Indeed, no girl embodied that creed like Flora. It must have left Kuronuma with complicated feelings—though I'm sure Tojo felt the same…
"So, what do you think Flora-san's chances are?"
"I've heard the gist of it from El."
"Wait, me?!"
"Yeah, from 'El-Goods'—not from you, my cute little El," I teased, giving El Condor Pasa a pat on the head to apologize for the pun. She looked tickled but lean into the touch comfortably.
Suzuka shot a look of pure jealousy our way, and Maya—who had apparently woken up—re-seated herself deeper into my lap and gave my chest a firm pat, as if marking her territory. I patted Maya's head too and continued.
"I heard from her that this year might be the toughest yet. Mostly because of the sheer number of runners."
"There are… twenty-three entrants this year?"
"There were only fifteen when I ran it," I noted.
More runners meant a more violent scramble for position. In Europe, the "Forward" tactic is the standard; girls who rely on a late-stage burst from the back are in the minority. There are some who choose to Lead, but they're often treated as "rabbits" to set the pace. With this many people, Laurel—who usually runs from the back—would have a nightmare of a time, and Flora would be forced to fight for a good spot early on.
"You once said that if you ran the Arc, you'd have a definite advantage," someone recalled.
"Well, yeah. Because I'd just leave everyone in the dust."
The Classic-tier Laurel and the veteran Senior Flora. In Japan, experts continued to claim the Arc was an insurmountable wall. They said my victory was nothing short of a miracle—that they couldn't imagine anyone else winning it. As the winner, I appreciated the sentiment, but honestly, they were selling the others short.
"—Go show them, Flora."
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. It was an unmistakable cheer. This was my rival's race; I was no longer involved. I wasn't involved, but… if I was going to watch, I wanted to see something spectacular. I wanted to see a race that defied all logic.
"Laurel, you show them too. Brian is watching."
I sent a thought out to my junior as well. I believed they could do it. The teams had changed, but in my heart, I was still a Canopus senior. I had watched my juniors bleed and sweat; I had to believe in that effort.
"It'll work out. A race is a living thing. It's exciting because you never know what will happen. There's no room for mere coincidence—I'll be your Goddess of Fortune, so you better reach out and grab that victory with everything you've got!!"
The moment those words left my lips, the screen cut to the footage in front of the gates. Suddenly, Flora stopped moving and began looking up at the heavens with a dazed expression. The camera caught Sakura Laurel standing next to her, looking completely bewildered.
"Whoa, she's incredible!" someone shouted. "That weirdo actually reacted to Rampage's cheer! Is she a psychic or something?!"
"…That idiot," I groaned. "She's completely forgotten this is being broadcast live to the entire world. No, wait, knowing her, she probably doesn't care. I bet Tachyon is burying her head in her hands right about now…"
Despite my anxieties, the gate-in was finally completed. The greatest race in the world: the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. There was no doubt that whoever won this would claim the ultimate glory. As a whirlwind of emotions crossed the Atlantic, the gates finally swung open.
『And they're off! A clean start for the entire field, but getting an exceptionally good jump are the Japanese challengers, Agnes Flora and Sakura Laurel! What kind of race will they show us? Wait—Sakura Laurel is taking a good position, but Agnes Flora is fast! She's incredibly fast! She's already taken the lead! Is this another Japanese 'Front-Runner' blitz?!』
"...Sister… why do you have to go into a state of religious ecstasy there of all places…?"
"Is Tachyon's big sister okay? She looks like she's seen a ghost."
"...She is a disgrace to Japan, that moron sister of mine…"
"Well, Flora-san certainly never wavers, does she? I suppose we'll just have to file a formal protest when she gets back."
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