"I'll carve my own path forward."
Such beautiful words.
When you're trapped in the depths of despair, when blows rain down one after another, driving you into melancholy—lost in indulgence, uncertain of your path ahead—there is only one thing you can do:
Summon your willpower, and lead yourself to carve right through!
No one else in this world can save you from the fire.
Because anyone who abandons themselves can never reach the opposite shore, never rise again from the ashes.
Garden Gale understood this now clearly.
She realized she shouldn't have completely collapsed after T.M. Opera O overtook her—not her rhythm, not her mindset. What if that explosive burst had been Opera O's absolute limit? What if she started to fade on the final stretch? That would be Garden Gale's moment. Being overtaken wasn't the end. The race didn't finish in an instant.
The only truly terrifying thing was giving up so easily.
Coming to this understanding—she heard Air Shakur's shout ringing from the sidelines:
"GARDEN! KEEP RUNNING!"
—I will.
Garden Gale nodded slightly, silently responding from deep within.
Instantly, her heart cleared, pristine and calm as a still lake.
She reclaimed her unyielding will and slowly began to restore her pace, reassessing the race conditions once more.
T.M. Opera O currently held the lead, about fifty to sixty meters ahead of the pack—a considerable gap. Before the final straight, that distance needed to shrink drastically. Admire Vega and Narita Top Road clearly shared this thought, each running cautiously in the middle-front of the pack, letting the "rabbit" bear the brunt of wind resistance while preserving their strength to the maximum.
And at the very back… was Garden Gale.
To say she was "at the bottom" would be putting it kindly.
She was utterly dead last.
The audience had already turned away, showering cheers on T.M. Opera O. Such was the brutal truth of racing: only those poised for victory earned adoration and screams from the crowd.
But set aside the distractions beyond the track—
Now, only one question remained for Garden Gale:
How do I close the gap?
The race was more than halfway finished, the distance to the goal shortening with every step. Soon, they'd clear the third corner. After the fourth, there would be nothing left but the final straight.
In other words…
Garden Gale didn't have much time.
A sliver of urgency crept into her mind.
But it didn't matter.
Garden Gale believed—firmly, blindly even—that she could still close that gap.
If nothing else, then let her trust herself blindly just this once.
Reassembling her resolve—Garden Gale would not wait for the final straight to accelerate.
She knew T.M. Opera O wouldn't allow her that opportunity. She now recognized Opera O as her number-one rival.
Now was the moment.
There would be no better opportunity than this.
Thus decided, Garden Gale began her chase from last place. Her speed rose sharply, her stride shifted seamlessly—and suddenly she was running exactly like Air Shakur!
Flowing, graceful, and fast!
Why not use Tokai Teio's running style instead?
There was a reason for this.
Right now, Air Shakur's style was unrivaled when it came to pure acceleration. If she intended to pursue the lead from here, nothing else would be as effective. Taking a deep, greedy breath, her entire being rose to the challenge, fighting upward against adversity.
One after another, she overtook her opponents.
Garden Gale's eyes took on the same fierce, determined edge as T.M. Opera O's. She didn't care who she was passing—she simply surged forward along the outer track, forcing her position upward.
...
Symboli Rudolf closely watched the scene unfold.
—She's overtaking.
Garden Gale is overtaking!
She immediately rose to her feet.
I knew it!
Even Rudolf felt a burst of exhilaration. She'd known Garden Gale wouldn't quit easily, and thus her hope had never fully died. Witnessing this, it felt as natural as someone falling, brushing themselves off, and returning to their feet to keep going.
And yet—Garden Gale wasn't merely overtaking.
She was relentlessly overtaking.
From a Runaway turned relentless Chaser, she climbed steadily upward.
One after another.
She was surpassing multiple Umamusume in rapid succession!
If this was the case, there was still hope… for victory.
Mr. C.B. stared at her friend incredulously. Even after such a disastrous performance, Rudolf still held high expectations? Moreover, she was visibly agitated—this was Symboli Rudolf, the Emperor whose expression wouldn't falter even if a mountain itself collapsed before her eyes. Was she seriously that invested in this Umamusume? What was so extraordinary about her?
Mr. C.B. couldn't comprehend it.
Sure, this late chase was impressive, but Garden Gale had also been responsible for that pitiful collapse earlier.
Was this girl some kind of dual-natured creature?
Forget it.
Just keep watching. After all, this Satsuki Sho was nearing its climax.
"I have a hunch."
Symboli Rudolf turned slightly, eyes reflecting the gleaming lights of the track:
"Garden Gale will win."
"…?"
Mr. C.B. couldn't fathom Rudolf's words.
...
Narita Top Road was still mulling over whether Garden Gale had any chance left.
Realistically speaking, it's impossible.
Everyone knew what happened once a Runaway was caught and relegated to the rear of the field. But still, a faint spark of hope lingered. Because, after all, it was Garden Gale—the Umamusume who consistently made the impossible possible.
The moment that thought surfaced—
She felt something shift sharply behind her…
The wind surged from behind, about to sweep everything away.
Even without looking, Narita Top Road knew exactly who was coming—and rather than fear or panic, what swelled within her was excitement, pure, burning excitement!
Fine, then—bring it on! Let's clash head-on!
Because defeating you, Garden Gale, is what gives this victory meaning!
Without you, this Satsuki Sho wouldn't be meaningless exactly… but it'd be bland, flavorless.
Narita Top Road's blood began to boil.
She knew—the decisive moment was close at hand!
Beside her, Admire Vega was fragile as glass, beautiful yet easily shattered.
Garden Gale didn't concern herself with the details. Charging forward from the rear, she'd overtaken one Umamusume after another, climbing back to the mid-pack. Now, even Narita Top Road wasn't far away—a distance perfectly within hunting range.
But—Garden Gale refused to stop there.
She couldn't bear the thought of settling for mediocrity.
So, onward she went—striding forward fiercely, her unmatched acceleration in Air Shakur's style making her look almost like a bolt of lightning hidden in the stormy darkness.
As the race reached its later stages—
The third corner approached.
Just as T.M. Opera O had marked the second corner as her key moment, Garden Gale now set her sights on this third curve.
Directly overtaking everyone was impossible, of course. Narita Top Road would never let Garden Gale breeze past her, and neither would Admire Vega. They'd undoubtedly respond with equal bursts of speed, so finding those fleeting opportunities was critical.
It was here that Garden Gale would rise once more—and reclaim her place ahead.
Yet, an unexpected move interrupted her plans:
As the corner neared, Narita Top Road suddenly chose to accelerate?!
Even Admire Vega was stunned, confusion written plainly across her delicate features.
Accelerating through a turn without slowing down…?
That went against all conventional wisdom.
Anyone with common sense understood you had to reduce speed on corners, or else lose balance and end up tasting mud. Not everyone possessed Garden Gale's monstrous flexibility. What sort of trick was Narita Top Road pulling now?
Admire Vega didn't have an answer, but her heart filled with a growing unease.
T.M. Opera O led far ahead.
Behind her, Garden Gale surged forward in a frantic chase, and Narita Top Road toyed dangerously with strange tactics.
Tch—!
Everything seemed stacked against her now.
Admire Vega forced a bitter smile. The rain streaked down her face, evaporating mid-air, burned away by the fighting spirit blazing inside her.
Since there was no turning back…
She charged onward as well, leaping onto the stage that led to tomorrow!
...
Narita Top Road slowed down again, deliberately.
There was logic behind her apparent madness. She didn't have Garden Gale's genius—she couldn't take a curve without losing speed. But Narita Top Road had spent countless nights devising this method: accelerate before the turn, then slow down during it. Wouldn't that, in effect, mean she'd taken the curve without losing speed at all?
It was a special tactic she'd developed specifically to counter Garden Gale's monstrous cornering skills.
In truth, it was little more than self-deception.
It merely offered psychological comfort, easing her nerves and allowing her to round the corner more calmly.
Yet, it had turned out surprisingly effective.
Narita Top Road maintained steady momentum through the turn, widening her lead slightly from those behind.
At the same moment—
Garden Gale drew her blade.
She revealed her most naked and unstoppable weapon:
[FLOW SHIFT]
Instantly switching into Tokai Teio's incredible flexibility, she executed the third corner flawlessly—exactly as planned, without any loss of speed. Instead, she accelerated even more, her entire body swaying dangerously, yet refusing to fall, like a doll tumbling yet forever rebounding upright!
By now—Garden Gale had mastered switching running styles.
She used precisely the technique Air Shakur had described: the smooth, seamless flow of transition.
And it worked.
No longer would switching styles make her stumble in confusion for two full seconds, leaving herself vulnerable to overtakes.
With this sharpened tactical weapon—Garden Gale reclaimed her position, climbing steadily upward again. She could feel the powerful heartbeat resonating in her chest; even the pouring rain couldn't make her close her eyes, because within them burned a fiercely glittering spark.
Now, her only targets left ahead were Narita Top Road, Admire Vega, T.M. Opera O—and three other Umamusume whose names she'd never bothered to learn.
But—having learned from her previous mistake, Garden Gale didn't underestimate even those three unknown rivals. Respectfully pouring all her strength forward, she continued chasing relentlessly. In a mere three hundred meters, she climbed from dead last into the front ranks of the pack, pulling herself clear of the humiliation of absolute defeat.
At that same moment the crowd began taking notice of her again, astonished to see this Umamusume they'd written off as finished suddenly staging such an incredible comeback.
First, a Runaway. Then, a relentless Chaser—a waltz in the violent rain.
If Garden Gale actually pulled this off, even if she never won another race for the rest of her career, this single extraordinary performance would carve her name forever into history.
But… was it really possible?
Curiosity mixed with hope, the crowd quietly watched as the black silhouette surged forward, overtaking rivals one by one.
With every successful overtake, cheers erupted from the stands, celebrating Garden Gale's revival.
She ran beautifully—sharp, elegant, and fluid. If not for witnessing her earlier Runaway attempt, spectators would've sworn she was an elite closer. Her hunting posture was simply stunning.
Yet catching Narita Top Road immediately was proving tricky.
That Umamusume's method was annoyingly cunning.
Far ahead, T.M. Opera O continued running freely, completely unchallenged. Without Garden Gale's threat breathing down her neck, she almost seemed leisurely strolling, as if the violent storm barely affected her at all.
...
The third corner was cleared.
Only seven hundred meters remained.
A little over three furlongs—just one last corner and a straight sprint left—the race had reached its boiling point.
For an Umamusume, this distance would take no more than thirty or forty seconds to finish.
In other words, everything would be decided in less than forty-five seconds. What did that mean? Hold your breath or answer a quick text, and this spectacular Satsuki Sho would already be over.
Just as Garden Gale thought she could keep up this rhythm and catch everyone—including T.M. Opera O, shattering her arrogant, leisurely composure—her rival suddenly burst into acceleration after clearing the third corner, launching yet another crisis!
Planning an early sprint to widen the gap? Was she eyeing the approaching 3F sign, intending a full-power dash?
Garden Gale bit her lip softly, stopping her scattered thoughts.
Stop hesitating!
Whatever happened, happened, the race was rapidly closing. Victory drew ever nearer!
Her own speed surged again, refusing to yield an inch of ground to anyone else. Another Umamusume fell behind her, and then another—soon fewer and fewer remained ahead, until only three opponents stood between Garden Gale and her ultimate goal: Narita Top Road, Admire Vega, and T.M. Opera O herself.
The final showdown for these four was about to begin!
You're sprinting early, T.M. Opera O, but now I'm the one chasing you—just like when you chased me down earlier.
I swear, I'll catch you this time.
With that silent oath echoing in her heart—
Garden Gale's eyes blazed with resolve.
...
Narita Top Road and Admire Vega wouldn't idly watch T.M. Opera O stroll comfortably to victory.
It might not have been a true Runaway—more just a display of pure speed—but they knew they couldn't let Opera O go. As mentioned before, they'd maintained a precise distance, ready to strike when needed. Now, forced by circumstance, both of them began their acceleration early, even before the final corner arrived.
From the moment the third corner ended, everyone's pace quickened—
All the way past the 600-meter sign—the 3F marker.
Only six hundred meters left to decide the winner.
The race had entered its climax.