Ten seconds earlier, in the stands!
At a central, prime viewing spot, several high-ranking executives of the Coolmore Group—many of whom took the form of Uma Musume, all exuding an air of seasoned maturity—were gathered.
As a conglomerate that prioritized profit above all else, these Coolmore members were well aware of this race's significance.
In fact… this very race, this encirclement, had largely been orchestrated by them.
After considering the potential reputational risks of such a tactic, some of the participating Uma Musume had hesitated, not fully committed to the idea of cornering their target.
But the executives had issued their orders without hesitation, compelling the younger generation of their families to compete. They had even provided detailed strategies for dealing with Platinum's aggressive front-running style as well as tactics for a late charge.
After analysis, the Coolmore Group concluded that the benefits of defeating the Pegasus Platinum, would far exceed the combined value of winning three or four G1 titles—aside from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe itself.
Moreover, this race was scheduled shortly before the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, leading many top G1 champions to skip it to avoid overexertion.
Thus, there was no worry about their encirclement strategy accidentally paving the way for some unknown outsider to steal victory!
Therefore… this was deemed by Coolmore, one of Europe's most elite and prestigious coalitions, as the most likely race to defeat Platinum—bar none!
"Who would have thought… the Pegasus would actually switch to a closing running style."
"Indeed, that's a bit problematic. It makes our encirclement blatantly obvious—no room for subtlety left."
The Coolmore executives, themselves Uma Musume, wore expressions of slight surprise and faint frowns.
"As expected of the legendary Pegasus. Beyond her sheer speed…"
"She's clearly highly intelligent, and must have anticipated this!"
"That's why she didn't opt for her most overwhelming front-running tactic, but deliberately held back."
"In that case… she's pushed Fame and Glory and the others to the brink. Now, there's no room for anything but victory. No retreat is possible."
In truth, the Coolmore Group's preparations went beyond track strategy.
They had even arranged post-race plans—contingencies for after the encirclement of the front-running Pegasus.
That is… leveraging Coolmore's deep-rooted connections and influence across Europe to push media narratives, spreading the word that Platinum's entrapment was purely accidental.
Simultaneously, they planned to highlight examples of well-known closers and stalkers who had lost races due to poor starts or positional setbacks, framing them as similarly "encircled."
Amidst this propaganda blitz, combined with Coolmore's considerable sway in Europe and—most crucially—the victory of their own Uma Musume!
Even if they couldn't completely reverse right and wrong or fully cover the fact of this shady encirclement, they could still leave a significant portion of the audience doubtful.
Given enough time, they might even have managed to rewrite history!
But now… Platinum's delayed charge had almost completely shattered the Coolmore Group's arranged plans.
By hanging back as a closer, she forced the accelerating Coolmore Uma Musume to slow down to maintain the encirclement, making the tactic obvious to "anyone with eyes."
Originally, they could have relied on their media resources and victory to forcefully control the media.
But now… the dirty truth of this malicious encirclement was as clear as coal. Even with all their power, the Coolmore Group couldn't wash away a single speck of it!
So, within the Coolmore Group, a sense of unease was growing, mingled with shock at the Pegasus Platinum's decision.
"The Pegasus is truly clever. Now Fame and Glory and the others are completely trapped by Platinum's move, with no room to clear their names."
"This battle is beyond explanation now. They must win. If they lose after this encirclement… the cost would be too heavy."
"If they can't pull off a win… the losses would be maximized, and Coolmore's progress could be set back years in a single night!"
"But it's fine. Fame and Glory and her team will definitely win!"
Why such confidence?
Did they not understand Platinum's capabilities? Were they unaware of the Pegasus's feat of winning two G1 titles in a single day?
No, as a top-tier alliance at the height of its influence in Europe, how could Coolmore not know?
In fact… in terms of professional analysis and strategic capability, few families in Europe could match, let alone surpass, theirs.
It was precisely because they were so professional, and so profit-driven, that the Coolmore Group internally acknowledged Platinum was terrifying. With monsters like Dahlia and Sea of Stars also in the mix… it would be extremely difficult to snatch a G1 victory from them in the next couple of years.
But this Eclipse Stakes, with the encirclement in play, might be their best chance to defeat the Pegasus!
"Since we've blocked Platinum's left and right, and sealed off the path ahead, there's no breakthrough point left."
As these Coolmore executives felt slightly nervous but maintained absolute confidence and composure…
--+--
[The Pegasus is in serious danger. This Eclipse Stakes is run over 2002 meters, not the 2400 meters Platinum is most adept at and has won most over.]
[With the pace being somewhat slow, all Uma Musume on the track have conserved significant stamina for the final straight sprint.]
Even the commentator's voice was full of concern as he continued his analysis.
[With everyone possessing a strong late kick, and the Pegasus unable to break free… from the encirclement, her advantages in stamina and early acceleration are completely neutralized.]
[This is—a dire situation, truly a dire situation!]
One side wanes, the other waxes; all advantages lost!
How could this not be a dire situation?
Then, in the very next moment—!
Just as the commentator's words hung in the air!
[Platinum is trapped. It's going to be tough to chase down from here…]
On the big screen, the Pegasus Platinum—boxed in by Uma Musume on her left and right, with Fame and Glory blocking the path ahead, seemingly with no route forward—suddenly began to…
[Emergency stop]?!!
It was a true emergency stop, the kind only possible with unbelievably incredible physical prowess.
The two Coolmore Uma Musume flanking the silver-haired girl immediately widened their eyes in shock.
They instinctively tried to stick close to Platinum, but… could only manage to gradually decelerate.
These two Coolmore Uma Musume quickly realized they simply couldn't perform an emergency stop; their bodies weren't capable!!
At best, they could reduce their high speed gradually. Compared to Platinum's genuine emergency stop, they instantly fell behind by a significant margin!
Encirclement?
No, in an instant, Platinum had created a gap of one or two lengths, completely evading the trap!
She'd rather fall behind, rather sacrifice her current high-speed run and start over from scratch, than be caught in that shady, inescapable net of conspiracy!
She'd rather begin anew, from zero, than submit to the Coolmore Group's encirclement and manipulation?!
In the eyes of the spectators and the commentator, it was as if that silver-haired girl had torn apart a pitch-black net that allowed no light to penetrate.
In that instant—!
The entire stadium, the massive crowd in the stands, erupted in cheers!
"What?!! Is the Pegasus… trying to mutual destruction?"
"Shouldn't she bide her time until the end? The Uma Musume surrounding her will have to accelerate to win eventually, she'd still have a chance to kick later!"
"Is this… the unyielding Pegasus?!"
"Go Platinum! I'm not even your fan, but I refuse to see such a gutsy Uma Musume lose to underhanded tricks and encirclements!"
"She'd rather plunge herself into another difficult situation, start completely over, than yield to dirty tactics! Miss Platinum is just too cool!!"
"I'm withdrawing my support for Fame and Glory. From today on, I'm a die-hard fan of Eclipse Platinum, even if she can't possibly win this race!"
Though, at this moment, most spectators and even fans didn't hold much hope for the silver-haired girl who had come to a complete stop.
Yet, that seed of hope was planted in their hearts, awaiting the possibility of a miracle.
[It reminds me of the Legendary Dirt Man o' War of old, who, not yet at her peak, found the race had started before she even reached the starting point.]
[Facing an immense gap, even a powerhouse like her could only lose by a neck, adding a legendary yet regrettable chapter to her otherwise perfect career.]
[Now, the dire situation Platinum faces is no less severe than that race!]
[Will the light of the Pegasus shine in the Eclipse Stakes? Will a miracle occur?!]
Amidst the countless voices of anticipation.
The high-ranking Coolmore executives in the front rows stood utterly stunned, rooted to the spot.
"She's… she's insane!!"
"Does she think she's that Man o' War? Or Secretariat?!"
--+--
On the turf!
Dead last!
The silver-haired girl's exquisite face was a mask of calm.
But within her amber eyes, a blazing fighting spirit—ignited to an unprecedented height—declared that this was not the lazy, casual Platinum of usual.
She was supposed to be the hunter, not the hunted by these foreign fillies?
If the people from her homeland knew about this…
Wouldn't they just say 'laugh if you want'?
Thus, the silver-haired girl, who rarely felt much fighting spirit, found her heart no longer quiet.
Stirred by dissatisfaction from the encirclement, her battle intent aroused, Platinum was—a lake calm on the surface, but thunder rumbling within!
'Well then… time to activate that!'
It was a move she had never used since her debut, not until this Eclipse Stakes.
Namely… her [Unique Skill], which had always been displayed as [???] until now.
Actually, for most Uma Musume, Unique Skills weren't unfamiliar concepts.
For many, even before mastering their Domain, while still developing their Aura, they could utilize such skills.
But compared to a Domain, which often granted three or four skills, sometimes more, Innate Skills were important but not the ultimate trump card.
For example, Tokai Teio's Unique Skill, [Sky-High Teio Step], helped her secure position in the mid-race, slightly boosting power and speed. But its effect paled compared to the comprehensive enhancement of activating her Domain.
In the eyes of many Uma Musume, it was a skill used before attaining a Domain. Yet, for Platinum, it remained an unused, deeply curious mystery throughout her first year after debut.
Now, after reaching 100% full maturity, it was finally unlocked!
That once enigmatic Innate Skill was activated by Platinum for the first time!
[Innate Skill: Activate]
[Pegasus Form (Passive): Greatly increases power and acceleration. Significantly enhances aura. Randomly seals 1 to 3 of the opponent's Domain skills based on aura strength disparity. Moderately enhances all of the user's subsequent skills.]
[Pegasus Wings (Active): Spreads wings, slightly increasing stamina consumption. While active, moderately increases burst power. Judges the average strength of all Uma Musume on the field. The stronger the average opponent strength, the greater the boost to the user's fighting spirit, stamina recovery, and speed increase.]
It was… not just one Unique Skill, but each single aspect seemed nearly equivalent to the sum total of some Uma Musume's entire skill set.
And that was merely Platinum's Innate Skill, not even her full Domain!
The moment the Innate Skills Pegasus Form and Pegasus Wings activated…
—Tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium instantly widened their eyes, as if witnessing something utterly unbelievable!!
There, in last place, having fallen even further behind the deepest closers due to her emergency stop, the silver-haired girl… behind her back…
Silver and black particles materialized!
Then, they coalesced into a pair of wings, dark as night, spreading from the shoulders of this silver-white Pegasus!
The Pegasus Platinum?
Just a nickname?
From this day forward, any doubt about that title would be completely denied by the pair of jet-black wings unfurled from Platinum's form!
Without a doubt, this was… a true Pegasus!
The deepest hue of night, wings both pitch black and dazzling, extended from the silver-haired girl's shoulder blades, forming breathtakingly beautiful wings dark as night! They shimmered with a mysterious and captivating glow!
The appearance of those night-black wings created an extreme contrast with the Silver White Maiden, Platinum!
Theoretically, Platinum, starting her acceleration from scratch, should have needed time to gradually gain speed before she could stop falling further behind the pack ahead.
But… once those ink-black, profound wings spread behind her, they seemed to lend an unimaginable boost to her speed, transforming her image into something mythical, transcendent and mysterious!
In the sky, the blazing sun seemed momentarily eclipsed, replaced by the Twin Moons of Terra! And beneath them, Platinum, with her spread ebony wings, became the most striking and enigmatic Pegasus under the twin moons!
In an instant—!
She wasn't just trying to minimize the gap; she reversed it into… a hunt! Accelerating to hunt down the pack of Uma Musume ahead!!
--+--
Pegasus!
Wings!
With her wings spread wide, the Pegasus Platinum relentlessly closed in on the unsuspecting Coolmore Uma Musume ahead!
That visible reversal, like a scene straight out of legend, left the entire stadium—which had grown subdued, expecting a repeat of Man o' War's tragic story—absolutely stunned and flabbergasted.
The gasps and screams of the audience merged into a roar. They couldn't believe their eyes. This surpassed all their previous understanding of what an Uma Musume could do!
Among them, many Europeans, who had preferred the more tangible, historically-rooted nickname "Eclipse" over the seemingly mythical ["Pegasus"], were now forced to reconsider.
Because "Eclipse" was a name that echoed a real legend of the past, carrying its own narrative weight. Even if they believed Platinum might not quite match up, destined perhaps to stand slightly below the original Eclipse, it was still a title destined for the history books!
But now—!
"Pegasus!! She absolutely is a Pegasus!"
"Guh… is this really something we're seeing in a race?"
"I've never seen anyone sprout wings before! And to go from a dead stop to chasing down the pack in such a short time!!"
"They say you might get a name wrong, but never a nickname wrong. If she's not a Pegasus, then who is?!"
"Is this mythology coming to life? Is Platinum trying to make up for Man o' War's legendary regret?"
Under the gaze of the world, Platinum demonstrated she was no ordinary Uma Musume, but a legendary Pegasus, possessing extraordinary power and beauty!
Simultaneously, over tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions, of viewers worldwide were watching the live broadcast of this race.
On online platforms, the moment Platinum activated her Innate Skill and spread her wings, her image instantly became a trending topic! Her pictures and videos were shared and discussed by countless fans in an extremely short time!
Pegasus!
Encirclement!
On the turf of the racecourse…
The lone Pegasus Platinum versus the dark, conspiratorial Coolmore army—that battle… raged on.
--+--
Mid-pack position!
Having passed the first turn and racing towards the symbolic halfway point of the second turn.
'This…?'
'Platinum, she's a complete madwoman!!'
Fame and Glory had already begun her acceleration. Rather than holding back further, she pushed forward, reaching the position typically held by stalkers.
'What kind of Uma Musume slows down completely, starts from scratch, just to avoid being boxed in?'
'Even though the gap between us is absolutely massive right now, this monster still can't be underestimated!'
'Can't underestimate her. Since we can't box her in, we must extend the lead!'
As long as this gap held until nearing the fourth turn before she started closing, victory would be assured.
What Fame and Glory didn't know, as she felt a surge of confidence, was…
Among the closer group, the other two Coolmore Uma Musume who had been flanking Platinum, cutting off her acceleration paths!
Right now, their expressions were as if they'd seen a ghost… no, seen a Pegasus!
And not just any Pegasus, but one with spread wings, perfectly matching the mythical form of Platinum!!
"Guh…"
"W-What is this?"
"Shouldn't she, starting from scratch, take at least half the race to catch up to us?"
Beside the two stunned Coolmore Uma Musume, on the track, Platinum's figure shot past like a bolt of silver and black lightning!
Her silver body, her pitch black wings, under the glow of Terra's Twin Moons, made her seem like the only knight on the racecourse.
Yes, both Pegasus and Knight!
The silver-haired girl, her fighting spirit ignited by frustration, moved with swift, graceful strides, almost skimming the ground, announcing her power and speed to the Coolmore Group and the entire world!!
Her momentum was overwhelming. Leaning forward, wings spread wide, her powerful legs effortlessly tore into the soft turf, like a charging knight intent on demolishing everything in her path.
The two Coolmore Uma Musume were deeply shocked. They had never felt such an intimidating aura, as if facing a knight on the battlefield, brandishing an invisible lance, piercing through Coolmore's dark defenses.
Then, in the next moment—!
A silver-and-black storm seemed to sweep past them. Those night-black wings moved from behind… to ahead of them.
The Coolmore Uma Musume on the left, her voice trembling slightly, couldn't help but feel awe.
"It's over. We've encountered a super monster unlike anything in Coolmore's decades of history!"
Could Fame and Glory really hold onto that lead that was being relentlessly eroded?
"Can she win?"
"The Pegasus… she truly is a Pegasus!"
In the stands, countless spectators were left with a single thought.
It was as if—the Three Goddesses themselves were galloping in Uma Musume form, under the name of Platinum!
--+--
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.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.