The stands were already packed with a massive crowd, and it was still growing by the minute.
Many spectators couldn't hold back their discussions or cheers for their favorite Uma Musume.
"Platinum! Platinum! Platinum!"
"The Irregular Quadruple Crown!! The Irregular Quadruple Crown!!"
"Miss Platinum mustn't let her guard down! The Kikka Shō has always been prone to long-shot dark horses in long-distance races!"
"Who can possibly break Platinum's undefeated streak?"
"Platinum!! Platinum!! Platinum!!"
Meanwhile, in the front rows of the stands, two petite young horse girls were seated.
Anyone familiar with them might have been slightly surprised to see them now.
Between the two, the more lively black-haired one—Kitasan Black—was no longer the same height as her companion, Satono Diamond. She had grown slightly taller.
She was already beginning to show hints of a young maiden's grace. Kitasan Black had grown a little!
"Ugh... you've started growing taller already."
"It seems like it's almost time for you to begin Maturation."
Satono Diamond, clutching a cheer sign, gazed at her best friend with a hint of envy.
For horse girls, Maturation was the equivalent of a human's years-long adolescence, compressed into just a few months—a sudden leap from a young girl into a young maiden, or even an older sister!
Once that happened, they could try enrolling in Tracen Academy, train to become stronger, and eventually debut as Uma Musume!
Daiwa Scarlet had followed that very path, until... she debuted and encountered the Heavenly Pegasus, Platinum.
If Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were to meet the Heavenly Pegasus on the track in the future, they would only feel excitement and thrill to the point of fainting—never despair.
Star-chasing!
What could be more thrilling for a fan than chasing their star onto the very same track?
Although it would be incredibly difficult, they wanted to try. They wanted to complete their Maturation, debut successfully, and eventually step onto the same stage as Miss Platinum.
If possible, they might even stand on the Winner's Stage as Miss Platinum's backup dancers!!
The mere thought of this possibility flushed Satono Diamond's small face with excitement and anticipation.
But... that was still a distant dream, at least a year away. For now, she and Kitasan Black would focus on taking in this historic Kikka Shō!
"Miss Platinum, victory is certain!"
Kitasan Black held her cheer sign with one hand and pumped her other fist.
Beside her, Satono Diamond lowered her head to look at the sign in her arms.
[Heavenly Pegasus Victory! Irregular Quadruple Crown!!]
A sudden thought crossed her mind—
"If Miss Platinum wins this Kikka Shō, it'll completely prove her adaptability to long distances isn't much weaker than her invincible dominance in middle distances."
"Then... will she challenge the Spring Tennō Shō next year?"
In the last two or three years of G1 Spring Tennō Shō races, there had always been one queen of long distances: Mejiro McQueen!
And Mejiro McQueen was Satono Diamond's idol... well, former idol.
"Ugh, what should I write on my cheer sign then?"
'It's like choosing between two favorites!'
But... some favorites were just a little more equal than others, right?
The clever young horse girl Satono Diamond fell into hesitation.
But it lasted less than a second before she lifted her head again, her eyes refilled with... loyalty and admiration for Platinum!
"Miss McQueen has already achieved two consecutive Tennō Shō victories. She's won plenty and must have enough supporters already."
"So... she won't miss one like me! I'll keep supporting Miss Platinum!"
"Sorry, Miss McQueen..."
Unbeknownst to a certain long-distance queen—the Mejiro family's young lady aiming for a third consecutive Spring Tennō Shō victory—her little fan had already switched allegiance and begun worshipping the Heavenly Pegasus instead!
--+--
Uma Musume Preparation Room.
Over a dozen Uma Musume had already arrived and were seated in their spots.
Almost all of them were thinking about or worrying over one particular competitor: Platinum!
Nearly every participating Uma Musume saw Platinum as the only strong rival to watch out for, with no second Uma Musume even registering as a concern.
"Three thousand meters of the Kikka Shō... I wonder if Platinum can adapt."
"Middle distance and long distance are completely different worlds. As someone specializing in long distances, I should have a decent chance!"
"Even if Platinum wins, she definitely can't achieve a huge margin victory like before, right?... At the very least, I need to secure a spot as a Backup Dancer on the Winner's Stage."
"The Heavenly Pegasus's undefeated legend... I'll be the one to shatter it!!"
While the competitors were lost in their own thoughts—some pessimistic, some calculating, some filled with fighting spirit...
The next moment, heavy, powerful footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Just the sound of those approaching steps carried an inexplicably intimidating aura that made many horse girls in the room instinctively straighten up, as if a powerful senior were drawing near.
"Is it Platinum...?"
"Those who can master a Zone during the Classic Triple Crown races are few and far between in the entire history of Japanese Uma Musume."
"It must be the Heavenly Pegasus."
But the figure that burst through the door wasn't a pristine, silver-white form. It wasn't Platinum at all!
It was an utterly dark, icy monster—a black-haired girl with an expressionless face and eyes as fierce and terrifying as a wild beast.
She had the self-awareness to withdraw from the Japanese Derby, devoting every possible moment to maximizing her innate aptitude for long distances!
This bold and precise decision alone was something most horse girls could never achieve. With the help of Agnes Tachyon, she constantly pushed her limits, inching closer to the level of a special monster like Dai Yusaku, who could temporarily wield a Zone!
And in the end, she succeeded! From endurance to that temporary Zone—this was the result of Manhattan Cafe's relentless efforts over the past six months, even gritting her teeth through the pain of skipping the Derby to train!
The aura and power emanating from this dark Uma Musume now filled all the Japanese Uma Musume present with pressure, nearly making them break out in a cold sweat.
"Gulp... such an intimidating presence."
"Wait, where did this monster come from?"
"I've never heard of her. She's definitely a fearsome dark horse, a monster!"
"I remember now! Isn't this Manhattan Cafe, who suffered a crushing defeat in the Satsuki Shō? How has she changed so completely in just a few months?"
Manhattan Cafe paid no mind to the shocked reactions of the other horse girls.
She calmly walked in and took a seat, her mind quietly focused on the upcoming race, her aura transformed into that of a Ruler.
'So far, the physical abilities Platinum has displayed are astonishing—from acceleration to explosive power and endurance, she has no weaknesses.'
'But it's worth noting that she sometimes starts slowly out of the gate. In her five career races, she's used chasing tactics two or three times—a fairly high probability.'
As she lost herself in thought, Manhattan Cafe habitually reached for coffee, but there was none prepared in the room.
'In the Kikka Shō, will she... continue as a chaser?'
If so, her own chances of victory would increase by another fraction!
Manhattan Cafe had already determined that the only opponent she needed to watch out for was undoubtedly the Heavenly Pegasus, Platinum!
Before long, from outside the door...
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
Quick, crisp footsteps sounded, and then the preparation room door swung open, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
Next, a familiar silver-white figure entered the sightline of all the horse girls.
Compared to the terrifying aura and sharpened "claws" of the dark Manhattan Cafe, the silver-white Pegasus Platinum gave off no sense of overwhelming presence.
But Platinum herself only cared about achieving her goals. She wasn't using some "temporary Zone" and had no need to conceal her power since it was already fully under control.
The Heavenly Pegasus immediately noticed the astonishing aura of Manhattan Cafe, reacting with an 'as expected' sentiment.
'Such a strong presence... undoubtedly the strongest opponent since arriving in Japan.'
'But compared to Galileo, who wielded her Zone with ease, Manhattan Cafe doesn't seem to have fully mastered hers yet?'
'Has she not had enough time to practice, or is her mastery incomplete, lacking in some way?'
Platinum didn't let her guard down because of this. Instead, she grew even more interested.
After all, this was Manhattan Cafe—the long-distance super queen from the original timeline who achieved three consecutive long-distance G1 victories in the Kikka Shō, Arima Kinen, and Spring Tennō Shō.
Throughout the entire history of Japanese Uma Musume, Manhattan Cafe's long-distance prowess was absolutely top-tier.
The fact that she seemed to possess a Zone during her classic year alone was proof of Manhattan Cafe's extraordinary strength.
Coupled with her extremely bold decision to withdraw and skip the Japanese Derby, freeing up a large amount of time to focus solely on endurance training, along with her inherently high long-distance ceiling...
All of this transformed Manhattan Cafe, who had previously underperformed in classic races and was just an ordinary racer, into a completely new, even super-evolved version of herself. Her current strength was definitely not to be underestimated.
'So, I must give Cafe a surprise with a Great Escape!'
'The double prize money of the Kikka Shō must not have any surprises. I have to win!'
The current Heavenly Pegasus had reached a [Maturation Progress: 35%]. Her adaptability to front-running tactics and long distances had gradually increased to an [A] rank.
Thus, Platinum had long planned a front-running dash for the Kikka Shō, wanting to experience leading from start to finish.
What felt slightly unusual to Platinum was...
Despite her stats being nearly all A, and her Maturation one-third complete, why was there still not the slightest change in her appearance or figure?
Well, with all-A stats, even a certain part of her figure was currently an A.
This... was she really becoming Star Platinum?
'Never mind, that's not important.'
'What truly matters is how to win the race's double prize money and upgrade the special effects!!'
The silver-white Pegasus, both amused and exasperated, waited for the soon-to-begin race to commence, stealing a few more glances at Manhattan Cafe.
This Cafe must be defeated!
Fueled by prize money-induced fighting spirit, Platinum finally saw staff members enter the preparation room.
"It's time to enter the track. Would the first-ranked competitor, Platinum, please come forward?"
Platinum nodded in acknowledgment and turned to walk toward the racecourse.
Just as the silver-white Pegasus was about to pass by the dark horse Manhattan Cafe...
Manhattan Cafe, who had long prepared for this battle and trained hard to face Platinum, now voiced her declaration of war.
"Be prepared, Platinum. Your Undefeated Irregular Triple Crown ends here."
"I've come to put a stop to it all!"
Manhattan Cafe wanted to witness the Heavenly Pegasus's full power firsthand!
She didn't want Platinum to lose because she was careless or didn't use her full strength...
That would be utterly boring, and even victory would hold no value.
Even if a fully powered Heavenly Pegasus might be beyond her imagination, that... was precisely what made it worth challenging!
This body had been tempered through countless trials! It had become a blazing vessel, capable of containing a Zone!
Even if the Heavenly Pegasus's power might far surpass her own Zone, Manhattan Cafe would never regret it!
That feeling of darkness, shadow, and ice-cold determination was a flame wanting to incinerate everything in its path. There was no escape—only burning oneself to achieve victory or being utterly extinguished!
It was by bearing such intense, fierce resolve that she had accomplished the nearly impossible feat in the Japanese Uma Musume world: wielding a Zone during the classic races!
Even if this temporary Zone might not last beyond two races before fading and decaying, it was enough for now.
'I will give you my all, Platinum... I hope you won't hold back either!'
'If I can defeat you, it would almost be like... I've surpassed Tachyon too, right?'
A nearly treasonous thought echoed in Manhattan Cafe's heart.
Thus, she declared her intent to end the Heavenly Pegasus's undefeated streak!
Hearing the calm yet fiercely determined words of the black-haired horse beside her, Platinum paused mid-step, then turned to look.
Since rising to fame, Platinum had rarely heard declarations of challenge from strong opponents.
If the charming, Zone-wielding king Galileo was an elegant young lady extending her hand to her...
Then the current Manhattan Cafe was a wild beast betting everything to sink its teeth into her throat, going to any lengths for victory!
The expressionless dark horse's shocking aura, her blazing fighting spirit—as if ready to burn everything to ashes—made Platinum take notice for the first time.
But since she was a competitor, a strong enemy blocking her path to double prize money and the Irregular Quadruple Crown... then she would simply crush them all!
Platinum, the Great Rank of the Armorless Union, straightened her back. The bow on her back trembled slightly, as if rustling in the wind.
The one worthy of being called the Knight Killer, Platinum, responded without hesitation.
"Don't mistake your position..."
"You—are the challenger!"
Strongest vs. Strongest!
Zone vs. Zone!
Everything, the final battle of the generation, was about to begin!
With those final words, Platinum turned and strode away, her dazzling silver-white figure disappearing from the enclosed preparation room as she emerged onto the racecourse.
--+--
Just seconds later...
As Platinum stepped out of the preparation room!
Instantly, the massive crowd of over a hundred thousand spectators in the stands erupted into a tsunami of cheers!
"Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"Will the first horse girl in history to win the Quadruple Crown during the classic races be born today?"
"Miss Platinum, don't let your guard down! The Kikka Shō is different from middle-distance races!"
"Wahh, Tachyon, my Tachyon..."
"Enough about Tachyon! Didn't she just announce a few days ago that she completed her treatment, recovered her condition, thanked Dr. Lin, and will be preparing for the Arima Kinen?"
"Gwah! First Platinum vs. Manhattan Cafe, then Platinum vs. Agnes Tachyon! Even if I die, it'd be worth the price of admission!!"
--+--
Amid the tsunami of voices from the stands, the announcer's voice boomed over the crowd.
[Now, let's welcome the Absolute Queen, the first-ranked competitor—the Heavenly Pegasus, Platinum, who proved herself as Japan's first world-class horse girl in the Epsom Derby!!]
[This is the highest-supported competitor in the history of the Kikka Shō. Her popularity far surpasses that of the other fifteen Uma Musume combined!]
[Can she continue her Undefeated Legend thus far? Let's wait and see!]
[It's worth mentioning that, as mentioned by foreign Uma Musume commentators during the Epsom Derby, Platinum can display unique special effects visible to Uma Musume.]
[Therefore, for this race... we are honored to invite a great retired Uma Musume as a guest commentator to explain for us.]
[Let's welcome our temporary guest commentator, the Triple Crown winner who defied common sense, Mr. C.B.!!]
A surprising scene unfolded for many viewers watching on TV or live streams: the incredibly free-spirited Triple Crown Uma Musume and senior, Mr. C.B., was commentating for this Kikka Shō?
--+--
And the next moment!
On the central large screen visible from the stands, Platinum's exquisite face was displayed.
Even as the second and third-ranked Uma Musume gradually emerged, the camera remained fixated on Platinum's peerless beauty, reluctant to look away.
It wasn't until Platinum's silver-white figure entered the starting gate and could no longer be seen that the official broadcast finally shifted its focus.
A short while later, all the Uma Musume stepped into the starting gates together.
The countdown had already begun.
'Cafe is in... gate number two?'
Platinum assessed the only strong enemy she needed to watch out for, noting her position in gate two.
It was an excellent position, but fortunately, hers wasn't bad either.
Gate eight!
As long as it wasn't the outermost gate, it was fine!
All the Uma Musume, including Platinum, focused intently, waiting for the gates to open.
[3!]
[2!]
[1!]
The moment the gates opened, all sixteen competitors burst forth simultaneously.
From Manhattan Cafe to the other popular Uma Musume, almost all of them chose to rush toward the inner lane cautiously and precisely.
But in the middle, the silver-white figure didn't choose such a careful, error-free path toward the inner lane.
Instead, Platinum shot out of the gate slightly faster than the other fifteen Uma Musume.
Securing a position? Fighting for the inner lane?
Unnecessary! Pointless!
A front-running sprint required no such considerations.
In the eyes of the strong, there was no place for the weak, nor any need to consider the choices of the weak!
In the Heavenly Pegasus's eyes, there was only the double prize money and this race's... special effects upgrade!
The instant she shot out of the gate, Platinum accelerated, charging forward at full speed!
...
In the stands, which had just begun to calm down after the start of the race...
The crowd collectively erupted in stunned reactions!
A Great Escape!
It was widely recognized as one of the most spectacular running styles, alongside deep chasing, and possibly even harder to win with than deep chasing—an extreme tactic that tested an Uma Musume's endurance, power, and more!
It might not be the most practical or effective running style, but it was definitely... the most impactful!
[In-Incredible! Is Platinum... front-running?]
[She didn't fight for the inner lane at all, nor did she start slowly or hold back as usual. Instead, she's accelerating!]
[She's completely shattered our understanding of the Heavenly Pegasus, changing her running style entirely to showcase a front-running dash!!]
In just a few seconds, the entire venue exploded.
And the legendary Heavenly Pegasus, Platinum, had easily taken... the lead!
The highly spectacular and impactful Great Escape, rarely seen in G1 races, was now being employed by the Heavenly Pegasus!
--+--
On the track, the silver-white figure effortlessly overtook the front-running Uma Musume in the inner lane, continuing to charge forward.
A long-absent sense of surprise and confusion also spread through Platinum's mind.
It wasn't disappointment or misunderstanding about the Great Escape, but simply... bewilderment.
'Huh? Where are my special effects?'
The Heavenly Pegasus clearly remembered that before, her beloved overtaking special effects always appeared when she surpassed opponents.
Moreover, when she overtook several Uma Musume in close proximity in an extremely short time, a Goddess would appear, drawing a bow and arrow and piercing through those horse girls in an instant.
But now...
After she accelerated and overtook all the Uma Musume in an instant!
Instead of a Goddess piercing through all dozen-plus Uma Musume at once...
Had the [Collection: Knight's Vow] changed the special effects? Or was it that... the overtaking effects for a front-running dash were inherently different from before?
Filled with this shock and confusion, Platinum began her gallop in earnest!
And in the next moment—
Behind Platinum, the familiar Goddess finally reappeared!
But this time, this sacred, ethereal, and Phantom-like Goddess seemed closer to Platinum's silhouette, more resembling the human form of the Heavenly Pegasus, Platinum.
Once the Pegasus Goddess appeared!
The Goddess drew her bow, and her next action... shocked even Platinum, who was leading by three or four lengths in her front-running dash!!
It was...
The Goddess actually spoke, uttering an extremely brief number.
"One."
Her voice was almost identical to Platinum's.
Anyone who knew Platinum would immediately think of her upon hearing this voice.
The only difference was perhaps... an added layer of an ethereal filter, like that of a Goddess.
Or, more accurately... Goddess Platinum? Or perhaps the Heavenly Pegasus Platinum, reciting numbers!
In the next instant, the Goddess behind Platinum shot an arrow!
The arrow transformed into a stream of infinitely dazzling light, shooting toward the outermost gate—the Uma Musume in gate sixteen—and piercing through her!
Instead of obliterating all the Uma Musume in one go, like a meteor shower hitting everyone at once, it was... like a roll call, starting from the number one and gradually piercing through all the Uma Musume from the outside inward, one by one!
It was clearly—the Platinum Goddess, conducting a roll call, then commencing... Judgment!!!
--+--
Stands.
Next to Agnes Tachyon sat other horse girls of the same age: Jungle Pocket, Kurofune, and others to her right.
Even Mejiro Dober and Kyoei March, who had also been defeated by Platinum in the Oaks, along with other lesser-known Japanese Uma Musume who had lost to her, were nearby.
It was practically a gathering of Platinum's victims sharing their experiences.
First, seeing Platinum begin her Great Escape, the victims were slightly taken aback.
"Huh??"
"The Kikka Shō... a full three thousand meters, and she's starting with an escape?"
"N-No, that's not an ordinary front-running tactic. It's the legendary Great Escape!!"
"Wait, where are the special effects... They can't just shoot us few, right? Platinum, where are your special effects? Shoot them!"
Agnes Tachyon remained silent, calmly watching Manhattan Cafe in the inner mid-pack position before turning her gaze to Platinum, who was pulling ahead at the front.
A few seconds later, when the overtaking special effects finally appeared!
Upon seeing the Goddess that increasingly resembled Platinum and hearing the ethereal voice clearly say "One."...
"The special effects... changed?"
"They're more… majestic now?"
As former victims of the overtaking special effects, Mejiro Dober, Kurofune, and Jungle Pocket were collectively startled.
Even Agnes Tachyon's expression shifted slightly.
'Is this... a roll call, followed by gradual Judgment?'
'But Cafe is in the innermost gate, number two. In terms of order, she'd be the second-to-last victim!'
--+--
On the turf, in the inner mid-pack.
More than one or two mid-pack Uma Musume were stunned.
"Huh?? I just... got shot by Platinum?"
"Her overtaking special effects were supposed to pierce through all the Uma Musume she overtook, right? Why am I the first victim even though I'm in the middle?"
"Is this what it means to be favored by the Three Goddesses? How did even the special effects change after switching running styles?"
"I finally mentally prepared myself to accept being overtaken and shot along with several others... but why did the special effects change?"
Some Uma Musume quickly realized that the pierced Uma Musume were... in the outermost gates.
A moment later, the Goddess behind Platinum... spoke the next number.
"Two."
The next arrow-turned-stream of light pierced through the Uma Musume in gate fifteen, a front-runner!
"Gasp..."
Manhattan Cafe's pupils contracted. She stared almost dumbfounded at the stream-like arrow piercing the two Uma Musume in the outermost gates.
'Judging one by one based on gate order, from the outside in?'
'But Platinum, you're not a true Heavenly Pegasus. You must have weaknesses!'
'As long as I overtake Platinum before that "Judgment" arrives... this scene will end early, right?!'
In the next instant, this dark, deadly beast's blazing eyes showed no signs of extinguishing. Instead, they burned even more fiercely.
Zone... Release!
--+--
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.