To anyone else, imitating running styles was akin to performing magic.
Mr. C.B. stepped off the track.
Garden Gale took her place without exchanging a word. The lead performer changed, but the dance went on.
"Do you think she has a chance?"
Symboli Rudolf stroked her chin, looking at her friend with clear amusement.
"Not likely," Mr. C.B. shook her head, elaborating carefully. "Let's be realistic here—first, my running style is notoriously hard to pick up. As you know, it's not purely about speed; it involves an intricate web of techniques. Second, the demonstration was simply too short."
"If Garden Gale could learn it just by watching for a moment," she continued, "then is there any running style out there she couldn't master?"
"She could study race footage from the past half-century till today, absorbing every Umamusume's technique—and become a flawless being."
As she spoke, Mr. C.B. suddenly realized the terrifying potential of imitation. It meant being able to emulate whatever she desired, just like a mimic whose adaptability was ingrained at a primal level. If that was truly the case, then factors like tactics, race conditions, and external obstacles would mean nothing to Garden Gale.
Everything else would be irrelevant.
Front-Running not working out? Switch to Pace Chaser; if that fails, Late Surger it is.
She'd become a perpetual surprise.
Mr. C.B.'s expression grew vividly complex.
Truly… this shattered all common sense.
She silently marveled at the thought.
Symboli Rudolf chuckled softly, countering lightly, "Not necessarily."
"Garden's already shattered enough of your 'common sense.'"
Perhaps…
This time, too, she'd deliver a pleasant shock to Mr. C.B.
Either way, everything depended on Garden Gale's imitation.
Garden Gale stepped onto the track and inhaled deeply—instantly, two skill descriptions hovered before her.
[Encroaching Shadow]: A technique perfected by Mr. C.B.—all waste shaved away, every motion threaded into one. When the race hits its decisive phase, she slips into the shadow and surges from the back in a single, ruthless acceleration, as if headwinds, slopes, and traffic don't exist.
[Seamless]: When racing on turf, her form locks in—stride, balance, and breathing clicking together without a seam. With every step landing clean, her overall performance rises slightly across the board.
Pretty cool.
If weapons had tiers…
Then Mr. C.B.'s techniques belonged to the pinnacle—sophisticated yet paradoxically accessible, constructed from refined skills rather than raw physical prowess alone. It was fundamentally superior, surpassing Tokai Teio's agility and Air Shakur's acceleration, both of which had clear limitations.
Umamusume clearly had a hierarchy.
Just as no one before had truly pressured Garden Gale, now Mr. C.B. did.
Garden Gale realized clearly:
If she raced Mr. C.B. head-on, she'd be crushed without mercy!
Let go of your obsession. Just relax.
But they belonged to different generations, didn't they? She'd never have to race her directly. It was enough to focus, to master her style.
Holding onto this thought, Garden Gale wasted no more time.
She adopted a starting stance, vision swimming with green. With a deep breath, it felt as if wings truly blossomed from her back, sending her spirit aloft.
She recalled Mr. C.B.'s form vividly.
The system's corrective assistance activated, meticulously fine-tuning each tiny detail.
Indeed, as repeated multiple times—Mr. C.B.'s running style was incredibly tough to learn.
However!
Garden Gale exploded into motion. Like a chameleon adapting to a new environment, her body swiftly shifted, skills emerging and interweaving as she powered through each step, blending techniques and unleashing bursts of speed.
A shadow of Mr. C.B.'s style emerged from her movements.
Yet… Of course, she wouldn't stop there!
Beyond the system's automatic corrections—Garden Gale's meticulous calculations took charge!
A brain wasn't there for decoration; it was made to be used!
Technique after technique, each flowing into the next, becoming a precise sea of calculations. Garden Gale fearlessly employed them all, even the simplest low-level tricks—
Minimizing wind resistance… maximizing stamina efficiency.
These were fundamentals every Umamusume knew, but Mr. C.B. executed them flawlessly. Now, Garden Gale, emulating her form, likewise ascended to new heights.
Off the track, Mr. C.B.'s pupils constricted sharply, disbelief clear in her gaze.
She actually learned it?!
No one was more shocked than the original master herself. Only Mr. C.B. truly grasped how impossibly complex her style was. Even Symboli Rudolf might have underestimated it—it was, without exaggeration, monstrously difficult!
Meanwhile, Symboli Rudolf abandoned all dignity and burst into hearty laughter.
She'd truly… discovered someone special!
A creature whose potential might surpass even Oguri Cap—no, surpass any Umamusume before her.
This monster's opened her mismatched eyes, tirelessly calculating, devouring every bit of knowledge, elevating her already formidable physique to yet another level. She would gaze down upon all, pulling down the very night sky itself, consuming everything until nothing remained.
All doubts had now vanished. Garden Gale constantly defied logic. Had any Umamusume before her boldly claimed they could copy others' styles so freely?
"My bet paid off," Symboli Rudolf declared, and repeated with absolute certainty, "My bet definitely paid off."
Confidence shone clearly in her eyes.
Now…
It was only a matter of time.
Time would prove everything. It would bring Black Flash to her fans, one after another, proclaiming clearly: The era of Garden Gale had arrived.
...
Garden Gale gradually slowed to a halt.
She'd realized…
She could indeed imitate Mr. C.B.'s style, but mastering its highest-level techniques required deeper understanding. And then there was that most elusive skill, still beyond her grasp for now.
Resolutely, she walked directly up to the two watching her.
"Teach me."
Garden Gale's eyes burned fiercely.
"Second-stage acceleration, and—the [ZONE]."
"I want…a stable [ZONE]."
Her ambition was unmistakably clear.
---
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