"Uwoooo!"
Nice Nature clicked the stopwatch as Twin Turbo rocketed across the finish line, living up to her name. Even among her peers, Turbo's speed stood out, a cut above the rest.
"Zee-ha, zee-ha…" Turbo panted.
"Turbo, you okay?" Nature asked. "It's just practice—ease up a bit."
"Nope! Turbo's all-out from start to finish! Feels awesome!"
Exhausted but grinning, Turbo's unyielding spirit made Nature swallow her next words. Turbo's reckless pace wasn't weak—when it clicked, it was unstoppable. Her stamina, though, needed work.
"Raaahhh!"
"Haaa!"
Rampage and Ikuno Dictus thundered past, overtaking Turbo in a 2000-meter sparring run. Ran set a blistering, near-full-throttle pace from the start, with Ikuno hot on her heels.
"Whoa, Ran's insane!" Turbo shouted. "Like me!"
"That's a crazy high pace," Nature said, awestruck. "Can she keep it up?"
Ran charged forward, pounding the ground with powerful strides, leaping as if defying gravity. Ikuno matched her relentless pace, their duel carrying into the final straight—the true test.
"Let's fly!" Ran roared.
She kicked it up a notch, and Turbo gasped. "She's getting faster?!"
"No way, she was holding back?!" Nature exclaimed.
Ran's run was pure madness—a breakaway pace like Turbo's, yet she surged even harder in the final stretch. Even Ikuno's flawless pacing couldn't catch her, and Ran crossed the line five lengths ahead.
"Haa… haa…" Ran panted. "Ikuno, your pace is like a damn machine. Cyborg much?"
"Not quite," Ikuno gasped. "I faltered midway…"
"So you're planning to go cyborg?" Ran teased.
Turbo rushed over, tackling Ran in a hug. "Ran, that was amazing! I wanna run like that! Race me next!"
"Thanks, kid," Ran said, collapsing onto her back. "Gimme a breather first. I'm beat."
Ikuno slumped beside her, breathing heavily. Turbo dashed off for towels and drinks, leaving Nature to turn to Trainer Minamisaka.
"How'd Ran hold that pace?" Nature asked. "It was Turbo-level crazy."
"Raw stamina helps, but it's also her build," Minamisaka said.
Turbo stood at 146 cm, Ran at 175 cm—a 29 cm gap. Turbo's short stature favored a rapid, pitch-based stride, while Ran's height powered long, striding steps. Taller runners could cover more ground per stride, giving Ran an edge.
"Plus, Ran eased off mid-race," Minamisaka added. "She saved energy for that final burst."
"Seriously?" Nature said.
"It fooled most, but not Ikuno-san," he said. "Against others, that sudden acceleration drains their stamina. Her breakaway sets the gap, making it hard to close."
"She's playing that deep?" Nature marveled.
Nature was floored by Ran's strategy—not just a reckless breakaway but a calculated one, designed to sap opponents' energy while preserving her own. Her pace shifts made her a nightmare to race against.
"She's been running with Tamamo Cross, too," Minamisaka said.
"With Tamamo-senpai?!" Nature gasped.
"Yup. She's picking up chasing tactics," he said.
Ran had been training with Tamamo Cross, partly due to a prior promise, but also to challenge stronger opponents and gain experience. Tamamo, flattered by her eager kouhai, happily obliged. Lately, though, Super Creek had joined, and Ran was getting… extra attention.
"I wanna race them too!" Turbo said, returning with supplies.
"I'll ask next time," Ran groaned. "Lemme rest."
"Got it! Watch Turbo's run now!"
As Turbo prepped, Minamisaka turned to Ran and Ikuno. "You two debut next year. Decided on your routes?"
"Hmm, tough call," Ran said.
If all went well, they'd debut next year, facing a choice: the Classic Triple Crown or the Triple Tiara. Both suited their distance aptitudes.
"Got a preference, Ikuno?" Ran asked.
"Both are tempting," Ikuno said. "You?"
Ran hesitated. Running the Classic Triple Crown with Ryan sounded great, but a chat with her roommate, Mejiro Ramonu, had planted a seed.
"How wonderful!" Ramonu had said. "If you go for the Classic or Tiara, let me know—I'll help♪"
"Bit early for that," Ran had replied.
"Strike while the iron's hot!" Ramonu urged.
Ramonu's not-so-subtle push leaned toward the Tiara, and given her legacy, it felt like the better fit.
"Probably the Tiara," Ran said. "The Chrysanthemum's 3000 meters feels brutal."
"We can build a schedule to boost your distance aptitude," Minamisaka said.
His tone said, Don't worry, I've got you. With two years to prepare, there was time to adapt. He'd respect their choices either way.
"Thanks, Minami-chan," Ran said. "I'll think it over."
"Good call," he said.
"What about Turbo?" she asked.
"What?!" Turbo yelped. "You and Ikuno are a year out, but me and Nature are three years away!"
"Still, planning ahead's smart," Minamisaka said. "Looking to the future's a good thing."
Canopus's warm, meaningful banter continued as Ran gazed at the sky, pondering her path. What should she do? Her hand drifted to the cigar in her pocket, lost in thought.