"Let's race… right now."
Narita Top Road declared firmly.
She knew clearly she might have no way to beat Garden Gale. Indeed, everyone at Tracen Academy had heard stories of this girl's feats. But if Narita Top Road backed down just because her opponent was strong, she would no longer be herself—just an empty husk wearing her name.
Garden Gale did not immediately respond.
She merely stood there.
Her mismatched eyes stared indifferently at the other girl.
No words, no expression, no reaction—not even the slightest tension from being challenged.
It was as though everything was comfortably within her grasp.
Tokai Teio could see… Garden Gale wasn't nervous at all. Is it because her strength is so overwhelming? Is that why being challenged didn't faze her? Because all she needed was her true ability to crush everything! Teio thought.
Curren Chan blinked.
Seeing her future roommate in trouble… she turned toward Teio, silently asking, Do we need to step in?
Tokai Teio directly waved her off.
Neither of them needed to help—because Garden Gale could handle this herself.
Handle what, exactly?!
More like lie down and play dead!
Garden Gale wasn't calm at all. Her inner self was already screaming like a panicked groundhog again.
Hey! What the heck's up with you guys?!
Not only do you have identical opening lines, you even want to race me right off the bat? Who even are you, sis? You appeared way too suddenly! Isn't this what they call deus ex machina in novels?! Even web novels wouldn't reuse this kind of plot device twice in a row—getting challenged by a random girl the moment I step onto the track again?
Even if the readers weren't tired of it, Garden Gale sure was!
What the heck's going on?
And yet…
This situation was far more dangerous than the last.
Last time, luck had been on her side—Tokai Teio had suddenly appeared, saving her from disaster. But this time? Even though Teio was standing right there, Garden Gale was certain she wouldn't bail her out again, nor would her future roommate. She absolutely could not put her hopes in these two girls. Narita Top Road was her opponent both now and in the debut race—she had to rely on herself.
Can I race?
Absolutely not!
Her current strength was embarrassingly low—she hadn't even begun polishing her skills.
Forget about defeating Narita Top Road; just running would immediately expose her incompetence.
Moreover...
[Opponent strength far exceeds yours.]
[Victory is extremely difficult.]
[New quest issued.]
[Defeat Narita Top Road to receive a mysterious reward.]
Seriously? Even the system issued a quest?
Just how big is the gap?!
Garden Gale couldn't help but ask.
[Uh… Imagine a kindergartener fighting a high schooler. The winner is obvious at a glance.]
The Selas System even "kindly" provided a power-level comparison.
Great.
The difference was indeed painfully obvious. The kindergartener—was Garden Gale. And Narita Top Road was clearly the high schooler. No matter how she spun it, Garden Gale currently had no way—absolutely zero chance—to defeat Narita Top Road. They weren't even in the same league; the difference was multiple tiers.
What do I do now?
It wasn't even about whether she could run—it was being forced onto the battlefield against her will!
How could she refuse Narita Top Road without running?
The sincerity and defiance in Narita's eyes seemed to declare: This won't end simply.
As Garden Gale was desperately thinking, one of Narita Top Road's friends lost patience. With no response for so long, she stepped forward directly: "Hey, race or no race, make up your mind already. Or are you too scared?"
Eek!
Garden Gale nearly jumped backward in fright.
Instead, she forcefully planted her feet into the ground like roots digging deep into the earth, making herself stand straight like bamboo, refusing to show any weakness.
"Scared?" Another friend of Narita Top Road echoed mockingly.
Both pairs of eyes stared aggressively at GG.
The atmosphere grew increasingly provocative… creating the illusion that the race had become unavoidable.
However...
Narita Top Road herself lightly waved her hand, signaling her friends to quiet down. She gave Garden Gale the right to choose, and that alone was enough. Calmly, she repeated, "I want to race you. Right now."
"Don't rush," Garden Gale had no choice but to keep up her wolf-in-sheep's-clothing act.
Her tone sounded perfectly calm.
Narita Top Road tilted her head in confusion. "Don't rush for what?"
"Don't rush to welcome your defeat," Garden Gale answered plainly.
She desperately controlled her shaking hands and trembling body, struggling not to give herself away. Cold sweat drenched her back, and Garden Gale could barely stand upright anymore. Her legs had already turned to jelly, ready to collapse into a boneless heap.
If someone pushed or pulled Garden Gale at this moment…
They'd realize that collapsing into a puddle wasn't an exaggeration—it would literally happen.
Narita Top Road stood frozen.
…At a complete loss for words.
She saw Garden Gale's peaceful face, those indifferent eyes—as if this challenge hadn't stirred up even the slightest ripple. The stone she threw hadn't skipped across the lake but had been swallowed directly by the deep sea.
…Am I nothing in her eyes?
Am I not even worthy to be Garden Gale's rival?!
"Don't rush to welcome your defeat"… Ha, such outrageously arrogant words.
An unnamed fire ignited fiercely in Narita Top Road's heart. She tightly clenched her teeth and fists, letting the anger spread through her body.
But…
Before Narita Top Road could speak again, Garden Gale slowly continued, "There's no need to rush. Nor is there any need to prematurely taste defeat. Today, I won't race you. If you truly wish to defeat me—then come. I'll wait for you at the debut race. Try your best, kid."
A final, ruthless jab—
That last word dripped with mockery.
Narita Top Road's expression suddenly went calm, her eyes becoming equally still, like the deep, cold sea. She slowly gathered her anger, hiding it deep within herself. Her emotions steadied gradually—but this didn't mean she'd lost her desire to defeat Garden Gale. In fact, the urge to win had now become indescribably intense.
"I swear," Narita Top Road's voice turned ice-cold, her entire demeanor frigid, as she repeated, "I will defeat you. I swear… I swear it."
She turned around abruptly, walking away without a second thought.
Her two friends glared at Garden Gale before leaving, as though memorizing her face, engraving it deep in their hearts forever.
I went too far!
Watching Narita Top Road's departing back, Garden Gale snapped back to reality.
I dug my own grave again! Sure, she'd solved the immediate emergency—but what if she lost to Narita Top Road at the debut race? She'd have to find a hole to hide in, retreat into the sewers, and become a rat-person for life, never seeing daylight again.
Worst of all…
Oh no, this high schooler's angry now!
Their strength gap was already huge.
What do I do?! What now?! In six days, this angry high schooler is going to publicly stomp a kindergartener—she's going to utterly destroy me in front of everyone!
A sense of urgency surged through her heart.
I can't lose! I absolutely can't lose!
---
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