As the talent pool in Team Pleiades grew to legendary proportions, Rampage found himself nursing a burgeoning headache. He tried to soothe his nerves by reminding himself that Team Rigil, in the original stories, was even more absurdly stacked. With that small consolation, he dove back into his work.
"Maya! Don't you dare drop your speed on purpose!"
"I'm not doing it on purpose~!" Mayano Topgun chirped back, though her grin suggested otherwise.
"Oh, really? Stego! Now's your chance! Maya's underestimated you—blow right past her!"
"You got it, boss!" Stay Gold barked, kicking into high gear.
"Wha—?! That's totally unfair!" Maya squealed.
Maya was currently experimenting with her form, trying to learn how to intentionally drop her pace during gear shifts to recover more stamina. It was a clever trick, but since she'd tried to pull it off without consulting me first, I figured a little "punishment" via Stego was in order. Thanks to the 'Shinzan Iron' training, Stego's performance was sharpening beautifully; she was closing the gap on the pre-debut Maya with terrifying speed.
Seeing the threat, Maya finally stopped playing around, shifted gears, and bolted to maintain her lead.
"Geez, Rampage-san! You're a demon!"
"Don't let her get away, Stego!"
"In your dreams!"
Despite the complaining, both Maya and Stego were flying. The raw power difference was still there, but Stego's growth was undeniable. I found myself wondering just how explosive her actual debut would be… but then, a realization hit me. I'd forgotten something important.
"Suzuka. Which path are you aiming for?"
"Which path?" Suzuka tilted her head, looking refreshed and barely winded.
"Also… you really need to learn how to pace yourself for others."
I gestured behind her. There, sprawled across the grass in various states of collapse, were our three newest members: King Halo, El Condor Pasa, and Special Week. I'd asked Suzuka to take them on a light jog, but it seemed her "bad habit" had flared up.
"T-too… fast…" King wheezed, her pride currently buried in the dirt.
"Just… keeping up… was…" El gasped, her mask slightly askew.
"I thought… I'd get lost…" Spe moaned.
"Oh… um, I'm so sorry, you three," Suzuka said, looking genuinely sheepish. "I'll go get some juice."
I'd warned her about this before, but it seemed the urge to see "the scenery at the front" wasn't something Suzuka could just turn off. Once she started running, she simply got lost in the joy of it. Still, the fact that the rookies had managed to stay behind her at all was a testament to the "Golden Generation."
As the three of them gulped down the hydration drinks Suzuka brought back, she turned her attention back to my question.
"You asked about my path?"
"The Classic route or the Tiara route?"
In the history I knew, she'd technically taken the Classic route—skipping the Satsuki Sho but running in the Derby. As a trainer, I knew Suzuka wasn't built for long distances. Most fans agreed her "Golden Zone" was strictly between 2000m and 2200m.
"I… I just want to see the view from the front," Suzuka said softly. "But I'm interested in the scenery that you haven't seen yet, Rampage-san."
"Oh?"
"Besides, I made a promise to Sunny. We're going to have an all-out battle to see who the true 'Great Silence' is."
A "Great Escape" duel. To a normal person, it sounded like a reckless gamble, but having raced against Twin Turbo in my own career, I couldn't exactly judge. If that was her goal, the Classic route was the way to go. It meant I'd need to design a long-distance endurance menu for her—the Kikuka Sho would be a nightmare for her without years of specialized prep—but I decided to play it by ear based on her growth.
"Pwah! Carrot juice really hits the spot when you're dying…" King sighed, regaining some of her regal composure.
"Dry… throat… oasis…" El groaned.
"This juice is amazing!" Spe beamed, already bouncing back.
I looked at Suzuka, then pointed at the exhausted trio. "When you're with me, you can go as hard as you want. But when you're with your juniors, have some mercy."
"Yes… I'll be careful."
I reached out and lightly patted her head. Suzuka's mood instantly brightened. In her training, the "carrot and stick" approach worked best—literally and figuratively. The trick was the balance; I was constantly leaning on Minamisaka for advice on how to fine-tune her motivation.
"Actually, Air Groove, Dober! Come here a sec!"
I called over the two who were busy with 100m hurdle sprints. They rushed over, looking slightly panicked that they'd done something wrong.
"I-is there a problem?!" Air Groove asked, breathless.
"No, no. It's just about that time."
"Time? For what?"
"To go cheer on your old teammates."
"They've passed the 600m mark! Third Course is in the lead! Third Course is holding the front! Can she hold on until the finish?!"
The Oka-sho—the Cherry Blossom Sho. The opening act of the Triple Tiara, and a race even more prestigious than the early Classics. For me, it was a race of deep sentiment; it was my first major win as "Mejiro Rampage." Today, two girls from Team Canopus were in the thick of it.
"We've hit the final stretch and here comes Hishi Amazon from the far outside! The Juvenile Fillies champion is looking to sweep the Sakura! She's overpowering the field, but wait—someone is matching her stride! It's Oguri Roman! Roman is charging in!"
"I won't lose!"
"Hah! You've got guts, kid! Let's settle this—one on one!"
Oguri Roman, the pride of Team Spica, was surging forward with a closing speed that rivaled Amazon's. But Hishi Amazon thrived on pressure. The closer the duel, the hotter her fire burned, turning the friction of the race into pure momentum. It looked like a two-horse race—until a shadow flickered from the inside rail.
"Someone is coming through the inside! From the tightest gap imaginable, it's Dragoon Lance! Dragoon Lance has exploded onto the scene! Is this the new 'Big Three' of the Tiara route? It's a battle that mirrors the legendary Mejiro Rampage era! Will Amazon break away, will Roman push through, or will Dragoon Lance pierce them both?!"
"THIS IS OUR DUEL!"
"Just like Oguri-san… I'll do it too!"
"This time… for sure… THIS TIME!"
The three of them crossed the finish line almost as a single entity, their shadows overlapping as they blurred past the post. All three slowed to a halt, lungs burning, bodies trembling. They stood in the silence of the aftermath, waiting for the electronic board to confirm the fate of the photo finish.
"Dra-Lan… your arm…"
Amazon pointed it out first. Dragoon Lance looked down, seemingly noticing for the first time. Her arm was scraped raw and bleeding—the result of forcing herself through a gap so narrow she'd practically brushed the inner railing. She'd put her body on the line because she refused to lose. And she didn't regret a thing.
"Roman-chan, you were incredible," Dragoon Lance panted, rubbing her arm. "That closing speed was basically the same as Ama-chan's."
"I practiced so much… trying to catch up to Taishin-senpai and Teio-senpai from behind…"
"Ugh, what kind of monster training is that?" Amazon laughed. "Though I guess Canopus can't really talk."
"Ahaha, true."
Even before the results were final, the air between them was warm. No grudges, no bitterness. Just the mutual respect of warriors who had given everything. And then, the result flashed on the screen.
"By a neck's width—it's Dragoon Lance! Dragoon Lance takes first place! The Sakura Tiara belongs to Dragoon Lance! Second is Oguri Roman, third is Hishi Amazon! Dragoon Lance has claimed her revenge against the Amazon!"
"YES! YESSSSSS! ALRIGHT!"
"Gah! Third?! I lost to Roman by a nose!"
"Aaaah! I almost had it!"
One roared with joy; two cried out in frustration. But even the losers had smiles hidden behind their grimaces. It stung to lose a race you only get to run once in a lifetime, but they had gained something just as valuable: rivals. The fire for a rematch in the Oaks was already smoldering in their eyes.
"Dra-Lan, don't get comfortable! I'm taking the Oaks!"
"Next time, the winner is me!"
"Heh. This Dragoon Lance is more than ready to take you on! Bring it!"
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