"Hey, Rampage. Something happen?"
"Where did that come from? If you're trying to pick me up, I'd suggest finding a line with a bit more finesse."
"If I were doing that, I'd at least wait until my car cleared inspection before asking you on a date."
Kamizuru tossed the comment over his shoulder as he approached Rampage. She was focused on her work, or at least appearing to be, but to Kamizuru's eyes, something felt… off.
"Just a hunch. Did something go down?"
"Who knows? The URA Finals and the Legend Races are coming up. I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Is that really all?"
"If it isn't, then what? You want me to tell you how much I enjoy the 'affectionate' jealousy of our senior colleagues?"
Rampage made a show of scanning the room. As her gaze met those of the older trainers nearby, they averted their eyes with comical haste. They were well aware of their own petty resentment, and when she poked at it, their composure crumbled instantly. It was pathetic, really. Even if they tried to play it off, it was useless—she kept a voice recorder on her at all times. Every bit of their redirected frustration was recorded, backed up, and safely stored on her home computer.
"If that were the problem, you're the type who'd skip the talk and head straight for a lawsuit," Kamizuru noted.
"Well, if it comes down to it, I'll go all out. Grandmother and Sue-chan already gave me their lawyers' business cards and told me to call whenever I needed. I've got plenty of evidence. That said, dragging it out now would only cause a headache for the Chairwoman. If I'm going to do it, I'll do it properly—behind the scenes, like a debt collector squeezing a mark."
"You realize everyone can hear you, right? Look at them—they're losing it."
Across the staff room, trainers were literally falling out of their chairs or spilling coffee in a blind panic. The sheer number of them caused the more composed trainers—Okino, Tojo, Minamisaka, Kuronuma, and Rokuhira—to let out a collective, weary sigh.
"It's fine. Maybe they'll learn their lesson and reflect on their behavior," Rampage said.
"And if they don't?"
"Then I'll send them to hell."
"I've always liked that about you."
"Oh? Is that a confession?"
"Let's just go with that for now."
Between a head trainer and a sub-trainer, the exchange might have looked almost charming. But for those in her crosshairs, it was terrifying. If she were just another trainer, it might be a joke—but this was a daughter of the Mejiro family, the swiftest and strongest in the world. At worst, she could pull strings from her racing days and have the highest authorities in the country knocking on their doors. Finally feeling the weight of the cliff they were standing on, the jealous trainers reached a silent consensus: Let's just stop messing with her.
"So," Rampage said, turning back to Kamizuru. "What exactly feels 'off' about me?"
"Your aura. Until now, you had this… I don't know, a softer, more feminine air. But now it feels like you've reverted to how you were during your racing days. At least, that's my take. Minamisaka-san, Sasada-san, what do you two think?"
He pulled in the two men who had known her since she was on the turf.
"I agree," Minamisaka said thoughtfully. "After retirement, that competitive fire cooled down, and she definitely seemed more settled."
"I thought she'd become strangely alluring," Sasada added. "But it also made her feel a bit harder to approach."
Rampage shot him a look. "So I'm not alluring now?"
"No, you definitely are. It's just… you feel more approachable again."
Hearing that, Rampage took a sip of her coffee, reflecting on how much her "Horse Soul" had been influencing her. The Three Goddesses had adjusted her soul, averting a potential crisis, but it seemed the shift was already palpable to those around her. She offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddesses.
"A lot's happened, okay?" she admitted.
"What, did the 'Great Elder of Speed' bring another Legend around?"
"No. A Legend showed up of her own accord and we grabbed a bite together."
"Wow. You have my deepest condolences."
"Don't say it like you mean it, Minami-chan."
"Need some stomach medicine?"
"I'll take some later."
Minamisaka and the others figured she had run into someone monstrous again. Last time it was Uranus; they wondered if it was St. Lite this time. To them, such an encounter would be a nightmare to be avoided at all costs—but unfortunately for Rampage, she had encountered something far beyond even that.
"Anyway, after we talked it out… I think she took a liking to me. She might even show up at this academy."
"Whoa… if that happens, the first people she'll contact are me, Minamisaka, and Sasada. Life around you is never boring, is it?"
"Right? You weren't bored back in the day either, were you, Minami-chan?"
"Every day was a thrill," Minamisaka smiled. "It was incredibly fulfilling."
"You're the only one who can say that," Kamizuru grumbled. "My stomach was in knots back then…"
"Sorry about that."
In truth, the Three Goddesses were unlikely to descend in force. The disciplined Byerley Turk would surely keep them in check; if they appeared at all, it would likely be restricted to Rampage's home. Then again, if they said they wanted to see the world, Rampage knew she couldn't stop them. I'll just have to make them wear disguises, she thought. I can probably bluff it by saying they just happen to look like the Goddesses.
"Oh, by the way, Kamizuru—what kind of car do you drive?"
"A Toyota Supra. I did the suspension and the setup myself. She's my pride and joy."
"Heh. Is that so? Good taste. Tell me, are you free tonight?"
"Oh?"
Their eyes sharpened simultaneously. As it turned out, Kamizuru had spent his youth tearing up mountain passes. He'd calmed down since then, mostly because his old "street racer" social circle had dwindled, but an invitation like this made the old blood boil.
"I'm taking Suzuka out for a midnight rendezvous. If your car just got back from inspection, don't you want to see how she handles?"
"Heh… honestly, I've been itching for it. Watching those girls run at those speeds makes my own nature scream to chase that same horizon."
"Then tonight…"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."
"Hehehe…"
The surrounding trainers watched the two of them laughing like villains, backing away in discomfort. Only Minamisaka watched with a gentle smile.
"You look like a proud father," someone remarked.
"Well, seeing Rampage-san finally find a 'work friend' like that… it just makes me happy."
"She stands out so much, for better or worse. It's rare to find a colleague who can actually stand on equal footing with her."
"That's true. But more than anything… I'm just glad to see her making that face again."
"My old man used to drive an Alfa Romeo. That's what started it for me. Back then, I didn't get why he said it took ten minutes just to wake the engine up."
"A Romeo, huh? I don't necessarily want a luxury car, but I'd love to drive one once. Oh, hey—mind if I invite Maruzen and Sunday?"
"Wait, those two are into cars too?"
"Maruzen is terrifying. she attacks the corners in a Countach. And Sunday's already mastered her GT-R."
"…My blood is officially pumping."
She used to make that face all the time when they were a team. Since becoming a trainer, that fire had seemed to dim, but seeing it flicker back to life allowed Minamisaka to breathe a sigh of relief as he got back to work.
And when night fell…
"Wooooo! My Supra isn't losing to anyone!"
"Puh-lease! My 'Tac-chan' is just getting started!"
"Ha! My R is still growing! I'm blowing past you on this straight!"
"Go, my Impreza! Turn, damn you, TURN!!"
"This is amazing! This is the best!"
Four engines roared as they tore through the mountain pass, four souls united by the thrill of the chase.
The Aftermath: Jockey Kamizuru
Years later, after the debut race of Rampage's great-granddaughter, Mejiro Nova, Kamizuru received the news of Rampage's passing from old age. He wept openly.
He had never drank as much as he did that night, yet no matter how much he consumed, the numbness of intoxication wouldn't come. But when he finally fell into a fitful sleep—he saw her.
In the dream, he instinctively tried to hug her, but she lightly stepped on his foot and nudged his chest with her nose, scolding him.
"Pull yourself together, partner. You only get to cry when we win… Take care of that girl for me."
He felt as though he heard those words clearly. He woke with the dawn.
Kamizuru attended Rampage's funeral, and from that day on, he dedicated himself to Mejiro Nova as her jockey. When Nova eventually retired, he retired alongside her to become a trainer.
"I believe it's my turn to pass on everything Rampage gave to me," he told the press.
He opened his own stable. In his first year, he was terrified when owners entrusted him with horses worth hundreds of millions, but he proved his skill immediately, securing a G1 victory right out of the gate. As a trainer, he remained a master of his craft, forever chasing the speed he had once shared with a legend.
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