Standing upon this soil, she felt nothing in particular. She was here only to do what she came to do. Self-proclaimed experts had been touting concepts like world unification of turf and dirt racing, or the simultaneous achievement of "Fastest" and "Strongest," but she had thoroughly rejected all of it during her stream.
"To be brutally honest, there are all these expert teachers out there ranting about complete turf and dirt mastery, and what a magnificent feat it is, but you seriously don't get me at all. I don't care about fame, or money, or any of that. The World's Strongest? I couldn't care less about some title—that's just the public's review and opinion of me. I'm just an Umamusume. An Umamusume who wants to enjoy racing my rivals. On this stage, all I want is to compete with Lady and Dyna. I have no lofty goals or noble intentions—those things just come along for the ride."
The words, which asserted that honor and prestige merely follow the results, must have made the shocked experts commenting on her stream blush crimson. She had no intention of carrying the pride of Japan; if they wanted to pile it on, they could do so at their own risk. It was an arrogant, overbearing attitude befitting a tyrant—but that was precisely the conduct worthy of the name the world had given her.
"The Knight of the Sand! Lady Saber, the Japanese Umamusume who claimed her first G1 victory in the United States, makes a magnificent entrance! Her record here in America has an unbelievable 100% placement rate. The arrival of this knight from Japan sent shivers through America! Now, bearing the crown of G1 glory she hard-won, she aims for the world's best!"
"Following her now is… The Sand Super Express, Amazing Dyna! Landing in America right after Lady Saber, her record is perhaps slightly less than the Knight's, but she's just as formidable, finishing third in the only race she failed to place! The two Umamusume who have led Japan's dirt racing now challenge for redemption on this American soil!"
Lady Saber and Amazing Dyna emerged from the tunnel to a torrent of cheers. Both had numerous fans in the US, but today, the voices of the fans who had traveled from Japan drowned them out.
"Go, Lady!"
"Today, you're the one who is Number One!"
"Let the name 'Knight of the Sand' roar out to the world!"
"Lead from the start to the finish!" "We're counting on an Amazing victory!"
"Go get 'em, Dyna!"
"Lady! Lady! Lady! Lady!" "Dyna! Dyna! Dyna! Dyna!"
"The Lady and Dyna calls are erupting! Indeed, these two are no longer just leaders of Japan's dirt racing—they are talents who can compete globally! This outpouring of support is justified!"
Rampage smiled at the cheers, feeling intensely proud of the support given to her rivals. Holding that feeling close, she took slow, deliberate steps forward. As her figure became visible, the noise surged; the ground seemed to tremble. Even the random gusts of wind felt as if they were her fault—a side effect of conquering the stormy Arc de Triomphe. She couldn't simply dismiss the thought as delusion.
"—28 starts, 28 wins, the victorious trajectory of a living legend. Will she finally claim the titles of World's Fastest and World's Strongest on this day? How much higher will she climb? We want to see the culmination—is it today, or will the end never come?! The Dictatorial Tyrant, Mejiro Rampage! Unquestionably, undeniably, the number one favorite!"
"Rampage! Rampage! Rampage! Rampage!" "rampage!! rampage!! rampage!! rampage!!"
Every time an Umamusume appeared on the BC Classic stage, a wave of cheers erupted, a manifestation of expectation and hope. While every runner was wished victory, the Rampage Call was colossal. She felt countless expectations, dreams, and wishes descend upon her at once—from Japan, America, Europe, Dubai… not just the places she had raced, but literally the eyes of the entire world. To her, the average citizen, this pressure was heavy, painful, cruel, and fragile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
—She responded with a cool, nonchalant attitude, shrugging her coat onto her shoulders, as if feeling none of it. Everyone was captivated by her appearance, which suggested a complete lack of pressure—many might even see a vision of a king. Yet, though she may be perceived as a king, she was a tyrant. She was no righteous ruler and had no intention of responding in kind; she stood here solely to pursue what she wanted to do.
The Umamusume standing here stake the prestige and pride of their nations. They stake the pride they hold in their own strength. But the Tyrant has none of that; she sees this purely as a field of battle to compete with her rivals. Her perspective is, in a sense, extremely simple and powerful, yet to her competitors, it is a menacing omen, a harbinger of ill fortune that stains the sky a dark, ominous black.
"I envy you," many Umamusume must think—and indeed, many do. Her figure as she walks toward the gate is that of a champion, yet also that of a pure Umamusume. She wears a bright expression that suggests only: I want to run this race; I want to enjoy the contest with my rivals.
"Ran-chan, good luck today!"
"You're always so energetic, aren't you? Oh, yeah. I got a message from the company your favorite works for. I'll forward it to you later."
"Seriously!? Yay! Maybe the value and meaning of this race totally don't matter anymore!" "Hey, hey…"
"But I'm still an Umamusume. My body demands the race…"
Even at the gate, she maintained her relaxed demeanor. She even had the leisure to chat with Lynx, reaching a realm of exceptionality. Rampage herself thought her eccentricity was perhaps natural, and thus, she utilized even that oddity.
"Rampage-san, I will defeat you today. I'll make the blade I forged reach you."
"That's my line. I tuned my body for today, so I won't disgrace the name 'Sand Super Express.'"
Her desired rivals had also been eagerly awaiting this showdown. That alone made her happy. Among the Umamusume watching them was A.P. Indy, who clearly viewed Dyna as a rival. That small detail revealed that their rivalry was much deeper than she had thought, but she spurred herself on, knowing that time was irrelevant to a rivalry. Everyone here was a rival; the commencement of the contest between equals was about to begin.
"The gate entry is now complete! The world's dirt strongest deciding battle, the Breeders' Cup Classic! Who will be the victor to claim the crown? Will Mejiro Rampage become the world champion? Or will Lady Saber defeat the tyrant? Will Amazing Dyna rush to victory? The race is now—STARTED! The BC Classic has begun!"
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