Time: Race Day.
Location: Takarazuka Kinen Racecourse.
In the backstage area meant for horse girls, only two figures remained.
Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio—they were the only ones who hadn't withdrawn. They alone chose to challenge the Pegasus, Platinum!
At the moment, Tokai Teio seemed a bit nervous. She stood up and paced back and forth across the spacious preparation room.
'Really… just me and Tachyon?'
'Just the two of us against Platinum?'
But Teio still refused to back down. Right now, she was… determined to at least secure a place in the Pegasus Hall of Fame!
So far, Teio had challenged that silver-white Pegasus twice.
The first time was at the Japan Cup, where she finished third—second place was snatched by Galileo on the heavy track.
The second was at the Arima Kinen, where she again finished third, with Tachyon taking second after returning from injury.
Because of this, there was no statue of Tokai Teio in the Pegasus Hall of Fame yet.
After that intensely fierce Arima Kinen, both the second and third place finishers ended up injured, forcing them to undergo treatment once more under the care of the exceedingly gentle Dr. Lin.
Now, this Takarazuka Kinen was their first Grade 1 race since recovering from their injuries!
But what Teio hadn't expected was that after she and Tachyon made their comeback… they were the only two left.
Where was everyone else?
Why had they all run off? Why had they all withdrawn?
Though part amused and part exasperated, Teio still didn't choose to give up!
No longer undefeated, Teio wasn't particularly afraid of Platinum—at most, she'd just add another loss to her record.
Look at it another way—the fewer the participants, the higher her chances of clinching second place, right?
Even if she did accidentally… suffer a third fracture, or get injured again or something…
Wasn't there still the omnipotent Dr. Lin?
Help me, Dr. Lin Anran!
As long as the miracle-working Dr. Lin continued to work at Japan's Tracen Academy, Teio had the courage to keep taking on intense challenges!
Even if… her opponent was the terrifying, unprecedented Platinum!
And beside Teio, whose fighting spirit hadn't fully faded and who still had courage…
Seated not far away was Agnes Tachyon, who appeared calm and composed.
But in reality, the emotions swirling in Tachyon's heart were no less intense than Teio's.
As a rational and intellectually curious Uma Musume scientist who'd conducted plenty of research, Tachyon clearly understood the gap between herself and that Silver-White Maiden.
It was… an absolutely insurmountable chasm, a distance she could never hope to close.
Win?
For that to happen, not only would Platinum have to be exhausted from relentless battles, but she'd also have to start as delayed as that legendary Man o' War once did—falling behind by nearly double-digit lengths right out of the gate. Only then might Tachyon stand a chance.
But was that possible? That kind of scenario could only happen in a dream.
So the odds of winning were… minuscule!
But Tachyon didn't care. She had no intention of withdrawing.
Since winning was impossible, she'd change her objective—to witness with her own eyes just how powerful the Pegasus truly was when going all out!
If she couldn't win as an Uma Musume, then as a scientist, as a researcher, she'd personally observe Platinum's peak performance firsthand, while also aiming to "secure second and contend for first."
As for earning a place in the Pegasus Hall of Fame and having a statue erected in her likeness, Tachyon was quite interested—unlike her friend Manhattan Cafe, who found the idea utterly embarrassing.
In this race, she'd be competing against Tokai Teio, both aiming for at least second place!
A race of three, but in truth, a contest between two.
'Next, I'll stick right by Platinum's side.'
'I'll see what running style she uses, press her from close range, and force her to get serious and go all out!'
At this point, Tachyon no longer planned to stick to conventional tactics or her most familiar running style.
Because… it was meaningless! In a race with only three participants, even with four major running styles, there was no way to form three or four distinct groups.
So she might as well treat this as a one-on-one showdown, staying right beside Platinum to ignite her competitive spirit!
Among all the research topics that fascinated Tachyon, two had always held her attention most: Dr. Lin, and the enigmatic, seemingly limitless Pegasus.
Since Platinum's Great Escape victories in the Kikuka Shō and the Dubai World Cup, she hadn't used that running style much. The margins she opened up hadn't been particularly staggering either, clearly indicating she hadn't been serious.
Since winning was off the table, why not witness the Pegasus' full power firsthand? By sticking close to Platinum, she could force that silver-white girl to get completely serious!
These two Uma Musume who refused to withdraw had different motivations.
One wanted to secure second and contend for first, aiming to earn a place in the Pegasus Hall of Fame! The other wanted to research the upper limits of an Uma Musume's speed!
Not long after they'd finished their thoughts…
The backstage door swung open from the outside.
The silver-white girl pushed the door open, a bow case strapped to her back as she walked in.
The moment Platinum entered, she saw that aside from herself, only Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon were in the vast preparation room!
This sight felt quite unfamiliar to her—it was the first time she'd opened the door to find only two others.
Without pause, Platinum set down her bow case, drew her bow, and casually greeted them.
"Long time…"
She almost instinctively said "long time no see."
But Miss Platinum caught herself, realizing that wouldn't be the best thing to say to Uma Musume about to race.
After all, why had it been so long since she'd seen Teio and Tachyon? Well, that went back to their injuries from the Arima Kinen.
So saying that would've been in poor taste, landing somewhere between awkward and darkly humorous. Platinum fell silent.
And since she didn't speak, it was Tachyon who broke the silence first.
"Now that you've entered your older years, you must be stronger than you were at the Arima Kinen, right?"
"Since this is your last race before leaving Japan, show us what you're capable of."
In Tachyon's research, among the four major running styles, the closing styles—chasing and stalking—which relied heavily on a strong finish, were less likely to win in such a small-field, one-on-one showdown. And even if they did win, the margins tended to be extremely narrow.
Because Uma Musume with strong finishing kicks, once they overtook the leader, would subconsciously feel victory was assured. They wouldn't expect a front-runner with little to no late speed to come back and reclaim the lead.
In other words… they might start coasting the moment they took the lead.
So, in a way, highly skilled chaser or stalker specialists might actually conserve more energy.
But right now, Tachyon wanted to see Platinum's unrestrained front-running style.
When going all-out from the front, an Uma Musume would only worry about being caught from behind. She wouldn't dare let anyone get close, forcing her to burn everything she had in a relentless sprint all the way to the finish line!
Tachyon wanted to study just how powerful the Pegasus could be when using her most fearsome running style at her most serious.
The moment Tachyon finished speaking, the first to react was… actually Teio.
???
Oh no!!
Teio's pupils contracted sharply as she stared at Tachyon in disbelief.
If looks could talk, Teio's expression would be screaming, "Are you crazy!?"
'No, why does Tachyon… want to see Platinum go all out?'
'If Platinum starts way behind with a deep closing style, we might have a sliver of a chance—theoretically.'
'And when winning with a deep closing style, she usually doesn't win by too many lengths. For us, that'd be a silver lining in an otherwise unfortunate situation…'
But with Tachyon doing this, she was basically telling Platinum to get serious! If that happened, even that theoretical sliver of a chance would vanish, wouldn't it?
Wasn't Tachyon worried about losing too badly? Didn't she fear being left in the dust by a huge margin?
Teio, who still had some fight left in her and hoped to secure second and contend for first, didn't realize that Tachyon's goal wasn't second place or the Pegasus Hall of Fame.
No, she was simply indulging her scientific curiosity—she wanted to witness firsthand just how much stronger the Pegasus had become since the Arima Kinen!
"—As you wish."
"Watch closely. I will surpass Eclipse."
Finally, the silver-white girl slung her bow over her shoulder, met Tachyon's gaze intently, and then strode toward the racecourse.
Her words left the preparation room in prolonged silence.
Even the mad scientist Agnes Tachyon was filled with astonishment.
Eclipse?
Not match Eclipse, but… surpass Eclipse?!
In Tachyon's view, Platinum had already been absurdly dominant, undefeated up to this point.
That was absolutely a once-in-a-century level of legendary talent!
But in the century-long history of Uma Musume racing, from turf to dirt, even legendary Uma Musume hadn't been limited to just one or two.
And Eclipse was widely recognized as the legend among legends, the so-called GOAT of turf racing!
Platinum's rapidly expanding fame might seem exaggerated, with an astonishing level of influence and reach that made Uma Musume worldwide envious.
From her running visual effects to her overtaking and zone effects, all of it captivated Uma Musume fans globally, causing Platinum's fame to grow exponentially.
But Eclipse was her benchmark!
The advantages Eclipse possessed were no less impressive than Platinum's visual effects. That was… [the advantage of time]!
There was also a term for it—[Nostalgia Bias]!
Later generations didn't truly know how powerful Eclipse was, but they would cast aside reason and magnify her achievements infinitely, believing the past was always better. They refused to believe a Japanese filly who'd only been racing for a year or two could match, let alone surpass, Eclipse.
After all, countless people had grown up hearing the saying, "Eclipse First, The Rest Nowhere," and the myths surrounding Eclipse.
From Japan to Europe, endless numbers of people knew of the boundless greatness Eclipse had achieved!
Many would never believe that an Uma Musume from what they considered a "second or third-tier," "backwater" Japanese racing scene—who just happened to have some lucky, visually impressive aura—could surpass Eclipse.
Even though many now speculated that Platinum might rival Eclipse, that was still just… a possibility!
The advantage of time that Eclipse held gave her near-absolute dominance in the title of [GOAT].
The few modern turf legends—Ribot, Sea Bird, Dancing Brave—had all fallen short.
Forget surpassing Eclipse; they couldn't even match her.
But now the Pegasus claimed…
She would surpass Eclipse?
"Good, good, good…"
A rare look of awe appeared in Tachyon's crimson eyes.
"Then start with this race! Win with a margin so astounding it defies all conventional understanding, and prove you have the potential to surpass Eclipse!"
"Platinum!"
"No… Heavenly Mare, Platinum!"
--+--
[Welcome, everyone, to this Grade 1 middle-distance race, the 2200-meter Takarazuka Kinen!!]
[This is one of Japan's only two major races where fan voting decides participation—a true all-star event. And now, this Takarazuka Kinen has set a record since its inception!]
[That is—the smallest field in history! Facing the undefeated Pegasus, who chose the Takarazuka Kinen as her final dance before going overseas, only two top Japanese Uma Musume have the courage to challenge her reign.]
[This is practically… a recreation of the legendary showdown between Eclipse and that brave challenger from the past!]
The announcer's voice echoed throughout the massive racecourse.
The packed stands erupted with excited cheers and exclamations.
"Platinum!! Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"Is this the heavenly mare?! Incredible! I've never seen a Japanese G1, which usually has at least a dozen and up to twenty participants, shrink to just [three]—not even a fraction of the usual field!"
"Are they scared? Well, yeah. Rumor has it that after racing against Platinum, some Uma Musume ended up injured or with fractures needing rest, while others, even unharmed, went to see sports psychologists."
"They have no obligation to face an opponent they can't possibly beat."
"Miss Platinum is the best! You can't lose, don't get careless—keep that undefeated record and charge toward the world stage!"
As a national sensation across Japan, Platinum's announced "Last Dance" in Japan had an unprecedented impact.
It had even surpassed the miracle comeback of the ultra-popular Oguri Cap. Countless spectators packed the stands, while countless others took time off to watch the broadcast at home.
After all… after this race, Platinum would truly fly off to conquer the world!
And in the front rows of the stands!
From Symboli Rudolf and Mr. C.B. to other Student Council Members, even the petite chairman, Akikawa Yayoi, and secretary Hayakawa Tazuna—influential figures in Japanese Uma Musume racing—all were in attendance.
Even they, with their outstanding records and experience witnessing countless classic races, felt this Takarazuka Kinen… was absolutely unmissable.
A recreation of the Eclipse vs. Challenger legendary matchup! Platinum's farewell race in Japan!
The final dance!
To miss this would be a lifelong regret!
The Pegasus' [Last Dance]! It would surely surprise all her Japanese fans—perhaps not the usual dominant win by a huge margin!
Even though Platinum had never made any promises, her countless fans believed it! They expected it!
And as the announcer's voice continued…
[And this isn't just any G1! Victory in the Takarazuka Kinen grants eligibility to one of the world's greatest races—the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!!]
[For a horse girl aiming to conquer the world stage and become number one, Platinum is targeting the Arc! For her, the Takarazuka Kinen is a crucial race she absolutely cannot afford to lose!]
[Let's all enjoy the thrilling showdown between Platinum, Tokai Teio, and Agnes Tachyon!]
[Please welcome the overwhelming first favorite, the only Uma Musume tipped to win—the heavenly mare, Platinum!]
--+--
The next moment—
The crowd's excited discussions instantly transformed into screams and cheers, welcoming the heavenly mare to her final race in Japan.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, the silver-white girl passed through the preparation area, her signature bow strapped to her back, and stepped onto the racecourse turf!
Platinum's powerful footsteps dug into the ground with each stride. Though she appeared calm and composed, inside she felt a rare sense of anticipation, along with a desire to settle this quickly.
'Let's make this… quick!'
Her racing silks fluttered in the breeze, rustling audibly, until… she soon entered the starting gate.
With so few Uma Musume in the preparation area, the entrance time was extremely short.
There was no time to rest—only… immediate battle!
--+--
This time, the entry into the gates was astonishingly fast!
The countdown to the race began without delay.
[5!]
[4!]
[3!]
In a way, this was perhaps the fairest race possible—there was no inside or outside post position to worry about.
With only three Uma Musume, everyone was assigned to the first three gates.
In the innermost three gates, the silver-white girl in gate one fixed her amber eyes forward, her usual casualness gone.
[2!]
[1!]
The moment the gates flew open, the small field burst forward, all charging toward the front.
The silver-white Pegasus moved with incredible speed right out of the gate!
Her gleaming figure swiftly began to accelerate.
But number two, Agnes Tachyon, also accelerated out of the gate, keeping pace beside Platinum, running neck and neck.
This showdown almost felt like a training match—a one-on-one battle!
Usually, only training races had fewer than five Uma Musume.
Some larger training races might even have more participants than official races, though that was rare.
Most of the time, training races had fields this small, and the most winning strategy in such matchups was… to hold a forward position, even the lead!
The more you could lead, the more likely you were to win!
'Come on, Platinum!'
'Let me witness firsthand what you're capable of when your fighting spirit is ignited!'
At that moment, Tachyon prepared to increase her speed further, pressuring Platinum and forcing the heavenly mare to accelerate even sooner.
At this pace, who are you running for?!
In the 2500-meter Arima Kinen, she'd performed excellently, let alone this 2200-meter Takarazuka Kinen.
That was Tachyon's confidence talking—plus, she wanted to see Platinum's true limits, so she immediately launched into a high-speed run.
As Tachyon and Platinum started their high-speed sprint right out of the gate, with Tachyon in the middle showing signs of wanting to go even faster…
Tokai Teio, in gate three on the outside but still an inside post, felt her pupils contract sharply.
She's insane!
Tachyon was naturally a front-runner. Even if leading was the best strategy in a one-on-one, increasing to a front-running pace was one thing.
But this speed was already beyond front-running—it was extreme, practically on par with a Great Escape!
Just as Tachyon intended to accelerate further, leaving both Teio and Platinum behind…
The silver-white girl's flawlessly calm face remained unusually composed.
Only two arrows remained in the quiver on her back.
Only two opponents to hunt.
This unprecedented experience, combined with her desire to win quickly and satisfy her interest in transforming into Nearl the Radiant Knight, made Platinum hold back no longer.
In the next instant—
An overwhelming, icy aura erupted from the silver-white girl, suppressing all the Uma Musume on the track.
A moment later, the aura fully evolved, reaching the level of [Zone]!
The vast Colosseum of Kazimierz materialized before the stunned eyes of Tachyon and Teio.
Even the spectator stands transformed into the Colosseum's seating—the Zone's reach extended from the track to the entire audience!
[Zone (Pegasian Sight): Activated]
[Activates at least three exclusive Zone skills best suited to the current situation, significantly boosting aura…]
[Passive (Auto-Sustained): Slightly reduces own speed, moderately increases power and stride frequency, enhances insight…]
A silvery-white radiance burst from Platinum's body, shining from within and easily suppressing the entire field.
Tachyon, who had been about to accelerate further to seize the lead and force the pace, suddenly found her acceleration hampered by the heavy and terrifying aura suppression!
In an instant, the positions reversed.
Instead, the silver-white heavenly mare overtook both Teio and Tachyon, claiming not just a share of the lead, but sole possession of first place!
For a moment, Teio stared in stunned disbelief.
'Before, no matter how early Platinum activated her Zone…'
'It was always around the first turn, about a quarter into the race.'
But now, she activated it just seconds out of the gate?
Previously, even with her seemingly inexhaustible stamina, Platinum had never opened with her Zone this decisively right out of the gate.
Could this be…
The real—serious Platinum?!
Meanwhile, Tachyon, now relegated to second place, felt no tension or unease.
Under the watchful eyes of both her and Teio!
The silver-white Pegasus, after taking the lead, maintained an increasingly fierce momentum, charging relentlessly forward.
Two lengths!
Three lengths!
Four lengths!
That was… the rapidly widening gap even before the first turn began.
At this rate, by the halfway point, the margin might reach super-sized proportions!
Teio gritted her teeth, feeling a deep sense of foreboding and helplessness.
'No, I can't give up yet.'
'I'll make my move in the second half. At the very least, I need to pass Tachyon and close the gap on Platinum.'
As for Tachyon!
Her crimson eyes were locked intently on the silver-white figure, watching Platinum's acceleration and current speed.
"Your immense fame is both a blessing and a burden."
"Come on, show me what you've got, so-called Platinum, the Heavenly Pegasus!"
Run! How far can you truly go?!
"Show me if you can truly stand at… no, even surpass Eclipse's heights!"
--+--
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.