Time slipped by quietly, drop by drop.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. Alongside the gently reviving cherry blossoms, spring arrived, bringing with it the event all fans awaited—the grand overture of the racing year. The Satsuki Sho was no longer distant, steadily warming up to unfold a new legend.
...
MONTH ONE.
Narita Top Road suffered a loss in her third career race, finishing third. But after that, she seized clear victories at the G3 Kisaragi Sho and the G2 Yayoi Sho—the key prep race for the Satsuki Sho—cleanly defeating Admire Vega. With these back-to-back graded stakes triumphs, Narita Top Road climbed onto equal footing with Admire Vega—or perhaps even surpassed her.
She now followed the same path Special Week had trod the previous year, emerging as a star contender for the Classic season.
Narita Top Road's goal was now locked onto the Satsuki Sho, one of the prestigious Eight Major Races and part of the Classic Triple Crown—every Umamusume's dream.
At the same time...
Another Umamusume named T.M. Opera O began making waves of her own.
Her journey had not been so smooth; she'd struggled just to debut, needing three attempts. Despite overwhelming favoritism, she only managed second place in her first debut attempt, suffering an injury that kept her sidelined for months. In her second debut attempt, lack of proper training slowed her down, relegating her to fourth place.
Only on her third attempt did she finally clinch victory, successfully debuting at last.
But afterward, she stormed onto the scene with dominant victories in both the Yukiyanagi Sho and the Mainichi Hai, her ruthless, aggressively dominating style leaving a vivid impression and winning her numerous fans.
She, too, became a top contender for the Satsuki Sho.
And, of course, one could not forget Admire Vega.
Although she again fell short against Narita Top Road at the Yayoi Sho, her blistering final spurt—the fastest of the field—still captured considerable attention. Many believed she would exact her revenge in the Satsuki Sho.
Everyone—and I mean everyone—was certain that one of these Umamusume would claim victory in the upcoming classic.
Meanwhile, the Black Flash was quietly slipping from memory, bit by bit. Her astonishing final spurt, that wild and unreasonable running style, faded slowly from the public consciousness.
There was no mystery behind this.
If one had to give a reason,
It was simply that Garden Gale had competed only once—in the Wakagoma Stakes, an Open-class race—and then completely vanished from the racing circuit. Without further appearances, interest naturally waned, and she quietly faded from the spotlight.
In truth, having only a single Open-class victory usually wouldn't even qualify her for consideration in the Classic Triple Crown preliminaries. But one particular figure, the Emperor herself, had decisively spoken out, directly naming Garden Gale as a participant in this prestigious competition.
Occasionally, though, scattered comments beneath the Wakagoma Stakes replay video revealed that some still hoped for the Black Flash's return.
...
MONTH TWO.
Just one month remained until the Satsuki Sho.
Scheduled for late April, anticipation mounted relentlessly. Media buzz swelled across newspapers, TV, and every available outlet, setting nerves on edge.
The top favorite going into this race was Admire Vega,
The Gleaming First-Magnitude Star
Second favorite was Narita Top Road, the symbol of unwavering determination. T.M. Opera O stood sixth. Only far down the odds list, deep in double-digit territory, appeared a familiar name to Admire Vega and Narita Top Road alike:
An Umamusume named Garden Gale.
Is confirmed to run in the Satsuki Sho.
In her official registration photo, Garden Gale wore a pitiful smile, as though coerced and unwilling. Unbeknownst to all observers, outside the camera's view stood Symboli Rudolf, watching with arms folded, her expression warmly satisfied. Then, in an instant, her smile vanished, replaced by strict determination, sternly urging Garden Gale onward—making Rudolf seem uncannily like Garden's mother.
That wasn't even an exaggeration.
After all, Symboli Rudolf had spent considerable time and effort on Garden Gale recently.
Whenever she had free time, Rudolf would provide special training, meticulously guiding Garden to master her dual running styles, crafting personalized training plans, and even managing dietary regimens. Hence, the earlier remark about Rudolf resembling Garden's mother was hardly baseless.
Additionally, Rudolf discovered something intriguing: when Garden Gale became focused, she was capable of astonishing concentration. This was genuinely… an indescribable gift, something that sparked a peculiar expectation in Rudolf's heart.
…In truth, even the Emperor herself couldn't quite explain why she felt so invested in Garden.
Perhaps she saw this young Umamusume traveling far beyond the current horizon.
Perhaps she believed Garden could fulfill something unfinished… a regret that lingered within her heart. Or perhaps, something deeper—an unfulfilled ache felt by every Umamusume across Japan.
But such speculation was premature.
It felt as if a fledgling hero, freshly departed from the beginner village, had just encountered a Level 999 Demon King blocking the road ahead.
Yet all the grinding, all that sustained effort, began to pay dividends.
Garden Gale's growth began skyrocketing across the board—her true potential emerged, her dual running styles becoming second nature, shedding all trace of former immaturity. She matured, steadily growing stronger and stronger… dramatically stronger.
And today, was the day Garden Gale left seclusion—her Speed and Stamina stats breaking through the 500 barrier!
Wait.
What good would breaking 500 in Speed and Stamina actually do?
Well, of course, it unlocked the Sky-High Teio Step!
[Sky-High Teio Step (Sealed)]: Derived from Tokai Teio's signature technique. Endless days of honing extraordinary core control and inhuman flexibility led Teio to perfect the ultimate final spurt—the Sky-High Teio Step!
Due to the host's insufficient physical attributes, Sky-High Teio Step is temporarily sealed. It can only be unlocked when Speed and Stamina surpass 500.
Garden Gale glanced once more at the now-achieved stats.
Standing proudly in the training grounds, she nodded in satisfaction.
Then, her gaze sharpened abruptly, sweeping away her usual lethargy and turning utterly serious. In the next heartbeat, she decisively tapped the glowing [Unlock] button!
...
...
...
[Target]: Tokai Teio
[Reincarnation Count]: 1
[Reincarnation Skill]: Sky-High Teio Step
...
And exactly twenty days remained before the Satsuki Sho.
The countdown had officially begun.
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T/N: OHHH SHES GONNA GET THE SKY-HIGH TEIO STEP!!! also mommy rudolf