Night fell over the coast. The sheer weight of the day's exertion finally caught up with the girls, and after a long soak in the communal bath to soothe their aching muscles, they were utterly spent. Even the rebellious Stay Gold wasn't immune; Rampage ended up carrying several of them, who had drifted off right there in the common area, back to their rooms. As she tucked them into their beds, the sound of rhythmic, peaceful breathing filled the air.
Only the first day and they're already out cold, Rampage thought. But I suppose that's just proof of how much heart they put into it.
"Not a bad team you've got there," Katsuragi Ace remarked, her voice low. "They actually kept up with my drilling."
"I didn't exactly raise them in a greenhouse," Rampage replied, reaching for a bottle. "Here, let me get that for you."
"Ah, thanks."
It was barely 8:00 PM, but the cottage was silent. Under the soft glow of the summer stars, the two legends sat out on the deck for a nightcap. They kept it professional when the students were around, but now was the time to let the tension bleed away.
"Having the world's fastest and strongest pour my sake… talk about luxury," Ace joked, taking a sip. "And these snacks are top-tier, too."
"The vegetables you brought are what makes it, Ace-san. They've got real flavor."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the cool night air and the quiet rhythm of adult conversation.
"Air-Air debuts in two years," Rampage mused. "I wonder how far I can take them by then."
"Who knows? That's up to them—and you. Honestly, though, I think your biggest challenge is going to be keeping a leash on Stay Gold."
"She's got a hell of a temperament," Rampage laughed, popping a piece of cucumber—marinated in BBQ sauce—into her mouth. "That's what makes her interesting."
"You look into the rumors about her?"
"I did. They were pretty colorful. 'Unmanageable,' 'impossible to scout,' 'a walking disaster,' 'downright terrifying'… the list goes on."
"I'd believe it if someone told me she eats her meat raw," Ace grunted. "But is a bad attitude really that much of a deal-breaker for you?"
Rampage cracked open a fresh beer. "Is being well-behaved the only metric for a great Umamusume? Is 'easy to handle' all that matters? I don't think so. I'll take a difficult temperament any day of the week. It just means they have that much more explosive power inside them. My job is just to point that explosion in the right direction."
"I can't argue with that," Ace smiled. "You weren't exactly a saint yourself."
"Exactly. In the broadest sense, I was a nightmare to manage. I caused more trouble than the rest of the academy combined."
"True enough."
Rampage had never considered herself "well-behaved." She knew she was a handful. The only reason she had reached the heights she did was because of Minamisaka's unwavering support. Because she trusted him with her life, she had followed his grueling menus without question. She hoped, in time, she could build that same bridge of trust with Stay Gold.
"Well then," Ace said, standing up. "I'll be sure to grind them even harder tomorrow."
"I'm joining the drills tomorrow, so it's going to be a real inferno."
"Perfect. Let's drink to their survival. Cheers."
"Cheers."
They downed their drinks, letting out satisfied sighs. They shared a laugh at how loud they were being when they heard a soft scuffing of feet. They turned to see Suzuka, eyes half-closed and swaying slightly, rubbing her face.
"Rampage-shun… are you still up…?"
"Oh, did we wake you?"
"I was… going to the bathroom… and I heard… voices…"
Unable to fight the gravitational pull of sleep, Suzuka tipped forward and slumped onto Rampage's lap. She was out again in seconds. The two trainers shared a quiet chuckle.
"Hey now, don't sleep on my knees. They're too bony. You'll wake up sore," Rampage whispered.
"I guess the party's over," Ace said, putting the lid on the sake. "I'll put this in the fridge. See you in the morning."
"Yeah. I'll get her back to her room."
Rampage carried Suzuka back and settled her under the covers. She lingered for a moment, patting the girl's head, before turning to leave. As she stepped into the hallway, she felt a presence—a sharp pair of eyes watching from the shadows. She didn't call out. She simply pretended not to notice and walked back to her own room.
In the darkness, the shadow remained still for a long time. Once the trainer's door clicked shut, the figure slipped back into their own room and crawled under the blankets.
"Run! Run like you're trying to tear my heels off!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
Day two of the camp. The morning began with sand dashes, but today, Rampage was leading the pack. She moved across the soft, shifting sand as if she were gliding on a paved track. Her footwork was on a different plane of existence—a stark reminder of the woman who had conquered the mud of the Arc de Triomphe.
"How is she that fast on this surface?!" Dober gasped. "Is this really the power of the world's best…?"
"Of course it is!" Air Groove shouted back, though she was heaving for air. "For Rampage-san, this is just a warm-up! Don't you dare fall behind!"
"We're already… going all out…!" Sunny gritted her teeth.
"No problem! We just have to get stronger!" Taiki cheered.
"Taiki's right!" Suzuka added. "Focus on the drive!"
The team's morale stayed high, anchored by Taiki's relentless optimism and Air Groove's stern discipline. Rampage listened to them from the front, thinking what a potent combination those two were. But then, Air Groove's voice sharpened into a blade.
"Stay Gold! What is that pathetic stride?! Do you even want to be in Pleiades?!"
Stay Gold was bringing up the rear, her expression unreadable. She was running at her own pace, seemingly indifferent to the "rules" of the drill—as if she were in a world of her own.
"You're an embarrassment to Rampage-san! If you don't care, then just quit!"
"Air-Air, that's enough—" Rampage started to intervene.
Boom.
The sand beneath Stay Gold's feet didn't just move; it erupted. In a blur of black and gold, she surged forward, leaving a trail of "craters" in the beach. She blew past the others in a heartbeat and pulled right up alongside Rampage.
"So fast!" Suzuka blinked.
"The sand… it looks like someone set off small explosives," Sunny muttered, staring at the footprints.
"Wow! What amazing power!" Taiki shouted. "That closing speed is incredible!"
"You…!" Air Groove fumed. "If you could do that the whole time, then why were you slacking off? You fool!"
"Stay! Keep that pace and try to overtake me!" Rampage challenged.
"—You got it!!"
Stay Gold dug in. She was small, which gave her incredible maneuverability, but the power packed into her frame was monstrous. When she actually "switched on," her ability was terrifying for a middle schooler.
(Quit?) Stay Gold thought, her teeth bared in a snarl. (Don't talk to me about quitting, you pompous Empress.)
"What's the matter? I'm picking up the pace!" Rampage taunted.
"Like hell you are!!"
"Alright, that's enough for the first set."
The scheduled time for the dashes was up. As the girls stood panting, Ace approached from the cottage, accompanied by three figures. Rampage wiped the sweat from her brow and grinned.
"Listen up. I told you at the start of the camp that some international heavyweights were coming to Japan to challenge our turf. Looks like the welcoming committee has arrived."
The girls looked up, their eyes widening. Standing there were the very Umamusume Rampage had battled during her legendary overseas expeditions.
"Yo," Rampage called out. "Back for another shot at the Japan Cup?"
"Quiet, you," the leader of the trio replied, her eyes narrowing playfully. "I'm here to break your world record and take that trophy home this time."
"And I'm not just here for the Cup," the second girl added with a smirk. "I've got my sights on the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, too."
"Then I guess I'll just have to settle for winning the Champions Cup," the third one chimed in.
Elguts. Silverstone. Stahl Armekor.
The names alone sent a shiver through the Pleiades members. These were true predators—athletes who competed on the world stage. Seeing them in the flesh, the young girls felt a lump form in their throats.
"You'd better give us a practice heat later," Silverstone said. "That's why we're here."
"Give me a break. I'm a Trainer now. I'm supposed to be focusing on my kids," Rampage complained.
"Don't give us that 'retired' talk. You're entering the Legend Race, aren't you? Consider this your training."
"I just don't want you all losing to me and then blaming me for ruining your confidence," Rampage smirked. "None of you have ever beaten me, after all."
"Why, you…!"
"I'll have you know I'm an Arc de Triomphe winner!"
"And I broke that winner to become the world record holder," Rampage countered coolly.
"You brat…!"
The atmosphere was friendly, yet crackling with an undeniable, sharp tension. It was the aura of the elite. And in that tension, two of the Pleiades members felt their hearts begin to pound—not with fear, but with a fierce, burning desire.
(I want to try... I want to fight them...!)
(I want to see the world from where they're standing...!)
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