That sweet yet deadly pink Zone was wantonly displaying absolute dominance!
Even in the prestigious international G1 race, facing numerous top-tier Uma Musume from around the world who had each won G1 titles, she had managed to suppress them all in an astonishingly short time.
Numerous voices filled with shock and even panic rose incessantly from the front runners and even the mid-pack chasing group.
"Guh... s-so terrifying? Is this Galileo's domain? It's even pulling at my gaze."
"No way, I don't have the stamina to activate my own Zone to resist at this position! And even if I did, I'd definitely be overwhelmed!"
"Are all these popular Uma Musume monsters who aren't even afraid of heavy tracks?"
"Weren't they saying the Dubai race was just a bigger Japan Cup at best? How's the intensity this high barely halfway through?"
"Guh, I can't help but shift from observing my opponents to staring at Galileo…"
The high fighting spirits of many Uma Musume hadn't been extinguished by the rain. Instead, they were severely shaken by Galileo's [Monarch of Charm].
Some who weren't well-suited to heavy tracks or whose stamina was slightly lacking gritted their silver teeth, deeply feeling the danger and crisis.
Even on a heavy track, and in a 2400-meter race—the closest to long distance—that daughter of the Sea family actually dared to activate her Zone this early?
In this race where the average opponent strength was exceptionally high, even if Galileo couldn't charm the entire field as easily as in her classic race days, suppressing and slightly charming these horse girls was still effortless!
Except… for that silver-white figure at the very back, finally beginning her acceleration. Her state formed a shocking contrast to the rest of the field, where acceleration had noticeably slowed!
Pegasus, she's starting to accelerate!!
—Zone, activate!
[[Pegasian Sight]: Engaged!]
[At least three exclusive Zone skills most suited to the current situation will activate, significantly boosting aura suppression, causing additional stamina consumption for all Uma Musume on the field, and slightly reducing their speed.]
[Passive (Auto-Sustain): Slightly reduces own speed, moderately increases power and step frequency, slightly enhances insight and reaction…]
That dazzling silver-white figure, under the cover of dark, gloomy clouds, seemed to transform into a brilliant meteor tearing through everything, shining so brightly that the tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium stared dumbfounded.
[Pegasus Not of This World]: Activatable when the track condition is "Yielding," "Heavy," or "Muddy." Restores stamina and reduces stamina consumption based on track severity, with a slight speed increase.]
[Speed Shooter]: The closer she gets to the Uma Musume ahead, the faster her speed increases. When no one is ahead…]
[Knight Killer]: The more Uma Musume she overtakes cumulatively, the faster her speed increases. When no one is ahead…]
In an extremely short time, that one who started late and fell behind as a chaser, who should've only begun accelerating near the final stretch or even in the homestretch—Platinum!—was displaying an astonishing speed, completely reaching the front chasing group!
Within the chasing group, the most lagging girl, struggling with the heavy track, stared dumbly as a silver-white figure rushed into the inner course beside her.
"N-no way…"
"Isn't this Galileo's domain? How can someone be unaffected?"
Even the "Heavy Track Demon" Montjeu, who was also keeping an eye on Galileo, was clearly affected in terms of acceleration. She'd already been behind by over two lengths by Galileo after her Zone activated!
Weren't they both race favorites? So why was Montjeu affected, while…
Pegasus was unaffected?!
And even if she's immune to that charming Zone, what's with her running on the innermost course…??
"Just what…"
"What kind of monster is this?!"
Without even time to hesitate or accelerate, the Silver-White Maiden overtook several girls in the chasing group who were relatively close together in one go!
The unique overtaking effect exclusive to Pegasus Platinum descended!
That Phantom Maiden Goddess manifested at this moment, materializing into a Supreme Divine Throne at the finish line, sitting atop it proudly.
Instantly, the tens of thousands of spectators in the stands, plus countless viewers watching on TV, all widened their eyes, afraid to miss a single moment.
At the finish line, the Phantom Maiden Goddess, identical in form to Platinum, stood up faintly before the throne, a bow materializing in her hands—the very bow carried by the Pegasus.
Then, the Phantom Maiden Goddess raised her head, drawing the bowstring. But she wasn't aiming at any Uma Musume! Instead… she coldly aimed at the sun, hidden layer upon layer by dark clouds, completely unseen!
In the next instant, the Phantom Maiden Goddess shot a dazzling arrow-like stream of light!
A mere second later, a sound like shattering glass echoed through the sky! Under the already dark and gloomy rain, the cold darkness intensified yet another level.
It was as if the Phantom Maiden Goddess summoned by Platinum's activated Zone had transported the entire vast racecourse to another world, another land!
Every Uma Musume ahead of the Silver-White Maiden witnessed that world-shaking scene, leaving countless viewers speechless in stunned amazement!
Even Galileo, who had seen Pegasus's effects before, felt her excitement and awe undiminished.
Used to it? No, how could anyone get used to that?!
After Platinum's Zone, [Pegasian Sight], activated, even the sun, hiding behind the gloomy clouds and faintly visible… vanished completely, gone without a trace!
One could say it was truly [Blotting Out the Sky and Sun]! As if on that land, only Pegasus had the right to shine as the sole brilliant existence!
After the sun completely disappeared without a trace, what appeared in the sky above the Kazimierz Knight Arena was!
One bright, one dark—two moons slowly rising! Replacing everything in heaven and earth!
Stealing the sky and replacing the sun? No, it was outright reversing day into night.
That was… that land! The unique [Twin Moons] of Terra… now manifesting above Platinum's Zone!!
And the vast, luxurious, and gigantic Dubai World Cup venue was now overlaid with the glowing Kazimierz Knight Arena!
"Night has fallen. Vanish."
The icy whisper from the Silver-White Maiden seemed to declare the end of this race.
Even though the race had just entered its second half, logically speaking, intense, even hot competition should still be unfolding!
In an instant, she overtook all the front runners in the chasing group, swept through the entire chasing pack, and advanced toward the even further ahead leading group.
Montjeu and Galileo, the only two threats capable of challenging her, in the eyes of the outside world, were right there ahead!
--+--
[This is?!]
[The legendary Twin Moon effect of Pegasus? Truly, hearing about it is nothing compared to seeing it!]
[This is bound to be the most shocking moment in Dubai World Cup history. To be fortunate enough to witness it live is extremely lucky.]
Even the commentator's voice was filled with excitement.
This was a scene impossible to witness no matter how many Uma Musume races one commentated on, yet it appeared in the Dubai Sheema Classic featuring Pegasus Platinum.
Platinum's Zone music resounded completely!
[Eclipse! Pegasus!]
[She has finally spread her wings, beginning to soar, overtaking the Uma Musume ahead!]
[The current leading front-runner is about to enter the third turn, but can't pull away from Galileo, who has started accelerating.]
[Montjeu in the leading group holds third place, waiting for the first and second positions to change. She can no longer closely follow Galileo; her acceleration is somewhat lacking.]
[And Pegasus, who should be at the very back, is accelerating visibly faster than any other Uma Musume on the field. She's closing in on the leading group!]
The commentator's highly excited voice rang out under the rain inside the Kazimierz Knight Arena!
--+--
The blonde beauty Montjeu, in third place, gritted her silver teeth. For the first time, she found it hard to stay calm.
First, there was Galileo's Zone [Monarch of Charm], which exceeded her expectations!
That kind of charming control, though minimally effective against an Uma Musume of Montjeu's solid strength, still had an instant of effect.
That instant of influence, combined with constant suppression, was enough to shake her off and prevent her from tracking Galileo as easily as before!
The suppression of that Zone wasn't something a world-class Uma Musume could possess. It might not even be inferior to her own historically powerful Zone on heavy tracks…
'Really didn't expect Galileo's raw strength to be average, but her Zone being this strong!'
'And what's even more ridiculous…'
Montjeu's gaze fixed on the Terra Twin Moons in the sky!
That scene shocked her even more than Galileo's unique and immensely powerful Zone.
It was enough to make her, the self-proclaimed world-top Arc de Triomphe champion, subconsciously feel ignorant, like a country bumpkin…
Even though she'd heard of Pegasus's effects before, seeing it in a recording was completely different from witnessing it live in a race!
And being able to see Platinum's Zone meant this Pegasus had started charging forward.
It wouldn't be long before she reached her side.
'This is troublesome…'
'Now, should I activate my Zone to accelerate and continue marking Galileo?'
'Or should I wait for Pegasus, who will inevitably start accelerating from behind?'
If I accelerate early, targeting Galileo, I might be led into a rhythm, consuming stamina early…
But if I don't accelerate and maintain my usual rhythm, I'll definitely be left far behind by Galileo, and Pegasus from behind will surely reach my side soon, even overtake me.
Then, I'd be left in last place among the top three, testing my final kick…
'Galileo, even with such a powerful Zone, her actual strength isn't as terrifying as Pegasus's.'
'Confronting Pegasus head-on with a final kick isn't wise. Better to use Galileo as a stepping stone, and accelerate early to prevent being caught by Pegasus?'
After a moment's thought, Montjeu chose not to be blindly confident, not to believe in herself.
That is, to start accelerating early, continue pursuing Galileo, and strive not to be caught by Pegasus behind!
In the next instant, she also used her full power. Her tall figure radiated an extremely powerful aura from within.
[Zone (Heavy Track Demon): Activate!]
[Passive: Slightly reduces stamina consumption, moderately increases aura intensity and Zone suppression. When the track condition is heavy, additionally slightly increases acceleration and power.]
This dominant golden figure galloped freely on the heavy track, beginning her pursuit!
Instantly, the race entered its most heated stage.
--+--
After the third turn, in the leading group.
Soft cries of despair continuously arose.
"Ugh… I'm about to be shot!!"
"Is this the legendary overtaking effect of Pegasus? Can't avoid it, about to be overtaken, about to be shot!"
"No way, why did this monster appear not beside me, but on that inner course quagmire?"
"Just how terrifying is this monster's power? I'll give you the championship, I'm out!"
"N-no, can't give up. If I catch up, there's still a chance to overtake!"
From the throne at the finish line, the arrows of the Phantom Maiden Goddess continuously turned into meteor-like brilliance, annihilating the entire leading group!
That Pegasus dominating the Terra Twin Moons, vast like an eclipse, dazzling silver-white, now became a nightmare of terrifying strength, a scene forever etched into the nightmares of these Uma Musume!!
Exclamations kept rising.
There were reactions of shock and fright, deafening silences of speechlessness, and remnants of determined words from those who still wanted to grit their teeth and overtake.
The front-running Uma Musume were almost entirely overtaken!
Galileo had already overtaken the front-runner to take first place, and Montjeu was close behind the now-second-place front-runner, about to overtake.
The opponents not yet "shot" by Platinum were only the three horse girls ahead!
The Silver-White Maiden's clear eyes were filled with indifference, containing only the will to quickly finish work.
This indifferent hard worker wanted to end early, conserve stamina to prepare for the next overtime.
Therefore, she couldn't afford to waste too much time now. The moment had come, not to be missed!
--+--
[What… what is this shocking scene? It's already this intense before the final stretch!]
[Under that melodious music, under the deep and mysterious Twin Moons, that Huntress-like Goddess drawing her bow has pierced through the vast majority of Uma Musume on the field.]
[Even the original number three front-runner has been overtaken, completely forming a three-way battle for supremacy.]
[In this war, who will emerge victorious? Galileo? Or Montjeu?]
[Or perhaps… Pegasus Platinum?!]
Amid the commentator's passionate voice, the race was declared to have entered its final decisive stage.
Nearing the fourth turn, Montjeu was only half a length behind Galileo!
On a heavy track, Montjeu's strength had surpassed world-class limits. Even Galileo, with her decent adaptability, couldn't escape her pursuit.
Before even reaching the final stretch, she was about to catch Galileo. This was the peak terrifying strength of the Heavy Track Demon!
On a heavy track, she absolutely had the qualification to confront Pegasus head-on!
'Good, maintain this advantage and speed. As long as I can keep it up until the latter half of the final stretch, definitely…'
On the confident and proud face of this blonde beauty!
In the next instant, her pupils sharply contracted, as if she'd seen something unbelievable.
In her peripheral vision, on the innermost course—a quagmire difficult to run on, being extremely demanding on an Uma Musume's power—a dazzling silver-white figure actually appeared.
That was—Platinum?!
No way…
"But that's the inner course quagmire!"
It was an area where, for almost all Uma Musume, power was hard to overcome, being nearly impossible to run freely.
The advantage gained from running the inner course around turns often came at the cost of extra stamina consumption, the cost outweighing the gain.
But that Silver-White Pegasus was calmly treading on the heavy track's inner course, bursting with astonishing acceleration, closing in on her?
How was this possible!!
On the face of the proud blonde beauty, there was nothing but disbelief.
When it became visible in her peripheral vision, it meant the gap was extremely close. If she didn't pull away, she might be caught.
But…
She was already gritting her teeth, accelerating with all her might, getting closer and closer to the leading Galileo, almost catching first, yet she could only watch helplessly as the Pegasus behind drew nearer and nearer!
She definitely hadn't lost speed; she was about to become first. But she just… couldn't shake off Platinum?!
From Montjeu to Galileo almost tied beside her, both gritted their teeth, greatly shocked.
That silver-white dazzling figure, under the rain and the illumination of the Terra Twin Moons, finally reached their sides!
The top three, briefly parallel for an instant!
In the ears of Montjeu and Galileo, the domain music of Pegasus, "Radiant," rang out extremely clearly.
[It's over]
[Cause I'm coming]
[I'm coming for you]
Next moment—!
The intense struggle, the three-way battle for supremacy that seemed inevitable on the heavy track in the eyes of the outside world, vanished!
To be precise, the Pegasus on the innermost course, with extreme acceleration and absolute momentum, surged past all the Uma Musume, overtaking her two final opponents in one go, and continued galloping forward!
Pegasus took the lead and entered the final stretch, beginning her charge toward the finish line.
[Pegasus instantly overtook Galileo and Montjeu!]
[Before the declaring dominance of the Eclipse, all bad environments, all distances, seem to make no difference!]
[Even if the opponent is the Heavy Track Demon who once won the Arc de Triomphe on a heavy track!!]
[One length! Two lengths! As a deep closer, she took the lead and reached the final stretch and started widening the lead. A true monster unprecedented in the Dubai World Cup!]
--+--
"No… impossible!!"
Montjeu's eyes widened with rage, her pupils filled with disbelief. Was she still unable to catch up even with her full effort?
In her vision, the Phantom Maiden Goddess enthroned at the finish line grasped the final arrow in her quiver.
In the next instant, it turned into a brilliant stream of light, crushing all hope into powder as it pierced through the body of this Heavy Track Demon!
"Why… why is there someone whose Zone and heavy track adaptability are both above mine?!"
"What kind of Zone does this monster have?"
The proud Montjeu felt her fighting spirit slightly crack, though not completely dissipated. But her footsteps, accelerated to the extreme, simply couldn't reclaim even a bit of ground from the Pegasus ahead!
Even after exhausting all her strength, she could only watch as that Pegasus widened the gap further and further!
Three lengths!
Four lengths!
Five lengths!
At this moment, Platinum had only flown to the latter half of the final stretch.
The Soaring Pegasus, upright with the demeanor of a king who dared the inner course and ran rampant, galloped toward the finish line!
[Six lengths! Seven lengths!!]
[Eight lengths! Nine lengths!!]
[Pegasus leads! A huge lead! Without a doubt, she is flying!!]
[The Titan of World Turf has descended here!!]
[Even on a heavy track in a foreign land, the towering Titan of World Turf… remains a Titan!!]
The unbelievable level in the commentator's voice was obvious to anyone!
And not just the commentator—from audiences worldwide, to Japanese live broadcast commentators, URA staff, Uma Musume at Tracen Academy—they all held their breath, witnessing the Silver-White Pegasus's final sprint.
Under Montjeu's almost desperate gaze, her pride and confidence utterly shattered!
The finish line was close before that silver-white figure!!
[Eclipse! Pegasus! Flying alone, leaving the dust behind!]
[Flawless! This might be a once-in-a-lifetime race for everyone!!]
[Without a doubt, this is Pegasus Platinum, standing atop the world of turf!]
[Perhaps, the Lunar Eclipse will eventually complement the Solar Eclipse! But before that…]
[Let us congratulate—the solitary Pegasus for crossing the finish line! An astonishing overwhelming victory by a full eleven lengths!!]
As the commentator's chanting praise fell, the Silver-White Pegasus crossed the finish line in one go, accomplishing the great feat of arriving first and winning the championship unrivaled!
Pegasus!
Eclipse!
As a commentator in a foreign land, she was completely conquered by Platinum in this single race.
Therefore, the title [Titan of World Turf] spoken by the Japanese commentator after the Arima Kinen, and the externally bestowed moniker of [Eclipse], were thoroughly approved by this commentator in her extremely excited state, and she shouted them out!
Thus, the supreme title [Eclipse] would completely become another representative name for Platinum, resounding throughout the world!!
Suddenly, the cheers of tens of thousands of fans in the spectator seats rose to an unprecedented level!
Even though Platinum's finish line crossing ended the Zone music, it couldn't affect the excitement and surging emotions in the hearts of the countless spectators.
This overwhelming victory of Pegasus in the [Dubai Sheema Classic] was bound to make headlines in various countries, accompanied by promotions from Dubai racing officials and Platinum's unique Zone effects.
Pegasus's influence was expanding rapidly!
And in the spectator seats, earth-shaking shouts continuously arose, utterly unaffected by the so-called rain.
"Platinum!! Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"This is proof of being the strongest! From good turf tracks to heavy turf tracks, she has achieved huge differential victories on all!"
"Really never thought that I, who only ever watched races and never got into Uma Musume, would completely fall for this Pegasus."
"I admit, I'm guilty. I actually voted for Montjeu before the race… After returning, I must buy tickets for Platinum's next race. I want to go support her live next time!"
"I won't argue whether Platinum is stronger than the Emperor, but this is the fact! No one thinks Platinum's seven G1 wins and the Emperor's seven G1 wins are even in the same rank, right?"
"Pegasus!! Pegasus!! Pegasus!!"
Most of these spectators had come merely to witness Uma Musume effects, Pegasus's overtaking effects, or even the music…
Now, an overwhelming proportion would be converted into Pegasus fans through this Dubai Sheema Classic!
Countless foreign audiences shifted from wanting to see Uma Musume effects once to wanting to watch more of Platinum's races!
--+--
Beyond the finish line.
The pattering heavy rain still hadn't stopped, already drenching the white hair of the Pegasus Maiden.
But Platinum didn't mind. As an Assassin, as an Uma Musume, she wouldn't feel down because of some rain.
If anything, she quite liked the rain—it made her feel secure!
'Second place is… Montjeu, huh.'
'Looks like Galileo's name won't appear three times in the next hall of fame runner-up effect display…'
Platinum watched as Montjeu crossed the line in second place.
It seemed this Heavy Track Demon's name would be engraved on her Pegasus Hall next, shown to the upcoming dirt-turf dual specialist Dubai Millennium.
The silver-white girl noticed that the faces of Montjeu and Galileo, who crossed the line second and third respectively, were full of astonishment, refusing to accept this result.
Montjeu couldn't believe she'd lost by so many lengths.
Galileo even more so couldn't believe she'd even lost second place to Pegasus, failing to "secure second and challenge for first"!!
Looking at the unwilling two foreign Uma Musume before her, Platinum almost habitually started to comfort them.
The words "What an excellent race. I think I'll never forget you two…" hadn't even left her mouth before Platinum paused.
Seemingly, she'd already said this to Galileo before?
Saying it again would be too insincere…
'Next time, I should think of new comforting words.'
'As for now—'
The silver-white girl's gaze turned, looking toward another Uma Musume preparation room in the distance.
It wasn't the Winner's Stage preparation room, but the one for the next Dubai World Cup (Dirt).
Platinum stepped forward, carrying the bow on her back and the now empty quiver, heading toward that preparation room.
As she moved…
'Ugh… didn't expect to lose this badly again!!'
'Though not as exaggerated as the eighteen-length loss in the second Japan Cup, it's still about fourteen or fifteen lengths…'
'Well, since this side quest of securing second and challenging for first failed, can only strive for progress in the main quest of Dr. Lin!'
Not far away, Galileo finally reacted.
But suddenly, noticing the direction the silver-white girl was leaving, the black-haired beauty's pupils constricted the next second. She called out to Platinum.
"Platinum, you're going the wrong way!"
"The Winner's Stage isn't there; it's the opposite direction!"
But despite Galileo's reminder, the departing Miss Pegasus didn't pause or stop.
The next second, Galileo heard an answer that left her dumbstruck.
"Wrong. The first half just ended; there's still the second half of overtime."
"?"
"?"
The blonde beauty Montjeu not far from Galileo, her confidence completely shattered, wasn't accepting reality as quickly as Galileo.
The golden-haired beauty, still miffed by the huge defeat, also heard about heading toward the dirt World Cup preparation room. Her dismay and unwillingness completely froze solid.
"???"
Montjeu's eyes turned dull.
As if she'd become an Arknights player whose high-ground deployments are banned, unable to use Surtr.
The two internationally renowned genius Uma Musume collectively stared in astonishment as that silver-white figure gradually faded into the distance until she disappeared from view.
--+--
Inside the Uma Musume preparation room labeled [Dubai World Cup (Dirt)].
Several rounds of applause sounded within.
It was applause given by fellow Uma Musume, of different types and vast differences, moved and amazed by what they'd seen.
Among them was Dubai Millennium, hailed as the strongest dual turf-dirt specialist in history!
This rare super genius couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Even she had to acknowledge that Pegasus's absolute dominance on turf.
In fact, she felt a hint of relief at choosing the higher-prize dirt World Cup.
'My main stage is dirt, not turf.'
'Besides, the Dubai World Cup (Dirt) has the highest prize money.'
Actually, Dubai Millennium had her own pride.
She believed she was strongest on dirt!
As for turf, Dubai Millennium had a clear understanding: even going all out, she'd likely replicate the outcome of Galileo and Montjeu.
So, not carelessly choosing turf but opting for Dubai's dirt was the best choice.
'If I could battle Pegasus on dirt, that would be interesting. Wonder if her talent on dirt is as strong as on turf.'
To some extent, her opponents in this dirt race weren't as formidable as Montjeu on heavy turf, and the prize money was much higher than Pegasus's race.
In a way, wasn't this lucky? High prize money and an easier win?
Next moment…
The preparation room door was pushed open from outside.
The silver-white girl, drenched by the pattering rain, entered the room carrying her bow, instantly catching everyone's attention.
That dazzling Pegasus who had just shocked all the dirt Uma Musume in this room hadn't gone to the Winner's Stage but came here instead?
"Huh??"
"Platinum, wrong place?"
"This isn't the Winner's Stage. Did you get lost?"
"Surely not actually running two races back-to-back? Dirt isn't as simple as you think."
"Turf Titan, don't arrogantly step onto dirt."
Several astonished voices arose one after another.
Even Dubai Millennium gazed seriously at this immensely terrifying Pegasus on turf, also puzzled.
She didn't think Platinum would be so arrogant as to run two races consecutively.
Could it be…
'Platinum regrets that the rain prevents a match against me on a good dirt track?'
She realized immediately that Platinum had entered this dirt World Cup.
'Is she challenging me to a future match on a good dirt track?'
Then, the silver-white girl calmly stated her answer.
"No, I'm here to race."
Her amber eyes scanned the room, rainwater from her long boots dampening the floor.
"Are you all here to fight for second place?"
Instantly, the entire room froze.
--+--
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.