Hah... Hah... Hah...
A horse girl continued to run, her footsteps striking the ground with a heaviness unimaginable from such a slender frame. How many hours had she been running? The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and night was fast approaching, yet she showed not the slightest sign of stopping.
She simply ran, in silence.
Trainer Minamisaka watched over her quietly.
"Trainer, how many hours has it been?"
"She started around noon... so, six hours, I suppose."
"How can she keep going like that...?"
Nature and Ikuno, her teammates, were astonished upon hearing this.
Rice Shower was preparing for the Kikuka-sho. Naturally, she prioritized practice, training continuously from the afternoon onwards after morning classes... but this volume was downright brutal. Technically and physically, she was already in peak condition for the race. So when they had asked her what else there was to do, she had answered quietly and instantly:
"My mind... Rice will forge her mind thoroughly."
For several days straight, she had done nothing but run.
In the Japan Derby, she had challenged Mihono Bourbon alongside Machikane Tannhauser, armed with the best tactics and in peak physical condition. Yet, they had failed to reach him. When she searched for the reason, she realized it could only be found in the philosophy of Trainer Kuronuma: The spirit transcends the body.
This wasn't mere "guts" or willpower. It was a correct mental theory supported by a meticulously calculated training schedule. By thoroughly polishing the spirit from the foundation up, the already resilient body becomes even tougher. It was close to the Canopus philosophy.
Bourbon, whose somewhat mechanical nature earned him the nickname "Cyborg," was the perfect match for this philosophy. His resistance to pressure and extremely low variance meant he could consistently deliver high performance.
However, in the Derby, Bourbon had let his spirit explode. Rice believed this would likely happen again in the Kikuka-sho. Since Canopus also prioritized fundamentals, their direction was similar to Trainer Kuronuma's.
Therefore, the conclusion was simple: I must also transcend the body with the spirit.
Hah... Hah...
The rhythmic sound of her breathing. The heavy bass of horseshoes striking the turf.
Rice Shower was pushing herself to the limit using Shinzan Iron shoes.
"Phew... Minami-chan, I took Tannhauser back to the dorms. Seriously, Sunday-san was chasing her around relentlessly; she was totally exhausted."
"Good work, Rampage-san. Thank you for doing that."
"Same as always, huh? And Rice hasn't changed either?"
"Yes."
Rampage, having returned, had been supporting Tannhauser, who was also entering the Kikuka-sho. Tannhauser had sworn to beat Bourbon next time and had asked Sunday Silence to be her training partner. Sunday had initially looked skeptically at the fluffy, gentle Tannhauser, but after seeing her run—displaying good guts, stamina, and excellent overall ability by completing the task of running without ever letting Sunday pass her—Sunday had been all smiles.
Now, Rampage turned her gaze toward Rice.
"Hey. From your perspective, Ran... what do you think of the current Rice?"
"I think she looks good. Facing yourself thoroughly requires intense concentration. Driving yourself into an environment where you think of nothing but running is the correct move."
"I agree with that... but those horseshoes."
Both Nature and Ikuno understood the mental aspect, but what concerned them were the shoes Rice was using. Canopus used weighted Shinzan Iron shoes, and naturally, Rice did too... but Rice's limit was usually 5x weight.
Currently, however, she was using the same 10x weight that Rampage used for daily wear—the "Rampage Irons."
"She's using them to face herself, right? You warned her, didn't you, Minami-chan?"
"Yes. I told her not to run at full speed, but to keep it to a trot."
Even if she wasn't sprinting like Rampage, moving at all with those weights for this long was extraordinary. Her stamina was immense, but her mental fortitude was becoming something else entirely.
Why go this far? The reason was simple: She wanted to beat Bourbon.
"Rice..."
My legs are heavy. My breath is ragged. I'm tired.
These thoughts should have been swirling in her head, yet Rice simply kept moving her legs in silence.
Rice Shower loved her "Onee-sama," Mejiro Rampage.
Even before Rice joined Canopus, Rampage had been kind to her, telling her to rely on her like a big sister, promising to help if things got tough. She listened to her worries and doted on her, saying she loved her. Rice loved her too—so much that she wanted to be with her forever.
But that feeling had once caused her suffering.
"Onee-sama... Onee-sama..."
During Rampage's overseas expedition, there were times when Rice missed her so desperately she didn't know what to do. She wanted to see her, hear her voice, touch her. Without realizing it, she had become completely dependent on Rampage. She relied on the big sister she could tell anything to, the one who was always there.
As the desire to see Rampage swelled within her, Rice, at a loss, decided to take a plunge and consult her roommate.
Why was she able to do that? Because...
"I see, I see. Indeed, being treated that well by Rampage-san would lead to that result~... I'm mega-jealous, though."
"W-What's wrong, Flora-san?"
"N-Nothing at all~!!"
Her roommate was Agnes Flora—the horse girl who had waged death-matches against Rampage in the past. In a sense, she knew Rampage better than anyone. Rice thought she might understand... and she was right. Flora listened with a terribly serious expression.
"That isn't strange at all. With such a wonderful Onee-sama, it's only natural to want to be with her all the time. I have a little sister too, and she is such a good girl, it's a real shame we can't be together at Tracen... oops, enough bragging about my sister. ...Say, Rice-san. Why don't you think about why Rampage-san isn't by your side right now?"
"O-Onee-sama... isn't here?"
Flora's words were extremely simple.
You are not running alone. You are always running with someone.
"This is something I picked up from O-Hana-san, but... true solitude is rare. Even when running in a race, you are supported by classmates, fans, and teammates. That's what allows you to stand there. In your case, Rice-san, you have everyone in Canopus. And especially Rampage-san."
"Onee-sama is... with me."
"Yes."
When she thought about it like that, memories of Rampage and the fun times with the Canopus team welled up in her mind. The unrest in her chest settled. Seeing Rice's surprise, Flora gave a triumphant look and said, "Feel better now?"
"First, calm down and take a deep breath. Then, tell yourself: I am not alone. Absolutely not. Believe that the person you love is on your side."
"Flora-san, you're amazing."
"After all, I didn't lose repeatedly to Rampage-san for nothing!! ...Okay, I can't exactly brag about that, but thanks to those losses, I know countless ways to get back on my feet!!"
Flora was also experienced in guiding others, having looked after Tachyon and Flight as an older sister figure.
"If you want, you can just spoil yourself in your mind—strongly believe that you are one with Rampage-san's power! After all, no one can live absolutely alone, so that much is fine!! Or, if you prefer, shall I become your other big sister!?"
"Flora-san, you really are amazing. Thank you... but I think I'll pass on that."
"WHYYYY~!!? I thought I said something pretty good just now~!!"
Flora's words had truly saved her. Thanks to them, Rice was able to recover.
But now, she intended to forget them.
The desire to be spoiled by Rampage... she had it, but she would put it aside for now. Her sister had accomplished something great. If so, Rice wanted to be strong enough not to lose to her. Her instincts as a horse girl screamed for it.
"Onee-sama... Rice will... Rice will—definitely win. I will beat Bourbon-san...!!"
As the curtain of darkness wrapped the sky, a full moon floated above Rice's head.
The horse girl running under the moonlight carried blue flames in her red eyes, an aura rising from her entire body.
Her appearance... was just like Rampage before the Arc.
Rice's canon roommate is Zenno Robroy, but since this story is based on historical timelines, Robroy hasn't appeared yet. So, I went with an original pairing. Which ended up being Flora... but rest assured, she's decent as long as Rampage isn't involved.
It's true! Please believe in Flora!!
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