"My name is—Godolphin Arabian."
That ethereal, almost dreamlike voice, speaking that name, caused the young Radiant Knight who had just picked up the phone—and had been wondering just seconds before who could be calling—to freeze completely, her expression blank with shock.
Huh?!
Who??
Margaret didn't understand. The calm on her exquisite face faltered for a moment before transforming into sheer, unadulterated astonishment.
The level of shock she, the Radiant Knight, was experiencing now far surpassed anything she'd ever felt facing a powerful rival on any racetrack.
She had considered every possibility, but never, ever imagined that this phone call could be from the one known as [Godolphin Arabian].
Godolphin Arabian, known throughout the world as—the Goddess.
That wasn't just an honorific; it was a title truly belonging to Godolphin Arabian. She… no, one should refer to Them, was genuinely one of the Three Great Goddesses who transcended this world.
In this world, the Three Goddesses were real.
Those winning outfits, no matter how dazzling, having no physical or weight impact on the Winner's Stage or the racecourse itself; the extraordinary Domains generated by the Uma Musume…
These traits belonged solely to the Uma Musume on the track. Even foals of the same race didn't possess them.
These unique characteristics all served as proof that some supreme existence had bestowed these exclusive gifts upon the Uma Musume…
Not only that, but the Dream Cup—the event that allowed participating Uma Musume to reach the peak of their future or past form—was hosted by none other than the Three Goddesses.
Beyond these, there were numerous verified accounts of the Three Goddesses' divine interventions.
For instance, in the past, there was a young lady from an Irish noble family named [Shergar]. During her active years, she was a superpower who dominated Europe, once achieving the incredible feat of winning the English Epsom Derby by a staggering ten lengths.
Furthermore, after setting that Derby record, she became the first Uma Musume since the British Triple Crown winner Nijinsky to dare challenge the St. Leger Stakes.
Thus, the fearless and shining Shergar was hailed as "The Insurmountable Brave," her radiance extreme and her popularity immense.
Historically, Shergar is considered a figure on par with Sea the Stars, ample proof of her greatness.
But… tragedy struck many years after Shergar's retirement, long after her physical prime had faded. That elegant, shining brave young lady was kidnapped one night in a meticulously planned abduction!
Even a former top-tier Uma Musume, her body weakened after retirement, couldn't possibly exceed the limits of the [Uma Musume] species. Under the kidnappers' calculated scheme, she ultimately fell victim.
Thus, a kidnapping that shocked the world occurred. The mysterious kidnapping group demanded a king's ransom from Shergar's prestigious family.
If things proceeded normally, this would have become the first major kidnapping case of an Uma Musume since the sport modernized globally, and its impact and notoriety would have been immense.
If the ransom were paid, the negative repercussions of this case would spread infinitely. After all, famous Uma Musume existed in every country; they all had idol-like qualities, being approachable to humans and other Uma Musume alike, and their physical abilities declined after retirement.
If even Shergar couldn't escape the kidnappers' plot, how could the vast majority of Uma Musume, who were undoubtedly inferior to her…
If the astronomical ransom were paid, allowing the criminals to succeed, there was no guarantee they'd release Shergar unharmed. Countless kidnapping cases ended with the victim being killed even after the ransom was secured.
Not only that, it would inevitably inspire ruffians around the world to imitate and replicate the crime! No one could bear the consequences of that.
After much agonizing, Shergar's family made the painful choice: they refused to pay the ransom!
Criminals who resorted to kidnapping were inherently vicious. Getting the ransom didn't guarantee safety, but not getting it almost certainly meant the victim would be killed—this was common knowledge.
—And so, it should have been a tragic story ending in "rather be a shattered vessel of jade than an unbroken tile of clay."
People around the world following the event had their predictions, not believing the meticulously planning kidnappers would simply let Shergar go empty-handed.
Yet, miraculously, the next day, a scene unfolded that left Shergar's countless fans, friends, and family shocked, overjoyed, and moved to tears.
Shergar returned, completely unharmed, without a single trace of injury on her body!!
In an incredulous tone, Shergar recounted how, after her kidnapping, she had… truly witnessed a divine manifestation of the Three Goddesses.
She saw a figure identical to the goddess statues appear and save her just as she was about to be killed.
Shergar also revealed the kidnappers' location. When the police arrived to make the arrests, they found all the kidnappers unconscious and incapable of resistance.
Moreover, the kidnappers themselves showed no signs of injury, but had lost their memories of that period and were all knocked out!
This incredible miracle! This protection of the Uma Musume! It wasn't something with mere traces; it was a verifiable event, which served to deter those with ill intentions from attempting to replicate the kidnapping of an Uma Musume again.
The Three Goddesses manifesting their divine power, sheltering the Uma Musume—it was real!
Whether it was the once-in-a-century Dream Cup, or ensuring Shergar's safe return, these were past examples recorded in the annals of history. Similar cases weren't isolated incidents, all being phenomena unexplainable by conventional logic, things only the Goddesses could achieve.
Therefore, even the Radiant Knight, Nearl, held the utmost respect for the Three Goddesses.
The Radiant Knight loved the fair competition of the Uma Musume races; she looked forward to the Dream Cup, which allowed all participants to fight at their peak without regrets of missing strong rivals; and she felt joy that they protected those like Shergar from mortal danger, ensuring Uma Musume worldwide didn't fall into crisis.
The greatness of the Three Goddesses needed no further words!
But what Nearl hadn't quite expected was to receive a phone call directly from a Goddess.
Could this be part of the pre-Dream Cup proceedings?
Feelings of shock and confusion, exceedingly rare for Margaret, surfaced one after another.
"This is Nearl."
"Might I ask… what is this regarding?"
Snapping out of her stunned silence, Nearl spoke up, her voice laced with curiosity.
Then, that ethereal, sacred, yet pleasantly warm female voice sounded once more.
"The Dream Cup is not merely a race. The prize is not something as mundane as prize money."
"Show me your full power, Margaret. Bring forth strength worthy of that [prize]."
These words were enough to leave any Uma Musume feeling both puzzled and intensely interested upon hearing them.
A prize? No prize money?
And she needed to muster strength worthy of this special, mysterious prize?
'Just what… kind of prize could it be, to warrant a personal notice from the Three Goddesses themselves?'
On the golden-haired maiden's exquisite face, her curiosity deepened into intense interest, which then transformed into a blazing fighting spirit.
"Do you know why the Dream Cup is held?"
The voice of the Goddess Godolphin Arabian continued, reaching Margaret Nearl's ears.
Instead of immediately answering or explaining the nature of the Dream Cup's [prize], the Goddess turned the question back on her, asking about the Cup's very purpose.
This made Nearl's expression turn thoughtful as she considered the connection.
What could it be that made the Three Goddesses view the Dream Cup as so important, and why was it only being initiated now?
Was there… some necessary condition? Could it be that this important prize could only be awarded after a sufficiently intense competition, or to a sufficiently remarkable Uma Musume?
"Why?"
Nearl voiced her confusion, pressing for answers.
"The [Dream Cup], logically speaking, should be perfectly suited for regular hosting, right?"
"Why has it been so long since the last one? What is the prize? Could it really be so significant that it can't be replicated?"
After she asked, she actually heard the reply she had somewhat anticipated.
"Correct."
"Precisely because that prize cannot be given lightly, the Dream Cup can be held at most three times."
"And this edition will perhaps be the second, and also the second-to-last."
The voice of the goddess Godolphin Arabian fell upon her.
At most three Dream Cups?
The prize could only be awarded three times. So, even if the Three Goddesses greatly enjoyed the format of the Dream Cup, they wouldn't casually hold it on a regular schedule.
Would they only deem the conditions met when a truly exceptional Uma Musume appeared? Was that why, over a century after Eclipse, the second Dream Cup was finally being held?
As the supreme Three Goddesses, said to be omnipotent, even they considered this prize precious, something they could only part with three times at most...
"Then what exactly is the prize...?"
At this moment, the golden-haired girl known as The Radiant Knight, her orange eyes burning with an intense light, found her interest and fighting spirit utterly ignited by the words of the goddess Godolphin Arabian.
Finally!
After an unknowable length of time, the silence on the other end of the line broke, and the voice continued.
"Godhood, of course."
"Huh?"
Nearl abruptly straightened her posture.
"The victor shall succeed me."
"Wha–?"
Nearl didn't understand, and was profoundly shocked, feeling the impact of those words sink in.
Succeed?
Did she mean... succeed in the way she was thinking?
"[Byerley Turk], the host of the first Dream Cup, has already found her heir."
"That little one, Eclipse, is already [undergoing training], which has eased Byerley Turk's burden considerably. It seems I should also find a successor."
The ethereal, authoritative female voice now carried a note of anticipation and pleasure.
That simple, brief reply would have been staggeringly deafening to anyone in this world. Even the Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl, who dominated the racecourse and commanded respect from all, fell into a prolonged silence, deeply shaken.
The Dream Cup?
So this was... a battle for godhood?!
That as a prize was indeed peerlessly rare. It made perfect sense why the Dream Cup would only be held again after such a long interval.
Well, the more precious the prize, the greater its worth.
Even Nearl, who wasn't one for gossip, couldn't help her burning curiosity.
Were the Three Goddesses seeking successors just to lighten their own workload and relax? Or were they planning to abandon their posts entirely and reincarnate as Uma Musumes themselves?
"Will you win, Nearl?"
Just before the call ended, the final question from [Godolphin Arabian] reached her.
Nearl didn't speak. She just tightened her grip on the phone and turned around.
A moment later, she gave a slight nod.
The Modern Strongest vs. The Historical Strongest!
The second seat among the new Three Goddesses, the second champion of the Dream Cup, would be born today.
"I will win!"
--+--
The next day.
That is—the day of the Dream Cup.
"As expected of the Dream Cup. This is a true miracle."
The words, spoken in Japanese, murmured softly before what was once 'Belmont Park'.
The speaker was a girl with brown red short hair, wearing a white overcoat, currently sporting a grin of near-manic delight.
The Uma Musume and mad scientist named Agnes Tachyon had arrived in America with her friends, all there to witness the race.
And not far from her, other Japanese fillies from Tracen Academy were present in numbers almost too great to count.
Just the G1 champion Uma Musumes with considerable fame in Japan alone far exceeded the count of one hand.
Manhattan Cafe, Daiwa Scarlet, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Mejiro Dober, Kurofune...
Even though this was a dirt race, which the Japanese Uma Musume world had never paid much mind to, the fact it was the [Dream Cup] had infinitely elevated this special event's appeal, reaching heights that could be called [unprecedented and never to be seen again].
A hundred years ago, the first Dream Cup that Eclipse participated in was, after all, a very long time ago. Transportation was far less developed then, and things like the 'internet' didn't exist.
It was also the very first Dream Cup; those who understood its importance and earth-shattering nature back then were inevitably few.
But now it was different. The [Dream Cup] had, over the years, been elevated into a genuine myth, celebrated by later generations, cementing Eclipse's status as the 'Strongest in History' for a very long time!
But now, there was the turf Pegasus Platinum who surpassed Eclipse, and the second Dream Cup was being held on dirt.
In this unprecedented golden age, the popularity of this Dream Cup had exceeded the imaginations of Tokai Teio and the countless others around her.
"It looks... completely different from Belmont Park."
Not far from Agnes Tachyon, a girl with a similar hair color but a more voluptuous figure and twin red tails, Daiwa Scarlet, blinked as she gazed up at the vast, magnificent racecourse ahead.
That's right. This place was temporarily the [Former Belmont Park], not Belmont Park as it was.
Something more majestic and grand than Belmont Park by several orders of magnitude, possessing both a sense of novelty and a sacred, temple-like feel, now stood on the original site of Belmont Park.
A strange sense of familiarity rose in the hearts of Uma Musume like Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio, who had faced Platinum before.
Because this was strikingly similar to when Platinum activated her domain, Pegasus Sight, manifesting the field effect and overwriting the original track with the [Kazimierz Knight Arena].
Upon this land, which originally hosted the famed Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic, and many other international G1 races, had now similarly been [overwritten]!
But the Kazimierz Knight Arena appeared when Platinum activated her domain, vanishing once the race ended. Even if she went all out with her domain from the start, the total duration would be, at most, a few minutes.
"They say this venue has been like this since Belmont Park held its final race yesterday."
Daiwa Scarlet took a deep breath, her ample chest rising and falling noticeably as she shared what she knew.
"Today, the American racing authorities haven't just suspended all races at Belmont Park, but... they've halted all races!"
"Across the entire United States, today, there is only one race: the Dream Cup!!!"
Hearing this, the pupils of many newly arrived Japanese fillies around her contracted, seemingly unable to believe the American authorities would go to such lengths for the Dream Cup.
How utterly exaggerated was this?
Even Japan's Arima Kinen.
Even France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Even Australia's Melbourne Cup, the super race said to be enough to stop an entire nation.
All of these events, highly prestigious in their own countries, within their respective Uma Musume communities, and even worldwide, hailed as the G1s among G1s—none of them could cause a single racecourse to grind to a halt, dedicating itself solely to that one race.
After all, no matter how grand a race is, the event itself only lasts a few minutes.
Excluding night hours, a racecourse is open and operational for over ten hours, easily enough time for at least ten races.
Just the central Tracen Academy alone has over a thousand Uma Musume, not to mention the many non-central ones.
If racecourses held too few events, they wouldn't be able to schedule all the races.
But now!
The American racing authorities hadn't just cancelled all races originally scheduled for Belmont Park—they had suspended all races, nationwide, for the entire day. They had truly achieved a state where [the entire country] was preparing for this single Dream Cup.
This was a scale of operation that some of the Japanese Uma Musumes, experiencing an overseas race for the first time, had never witnessed before, leaving them stunned and slow to react.
"This... this is just absurdly over-the-top!!"
"As expected of the Mythical Dream Cup."
"Really makes you wonder, just what kind of prize could be worthy of this scale, this lineup, this very competition."
Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Manhattan Cafe all found their interest significantly piqued.
"It must be... an unprecedented prize money, right?"
"Isn't that like imagining the Emperor farming with a golden hoe? The Three Goddesses surely wouldn't be so vulgar as to just give money."
"Forget that, what I'm curious about is—Platinum, will she come? Does she have an invitation to the Dream Cup?"
These prodigal Uma Musume from Japan found their conversation drifting from the tournament's prizes to Platinum.
And all around them, there was an almost countless sea of spectators.
Among the crowd, many ecstatic fans on the verge of fainting were astonished to find G1 champion Uma Musume from all over the world everywhere they looked, spectating just like them.
Dubai Millennium, Winx, Sea the Stars, Dancing Brave!
Harbinger, Stradavarius, Frankel, Seabird!
Those great and famous figures, Uma Musume of every distance and type, had all gathered here.
"My god... gah! That's the turf legend Dancing Brave, she actually came?"
"That's the mile legend, the former mile GOAT Frankel, the strongest monster of the Sea family is here too? The Sea family's prodigies are gathered right beside her, the sister duo Sea the Stars and Galileo both came."
"Enable! The genius brave maiden blessed by the Three Goddesses, she really came."
"This is insane, Australia's all-star lineup, Winx, Black Caviar... they came as a group."
"Over there is... Pegasus Platinum's [home stable]? The rivals she faced in Japan, and even that legendary Crimson Queen who won by five lengths are here too."
"Just don't know if Platinum herself will come to challenge the Dream Cup. It'd be such a shame if she weren't here. It'd be like the Venus de Milo, rendered incomplete and imperfect."
Remarkably, even these regular spectators unanimously shifted their topic from marveling at the luxurious lineup of attendees to... [Platinum].
After all, this was Pegasus Platinum, who had achieved the strongest records across all turf courses—sprint, mile, middle distance, and long distance—and had long since effortlessly claimed the great title of the strongest dual-threat.
Widely regarded as having surpassed the first Dream Cup champion, Eclipse, if this Pegasus Platinum could not participate in the second Dream Cup, it would indeed fill the masses with regret and disappointment.
Thus, from spectators to Uma Musume, almost everyone simultaneously began to anticipate, even yearn for, the appearance of a certain figure.
Unknowingly, that massive crowd began forming a long line at the front of the ascended racecourse hosting the Dream Cup.
No one knew how much time had passed, but the sea of people remained countless, and the discussions about Platinum hadn't faded in the slightest.
And then—finally!
Starting from the far end, that immense crowd began to part like a receding tide, making way for a single arriving guest.
From far to near, almost every gaze shifted in that one direction.
It was a silver-haired girl carrying a long case on her back, her beautiful hair cascading like a waterfall. Her eyes shone like lightning, sweeping away any past laziness. Every step she took was resolute and powerful, radiating an immense force.
This was... Platinum, on her path to challenge the gods.
—The Pegasus of the Turf has arrived!
It was like a storm sweeping forward, carrying an aura that seemed to dominate the very world, startling the many spectators and even Uma Musume ahead.
Those top-tier Uma Musume who had faced her before or followed Platinum's career keenly sensed something different.
"That aura, one that hunts everything down... her unusually tall and straight posture... the long case on her back... She's from the turf, the legendary Pegasus said to surpass Eclipse!"
"A legendary figure, as rare as the Dream Cup itself, appearing only once in a hundred years... She's truly here to challenge the strongest dirt-course Uma Musume in history!"
"The Turf Pegasus who surpasses Eclipse... She's here!!"
This news spread like a hurricane, rapidly sweeping through the vast crowd before the racecourse, then spread into the venue itself, causing the already-present, peak-form dirt monsters and the endless viewers watching the live stream to jolt in surprise.
The Pegasus who surpasses Eclipse has arrived at the Dream Cup!
--+--
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.