Peer Trainer 1: "So, who's your pick for the upcoming Classics?"
Peer Trainer 2: "You're asking me to predict that? No way, man. This generation is all about the 'BNW' trio. Trying to pick a winner between Biwa Hayahide, Narita Taishin, and Winning Ticket is a fool's errand."
Peer Trainer 1: "Really? I'm leaning toward Biwa Hayahide. She had a great run in the Mile, and her performance in the mock long-distance race two years ago was legendary. She's the one to beat."
Peer Trainer 2: "Fair point, but the other two have just as much potential for those distances, don't you think?"
Peer Trainer 1: "I guess... Oh, hey, isn't that Hikigaya? Looks like he's in the middle of a session."
Peer Trainer 2: "Looks like it. Rice Shower just punched her ticket to the Tenno Sho, so I bet he's feeling the heat. Want to go take a look?"
Peer Trainer 1: "Definitely! Maybe we'll pick up some tips. Let's go!"
The two trainers headed toward the track with light hearts, expecting to see the usual laid-back Hachiman Hikigaya. But as they drew closer, the atmosphere changed. The man standing on the sidelines was a total stranger—a terrifying shadow of the person they thought they knew.
"Hah… hah… hah… hah…!"
Rice Shower's breathing was ragged, her lungs burning as she tore across the turf.
"Too slow!" Hachiman's voice cut through the air like a whip. "McQueen's final three-furlong split last year was 36.2 seconds! If you want a prayer of catching her, you need to hit 35 flat on the home stretch! If you run like that with McQueen in front of you, you'll be chasing her ghost all the way to the finish line!"
"Hah… hah… Y-yes, sir!"
"Good. Two more sets. And I'm telling you now: do not make your move until the fourth corner. Your legs are built for the straightaway. Don't let McQueen bait you into a scrap on the third turn!"
"Understood!"
Hachiman turned his gaze toward the two legends standing nearby. "Rudolf, CB. One more time. Pace her through the third corner."
"Understood," Rudolf replied, her expression unreadably serious.
"You got it," CB added, her usual playfulness replaced by a focused edge.
Watching from a safe distance, Peer Trainers 1 and 2 were frozen in place.
Peer Trainer 2 (Internal): (What the hell am I looking at? This isn't training, it's a siege. How much is he planning to push her? Rice is going to break before she even sees Kyoto! And why aren't Rudolf and CB stopping him?!)
Peer Trainer 1 (Internal): (The air... it's electric. Is that really Hikigaya? He looks like a different person. His eyes... normally they're so dead and disinterested, but right now... they're terrifying. He looks like he wouldn't show a shred of mercy for even the slightest mistake. That intensity is insane...)
Hachiman's head snapped toward them, his sharp gaze pinning them to the spot. "Are you here to observe, or do you actually have business with me?"
"E-eh? Oh! Uh, yeah! Just observing!" Peer Trainer 1 stammered.
"I see."
"Uh, Hikigaya?" Peer Trainer 2 spoke up, his voice wavering. "Look, I don't want to overstep, and I'm sorry for peaking at your menu... but are you sure about this? I've never seen a routine this brutal. I'm just worried that..."
"This menu was agreed upon by both me and Rice," Hachiman interrupted, his voice cold and flat. "And Rice is stronger than you give her credit for. She can handle being pushed."
"I'm sure she can, but..." Peer Trainer 1 tried to interject. "I mean, even with proper aftercare, this is—"
"This isn't a one-off," Hachiman said, turning back to the track. "We are maintaining this level of intensity every single day until the Tenno Sho."
"Wait... every day? Starting today?"
"That's right. Today is Day One."
The two peers stood in stunned silence.
"Sorry," Hachiman said, though he didn't sound sorry at all. "We have two sets left. We'll talk some other time. You three—ready?"
For the rest of the session, the two observers couldn't look away. Hachiman's roars of "Useless!" and "Again!" echoed across the grounds—sounds no one had ever expected to come from the mouth of the academy's most cynical trainer.
To any other trainer, the menu was a death sentence. Ten out of ten professionals would have called it reckless. But as Peer Trainer 1 noted, Hachiman wasn't being reckless out of ignorance. He was being merciless out of necessity.
Peer Trainer 1: "...That was intense. Like, 'call an ambulance' intense."
Peer Trainer 2: "I've never seen anything like it. He was shouting 'Too slow!' and 'Fail!' without even blinking. It's unheard of."
Peer Trainer 1: "But did you see Rice? She wasn't upset. She wasn't scared. She looked... focused. Like she completely understood why he was doing it. They really are in sync on this."
Peer Trainer 2: "Did you see the crowd, though? Word got around fast. There were trainers and trainees lined up along the fence just to see the 'Demon' in action. Everyone was whispering."
It was true. By the end of the day, the news had spread through Tracen Academy like wildfire. To anyone who knew the "usual" Hachiman Hikigaya, it felt like he had been possessed by a different spirit entirely.
Peer Trainer 2: "But man, if he stays like that until the Tenno Sho... that's a whole month. I don't think I could survive living in the same dorm as that guy. The tension would be unbearable."
Peer Trainer 1: "...Yeah. I was thinking the same thing."
Peer Trainer 1 (Internal): (Hikigaya-kun, please! When you come back to the dorms, please be the normal, lazy Hikigaya-kun again!)
Peer Trainer 2 (Internal): (I'm begging you, Hikigaya... leave the Demon on the track!)
Hachiman has truly lost his mercy... the road to the Tenno Sho is paved with thorns.
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