"You seriously saved me!"
Hands clasped gratefully, Garden Gale bowed slightly, her sincere gratitude unmistakable.
Across from her stood Air Shakur, a playful smile revealing that iconic shark-tooth grin.
"I was just passing by," Shakur said casually, glancing away. "When I saw Opera O forcing you into an autograph session, I thought, 'Garden volunteering for something like that?No chance.'"
After all, she knew Garden better than anyone.
"So next time you get dragged into something, blink hard a few times—I'll catch your signal and rush to the rescue."
Seeing Garden Gale faint earlier had confirmed all of Shakur's suspicions. She hadn't hesitated to intervene, rescuing the Umamusume from T.M. Opera O's social whirlwind.
Well, maybe "rescue" was overstating it, but she'd certainly freed Garden Gale from suffering further embarrassment. T.M. Opera O's relentless antics had ignited a fierce determination in Garden Gale to absolutely crush her in the Japan Derby. Crush her completely—no holding back until victory was secure.
But before that, she had to train hard.
Gazing upward at the darkening twilight sky, Garden Gale sighed softly, feeling a twinge of regret for the day's derailed plans. Still, she didn't dwell on it. Hoisting her bag back onto her shoulder, she prepared to head straight to the training grounds.
But first she turned again to thank her savior properly.
"Next time, even if it's climbing mountains of blades or plunging into seas of fire, just say the word, Shakur-san, and I'll be there without hesitation! This heart beats for loyalty!" Garden Gale declared with earnest intensity, her adorable expression carrying the heroic spirit of a cosplaying high-schooler channeling Zhao Yun's legendary charge at Changban Bridge.
It was almost wildly out of character.
Air Shakur tilted her head thoughtfully, considering.
"Well, if you're feeling that grateful—why not repay me right now?"
She flashed a sweet, harmless smile. Yet those razor-sharp shark teeth gleamed, polished blades ready to strike.
Garden Gale froze instantly.
...
"A comprehensive physical ability test?!"
Garden Gale's stunned voice echoed across the training grounds.
Standing before her were two members of Team LOCK: Air Shakur—now casually slinging an arm around Kanzaki Sakura's shoulder—and Kanzaki herself, trainer clipboard firmly in hand. Garden Gale suddenly felt like a lab rat being prepared for dissection, about to provide the frontline data for their newest training theories.
She was starting to deeply regret her earlier heroic promise.
"Relax, relax," Shakur soothed, stepping forward and patting Garden reassuringly on the shoulder. "It's just that my trainer here keeps muttering your name day and night, convinced you'll soon be a superstar, an elite among elites. She's desperate to get you into Team LOCK—but we both know you'll never join any team."
"The constant nagging was getting unbearable…"
"So we had to take matters into our own hands."
Essentially, they needed to help Kanzaki Sakura finally give up.
Though Shakur didn't explicitly say it, the meaning was crystal clear.
Kanzaki Sakura shot her a mild glare, silently wondering, Whose side is she even on, anyway?
In truth, Kanzaki had agreed to this physical test to gauge Garden Gale's current limits—to glimpse the true ceiling of her potential after half a year. Indeed, Garden Gale had been an Umamusume for nearly six months now. From initial hesitation to boldly stepping forward, she'd undoubtedly grown stronger.
Wearing a reluctant expression, Garden Gale wished fervently that life came with an undo button. But she'd already made a bold promise worthy of Zhao Yun himself. With a resigned sigh, she took a step forward.
"How exactly will this test work?"
"It's simple enough," Kanzaki Sakura said, seamlessly taking charge of the situation.
When it came to data collection the trainers held absolute authority.
After all, no one at Tracen Academy was ordinary. Whether in complex theoretical frameworks, strategic execution, or fundamental training methods, Kanzaki Sakura was unquestionably elite. Young as she was, her skills were exceptional, even extraordinary.
With confidence, Kanzaki outlined her goals clearly:
"I want to test your explosive speed, strength, and endurance—essentially everything. But above all, I'm most interested in seeing how you analyze and react to on-field situations."
Garden Gale stretched her legs, checking her condition thoroughly. Once satisfied she was ready, she nodded firmly.
"Understood. Let's begin."
...
Air Shakur settled onto a bench, observing the two figures on the training track: Garden Gale, poised at the starting line after completing her warm-up, and Kanzaki Sakura standing beside her, stopwatch ready.
This test would measure explosive acceleration—specifically, Garden Gale's speed over distances of 200 meters and 600 meters.
In racing terms: a direct evaluation of her final-furlong spurt (1F) and her finishing sprint (3F).
Without hesitation, Kanzaki raised the stopwatch.
The instant it clicked to start, Garden Gale shot forward, taking flight.
Her feet skimmed effortlessly across the grass.
From the first stride, her body seemed to dance, all distractions instantly falling away. In that initial burst, every lingering doubt, every stray thought vanished completely. With a deep breath from her starting position, all pressure melted away, leaving only singular focus—pure, undiluted running..
Garden Gale's absolute clarity of mind was nothing short of terrifying. Yet so few had yet recognized the full significance of this ability—perhaps only Symboli Rudolf truly understood that Garden Gale was already halfway through the doorway of the coveted [ZONE] state.
Someday, when others finally realized it, even the most mundane observers would find themselves awestruck by this overwhelming focus.
Like an arrow released from a bowstring, she surged forward—
Though the stopwatch reading wasn't yet visible, Kanzaki Sakura stood frozen in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape. Watching Garden Gale run was pure joy; so mesmerizing was the performance that Sakura nearly missed the 200-meter mark entirely.
"Hit the stopwatch!"
Only when Shakur's voice jolted her awake did Sakura hastily press down, realizing immediately that the displayed time was off—at least a second or two delayed.
She stared thoughtfully at the "11.0" glowing on the stopwatch, knowing it couldn't possibly reflect reality.
But there was no time to dwell.
Garden Gale's acceleration was relentless. She raced onward, closing rapidly on the 600-meter finish, speed escalating like a sports car unleashed on the Autobahn.
This time Kanzaki was utterly focused, not making the same mistake twice.
She pressed the button precisely as Garden Gale crossed the finish line.
[00:33:1]
Thirty-four point one seconds—an astonishing figure.
Eishin Flash, renowned for possessing one of the best 3-furlong finishes, clocked around 32.7 seconds. Garden Gale, while just 0.4 seconds shy in a non-competitive setting, was already dangerously close to that top-tier level.
Given time, might Garden Gale eventually surpass Eishin Flash herself?
Could she become the Umamusume with the fastest final spurt?
In an astonishing reversal—Garden Gale's weakest trait had transformed into her greatest strength.
---
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