Sakahara looked up, his eyes shining with immense respect. "...their main trainer happens to be the fastest, strongest Umamusume the world has ever seen."
Every single girl in the room nodded in fierce agreement. Amidst the proud atmosphere, Special Week blinked and muttered softly.
"So running against the best truly is the only way... I guess that means an Undefeated Triple Crown Umamusume will never come out of a team like ours, right?"
The words slipped out of Special Week's mouth before she could stop them, her mind still entirely captivated by Narita Brian's historic, terrifying triumph at the Kikuka Sho. When you thought about it logically, the probability of an undefeated champion emerging from a meat-grinder team like Pleiades was astronomically low. It was rare enough for a normal team to produce one, but here, where they actively forced their own aces to cannibalize each other's streaks, it seemed impossible.
Yet, Sakahara gently shook his head, offering a profound contradiction.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Special-chan. This is actually a piece of wisdom I inherited from Rokubei-san back when I served as his sub-trainer: A truly transcendent Umamusume possesses a destiny that defies all tactics, all disadvantages, and all internal rivalries. When Rice Shower-san defeated Mihono Bourbon-san at the Kikuka Sho, a lot of people in the crowd were heartbroken because they wanted to witness a flawless Triple Crown. But the reality of the track is absolute. If you are truly the strongest, you must overcome the very rivals who are trying to tear you down. And if you look closely at racing history... those miraculous, logic-defying Umamusume really do exist. Don't you agree, Mejiro Rampage-san?"
Rampage blinked, caught entirely off guard. "Whoa, wait a minute. You're throwing me into the mix as the prime example?"
"Fufu, absolutely," Sakahara laughed softly. "I don't think there is a single Umamusume in history who embodies those words more perfectly than you."
When she took a moment to actually reflect on it... she realized he was right. There were plenty of races in her career where the odds were stacked heavily against her. During the Dubai World Cup, she had been entirely convinced she was going to lose. Yet, she had broken through those limits anyway. She had earned the right to hold her head high.
"Well, putting my past aside," Rampage coughed, clearing her throat to hide a rare moment of bashfulness. "The main takeaway is that Pleiades operates on these terms. As long as you're cool with that, we're golden."
"Yes, I understand completely," Sakahara nodded, his expression turning sharp and eager. "So, what is my first official assignment as sub-trainer? I'm ready for anything, whether it's managing data or doing grunt work."
"You said anything, right?" Rampage grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Alright then. Until you get fully acclimated to the unique chaos of the Pleiades atmosphere, I want you to act as the primary trainer for Mayano Top Gun."
"——Eh?"
The sheer unexpectedness of the order left Sakahara completely dumbfounded, his jaw slightly slack. Conversely, the girl sitting on his lap reacted with an explosion of pure, unadulterated joy, her eyes shining like twin stars.
"Rampage-san, are you serious?! Maya gets to be with Trainer-chan all the time?! For real?!"
"Of course, you'll still be helping out with the other girls," Rampage explained, her gaze softening as she looked at Sakahara. "But Maya will be your primary focus. You wanted to walk the Twinkle Series alongside her, didn't you? Well, your legs are fully healed now. Take those steps and walk that path together."
"Ha... Haha..."
Sakahara's voice caught in his throat, his eyes suddenly welling with tears. To be completely honest, his deepest, truest desire had always been to guide Maya through the grand stage of the Twinkle Series. But ever since his devastating accident, he had been plagued by an overwhelming guilt. He felt that by causing Maya so much anxiety and nearly derailing her debut, he had forfeited the right to stand by her side.
But Rampage had never seen it that way. To her, she was simply holding the reins as a temporary custodian. She had always intended to return Maya to her rightful partner when the time was right. Now that Sakahara had officially joined Pleiades, there was absolutely nothing left to worry about.
Sakahara took a deep breath, looking down at the ecstatic girl on his lap. "Maya... are you truly okay with walking this path with me again?"
"Of course I am, Trainer-chan!" Maya cried, throwing her arms tightly around his neck. "Even when I became a part of Rampage-san's team, I never, ever forgot about you! The fact that I get to run with Rampage-san and Trainer-chan by my side makes me so happy I feel like I'm gonna take off! Let's do our absolute best, Trainer-chan! I'm gonna present you with a G1 victory in no time!"
"To experience this much joy on my very first day back..." Sakahara wiped a tear from his eye and flashed a strong, reliable thumbs-up. "Thank you so much. I promise to give you everything I've got."
With tears of happiness, a powerful vow, and a shared bond rekindled, Trainer Sakahara was warmly embraced by the team. Team Pleiades had just secured a vital piece of their puzzle, and together, they were ready to accelerate into a brilliant future.
Author's Note: Trainer Sakahara has officially returned to active duty as a Pleiades sub-trainer and Maya's primary coordinator!
Honestly... is it just me, or is Sakahara-san shockingly popular?! I was genuinely surprised by how many comments and thoughts in the feedback section were exclusively about him!
Would you like to continue translating Chapter 441 next, or would you like to make any adjustments to the formatting or character voices in this chapter?
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