"Cherry blossoms bloom, awaiting their queen—the first jewel of the Classic Tiara Route, the Cherry Blossom Stakes!"
The fanfare blared as Horse Girls lined up, stepping into the gates. All eyes were on me, naturally. My Mejiro family ties had stirred doubts about my mental state, dragging my popularity down. But I was far from shaky—my condition was flawless.
"Third favorite, Ikuno Dictus, claimed victory with a stunning run in the Fillies' Revue. She's Canopus's spearhead to topple Mejiro Rampage," the announcer declared.
"Second favorite, Mejiro Rampage. Undefeated, her bold expression screams renewal after joining Mejiro. Will her reign continue?"
"Top favorite, Agnes Flora. Her only loss? To Mejiro Rampage, like Ikuno. Can she turn the tables today?"
The gates burst open, and cheers flooded the racecourse. The Horse Girls surged forward.
"They're off! Leading the pack—Mejiro Rampage and Ikuno Dictus from the outside! And here comes Agnes Flora, setting the pace!"
"Flora's got her eyes on Rampage. Is that why she's pushing so hard?"
Ikuno and I blasted out, Flora trailing close. Our pace was relentless, borderline reckless—full throttle from the start, like a time trial.
"Today's my day," Ikuno taunted.
"Bring it," I shot back.
We traded barbs, oblivious to the world, locked in our duel at the front. Flora, drafting behind us, used our slipstream to cut wind resistance—a clever tactic to conserve energy.
"Nice strategy, Flora," Nansaka murmured.
"What's that mean?" Tanhoiza asked.
Turbo chimed in, "Sticking close behind cuts the wind. I've done it with Ran."
"Exactly. Slipstreaming saves stamina and boosts speed," Nansaka added. "It's a classic counter to front-runners."
"But why'd Turbo do it? You're a front-runner too," Tanhoiza pressed.
"Ran's bigger. Easier to hide behind," Turbo grinned.
She'd tried it once, thrilled at the speed—until she realized it wouldn't beat me.
"Slipstreaming against Ran's a trap," Turbo warned.
"Why?"
"Too fast."
Nature and Tanhoiza exchanged puzzled looks. Shouldn't slipstreaming shine against a faster opponent? Meanwhile, the race roared on. Past the 800-meter mark, Ikuno and I battled for the lead, Flora still drafting. Everyone expected her to surge past us at the end. Even Tojo, Flora's trainer, believed it.
"Stay with them, Flora," Tojo urged, confident in her grueling training.
"Approaching the fourth corner! Will Mejiro Rampage and Ikuno Dictus hold on, or will the pack overtake? When will Agnes Flora make her move?"
Then, it happened. At the fourth corner, centrifugal force hit, and Flora faltered.
"Agnes Flora's dropping back! Front Punch surges from the outside, with Typhoon Pappy charging! Flora's struggling!"
"Flora?!" Tojo gasped, fearing injury. But through her binoculars, she saw Flora's face—pained, breathing ragged. She fought to recover, accelerating again, but Ikuno and I were already far ahead. Tojo gritted her teeth, seeing our unfazed expressions.
"They're not even winded… what stamina."
Despite Flora's threat, we didn't care. We pushed harder, racing each other, ignoring everything else. No pacing, no breathing breaks—just relentless speed. Rigil's miscalculation was clear: overspeed. Flora, matching our blistering pace, burned out. We hit the corner without veering, our Shinzan-iron-trained power defying centrifugal force. Flora, unable to keep up, lost the slipstream's shield and slowed under the wind's assault.
"Here's where it gets real!" I shouted.
"Bring it on!" Ikuno roared.
We accelerated, legs still fresh, leaving Tojo stunned as our duel became a full-blown match race.
"Final stretch! Mejiro Rampage and Ikuno Dictus sprint! Six lengths ahead of Front Punch! It's a duel—who'll claim the crown?"
The crowd roared, their cheers fueling us. Neither of us yielded, each step a refusal to surrender the tiara.
"Sorry, Ikuno—I'm not giving this up!"
My eyes blazed like a predator's, and I lowered my stance, surging forward.
"No way… this strong?!" Ikuno gasped.
"Mejiro Rampage takes the lead! Pulling away, bit by bit! Ikuno Dictus fights but can't close the gap! Rampage stretches it to half a length, then one! Mejiro Rampage storms to her eighth straight win! Ikuno Dictus second, Front Punch third, Agnes Flora fourth!"
The cheers were mine. My grin said it all: doubts? Gone.
"Mejiro Rampage wins! The Dictator claims the cherry blossom crown, seizing her first tiara!"
"First tiara's mine," I laughed. "Guess that makes me a thief, huh? Well, stealing's a dictator's privilege."
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