Rampage had made her decision to establish a team, but she was in no rush to jump into the fray. Given that she was still technically a rookie trainer, she decided her primary focus would be scouting members with an eye toward a debut a few years down the line. She reported this long-term strategy to the Chairwoman.
"GOOD TIDINGS!!" Akikawa bellowed. "A girl of your caliber spending years to nurture the next generation—they are sure to conquer the world! Truly marvelous! You have my full permission; take all the time you need!"
"Just so we're clear, I've got that on the record," Rampage added.
"Must you always be so calculating?!" the Chairwoman huffed.
Regardless, the "slow and steady" approach was set. However, this brought a new mountain of things to consider: team philosophy, recruitment strategies, a name… but Rampage didn't let it weigh her down. She intended to enjoy the process.
"Alright, Suzuka. I know basic physical training is a bore, but bear with me. Think of it as a sauna session—we're prepping your legs for the ultimate payoff."
"Understood," Suzuka replied earnestly. "I look forward to the day I finally get to jump into the cold bath."
"That's the spirit."
For now, Rampage's priority remained Suzuka's development. Meanwhile, Team Canopus had entered a brief period of calm following the Derby. Their next major target was the Takarazuka Kinen, but since Canopus was the kind of team that believed in racing as often as possible, a packed monthly schedule was business as usual for them.
"Rampage-san, have you thought about who you want to scout yet?" Suzuka asked during a break.
"Not specifically. Though, I think I'll avoid 'Hana-san's style' of picking up girls right before their debut."
Ideally, Rampage wanted to build a roster from the generation of Air Groove, Mayano Top Gun, and Marvelous Sunday. Of course, thinking that way made her feel like the universe was shouting at her to just go out and grab those specific girls already.
"What about Air Groove-san and Dober?"
"To be honest," Rampage said, rubbing her chin, "I have a feeling those two will just show up the second I officially announce the team."
"...That sounds very likely," Suzuka agreed.
"Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
Somewhere on campus, two girls suddenly rubbed their noses.
"A cold? I have some throat lozenges and medicine if you need them," a nearby trainer offered.
"Suzuka, do you have anyone in mind? Anyone you think would be a good fit?"
"M-me?" Suzuka blinked, caught off guard. She quickly realized Rampage wasn't asking her to decide the team's fate, but simply valued her opinion. She relaxed slightly.
"Well, the ones I'm usually around are Taiki and Pearl… Taiki is so full of energy, she'll talk to anyone, but she often comes to me specifically to ask about you, since you're my trainer. Pearl is the same. They both really want to hear about your time overseas."
"Those two, huh?"
Taiki Shuttle and Seeking the Pearl. Suzuka had basically named the heavy hitters. Rampage hadn't overlooked them; their future ambitions—it felt a bit like cheating to know them already—to take on the world would definitely benefit from her experience. If I take them on, the path to the 'other side' might open up even wider... Rampage realized she was already thinking like a full-fledged trainer.
"Anyone else?"
"Fukukitaru is also very impressive. She actually overtook me in a practice session the other day. Oh! But I made sure to follow your instructions—I didn't just burst from the start. I focused on my stride count and built up acceleration properly."
Suzuka's foundation was still being built, so Rampage had strictly forbidden her from redlining her engine too early. If she watched her acceleration, her stamina would hold. The fact that Machikane Fukukitaru could overtake even a restrained Suzuka spoke volumes about her talent.
"Then… maybe Sunny and Yamato?"
"Sunny? What, does she have a thing for aesthetics or cross-dressing?"
"Um… I don't think so. They're both specialists in front-running, just like me."
Rampage immediately deduced she meant Sunny Brian and Daitaku Yamato. Both were famous for their legendary "escape" style of racing. It made sense that Suzuka would feel a kinship with girls who shared her tactical DNA.
"You were a front-runner too, Rampage-san, so I thought it might be easier for you to teach girls with the same style," Suzuka added.
"Look at you, thinking of your trainer's workload. What a sweetheart. You're making life easy for this rookie! Who's a good girl? You are!"
"Ah—Rampage-san! Wait—kyuunn...!"
Startled by the sudden head pat, Suzuka nevertheless melted into the touch, her ears and tail twitching contentedly. The feeling of those fluttering ears against her hand was therapeutic. Choosing the girls I want to raise... It was an obvious concept, but one Rampage had tucked away in the back of her mind. Perhaps it was the influence of her role as the Chief of Nemesis, where her policy was to never turn away a challenger.
"Choosing... selecting my own... Yeah, that's how it should be. I'll just build a team of girls I actually want to see grow. Right, Suzuka?"
"~♪"
Suzuka didn't answer with words, her eyes half-closed as she basked in the affection. Watching her look like a pampered small animal made Rampage chuckle. Then, a thought struck her. A team name. It was the hardest puzzle to solve, but most top teams used the names of stars. She decided to follow that tradition—but with a slight twist.
"Suzuka. Hey, Suzuka-chan… poke."
"Pyah?! What?! Yes?! I'm listening!"
Rampage had lightly brushed Suzuka's tail to get her attention. The girl practically levitated before spinning around and dropping into a formal sitting position.
"I've picked a name. Help me make the posters."
"Oh! Yes, of course!"
"I'll take you out to the mountain roads later to make up for touching your tail, okay?"
"I-It's fine! Really! Actually… um… do you want to touch it more? A trainer once touched my legs to check them, so I thought maybe trainers just need to touch their athletes to verify their condition…"
"Suzuka, tell me which trainer that was. I'm going to go have a 'polite word' with them. Actually, wait, there's only one guy it could be."
Shortly after, Rampage stormed into Trainer Okino's office, only to find out he had been performing a legitimate palpation because he was worried Suzuka had been overtraining. Rampage begrudgingly accepted the explanation but delivered a physical "correction" anyway, telling him to ask for permission next time. Then, she gave Suzuka a lecture on overtraining.
And then—
"W-wait, look at this poster!"
"Is this for real? This isn't a prank, is it?!"
"I'm going to go find a teacher and confirm it!"
A new poster had appeared in the hallway. It depicted Rampage in her racing silks, standing before a moonlit starting gate, reaching out a hand toward the viewer.
[Let's chase the dream together.]
[Team Pleiades: Now Recruiting.]
Pleiades. That was the name Rampage had chosen. Since she had committed to running alongside them, a single star didn't feel right. It had to be a group that only shone when gathered together.
Pleiades, led by the "Tyrant" herself. The school buzzed with anticipation: what kind of girls would gather under her banner?
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