No complacency. I'm going to get strong enough to protect my Trainer-chan. That was what I decided, and that was why I trained every single day. Next up was the G1 Hopeful Stakes. I was fired up, telling myself I'd become a G1 horse girl right then and there to make Trainer-chan and Rampage-san proud.
"Mayaya, we're doing a mock race today."
"A mock race?! Oh yeah, I'm in!! Who am I running against? Fuji-san? Mabe-chin?"
"Oho, sharp intuition as expected."
"Ehehe, humph!!"
I'll admit I got totally ahead of myself after being praised like that. But... even I didn't see this coming.
"Sorry for dropping this setup on you so suddenly, O-Hana-san."
"I don't mind. Besides, from our end, getting data on a future worthy rival is a huge win."
"Ooh, spooky, spooky."
"We've been expecting you, Rampage-san, Mr. Sakahara."
"Trainer Minamisaka, thank you for having us today."
Before I even knew what was happening, it turned into a joint mock race between Pleiades, Rigil, and Canopus. And as for my opponents—
"I am Narita Brian. I've heard plenty from my senior—that you're quite the genius within Pleiades. I look forward to an entertaining run."
"I'm Sakura Laurel. Let's have a great race today."
The undefeated Triple Crown winner, Narita Brian, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up, Sakura Laurel. They were horse girls just one year ahead of me, but more than that, I'd heard endless stories about their incredible skill and overwhelming speed. Running against them... I mean, yeah, they were Classic-class horse girls while I was still in Junior class, so we'd eventually clash next year anyway, but still—
"I'm Maya! Mayano Top Gun!! It's awesome to meet you today!!"
Before I knew it, all those worries blew away. My mind was completely consumed by pure excitement at the chance to run alongside horse girls who were that strong. And then... Mayano Top Gun felt it right in her gut: These two are my rivals.
"Thank you for taking this on such short notice, O-Hana-san."
"It would be uncouth of me to refuse a request from you. Though I must say... that girl's running style looks remarkably like yours."
Brian, Laurel, and Maya tore across the turf. It was a 2000-meter mock race, but seeing the three of them running together made it strikingly obvious just how similar their mechanics were.
"That's only natural," Minamisaka remarked. "Both Brian and Laurel adopted Rampage-san's full-body stride after running alongside her for so long. Though Maya-san was taught directly, the fundamental style remains the same."
"The big difference is that all three of them can actually execute it," Hana added.
Indeed, the common thread among all three was their ability to use the full-body stride. While Brian and Laurel had picked it up through countless hours of chasing Rampage on the track, Maya had received direct mentorship. Different paths, but the same result: total mastery of the technique.
"Not bad at all, Mayano!!"
"Fufufu, as expected of the vanguard of Rampage-san's team."
Brian and Laurel offered genuine praise for Maya's running. When they first heard they'd be doing a mock race against an unseasoned Junior-class horse girl, they had assumed it would just be a light tune-up. But the moment they learned she was from Team Pleiades, their posture straightened. Seeing her in action now only confirmed their instincts: she was a phenomenal horse girl.
"Not yet, keep pushing forward, forward!!"
Maya took the lead, setting a aggressive front-running pace. Choosing such a bold tactic against two formidable upperclassmen showed sheer grit. You could feel her fierce determination to pull so far ahead that even their legendary late-stage kicks wouldn't reach her.
"Besides, when it comes to front-running, she's got a great pioneer right by her side."
"Indeed!!"
To defeat the best, you run like the best. In that sense, relying on a style inspired by Rampage—who always ran out in front—was reliable, and it gave her a genuine fighting chance. It was surprisingly well thought out. What's more... though Maya was using the full-body stride right from the start, unlike Rampage's raw explosive version, she was cleverly adjusting her pace to survive the full 2000 meters.
"That was actually my idea," Sakahara chimed in. "Remember when Rampage-san used her full-body stride from the very start during the Legend Race? I used that as the blueprint and developed it further."
"There was actually room to improve that?" Hana asked, eyebrows raised.
Of course, it wasn't at 100% full throttle the entire time... Modified to suit Maya's aptitude for long distances, the natural genius Maya added her own unique spin to it, which Sakahara then fine-tuned. This new full-body stride was the fruit of true teamwork—a master-and-apprentice effort utilizing their trainer-runner bond to its absolute limit. Sakahara was quietly hopeful that in the future, she might even be able to pull off a massive runaway front-run over long distances.
"From here... FULL POWER!! AFTERBURNER, IGNITION!!"
Hitting the final straightaway, Maya poured every last drop of her remaining strength into a furious final spurt. Brian and Laurel were still behind her. My late-stage kick won't match theirs, so taking the front was the right call! Now I just pull further away—
"...!!?"
In a split second, two shadows pulled up alongside her.
Before she could even register what was happening, Brian and Laurel had flanked her on either side. We barely entered the straight—how are they already matching me?! Before shock could even turn into panic, the two surged right past her.
"Let's go!!"
"Here we go!!"
There was no room for anyone else in their world. Demonstrating a terrifying turn of foot, the two accelerated exponentially, leaving Maya with no choice but to stare at their retreating backs. They had just put on a masterclass, showing her a level of full-body stride that was on an entirely different plane of completion from her own.
The mock race came to an end: First place: Narita Brian. Second place: Sakura Laurel. Third place: Mayano Top Gun.
"Good work out there. How was Maya's running?"
Rampage walked up, handing drinks to Brian and Laurel. Taking them, the two answered with looks of genuine anticipation.
"If she's already running like that in Junior class, she's going to explode in the Classic year. She hasn't revealed that form in an official race yet, either. Once she polishes it in real competition, it'll be even more deadly."
"I agree," Laurel smiled. "If Rampage-senpai keeps running alongside her in practice, she'll grow by leaps and bounds. We really can't afford to slack off! First Brian-chan, then Trap-chan pushing forward, and now another rival appears?"
"My undefeated streak might actually come to an end someday," Brian added quietly.
Listening to them speak so highly of Maya's run, Sakahara let out a sigh of relief, feeling reassured that her potential was recognized. But a sudden weight at his waist made him look down.
Maya was clinging tightly to his waist.
"Trainer-chan... Maya... Maya wants to beat those two!! Someday, someday in the Twinkle Series, I'm gonna fight them and I'm DEFINITELY gonna win!!"
"Yeah," Sakahara smiled gently, resting a hand on her head. "I want to see you win, too."
A spark had burst into a roaring flame inside Maya. She was a year behind them, but in that very moment, she had found the horse girls she wanted to beat with every fiber of her soul.
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