With the KGVI & QE Stakes drawing near, Rampage's training entered its final intense phase. She relentlessly pushed her body with a regimen that consistently involved wearing a mask and her Shinzantei irons.
"Your pace is dropping, Ran-chan. Or do you want to rest?"
"Who said I'd quit!!"
Rampage's fighting spirit, as she continued to push herself, was formidable, even to Sue-chan. It was partly because it was her first race of the European expedition, but even more so, she was fired up to avenge her defeat in Dubai.
"Ha-he~... Amazing, Sue-chan. Ran-san's fighting spirit?"
"Indeed, she's brimming with motivation."
She was mentally strong as well, and this boded extremely well. What most ignites a racer's fighting spirit is the presence of powerful rivals. In a race in a new land, there would be no familiar faces, only first encounters. There are things that simply cannot be grasped through data alone, but if you've faced an opponent once before, your body itself remembers. Especially in the case of Stahl Almecoa, Rampage had suffered a defeat in her domain.
"A rematch, perhaps?"
"A rematch...? Ran-san didn't lose, did she?"
"Hehehe, in the world of competition, it's often the case that you win the match but lose the battle, you see."
"Won the match but lost the battle... Hmm?"
She had certainly won in Dubai, but Rampage's perception was that she had been utterly defeated. She even believed that the victory in Dubai was only possible because of that experience, but if so, she had no choice but to aim for a victory that completely surpassed even that.
"Hehe, this next race will be exciting."
"Ohh~ I want to go watch too~..."
As a princess, she couldn't simply go watch on her own. After all, the race was being held at Ascot Racecourse, owned by the British Royal Family in England. In a way, it wasn't an exaggeration to call them neighbors, but it was still a neighboring country. Royalty couldn't just casually visit. So, Fine was left to cheer from the castle, watching the broadcast.
"There's nothing for it, Fine. We, too, have our positions."
"Big Sister... Mmmph, but it's only natural to want to cheer for my best frien-d!!"
"I understand that feeling well. Even I, even I am accepting the inability to see my beloved Queen's race with a heavy, heavy heart...!!!"
Pilsudski gritted her teeth, clenching her hands so tightly that her fingers dug into her palms, seething with frustration.
"That's why!! I'll watch the Irish Champion Stakes with all my might, with enough fervor to dispel these feelings!!"
"Oh~!!"
"That sounds good, but in that case, who will you be cheering for?"
At that, the two froze. It would be quite something for two princesses, representing their nation, to cheer for Rampage instead of their own country's representative in a race bearing their nation's name. Realizing this, the two began to ponder seriously.
"Oh, no... I was so excited to see Rampage-dono's run live that I forgot something crucial...!!"
"For now, let's at least find out who's scheduled to run!"
"Y-yes!! Hurry, sister, let's run!!"
"Oh~!!"
Sue-chan waved them off as they dashed away with an enthusiasm befitting Uma Musume. If they were that serious about it, Rampage would surely feel honored by that alone... she thought, when the person herself arrived.
"What's up, Sue-chan? The two princesses just ran off somewhere."
"It seems they were pressed to make a decision as princesses."
"What's that? Did a marriage proposal come in or something?"
"It's something similar, I suppose. You truly are a troublemaker, aren't you ♪"
"Huh?"
Despite all this, Rampage continued her training. That night, Fine and Pilsudski both came to her guest room and bowed their heads.
"Um, could the two princesses of Ireland please stop bowing your heads? It could easily become an international incident."
"But I, as your friend, absolutely must apologize!!"
"And I, as Rampage-san's best frien-d, must apologize too!!"
After this, the SP captain was informed of the situation. With a face like the end of the world, she joined Rampage in persuading them, and somehow got them to raise their heads. They asked a servant to brew some tea, and after settling down, Rampage listened to their story.
"Actually... for the Irish Champion Stakes, which Rampage-san will be participating in, I intended to cheer for you, but... as a princess of this country, that would be..."
"Ah~... Well, that can't be helped, right? You have your positions, and there are things that take priority."
"So, I apologize now, but as Rampage-san's best frien-d, I will cheer for you!!"
In other words, they wanted permission to cheer for Rampage as her friends, even though as members of the royal family, they would support their own country's Uma Musume. Rampage didn't mind such things; she felt that supporting one's own country was natural, so they didn't need to be so formal about it.
"Moreover, among those Uma Musume is our country's Triple Tiara winner..."
"—Ireland's Triple Tiara Uma Musume."
"Yes, that's right."
The Irish Triple Tiara for fillies: the Irish 1000 Guineas, Irish Oaks, and Irish St. Leger. An Uma Musume who had won these three major races was competing in the Irish Champion S. As Japan's Triple Tiara winner, Rampage now had no choice but to face her.
"Is she strong, this Uma Musume?"
"She's strong!! She can overtake everyone from the back in a flash, or escape to the lead in an instant!!"
"In her debut race, she overtook everyone from the very back, and in the final race of her Triple Tiara, she achieved a magnificent wire-to-wire victory."
"Quite... extreme, isn't she?"
Closing speed and leading from the front; extremely contrasting tactics. She seems to have the philosophy that if you go from the very back to the very front, you can win, or if you keep running at the very front, you can win. In a way, it's the ultimate undeniable truth.
"Feared as the 'Black Demon' and celebrated as a hero when she achieved her Triple Tiara. She is strong. Even you cannot be complacent."
"Excellent. The stronger she is, the more satisfying the fight. And her name?"
"Razgriz. That is the name of our country's hero."
"...Is that Uma Musume also called Booby?"
"You figured it out well!!"
"...Yes Kestrel."
I received Razgriz from Ikunaga-e-sama. Thank you very much!!
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