Twenty Lengths Dominance!
Eclipse Under Terra's Twin Moons!
The young Pegasus Maiden's Look Back!
And… behind it all, one additional new sculpture suddenly appearing in the Hall of Pegasus Platinum.
As the silvery-white girl flashed across the finish line, dazzling the entire stadium, every moment of it became a masterpiece immortalized by high-speed photography!
Across the vast spectator stands, a sky-shaking roar erupted almost instantly—clearly, countless spectators had already been converted into fans of the Pegasus.
"The Strongest!! The Strongest!! The Strongest!!"
"I really admire the first Uma Musume in the world who dared to challenge the Heavenly Pegasus. That takes guts—enough to get your spirit completely crushed!"
"I've never seen a Great Escape like that. Without a doubt, she's the greatest Great Escape Uma Musume in the world!"
"I only came for the special effects, but I never expected to witness the greatest race in the history of the Dubai World Cup!"
"Wahh, Dubai Millennium, my idol Dubai Millennium… her [Dual-Surface GOAT] title is gone. What's next—[Dual-Surface Vice GOAT]?"
"You know, I've been a dedicated fan of Platinum since the day I was born. She's unbelievably strong. Making this decision wasn't easy, but after thinking for over ten seconds, I've decided to become a dedicated fan of the Pegasus from now on! As for Dubai Millennium, I wish her all the best in her future races."
"The Pegasus's Great Escape, that never-before-seen racecourse under Twin Moons, and that hall! This wasn't just worth the trip—I want to buy tickets to watch Platinum race again!!"
And so, the Dubai World Cup came to a perfect close.
An unprecedented record: for the first time, an Uma Musume had won both a turf G1 and a dirt G1 on the same day!
Add to that the rain-soaked Great Escape, the rain-soaked Great Chase, and finally, the new sculpture added to the hall—it was all too overwhelming for the audience.
This was a scene beyond their wildest imaginations, something that defied all logic, and it was all masterminded by that Silver-White Pegasus, Platinum!
As a result, nearly the entire stadium was converted into fans of the Pegasus.
Even though many spectators had been neutral before the race, some just curious passersby here for the special effects, and a few were dirt track enthusiasts or die-hard fans of Dubai Millennium—all of them were utterly captivated by Platinum's charm!
The awe and charisma of the silvery-white girl were on full display, leaving no one untouched.
--+--
Meanwhile, in the front rows of the spectator stands...
Two petite young Uma Musume were so excited they were clenching their fists.
"This is the Heavenly Pegasus! This is the Strongest!!"
"From now on, the title of [Dual-Surface GOAT] has a new owner—it belongs to Miss Platinum!"
"I never imagined Miss Platinum could be this amazing across different types of races… and in such a short time, fighting battle after unprecedented battle!"
Kitasan Black, especially, was waving her pink fists, her face lit up with an excited, eager smile.
"I want to be just like her!!"
"I want to run as freely and happily as the Pegasus, leading all the way to the end!"
Hearing her best friend's spirited, ambitious words, the even smaller Uma Musume, Satono Diamond, smiled gently.
"Then I'll chase after you just like the Heavenly Pegasus and catch you from behind!"
"I'll overtake you first, then go after Miss Platinum!"
But no matter what, it would still be quite some time before they would set foot on the racetrack themselves.
Both Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black dearly hoped for a chance to face their idol, the Heavenly Pegasus, in the future!!
And if they could share the winner's stage with the Heavenly Pegasus? That would be even better!
Then they could stand on that stage and say to Platinum, "I'm your fan!"
--+--
In the Uma Musume's backstage area labeled [Dubai Turf Sheema Classic].
The once calm, tall, and imposing blonde beauty, Montjeu, now stood frozen, her face stiff.
At first, she had watched with disbelief, wondering just how far this battle-hardened Pegasus could go!
From the perspective of an ordinary Uma Musume, being able to finish in the top five immediately after winning one race and jumping into another would already be an incredibly outrageous, powerful achievement.
But not only did Platinum win—she won by a full twenty lengths, achieving a super large margin victory!
From Montjeu's point of view, didn't that mean Platinum hadn't even… gone all out in the previous race against her??
'Could it be that Platinum had planned from the start to run both races?'
'And because it was her first time on dirt, her first time running two races back-to-back, she wasn't sure how to manage her stamina, so in the first race… she deliberately held back, controlling her energy expenditure by running a come-from-behind style?'
'Without going all out, she beat me by eleven lengths… and then switched to a Great Escape to seriously defeat Dubai Millennium?!'
Montjeu, with her wealth of experience and sharp insight, was wide-eyed as she faced this harsh reality.
To be defeated by an opponent who was saving energy for the second half—for someone with the pride of a demon king on heavy tracks, this was utterly humiliating.
Her opponent hadn't even used her full strength, yet easily defeated a fully-powered Montjeu by a large margin!
Montjeu hardly dared to imagine: if there had only been one race, and the Pegasus had chosen to unleash a full-speed Great Escape from the start…
But even that wasn't the most humiliating part. What was even harder for Montjeu to accept than the loss itself was—
—The Hall of Pegasus, and the sculpture!
"And that Hall of Pegasus, that sculpture…"
"What in the world was all that?!"
It was a scene so shocking that even Montjeu was deeply stunned—something she had never seen or heard of before.
A sense of shame washed over her, bringing a faint blush to the ears of this mature blonde beauty.
"I just lost, and before I could even leave, my sculpture already appeared in the Hall of Pegasus?"
That was just way too fast!!
But when Montjeu noticed the placement of her own sculpture and the newly appeared sculpture of Dubai Millennium, tucked away in a near-corner position, and the distance between the two…
She finally managed to console herself, at least a little.
At the very least, her loss hadn't been too ugly.
Looking on the bright side, she only lost by eleven lengths—just a "regular" large margin.
At least it wasn't twenty lengths, or thirty-one lengths… Compared to the sculpture of a certain former Dual-Surface Queen, Dubai Millennium, now standing in the dark corner of the Hall of Heavenly Pegasus beside that dark-haired girl's sculpture…
Well, at least her own sculpture was still presentable, placed in a somewhat forward position!
The blonde beauty kept comforting herself like this, gradually coming to terms with her regrettable, crushing defeat.
"At least I didn't lose too conspicuously. My sculpture isn't among the very last in the lineup."
"At the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, I'll settle this score with the Heavenly Pegasus!"
Six months from now, there would still be a chance for payback… right?!
--+--
At the same time.
Just beyond the finish line, the originally tall and imposing dirt track queen, Dubai Millennium, was crossing the line with a dazed look and stunned expression.
Even though she had taken second place, leading the third-place finisher by several lengths, she still seemed deeply shaken and unable to process what had happened.
"H-how much?!"
Dubai Millennium stared at the timing screen at the finish line, her eyes fixed on the displayed [20-length difference]. She looked utterly bewildered, like a struggling operator suddenly facing a stage where no high-ground units could be deployed.
Twenty?
Twenty lengths?!
No way—the combined margins from all the G1 races she'd won in the past didn't even add up to that much.
How could she lose so badly in just one race, to such an extreme degree?!
And what shook Dubai Millennium even more, to the point where her voice and body trembled uncontrollably, was the realization:
This couldn't possibly be Pegasus Platinum's strongest performance. On the contrary, this was Platinum's first time racing on dirt, and she was doing it on a tired body after back-to-back races—meaning this might actually be the weakest she'd ever been in her career!
Yet even in this weakened state, after having just decisively defeated the turf monster Montjeu, Platinum shouldered her speakers, turned on her music, and led a Great Escape, defeating dirt-specialist Dubai Millennium by a super large margin!
'Montjeu lost by eleven lengths, I lost by twenty…'
'Added together, the Pegasus won by a total of [thirty-one lengths] today!!'
Dubai Millennium suddenly remembered: the sculpture of that dark-haired girl in the corner of the Hall of Heavenly Pegasus had a notation at the bottom that read… thirty-one lengths?
And now, she and Montjeu together had lost by the same margin as that Manhattan Cafe! By the equivalent of six Daiwa Scarlet lengths!
Humiliation. Unprecedented humiliation!
Losing was one thing, but having a sculpture made right after crossing the finish line?
Adding insult to injury? No—killing the spirit, then trampling the heart?!
What felt like the ultimate insult to Dubai Millennium was… her sculpture was placed second to last, very close to the dark-haired girl's sculpture in the corner.
Meanwhile, Montjeu from the previous race was in third place from the front, behind five-length loser Daiwa Scarlet and ten-length loser Mejiro Dober. Though neither were well-known internationally, at least they were somewhat closer to the front throne.
But her? She was practically at the bottom of the corner—a powerhouse who had dominated both turf and dirt, now reduced to the second-to-last place in the Hall of Pegasus, just stronger than bottom-tier, small-fry Manhattan Cafe!
Dubai Millennium had initially not wanted to enter the hall like Montjeu and Daiwa Scarlet; she didn't want to be placed in a similar position.
But now she realized… maybe having a sculpture around there wouldn't have been so bad after all…
With a dazed expression, Dubai Millennium stared deeply at the Hall of Pegasus until it gradually faded away!
After witnessing that terrifying super large margin victory and the hall's final appearance, Dubai Millennium's eyes finally regained their calm.
"Sigh…"
"I thought monsters of this level could only appear in Europe or America. It seems I've been taught a lesson by a young newcomer this time."
Dubai Millennium's return to calm was remarkably swift!
But it wasn't just because she was a senior with a better mindset—it was simply because… she had been mentally prepared for this!
"In my initial expectations, even considering the entire world, there was only one Uma Musume who could possibly take my [Dual-Surface GOAT] title!"
"And that is—the only Uma Musume in the century-long history of American Uma Musume racing to claim the title of American Horse of the Year as a rookie in her first year: [The Crimson Monster: Secretariat]!!"
Secretariat, in the most competitive dirt racing nation in the world, achieved the equivalent of topping the national college entrance exam while still in her "early years," before even competing in the Triple Crown!
That level of prestige was enough to make anyone tremble with fear, and hardly anyone doubted she would become a legend.
In the United States, most spectators and even Uma Musume wondered… how long would it take for Secretariat to reach the highest, once-in-a-century legendary status?
That crimson monster was considered a potential candidate to seize the [Dual-Surface GOAT] title, even the [Dirt GOAT] title! She was expected to stand atop the legends, celebrated by future generations like Eclipse!
Dubai Millennium had thought that if she were to lose her Dual-Surface GOAT title, it would be to Secretariat—but at least that would happen months from now, giving her some time to enjoy it a little longer.
But then!
Before Secretariat could make her move, that silvery-white girl had already snatched the GOAT title away.
There's a thief on the field!!!
"It seems Secretariat will have another opponent besides Sham—a Pegasus!"
After this lament, Dubai Millennium turned her gaze once more toward that silvery-white Pegasus.
No matter what, an Uma Musume with such incredible talent on dirt was wasting her potential staying on Japanese turf.
Dubai Millennium wouldn't let her loss make her desperately hope Platinum never came to America; she wasn't that kind of narrow-minded, petty Uma Musume without vision.
On the contrary, she actually wanted to invite Platinum to American dirt tracks.
That way, she would have home advantage and a chance at revenge.
Even if she failed to get revenge… so what?
'After Galileo lost to the Pegasus in the UK Epsom Derby, causing an uproar, she failed in her second revenge match at the Japan Cup, being captured by Platinum twice in a row.'
'The second loss didn't have as much impact. By the third time—just now at the Dubai Sheema Classic—hardly anyone even mentioned it.'
Once you lose more than once, the audience gets used to it! Unless… next time you lose by an even more ridiculous margin than before!
But was that possible? Dubai Millennium refused to believe she could ever lose by a margin more absurd than twenty lengths. Absolutely not!
So, despite her strong desire for revenge, she still held onto her fighting spirit, eager to launch a counterattack.
'Even if I lose… by then, other American Uma Musume will surely face the Pegasus and get taught a lesson too.'
'So—I can't be the only American Uma Musume ending up in the Hall of Pegasus!!!'
Either redeem herself, or drag everyone else down with her!
With that thought, the tall, mature senior began walking toward Platinum.
But before Dubai Millennium could even take a single step toward her…
She suddenly noticed the silvery-white girl instantly turning her head—with lightning-fast reflexes, as if she were an ultra-sensitive assassin aware of everything around her!
After a moment of surprise, Dubai Millennium continued approaching Platinum.
The silvery-white girl, however, glanced around first, making sure there were no young fillies nearby whom she had previously told "that line"…
"What a delightful race. I might never forget you for the rest of my life, Dubai Millennium."
With a faint smile, the girl Platinum smoothly delivered her standard, practiced praise.
Thankfully, this was her first dirt race, unlike the previous race where she had faced familiar enemy Galileo and couldn't use this line!
From the perspective of someone hearing it for the first time, it might come across as a novel and admiring compliment!
After all, this was praise from Pegasus Platinum herself—and she said "never forget for the rest of my life"!
It made Dubai Millennium feel a flicker of joy in her heart, but she quickly moved on to what she really wanted to say.
"Thank you for the praise, but you're definitely the stronger one."
"I know you must be very interested in dirt racing and dual-style development."
"In terms of dirt adaptability, you even have the potential to rival dirt legends like the Big Red and Flightline!"
"Staying in Japan is such a waste. How about it—do you have any plans to race on American dirt in your future schedule?"
Dubai Millennium extended the invitation.
If Platinum wanted to continue developing her dual-style career, she would eventually have to go to America.
After all, if she wanted to defeat world-class and historical talents on dirt, America was the only place with that kind of environment and competition.
But what surprised her was!
The silvery-white girl before her didn't hesitate even for a second before immediately shaking her head in refusal.
"No, I'm not actually very interested in dirt."
The reason she came to this dirt World Cup was simply because…
Dubai's offer was just too good to refuse!
"I'll head back to Japan and run a couple races there first, then consider other events and whether to travel abroad."
Platinum spoke in an utterly calm voice.
"As for America… when the time comes, there will be another monster heading there to challenge you all."
Her final transformable Kuranta character was destined to take on the dirt!
"Be prepared. That monster… will definitely give all of you a huge surprise."
After saying this, the silvery-white girl turned and walked toward the Winner's Stage.
After all, she still didn't know who she would become next. She could only hype things up this much for now.
Hopefully… the next one wouldn't be too weak. Hopefully, she could win a dirt G1, right?
'Gah, I'm all about strength.'
'I hope I don't draw a weak character!'
--+--
Japan, Tracen Academy.
In the screening room, the moment the silvery-white girl's figure crossed the finish line first—
Even though Pegasus Platinum wasn't a student at Tracen Academy, wasn't their classmate, and could even be considered a rival…
At this moment, nearly every Uma Musume in the room was filled with excitement and astonishment, voicing their awe and admiration.
"So, so strong!!"
"No way—first she wins a 2400m heavy turf race, then a 2000m heavy dirt race? And she ran a Great Chase in one and a Great Escape in the other? Both are extremely stamina-demanding and skill-intensive running styles…"
"Does the Pegasus have infinite stamina or something??"
"I'm done for! I was planning to enter the next G1, the long-distance Spring Tenno Sho… It was already hard enough facing long-distance monsters like Mejiro McQueen and Manhattan Cafe. If the Pegasus shows up too…"
"I don't want to compete anymore! I can't handle middle-distance or long-distance races. Now even dirt races feel risky. I should just focus on mile races."
"Wait, the Pegasus's special effects now include a dazzling, mysterious [Hall of Pegasus effect]? That sculpture at the very front looks so familiar… isn't that Daiwa Scarlet, who just beat me by five lengths in a training race the other day?"
"Daiwa Scarlet?! Even Montjeu and Dubai Millennium's sculptures are in the middle or toward the back. Only her sculpture is closest to Pegasus's throne! What an honor!"
Amid all these exclamations and worried discussions…
Only the crimson twin-tailed, well-endowed girl in the corner sat with an extremely stiff expression.
She stared intently at the close-up of the Hall of Pegasus on screen, and at her own sculpture at the very front.
A strange sense of relief welled up in Daiwa Scarlet's heart.
'Even though I have no idea how I managed to only lose by five lengths… at least it wasn't a complete disaster.'
'Plus, my expression management was on point—the sculpture's expression looks pretty good too!'
Daiwa Scarlet felt somewhat shaken that when she lost by five lengths back then, her expression had been one of unwilling defeat, still filled with fighting spirit, so the moment captured in the sculpture was relatively normal.
She also noticed that the Uma Musume placed further back, like Manhattan Cafe or the newly defeated Dubai Millennium…
Those two had dazed, incredulous, and shocked expressions—some even wide-eyed with disbelief! frozen in those states, they became bottom-tier sculptures in the corner, destined to be essential talking points whenever people discussed the Pegasus's defeated rivals.
When there were others who had it worse than her… her own situation didn't seem so bad after all!
From now on, any Uma Musume who might place second against Platinum would probably have to consider expression management.
At the very least… they couldn't let Platinum send them to the hall with an ugly expression, right?
Thinking this, Daiwa Scarlet breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Alright, I'll keep training hard later."
"This year, I'll prepare for the Classic Triple Tiara and keep getting stronger. As long as I master the Zone before the year-end Arima Kinen, maybe, possibly, perhaps…"
"I'll have a chance to face Platinum again!!"
--+--
A short while later.
The silvery-white girl, having finished her stage appearance, yawned as she returned to her room.
It was worth noting that even after two races, she didn't feel particularly physically tired.
The only thing she felt was… the mental unhappiness of working overtime for the first time in so long.
Working overtime for this long—not good!
"After the next Spring Tenno Sho, only the Takarazuka Kinen remains before I can draw a new character!"
"For now… should I claim the race rewards?"
Then, the system panel appeared before her.
[Race Victories: Dubai Turf Sheema Classic, Dubai Dirt World Cup]
[Rewards: Golden Chalice (Collectible), Maturation Progress +5%]
--+--
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.