The Kikuka-sho had been a heated battle, and its victor was Rice Shower—the jet-black stayer who tore victory from the grasp of the undefeated Double Crown Horse Girl, Mihono Bourbon. True to her name, she was showered with overflowing blessings.
"It is true that the Triple Crown did not come to pass. However, I have obtained something far more valuable than that. Two rivals I can strive against with everything I have, wanting to win with every fiber of my being... There is no treasure greater than this. Therefore, I will train even harder under my Master to defeat Rice-san and Tannhauser-san. Next time, I will win."
Bourbon's comment served to reinforce the positive reception. The majority agreed: this rivalry was indeed worth more than a Triple Crown. And the fact that the Mihono Bourbon said as much only strengthened the narrative that Rice and Tannhauser were truly incredible horse girls.
Jet-Black Stayer Rice Shower Conquers the Kikuka-sho!!
Double Crown Horse Girl Mihono Bourbon's Greatest Rivals: Rice Shower and Machikane Tannhauser
Magazines with headlines like these were appearing as a matter of course. Naturally, the ones with the largest coverage were from the publisher that favored Rampage. With the "credit" of Rampage's name behind them, both Rice and Tannhauser felt safe accepting interview requests.
However, it was also true that some magazines published articles that left a bad taste in one's mouth, blatantly emphasizing the "blocking" of Bourbon's Triple Crown and writing as if to frame Rice as a heel.
It was undeniable that many fans were saddened by the loss, having placed their hopes on Bourbon's undefeated Triple Crown. That publisher was likely one of them... but to watch that Kikuka-sho and still see Rice as a villain? The moment Rampage saw the magazine, she snapped.
Specifically, she snapped like this:
"Minami-chan, I'm gonna make a quick call. Need to ask Grandma if I can use the family lawyer."
"Stop right there."
She was angry enough to seriously consider a lawsuit. Minamisaka managed to persuade her out of it, but in exchange—
"There are actually people calling Rice a heel, huh? I get that it's just the flip side of the massive expectations placed on Bourbon, but Bourbon herself admitted Rice is her greatest rival and said this is worth way more than a Triple Crown. The issue's already settled by the racers themselves, so I honestly struggle to understand why anyone's still treating her like a villain. That's my opinion.
Eh? Am I being too blunt? If you got a problem with it, come say it to my face. I'll take you on anytime."
She boldly declared her opinion on a live stream. She worried for a moment if she had gone too far... but it seemed many shared her sentiment. A storm of agreement followed, and the offending publisher was reportedly flooded with protest calls and anti-comments.
It was a moment where Rampage realized, once again, just how scary her influence really was.
"O-Onee-sama, how was Rice's running...?"
"It was amazing. Or rather, you were using my running style too, weren't you?"
After the Kikuka-sho, when she had a chance to talk to Rice again, the younger girl asked about her performance. There was no doubt that her heightened mental state had raised the baseline of her physical and technical abilities, but what caught Rampage's eye most was the run during the final spurt.
"Yeah. I was watching you up close for so long, so I practiced it in secret."
Before Rampage left for overseas, Rice had run alongside her countless times. Rampage's running style was burned into her eyes. Furthermore, Minamisaka kept archives of all recording footage, providing a perfect environment for study. So, Rice had kept it hidden as a final trump card.
"But then, Bourbon-san used Turbo-san's Dokkan Turbo too, so I tried doing that as well."
"And you're saying you pulled it off?"
"Yeah. I hadn't practiced it, but I'd seen it enough."
Hearing this, Rampage realized once again that Rice, like Teio, fell into the category of "genius." Putting it all together, she concluded that Rice was evolving; Rice's "domain" was one that could absorb the domains of her opponents and adapt them to herself.
Given that it involved absorbing traits from those she interacted with, Rampage thought, She really is influenced by me...
"Next up is the Arima Kinen. Since we're on a roll, wanna aim for that?"
For Rice, whose nature was that of a stayer, the Arima Kinen was a race where she could display her full power. Entering and aiming for the top was a viable option. Nature, Ikuno, and Turbo would likely run too... but Rice, whose true essence lay in long distances, should be able to fight more than adequately even against senior-class opponents.
Rice made a gesture as if thinking a little.
"Are you running, Onee-sama?"
"I'm thinking about it."
Technically, she was the world record holder for 2500m, but fundamentally, her main battlefield was up to 2400m. 2500m was on the borderline of her limits. But at the same time, her desire to run in the Arima Kinen was considerable. That race had truly stirred her soul. Assembling the same members as last time would be difficult, but if she could run, she wanted to.
"If Onee-sama runs... then Rice wants to run, too."
"I'm happy to hear that, but you should decide based on your own will. It's your race, Rice."
"...Okay."
Rice looked a little conflicted, so Rampage patted her head. Immediately, the girl turned to mush, her ears and tail wagging happily. While Rampage was being healed by her little sister's cuteness, Turbo burst into the clubroom.
"Raaaan!! Oh, Rice is here too! The Kikuka-sho was amazing!!"
"T-Thank you, Turbo-san."
"As your senior, I'm proud!!" Turbo declared, patting Rice's head just like Ran did. It was a bit rougher, but Rice kept smiling.
"So, what's up? Were you looking for me?"
"Ah, that's right!! Turbo is running in the upcoming Japan Cup, and I saw a name on the list that ran in the same race as Ran!!"
With the Kikuka-sho over, the next big event was the Japan Cup, part of the Autumn Senior Triple Crown. Aiming to conquer this Triple Crown—a feat even Rudolf hadn't achieved with the Spring Senior Triple Crown—was Teio. Unfortunately, Teio had suffered a defeat in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). The winner was Ryan, who had shown the pride of a Mejiro horse girl to stop Teio's Triple Crown bid from the previous year.
However, Teio wasn't one to stay down. She immediately announced her entry into the Japan Cup. Turbo had also run in the Tenno Sho but finished 4th. McQueen was 3rd, and Teio was 2nd.
"Does that mean you're not running in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup?"
"I wanted to, but Trainer stopped me. Ikuno is running in that one, though."
"Ikuno-san is amazing..."
True to her nickname, the Iron Lady, Ikuno seemed to be saying this level of hard schedule was no problem as she prepared for the QEII. Well, Rampage had done similar things.
Putting that aside, Turbo mentioned a name she recognized. She checked the list and, sure enough, it was a familiar one.
Silver Stone.
"Silver Stone... wasn't she in the Irish Champion Stakes?"
"Yeah. Come to think of it, she did say she wanted to challenge you too."
"Really!? Alriiight! I'm gonna blow past her with Turbo's Dokkan Turbo!!"
"She's not an easy opponent, you know. Go on, get to practice."
"Oooooh!!"
Watching Turbo dash out of the clubroom, Rampage decided to pat Rice's head again.
Time was marching on. What should she do? She hesitated a little. She had decided on the "end," but the path to get there was still undecided.
I guess I'll just have to consult with Minami-chan as I go...
As she was thinking this, the door was kicked open.
"Yo. There you are, Ran. Show your face, too. I'm about to test this so-called 'Triple Crown ability' that Japan is so proud of with my own legs."
"You again... Are you running against the Chairman, CB-san, and that crowd?"
"Teio and Ryan are jumping in too. You wanna join?"
"Hey, I'm still on my break."
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