"Hah… Dammit. Am I actually starting to wear out?"
Rampage muttered to herself, her breath coming in heavy, ragged plumes. She knew she couldn't afford to be sloppy, but her pace was visibly flagging. To anyone else, her speed was still terrifying, but Rampage knew her own body. She was hitting a wall, and she had no one to blame but herself.
Managing the administrative duties for Team Nemesis was a full-time job. Then there was Team Pleiades to oversee. Add to that her role as the acting lead for Canopus… any sane person would have buckled under the labor. Rampage had only managed this long because she was efficient—dangerously so. But even efficiency had its limits.
"Seriously… Hey, Brian. Show your senior a little respect. I'm looking after three whole teams and you on top of that."
Narita Brian looked at her, her eyes burning with a cold, singular focus. "I'm sorry, Senpai. But I refuse to lose to Laurel. I want to be a rival worthy of her."
Rampage sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I can't knock that spirit. Fine, you win. One more lap. Just one."
"You have my thanks!"
Brian's "relentless attack" of requests for simulated races had been impossible to ignore. With the Arc de Triomphe looming, Laurel was surely honing herself into a perfect blade. To stand on equal footing, Brian was determined to win the Chrysanthemum Stakes—the Kikuka-sho—undefeated, securing her place as a Triple Crown winner. She had literally bowed her head, pleading for Rampage to help her reach that next level.
Even the rest of the BNW trio had cornered her:
"Rampage-san, I'm asking as well," Biwa Hayahide had said. "Please, lend my sister your strength."
"A-And from me too! I know you're busy, but please!" Winning Ticket had added.
"...Me too. Please," Narita Taishin had muttered.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Rampage had barked at the time. "If I turned down a request from all three of you, I'd never hear the end of it. But if we do this, Brian, you'd better damn well win the Kikuka-sho."
"Of course," Brian had replied, her voice like iron. "I will… win!"
"Hah… hah… Man, I really can't say no to a woman, can I?"
"Senpai! Are you alright?!"
Rampage felt her knees buckle. She was about to hit the turf when Fuji Kiseki darted forward, catching her by the shoulder to steady her. To anyone else, the idea of the "Tyrant" Rampage losing her edge was unthinkable—especially after seeing her monstrous performance during the summer training camp—but Trainer Tojo looked on with a face full of guilt.
"I am so sorry for pushing you this hard," Tojo said, bowing her head. "I heard Brian practically coerced Hayahide into helping her corner you. I'll make sure to give her a piece of my mind."
"Don't sweat it, Ohana-san," Rampage grunted, leaning into Fuji's support. "I was just looking out for my junior. If it helps her grow, that's a senior's job. That's how I got strong, after all."
"That doesn't make it right. You just ran several 3,000-meter simulations. That isn't even your distance. We've asked too much of you."
Brian had heard stories of how Rampage acted as a pacer for Hayahide's Kikuka-sho prep, and she had moved heaven and earth to make it happen for herself. Even though Rampage was retired, a trainer's instinct told Tojo that this was crossing a line.
"To be honest, the exhaustion is my own fault," Rampage admitted with a wry grin. "Juggling three teams is the real killer."
"Then why on earth did you agree to the mock races?"
"Why?" Rampage's eyes flashed with a lingering spark of competitive fire. "Because I want to see it. I want to see the best version of Brian collide with the best version of Laurel. I'd go through hell just to get a front-row seat to a race like that."
Tojo blinked, stunned. "You did all this… just for that?"
"That, and I had to keep my reputation up with the juniors."
Rampage's philosophy was simple: if it leads to an interesting race, it's worth the pain.
"You're still overdoing it…"
"Maybe a little. So, Brian? You feeling confident?"
Brian looked at her rival, her expression unreadable. "You spend the whole time complaining you can't run long distances, and then you leave me in the dust at the 3,000-meter mark. You have a lot of nerve."
"I didn't conquer the world stage for nothing."
"...Fair point," Brian conceded. "I'll win, just like my sister did. So, next time, you should help Sis with her training for the Autumn Emperors' Cup."
"Brian! You can't be serious!" Tojo gasped.
Rampage, however, burst into a fit of genuine, booming laughter. The sheer audacity of the request seemed to delight her.
"I can't do it right now, obviously," Rampage chuckled. "But I'll take you on eventually. Just don't think it'll be easy, Hayahide. Unlike the Kikuka-sho, the 2,000-meter sprint is my backyard. Don't expect to just walk away with the win."
"That is exactly what I'm hoping for," Hayahide replied firmly. "I will win the Tenno Sho Autumn."
"I'll be looking forward to it. Sorry, Fuji… mind if I keep leaning on you for a bit?"
"O-Of course! How far do you need me to carry you?" Fuji Kiseki asked, her face flushing slightly.
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