Above, clouds churned into a swirling vortex, growing larger by the second.
Meanwhile, the racers settled in their gates, muscles taut, eyes fixed firmly ahead—
Until another raindrop fell, splashing lightly onto Garden Gale's cheek.
"Hm?"
Her concentration flickered for just an instant.
At that very moment, the starting gates burst open—the Satsuki Sho had officially begun! Though her focus wavered briefly, Garden Gale immediately snapped back to attention, gathering her strength to surge forward without hesitation.
She burst from the gates.
The sound of pounding shoes filled the course, accompanied by deafening cheers from the crowd. The combined roar surged upward, loud enough to pierce the clouds, becoming a wall of noise. An inexperienced racer might buckle under the sheer intensity—after all, a G1 race was in a league of its own.
Once upon a time, perhaps Garden Gale would have crumbled under that pressure.
But now…
Her will had been forged in steel, the desire to rise to the top having long since taken root.
With calm determination, she forced her eyes open against the driving rain, focusing on the path ahead. The brief distraction at the start had cost her prime positioning, leaving her somewhat toward the rear-center of the pack. The only silver lining was that she hadn't been boxed in.
Her eyes flicked toward the outer lanes.
Am I really going to try something this insane?
She questioned herself quietly.
The logical choice was to hold her mid-pack position, biding her time before unleashing the [Sky-High Teio Step] in a final sprint. That was the safest strategy, the one she'd meticulously planned.
But if she shifted to the outside lane now—it could only mean one thing: a reckless Runaway.
Otherwise, pushing herself through the harsher conditions out wide would be completely pointless.
Two options lay before her: one was safe—a known quantity, a Jack. The other was wild, unknown—it could be an Ace or the lowest Two in the deck. Who could say? It was a risk she hadn't tested nearly enough.
Biting her lip gently, Garden Gale felt her chest heave as she steadied herself, inch by inch regaining composure.
She made her choice—seizing the moment without further hesitation and plunging straight outward. Instantly, the fierce headwind slammed into her, slicing her speed dramatically. In a storm like this, what truly slowed you wasn't just the muddy track; it was the merciless, unrelenting wind itself.
The gust tore at her hoodie, wrenching back her hood and scattering her silvery hair behind her—
Yet none of this halted the black-clad Umamusume's advance.
She surged.
She surged straight ahead!
Garden Gale leaned into her strides, confronting the wind head-on, dashing up the outer lane like a madwoman.
She was going all in!
She knew, deep down, that there was a chance—a real possibility—that by the final stretch, she'd be out of strength, unable to hold off the likes of T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega, or Narita Top Road. Each of them had phenomenal final spurts, not to be underestimated in any scenario.
But she refused to leave her fate in anyone else's hands again—
She wouldn't rely on others' mistakes, wouldn't beg for luck.
Garden Gale's teeth clenched, her eyes blazing like a monster intent on devouring everything in her path.
If she wanted victory, she had to grab it herself!
Even if she burned out halfway, even if her Runaway ended badly, none of it mattered.
She just had to keep running forward.
One step after another, engraving a rhythm of madness into the rain-soaked track, keeping this endless party alive. Tonight, she'd ride the storm, become the eye of the typhoon, let her very life blaze in defiance.
That alone was enough.
Everyone present watched a lunatic swimming upstream. Even Opera O stared, momentarily stunned by the scene unfolding before her eyes.
A Runaway?
Was she really attempting a Runaway in this storm? Was she trying to stage some breathtaking masterpiece for the world to see?
Truly… what a prodigy.
...
"NOW SURGING FORWARD FROM THE OUTER LANE, RANKED TWELFTH IN POPULARITY—GARDEN GALE! SHE'S USING HER FAVORITE STRATEGY, THE SAME DARING OUTER-LANE ADVANCE THAT WON HER THE WAKAGOMA STAKES!"
The announcer for the Satsuki Sho was clearly a seasoned professional.
They didn't just study the favorites—they studied every participant, so each iconic moment was accompanied by commentary that raised the stakes and stirred the soul.
"Wait—no."
"THAT'S NOT QUITE RIGHT. GARDEN GALE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING. COULD IT BE… SHE'S ATTEMPTING A RUNAWAY?"
"A RECKLESS RUNAWAY—IN THE POURING RAIN?!"
"Reckless Runaway in the rain" sounded romantic on paper.
But once confronted with it, the sheer visceral impact hit like a sledgehammer. Under a grim, oppressive sky, everything wet and heavy, the sodden turf beneath her feet, and the suffocating weight of humidity pressing in from all sides—rain drowned out the cheers, wind clawed back at her relentlessly.
The downpour intensified, soaking into the earth, soaking into her bones, her vision blurring as the chill cut through to her very core.
Sound itself dissolved into the deluge.
Everything seemed consumed by the storm.
Rain.
It was a tempest, fierce enough to swallow the world whole.
Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the darkened sky.
Truth be told… the weather conditions at this Satsuki Sho were turning far worse than expected.
Merely finishing under these circumstances would already be impressive—but Symboli Rudolf rose from her seat, eyes locked anxiously onto the distant track.
Was she really going to risk it all here?
"So that's her?" Beside Rudolf, Mr. C.B.—who'd been skeptical before—now watched with growing respect. "She's got guts, making a gamble like this. I like her already."
"Yes," Rudolf answered quietly, worry evident in her voice.
Clearly, Garden Gale's reckless choice had struck a chord within her.
Symboli Rudolf recalled the weather forecast two days ago: a typhoon had been predicted, nearly forcing officials to reschedule the Satsuki Sho. At the last moment, the storm had veered away—but now, unexpectedly, it had returned with a vengeance.
This downpour ranked among the worst in racing history.
"Don't worry," Mr. C.B. reassured her gently. "Everyone has their own path to tread."
...
But no matter what—the race was already underway.
And one undeniable truth was clear: every spectator's eyes were glued to the lone figure in black who'd pulled away from the pack—the star of a dramatic play titled "Reckless Runaway at the Satsuki Sho in the Pouring Rain."
Every single gaze.
---
T/N: OMG THE BLACK LIGHTNING IN A STORM! oh oops sorry i meant Black FLASH, SHE'S THE BLACK FLASH, BECAUSE ALL U SEE IS A FLASH YOU CANT EVEN SEE THE LIGHTNINGGGG YESSIR
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl