Hachiman's POV
Announcer: "To claim the title of the strongest in the current generation, the elite of the elite have gathered here at Kyoto Racecourse! Will the glory and the crown go to a seasoned veteran or a rising power? It's time for the pinnacle of the Senior Class: the Tenno Sho (Spring)! While the field is smaller than usual this year, every girl at these gates is a force to be reckoned with!"
Color Commentator: "Absolutely. Standing above them all is Japan's pride—the world-class stayer, Rice Shower. Between her win here last year and her record in long-distance G1s, she remains an undefeated specialist. Challenging her are Biwa Hayahide, winner of last year's Kikuka Sho, and Narita Taishin, the Satsuki Sho champion. Only three girls in this race are G1 winners, but with so many graded stakes winners in the mix, we could see a massive upset today."
Announcer: "The gates are being loaded now. One by one, they step into the frames without a hitch."
"I haven't been here in so long, but the scale of it all is still breath-taking," Luck said, her voice trembling slightly. "To think Rice-chan is running on a stage this grand..."
"Now, Luck, don't sell yourself short," Rice's father replied gently. "You ran in the Oaks once, didn't you? That's an achievement in itself. But today isn't about the past—let's give our daughter all the support she needs."
"Exactly," I added. "Knowing you're here will give her more strength than any training session ever could."
CB leaned back, looking impressed. "Man, Hachiman, you really pulled out all the stops. I didn't think you'd actually fly her parents in. And not just them, either..."
"She looks fine so far," Taliato remarked, her eyes fixed on the track.
"Agreed," Speed noted with a sharp, discerning gaze. "I'm eager to see how she transforms once the race begins. It should be quite a spectacle."
Rudolph blinked, looking at her grandmother in surprise. "...Grandmother, what are you doing here?"
"If I'm going to watch, I figured it would be far more entertaining to do so alongside Trainer Hikigaya," Speed said smoothly. "I hope you don't mind me crashing the party. Though, I must admit, I didn't expect to see Rice Shower's parents here. This boy never ceases to surprise me."
"I'm the one being surprised by the two of you," Rudolph sighed.
Kawasaki leaned toward me, looking deeply uncomfortable. "...Hey, Hachiman. Am I totally out of my league here? I feel like a commoner at a royal gala."
"Don't be stupid. You're fine."
Announcer: "And finally, the first favorite, Rice Shower, enters the outermost gate!"
Inside the gate, Rice took a deep breath, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
(Onii-sama, watch me... I promise, Rice is going to win this!!)
Announcer: "Rice Shower is in! All gates are closed! Who will be the first to conquer Yodo's 3,200 meters?! The battle for the Shield of Spring... the Tenno Sho... begins... NOW!"
CLANG!
Announcer: "And they're off! A beautiful, clean start for the whole field! Who's going for the lead? Louvre Act takes the initiative! Behind her, Hoksetsu Ginga and Biwa Hayahide are making aggressive moves from the inside and outside respectively! Hayahide claims the second spot! Hoksetsu Ginga and Under King follow closely behind! They're heading into the first descent toward the home stretch!"
"Rice is sitting around fifth or sixth," Luck noted, her hands clenched. "She's marking that girl in the pink silks."
"Trainer-san," Rice's father asked, "what's the strategy for this race?"
"First and foremost, I told her to shadow Monsieur Siecle—the girl she's running next to right now," I explained, my eyes never leaving the pack. "Biwa Hayahide is in second, just as I expected. Rice could mark her directly, but Hayahide is a calculator. She's already factored in whether Rice will shadow her or not. To beat a girl like that, we need to move before she expects us to. That's why we're using Monsieur Siecle, another front-runner, as our pacing marker."
Speed hummed thoughtfully. "But Trainer Hikigaya, surely Rice Shower has the raw power to simply overtake Hayahide whenever she pleases?"
"She could," I admitted. "But if she just follows Hayahide's rhythm, her chances of holding on until the very end drop to fifty-fifty. I'm not here to gamble; I'm here to choose the path with the highest probability of victory. Rice's running style becomes more refined the more she has a strong wall to break through."
Announcer: "They've cleared the second corner and are onto the backstretch! Louvre Act still holds the lead, with Biwa Hayahide a close second! Hoksetsu Ginga is in hot pursuit! Two lengths back, Monsieur Siecle sits in fourth, with Rice Shower and Under King just half a length behind them! The mid-pack consists of Machikane Tannhauser, Stage Champ, and Sengoku Silver! At the rear, Nice Nature, Narita Taishin, and Shigeno Rambeau are starting to make their move! They're approaching the famous third corner of Kyoto—the climb and the plunge!"
"Right here," I whispered.
"Huh? What's happening?" CB asked.
"The stretch between the third and fourth corners is the crossroads. To win or lose... it all comes down to what Rice does in the next thirty seconds."
Luck and her husband stood in silence, their knuckles white as they gripped the railing.
Announcer: "The pressure is mounting from behind! They've rounded the third corner and cleared the slope! Narita Taishin is showing incredible closing speed! In the front, Biwa Hayahide is shifting into her sprint! But look at the outside—Monsieur Siecle and Rice Shower are creeping up! Here it comes! The final showdown! They're rounding the fourth corner and hitting the straight!"
Hayahide felt the wind whipping past her face. (I still have plenty in the tank! My stamina is holding! I can do this... I can win!)
Announcer: "Louvre Act is fading! Biwa Hayahide takes the lead! But Rice Shower is closing in from the outside—she looks like she's barely breaking a sweat!"
Rice felt the world slow down. The sound of the crowd, the thundering hooves—it all vanished, leaving only the white line ahead.
(I can do it... I can do it!!)
WHOOSH!
"YAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Announcer: "Rice Shower explodes! She's through! Rice Shower takes the lead! She's leaving Biwa Hayahide and the rest of the field in the dust! What a kick! Hayahide is trying to respond, Taishin and Monsieur Siecle are charging from the outside, but Rice Shower has pulled away by three... four lengths! It's over! Rice Shower achieves the back-to-back victory! SHE'S GONE THE DISTANCE!"
Rice crossed the finish line, her lungs burning, her vision blurring with tears of joy. "Haa... haa... I did it... Onii-sama... Rice did it!"
Announcer: "What a magnificent display! The Queen of the Stayers has defended her throne! Seven consecutive long-distance wins! Six consecutive G1 victories! Once again, she grasps the glory of the Shield of Spring! Biwa Hayahide takes second, and Narita Taishin takes third—the BNW duo showed their grit, but today belonged to one girl!"
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