"HAAAH!!"
"…Impressive, Flora."
"Not enough… I can't beat her like this."
While Spica heightened their guard against Canopus, Rigil pressed on with their training. Agnes Flora, in particular, was under an intense regimen, driven to defeat Mejiro Rampage.
"One more!"
"Wait, Flora! Honestly…"
"She's beyond motivated—almost too motivated," Hayahide said.
"Yeah… it's a problem," Hana replied.
Flora's fervor worried Hayahide. She'd once raged at Rampage's shift to dirt, but now her fixation felt heavy, almost obsessive.
"She wants to win that badly?"
"Probably. To Flora, Rampage's a massive thorn in her side."
Flora had been undefeated until Rampage bested her, and since then, victories eluded her. Initially, Hana urged her to avoid clashing races, but…
"Dodging her is the same as running away. I won't stop until I win."
Each loss made Flora stronger—Rudolph and CB vouched for it—but Rampage always soared higher.
"Can she win the Osaka Hai?"
"…Hard to say."
Tojo, Rigil's sharp-witted trainer, spoke with rare uncertainty, her words tinged with unease. Hayahide, who joined Rigil for Tojo's leadership and the team's strength, found it surprising.
"Rampage is the opponent. I can't even see what level Flora needs to reach to win. I don't want to make empty promises."
"Sorry for assuming."
"It's fine. Focus on your own training. You debut next year."
As Hayahide nodded and left, Tojo cursed her vague words. Not a lie, but… to beat Rampage, you needed sharp instincts and relentless training. Deciphering her deceptive or great escape tactics mid-race was brutal. Only rigorous fundamentals could prepare you.
"YAAAH!!"
"Personal best, Flora!"
"Still not enough…!!"
This wasn't enough to win. Flora thought they were rivals, but she wasn't even close. Rampage had surged to a distant world, and all Flora could do was chase her back, too pressed to even regret. She honed herself relentlessly.
"I want to win… against her—Rampage-san!!"
"I did it, Lan~!!!"
Turbo thrust out a V-sign, a literal mark of victory. She'd triumphed in the Tulip Sho, securing priority entry to the Oka Sho, chasing her elusive first G1 win.
"Turbo worked hard!!"
"Geez, too hard… Nice job."
"Ehehe~ Lan's top disciple can't afford to look weak!!"
"I never took a fool like you as a disciple."
"Whaa!? Don't say that, Master!! Turbo's not a fool!!"
"Who're you calling Master?"
Rampage sighed, jabbing her chin, while Turbo kept up the "Master" bit. Annoying as it was, it sparked smiles across Canopus.
"Honestly, since Rampage-san polished Turbo-san's running, calling her your top disciple isn't exactly wrong, is it?" Minamisaka teased.
"Then Ikuno's just as much my disciple—she trained with her too."
"No, Turbo-san's style is quite different, so it fits better."
"You're dodging me, huh…"
"Turbo and Lan are the ones dodging!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
With that, Turbo's next race was set for the Oka Sho. Nature aimed for the Satsuki Sho, and Canopus was thriving. Then Minamisaka shared news.
"Rice-san and Tanhoiza-san's debut dates are set."
"Rice's debut!?"
"Me too!?"
Both would debut in June, earlier than Rampage or Ikuno, thanks to Canopus's rising status easing approvals.
"I'm debuting… ugh, I'm so nervous…"
"Cheer up, Rice-chan!! We've got Lan-san and Ikuno with us. Training with them means there's nothing to worry about!!"
"Y-Yeah… training with Onee-sama means I shouldn't be scared, right…?"
Rice was anxious, but Minamisaka was confident both were in top form.
"Rice-senpai's kinda amazing, right? When we train together, she's like snap!—switches on, super sharp!"
"N-N-No way… I just try to be proper so I don't disrespect anyone…"
"That's what's so cool! You're like a totally different person!"
"Auu… Onee-sama…"
"There, there."
Rice had changed. During training, her usual timid demeanor flipped to a sharp, gallant focus, like a switch had been thrown.
"She's like a total professional in those moments!"
"That's it!!"
"Professional" nailed it, Rampage thought, patting Rice's head. But Tanhoiza wasn't far behind—her stamina management was sharp. Knowing when to sprint, how to pace certain stretches—Minamisaka praised her precision.
"What's next for Ikuno?"
"I'm aiming for the Tenno Sho (Spring), so the Nikkei Sho."
"That's gonna be a tough fight…"
Ikuno was challenging McQueen and Palmer in the Tenno Sho (Spring). Her long-distance aptitude was undeniable, and Minamisaka vouched for her chances. With everyone so fired up, Rampage couldn't slack off. The Osaka Hai was coming—she had to bring her A-game…!!
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