"He who has much to proclaim one day, stays silently much immersed within himself; he who has to kindle the lightning one day, must for a long time—be a cloud."
...
"I am one thing, my writings are another. ... My time has not yet come; some are born only after they die."
—Friedrich Nietzsche
...
At the precise moment the race ended.
There was a sudden vacuum of sound, a perfect silence born of disbelief.
Only rapid-fire camera flashes captured the instant Garden Gale crossed the finish line, immortalizing her victorious figure.
Nobody… genuinely believed the Satsuki Sho could end this way. The winner wasn't Narita Top Road, nor Admire Vega—not even one of the highly anticipated favorites. Instead, the crown went to the twelfth-ranked, unknown Garden Gale, who'd been considered lucky just to qualify.
Some had openly mocked her before the race, calling her a mere warm-up act—mere filler in the lineup.
Those voices weren't unfounded.
Had Symboli Rudolf not insisted against popular opinion, Garden Gale wouldn't have even had a chance to compete. After all, she'd only ever won a single OP-level race. Barely even qualifying for the Classic Triple Crown, she'd been invisible to the public eye.
Yet here she stood, triumphant, delivering a stinging slap to every doubter's face.
An unprecedented upset.
The storm. The runaway. The chase.
These dramatic elements had magically aligned to create a legendary spectacle.
Her stunning early runaway in the downpour, fluid and mesmerizing, etched itself into every spectator's memory. But then she'd been overtaken, pushed to the brink, fading out of sight. Everyone had given up on Garden Gale—because her comeback had seemed utterly impossible.
Yet reality shattered impossibility.
Charging relentlessly from behind, overtaking rival after rival, she surged forward once more.
On the storm-lashed track beneath darkening skies, that black lightning streaked ahead. Her Racing Outfit was a stroke of minimalist brilliance—rarely had simplicity expressed such electrifying individuality.
Breathtakingly powerful.
No ornate words could ever fully encapsulate it.
All anyone needed to know was that Garden Gale's name would undoubtedly enter the annals of history. After tonight, she'd never again be obscure. Countless new fans would rally behind her, replaying the race footage endlessly, ensuring the entire world knew her name.
They'd eagerly await her next two races in the Classic Triple Crown.
...
T.M. Opera O gasped for breath.
"Ugh..."
Her chest heaved, eyes still wide with disbelief.
That's right—disbelief. She'd never imagined Garden Gale could catch up to her. Should she feel impressed or simply unwilling to accept defeat? She couldn't even pinpoint her emotions clearly. Yet the strength of the Overlord lay precisely in her resilience: even in defeat, she instantly regained composure.
At least I won't shut myself away in self-pity like some socially anxious child, sulking for half a day after losing.
Garden Gale truly deserved to be called a "destined rival."
Even entering that mystical state herself, Opera O still couldn't secure victory.
Now—all that remained was the blazing fire of determination. Opera O felt her blood boiling, excitement trembling through her veins. Yes—come at me again! I'll defeat you next time, I'll have my revenge! Even if she'd lost today, Opera O believed deeply she'd surpass Garden Gale. Having such a powerful rival ignited her fighting spirit completely.
Beside her, Narita Top Road wore a complicated expression.
She had genuinely believed she was strong enough—a prime contender for victory.
But in that final sprint, she'd been utterly left behind. Garden Gale and T.M. Opera O, both in the [ZONE], had completely dominated. If Narita Top Road wanted to win in the future, she'd have to somehow break into that mystical state herself.
Admire Vega clenched her jaw tightly, bitterness etched across her face.
Her condition had been poor today; otherwise… she might've had a real shot.
Each loser quietly grappled with her own turmoil, yet as the sole winner—Garden Gale stood radiant, dominating the stage.
And that winner gradually recovered her senses, an uncontrollable joy lighting up her face.
We did it—! Let's goooo!
This wasn't some no-name contest. It wasn't a meaningless race—it was the prestigious G1, the opening act of the Classic Triple Crown! And her opponents had been powerhouses like T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road!
Garden Gale knew deep in her heart: one day after retirement, she could pull out a notebook and proudly recount to her fans the tale of how she'd conquered the Satsuki Sho.
If someone questioned how meaningful her victory had been, unable to grasp its significance, she'd gladly open her notebook again and recount—just look at the lineup from back then! T.M. Opera O herself had been one of her rivals!
She was ecstatic.
This was the pure joy of absolute victory.
It was like the moment UFC fighter Derrick Lewis, who'd lost three consecutive bouts to his destined nemesis, refused to accept his fate and attacked once more. At the instant when everyone doubted him, he miraculously secured victory—his joy in the post-fight speech couldn't be hidden. If you never dedicated yourself fully to something in life, you'd never know happiness like this.
When they knock you down—
When they dismiss you, mock you, step on you—
That's when you gain the resolve to stand back up, stronger than ever before.
When you achieve success… truly savor that blissful joy.
Even if it only comes once in a lifetime, embrace it wholeheartedly—the pure happiness of absolute victory. Storms and calamities can never defeat someone; only the weakness of wanting to surrender can.
This is a blessing reserved for the brave.
Garden Gale was incredibly grateful she could experience such happiness.
Anyone could see it clearly from her grin, impossible to suppress—even harder to control than the recoil of an AK.
"Congratulations."
Narita Top Road approached from behind, offering sincere praise. She wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat; if anything, Garden Gale had undeniably earned this victory.
"Thanks!" Garden Gale replied, flashing her a thumbs-up. "You did amazing out there too."
Narita smiled helplessly. "But I still couldn't beat you."
T.M. Opera O chimed in enthusiastically from the side.
"You're genuinely strong, Garden! Truly worthy of being my destined rival!"
Even after being defeated, Opera O's theatrics remained unchanged. She wore her defeat proudly, without even a hint of shame, declaring with a confident smile, "But next time, I'll train even harder until I finally defeat you!"
...
A short distance away, Air Shakur's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
She'd cheered purely because she hadn't wanted Garden Gale to lose. But truthfully, even Air Shakur had never genuinely believed Garden Gale could clinch the victory. By any measure, this outcome defied logic. It was utterly unbelievable!
Damn.
The delinquent quietly sank back into her seat, a soft smile unconsciously rising on her lips. She'd genuinely wished for Garden Gale's victory—and now that her wish had come true, she couldn't hide her joy.
"She's incredible," Silence Suzuka murmured beside her, genuinely amazed. "This kid... is seriously unbelievable. Who'd have thought Team LOCK would manage to recruit such a prodigy?"
"Yeah, she's really something el—wait," Kanzaki Sakura paused abruptly, blinking in confusion. "Hold up. When did Garden Gale become part of our team? If I could land someone that talented, I'd be celebrating for three days straight!"
"Huh?"
Now it was Silence Suzuka's turn to look lost.
Wait—then did Garden-san swipe my running style for free?!
...
Elsewhere, a timid-looking Umamusume sat alone, watching in stunned disbelief.
Meisho Doto stared at the finish line, eyes wide and astonished.
"Opera-san... actually lost?"
As T.M. Opera O's friend—well, kind of—only Meisho Doto fully understood just how powerful Opera O truly was. It wasn't an exaggeration to place her a tier above even Admire Vega. Yet, she'd just lost to a completely unknown newcomer. It was utterly beyond expectation.
Meisho Doto fell speechless.
All she could do was stay silent.
Oh no... Garden Gale's insanely strong! Will I have to face her one day?
A tiny flicker of anxiety already bloomed in her heart.
...
And then, shifting to the most prominent figures in the stands—
Two Triple Crown Umamusume, Symboli Rudolf and Mr. C.B.
Pointing down toward the track, Rudolf wore a triumphant grin brighter than even Garden Gale herself. "See? That's the kid I believed in! She even managed to win against these odds!"
"What do you mean, the kid you believed in? Wasn't she supposed to be the next Mr. C.B.?" Mr. C.B. retorted innocently. "So, if she's this strong, surely I deserve at least some credit!"
It had become a shameless contest to take credit.
By now, even Mr. C.B. no longer underestimated the Umamusume whose specialty was imitation. In fact, she'd started to feel quite interested in Garden Gale.
No—not just a bit interested.
She too had been shaken by this tempestuous waltz in the storm. She found herself thinking: if Garden Gale was indeed the second coming of Mr. C.B., could she possibly mimic her own legendary running style? Countless fans would probably die happy if they witnessed that.
Deep in thought, Rudolf suddenly remembered something, clapping her hands together abruptly. "That's right!"
Without bothering to explain, she vaulted directly over the rail, rushing toward Garden Gale.
"What's gotten into you?" Mr. C.B. asked curiously, watching Rudolf hurry away.
Why the urgency?
Unable to resist, she hopped over the railing too, quickly following Rudolf. Many spectators immediately noticed the two legendary Umamusume descending onto the track, stirring another wave of excitement among the crowd.
"This time, I absolutely won't take my eyes off that troublemaker!" Rudolf growled through clenched teeth, determination bordering on ferocity. "I definitely won't let her escape from the Winner's Live again!!"
---
T/N: :sob: man that was a crazy race, i lowkeyu thought she'd acc lose like opera getting into the zone would beat garden but garden would be fine after losing because she wont lose again and she managed to solidify her racing will or something but WHATTT SHE COPIED THE FUCKING ZONE!!!!!!!!!!! OKAY BRO WE DONT NEED SELAS SYSTEM actually we do, PLEASEEE MORE GARDEN GALE CLINGING
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