When T.M. Opera O awakened the completed form of the [ZONE]…
When she stepped into the realm of legends…
The question of beating Admire Vega ceased to exist, replaced by an inevitable conclusion that anyone could predict.
...
Admire Vega had tried.
She gave it her all, desperate to cross that finish line first. Yet reality never yields to mere determination.
No matter how fiercely she risked everything, talent still differed between individuals.
Once T.M. Opera O awakened her completed [ZONE], all restraints vanished. She raced only against herself, surging forward like a monster, effortlessly overtaking Admire Vega. From second to first, it became glaringly obvious who would claim victory in the Japan Derby.
Admire Vega's expression shifted—from resolve, to disbelief, to despair.
In an instant, her spirit crumbled. Because… no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't win. She couldn't prove herself the best. She couldn't even prove the worth of the stars above.
As expected…was there truly no chance for the twin Umamusume to become monsters?
...
The race had reached the fourth corner.
The finish line wasn't far ahead.
Past this corner lay only the final straightaway.
As the corner approached…
Hidden in the depths of the pack, patiently biding her time, Garden Gale made her move.
She inhaled sharply.
All distractions faded away, leaving only pure concentration and meticulous positioning.
She was running in the future.
I mean it literally.
It had been said before—Garden Gale raced in the winner's position. While others ran in the present, she strategized from the future. She saw clearly and comprehensively, patient until the critical moment. Now, with stamina nearly untouched, she launched her attack!
A breeze of emerald green coalesced around her, propelling her momentum.
…
Have you had your fun yet?
It's time to end this!
…
The corner arrived.
[PRODIGY'S INTUITION]
All the Umamusume prepared to corner.
At this precise moment, a thin gap opened amidst their positions, carving out a clear pathway straight to the front. While everyone else slowed down…
Her speed surged.
Slow down on the corner?
Don't make me laugh.
Immediately, Tokai Teio's flexible technique activated. Though she appeared to sway precariously, she remained upright, stable and swift. Her increased speed easily allowed her to overtake several rivals.
Graceful as a swallow.
She smoothly gained positions.
Everyone else planned to burst forward after the corner. None of them were monsters like Garden Gale, who seized the corner to accelerate instead.
By the time they noticed… Garden Gale had already pierced into the front group.
Narita Top Road, who'd been leading, now sprang to life, desperately chasing the two in front. With her unyielding determination and deep familiarity with her rivals, she too secured an ideal position!
...
"Garden Gale's coming up!"
The guy in glasses cried out in shock—she was insanely fast!
It was like magic!
In an instant, she'd teleported from nowhere into the lead pack. Corners were chaotic—most eyes were glued to T.M. Opera O, missing how Garden Gale even climbed the ranks.
How had she avoided getting boxed in?
He'd thought she'd be stuck forever.
Yet what he didn't realize was… Garden Gale would never get boxed in.
Beside him, Air Shakur's eyes lit up.
Even without her banner this time, she screamed passionately, "Garden! Go! Run them all down and take the crown!!"
...
Got it.
Hearing that familiar voice, Garden Gale smiled slightly.
[FLOW SHIFT]
After rounding the corner, Garden Gale began to surge once more, shifting seamlessly, and she immediately tapped into Air Shakur's acceleration.
I'll take your running style all the way to the biggest stage!
Though Garden Gale might never drive an F1 car, she could certainly become one herself, couldn't she?
After all, both were top-tier speed demons.
—Run, run, run!
T.M. Opera O…
I'm coming for you!!
When dragged into that autograph session before, she'd sworn she'd conquer the Derby in revenge. Now, smiling confidently, she entered the final straight and began her spurt.
It was impossibly fast.
Such a breathtaking final spurt!
Even the slight uphill incline couldn't hinder her acceleration. This prodigy from the outermost lane began overtaking everything in her path.
Remember Gold Ship in the Arima Kinen?
From that dazzling positioning magic at the start, to that unmatched final spurt—an unstoppable monster storming in from the outside to crush all challengers.
Now…
Garden Gale was rewriting that very legend.
Even T.M. Opera O felt it, the fierce, pursuing aura from behind. She understood clearly—only one person could radiate such intense danger: her greatest rival, Garden Gale!
Finally, you've arrived…
Opera O's lips curled into a faint smile.
Like the deep joy of encountering a kindred spirit.
By the time spectators noticed Garden Gale… she had already surged to the very front of the pack!
Several Umamusume blinked in disbelief at her teleportation-like move, gasping aloud.
What in the world?!
How did Garden Gale get here? Wasn't she still near the rear just ten seconds ago? Now she's at the front? What on earth just happened?!
Garden Gale left no time for their confusion.
Her final spurt still surged forward.
Charging onward!
Unstoppable, determined to shatter every barrier, desperately chasing!
T.M. Opera O similarly unleashed every ounce of strength.
Would she, who'd stepped into the completed [ZONE], truly be overtaken so easily?
—Of course not.
Impossible.
The final spurt of the Overlord ignited fiercely. Alongside her fought Narita Top Road, who stubbornly clung to the battlefront, and Admire Vega, unwilling to yield to despair. These powerful contenders clashed openly.
Yet T.M. Opera O's lead was still clear.
Painfully clear.
That overwhelming presence of the [ZONE]… could be felt by everyone—spectators and competitors alike.
Garden Gale felt it too.
She fixed her gaze on Opera O's back, smiling gently.
[CHAMELEON]
Like a droplet gently slipping into the ocean.
Then suddenly…
Everything surged together at once! Garden Gale had long prepared for this very instant. If she'd imitated Opera O's incomplete [ZONE] at the Satsuki Sho, why couldn't she replicate its completed form here at the Japan Derby?!
This was it.
INFINITE ADAPTATION.
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