There she was—the Coolmore Uma Musume on the left flank, part of the encirclement, running at high speed just past the first turn—when she saw it…
That silver-white girl who seemed to dominate everything was charging forward with unstoppable momentum, like a knight tearing through all defenses, or better yet, a Pegasus soaring across the heavens—blowing right past her in one breathtaking move!
There was no time to react, no moment to hesitate about accelerating early to counter. In the blink of an eye, she was overtaken by that Pegasus named Platinum.
It was nothing less than—a storm sweeping across the entire track, an approaching tempest!!
All she could do was watch from the rear of the chasing group as that silver-white girl, riding a momentum that surpassed even her own jet-black wings, raced further and further ahead!
After witnessing the figure of that winged Pegasus, intertwined in silver and black, even this Coolmore Uma Musume—a top-tier European elite—was utterly stunned, completely shaken.
What kind of Uma Musume could spread such brilliantly radiant wings during a race?
Wasn't "Pegasus" just a nickname? How could it… become real?!
Not far away, another Coolmore Uma Musume who had been blocking on the right side wore a look of sheer disbelief, eyes wide as if she had just seen a real mythical steed.
"I-Impossible!!"
"How could any Uma Musume perform an almost impossible emergency stop, then accelerate and overtake me again in such a short time?"
How long had it even been since the encirclement began, to the moment she stopped and restarted?
You might think that just after the first turn meant the race was nearing halfway… but that wasn't the case. The Eclipse Stakes was anything but ordinary.
The Eclipse Stakes was only two thousand meters—classified as a middle-distance race, which typically ranges from two thousand to two thousand four hundred meters.
And one of Platinum's most legendary achievements was… the [Irregular Quadruple Crown]! Among those four crowns, three were the most prestigious: the Japanese Classic Triple Tiara, the Japanese Classic Triple Crown, and the British Triple Crown—all of them run over two thousand four hundred meters.
Because of this, aside from her widely known titles like "Eclipse" and "Pegasus," Platinum also held another, slightly less famous one: the King of Two Thousand Four Hundred Meters!
So before the race, many believed that Platinum's greatest strength—her incredible endurance—wouldn't fully shine in this shorter contest, which was a shame.
But the Eclipse Stakes was special in its own way—not long in total distance, yet featuring an extremely long homestretch, stretching an exaggerated seven to eight hundred meters, almost half the entire race.
Because of this, each turn was very short. After being boxed in right out of the gate, having to restart her acceleration, and now spreading her wings to blow past everyone just after the first turn…
Just what kind of monstrous creature was she??
How could they have been so arrogant as to think they could "hunt" a Pegasus capable of challenging Eclipse herself?!
"How did she catch up again in such a short time?"
"Is… is she flying? It looks like she's barely touching the turf—like she's skimming the ground?!"
"No way, how are we supposed to block a monster like this?!"
In the heart of the Coolmore Uma Musume on the right, a shocking thought emerged—one so wild she could hardly believe it herself.
Could it be… that their attempt to trap her had provoked Platinum's fury, making her fully unleash her peerless, unprecedented Black Pegasus wings?
Up ahead, Platinum—wings spread, tearing through the entire chasing group, racing relentlessly toward the leading front-runners—was now burned forever into the minds of these very Coolmore Uma Musume who had tried to encircle her.
'Is it just me… or does it feel like the Pegasus isn't even going all out yet?'
'What if we had blocked her completely, leaving no opening to brake…?'
A scene that should have been impossible flickered in her mind, defying all common sense.
'Would Platinum have… actually flown over our blockade??'
She couldn't comprehend it—only watch, utterly stunned!!
As for catching up? That was nothing but a distant dream.
Under that terrifying, despair-inducing pressure, the two Coolmore Uma Musume at the back could barely maintain their high-speed run!
It was as if, in the presence of a true Pegasus, all other Uma Musume could only bow. Their attempt to encircle her was not just useless—it had trespassed against her majesty!
And now… for the first time, the Coolmore group would face the wrath of an angered Pegasus!
'I-It's over!!'
'Well then… all we can hope is that Fame and Glory can put up a fight against Platinum.'
The fighting spirit of the Coolmore Uma Musume on the right had completely vanished. She was always the weakest in both strength and will among the Coolmore riders.
Their main forces were Fame and Glory, and the fourth Coolmore Uma Musume up front setting a slow pace as the front-runner.
'A-At the very least… we won't lose too badly. Maybe we can still make it into the legendary [Pegasus Hall of Fame]?'
--+--
On the track! At the very front of the turf!
Two Uma Musume were running neck and neck for first.
They were the remaining two of the Coolmore team of four: Fame and Glory, and the other who had been setting a deliberately slow pace as the front-runner.
Right now, Fame and Glory was starting to have a bad feeling. The front-runner beside her widened her eyes, her expression seeming to ask…
Why are you here?
In the Coolmore team's original plan, three were supposed to block, while one stayed at the front to set a slow pace, allowing the blockers to conserve stamina.
If Fame and Glory—the team's leader and ace—was here already, didn't that mean… the encirclement had failed?
The next moment, the overwhelming pressure coming from behind made her realize exactly what had happened.
Fame and Glory gritted her teeth, pushing forward, trying to build up as much of a lead as possible.
'Who would have thought… Platinum would use such an domineering, decisive emergency stop to break our trap.'
'Now it's a direct clash. I can't hold back and try to outsprint her later—that's a battle I can't win.'
'Luckily, she had to make a full stop. It's like starting with no preparation, worse than any bad break out of the gate.'
'This advantage is my best chance to build a gap and seize victory!!'
Even as the pressure from behind grew terrifying, Fame and Glory chose to grit her teeth and accelerate. She felt grateful the Eclipse Stakes was only two thousand meters.
If this were the King of Two Thousand Four Hundred Meters' best distance… even with this lead after the failed trap, she might still lose.
But this was the shortest middle-distance race. Her stamina could handle this—even under the pressure of Platinum's unleashed aura!
'Platinum, you must have activated your Zone to suppress me, to keep me from accelerating early, right?'
'Well, it won't work on me!'
'Your zone's pressure is impressive, but I'm from Coolmore. We've trained against aura pressure since the new year—I can take it!'
In Fame and Glory's heart lay the pride—and burden—of being part of Europe's top racing consortium.
She was sure: this pressure felt similar to what she'd experienced from seniors going all out with their zones. The endurance-focused Pegasus must have activated her zone to slow down her expansion of the lead!
'Once we hit the homestretch, I'll activate my Zone, and then…'
'N-No!!'
The next instant, Fame and Glory remembered a crucial detail. Her pupils shrank, and cold sweat broke out.
Wasn't the Pegasus famously known for… [Domain Special Effects], [Pegasus Hall of Fame]?
But right now, the track wasn't covered by a coliseum, and the finish line showed no sign of the Hall of Fame. That meant Platinum hadn't even activated her Zone yet.
In other words—
Without even using her zone, the Pegasus Platinum's pure aura was already on par with the full Zone pressure of world-class seniors she'd faced before?
'Hah… Stay calm!'
'There's still a chance to win.'
'This is the biggest disadvantage Platinum has ever faced since her debut. If Daiwa Scarlet could lose by five lengths, maybe I can win!'
Just as this self-encouraging thought formed—
Under the twin moons of Terra, the entire racecourse was suddenly enveloped by a vast and majestic Coliseum of Kazimierz!
From behind…
No, the Silver Maiden had already flown into the leading group. She wasn't satisfied with her current speed.
[Zone (Pegasian Sight): Activated]
[At least three exclusive Zone skills best suited to the situation will activate, greatly increasing aura pressure on all Uma Musume…]
[Passive (Auto-Sustained): Slightly reduces own speed, moderately increases power and stride frequency, slightly enhances insight and reaction…]
From within Platinum's body, a silvery-white radiance burst forth, shining brilliantly against her beautiful night-black wings.
Even more astonishing—her aura, already on par with the full zones of world-class Uma Musume, now, with the activation of her zone, Pegasian Sight—
Unfolded with a majesty the Coolmore Uma Musume had never seen, dominating the entire track with overwhelming force!
From the Coolmore front-runner and Fame and Glory in the lead, to the two Coolmore blockers in the middle pack—they all suddenly felt the terrifying power of the Pegasus's unique [Zone]!
This was—the legendary Pegasian Sight that could even alter the arena!!
--+--
Not only that—within the indescribably vast and solemn Coliseum of Kazimierz, at the finish line, the sacred and majestic Pegasus Hall of Fame emerged.
When all of this appeared, the audience erupted into endless cheers and cries of amazement.
In Europe, the center of the turf racing world, any fan who followed the sport had surely witnessed the rise of many excellent Uma Musume.
After all, Europe had many countries. Even if the famous British Triple Crown hadn't been won in a long time, that didn't mean Europe lacked other triple crowns.
The French Triple Crown, the German Triple Crown, the Irish Triple Crown, the Swiss Triple Crown… there were too many to count on one hand.
So, in the eyes of European audiences, even a Triple Crown winner wasn't exactly rare or a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
But they had never seen special effects like this on any Uma Musume other than Platinum.
And the world-famous Pegasus Hall of Fame—this was the first time Platinum had used it in Europe, making spectators from across the continent exclaim…
"My god! The Pegasus Hall of Fame—is that… two sculptures of the Sea family's miss, Galileo?"
"And that's the Dual-Surface Monster Dubai Millennium, and the Heavy-Track Ghost Montjeu?"
"Platinum is like a [figure collector]—defeating rivals and collecting new trophies!"
"Even though I'm a Coolmore fan, I… can't support them after this trapping attempt. Now I just wonder which Coolmore Uma Musume will have the honor of entering the Hall of Fame?"
"So glad I didn't miss this race! The mysterious twin moons, the majestic coliseum, the Hall of Fame… it's infinitely more shocking than any recording!"
--+--
Amid the many exclamations!
At the very front of the turf!
The Silver Maiden, carrying infinite momentum, like a Pegasus cutting through the sky, instantly overtook every front-runner around her.
"Wasn't she trapped by the Coolmore Uma Musume? What kind of speed is this??"
"No way, this is… bollocks!"
"It's over, this pressure! I can barely breathe, can't accelerate at all."
"Those wings… why does this Uma Musume have wings like the mythical Pegasus??"
Under the gaze of the front-runners, filled with shock and unwillingness, just before the second turn, they could only watch as the silver-white girl surpassed every one of them.
Then—she entered the peripheral vision of the two leading Coolmore Uma Musume!
Without a doubt, this was… the ultimate shock!
The once determined Fame and Glory, who had wanted to expand her lead, now—feeling the ever-growing pressure and seeing that silver-white figure enter her sight—
Her hanging heart finally died.
Had Platinum truly become a Pegasus, spreading her wings to shatter everything?
In Fame and Glory's heart, only one thought remained.
'It's over… finished…'
Maybe this world had Uma Musume who could face the Pegasus Platinum head-on, matching her final sprint.
But no matter what, it couldn't be her! If she had that ability, why would she resort to the most vicious, underhanded trap?
Only two choices remained for Fame and Glory.
One… go all out, activate her zone, try not to let Platinum pull too far ahead. If she couldn't hold on, she might not even keep a top-five position, let alone first or second.
Or, grit her teeth and endure, let Platinum pass, save her zone for the homestretch to at least secure second place.
After hesitating, Fame and Glory lacked even the courage to activate her Zone.
She knew all too well: after the next turn, there was still a seven to eight hundred meter homestretch.
And they weren't monsters who could maintain their zones over the entire track. Those who stayed close to the Pegasus in the past rarely had good outcomes.
Except… for Daiwa Scarlet, who only lost by five lengths!
But that was the rookie Platinum. This was the Pegasus at her peak!
In that moment of hesitation and surrender…
The shining silver-white figure, carrying sky-piercing momentum, blew past the last two Uma Musume in the blockade!
One length!
Three lengths!
Five lengths!
And this… was only just after the second turn.
With the long homestretch still ahead, the race wasn't even half over. The Pegasus, facing the biggest trap in Eclipse Stakes history, had surpassed all her rivals and begun her lone journey as the [Pegasus]!
--+--
Now! The big screen zoomed in on the silver-white girl spreading her jet-black wings!
As that unbelievable scene played out—showing her completely overtaking the last Coolmore Uma Musume—
Even the commentator high in the booth was stunned speechless, voice trembling slightly.
[Incredible! Absolutely incredible!]
[How can any Uma Musume achieve such a feat?]
[Trapped with no way forward, she stopped completely, then made a comeback before even halfway!]
[Ten lengths! Twelve lengths! Fif…]
[Yes, this is the Legendary Platinum! The Mythical Pegasus has descended upon us!]
In the stands, the passion and excitement bursting from tens of thousands of spectators reached a fever pitch.
This was only Platinum's second European G1 since her return!
Yet now, the reputation and fans the Coolmore group had built in Europe—all of it… seemed trampled under the hooves and wings of the Pegasus!
--+--
After the third turn!
The silver-white girl raced forward, head held high.
She ran with the calm of a leisurely stroll—yet continued to widen the already terrifying lead!
In an instant, the gap grew to a large margin, pushing toward a super lead of over ten lengths. And there was still a long homestretch ahead!
Meaning… she had more than enough race left to teach those Coolmore fillies a lesson they'd never forget!
Without hesitation, Platinum activated her Zone skills.
[(Unexpressed Rage?): Slightly drains stamina from Uma Musume with weaker aura…]
[(Knight Killer): The more Uma Musume overtaken, the faster speed increases. When no opponents are ahead…]
[(Pegasus Hoof): When no other Uma Musume are nearby, slightly increases power and stride frequency, slightly reduces…]
[(Hunting Moment): In the latter half of the race, slightly reduces stamina consumption, slightly increases…]
The figure of the galloping Pegasus, even before the long homestretch—
Her accelerating dance reached yet another level!
By twenty lengths, achieving a super lead, she finally entered the final homestretch, flying alone toward the finish line!
--+--
On the Coliseum of Kazimierz!
Behind, Fame and Glory now watched, gritting her teeth in frustration and helplessness, as the silver-and-black girl raced into the distance.
In her sight, the European turf—soft and demanding full effort to run at high speed—
Seemed to lie flat and effortless under the hooves of the Pegasus Platinum.
It was less like running and more like—skimming the ground?!
Now, from Fame and Glory to the Coolmore front-runner beside her, and even the front-runners and chasers in the middle pack—all were stretched taut like violin strings.
Nearly every Uma Musume felt a sense of crisis, alarmed or threatened by the shining silver Pegasus, alone in the homestretch, having built a super lead.
The goddess-like figure in the Pegasus Hall of Fame drew her bow, targeting each of them one by one!
Fighting spirit faded rapidly. Even knowing first place was likely impossible, they still hoped to fight for second.
"If we don't chase now… we'll never catch up!"
"The trap failed… that's already embarrassing. At least we have to secure second."
"Accelerate early! I'm almost at the homestretch! Platinum's almost thirty lengths ahead—can't hold back anymore!"
In an instant, most of the Uma Musume began their full acceleration en masse!
Only at the very front, the silver-white Pegasus who dominated everything charged forward unopposed!
With her black wings spread, her breathing remained long and calm, as if completely unshaken by her massive lead.
As a descendant of the Pegasus and a former knight, the great Lady Platinum was teaching a harsh lesson to these juniors who played with underhanded tricks!
Thirty lengths!
Thirty-one lengths!
Platinum entered the second half of the homestretch first, racing toward the finish with unstoppable momentum.
Accelerate! Accelerate! Accelerate!
When Fame and Glory and the other world-class Uma Musume behind finally couldn't stay patient, trying to close the enormous gap by gritting their teeth and activating their trump card Zones…
The next moment, something happened that stunned them all!
"M-My skills… why did only two activate?"
"Is this… a forced seal??"
Many world-class Uma Musume found some of their skills sealed.
The calmest, Fame and Glory, even with near-despair in her heart, still wanted at least to take second place.
"C-Calm down. I can't beat Platinum, but I can overtake the others! Making it to the Pegasus Hall of Fame as second should be fine!"
--+--
In the stands, the well-traveled spectators from across Europe…
Now couldn't even bear to blink, afraid to miss any detail of this greatest upset in Eclipse Stakes history, this impossible miracle comeback.
Thirty-four lengths!
Thirty-six lengths!
Thirty-eight lengths!
This was a sprint for victory! A gallop beyond ordinary reach!
The moment Platinum spread her wings, she seemed to transform into something entirely beyond the scale of other Uma Musume! From a deep charge overtaking all, to accelerating three times to now!
Under the amazed gaze of the audience and commentators, the Silver Pegasus freely displayed her overwhelming strength!
[This is—a miracle comeback!]
[The sovereign of two thousand four hundred meters remains the undisputed ruler even at two thousand!]
[The genius known as Eclipse pays homage to the Supreme Eclipse—perhaps she truly can rival the original Eclipse!]
The commentator in the booth passionately declared the final praise early, drawing a close to this Eclipse Stakes.
Tens of thousands of live spectators, the commentator in the booth, countless viewers on streams and TVs who regretted not getting tickets—all watched together as the world's first winged Pegasus Uma Musume charged toward the final line!
[Without a doubt, this is—Flight!!!]
[The true Pegasus soars across the finish!]
[Thirty-nine lengths! Forty lengths! Platinum races ahead, leaving all in her dust!]
[Let us celebrate! From now on, we need not grieve missing the era of Eclipse, nor regret never witnessing the legendary Solar Eclipse.]
[Because—Eclipse! The Pegasus! She has descended in Europe!]
--+--
Fame and Glory stared ahead, watching Platinum cross the line to victory.
She was currently in second, leading third by over a length.
Based on past recordings she'd seen…
Even if she lost by a lot, at least… she'd made it into the Hall of Fame, right?
"A-At least I'm second! I made it to the Pegasus Hall of Fame!"
"The trap… wasn't a complete failure, was it?"
But the next moment, she saw something unbelievable. Her pupils shrank, eyes wide with shock.
N-No!!! Don't!!!
--+--
Beyond the finish line.
The silver-white girl came to a stop once again—another emergency halt.
As she turned fully, her eyes fixed on the Pegasus Hall of Fame at the finish line.
The next second, her amber eyes gleamed with a strange light.
In the corner of the Hall, a sculpture of the Coolmore Uma Musume Fame and Glory had begun to form—but it was dark, lacking any color.
And on the central throne of the Hall, the goddess-like figure no longer leaned back. Instead, she calmly drew her bow once more, though it should have been out of arrows.
Then—
The phantom arrow reversed course, shooting toward the newly formed sculpture of Fame and Glory in the corner! Along the way, it seemed to tear through a black net, piercing through to reach Fame and Glory at the very end!
With a loud crash, the newly formed, colorless black sculpture of Fame and Glory shattered completely, collapsing into rubble scattered in the corner…
It seemed to say—
Such a sculpture… you are not worthy of the Pegasus Hall of Fame!!
[—Are you qualified? Perhaps not.]
--+--
T/N: To the recommendation of one of my readers, I am somewhat pleased to announce that I have another Uma Musume fanfiction up!
--+--
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.