"Ah, Ran-chan! So sorry for calling you out on such short notice."
"Well, when a gorgeous lady sends an invite, I tend to come running."
"Oh, stop! 'Gorgeous lady'? You're making me blush... say it again!"
"Um, Great-Grandmother... maybe save that for later?"
"I agree. We should probably get a move on."
It was the day before the Champions Cup. Mejiro Rampage had been occupied with his usual routine—clearing his workload while pushing through his own training—when he received an unexpected call from Speed Symboli, or 'Su-chan' as he called her. Her voice had sounded uncharacteristically troubled. She'd told him he could decline if he was too busy, but Rampage, sensing something was wrong, decided to step in.
To his surprise, he found not just her, but Symboli Rudolf and Sirius Symboli waiting for him as well. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of mess required this specific lineup.
"My apologies, Rampage," Rudolf said. "I know how much you have on your plate."
"Eh, I'm sure I'm still busier than a certain senpai I could mention," Rampage quipped.
Sirius's eyes narrowed. "You taking a shot at me, brat?"
"Perish the thought. I just figure that compared to the Chief of the Aggressors and a dedicated Team Trainer like myself, most people are practically on vacation."
"You little... keep that up and see what happens!"
"I'll pack that threat up in a nice gift box and send it right back to you. Why don't you spend some of that energy taking a nap or sharing a bath with Su-chan for once, you delinquent Horse Girl?"
Unlike Sirius, who still found it awkward to deal with Speed Symboli, Rampage was incredibly close to her. Their bond transcended typical boundaries, reaching a level where they felt like blood relatives. There were no walls between them; they ate together, and had even reached the point of scrubbing each other's hair in the bath—a fact that had left Rudolf reeling when she heard about it, eventually leading to her being roped into the same domestic routine. Unlike Sirius, Rudolf actually appreciated these moments of intimacy with her formidable grandmother, even if they were a bit overwhelming.
"Shouldn't you stop them, Great-Grandmother?" Rudolf asked, watching Rampage and Sirius bicker.
"Hehe! No, no, it's fine," Su-chan chirped. "Shi-chan looks like she's having fun."
"...Fun? That's what you call it?"
To an outsider, Sirius looked like a child being teased, while Rampage played the role of the adult enjoying the reaction. Rudolf struggled to see how the fuming Sirius could be "having fun."
"You've still got a long way to go, Ru-chan!"
"I'll never be on your level, Great-Grandmother."
"Shut your mouth! And stop asking for the impossible!" Sirius barked at Rampage.
"What do you think status and power are for? You use 'em while you've got 'em!" Rampage shot back.
Rudolf sighed. If she didn't step in now, this was only going to escalate.
"Alright, enough. Rampage, I suppose you're wondering why we summoned you. With Su-chan, Sirius, and myself here, you likely felt your presence was redundant."
The group began to walk as the bickering died down. Rampage glanced at Rudolf, who gave a weary shrug.
"Today was the press conference for the Champions Cup," Rudolf explained. "The Japanese representatives and the international contenders were all present for a formal exchange."
"Ah..." Rampage's expression shifted. "I think I get the picture."
"I'm glad you're quick on the uptake."
As they approached their destination, the atmosphere grew heavy. Two Ban'ei Horse Girls stood guard outside a set of double doors, their faces pale and their bodies visibly trembling from the sheer "killing intent" leaking from the room.
"...Rough shift, huh? Here, take these vouchers for that sweets shop nearby. You've earned it."
"Thank you so much...!" the guards whispered in unison, looking at him like a savior.
After taking a quick photo with the guards to boost their spirits, Rampage steeled himself and pushed the doors open.
"R-Rampage-san...!"
"Thank goodness you're here, Rampage. Truly."
Mejiro McQueen looked as though her soul was about to leave her body, her face flooded with relief. Beside her, Mejiro Asama—the venerable matriarch of the Mejiro family—was rubbing her shoulders, looking equally exhausted. Rampage scanned the room and immediately identified the source of the pressure.
"..."
"..."
Sitting across from each other in total silence were two figures. Sunday Silence sat with her legs crossed, radiating a relentless, suffocating aura of pure irritation. Opposite her sat another Horse Girl, tall and elegant with long chestnut hair. She possessed a refined beauty that perfectly fit the image of a high-born lady, making it easy to see why she was hailed as the successor to Secretariat.
This was Easy Goer.
"Okay, but why are McQueen and Grandma Asama here?" Rampage asked.
"Well..." McQueen started, "Sunday-san was supposed to attend as a commentator, but they insisted she join the social gathering. I didn't know that, so I'd invited her to watch a baseball game with me today..."
"The truth is, she didn't want to come because Easy Goer was here," Asama added with a shrug. "So, I took it upon myself to bring her—and McQueen—along."
"And it turned into this, so you called me?"
Asama nodded. Against an aura of this magnitude, ordinary people were useless. They had likely contacted the Symboli family to bring in the only person who could break the deadlock without causing an international incident.
"Good work, everyone. I'll take it from here."
"Please do," Asama sighed. "Goodness, I hate getting older. To think a little tension like this could wear me out so thoroughly."
"I... I feel like I just ran the Spring Tenno Sho twice in a row..." McQueen groaned.
McQueen was particularly drained. She knew the Sunday Silence who was friendly and outgoing; she had never seen this side of her—a side capable of manifesting such raw, murderous pressure.
Rampage walked forward, unfazed. He stepped directly into the "hell" that was Sunday Silence's personal space. The various trainers and URA officials in the room watched with bated breath, their eyes filled with awe and terror.
Rampage cleared his throat, and then—
"CHESTO!"
WHACK!
"Guh?!"
"WHAT?!"
Rampage delivered a sharp, open-palmed smack to the top of Sunday's head. Even the composed Easy Goer gasped, her eyes wide with shock.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Sunday barked, clutching her head. She looked up, ready to kill, only to pause. "Oh. It's just you, Rampage."
"'Just you'? Listen here, you blockhead. You're ruining the vibe so hard they had to call me in to fix it. My job is to handle your mess when it involves Nemesis, not to babysit you at public events. Don't make me do extra work, you moron."
"Tch... yeah, yeah. My bad. Sorry."
"You don't sound sorry. Put some heart into it."
In an instant, the suffocating malice vanished, replaced by the casual, rough-and-tumble atmosphere of two old friends bickering.
Easy Goer's trainer wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
(So this is him... the Fastest in the World, the "Dictator Tyrant" whose name echoes across the globe... Mejiro Rampage. To not only stand within Sunday Silence's wrath but to strike her across the head... It's a feat that would make God blink.)
While the trainer marveled at Rampage's mental fortitude, he glanced at his own charge. Easy Goer looked delighted to see Rampage, yet simultaneously bothered—frowning as she wondered just how Sunday Silence could speak so freely with him.
(Seriously... none of these legends are easy to handle. They're either completely oblivious or just don't have a lick of common sense...)
"Excuse me?" Easy Goer spoke up, her voice melodic but firm. "Would I be permitted to join the conversation?"
"You keep your mouth shut, Goer," Sunday snapped. "Or I'll bury this room in so much purple prose it'll make everyone sick."
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