With the KGVI & QE Stakes fast approaching, Rampage's training entered its final, intense push. She relentlessly battered her body with a regimen that consistently involved wearing a mask and her Shinzantei irons.
"Your pace is dropping, Ran-chan. Or do you want to rest?"
"Who said I'd quit!!"
Rampage's fighting spirit, as she continued to push herself, was immense, even to Sue-chan. It was partly because it was her first race of the European expedition, but even more so, she was fired up to avenge her defeat in Dubai.
"Ha-he~... Amazing, Sue-chan. Ran-san's fighting spirit?"
"Indeed, she's brimming with motivation."
She was also mentally strong, and this boded extremely well. What most ignites a racer's fighting spirit is the presence of powerful rivals. In a race in a new land, there would be no familiar faces, only first encounters. There are things that simply cannot be grasped through data alone, but if you've faced an opponent once before, your body itself remembers. Especially in the case of Stahl Almecoa, Rampage had suffered a defeat in her domain.
"A rematch, perhaps?"
"A rematch...? Ran-san didn't lose, did she?"
"Hehehe, in the world of competition, it's often the case that you win the match but lose the battle, you see."
"Won the match but lost the battle... Hmm?"
She had certainly won in Dubai, but Rampage's perception was that she had been utterly defeated. She even believed that the victory in Dubai was only possible because of that experience, but if so, she had no choice but to aim for a victory that completely surpassed even that.
"Hehe, this next race will be exciting."
"Ohh~ I want to go watch too~..."
As a princess, she couldn't simply go watch on her own. After all, the race was being held at Ascot Racecourse, owned by the British Royal Family in England. In a way, it wasn't an exaggeration to call them neighbors, but it was still a neighboring country. Royalty couldn't just casually visit. So, Fine was left to cheer from the castle, watching the broadcast.
"There's nothing for it, Fine. We, too, have our positions."
"Big Sister... Mmmph, but it's only natural to want to cheer for my best frien-d!!"
"I understand that feeling well. Even I, even I am accepting the inability to see my beloved Queen's race with a heavy, heavy heart...!!!"
Pilsudski gritted her teeth, clenching her hands so tightly that her fingers dug into her palms, seething with frustration.
"That's why!! I'll watch the Irish Champion Stakes with all my might, with enough fervor to dispel these feelings!!"
"Oh~!!"
"That sounds good, but in that case, who will you be cheering for?"
At that, the two froze. It would be quite something for two princesses, representing their nation, to cheer for Rampage instead of their own country's representative in a race bearing their nation's name. Realizing this, the two began to ponder seriously.
"Oh, no... I was so excited to see Rampage-dono's run live that I forgot something crucial...!!"
"For now, let's at least find out who's scheduled to run!"
"Y-yes!! Hurry, sister, let's run!!"
"Oh~!!"
Sue-chan waved them off as they dashed away with an enthusiasm befitting Uma Musume. If they were that serious about it, Rampage would surely feel honored by that alone... she thought, when the person herself arrived.
"What's up, Sue-chan? The two princesses just ran off somewhere."
"It seems they were pressed to make a decision as princesses."
"What's that? Did a marriage proposal come in or something?"
"It's something similar, I suppose. You truly are a troublemaker, aren't you ♪"
"Huh?"
Despite all this, Rampage continued her training. That night, Fine and Pilsudski both came to her guest room and bowed their heads.
"Um, could the two princesses of Ireland please stop bowing your heads? It could easily become an international incident."
"But I, as your friend, absolutely must apologize!!"
"And I, as Rampage-san's best frien-d, must apologize too!!"
After this, the SP captain was informed of the situation. With a face like the end of the world, she joined Rampage in persuading them, and somehow got them to raise their heads. They asked a servant to brew some tea, and after settling down, Rampage listened to their story.
"Actually... for the Irish Champion Stakes, which Rampage-san will be participating in, I intended to cheer for you, but... as a princess of this country, that would be..."
"Ah~... Well, that can't be helped, right? You have your positions, and there are things that take priority."
"So, I apologize now, but as Rampage-san's best frien-d, I will cheer for you!!"
In other words, they wanted permission to cheer for Rampage as her friends, even though as members of the royal family, they would support their own country's Uma Musume. Rampage didn't mind such things; she felt that supporting one's own country was natural, so they didn't need to be so formal about it.
"Moreover, among those Uma Musume is our country's Triple Tiara winner..."
"—Ireland's Triple Tiara Uma Musume."
"Yes, that's right."
The Irish Triple Tiara for fillies: the Irish 1000 Guineas, Irish Oaks, and Irish St. Leger. An Uma Musume who had won these three major races was competing in the Irish Champion S. As Japan's Triple Tiara winner, Rampage now had no choice but to face her.
"Is she strong, this Uma Musume?"
"She's strong!! She can overtake everyone from the back in a flash, or escape to the lead in an instant!!"
"In her debut race, she overtook everyone from the very back, and in the final race of her Triple Tiara, she achieved a magnificent wire-to-wire victory."
"Quite... extreme, isn't she?"
Closing speed and leading from the front; extremely contrasting tactics. She seems to have the philosophy that if you go from the very back to the very front, you can win, or if you keep running at the very front, you can win. In a way, it's the ultimate undeniable truth.
"Feared as the 'Black Demon' and celebrated as a hero when she achieved her Triple Tiara. She is strong. Even you cannot be complacent."
"Excellent. The stronger she is, the more satisfying the fight. And her name?"
"Razgriz. That is the name of our country's hero."
"...Is that Uma Musume also called Booby?"
"You figured it out well!!"
"...Yes Kestrel."
This chapter perfectly captures Rampage's unique charisma and her ability to completely derail a formal setting with her unpredictable antics, while still showcasing her underlying strength and resolve. The interactions with Almecoa, Garnier, and Saint Verdant are gold. Here's the translation:
Chapter 230: The World's Tyrant on the Global Stage
"So this is Ascot Racecourse, the stage for the KGVI & QE Stakes."
Rampage had finally left Ireland and arrived at Ascot Racecourse in England. As it was her first time in England, she was slightly more excited than usual, but upon rethinking, her mind was instantly flooded with a myriad of impactful English specialties, causing her to cool down significantly. In a way, one could say she had become calmer...
"Ran-chan, the press conference is about to start."
"Alright~. Still, what a pain... I'll just end it with a casual 'Ohakon Hello Ciao~'."
"That might be legendary and quite amusing in itself."
"No, it's a joke, so please don't stop me."
Coming to Ascot Racecourse wasn't just for scouting the course she'd be running on. A press conference for the KGVI & QE Stakes participants was being held. Here, the participating Uma Musume would be introduced, along with information about the course. Naturally, as one who had registered, she had to participate. To be frank, it was an absolute nuisance, perhaps the price to pay for hating the media and generally avoiding interviews... she thought, as she braced herself for it.
The press conference was filled with tension, each Uma Musume exuding an air of resolve. And rightly so, as the KGVI & QE Stakes was a Grade 1 race, counted among the world's highest caliber. To participate meant carrying the pride of one's nation. In such a profoundly weighty atmosphere, an Uma Musume who remained perfectly calm was—
"Is smoking allowed here? Can I smoke a herbal cigar?"
"Eh, h-herbal cigar?"
"Oh, it's fine. It's undergone ingredient testing, endorsed by the Irish Royal Family."
"Um, well... if you extinguish it by 5 minutes before the start, it's okay."
"Got it. I'll just smoke it at the very end then."
The press corps had already gathered. No photography permits had been issued, so no one was taking pictures, but... everyone was dumbfounded by her actions. An Uma Musume began casually smoking a herbal cigar, as if to say she felt no tension whatsoever in this situation. Addressing her with a look of exasperation was her rival from the previous race, who had vied for supremacy.
"Damn, you're as brazen as ever, aren't you? But seeing you like that puts me at ease. I thought you'd be stiff with nerves on your first overseas trip, but it seems I was disappointed."
Stahl Almecoa. She finished 8th in the previous Dubai World Cup, but the power she harbored had once nearly crushed the heart of a king. Everyone recognized her as a formidable opponent. Rampage remained unperturbed even by such an opponent, exhaling smoke towards the ceiling.
"I haven't led a lifestyle that would make me flustered by something like this. I've been meeting nothing but monstrous opponents since my Classic class days. If anything, I've already met with His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, His Majesty the Ruler of Dubai, and His Majesty the King of Ireland. Do you think I'd be nervous now? Do you understand?"
"Oh, yeah, well, that's certainly true..."
When confronted with that, one could only agree. Rampage possessed a mental fortitude that could be described as unflappable, or perhaps, having experienced harsher environments, she could say that compared to those, this was nothing.
"The press conference begins in 5 minutes."
Hearing that, she enjoyed a final puff before putting away her cigar. With such preamble, the conference finally began. An URA official spoke, explaining that the race was on par with the Arc de Triomphe and that it was an honor to have so many talented Uma Musume gathered for it. After the course explanation, each Uma Musume's aspirations were requested.
"Hah~ Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!! It is truly the greatest honor to compete for supremacy with such magnificent Uma Musume! Oh, how truly I am, myself. Captivating even the gods of heaven, drawing forth destiny, ahh, truly I am, myself, a stage befitting this opera of Garnier!!"
A loudly boisterous Uma Musume from the very start of the interview. Well, she probably didn't intend to be boisterous but genuinely meant to hype things up... And indeed, this race had some incredible participants. Besides Garnier, there was Turf Hopper, who raced against Flora in the Japan Cup, and Stahl Almecoa. And beyond them, other brilliant Uma Musume. Saint Verdant, who placed 2nd in the British Derby Stakes and, in her previous Irish Derby, crushed the previous record by nearly 3 seconds with a decisive 12-length victory.
"It is by battling with you all that my brilliance and beauty, my strength, will grow! Come, let us compete, a race as divine and noble as the struggle of mythical gods!!"
"Then, shouldn't there be someone to get the first comment from?"
A quietly muttered remark. That was Saint Verdant's comment. With those words, all eyes turned to Rampage. Mejiro Rampage, with her undefeated myth of 25 wins in 25 starts, holding the world record for 2400m on turf, and aiming to conquer Grade 1 turf and dirt races on the world stage. Everyone was eager to hear her words. When Almecoa nudged her with an elbow, saying, "Hey, you're called up," Rampage cleared her throat with a serious expression. As the reporters held their breath, waiting for her comment, and the live broadcast cameras focused on her—
"Ohakon Hello Ciao~!!"
An incredibly bright and cheerful voice, utterly out of place, rang out. Almecoa involuntarily stumbled back, as if reacting to a Japanese comedy routine, and Saint Verdant, too, almost lost her balance, covering her face and muttering, "It's live..."
"Oh, was that not what you expected?"
"No, that's part of it, but isn't this the wrong place!? What do you think this KGVI & QE Stakes press conference is, huh!!?"
"Oh, I thought it was a setup."
"A setup for what!? Are all Japanese people like you!?"
As Almecoa delivered her retort, Garnier burst into laughter.
"Hah~ Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!! You got me there! Indeed, a noble battle is important, but for us Uma Musume, racing, running, is also a stage of fun and joy. It's a loss if you don't enjoy it! Truly, you are the world's Rampage-dono, you understand entertainment!!"
"Oh, yeah, let's just go with that."
"As if I can!! How long are you going to keep laughing, you!!"
"Hah~ Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!"
Though it lacked a proper conclusion, the tense atmosphere completely transformed, and the press conference continued in a cheerful and enjoyable mood. Incidentally,
"Ran-chan, you're the best!!"
"Right?"
"I got a message from Ah-chan saying 'I thought you'd do that lol'. Sounds like she was laughing while watching the broadcast."
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