"Good grief, Minami-chan really is a cruel taskmaster."
"The intensity of this training is staggering..." Kamizuru muttered, eyes glued to his stopwatch. "He's pushing them right to the absolute limit, yet he's maintaining a perfect safety margin to prevent injury. It's high-wire act coaching."
The Kikkasho—the final leg of the Triple Crown—was fast approaching. Winning Ticket, having already secured the Derby, was preparing for the grueling distance of the final jewel. Often called the race where "the strongest horse wins," it serves as the ultimate wall for any classic contender. To scale that wall, Minamisaka had prepared a special gauntlet.
"Raaaaaaah!" Ticket's scream echoed across the turf.
"I'm not... giving up yet!" Rice Shower gasped, her eyes flickering with blue fire.
"I won't lose either!" Matikanetannhauser cheered, matching them stride for stride.
"Youthful energy is great and all," Nice Nature sighed, though her legs never wavered, "but I think I'll just stick to my own pace, thanks."
Ticket was currently sparring with the best stayers Canopus had to offer. Rice and Tannhauser were elite long-distance specialists, and Nature had the experience of a grueling Kikkasho run under her belt. It was the perfect environment. Furthermore, while the others wore standard plates, Ticket was training in "Shinzan Irons"—heavy, specialized shoes designed to build monstrous leg strength.
"He's actually making Ticket-san wear those?" Kamizuru asked, surprised. "I would have thought the handicap would be the other way around."
"If you know how to use them, Shinzan Irons are a trainer's best friend," Rampage explained. "Minami-chan messed up with them once back when he was training me, so I doubt he'll make the same mistake twice."
Over-reliance on the heavy irons can cause a girl's gait to become sluggish when they switch back to racing plates. Very few can transition between the two perfectly—usually only legends like the original Shinzan, Rampage herself, or perhaps Ikno Dictus if she set her mind to it.
"Do you think Ticket-san will win the Kikkasho?"
"Who knows?"
"Who knows?! Rampage-san, you're her senior in Canopus! Shouldn't you at least say you believe in her victory?"
"Victory is a fickle thing, kid. Until the gates open, the world of racing is a total blank slate. Besides, Ticket is working her tail off, but you can bet everyone else is doing the exact same thing."
Narita Taishin was out there. Biwa Hayahide was out there. The three of them viewed each other as the ultimate hurdles to overcome. Every drop of sweat Ticket shed was matched by her rivals.
The explosive closing speed of Taishin, the hungry obsession of Ticket... and Hayahide, having witnessed both, was determined to surpass them. The "BNW" era was still in its prime. And yet, looking past them, Rampage saw Sakura Laurel, Hishi Amazon, and Dragoon Lance galloping by.
"The next batch is already coming up," Rampage mused. "Seeing the talent pool this full is a beautiful thing... but it's also a cruel one."
After BNW came the shadow of Narita Brian. Along with him, Hishi Amazon, Laurel, and the rookie "Dra-Lan" (Dragoon Lance) were nearing their debuts. Amazon's first race actually coincided with the Academy's Fan Appreciation Day. Canopus was already planning a "Support Cafe" where members not racing that day would serve as staff to cheer on their teammates via live broadcast.
"Dra-Lan, you're fresh off your debut. Don't overdo it," Rampage called out.
"I'm fine, Senpai! I'm so full of energy I can barely sit still! Gaaah! When is the next race!? I need to run!"
"That's the spirit," Amazon grinned. "I can't let myself fall behind either!"
"Me neither!" Laurel added.
The first of the '94 generation to debut was Dragoon Lance. She had her first race in late August. Marketed as the "New Star of Canopus" following Rampage's retirement, her debut had become a viral sensation—for better or worse.
Because...
『And they're off! Wait—what's this?! Dragoon Lance hasn't moved! Is there a problem in the stall? No, she's moving now! But she's started a full seven seconds late!』
She had pulled a "stunt" worthy of a certain legendary unsinkable ship. Rampage, who had been watching the livestream with Stay Gold during their summer camp, had nearly died laughing. Yet, despite the seven-second handicap, Dra-Lan had carved through the field to win by four lengths.
"Just make sure you don't end up having to take the gate re-test again," Rampage teased.
"Please don't remind me!" Dra-Lan wailed.
It turned out she was actually quite good at the gates; the delay had been purely mental. She'd spent so much time trying to calm her nerves that she hadn't even realized the race had started.
"Ama-chan, Laurel—don't follow in Dra-Lan's footsteps, okay?"
"Hah! I'll be fine," Amazon boasted. "I've got the best seniors in the world looking after me."
"I think I'll be okay too," Laurel smiled. "In fact, I think I enjoy the spotlight."
Rampage felt a surge of pride, but also a growing anticipation for the races to come. Even though she was a trainer now, the thrill of the turf never left her. As she watched them, Twin Turbo trotted up beside her.
"Ran. What do you think about Ticket?"
"She'll give it everything she has and leave it all on the track. Whatever the result, she'll be able to hold her head high. That's just who she is."
"I guess... Oh, that's right. Ran, I had something to tell you."
"I figured. You were using Ticket as a lead-in on purpose, weren't you?"
Turbo's mischievous "child-who-got-away-with-it" grin vanished, replaced by a rare, serious expression.
"I finished talking it over with my trainer. Next year... Turbo is going overseas."
Beside them, Kamizuru let out a sharp intake of breath. The romantic notion of Japan's most famous "Twin-Turbojet" taking her all-out front-running style to the world stage made his skin crawl with excitement.
"I see," Rampage said, her voice steady. "What's the target?"
"The Dubai Turf. I'm gonna get a cool trophy, just like you, Ran."
"Want me to come with?"
"If you're free, sure! If you're busy, don't worry about it."
Kamizuru was stunned by Rampage's reaction. She didn't sound worried or skeptical; she spoke as if Turbo's victory in Dubai was already a historical fact. Perhaps he felt it too—he could already see the image of Turbo holding that trophy aloft.
"Well," Rampage grinned, "if I'm busy, I'll send Sue-chan. If I'm free, I'll be there myself. Get ready for that, Kami-chan. I'm going to teach you everything I know about international racing."
"I-I'm on it!" Kamizuru shouted, standing tall.
Rampage felt that "fated" feeling again. It was the same spark of intuition that guided great leaders. She didn't know exactly what the future held, but she knew that with this team and this sub-trainer, the journey was going to be legendary.
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