"Phew…"
Rampage puffed on her herb cigar, seated in a room where an ashtray held several spent stubs. In the hour she'd waited, she'd smoked plenty—her heart was in turmoil.
"Oops, smoked too much. Doc's gonna chew me out."
Opening a new cigar pack, she figured today warranted leniency. It was a big day. As she reached for another, a knock came. The door opened, revealing Student Council President Rudolf.
"Rampage, they're waiting in the reception room."
"Got it. I'll smoke this there."
Rudolf flinched at the thick herbal scent but pressed on. Rampage followed her.
"I'll be in the next room, as someone in the know."
"Hah, even Symboli's on my side? I'm trembling with honor."
Her usual bravado masked her agitation, but Rudolf saw it—her eyes sharper than ever, like during Juvenile Fillies, burning with resolve.
"Others are there too, right?"
"Yes, Tazuna, the Chairman, Minamizaka, and others."
"Quite the crew. Time for a years-overdue reunion."
At the reception room, Rampage's keen Uma Musume senses confirmed it—Tomohito and Mei, her uncle and aunt, were beyond the door. Her clenched fist was gently loosened by Rudolf's grip.
"Stay calm, achieve your goal. I doubt you'd forget, but… make your subtle revenge happen."
"Thanks, Student Emperor. I'm off."
Raising a hand, Rudolf slapped it with a grin, followed by a firm handshake. They laughed, then Rudolf slipped into the next room. Rampage opened the door.
"Rampage!!"
"You've… grown so much…"
On the sofa sat two adults. One teared up, staring; the other rose, awestruck. Years had passed, but they were unmistakably Tomohito and Mei—her uncle and aunt.
"Well, well, long time no see—my inheritance-stealing uncle and aunt."
They froze, shocked. Their memory held a timid, gloomy Rampage. Now, she stared with cold eyes, speaking with poised authority. The contrast was jarring, but she sat opposite, lit her cigar, and puffed.
"You're smoking!?"
"A G1 Uma Musume doing that!?"
She smoked deliberately, knowing it'd stir them. She did it post-training, avoiding media to prevent a scandal. A G1 star smoking could tarnish her brand, but she didn't care.
"Weren't raised to smoke, huh? Funny, I wasn't raised by you either. You ditched me right after taking me in."
"There were reasons—big ones a kid like you wouldn't get."
"Reasons? Big enough to abandon a young Uma Musume with no contact?"
She wouldn't yield, no matter their excuses.
"We didn't want to drag you into it."
"Your parents had huge debts. We—"
"Not interested. You're here for money, right?"
"What!? How dare you!!"
Tomohito slammed the table, standing, glaring with a low voice to intimidate. It didn't faze her. To them, she was still the grieving niece, now a famous Uma Musume they could exploit. They didn't grasp her transformation.
"Apologize to Mei!! She cared about you!!"
"Don't care about you two. My parents' inheritance—my right. Return it."
"What!? You can't handle it!!"
"I can. I've got trustworthy people."
She'd anticipated their management spiel and prepared.
"You don't trust us!?"
"You think you're trustworthy? After years of silence?"
Stunned, they faltered. Her measured words stressed them, Tomohito clenching his fist, Mei's eyes darting anxiously. They thought she was unchanged. Wrong—they'd forged this new Rampage.
"You're not part of my life."
"You—!!"
As Tomohito lunged, a knock interrupted. He recoiled as the door opened, revealing Minamizaka and an older man with glasses.
"Who's this!? We're in the middle of—"
"Minamizaka, Canopus's trainer. Rampage-san, I brought him."
"Thanks, Nami-chan. Appreciate it."
Minamizaka left, but the man stayed. Tomohito glared, then paled at the man's badge—a sunflower with a scale.
"Meet my Mejiro family's trusted lawyer."
"Attorney at law, handling Rampage-san's case."
"Lawyer…!?"
"Yup, for formal inheritance return procedures."
Rampage had brought the Mejiro's lawyer to Tresen, coordinating with the Chairman and Minamizaka to time his arrival.
"Your guardianship rights aren't recognized. Rampage's ledgers and diaries prove it, as do testimonies from her apartment's landlord and neighbors, unseen for years. Anything to add?"
The lawyer's gaze crushed them. They looked defeated. He glanced at Rampage; she shrugged. Leaving the room, her face was radiant. Minamizaka patted her shoulder.
"Good work."
"Thanks… I'm kinda drained."
Her Uma Soul felt exhausted, not her body. Minamizaka suggested dorm rest, but running into Creek, Rampage asked for a lap pillow, which Creek gladly offered.
"Hehe, how's big sis's lap?"
"…Soft, soothing… I feel lighter…"
Sinking into comfort, she closed her eyes.