At the luxury hotel shared with Rigil, Rampage finds the lavish setup comfortable, if less grand than the Mejiro estate. Over a morning buffet, she grumbles.
"Minami-chan's a demon…"
Days into the intense camp, the grueling menu—perfectly balanced to avoid overwork but pushing her limits—draws complaints. Minamisaka's precision ensures recovery via hotel massages, creating a relentless training loop.
"Ikuno's got a similar menu… lighter, but still brutal," Rampage mutters.
Ikuno's Classic training, while less intense, is Spartan by Uma Musume standards.
"Hey, mind if I join?" Rudolf asks, holding a heaping plate.
"President, huh?" Rampage nods.
Rigil's also camping here, sharing facilities.
"This much food's the toughest part of camp," Rudolf sighs.
"Light eater?" Rampage asks.
"Yeah, but camp demands fuel, so I force it down."
Rudolf, historically a picky eater, struggles even as an Uma Musume. Her portions are small by their standards. Mid-meal, she hesitates.
"Is Minamisaka a Spartan trainer? I thought he avoided overtraining…"
"Nah, it's not overkill. He nails the edge," Rampage assures.
"That's the edge?" Rudolf gapes.
Rudolf saw Rampage dragging a tire through the sea or sprinting on dry sand, mistaking it for Black Marsh's work.
"Not tough?" Rudolf ventures.
"You think that's easy? Wanna try?" Rampage snaps.
"Sorry," Rudolf backtracks.
It's grueling—wading thigh-deep, tire bobbing in shifting waves. Morning and afternoon sessions, sometimes with surfer-worthy swells, make it hell.
"Join Rigil's training? Same camp, so a joint session could work," Rudolf offers.
"Thanks, but pass. Gotta stick with Minami-chan's plan. It's my weakness for him," Rampage says, finishing her meal and clearing dishes.
As Rudolf leaves, Rampage munches salad, noting their ideal trainer-Uma Musume bond. Minamisaka tailors menus to her body; she trusts and executes. A synergy unseen since Okino and CB.
"Wanna race her for real," Rudolf muses.
"Do your best!" Minamisaka chirps.
"In this storm?" Rampage balks.
"Yup♪"
"Demon!!"
The sea's rough—not dangerous, but wild. Minamisaka's unyielding order makes Rampage roar "Demon!!"
"Look! It's rougher than yesterday!!"
"It's within limits. Can't do it?" Minamisaka teases.
"I'll show you!!" Rampage growls.
"Great! Add 30 minutes today."
"Dammit!!"
"Look, Hana-san…" Flora whispers.
"Odd… Minamisaka wasn't like Black Marsh," Hana murmurs.
Rigil's team freezes, watching Rampage trudge through crashing waves, dragging a tire—a Spartan spectacle. Tojo questions if it's really Minamisaka.
"Hana-san," Flora starts.
"No way you're doing that, Flora. It's for Rampage's build and power," Hana stops her.
Flora's competitive urge is understandable, but it'd wreck her. Only Shinzan Iron's training prepped Rampage for this.
"Minamisaka wouldn't do this pointlessly," Biwa Hayahide notes.
"Sharp eye. It's built on total trust," Rudolf confirms.
"He says it's a full-count fastball, just shy of overwork, with spa and massage recovery," Rudolf explains.
"Calculated, but… this is trouble," Hana sighs.
Canopus, especially Rampage, will leap forward this camp. Her Rose Stakes and Autumn Flower races loom—maybe an undefeated Triple Tiara. A fleeting doubt.
"We won't lose to Canopus. As the top-winning team, we'll fight! This camp's no picnic—brace yourselves!!"
"Yes!!" Rigil roars.
Rigil's pride demands victory. Training begins.
"Cough… One and a half hours…" Rampage pants.
"Good work! After a break, tire-tethered beach sprints," Minamisaka says.
"I'm done for…" Rampage groans.
Reminds me of a Dr. Base manga where they swam in a hot spring for three hours… similar vibe post-training. Who catches such a niche reference?
---------------------------------------------
🚀 Want more?
📖 On Patreon you can read 20+ chapters ahead, plus there will be exclusive stories available only there.
💖 If you'd like to support me, check it out: patreon.com/Greyhounds
🔓 Patreon will always stay ahead of the public release — and some stories won't be published anywhere else.
✨ All support is completely optional — even if you don't join, I'm still grateful to have you here reading!