Whoosh.
"THE JAPAN DERBY IS NOW UNDERWAY! T.M. OPERA O IMMEDIATELY TAKES THE LEAD POSITION! IS NUMBER 3, NISHINO SEIRYU, CHALLENGING HER? NO, SHE'S HOLDING BACK, CHOOSING NOT TO WASTE ENERGY!"
"FAN FAVORITES ADMIRE VEGA AND NARITA TOP ROAD HAVE SLIPPED INTO COMFORTABLE POSITIONS WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE PACK."
"A LARGE CLUSTER HAS FORMED IN THE MIDFIELD; THE OVERALL PACE IS STEADY. SURPRISINGLY, THERE'S NO RUNAWAY SETTING THE TEMPO TODAY."
"BUT WAIT—"
"GARDEN GALE IS ALL THE WAY AT THE BACK OF THE PACK?"
The announcer's voice carried clear surprise as he summarized the initial positions from his bird's-eye vantage point.
...
Indeed, the most puzzling sight was Garden Gale's position.
Dead last? Had there been a misstep at the start? Or something else entirely? Fans murmured in confusion.
After her dazzling victory at the Satsuki Sho, countless new admirers had studied Garden Gale's past performances. From analyses and replays, everyone knew that in her previous three races, she'd consistently run as a Front Runner or Pace Chaser—
Always out in front, her explosive starts polished to perfection.
Yet now…
She was trailing far behind!? Was it a botched start? No, she hadn't even tried to start fast.
Was she in terrible condition?
Countless thoughts swirled in the audience's minds.
However this wasn't an accident; it was a strategy.
Few understood the intricacies of her shifting techniques. Though people marveled at her seemingly magical shifts between running styles, only experienced trainers could grasp the true depth of it. To most observers, Garden Gale's position at the back was deeply worrying, prompting frowns and sighs.
If she stayed there too long… wouldn't she be in trouble?
T.M. Opera O was not an opponent easily chased down.
"Garden Gale, hurry up and chase them down already!!!"
An impatient fan couldn't hold back, standing at the edge of the track and shouting instructions.
Relax, there's no need to rush.
Garden Gale didn't respond to the noisy command; her expression alone gently reassured the worried fans.
Having already raced through the instance Derby—
She knew better than anyone not to panic here.
Firstly, endurance was a concern. Garden Gale's speed was unquestionable, but rapidly switching running styles drained stamina enormously. Though this flaw had remained hidden in shorter 2000-meter races, a grueling 2400-meter event would expose it clearly. If she tried matching T.M. Opera O's pace from the outset—
She seriously doubted she could unleash a full-powered final burst.
Right now, hanging at the back meant facing zero wind resistance, letting countless rabbits open the road for her ahead. When the decisive moment came, she'd trust her genius intuition to pick the perfect gap.
It felt quite comfortable, actually.
Nice and leisurely.
Secondly, strategy.
From the moment she'd taken her first step onto the track, Garden Gale had been executing her theory.
A theory that needed practice to become reality.
[Seize the crown.]
[Charge forward into the future.]
Every move was purely crafted to serve victory.
So…
Run. Keep running. Chase toward that endless blue sky!!
Garden Gale's strategy was truly meticulous.
As expected from someone gifted with exceptional race IQ—the moment she stepped onto the field—she'd already mapped out exactly how to fit together the puzzle pieces of victory.
But… would reality align with her vision?
...
They passed through the first corner.
The overall pace remained calm… almost monotonous.
Just as spectators were convinced the race's climax would come later—at the final corner and the thrilling sprint down the home stretch, where Umamusume would display their finishing kicks in a crescendo of speed and glory—
Admire Vega decided otherwise.
Who cares about conventions? She'd strike now.
Danger lurked within the curve itself—just like skiing down a mountainside.
Minimal force, maximum freedom: weaving these together formed a melody of sheer speed. Like skis gliding effortlessly on fresh snow, Admire Vega instantly found an opening as the pack rounded the bend—
Surging forward to match T.M. Opera O's lead.
Wind crashed fiercely into her.
Yet even the gale-force wind couldn't extinguish Admire Vega's burning desire to win—instead, it fueled it further.
Burning hotter, fiercer.
The cold atop a snowy mountain couldn't freeze her championship ambitions, nor could harsh winds blow them out. At almost the same instant, T.M. Opera O sensed danger approaching, noticing Admire Vega suddenly catching up from behind.
"Huh, you're coming up first?" she muttered softly to herself.
She'd fully expected Garden Gale.
Last time, it had played out like this—back-and-forth skirmishes transforming the team race into a one-on-one duel.
But—whoever it was didn't matter.
In T.M. Opera O's eyes, only one thing existed: the path ahead, tomorrow, and the championship.
"In that case," T.M. Opera O whispered to herself again, sharply increasing her pace, "try to keep up with me!"
With those words, she shot forward.
Her goal wasn't to launch a full-blown Runaway—
But to disrupt the rhythm of the pack and Admire Vega just enough to cause chaos.
A heightened pace would swiftly weed out weaker competitors.
Admire Vega's face remained expressionless.
She keenly felt the race's tempo surge… and immediately matched it, accelerating right on T.M. Opera O's heels.
She clung close like a monster biting fiercely at her shadow, refusing to let go.
Gone was the weak state she'd shown during the Satsuki Sho. The brutal month of training had honed everything to a razor's edge. Admire Vega couldn't afford to lose this chance to win the championship.
After all, she wouldn't get many more opportunities.
She had to steel herself. She had to win! She'd burn anything and everything—her willpower, her very soul—throwing all into the flames to fuel her pursuit of victory. Even if she emerged battered and broken, nothing would stop her from claiming the crown!
Garden Gale, watching from behind, felt a slight headache.
I didn't even interfere this time, yet they still insist on going at it… speeding up the tempo like that.
Still... it doesn't really matter, right?
Because, ultimately, the one who wins will be me.
When Admire Vega forces T.M. Opera O's ultimate trump card, when her completed [ZONE] envelops the battlefield, when Narita Top Road runs at her absolute limit, when every weapon is unleashed, what rises from behind will be an unstoppable presence—
The End Closer who sweeps all away!
---
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idk theyre at like 35 followers both :3c
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