"How's it feel?" Minamisaka asked.
"When I heard about it, I was floored," the woman replied, adjusting her glasses. "Training with something like that in this day and age? Talk about outdated."
"Harsh," Minamisaka said with a wry smile.
The tenfold Shinzan iron—the heaviest possible, balancing weight and durability—was the ultimate challenge. Rampage powered through her daily runs with it, her figure a blur under the watchful eyes of Minamisaka and a bespectacled woman in a suit and hat. She wasn't Rigil's Tojo Trainer, but someone else entirely.
"She's handling those things like it's nothing," the woman remarked.
"She's been at it for over a year," Minamisaka replied.
"Bet they'll start calling her the second Shinzan. Or maybe that name'll just fade away."
Her words carried a wistful edge, her eyes shadowed. Time was relentless, eroding even the greatest legacies. No matter how renowned, names eventually faded, overwritten by new stars. If word got out that Rampage was using Shinzan irons, her name might eclipse the original. Some relics of the past, perhaps, were better left forgotten.
"But the past still serves the present," Minamisaka countered. "Without those irons, Rampage wouldn't be this strong. And that strength will soon shine on the world stage."
"Here's hoping," the woman said. "Well, this was a nice distraction from the press gig. Catch you later."
"Thank you for the interview arrangements."
"Don't expect too much!"
With a casual wave, the woman sauntered off. As she disappeared, Rampage finished her run and jogged over to Minamisaka, catching sight of the stranger's retreating figure.
"Who was that, Southie?"
"A friend of the chairman's. She's been wanting to do an interview for a while."
"So I didn't need to talk to her? Could've been good material."
"She said she's not crude enough to interrupt an Uma Musume's training."
"Ha! Figures the chairman would know someone that classy."
Reporters usually had a bad rap—selfish types who waved "press freedom" like a flag, ignoring everyone else's convenience. But someone who respected their priorities? That screamed chairman's ally.
"So, how's the Shinzan iron treating you?" Minamisaka asked.
"Man, it's heavy as hell," Rampage groaned. "Ten times is no joke. It's brutal."
Even Rampage, with her boundless energy, was feeling the strain. The tenfold iron sapped her stamina faster than usual.
"I can run with it, but it's chewing through my energy like nobody's business. This thing's a beast!"
"Sounds like you've got some fight left. Hill course next?"
"You're a demon!"
"Kidding. Rest first."
"Still gonna make me do it, huh?"
Rampage slumped, grumbling, but she wasn't one to back down. Every ounce of effort fueled her strength. Sure, she'd complain, but deep down, she was dead serious. That was Rampage—the wild child with a surprising streak of discipline. Besides, slacking now would mean losing face in front of her rivals.
"Alright, break's over!" she declared, springing up.
"You could rest a bit longer," Minamisaka said.
"Nah, too much rest is slacking. Can't let Ikuno get ahead of me!"
"Let's do this!" she roared, channeling Tamamo Cross as she charged toward the hill course. Her fire came from the recent Yasuda Kinen, where Ikuno's first G1 victory had lit up the track. It was a race for the ages, with Ikuno proving her mettle.
Announcer: "From the outside, Daitaku Helios and Daiichi Ruby are gaining! Bambu Memory's stretching, but from the inside—INSIDE! Ikuno Dictus! Ikuno Dictus is surging!"
Ikuno had bided her time in the leading pack, her eyes coolly scanning for her moment. When it came, she saw her path to victory and blazed through it, overtaking Bambu Memory, Daiichi Ruby, and Daitaku Helios in a flash.
"No way, that's unreal!"
"I can't keep up!"
"Wait, is that—!?"
Helios's shock wasn't laughter—it was awe. Ikuno's final kick was staggering, threading the needle along the inner rail. A fraction off, and her arm would've smashed into the barrier, then her shoulder, her body—yet she navigated that razor's edge with precision.
"Rampage, Turbo, Nature—you've all shown me what it takes," Ikuno thought. "I have to step up. I'm part of Canopus, the strongest team there is!"
Her resolve fueled a blistering charge, slicing through the field toward glory. To stand proud as a Canopus member, to match her teammates' brilliance, Ikuno ran with everything she had. She crossed the finish line and kept going, oblivious, for another 200 meters. The crowd's roar finally snapped her back, and she realized the entire racecourse was cheering for her.
Announcer: "Ikuno Dictus claims her first G1 victory! And the time—1:32.4! Matching Oguri Cap's record with an incredible run to win the Yasuda Kinen!"
"Record tie… I did it!" Ikuno gasped, her emotions erupting.
Struggling to rein in her excitement, she thrust her arms skyward, her voice barely contained. Rampage, watching, couldn't hold back her praise. It was a phenomenal run. And it lit a fire in her: she couldn't let herself fall behind.
"Ikuno, Flora, El Gutz… my rivals keep getting stronger," Rampage muttered, tackling the hill course. "Not a bad deal!"
The iron's weight and the hill's steepness battered her body, but she pushed back. Giving in would mean losing her edge. She had to dig deep.
"LET'S GO!"
Her shout echoed as she powered up the hill. From a distance, the woman from earlier watched, her expression softening.
"That's some grit," she murmured. "Guess relics still have their use."
She walked away, her steps light but her footfalls heavy with unspoken weight.
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