[At this very moment, the front-running Platinum, who had broken away early, began her signature acceleration. By the first turn, she had already opened up a lead of thirteen or fourteen horse lengths over the second-place contender, Agnes Tachyon!]
[The lead continues to widen! Meanwhile, Agnes Tachyon, running comfortably in the forward positions, remains unflustered and calmly maintains her signature rhythm and running style. What composure!]
[Tokai Teio is slightly further behind, keeping a watchful eye on the Pegasus ahead. She too chooses to maintain her rhythm rather than accelerate prematurely to close the gap.]
[It seems that for a long while to come, this will be the Pegasus's solo performance! The question is whether Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio behind her can narrow this staggering gap in the latter half of the race.]
As the commentator's voice echoed through the air.
Approaching the second turn from the first,
The silver-white figure of the girl arrived first with an effortless, breezy composure! Her lead continued to expand wantonly.
In her amber eyes, a cold intensity simmered; this Platinum Sovereign seemed dissatisfied even with this.
Sixteen horse lengths!
Seventeen horse lengths!
And then, suddenly, Platinum seemed to remember something.
'Hm?'
'My... overtaking effect? Shouldn't I be "roll calling" and shooting them like in a Great Escape?'
The silver-white Pegasus girl began to notice that the spectral figure of the Divine Maiden seated on the Pegasus Throne at the finish line within her vision had not yet drawn its bow.
In a race with only two opponents, was there not going to be the usual roll call and judgment typical of a breakaway?
'Well, there are only two arrows in the quiver. If I call the roll as usual, I'd run out before even the first turn is over.'
'So... the arrows should be fired during the middle or later stages instead?'
Having made her guess, the girl, Platinum, brimming with excitement, took a step forward in the next instant—and accelerated once again!
Such incredibly high-speed running seemed to declare that the breaking Pegasus's limits were far beyond this!
--+--
In the spectator stands.
The petite Satono Diamond's eyes sparkled brilliantly.
"Platinum-sama today seems... a little different?"
"In her previous Great Escapes, it was like she was treating it as a game of cat and mouse, conserving energy and casually manipulating her victory. You could even say it was a bit like slacking off at work."
This wasn't just baseless speculation; there was evidence to support it.
After all, on many occasions, Platinum's incredibly sharp reflexes clearly allowed her to burst forward immediately and seize the inside track.
Yet she often lingered at the back early on, falling behind by a significant gap right from the start.
Either she was only skilled at closing from behind and not at running in a stalking position, or... she was genuinely so overpowered that she slacked off during races.
"And when she breaks away, it's like she's chasing an early finish, aiming to wrap things up quickly, pushing nonstop until the finish line."
"But now it's different. Even though this is also a breakaway, she seems to genuinely want to showcase her brilliance, as if she cares about this being her [Last Dance] in Japan?"
Satono Diamond tilted her head slightly, voicing her thoughts.
"Probably... just my imagination, right?"
"But it's a bit strange. Where's Pegasus-sama's signature overtaking effect?"
As a super dedicated, hardcore fan who had attended every one of Platinum's races in person and rewatched each race dozens of times, even Satono Diamond felt her earlier speculation might be too bold.
After all, it was true that a very small number of Uma Musume weren't good at jostling for position and worried about getting boxed in among the stalkers, forcing them to run as closers.
Besides, Uma Musume were a race born to love running! How could they ever "slack off at work" or "clock out early"?
Dismissing this overly bold line of thought, Satono Diamond focused intently on the silver-white figure of the girl leading the pack on the turf track.
Such an extreme Great Escape was captivating, even if you weren't a fan—just a spectator!
"Hah... and we're only approaching the second turn, barely halfway through the race, and Platinum-sama is already leading by eighteen, nineteen horse lengths?"
"Isn't this... just way too terrifying?!!"
Beside her, Satono Diamond's companion, Kitasan Black, observed the gap between Platinum and the second-place Agnes Tachyon and couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Kitasan Black was gradually maturing, striving to become an Uma Musume herself, and had been studying professional knowledge about Uma Musume extensively.
From what she had learned from her teachers, it was normal for a front-running Uma Musume to lead by over ten or even twenty horse lengths by the midway point in races with low intensity, weak opponents, a slow pace, or little attention.
But this Takarazuka Kinen... was a true all-star grand event!
And Agnes Tachyon, right out of the gate, had burst forth with speed no less than a typical front-runner's, setting an extremely fast pace. Yet despite this, Platinum had opened up such a gap!
Even front-running horse girls capable of winning G1 races, in a high-intensity, fast-paced race like the Takarazuka Kinen, would typically only just be opening up a significant lead at this stage.
But Platinum had already reached...
"Twenty horse lengths!"
Satono Diamond exclaimed in awe the next second.
"Platinum-sama has reached the second turn, the halfway point! So quickly, she's opened up a [Super Large Margin] lead, to a terrifying ext—"
Before her exclamation could finish, Satono Diamond noticed something unusual.
That was...
The Phantom Maiden Goddess seated on the Pegasus Throne at the finish line, revealed as Platinum's vision activated early?!
"Finally, is Platinum-sama going to shoot?!"
When she had overtaken Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon earlier, this spectral figure, resembling a divine Platinum form, hadn't moved at all.
But now, as Platinum reached the midway point, declaring the race half over... It finally rose, slowly drawing its bow and firing towards the distant positions behind Platinum!
This time, what truly made the entire audience gasp in shock was...
In this race, which was almost like an Eclipse-like Solo Run, a one-on-one duel among three warriors, the Phantom Maiden Goddess no longer fired the familiar "Stella-like single arrow," nor did it shoot just one arrow!
Instead—
[Arrow Rain]!
Yes, arrow rain.
The arrow shot into the air transformed into a shower of arrows! Then, manifesting over the position of the last-place Tokai Teio, it began to descend.
Arrows raining down!!
As the petite girl in last place, Tokai Teio, ran tirelessly, feeling the immense gap and pondering when to accelerate and close in...
The shadow overhead made the anxious Tokai Teio look up abruptly, her gaze instantly freezing.
"Huh?"
"HUH?!!"
The next instant, the arrow rain enveloped her surroundings! Descending like a curtain of rain!!
Whoosh!!
The shower of arrows instantly pierced through Tokai Teio's body. It was... a completely different sensation from the single targeted shots she'd experienced before.
"S-six arrows?"
Among them, six arrows had pierced her body, coincidentally striking three on each side in perfect balance.
Tokai Teio's eyes widened as she realized something.
In their first Japan Cup duel, she had lost, finishing third.
In their second Arima Kinen, she had lost again, finishing third.
Two third-place finishes, so six arrows in total?
Besides the two overtaking effects for closing and front-running, did the Pegasus have a third, different overtaking effect?!
If she suffered another crushing defeat... in future races against Platinum, she might have to endure even more arrows.
After this fresh shock, her breathing became slightly ragged, her heart utterly unable to stay calm.
'I can't do this, I can't hold back any longer!'
'We're only halfway, and both Tachyon and I have picked up the pace, yet the gap has become a super large margin.'
'If I delay any longer and accelerate too late, next time... I might get hit by nine arrows. I can't let that happen!'
Having made her decision, Tokai Teio gritted her teeth and immediately quickened her pace.
Not only that, but in the next instant, an astonishingly powerful aura erupted from within her.
[Zone: Deploy]
[(Imperial Dance): Excels at securing position during mid-race for a period, slightly boosting...]
[(Genius Technique): Acceleration rises, slightly...]
[(Flash Step): During mid-race for a period...]
The powerful aura converged into a Zone that could finally barely hold its own against the half-activated [Pegasian Sight]!
'She's already activated it for half the race; she should be draining a huge amount of energy. This is my full-power Zone at my peak. Forget suppressing it; even maintaining a standoff without losing ground... is incredibly difficult to sustain.'
'Just how terrifying is the Pegasus' Zone?!'
Tokai Teio's breathing was ragged. Even though deploying her Zone didn't give her the upper hand, her speed still increased significantly.
As she began her desperate chase!
What surprised Tokai Teio was... another Zone, as if provoked, activated as well.
In this three-way race, it could only be from Agnes Tachyon!
A third Zone activated, forming a direct confrontation with both Tokai Teio's and Platinum's Zones!
The three Zones stood opposed, none clearly overpowering the others, though the most dominant, longest-active [Pegasian Sight] still held a slight advantage.
Instantly, from the perspective of countless spectators, Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon in the rear suddenly quickened their strides.
The white-hot phase of the duel... was unfolding right at the midway point!
--+--
"Oh? Finally deciding to accelerate?"
The silver-white girl at the very front had already sensed the two powerful Zones erupting behind her.
Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon, finally unable to hold back?
Her amber eyes gazed toward the third turn not far ahead. Even though her exquisite face showed no change in expression,
In truth, Platinum felt a surge of fighting spirit because of this final dance.
If they want to accelerate, then bring it on!
Let's see whether Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon accelerate faster, or she does!
The [Pegasian Sight] from Platinum, that perpetual Zone...
The so-called standoff earlier, where [Pegasian Sight]held its own against Tokai Teio's full-power peak Zone without losing ground...
That was just the warm-up, the initial state before even activating Zone skills.
It was as if only now was [Pegasian Sight] truly drawn from its scabbard, finally revealing its full sharpness!
[((Unbrilliant Glory): Zone passive slightly enhanced. The more horse lengths ahead, the greater the slight to moderate effect on all Uma Musume...)]
[((Path to Ascension): Activates when leading. The more horse lengths ahead, the greater the speed increase and stamina consumption reduction...)]
[((Hunt's Hour): When in the latter half of the race, slightly reduces stamina consumption, slightly boosts...)]
In an instant—!
[Pegasian Sight], fully activated!
The previously stable situation, like a three-way balance or a triangle, collapsed in a moment, replaced by absolute suppression.
The incredibly heavy suppression covered the vast course, making even the all-out, Zone-using Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio feel as if their legs were weighed down with lead and powerlessness.
Tokai Teio, accelerating at full power, turned somewhat pale.
'This... the Pegasus, she's leagues more terrifying than in the Arima Kinen!!'
'After breaking away for over half the race, she can still dominate with an even stronger Zone state?'
In her field of view.
The silver-white girl's horse length lead had reached...
Twenty-three horse lengths!
Twenty-four horse lengths!
Then, as it hit twenty-five, Platinum was the first to step onto the third turn, heading toward the final straight after the last bend.
The situation was dire!!
"No, I can't just admit defeat easily."
But the current Tokai Teio couldn't bring herself to say things like the Pegasus might fade, or that she still had a chance to turn the tables.
Such lies couldn't even serve as comfort in her heart.
"At least, at least..."
"I have to overtake Tachyon and take second place!"
That way, she could at least ascend to the Pegasus Hall of Fame.
As long as the horse length gap didn't widen too much further, if she could close it just a little...
"As long as I make it to the Pegasus Hall of Fame, as long as I don't lose by thirty-one horse lengths like Cafe did, that's success!!"
--+--
[An absolutely astonishing Great Escape!]
[As expected of the most romantic and highly anticipated running style! On the third turn, still some distance from the final straight, Platinum is already this fast!]
[Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon behind are clearly starting their acceleration early, unwilling to let the Pegasus run away unchecked!]
[Can they close the gap? Can they curb the Pegasus's wanton Great Escape?]
The commentator's voice grew increasingly excited.
In a typical race, the white-hot duel might only emerge in the last half, or even the last quarter, of the final straight.
But against a breaking Uma Musume, especially one as incredibly fast as the Pegasus, anyone who waited for the final straight to accelerate would inevitably experience what it meant to be "left in the dust."
Only by accelerating early, by going all out as soon as possible, could they hope to catch Platinum!
[Despite their excellent power and stamina, as they accelerate and fly forward, it seems—]
[They can't close the gap on the Pegasus?!]
[Even more terrifying is...]
[Platinum's horse length lead is still expanding? And this is already the most extreme Great Escape we have ever seen!!]
A style that theoretically should burn through everything, leaving no stamina in reserve—yet she still has energy left to burst into acceleration in the latter half?
She can still be faster than Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon, two of the best middle-distance runners?
When this scene fully unfolded before the entire audience...
It utterly drove the vast majority of spectators, who had come to witness the Pegasus's final dance, into extreme frenzy, anticipation, and cheering.
"Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"Fly, fly out of Japan and into the world!"
"I wouldn't even dare dream of this. The finishing kick of a Great Escape Uma Musume can be faster than the all-out final kicks of the Unbeaten Double Crown winner and the Phantom Triple Crown winner?!"
"The Pegasus is practically flying."
--+--
On the fourth turn.
The silver-white girl stepped onto the turn with an unstoppable momentum, heading toward the final straight ahead, maintaining a pace that showed no signs of fading!
Twenty-eight horse lengths!
Twenty-nine horse lengths!
The current Agnes Tachyon, her crimson eyes filled with shock.
The current Agnes Tachyon, racing neck and neck with the desperately chasing Tokai Teio.
This girl scientist, whose goal was to study and observe powerful Uma Musume, had never imagined...
That there could be an Uma Musume who, against a top-form her, could open up a nearly thirty-horse-length lead before even the final straight!
"This, this..."
"Is this the Pegasus's true full power?"
Agnes Tachyon's arms, hidden under her wide sleeves, swung constantly. Her lips curled into a wild, manic grin.
Compared to the sweat-drenched Tokai Teio beside her, desperately fighting to keep second place, Agnes Tachyon was much calmer.
"Thirty-one horse lengths... seems far from Platinum's limit!"
"Very well, then I'll accompany you with all I have, see just how far Platinum can win."
--+--
[The final straight, here we go!]
[Platinum is the first to step onto the final straight! Behind her, Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio are locked in a fierce battle for second; they haven't settled it yet.]
The silver-white girl's hooves pounded the straight turf.
As the race entered its latter half, it had completely become the Pegasus's [Solo Dance]!!
This Takarazuka Kinen course, this final straight, was the stage for Platinum's "Last Dance" in Japan!
Thirty horse lengths!
Thirty-one horse lengths!
Even though the final straight had only just entered its latter half, the countless spectators in the stands had already erupted into cheers welcoming the champion, celebrating victory.
And on the exquisite face of the girl Platinum, nothing affected her. She showed no signs of stamina depletion.
Her limit? Nowhere near!
[The challenge from the Unbeaten Double Crown and Phantom Triple Crown winners—is the outcome decided even before the finish line?!]
[Even these classic race kings cannot catch the Pegasus, can only let her fly!]
[Platinum's current lead is thirty-two horse lengths!! There's still some distance before the finish, and the massive gap is still being widened by the Pegasus!]
As Platinum stepped into the latter half of the final straight, the commentator's voice reached a boiling point.
The victory commentary began early.
[It's a world-shaking Great Escape beyond human imagination, defying common sense!]
[This is... the Colossal Titan of the World's Turf—Platinum!!]
The silver-white Pegasus girl remained silent, simply accelerating continuously!
As she ran at high speed, her majestic, holy race uniform fluttered fiercely in the wind.
Thirty-three horse lengths!
Thirty-four horse lengths!
Amid the commentator's passionate yells, the silver-white figure finally approached the finish line!
Even now, the two girls behind hadn't settled second place.
As for the shining silver-white figure, she seemed to be... performing a solo dance!!
Just before the finish line, the Phantom Maiden Goddess on the throne finally drew the second, and last, arrow.
The next instant, the arrow transformed into another arrow rain that shocked the entire audience, descending upon Agnes Tachyon!
Simultaneously, the silver-white glorious figure leaped across the finish line!
[The final arrow! The final overtake!]
[This is Platinum, powerful enough to impact the world's strongest! The once-in-a-lifetime Pegasus!]
[Now, is European turf ready to welcome the 'Colossus,' the 'Eclipse,' who will leave her name in Uma Musume history worldwide?!]
[It is an absolute victory, leading the second-place Tokai Teio by thirty-six horse lengths!]
[The largest winning margin in Japanese Uma Musume G1 history is born! Unprecedented! Besides Platinum, I can't imagine anyone else breaking it!]
[The only one who can surpass the Pegasus is the Pegasus herself!]
This was...
A super large margin victory of thirty-six horse lengths over 2200 meters!
--+--
Shock!!
Delight!!
Regret!!
These were the emotions swirling in the hearts of countless spectators.
And the final regret was certainly not dissatisfaction with the Pegasus's victory, but because...
This was the Last Dance!
Countless Pegasus fans lamented that after watching such a Great Escape, would they ever be able to enjoy future Japanese races?
"Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"Yes, this is Platinum! Infinite stamina, a powerful horse girl suited to heavy going. Has a Zone, can suppress, even immune to opponent's Zone suppression. Can maintain her Zone the entire race seemingly without drain. After overtaking... ah, the arrows! Next time I'll still avoid racing her!"
"This is the utterly invincible Pegasus!"
"Even if this year, next year, whether turf or dirt, are hailed as the most terrifying super years of the century, if Platinum can perform stably at this Takarazuka level, she definitely has hope to claim world number one!"
"What a monster. I thought the Takarazuka Kinen was so short, winning by twenty horse lengths against Tokai Teio and Tachyon would already be exaggerated. But... to even surpass Manhattan Cafe's margin?"
At first glance, it didn't seem much larger than the thirty-one horse length victory over Manhattan Cafe in the Kikuka Sho.
But these two races were completely different: one a G1 middle-distance race filled with top-level older Uma Musume, the other a G1 long-distance race with a clearly weaker classic-year field!
The Takarazuka Kinen was nothing like the 3000m Kikuka Sho or those classic-year filly duels.
Even with only two horse girls not avoiding her, those two were among the top three in current Japanese middle-distance racing!
Therefore, without needing to think too much, everyone was shocked by this unprecedented Great Escape Victory.
And in a forward position, a dark-horse girl was utterly shocked.
She was... the one who had avoided the race, Manhattan Cafe!
"Huh? The corner spot... isn't me anymore?"
It's worth mentioning that when Platinum crossed the finish line, Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon were still in an intense one on one, difficult to tell which one was ahead of the other.
So—on the Pegasus Hall of Fame, the sculpture of the dark girl Manhattan Cafe that originally occupied the corner had flashed to a slightly more forward position.
The vacated spot was simultaneously occupied by sculptures of Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon!
The last-place position had been immediately replaced.
And the one replacing her was her closest friend, Agnes Tachyon!
Complex and subtle emotions immediately welled up in Manhattan Cafe's heart.
"Tachyon... even Tachyon can lose by so many horse lengths?"
Avoiding the Pegasus was definitely the right choice!!
--+--
Past the finish line.
After completing an exhilarating Great Escape, the silver-white girl stopped with keen interest.
Before her, a large system panel quickly appeared!
[Middle-Distance Races:]
[Kikuka Sho (Completed)], [Japan Cup (Completed)], [Arima Kinen (Completed)], [Spring Tenno Sho (Completed)], [Takarazuka Kinen (Completed)]
The next moment, the panel content refreshed.
[Quest Rewards:]
[Kuranta Character: Margaret Nearl Transformation Unlocked]
[One Soul, Two Bodies: Second Body Transformation for Horse Girl Races Unlocked]
Finally... I can transform into Nearl!!
Then, the silver-white girl looked at the last line and suddenly realized something was off.
Wait, this "One Soul, Two Bodies"... does it mean I have to work double shifts from now on?
Really living up to the legendary worker title?!
--+--
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.