"The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho! But what on earth is this?! What are we witnessing?!"
The eyes of the nation were fixed on Kyoto. In this grueling 3000-meter test of endurance, all focus was on the "BNW" trio. Would Narita Taishin or Winning Ticket claim a second jewel for their crowns, or would Biwa Hayahide finally show her true mettle? The crowd had expected a battle of attrition; instead, they were treated to a spectacle that defied every convention of the turf.
"We've entered the latter half of the race. They've passed the midway point, and while the field remains in formation, the sight is utterly bizarre! Leading the pack is one-third of the BNW, Biwa Hayahide! She's opened up a massive ten-length lead and shows no sign of slowing down! Hayahide has never run a '逃げ' (escape) style like this before! Does she really intend to steal the Triple Crown's final jewel from the front?!"
Hayahide held the lead, her pace steady and unwavering. From the stands, it looked like a suicide mission. There's no way she can maintain that, the spectators whispered. She'll gas out on the Hill of Yodo. As the field approached the infamous incline, the other racers began to accelerate, hoping to catch her before she crested the hill. But Ticket and Taishin remained calm, sticking to their own internal rhythms.
"I can't let her break my pace," Ticket muttered, teeth Grit. "If I burn my energy now, I'm done. Just wait... stay hungry... wait for the moment!"
"But Hayahide's pace... it isn't dropping!" Taishin hissed, her eyes narrowing.
Hayahide was neither panicked nor breathless. She maintained a metronomic tempo, keeping the gap wide. Normally, the "correct" play for the trailing pack would be to wait for the leader to tire on the descent. But Hayahide caught the corner of the hill and felt a smirk tug at her lips. She crested the rise and, rather than coasting down to save energy, she leaned into the gravity, accelerating into the descent.
"She's hitting the downhill, and Hayahide is still in command! Look at that speed! She's hugging the inner rail as if she's on tracks! But wait—here comes a challenger from the back! It's the downhill specialist herself—Winning Ticket is making her move! She's surging forward, accelerating through the Yodo curves! And Narita Taishin is right there with her! The BNW is coming! They're swallowing the field! Ticket and Taishin are closing the gap on Hayahide as they hit the home stretch! It's going to be a three-way—wait, WHAT?!"
"Now," Hayahide whispered. "Right here. This is the moment."
The instant the track straightened, Hayahide coiled her strength. She lowered her posture—a modified version of the forward-leaning "Rampage Stride." It wasn't a perfect replica of the style she'd seen her sister, Brian, use, but for a single burst of acceleration, it was lethal. Her hooves tore into the turf, gripping the earth with terrifying power.
"Brian! Watch closely! This is my—Victory Formula!"
"Biwa Hayahide is accelerating! I don't believe it! After that pace, she still has this much left in the tank?! It looked like she might falter for a second, but she's exploded away from Taishin and Ticket! The lead is back to seven—no, eight lengths! This is a massacre! Biwa Hayahide is dominant! Winning Ticket is giving it everything, Taishin is neck-and-neck with her! The race for second is a toss-up, but the win belongs to Hayahide!"
The roar of the crowd was deafening as Biwa Hayahide crossed the finish line. She had finally claimed her jewel. The crown was hers.
"Biwa Hayahide wins the Kikuka Sho! After falling short in the previous Classics, she finally ascends to the throne! Narita Taishin takes second, Winning Ticket third! The BNW has swept the podium in a historic display of power!"
"Phew..."
Hayahide slowly decelerated, letting out a long, controlled breath. She was tired, certainly, but her breathing wasn't nearly as labored as one would expect after a 3000-meter sprint. Ticket and Taishin pulled up beside her, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"H-Hayahide, that was insane!" Ticket gasped. "How... how are you standing? You look fine!"
"Seriously, it makes no sense," Taishin added. "How did you hold that pace?"
"I simply put Rampage-san's lessons into practice," Hayahide replied, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "Specifically: the art of the constant. She told me that for a long distance, a steady output of seventy to eighty percent is more efficient than fluctuating. I realized that if I could find a pace that was sustainable yet faster than the pack's 'comfort zone,' I wouldn't just win—I'd break their spirits."
"You used our own expectations against us," Taishin realized. "We kept waiting for you to tire because that's what the 'math' said would happen."
"Exactly. I gave you a psychological opening, and I walked right through it."
"Man, Hayahide is too smart," Ticket laughed, though a shadow of frustration crossed her face. "I've been training with Rampage-san more than anyone, and I didn't even see that coming. I'm actually kind of depressed now."
"Don't be," Taishin said, a rare competitive grin appearing. "It just means we have more to learn."
With this result, the three of them had each claimed one leg of the Triple Crown. Narita Taishin, the Fastest. Winning Ticket, the Luckiest. Biwa Hayahide, the Strongest. The trio looked at one another, and as if sharing a single mind, they all broke into the same hungry, predatory smile. The Classics were over, but their real war was only beginning.
The dust settled on the Kikuka Sho. With Hokuto Vega claiming the Shuka Sho, the major G1s for the Classic class were drawing to a close. But the focus of the racing world was already shifting toward the next battleground.
"I don't intend to call myself her 'substitute,'" a voice said, cool and sharp. "But I have no intention of surrendering the title of her 'Rival' either. I will meet them with everything I have."
"Turbo too!" another added. "I'm her apprentice, after all!"
"I'm counting on it, you two."
The Autumn G1 season was heating up. Next up: The Elizabeth Queen Cup—and the return of Silverstone.
[Character File: Mejiro Amaterasu]
The Firstborn: The eldest of Mejiro Rampage's twin offspring (from the "Racing Horse" timeline).
Sire: Mejiro Ryan.
Origin of Name: Since her mother, Rampage, was known as the "Tyrant" (a Queen), the owners wanted a name that ascended even higher. Inspired by her radiant flaxen chestnut coat—inherited from Rampage—she was named after the supreme Japanese solar deity, Amaterasu-Omikami.
Career:
She moved through her debut and early races with ease, securing the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and entering the Triple Crown season undefeated. She suffered her first and only defeat in the Tulip Sho, taking 2nd place. However, that loss reportedly "ignited the Tyrant's blood" within her. She went on to sweep the Fillies' Triple Crown with the same overwhelming dominance her mother once displayed, becoming part of the first mother-daughter Triple Crown pair in history. She is widely known by the epithet: "The Sun Goddess."
Personality:
Mischievous and deeply attached to her inner circle. Her jockey, Kamizuru, described her as "a charmingly rambunctious tomboy."
Pedigree Note:
Rampage's own lineage was relatively obscure, with the legendary Shinzan being the only standout name in a sea of forgotten ancestors. Because of this, the Owner decided that Rampage's first mate should be her "dearest friend"—Mejiro Ryan.
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