The fever had yet to break. Even as dawn broke, the people could not temper their excitement; they were utterly captivated by the running of Mejiro Rampage, the conqueror of the Irish Champion Stakes.
And now, at last—the next race was the long-cherished dream of every Japanese Horse Girl: the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Countless people held dreams of that stage, envisioning the Hinomaru flag rising above the Arc. It was the stage where Speed Symboli, Mejiro Musashi, and Sirius Symboli had challenged the world. Now, the Undefeated King would take up the gauntlet. Expectations were already mounting that this time, surely, victory would be brought home. Flight reservations to France were fully booked, and travel to Europe in general was seeing a similar surge.
Everyone felt the same urgency: If I don't see this Arc with my own eyes, I will regret it for the rest of my life.
"Right then. Next up is the Arc."
"I don't know quite how to put it... but it makes one feel deeply emotional, doesn't it?"
Having conquered the Irish Champion Stakes, Rampage was now quietly raising a toast in the hotel room with Sue-chan, following a raucous party hosted by the King himself to celebrate the victory. Sue-chan held a glass of champagne, but since Rampage was still a minor, the glass contained carrot wine. Personally, Rampage had wanted to let loose and drink real alcohol at a time like this... but Sue-chan had strictly forbidden it.
Instead, she had bought a bottle of wine to be aged and opened only when Rampage turned twenty.
"This is Japan's fourth challenge. We have enough experience. Expectations are massive."
"I'll just do what I want. I'm just going to run my race. I'll run casually, without thinking about Japan's 'long-cherished dream' or whatever."
"As expected. The fact that you can think that way is undoubtedly your greatest virtue."
No matter what, he stuck to his guns. It wasn't that there was no pressure... but if anything, the pressure was about the fear of defeat, not the weight of the Arc itself. In fact, there was a part of him that actually felt joy.
"The baton of challenge that started with you, Sue-chan... I'm the next one to take it. Well, no matter the result, I'm going to enjoy the race. I'm going to enjoy the stage of Longchamp."
Currently, only Mejiro and Symboli had challenged the Arc. As far as he knew, those two families were undeniably Japan's top class, yet even for them, it was a glory out of reach. It wasn't that he was interested in the prestige, simply... as a pure Horse Girl, he had an interest in running on such a stage.
"What do you think, looking at me, Sue-chan? My Arc."
"Hehe. No matter what I say now, it won't have any meaning. All you need to do is face yourself earnestly until that moment comes."
"'Face myself,' huh... You just casually dropped something incredibly difficult, didn't you, you playful granny?"
It was a common sentiment: face yourself, introspect, and bring your condition and motivation to their absolute peak. It was common advice, yes... but in his case, it was honestly difficult. After all, the 'self' he was supposed to face didn't exist anymore. In a sense, it could be said that his existence—someone who had come this far purely on momentum—was too much of a glitch in the system.
"Myself, huh..."
Cutting his rest short, Rampage resumed his training. After all, he was about to run in a race often called the best in the world; no negligence could be forgiven. Running with his mask still on, Rampage took a break to hydrate.
"Still as tough as ever... The fact that the weather here is comfortable is the only saving grace."
Thinking that Japan might still be suffering from lingering summer heat, he closed his eyes, feeling the comfort of the Irish wind. When he opened them again, he jumped in shock.
Why? Because... Mejiro Rampage was sitting right next to him.
"...An evil spirit?"
『At the very least, you should think of me as a residual thought or something! Why 'evil spirit' of all things?』
"Well, England is close by."
『Ehh...』
They conversed naturally. Sitting next to him was the original Rampage. He couldn't help but recall that time in Dubai. But how was this even possible? Was this what people called an 'imaginary friend'?
『Ms. Darley Arabian, one of the Three Goddesses, gave me a little push. She said since the opportunity is here, I should go see you. So, just for a little while.』
"The Three Goddesses, huh... So they really exist."
『Huh? I heard you went to see them before Dubai?』
He was being told something rather shocking, but only one thing came to mind. That dream he saw on the plane. He remembered running above the clouds with someone. If that was the case, then that Horse Girl whose face he couldn't see back then must have been Darley Arabian, one of the Three Goddesses...
"So, what do you want?"
『I just wanted to talk to you properly, once... is that no good?』
"I don't know. I really don't know."
Frankly, facing each other like this felt bizarre. He was born from his soul mixing with hers. He had absolutely no idea what he—or the original Rampage—should talk about. Surely, she felt the same way.
"You can say whatever you like. I'm ready for it."
『Eh? Like what?』
"Like, why are you here? Or, 'I'm the one who should be there'... don't you have any grudges like that?"
『I don't, you know? After all, I was the one who chose to let go... Ah, but I do feel really bad about Ryan.』
"Yeah. You showed your best friend the scene of her friend hanging herself. If things had gone poorly, she could have had a nervous breakdown and been unable to ever run in the Twinkle Series again."
『Ugh...』
There was undeniably a gap between them. The original Rampage shrank back before the words of the tyrant Mejiro Rampage. Her posture naturally shifted into a formal kneel (seiza), looking as if she were bracing herself for a scolding. Seeing that, he couldn't help but burst out laughing, asking her what she was bracing for, which made her a little angry.
『Hey! Are you having fun right now?』
"Yeah, I am. It's lively around me, and running is fun, too."
『I see. Hey... can I ask you for just one thing? Actually, there's a race my mom really loved. Could you run in it?』
"Well, it depends on the schedule... but what race is it?"
"Ran-chan. Ran-chan."
"—Ngh... Huh? Was I asleep...?"
Shoulder being shaken, he woke up to find Sue-chan staring at him. It seemed he had fallen asleep before he knew it... Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around, but she was nowhere to be found.
Was it a dream? Or perhaps...
But he had heard the wish. And he smiled. She had suggested something that made his blood boil.
"Hey, Sue-chan. After the Arc... is there time in the schedule?"
"You mean for me as a trainer? Technically, yes. You never know what might happen in this line of work, so I worked hard to keep this year open."
"Then, after the Arc—let's go to America. I'm going to go settle the score with Saber and Dyna."
Sue-chan didn't even look surprised at those words. She simply asked, maintaining her gentle smile.
"Which race do you want to enter?"
"The Breeders' Cup Classic."
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