Symboli Rudolf hadn't even sat down.
Standing rigid, she said in astonishment, "The [ZONE]—Garden Gale actually stepped into the [ZONE]?"
All eyes immediately swung toward her. Even Rudolf, the Emperor, who'd seen it all—from Japan to Europe—had never witnessed a race where two Umamusume simultaneously entered the [ZONE]. Had T.M. Opera O's [ZONE] pushed Garden Gale to break through on the spot?
A powerful opponent hadn't crushed her hope; instead, she'd ignited her hunger to surpass.
Rudolf's expression twisted, astonished and overwhelmed.
Just how many surprises could Garden Gale offer?
Compared to this, even the [Sky-High Teio Step] unfolding right now didn't seem quite so astonishing anymore.
More importantly—if she'd stepped into ZONE, Garden Gale still had a chance at winning the Satsuki Sho.
A spark reignited in Rudolf's eyes.
"Alright," Mr. C.B. admitted grudgingly, genuinely impressed for the first time. "I'll concede. Garden Gale really deserves the title of my successor. Honestly, she's something special."
Even entering a preliminary [ZONE] state gave her enough speed to rival them.
And this was just the first year of her Classic Triple Crown—imagine when she reached the meteoric battles of her later years, or even took her campaign overseas to Hong Kong and Europe. What kind of stories would unfold then?
As she spoke, Mr. C.B. even licked her lips, clearly eager to get closer to Garden.
...
At this moment, the lead role on stage wasn't The Legend of the End-of-the-Century Overlord.
It was...
GARDEN GALE.
She burst forth from the torrential rain, eyes blazing with purity, mounting a fierce charge from behind T.M. Opera O. The crowd erupted, cheers drowning out even the rainstorm, every spectator afraid to blink and miss a moment of this astonishing drama.
A HISTORIC RUNAWAY-AND-CHASE UNDER THUNDEROUS SKIES: THE SATSUKI SHO FOR THE AGES.
Having stepped into the [ZONE], Garden Gale understood exactly what true flow felt like. Even if her entry had begun as an imitation of Opera O, the aura she exuded now even surpassed the original. The oppressive weight that had chained her vanished, replaced only by the exhilarating freedom of running—running toward the future, racing toward the finish!
No one had anticipated this.
Narita Top Road and Admire Vega wouldn't claim this victory—in fact, they weren't even its stars.
The true stars—were only T.M. Opera O, the sixth favorite, and Garden Gale, the twelfth!
Together, they'd dealt a resounding slap to every spectator who judged Umamusume by popularity alone, transforming this Satsuki Sho into a glorious symphony.
The final 150 meters.
Garden Gale's final spurt was visibly faster than Opera O's now.
Because this was the [Sky-High Teio Step] unleashed to perfection.
Having entered a state of flow, the once-elusive technique came effortlessly. Her flexibility maximized, she moved as if gliding inches above the ground—truly flying toward the future!
Now Opera O felt exactly what Garden Gale had earlier—
That bone-chilling despair of being hunted.
It shook her to the core.
Garden Gale… was that you behind me all along? Are you really my destined rival?
Yet Opera O felt no resentment, no anger—only the boiling of her blood and a delirious joy that twisted her face into a manic smile.
Come, then...
Catch me if you can!!
The Satsuki Sho still belong's to me!
Only their final spurts mattered. Yet how could Garden Gale possibly lose to Opera O now? She had already unleashed the [Sky-High Teio Step]. The gap shrank relentlessly beneath dark clouds, lightning crackling fiercely in the sky. Amid the haze and torrential rain, a black flash tore through the battlefield, silent yet unstoppable.
BOOM!
Actual thunder cracked overhead, explosive, shaking the very air, just like Garden Gale herself.
The last hundred meters—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!""
Her desperate roar tore from her throat, a primal shout, venting everything inside. Garden Gale's pace surged, strides fierce, sprinting forward and screaming, burning up everything she had left.
Her exhausted body ignited like an inferno—moving fast enough to leave shadows behind!
"—BRING IT!!" Opera O shouted, theatrics gone, eyes filled only with sincerity.
She matched Garden Gale stride for stride, speed increasing equally.
The final straightaway.
Both exploded forward, simple yet brutal: a raw test of speed.
Behind them, Narita Top Road bit her lip, overwhelmed by despair.
No matter how fiercely she willed herself forward, she knew she no longer had the right to join this battle for victory—no chance for revenge.
...
"GARDEN GALE! GARDEN GALE IS CATCHING UP!! SHE'S GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH OPERA O!"
...
"JUST A HUNDRED METERS LEFT!"
...
"CAN SHE CATCH HER? CAN SHE CATCH HER? SHE'S CLOSING IN—!!"
...
"THE GAP IS SHRINKING CONTINUOUSLY! EVEN AFTER SPRINTING THROUGH THE STORM THE ENTIRE RACE, THEY'RE STILL BURNING EVERYTHING, RACING FOR THE CROWN—BUT GARDEN GALE IS JUST A BIT FASTER! SHE'S OVERTAKING OPERA O!"
...
"FIFTY METERS REMAIN!"
...
"GARDEN GALE PULLS AHEAD… NO—!"
...
"OPERA O OVERTAKES AGAIN! SHE'S EVEN WIDENED THE GAP SLIGHTLY!"
...
"THEY'RE NECK-AND-NECK, NEITHER ARE WILLING TO YIELD!"
...
"THEY'RE STILL PUSHING TO THEIR ABSOLUTE LIMIT, CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE FINISH LINE, THE WINNER IS ABOUT TO EMERGE!"
...
"IT'S GARDEN GALE—!!! GARDEN GALE! SHE'S ACCELERATING AGAIN, LIKE THE WIND ITSELF IS AT HER BACK! FIGHTING AGAINST THE HEADWIND THE ENTIRE RACE, SHE'S FINALLY RIDING IT, PULLING AHEAD! IS SHE GOING TO WIN? IS SHE GOING TO PULL OFF THE ULTIMATE UPSET?!"
...
"OPERA O!"
...
"GARDEN GALE!"
...
"OPERA O!!"
...
"GARDEN GALE!!"
...
"OPERA O!!"
...
"GARDEN GALE!!!!"
...
"GARDEN GALE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE—A QUARTER-LENGTH AHEAD! SHE'S THE SATSUKI SHO CHAMPION!"
...
"GARDEN GALE IS THE SATSUKI SHO CHAMPION!"
"A SILENT, BLACK FLASH, ECLIPSING EVERYTHING. AN UNKNOWN CHALLENGER RISING TO THE SUMMIT—QUIET YET EARTHSHAKING. A FURIOUS CHASE, A BREATHTAKING FLIGHT THROUGH A TEMPESTUOUS WALTZ: HER ERA HAS FINALLY BEGUN!"
"FROM TODAY ONWARD, THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL REMEMBER THE NAME..."
...
"GARDEN GALE!"
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