"Ugh, I'm so nervous…" Ryan groaned, pacing her room in her racing silks.
"Not like you at all," Rampage teased, leaning against the wall. "What happened to the Derby Uma Musume?"
Ryan's eyes lit up with a nervous but excited smile upon seeing Rampage. "I know it's pointless to get nervous now, but I can't help it! Obā-sama's here, you know?"
"She's not here to scare you," Rampage said, rolling her eyes. "She came all this way to cheer you on."
Ryan's tension was palpable. Metjiro Asama, the matriarch of the Metjiro family, was in the stands to support her granddaughter. That fact alone was enough to make Ryan feel the weight of expectation.
"You've got it easy, Ran," Ryan said. "Your race is done."
"Yeah, and now I've got the next one to live up to," Rampage shot back. "Not much different from you."
Today was the Kikuka Sho, the final race of the Classic Triple Crown. Ryan's goal was to seize the last crown, fulfilling her promise with Rampage for a dual Triple Crown—her Classic and Rampage's Tiara. But the pressure on Ryan was immense. The Classic Triple Crown carried even greater expectations than the Triple Tiara.
"Ryan," Rampage said, her tone softening, "Obā-sama and I aren't here to stress you out. We're here to run with you."
"Run with me?" Ryan echoed, confused.
"I told Palmer this too," Rampage said. "Expectations aren't meant to crush you—they're there to lift you up. Today, it's Metjiro Asama, Metjiro Rampage, and you, running together. Doesn't that fire you up?"
It was an outlandish thought—something Rampage had apparently said to Palmer too—but Ryan noticed her trembling had stopped. Running with Asama was hard to picture, but running with her best friend? That was different. They'd sworn to race together someday, and this could be a rehearsal for that promise. A lighter mindset might just ease the burden and let her run freely.
"Yeah… yeah, you're right," Ryan said, her resolve hardening. "I'm gonna win, Ran."
"Go for it," Rampage replied with a grin.
"Hehe, I've been doing secret training with my trainer for the Kikuka Sho!" Ryan added, her confidence surging.
"Oh, big talk!" Rampage teased. "You'd better not flop after that boast."
"Just watch me!" Ryan shot back.
Their banter melted into a natural embrace, holding each other tightly.
"I'm off, Ran," Ryan said.
"Break a leg, Ran," Rampage replied.
For the first time, they called each other "Ran," a shared nickname sealing their bond. Ryan left the waiting room, her eyes unwavering, a quiet fire burning within. She'd unleash that flame to claim victory today.
The Kikuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse: 3000 meters, a grueling long-distance race with the infamous Yodo Hill's 4.3-meter elevation change, climbed twice. Speed and stamina were paramount. They say the Satsuki Sho crowns the fastest, the Japan Derby the luckiest, and the Kikuka Sho the strongest Uma Musume.
"A 3000-meter odyssey into the unknown! Who will claim the crown of glory? The final stop on the Classic road—the Kikuka Sho! Who will seize the title of the strongest!?"
The 3000-meter distance was uncharted territory, its outcome unpredictable. A prophecy of chaos seemed to loom, with rain turning the track heavy. October's chill was palpable, but Kyoto Racecourse buzzed with fervor, as if the crowd's heat could banish the rain.
"Ryan, let's do this!" Ines called out. "But I'm not losing!"
"Ines! You too!" Ryan replied, shaking her hand.
Despite their rivalry, the roommates shared a warm smile, their handshake radiating confidence that left onlookers in awe.
"Ryan, I look forward to racing you," McQueen said politely. "And you too, Ines-san."
"You got it, McQueen!" Ines replied cheerfully.
"The Kikuka Sho is my stepping stone to the spring Tenno Sho," McQueen said. "But I won't let victory slip easily—not with the Metjiro name on the line."
"Same here, McQueen," Ryan said. "I can't lose now, or Ran will chew me out."
McQueen moved to her gate, ranked fifth favorite. She hadn't run in major stakes recently but had tackled 3000 meters in her last race. As a Metjiro, she was a dark horse, especially in long distances—a formidable threat. Ines was no slouch either. This Kikuka Sho would be anything but easy. With those thoughts, Ryan entered her gate.
"Gates are set! Will Double Crown Uma Musume Metjiro Ryan achieve the Triple Crown? Or will fellow Derby Uma Musume Ines Fujin claim her revenge? Here we go—the Kikuka Sho begins!"
The race began, and the field surged forward. Leading the charge was, predictably, Ines Fujin.
"Ines Fujin takes the lead, living up to her name as the wind god, blazing ahead!"
"Here I go!" Ines shouted.
Her confidence in her stamina training was evident as she set the pace, with others trailing. McQueen held the middle, while Ryan…
"Wait, Metjiro Ryan is at the back! Did she miss the start? Third from last, Double Crown Uma Musume Metjiro Ryan attacks the Kikuka Sho from the rear!"
"She's way back there," Rampage said from the VIP seats, watching alongside Asama.
"Indeed," Asama replied.
"They're all marking Ryan," Rampage said. "Looks like Ines's escape will decide this."
"Most likely, they're focused on Ryan," Asama said. "But did they expect her to hang that far back?"
Ryan lingered near the rear, conserving stamina—a strategic choice, perhaps the result of her secret Kikuka Sho training.
"Ines-san's really pulling away," Rampage noted.
"She's an escape artist like you," Asama said. "But to sustain that lead, her stamina must be incredible."
Nearing the 1000-meter mark, Ines still led, ten lengths ahead of the rear. If she could maintain that gap, victory was within reach. Kyoto's short straight and Yodo Hill's challenges favored her, though Rampage and Ikuno had already broken the "don't push on the hill" rule.
"Approaching 1500 meters, the halfway point, and Ines Fujin still leads! Can she escape to the end!?"
Ryan, still at the back, fourth from last, maintained steady breathing, unfazed by the Uma Musume marking her. But their frustration was growing.
"You've got a Triple Crown on the line!" one shouted. "How are you so calm!?"
"You're ten lengths behind!" another cried. "You'll lose like this!"
Ryan ignored them, sticking to her pace, neither escaping nor chasing. Her calm unnerved her markers, who risked defeat if they kept focusing on her. One by one, they surged forward.
"The race is moving! They're chasing Ines Fujin—Black Bow, Red Circuit, World Ace, climbing fast!"
"Here!" McQueen declared, launching forward as they hit Yodo Hill.
Sensing her moment, McQueen surged, aiming to close the gap as Ines slowed slightly for the climb.
"Here comes Metjiro! Not Ryan, but McQueen! She's closing in on Ines Fujin as they hit the fourth corner!"
"McQueen!" Ines gasped.
"I've got you, Ines-san!" McQueen called.
Entering the final straight, McQueen was within a length of Ines. Her early advantage was gone—it was now a battle of endurance.
"I won't lose!" Ines shouted, panting, pushing her stamina training to the limit.
McQueen matched her, undeterred by the 3000-meter distance, her spirit blazing as if just warming up. The Metjiro family's dream of consecutive Tenno Sho wins drove her forward.
"Ryan and Rampage-san aren't the only Metjiros!" McQueen declared. "I'm one too!"
"So am I!" a voice roared.
McQueen glanced sideways to see Ryan charging at breakneck speed, closing in.
"Metjiro Ryan! From the outside, Metjiro Ryan surges forward, storming toward McQueen and Ines Fujin!"
"She was at the back!" Ines exclaimed.
"My power's charged," Ryan said. "Now I unleash it!"
Ryan had bided her time, letting her markers disrupt their own pace. Releasing her pent-up strength on the downhill, she used the slope's momentum, her muscles strong enough to counter centrifugal force—her trainer's guarantee.
"Kyoto's straight—just run full throttle!" Ryan shouted.
"Metjiro Ryan surges ahead! This is the Double Crown Uma Musume, refusing to lose to her Derby rival! Ines Fujin holds on, but she's struggling! McQueen's not giving up either!"
"I won't lose!" McQueen cried, her stamina unwavering, pushing harder.
Ines faltered, unable to keep up, leaving only the Metjiro duo. Ryan or McQueen—who would claim the crown?
"Neither yields! 200 meters left! Is it Ryan's dream or McQueen's pride? A Metjiro duel—Ryan or McQueen, who will it be!?"
"It's mine!" Ryan roared.
"I won't lose!" McQueen countered.
A pure one-on-one, both carrying Metjiro pride, they charged toward the finish.
"Go, Ryan!" Rampage shouted from the VIP seats, her voice raw.
"McQueen… Ryan…" Asama murmured, fists clenched, watching intently.
It was too close to call, their strides perfectly matched, growing stronger with each step. The finish line loomed—who would cross first?
"They're in! Who won!? A dead heat at the line! Ines Fujin holds third! Now, the Kikuka Sho—Ryan or McQueen!?"
Both collapsed, gasping, utterly spent. They'd given everything. The scoreboard flickered, revealing the photo-finish result, and Kyoto erupted in cheers. Ryan and McQueen looked up, hearts pounding—whose name was it?
"Metjiro! Metjiro! Metjiro! Metjiro Ryan takes it! Metjiro Ryan conquers the Kikuka Sho! Triple Crown achieved! And the time—a record 3:05.2! A record-breaking Triple Crown! Metjiro McQueen takes second at 3:05.3, also a record! Triple Tiara and Classic Triple Crown—the Metjiro golden era! They've claimed both crowns, a historic triumph!"
"I… did it…" Ryan gasped, collapsing onto her back, barely able to muster joy.
McQueen sat beside her, breathing heavily, equally drained.
"Incredible, Ryan," McQueen said. "I didn't think I'd lose."
"You were amazing too, McQueen," Ryan replied, her voice weak.
"Yet… I feel strangely refreshed," McQueen said. "Next time, in the spring Tenno Sho, I'll win."
"Haha, I won't let you," Ryan said, smiling.
"Magnificent… a magnificent race, both of you," Asama said, tears streaming down her face.
Rampage wiped her own eyes, overcome. "Incredible, Ryan… just incredible…"
Survey Note: In simple terms…
A character like Narita Brian might tremble in fear of shadows, as in real history.
On the opposite end, someone like Admire Vega would race and live to honor their sibling's share too.
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