"She should just stay at that energy level all the time."
Rampage's first reaction was to tsukkomi Flora's deadly serious commentary rather than focus on the newly started race. But no one could blame her. Not only was Rampage the main subject of that exasperation, but standing right beside her was Flora's biological younger sister, Tachyon, who was currently lamenting with all her heart, Why isn't she like that normally...?
"Seriously... why can't she just hold onto that tone...?"
"Tachyon, your eyes are completely dead."
"Mine are even deader than yours."
"Cafe, your eyes aren't dead at all. You're just... richly perceptive."
Surrounding Rampage were Tachyon, Pokke, and Cafe. Originally, Rampage had intended to spend the evening drinking, but when Tachyon asked her to come along, she canceled her request with Kamizuru to accompany them instead. Managing a crowd of kids at Nakayama Racecourse during the year-end madness was no small task, so she took on the role of guardian.
"And they're off to a clean start! Taking the early lead is Offside Trap! She bursts out into the front, but coming up right alongside her is Sakura Laurel! She took a narrow second in the Arc, but her performance captivated the world! Instead of the Kikuka Sho, Sakura bloomed on the international stage—will she scatter her petals across Nakayama today?! But wait, here comes Dragoon Lance, charging in like a knight's spear! It's shaping up to be a fierce contest right from the opening stretch!"
"I knew you'd come for me, Laurel!!"
"Going too fast too early is bad for your health, Trappy!"
"I'm nowhere near done yet!!"
"Count me in too~!!"
Trap's running was striking—unwavering stability paired with raw power, reminiscent of Mihono Bourbon's style. As Trap pressed forward with the ultimate confidence in her front-running strategy, her classmate Laurel drew even with her. Though, from Laurel's perspective, she likely didn't even realize she was pacing as a front-runner. Then there was Dragoon Lance—the least calculating of them all—who was simply, purely... having the time of her life.
"Laurel has zero intention of front-running; she's likely repeating her tactic from the Arc. Or rather, her baseline stamina has increased so drastically from her training that she's hitting near-front-runner speeds effortlessly."
"Offside Trap looks like a true front-runner, but is she actually executing a high-pace stalker strategy...?"
"She's running with herself in mind—no, wait. She's conscious of Brian," Rampage muttered.
"No, she's keeping her eyes on Brian," Flora stated in sync from the booth.
Rampage and Flora's read aligned perfectly. Brian's full-body stride was, in a sense, extraordinarily close to Rampage's own. To break through that, the runners at the front looked up at the absolute peak—running forward specifically to outpace the terrifying shadow closing in from behind.
"Behind them, Biwa Hayahide and Rice Shower are holding position three lengths back from Dragoon Lance. Following close behind are Oguri Roman, alongside Nice Nature, Winning Ticket, and Machikane Tannhauser! Narita Brian is positioned slightly further back, with Narita Taishin and Hishi Amazon tailing her! The pack is heavily bunched toward the front!"
"Because Laurel is pushing the pace like a front-runner, Trap is forced to match that intensity just to escape. If this keeps up, a wire-to-wire win isn't impossible, which is why Hayahide is calculating the pace perfectly from her position. Rice is a classic stayer with immense stamina, so she can easily leverage her late burst from where she is. A very sound decision. The rest of the field is holding good ground, though Brian's position is a bit concerning. She's sitting right between the stalkers and the closers... she might be conserving her energy."
"Brian's further back than usual... No, she botched her initial move."
"Botched it?" Pokke reacted instantly to Rampage's observation. The idea that an undefeated Triple Crown winner could make a mistake seemed impossible, so Rampage explained.
"Not a mistake so much as she couldn't ride the momentum. The pressure and resolve from the others hit harder than she anticipated. She made the start she planned, but the rest of the field launched out even harder. That's her lack of defeat showing."
Her complete absence of loss was working against her. Sure, she had lost mock races against Rampage, but mock races were just practice. The suffocating atmosphere of a real G1—where everyone was burning with the sole obsession to surpass her—exceeded Brian's expectations.
"Brian's start was solid. But the rest of the field launched out like cannons today... That's why she fell back. To light her own fire."
"To... light her fire? Is that why she dropped back?"
"Yeah. Laurel isn questioning her—she's not the only rival Brian's got out there. There are classmates right behind her capable of threatening her crown. And Brian knows it."
"What's the matter, Brian?! This isn't like you at all!!!"
"If you have time to chat, save it for running. Or do you plan to jog alongside me the whole race?"
"Works for me! You're planning on making a move anyway, aren't you?!"
Hishi Amazon—the empress whom everyone acknowledged as the undisputed powerhouse of this year's Tiara line.
"I feel like you and I get along, but don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're Hayahide's sister!"
"Don't you dare go easy on me. If my sister finds out, she'll never let me hear the end of it."
"Heh, fair enough!"
And beside them was Narita Taishin, one of her sister's fiercest rivals. These two presences acted as the detonator, igniting the fierce spirit dormant inside Brian.
The front-runners were far ahead—at least ten lengths out, if not more. Yet, strangely, Brian felt no panic. Up ahead were her sister and Laurel. Behind her were Amazon and Taishin.
Ah, she realized. This is the exact kind of race I've always wanted to run.
"Hishi-ama."
"What's up?"
"...Can you keep up?"
Her smirk was provocative, almost a challenge, but Amazon knew it wasn't mockery. Brian was declaring the real fight started right now.
"I'm the Empress of Canopus! Hishi Amazon doesn't back down from a duel!!"
"Ha! Don't get cocky, junior! Ignore me and you're going to get burned!"
"Then—!!"
"""LET'S GO!!!"""
"Here comes Nice Nature! The classic long-spurt runner is surging forward, closing in on Biwa Hayahide! But wait—from the very back of the pack, three shadows are exploding forward all at once!! Narita Taishin! Hishi Amazon! And here comes the shadow roll—NARITA BRIAN IS MAKING HER MOVE! She's tearing up the turf with incredible speed!! What a stretch! Is this the true power of our undefeated Triple Crown winner?! With unbelievable acceleration, she's bearing down on Biwa Hayahide!!"
"W-What kind of acceleration is that?! She's doing this before even going all-out?!" Flora gasped from the booth.
"You've finally arrived! I knew you'd come, Brian!!"
"We've been waiting for you, Brian-chan!!"
"I... I have waited for this exact day my entire life—!!!"
Rampage looked down at the track, her eyes burning bright.
"Burn this into your memories, you young girls who have yet to step onto the turf. What you are witnessing is the stride of the mighty. The stride of the unrivaled. The stride of a true hegemon worthy of the title: The Strongest!"
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