"The day has finally arrived! It's the festival of all Horse Girls, the Tokyo Yushun—the Japan Derby! The crowd gathered to witness this year's race has reportedly swelled beyond two hundred thousand people! With entry restrictions in place, those unable to enter the gates have swarmed the massive monitors outside. It's no exaggeration to say the Derby's prestige grows every year! We are about to witness a battle for the title of the strongest of their generation, a dream weighted with immense expectation! Even I can feel my heart pounding! Which girl will seize the spotlight today!?"
The Tokyo Racecourse was a whirlpool of pure fervor. That is the gravity of the Japan Derby. It is often said that the title of "Derby Girl" is a currency that carries weight anywhere in the world. Despite the old adage that "the luckiest girl wins the Derby," it remains the definitive benchmark for the strongest of a generation. It is held in even higher regard than the Kikuka Sho, where "the strongest" is said to prevail. Such is the magnitude of the dream and the title that the name "Derby" carries.
"Man, look at this crowd… makes me wish they'd show up like this for the Oaks," Rampage muttered.
"It can't be helped," Air Groove replied smoothly. "The Derby carries the weight of history. It's on a different scale."
"History, huh? Feels like if you get too tied up in the past and mess up the present, it's all for nothing anyway."
They were currently occupying a VIP viewing suite, a room reserved for the highest tier of guests. When Rampage had asked if the room was available, the staff had practically tripped over themselves to say "Yes, please, by all means!" The sight of grown adults, usually so full of their own importance, bowing and scraping before Rampage had sent Gold Ship—Stego—into fits of laughter.
"Whoa… we're actually watching from a place like this? O-Mommy… Tokyo is incredible…" Special Week stammered.
"You're too tense, Spe-chan," El Condor Pasa said, patting her shoulder. "You're in Rampage-san's team now. This is probably going to be the new normal for us."
"T-This is the 'norm-al'!?"
"Well, she is the fastest in the world," Air Groove added. "It's only natural. Even if my mother were here, I doubt she'd receive a reception quite this grand."
"So this is where we'll be running one day…" Silence Suzuka (Sunny) mused. "Hmm, it's so overwhelming that my brain is having a bit of a glitch trying to imagine it."
"Pull yourself together, Sunny-senpai," Fine Motion teased. "Unlike me on the Tiara route, you're on the Classic path. Look at Taiki, she's taking it all in stride."
"YES! Racecourse gourmet is VERY, VERY GOOD-DESU!"
"This donut is so sweet~♪"
"Not bad," Oguri Cap mumbled, "but it needs more meat."
Rampage watched her teammates enjoy the atmosphere in their own ways, but her mind remained on the upcoming clash. In the world she once knew, Brian's victory would be a foregone conclusion. But in this world? Logic suggested Brian would win, but Laurel was a different beast entirely—and Offside Trap had been undergoing grueling training under Trainer Kuronuma and Mihono Bourbon.
"Rampage-san," Air Groove asked, "who do you think takes it? Laurel-senpai, or Brian?"
"Hard to say. Laurel isn't even looking at Brian anymore. She's looking at what comes after."
"What do you mean?"
Laurel's gaze was already fixed on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She recognized Brian as an opponent, certainly, but not as a 'rival' in the traditional sense—more like a companion she needed to run alongside to reach higher heights. Conversely, Brian viewed Laurel as an absolute wall, a rival she had to overcome and defeat to prove her own existence.
"I've been running against Laurel constantly to get her ready," Rampage said, her voice dropping an octave. "And to be blunt? If Brian doesn't go in with the intent to kill, she won't win. Not today."
She could say that with certainty because she knew how Laurel had been polished. You don't spend your days running against the absolute "Full Power" of the world's fastest and come out the same. Under Trainer Minamisaka's brutal regimen, Laurel had flourished—and toward the end, even Rampage had felt the pressure.
"I was forced to use a style of running I'd sworn I'd never repeat—that 'Full-Throttle, Total-Body Sprint' from my Legend Race days. I had to use that just to be a proper training partner for her."
Rampage remembered looking at her partner, Minami, with the same dead-eyed expression Hishi Miracle gets before pool training, silently asking, 'Are you serious? You want me to go that hard?' He had simply smiled and said, "Yes, please," and that was that.
"B-but… I heard Brian-san has been training against Hayahide-san and President Rudolf," Air Groove countered.
"Let me ask you straight," Rampage replied. "If you compare those two to me... who do you think is on top?"
Air Groove found herself at a loss for words. In terms of sheer, terrifying performance, the answer was obvious. She didn't want to disparage the legends, but Laurel had evolved beyond anyone's expectations.
"Brian, you better go all out," Rampage whispered to the air. "Otherwise… you won't even be allowed to stand beside her."
"---, ---n, Boo-chan!"
"…Ngh. What is it?"
In the waiting room, Narita Brian had been standing motionless in front of the mirror. She remembered putting on her racing silks and fastening her signature shadow roll, but everything after that was a blur. Had she been sleeping on her feet? No, she felt perfectly rested. She had shared a futon with her sister the night before and slept soundly. She caught herself smiling slightly at the realization of how much she relied on Hayahide.
The person calling her was her classmate, Samson Big.
"Don't 'what is it' me! The officials were getting worried because you wouldn't move! It's time to head to the course!"
Samson was mockingly imitating Brian's voice while wearing a face that was half-annoyed, half-worried. To Brian, Samson Big was a precious friend. Ever since Brian had started aiming for a "cool" persona in emulation of Rampage, people tended to keep their distance. But Samson acted as if that aura didn't exist, remaining the same close friend she'd been since they first met. She was the only one who still called her "Boo-chan."
"My apologies."
"Are you nervous?"
"No… I don't think it's nerves. But I definitely feel… something."
"In that case, take this!"
Samson pressed something into Brian's hand: a piece of chocolate in a cute wrapper.
"Sweets give you energy! Anyway, Boo-chan, I'll go talk to the officials for you. Good luck out there today!"
Watching her friend's retreating back, Brian ate the chocolate. The sweetness pulled at the corners of her mouth. She took a sip of water, and as she stepped out of the room, she realized the heavy weight in her chest had vanished.
I'll have to thank Samson later, she thought as she walked through the underground tunnel toward the turf.
The roar of the massive crowd was deafening, but it faded into white noise the moment she saw Laurel emerging behind her.
"Laurel."
"Brian-chan. Let's have a good race today."
"…Hmph. You don't mean that. You aren't even thinking about the 'race' itself, are you?"
"You're right. I'm not," Laurel said airily.
She admitted it without a trace of hesitation. Was it a declaration of victory, or something else? Brian didn't press her. She only had one thing she needed to say.
"Let me be clear: I am going to win. If you can't beat me, you aren't going anywhere. Remember that."
"---If that's true, then nothing would make me happier."
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