"But doesn't that mean everyone except Laurel is a loser?" Turbo said bluntly. "They're all worrying about Ran-chan. That's no good. In the end, you're the one doing the running."
It was a harsh critique, but Turbo was right. In a race, everyone else is the enemy; you have to focus on your own stride. While the European style often involves tactical head games to shake an opponent's resolve, Turbo usually bypassed all of that by running so far ahead that the others were forced to focus only on running just to keep up.
"But if she's chasing Ran-chan, she should be diving into that 'Great Escape' pace, right?" Turbo continued. "Flora is still holding back. She has plenty of energy left—her footwork is still too light."
Minamisaka looked at Turbo with genuine admiration. He was moved by how much she had grown. I'd said it before—watching Turbo grow gave me a glimpse into what it felt like to be a parent.
"You're right. But the pressure Flora is putting out—that same pressure she used to compete with Rampage-san—looks like a full-tilt sprint to everyone else. She's playing it beautifully…"
Flora was conserving energy while maintaining a perfect position, all while staring fixedly ahead to keep the pack behind her in a state of high anxiety. From her perspective, there was only me. But that singular focus was poking at the runners behind her, stirring the seeds of doubt in their hearts and forcing them to up their pace prematurely.
"But Laurel is picking up speed too," Turbo noted. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Laurel was indeed riding the wave to maintain her position. Her pace was even a fraction faster than the others. Some of the international girls were already trying to box her in.
"She'll be fine," I said. "Because Laurel is only looking at me, too."
(So this is Rampage-san's Arc… It's incredible. I can see her so clearly in front of me.)
Despite the "debuff" of the crushing atmosphere, Laurel didn't flinch. She had been a nervous wreck before the start, but once the wind hit her face, the anxiety vanished. There was only the path ahead. Even as they hit the Longchamp hill, nothing changed. Flora maintained her rhythm, and Laurel matched it. The pressure on her was immense, yet she glided through it as if it were nothing.
(Rampage-san… maybe you knew all along that I would end up here.)
If you win the Derby, I'll give you permission for the Arc. I remembered those words. Maybe I had run with her all those times because I believed she was capable of this. If so… it was her duty as my junior to answer those feelings. And—
(Brian… in order to surpass you, I will—) "I will challenge that person!"
(Good pace. Longchamp isn't nearly as difficult to run as I imagined…)
Flora continued to tear through the grass. In her mind's eye, the Rampage of that day was right there. As expected of a world-record run. To think you were this amazing… I knew it. This is exactly how I pictured you.
Flora felt more fulfilled than ever. The "Rampage Ghost" was ultimately just a hallucination of her own making, but it was performing my stride with absolute fidelity. It was proof that she had perfectly memorized every inch of my soul.
(Rampage-san… Ah, my sun, my idol… Today… today is the day—) "I finally catch you!"
『We're rounding the third corner, and now comes the steep descent—Wha—?! They're moving already?! Sakura! Sakura Laurel is making her move! No, Agnes Flora is answering! The Japanese pair is surging! It's the Japanese Dive down the Longchamp hill!』
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