"Man, I'm really starting to realize just how easy living in Japan was."
"Right? It really does get to you, doesn't it?"
Rampage had managed to get ample rest and had begun her training at the facility she shared with Dyna... only to be reminded of the sheer intensity of the United States.
The number of paparazzi attempting to trespass onto the training grounds was staggering. When the special security unit hand-picked by Eric (who had joined them in the US) shut them out, they simply switched to long-range tactics, trying to capture shots with telephoto lenses that looked expensive enough to buy a house.
"Do those guys realize that if something happens to me, America is going to shake? At the very least, they'd be turning Japan, Dubai, and Ireland into enemies."
"J-Just thinking about it is terrifying..."
"Well, I won the Arc too, so probably all of Europe, actually."
"Is there anyone left on Earth who can actually pick a fight with you?"
Lady looked at her with eyes that were slightly exasperated, though she and Dyna had also been harassed quite a bit while running here. The press didn't care about their circumstances; they stuck their necks into anything that smelled like money. Lady was truly grateful that Rampage had introduced them to Eric.
"In a way, aren't you guys picking a fight with me too?"
"We're fine. It's not like our goal is to harm you."
"Exactly, exactly. It's all in the spirit of healthy sportsmanship."
"Fair enough."
Originally, there were no entry restrictions on this training ground, but because Rampage was using it, the US government had directly imposed them. Getting in was difficult, and even loitering in the vicinity without permission would result in a chat with the police on standby. That was how absurd Rampage's influence had become.
With her challenging the BC Classic, flights to the US were sold out everywhere, accommodations were bursting at the seams, and Horse Girl merchandise stores were seeing unprecedented sell-outs and bidding wars over stock.
"By the way, Rampage-san, what are you doing after the BC Classic?"
"Going home immediately. I have to make it back for Rice's Kikuka-sho."
"Ehh...?! But the Kikuka-sho is literally only a week later."
"That's more time than I had between the Queen Elizabeth and the Japan Cup."
"When you bring that up, we really can't argue... Ugh, I hate that logic..."
Rampage, the Horse Girl with the truly invincible record. Hearing that her next plan was to fly back just to cheer for her junior in the Kikuka-sho left them stunned. It showed just how kind she was, but still...
"Is there a possibility of you retiring here in America?"
"Oh, is that what you meant?"
"What else did you think I meant?"
"Just kidding. Well... I haven't ruled out moving to the Dream Trophy League, but the Chairman and the others are retiring soon, so..."
The Dream Trophy League was literally a stage for dreams, but she didn't like that races were only twice a year, and the Dirt division for the Dream Trophy hadn't really been established yet. Perhaps for that reason, she wasn't terribly interested. It wasn't her dream.
"Tell you what... there is actually one thing I'm interested in."
"Oh? That sounds intriguing."
"What is it?!"
"Want to hear it?"
""Of course.""
"Beat me, and I'll tell you."
Rampage flashed a wicked grin, telling them that if they wanted to know, they had to earn it. The two of them smiled back, deciding that they would just have to run—to drag that secret out into the light of day.
After finishing practice and washing off the sweat, Rampage stood on the hotel's observation deck.
As the myriad lights of the night view burned into her eyes, she thought briefly about the question the two had asked her. On her streams, people jokingly told her to "give it a rest already." She knew she wouldn't keep running forever. The time to stop would come eventually.
"'A Horse Girl who doesn't keep running has no meaning,' huh... Quite the punk philosophy."
To calm the slightly restless feeling in her chest, she took out a specialized herb cigar. However, sensing a shadow approaching, she turned around.
Standing there, greeting her with beautiful gestures that befitted the term "Young Lady"—and seemed far removed from someone like Rampage—was a Horse Girl.
'It has been a long time. I feel like this scene overlaps slightly with when we first met...'
'Long time no see. Since it's dirt, I thought maybe you'd show up, and here you are.'
It was Lys Fleuve, one of the French Horse Girls she had battled in the Dubai World Cup.
'Your French is as fluent as ever. It seems you can make yourself understood even here.'
'I'm extremely grateful for the compliment. There's no higher praise than having my hobby recognized by a native.'
'You really are an unconventional Horse Girl through and through... Nnn-hm! "This is easier... I suppose?"'
Fleuve switched to Japanese. It was a little clumsy, but passable. Apparently, she had been studying because she wanted to visit Japan one day, but after losing in Dubai, she had pushed herself to learn even more. There were slight oddities, but it was perfectly understandable.
"You're pretty good yourself."
"Speaking is manageable. Reading and writing are still... difficult. Why do characters with the same reading have such drastically different meanings?"
Rampage agreed with that; even living in Japan, there were countless characters she couldn't read or write. As she thought this, the other girl quietly bowed her head.
"Congratulations on your Arc victory. I wanted to stand on that stage too, if I could have. But I am not as versatile as you."
"I'm not exactly good at everything either. That was just a sort of... byproduct."
"Even so, I wanted to run with you again. And for that reason, I came to America."
What lay in her eyes was neither defeatism nor anger at her own inadequacy. It was pure respect and a challenge—the simple desire to run together again.
"The conditions are the same, but I am different from back then. Please understand that much."
"Bring it on. I accept your challen—"
"Accept mine tooooooo!!"
"Whoaa-shit!!?"
Someone tackled her from behind. Rampage pitched forward instinctively, but the person clinging to her back refused to let go. Wondering who the hell it was, she looked back to see another comrade she had run with.
"Links! Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry, sorry!! I saw Rampage and I just came flying over!! Long time no see, Fleuve!"
"As energetic—or perhaps I should say innocent—as ever... Yes, it has been a while, Armed Links."
"Just Links is fine~"
It was the New Zealander, Armed Links, who had also run in the Dubai World Cup and put up a great fight to finish 2nd.
"Man~ I was planning to go out on the turf, but when I heard Run was running here, I switched over!!"
"Dude, was that okay?"
"My Trainer just said 'Got it' and processed the paperwork immediately."
Links said it casually, and her Trainer had apparently done it effortlessly, but there must have been quite a commotion behind the scenes. Yet, the Trainer had handled it without letting Links feel any of the burden. Perhaps that was proof that a first-rate Horse Girl's Trainer was also first-rate.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, listen! Actually, I started streaming too~"
"Oh, seriously?"
"Yup, just a personal channel. Mostly playing AC right now. I hope I can get a corporate sponsorship from FromSoftware like you did with Nintendo, Run~"
"Mine was... pretty chaotic, though."
Incidentally, Rampage was still active as a Nintendo-certified streamer and was occasionally asked to stream gameplay of new releases before they went on sale.
"Hey, hey!! Let's stream! Let's do a stream!! Fleuve is here too, so it's a reunion of the Dubai Squad!"
"—You are casually dragging me into this... I have no particular interest... though I suppose there is no escape once Links starts this... Good grief. This is a loan, understand? Pay me back sometime."
"Okay~ Then it's decided!!"
"My opinion, the most crucial one here, is being completely ignored, I see."
Not that she objected. And if they were calling themselves the Dubai Squad, they had to invite Lady and Dyna, too...
Dragged by the hand by Links, Rampage walked alongside Fleuve, who was massaging her brow with a sigh.
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