"Garden Gale… Garden Gale is closing in!"
"She's got Narita Top Road dead in her sights! Locking on, chasing her down like a rabid beast! The two of them are currently in a duel!!"
Right now, all eyes were on the speed showdown between Garden Gale and Narita Top Road.
Not on the relaxed pace of the pack behind them.
Nobody really understood why these two were running like this… but it was thrilling to watch, it was as if they'd shut out the rest of the race and could see only each other!
…
After the second corner.
Garden Gale burst out of the pack. It might have looked simple, but only people who truly understood racing could grasp how difficult that move had been. Once again, she emulated Tokai Teio, lowering her center of gravity impossibly far, running wild as if the laws of physics no longer applied to her.
Accelerate...
Accelerate even more!
Her chest burned. An iron-hard resolve ignited, bit by bit.
Her heart was set ablaze...
Fixing her eyes on the golden-haired figure just ahead, Garden Gale grit her teeth and forced herself to explode forward!
I'll beat you.
I'll beat you. I'll beat you. I'll beat you—!!
I WILL BEAT YOU NARITA TOP ROAD!
The gap between her and Narita Top Road shrank bit by bit—closer and closer, so close she almost within reach.
Like a predator about to pounce on its prey.
Narita Top Road felt that dangerous presence closing in.
She knew clearly if she did nothing, Garden Gale would soon blow past her.
Her opponent was truly strong.
Now she understood that.
Garden Gale's overwhelming aura and presence made it impossible to ignore her. She shone like a blazing star on the track. No wonder she could speak with such confidence... If the Narita Top Road from seven days ago had come to this race, she certainly would have lost. She was nothing like that girl anymore—and for that, she was grateful to Garden Gale for giving her a reason to change.
Narita Top Road suddenly felt thankful.
But it was exactly in that instant of distraction... that a gust of wind rushed past her!
She was overtaken!
Garden Gale began to pull ahead of Narita Top Road—!!
"Garden Gale has overtaken Narita Top Road!"
Fans who had been half-dozing snapped awake, eyes shining as they focused on the fierce duel between the two girls. Anyone with even a little knowledge of Umamusume racing could tell at a glance that for a debut race, this was insanely high level.
Both Narita Top Road and Garden Gale were putting on an incredible performance for their first official race.
...
Ah.
As expected of you.
Narita Top Road thought quietly, the corners of her mouth lifting.
After Garden Gale passed her… she hadn't looked back even once. Still as proud as ever. Narita Top Road caught a faint whiff of that fresh, earthy scent around her, catching a glimpse of the sharp expression usually hidden beneath her hood.
It was as if Garden Gale had always been chasing after her.
Yet she never once turned around.
…Tch.
Watch closely, prodigy. Because next… comes the moment I beat you!
She'd already declared it. Already sworn it.
A vow—to defeat Garden Gale!!
A roar from deep within surged outward, channeling power into every muscle. Suddenly, the world's camera seemed to zoom in on Narita Top Road's toes—pushing off so hard they warped slightly against the ground. Then, from that frozen slow-motion, the frame rate snapped back in an instant, capturing a burst of unbelievable acceleration!
She exploded forward in a single instant—despite the slightly soft turf, despite the light rain, despite the chance that her opponent might still be stronger, despite the risk of burning herself out before the finish.
She gave her all.
Her everything.
None of it mattered anymore; nothing could hold back Narita Top Road's burst—! A breakout that sliced straight through the air in front of her!
She wouldn't think anymore!
She'd just run.
Run.
...
Garden Gale had only been ahead for a few seconds before Narita Top Road's explosive counterattack snatched back the lead!
This time… the wind she cut through scraped across Garden Gale's face like a dull blade.
…So strong.
She's really that strong.
Up close, Garden Gale felt Narita Top Road's strength and her will to win, both of them crashing into her with absolute clarity.
But who wants to lose? Nobody wants to lose. Everyone has their own reasons they can't afford to lose!
The desire to win—everyone has it.
Whether it was Narita Top Road or any other Umamusume, maybe all of them were pushing themselves beyond their limits for this one goal, this one championship. That desire burned fiercely in every single one of them. But their desire is nothing compared to Garden Gale's obsession with winning this debut race.
It wasn't just desire anymore.
...It had become a need.
For Garden Gale... this was the one race she absolutely could not lose.
She needed to win.
In this moment, there was almost nothing in her head—only the faint trace of a smile, as she let the flames in her heart roar higher and higher, refusing to be smothered.
And she too, erupted.
FASTER!!!!!
There was no tricks, no strategy.
The only thing on her mind... was pure speed.
...
"It's Narita Top Road and Garden Gale! Narita Top Road and Garden Gale are still accelerating! They're completely ignoring the pack behind them—and now the pack is starting to speed up too!"
"Won't they burn through their stamina? They're running like absolute maniacs!"
"We've only just passed the third corner—the finish line is still far away! The entire pace of this race has been thrown into chaos!"
"This race is unbelievable!"
Everyone—literally everyone watching the race had stopped whatever else they were doing, whether scrolling on their phones or chatting with friends. All eyes were locked on Narita Top Road and Garden Gale, captivated by their relentless two-person waltz at the front.
Symboli Rudolf was in disbelief at these two Umamusume who seemed to have gone crazy...
...
She liked it.
To think Tracen Academy still had two gems like these hidden away.
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T/N: HOLY SHITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT phew anyway nice nice nice hopefully you guys like the chapter lots of edits and revision