Man o' War's Perspective
Hachiman: "..."
Man o' War: "..."
We were here to observe Rice Shower's training. I stood beside Hachiman, watching the session unfold. The Tenno Sho was scheduled for this week, but the regimen Hachiman had assigned her wasn't a typical final "oikiri" gallop. It was grueling—closer to a desperate final push than a mere tune-up. Yet, Rice Shower executed the drills with a chilling composure. I had already realized she was in peak condition just by watching her run, but to see her handle this? It surpassed all my expectations.
"...Good. You're finding your rhythm, Rice," Hachiman called out. "You know the plan. Stay glued to McQueen until you hit the final straight. The moment you clear the fourth corner, give it everything you've got."
"Right. I understand, Big Brother," Rice replied softly. "I'll stay right on McQueen-san's heels until then."
"That's the spirit. Keep that focus for the rest of the set."
"Yes!"
With a sharp dash, she was gone, kicking up the dirt.
"A final gallop, is it?" I mused. "Assigning a menu like that this late in the game… that's a bold gamble."
"I had my doubts too," Hachiman admitted, his eyes never leaving the track. "But Rice is serious. She didn't breathe a word of complaint, even when the menu turned… well, more than a little punishing."
"A month of hellish training followed by a final gallop that carries the weight of a standard session," I noted. "Any other trainer would look at this and assume you'd given up on the race entirely."
"Maybe," Hachiman said. "But you only have to look into her eyes to know the truth. Even an amateur could tell those aren't the eyes of someone who's ready to quit."
"...Hmph. Fair point."
Rice: (...I can still do it. I can go further. More... more... MORE!!)
CRACKLE!!
Hachiman stiffened. "—!?"
I felt it too. "!"
What was that? For a split second, it felt as though a literal bolt of electricity had surged through my entire body.
"...Was that Rice?" Hachiman whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"The possibility is high," I replied, my pulse quickening.
"Wait, you felt it too, Professor?"
"Indeed... This sensation… I never experienced anything like it, even during my own days on the turf. This is..."
There was no doubt about it. She was about to transform.
"...Hachiman," I said firmly. "Can you get permission from the academy? I want her running night sessions from today until Friday."
"What? But today was supposed to be the final oikiri. We were going to spend the rest of the week on light adjustments…"
"I know I promised not to interfere, and for that, I apologize. But I find myself needing to see it. I want to see the 'Rice Shower' that was meant to be. Her true form."
Hachiman went silent for a moment. "...I'll discuss it with her."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
After training, the three of us talked it over. As it turned out, Rice Shower confessed she had been itching to do more anyway, so the night runs were officially on the schedule. The only issue was the curfew…
"Amazon, can you help me out here?" Hachiman asked.
Hishi Amazon looked at him, blinking in surprise. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd come to me with a favor like this. You're full of surprises, Trainer."
"I want to do everything humanly possible for the Tenno Sho," Hachiman said, his voice low and sincere. "So… please. I'm asking you."
"Whoa, stop that! A man shouldn't bow his head so easily!" Amazon huffed, waving her hands dismissively. "Sigh… Look, us girls at the Miho Dorm owe you a lot. I can handle a request like this. But listen—nine o'clock sharp, okay?"
"...Yeah. Thanks."
"My thanks as well for accommodating such a sudden request," I added. "We are quite serious about this."
Amazon squinted at me, her expression shifting to one of confusion. "...Hey, Trainer. This guy… he looks incredibly familiar."
"Hm? Have we met?" I asked.
"N-no... I think I probably just know you by reputation."
Hachiman smirked slightly. "Well, you're from the States, so it makes sense. This is my mentor's mentor—Man o' War. To an American Uma Musume, he's basically a living legend."
Amazon's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "I KNEW IT!!!"
With the approval of Hishi Amazon and the Board Chairman's secretary, our night runs were set through Friday. I wanted to push until Saturday, but we have to travel to Kyoto then.
"Good. Now we can monitor her condition until the very last second," I said. "Hachiman, this was my idea, so I'll be staying late with you. Let's make this count."
"Right. Looking forward to it."
Hachiman's Perspective
Running at this time of night feels… strange. Usually, we're done by morning or early afternoon, but now Rice is doing night sets until Friday. She actually looked pretty happy when the Professor and I suggested it. I guess she really was hungry for more.
"Alright, we're starting the night runs today. Just keep it at your usual pace," I told her.
"Okay! But Big Brother, why are you in your tracksuit?" Rice asked, tilting her head.
"Hmm? Oh, I figured I'd run too. It'd be lonely out here by yourself, right? The Professor is going to keep an eye on your form, so I'll just pace along with you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Like I said, just run like you normally do. Don't change a thing for my sake."
Rice gave a small, radiant smile. "Running with you feels so new... Okay! Let's run together!"
"Yeah."
It's Wednesday. Including today, that gives us three days. I hope this makes the difference we're looking for.
ーーー Friday Night ーーー
Friday night arrived... the final session. We pushed her to the absolute brink. As for Rice...
"...…"
A faint, chilling pressure emanated from her. Her finish was beyond anything I had imagined. Her aura, the look in her eyes—everything had changed.
"...…She's ready," I whispered.
The "Demon" had finally come home to roost.
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