"I'm so proud of you," Asama said, her voice warm. "You did wonderfully."
"Coming from you, Obā-sama, that's honestly kinda embarrassing," Rampage replied with a shy grin.
Her flawless Triple Tiara victory in the Shuka Sho had made her the second Uma Musume in history to achieve the feat, and the first to do so undefeated. Naturally, Asama celebrated it as if it were her own triumph. The next day, Rampage returned to the Metjiro estate, ostensibly to rest and prepare for the Elizabeth Queen Cup. In truth, it was also to escape the swarm of reporters hounding her.
"Ramone was over the moon," Asama said. "You should've seen her excitement."
"Sounds like Ramone-senpai alright," Rampage chuckled.
It was only natural—another Triple Tiara winner from the Metjiro family, and her roommate no less.
"Now, the Elizabeth Queen Cup is next," Asama said. "That'll be a tough race."
"No doubt," Rampage replied. "But I'll run it with the style Monsny-san taught me."
"That's the spirit."
As she spoke, the door opened, and Monsny strode in, arms laden with documents that she dumped onto Asama's desk.
"Your running wasn't bad," Monsny said, eyeing Rampage. "But you can do better. Keep pushing."
"Got it," Rampage said. "What's all that?"
"Interview requests, TV appearances, magazine features, you name it," Monsny replied. "All for you."
"There's even more than Ramone got," Asama noted.
"Well, she's undefeated," Monsny said with a shrug. "Makes sense."
Rampage stared, dumbfounded, while Asama and Monsny seemed unfazed. They'd seen this with Ramone before, after all.
"We can't turn them all down," Asama said. "I'll sort through them, so just handle the ones I pick."
"Alright…" Rampage said, still reeling. "That's a lot."
"It'd be worse at Tressen Academy," Monsny added. "Dozens of times this many."
The academy's phones were reportedly ringing off the hook, nearly overwhelmed by interview requests for Rampage. Minamisaka's phone was in a similar state. The Metjiro family acted as a filter, narrowing the flood to this manageable pile.
"There are some shady companies and reporters in the mix," Asama said. "We won't let them near our precious granddaughter. Monsny and I will handle the vetting, so focus on resting. I've already spoken with Minamisaka."
"That's how it is, undefeated Triple Crown," Monsny said.
Half-ushered out of Asama's room, Rampage sighed. She'd have to trust them with the media circus. She'd take on any interviews they deemed necessary, but for now… She stepped into her room at the Metjiro estate, marveling at how a space once so intimidatingly grand now felt relaxing.
"Just the Elizabeth Queen Cup left," she murmured.
For Rampage, the Triple Tiara was a milestone, not the end. To truly claim the Triple Crown of fillies, she needed the Elizabeth Queen Cup. In this world, the Shuka Sho held that title, but historically, it was the Elizabeth Queen Cup—a race Ramone hadn't won. To surpass her, Rampage needed that victory.
"Plenty of time," she said, stretching. "Might as well rest up."
She reached for her phone to update her long-neglected Twitter when a knock came at the door. "Come in," she called. Ryan burst in, clutching an enormous bouquet.
"Ran, congrats on the Triple Tiara!" Ryan beamed. "This is for you!"
"Whoa, that's fancy," Rampage said, eyeing the blue roses. "Where'd you find these?"
"Hehe, the Metjiro family's go-to florist," Ryan replied.
"Of course they have one," Rampage muttered, shaking her head. "Metjiro's got everything."
She accepted the bouquet, and a butler trailing Ryan brought a vase to display it. Blue roses symbolized divine blessings, miracles, and dreams fulfilled—perfectly chosen for her victory.
"Guess I'll send you some blue roses next week, huh?" Rampage teased.
"Hold your horses!" Ryan laughed. "I haven't won yet. The Kikuka Sho's gonna be my toughest race ever."
"No kidding," Rampage said. "That's a stacked field."
Ryan was a given, but McQueen was running too, alongside other formidable Uma Musume. All would aim to block Ryan's Triple Crown. Unlike Rampage, Ryan wasn't undefeated, which eased the pressure slightly—but McQueen's presence made that a moot point.
"Good thing Palmer's sitting this one out," Rampage said. "Three Metjiros in one race? I wouldn't know who to root for."
"Tell me about it," Ryan said. "But Palmer's aiming for the Steyers Stakes."
"She's gonna try escaping at 3600 meters?" Rampage whistled. "If she pulls that off, she's a better escape artist than me."
Ryan nodded, no argument there.
"So, you confident about the Kikuka Sho?" Rampage asked.
"Uh… well…" Ryan hesitated. "My trainer's got me on a solid program, and I'm scoring perfect marks, but… against McQueen? I don't know how far I can go."
She'd prepared meticulously, yet Ryan couldn't envision a clear victory. Facing McQueen, arguably the Metjiro family's greatest long-distance runner, it was natural to feel uncertain.
"Just run your race," Rampage said. "That's how I won."
"Yeah, you're right," Ryan said, her smile returning. "I'll give it everything."
It wasn't that Rampage's words snapped her out of doubt—she'd already resolved to run her way. Asama would be there to cheer, and Rampage planned to attend too. No matter the outcome, Ryan would race true to herself, and Rampage believed in her strength.
"Oh, by the way," Ryan said, eyes sparkling. "That running style in the Shuka Sho—Monsny-san taught you that, right? It was unreal!"
"It was brutal to master," Rampage admitted. "And I'm still not perfect at it."
"Let's rampage together, lost soul."
Metjiro Rampage's Unique Skill: Rampage Ghost
Activates in the final stretch if at least one debuff is received. Recovers stats proportional to the debuffs taken, boosts acceleration, and inflicts equivalent debuffs on opponents. The more debuffs received, the stronger the effect.
In game terms, it's a counter-type skill against debuff-heavy Uma Musume in events like Champions Meetings. However, it's tricky to train, as the skill can easily go unused if no debuffs are applied, making Rampage a high-skill, high-reward Uma Musume.
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