted me for Canopus, too."
"Oh yeah? What'd she say to rope you in?" Rampage asked, curious.
"Only if you spill first," Nature countered.
"Fair enough. I got roped in when they asked me to be Ikuno's sparring partner. Minami's attitude toward Uma Musume—she's all in, you know? That's what sold me. So I pitched the contract myself."
"Talk about straightforward," Nature said, impressed.
Her own story was different, and for a moment, her mood dipped as she compared herself to Rampage. Just then, Rampage hit the brakes a little harder than necessary, jolting Nature forward. She glanced over to see Rampage glaring at her, as if to say, Don't dwell on stupid stuff. Right—staying stuck in the past wouldn't move her forward. They'd all decided to push ahead together, with Canopus, hadn't they?
"At the selection race, I came in third," Nature began. "Like, six lengths behind the leaders. I was so down, thinking, 'Is this my limit?' But then Minami came up to me. She said she was captivated by how hard I ran."
"Very her," Rampage said with a grin.
"Right? And when I brushed it off as no big deal, she said, 'The fact that you can keep pushing like that is your greatest weapon. I don't want to race with the fastest or strongest Uma Musume—I want to walk alongside the one who captivates me.' Can you believe her?"
Nature's shy laugh was infectious, and Rampage found herself smiling too.
"Minami's got some serious game," Rampage said. "Who knew she was such a smooth talker?"
"And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker," Nature admitted. "Back then, I never would've dreamed of running in the Derby, sparkling on that stage with all those dazzling Uma Musume."
Even now, it felt unreal. She'd always wanted to be one of those radiant Uma Musume but never thought she could. Yet here she was—a G1 contender, the second favorite to take down Teio in the Japan Derby. The fire to beat Teio still burned fiercely inside her, surprising even herself.
"If I win the Derby, maybe I'll finally be one of those sparkling Uma Musume," Nature mused.
Rampage scoffed. "What are you talking about? You're already sparkling just by being in the Derby."
"Haha, yeah, you're right!" Nature laughed, then paused. "…Ran?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going all out. Like Minami said, whatever the result, I don't care. I'm gonna take down Teio and win that Derby!"
Her words carried a strength that caught even Rampage off guard, and she couldn't help but laugh.
"That's the spirit. If Turbo grabs the Double Tiara and you take the Derby, Canopus is gonna shine even brighter."
"When the undefeated Uma Musume says it, it hits different," Nature teased. "I'll do my best not to tarnish your name, Ran."
"Tarnish my name? The only ones doing that are the tabloids," Rampage shot back. "If some idiot tries, I'll knock 'em out myself, so don't worry."
"Says the one who put Mejiro and Symboli's grandmas on a livestream," Nature quipped. "That's some serious nerve!"
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