Epsom Derby, England. The racecourse.
In the stands packed with well over a hundred thousand spectators, the crowd was a literal sea of people.
Among them were Asian fans who had come to support Platinum, as well as European locals who viewed Galileo as the pride of Europe.
Of course, Galileo held an overwhelming, indisputable lead as the absolute top favorite!
"Galileo!!! Galileo!!! Galileo!!!"
"Galileo... I don't get it—all the idol horse girls I like are supporting her, even rallying their fans to back her too. Her connections are just too good."
"Galileo, you're Europe's glory! Show those country bumpkins from second- and third-tier regions what a truly world-class horse girl looks like!"
"Huzzah, Galileo, we adore you!"
"If that Platinum dares to try anything, it's up to you to handle it, Galileo!"
Amid wave after wave of cheers, a few voices supporting other horse girls still managed to stand out.
In another section, the crowd was mostly Japanese spectators. After all, this was Lady Pegasus's first international G1 race abroad, and only those excited Japanese fans were cheering her on with a mix of worry and anticipation.
"Pegasus!!! Pegasus!!! Pegasus!!!"
"Show the world Japan's first-ever world-class horse girl!"
"Platinum Pegasus—she's the culmination of modern Japanese horse girls!"
"Platinum, you rose through Japanese races—don't embarrass yourself against Galileo!"
"Yeah, show some spirit! You've got this!"
"Miss Platinum, for you I've become a werewolf, for you I've embraced madness, for you I've donned heavy disguise, for you I've changed my heart—can we meet again???"
As cheers from fans of various horse girls continued to ring out...
Finally, before long, the voice of the English commentator resounded across the racecourse.
[Welcome, everyone, to the Epsom Derby! This oldest and most glorious of Derby battles is sure to leave no one disappointed!]
[In this year's Epsom Derby, thirteen horse girls from various nations around the world have gathered, representing almost all the top young talents in global turf racing!]
[The most famous and popular among them, the top favorite to win, is… the daughter of Urban Sea, winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—Galileo!!!]
[The second favorite is…]
[Third…]
[In fourth place, from Japan, the new generation dominator known as "Pegasus"—contestant Platinum!]
--+--
The silver-haired girl, clad in her racing outfit with a bow on her back, stepped out from the backstage area and made her way toward her starting gate.
Gate number seven—a fairly central position.
After her appearance, the experienced organizers of the Epsom Derby immediately gave Platinum a close-up shot.
It's worth noting that the angle of the close-up focused on Pegasus's side, highlighting her sleek, streamlined figure.
But what truly stunned the entire audience was the enormous bow Platinum carried on her back!!
Clearly, even in Europe, the heart of global turf racing, a bow as part of a racing outfit was extremely rare.
"That bow is so cool…"
"I've never seen such a large weapon on any Uma Musume's racing outfit before."
"That bow must pack quite a punch, right? Too bad it's just decorative, and there aren't any arrows to go with it."
"This horse girl from Japan—never heard of her—is she really this lucky, blessed by the Three Goddesses?"
Amid the heated discussions, Platinum's name was being mentioned in Europe for the first time, leaving a slight impression.
But for now, that impression was shallow—most saw her as a "country bumpkin" horse girl with incredible luck, blessed by the goddesses to carry a large weapon.
Only a victory in the race could reverse that stereotype.
With that in mind… Platinum calmly approached her starting gate.
'Gate seven? Right in the middle, huh?'
She wasn't particularly pleased with her gate position—neither an outer nor an inner lane.
In European races, especially the Epsom Derby with its smaller number of participants, outer lanes weren't as disadvantageous as in Japan.
With fewer runners than Japanese races, which often had nearly twenty or more, the distance to the inner lane was shorter. Many preferred to expend a bit more energy to secure an inner position.
This often led to occupying a spot on the outer part of the inner lane.
If an Uma Musume started very close to the inner lane with a favorable gate position, she could quickly claim the innermost part.
For Platinum, with her neither-here-nor-there gate, if she rushed toward the inner lane as usual, she'd end up in the middle.
This could lead to being "boxed in"—surrounded by horse girls on the innermost lane, the outermost lane, or those leading or fleeing ahead.
If horse girls appeared to the left, right, and front, even the strongest, most endurance-packed horse girl would find it frustrating.
After all… she couldn't just plow through everyone around her, right?
This was a race, not some life-or-death sprint!
So, when that happened, she'd have to wait for the surrounding horse girls to shift before seizing the moment to accelerate—unable to freely unleash her speed.
'If I charge the inner lane normally, I'll probably get boxed in.'
'That's the last thing I want!!'
Platinum gently touched her flat, streamlined chest.
Her instincts as the [Platinum · Assassin of the Armorless Union] fiercely resisted the idea of being trapped.
Sure, being surrounded by a bunch of foreign fillies would be easier to handle than being cornered by a whole squad of Silverlance Pegasi, but it was still better to avoid it if possible.
As if her DNA recoiled at the thought of being boxed in, Platinum refused to let her acceleration timing and rights be dictated by others.
So, front-running or stalker tactics were out of the question for Lady Pegasus.
'Should I break away early or hang back and chase…'
Deep in thought, Platinum stepped fully into her starting gate.
The moment the gate closed behind her, she felt the empty quiver on her back gradually fill with several arrows.
And as other horse girls entered their gates one by one, the number of arrows kept increasing!
Soon, the arrows stopped at twelve, signaling that all horse girls were now in their gates.
The countdown to the race began.
Platinum stopped overthinking. With a casual glance at the dark-haired beauty Galileo in the inner lane gate, she made her choice.
'Then… I'll chase.'
Since this was her first time stepping onto [this land]!
She'd start with her most familiar running style—the chase.
She'd use chasing tactics against the world-class prodigy, Galileo.
The overtaking effects of her racing outfit would slowly give Galileo and the other European fillies something to marvel at!
When everyone, especially Manhattan Cafe from the Kikuka-shō, thought chasing was her specialty…
She'd switch to a massive breakaway, giving that powerful rival a huge surprise!
Having made her choice, Platinum quietly listened to the final countdown.
--+--
[3!]
[2!]
[1!]
The next instant, nearly every horse girl on the field burst out with lightning-fast reactions and astonishing speed.
Except for the silver-haired girl with the bow in the middle position—her reaction time was no slower than anyone else's, but her initial burst out of the gate was half a beat slower.
The bow-wielding silver Pegasus found herself in last place, chasing from the very rear!
--+--
Japan, Tracen Academy Cafeteria.
As horse girls, their careers might only last two or three years—just a few hundred or a thousand days—so they rarely spent time on activities outside training and racing.
Even if many Japanese horse girls desperately wanted to attend, their teachers, trainers, and homeroom advisors strongly discouraged them, urging them not to waste their precious golden years. There would be plenty of time to watch races around the world after retirement.
And then… their teachers and homeroom advisors had all flown over to watch!
Meanwhile, younger fillies like Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black, who hadn't even begun their physical maturation, could go if they wanted.
It was the active horse girls who had to grudgingly stay behind and watch from school.
When this large group of Japanese horse girls, intensely focused on Platinum's race, saw how the start unfolded—
Instantly, they couldn't help but break into heated discussion.
"Was that… a slow start?"
"I can't believe Miss Platinum is still using chasing tactics even at the Epsom Derby."
"No, it wasn't a slow start—Platinum's reaction was sharp and impressive. She just deliberately held back her acceleration to settle into the inner lane later."
"It looks like she actively chose to run as a chaser."
--+--
At a corner table in the cafeteria.
Agnes Tachyon, Manhattan Cafe, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka were also glued to the screen, watching the post-start situation.
The dark-haired girl Manhattan Cafe narrowed her eyes, intently focused on the silver-haired figure.
While most other horse girls were watching the top favorite Galileo to see how strong she was compared to Platinum—
Manhattan Cafe's eyes were solely on Platinum.
Because the other spectators could simply enjoy the race, but Manhattan Cafe… she might be the one overtaken and "shot" by Platinum in the Kikuka-shō!
Not wanting to miss a single detail, the dark-haired girl stared fixedly at Platinum.
"Chasing?"
Pegasus was definitely going all out now.
After all, her opponent was the world-class monster Galileo!
Facing such a fearsome rival, Platinum still chose chasing tactics?
'It seems chasing is the running style Platinum is most confident and skilled in!'
--+--
Epsom Derby Racecourse, England.
[Galileo's start was smooth. She quickly secured a leading position on the inner lane and began racing at tremendous speed.]
[From Japan, Uma Musume Platinum seems slightly unaccustomed to European turf. Her pace is a step slower, and she's fallen behind, now in last place.]
[Will Galileo secure an unquestionable victory, or… will this turn into an intensely fierce battle?]
[At the world-class Epsom Derby, anything is possible. Let's wait and see!]
The commentator's voice echoed across the vast racecourse.
And on the incredibly soft turf, in last place…
'Interesting. No wonder so many Japanese horse girls struggle to adapt to overseas races and often suffer crushing defeats in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.'
'This turf is noticeably softer than Japan's—it really tests your strength.'
Even though she was dead last in her first overseas race, tackling the nightmare difficulty of the Epsom Derby against world-class horse girls, the silver-haired girl remained composed.
That calmness, in the eyes of Japan's senior horse girls, was incredibly precious.
Greatness needs no explanation!
'Galileo's position is… stalking behind the front-runners on the inner lane? Perfect placement.'
'I can tell she's not simple—it's not just about securing a good position.'
As the Platinum of the Armorless Union, she wasn't just skilled in assassination—her instincts and perception were equally sharp.
That dark-haired beauty called Galileo was the first opponent in all Platinum's races to genuinely pique her interest!
'World-class horse girl? Let me see what you've got.'
On Platinum's back, the quiver now held over a dozen arrows.
It was time to let her European counterparts enjoy her overtaking effects!
--+--
Front group on the turf.
'Galileo… she's flawless. And she's got the optimal position too.'
'This is bad. How do you beat a world-class monster with no weaknesses?'
'Looks like we're just here to dance in Galileo's spotlight again.'
Among the front-runners, several stalkers gritted their teeth, eyes fixed on the calm dark-haired horse girl on the inner lane.
The young Galileo felt a twinge of disappointment.
Huh?… Did Platinum have a slow start, or did she choose chasing tactics on purpose?
'Whether intentional or not, chasing has more drawbacks than advantages. Is Japan's training that poor?'
'She clearly has monstrous physical abilities, but it seems she can't fully utilize them. What a shame—I won't get to enjoy a proper race…'
A faint, mesmerizing pink glow flickered in the dark-haired beauty's deep, brilliant eyes.
'Then I'll make this quick. Later, I'll unleash [Domain] and give everyone a surprise!'
'Hopefully, little Platinum can perform well enough to make top three and dance in my spotlight ♪'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.