『The Longchamp Slide! I never thought we would see this sight again! A nightmare for the European home team, a miracle for Japan, and a glimpse at the legacy of a legend! Agnes Flora and Sakura Laurel are plummeting down the hill together! Are all Japanese Horse Girls this fearless on the gradients?!』
The hills at Longchamp are far more punishing than those in Japan. Consequently, how one navigates them is the key to conquering the Arc. Normally, this is where a runner shows patience. A long descent puts immense, direct pressure on the legs; even in Japan, the golden rule of the Kyoto hills is to climb slow and descend slower. Yet, there have been great ones who defied that rule and claimed victory.
There was Mr. CB, who shattered the Kyoto rule with a fierce mid-race spurt to claim the Triple Crown. And then… there was the Absolute Tyrant, Mejiro Rampage, who tore through this very Longchamp course without ever easing off the throttle, uphill or down. In this race, the two leaders weren't just mimicking Rampage—they weren't even thinking about the "rules." They were simply hunting the phantom of the girl running just out of reach.
『Incredible speed! Are they really going to sustain this all the way? We still have the False Straight to negotiate—the finish is a long way off!』
Indeed, Longchamp is a grueling test of endurance. Even with the long False Straight and the final, punishing home stretch waiting for them, the two had accelerated. Some voices in the stands laughed, thinking they'd blown their energy too early, but the girls on the track didn't have the luxury of smiling.
(Why? Why is this happening?!)
(Wh-Why are they running like that?!)
(Stop it… I can see it…!!)
『(The back of that girl… it's becoming so vivid…!!)』
The shadow that had been flickering at the edge of the international runners' vision grew darker, more defined, until they could almost hear the phantom hoofbeats. The Absolute Tyrant wasn't here, yet her presence was so overwhelming that it felt as though any victory today would be meaningless if it didn't surpass her. Flora and Laurel were chasing that shadow with everything they had.
And what were they doing? The rest of the field felt like cowards, playing it safe just to win a title, while the Japanese girls were waging a war against a legend.
『They're coming off the hill! The Japanese pair has a monopoly on the lead, but when will the pack make its move?!』
"I can't take it anymore! I—we—we want to beat her just as much as they do!!"
『Beadledophe has broken rank! She's surging forward!』
"Me too! I won't be left behind!"
"If I'm going to win, I'm going to crush the Japanese pride once and for all!"
『It's not just Beadledophe! One after another, the pack is igniting! We're on the False Straight and the pace is skyrocketing! Are they being pulled along by Agnes Flora and Sakura Laurel?!』
"Of course they are," Minamisaka muttered back at the house.
"This is the Arc. It sits at the very pinnacle of our world. The stakes are higher than anyone can imagine. The years of training, the heartbreak, the dreams… the pride clashing out there is something even a Trainer can't fully measure."
"Turbo kind of gets it," Turbo said softly. "The Arc really is special."
The weight of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is no small thing. To many, winning it is the ultimate goal—but to win it and then have your victory belittled in comparison to Rampage's legendary run? That was an insult no world-class athlete could endure. If they were going to win, they would do it by running a race that even the Tyrant would have to respect.
"Flora and Laurel are already out in front, so the others have no choice but to chase," Minamisaka continued.
"It's a Phantom Lead," I said with a sigh. "I'm retired and I'm still causing this much trouble. I'm a terrible woman, aren't I?"
Flora and Laurel were staring at a hallucination, but because they were chasing it with such raw, honest conviction, they had made that phantom real for everyone else. Right now, every girl on that track was seeing Mejiro Rampage.
『Agnes Flora is still the leader! Sakura Laurel follows, and they've opened up a five-length gap on the pack! We're turning into the final straight! The chasers are desperate, but the leaders are accelerating even more! Where do they have the strength left for this?! Here they come—the final stretch! Agnes Flora leads, but Sakura Laurel is closing in! Two Japanese flowers are in full bloom at Longchamp! Wait—here comes a surge! Carnegie is flying! What a late kick! Can she catch the leaders?!』
"Guh… hah…!"
My lungs were screaming. My head throbbed. My legs felt like lead weights. I could hear the thundering hooves of the girls behind me. I had been chasing Rampage-san this whole time, but this pace… it was madness. I had run against her to prepare for the Derby, but doing this at Longchamp was a different beast entirely.
"Ngh…!"
My vision blurred. My breathing was ragged. I felt like I was going to collapse; my strength was draining away—
"—Go…!"
I heard something. It was faint, broken by the wind, but I knew instantly it was meant for me. Who was calling out to me? The voice was powerful, dignified, and so familiar it pulled me back from the brink of unconsciousness.
『Go, Laurel! You went there to fight me, didn't you?!』
That's right. That voice—
『You went there to surpass me. Then prove it! Show me the girl who's going to take me down!!』
"—!!!"
『Carnegie has Sakura Laurel in her sights—no! Laurel finds another gear! Carnegie is giving it everything, but Sakura Laurel explodes forward!! Can she catch Agnes Flora?! Is the Japanese flag going to fly over the Arc?!』
With only half a length to go, Laurel felt like she finally had Rampage in her grasp. But as she poured the last of her soul into her stride, she saw Flora's back grow larger. And in that moment… Flora's form overlapped perfectly with the Rampage running at the head of the pack.
『Agnes Flora is accelerating AGAIN?! I don't believe it! After leading for so long, she still had this much in reserve?! Agnes Flora is in the lead! The gap to Sakura Laurel is one length! Laurel is hanging on, but she's running out of room!』
(I made it. I'm finally here. I've finally reached the same heights as you… Now, the only thing left is to win!!)
[The Long-Awaited Great Flower]
[Love for the Absolute Tyrant]
『100 meters to go and Agnes Flora is gone! She's pulling away from Sakura Laurel by two lengths! Carnegie is fading—she's got nothing left! This is unbelievable! It's the shock of that day all over again! The Great Flower from Japan crosses the finish line first at Longchamp! AGNES FLORA WINS THE ARC! Sakura Laurel in second, Carnegie in third! The Japanese girls have done it again! The glory of the Arc goes to Mejiro Rampage's greatest rival, Agnes Flora!! A one-two finish for Japan!! And the time is—』
[2:21:3]
『Wha—?! Impossible! Agnes Flora has officially matched the glory of Mejiro Rampage! A TIE FOR THE WORLD RECORD! The Japanese miracle has struck Longchamp a second time!!!』
Amidst an explosion of cheers that threatened to shake the sky, Flora looked up at the heavens and thrust her fist into the air. With the most radiant smile I had ever seen on her face, she spoke to the camera.
"Now then… next time, I'm coming to beat you for real, Rampage-san!"
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