"This should be... my last race on European turf."
The silver-haired girl murmured to herself after preparing her long bow case.
For Platinum, the upcoming Queen Anne Stakes wasn't just her first attempt at a mile race—it was also because her opponent was the mile emperor who had swept across Europe, Frankel!
Having such an excellent legendary Uma Musume as her opponent made it a perfectly worthy closing battle—or final dance—on European turf!
From the race records Platinum had studied of Frankel, she noticed that Frankel had freely won using various running styles. Only absolute confidence, a desire to surpass everything, and the strength to back it up could achieve such feats.
Even the usually lazy Platinum fully acknowledged the potential and power contained within Frankel's frame.
For this reason, she had embarked on such high-intensity pre-race training for the first time, enduring nightmarish training sessions measured in hours!
Who says half an hour doesn't count as an hour!
"Since this is my final race in Europe, and my opponent is the strongest I've ever faced..."
"Then it's worthy of my full effort."
The silver-haired girl, already clad in her pure white race uniform, had cold, sharp eyes that now blazed with an unprecedented fighting spirit.
Only a legendary Uma Musume like this could stir the battle intent of an assassin like her.
"Alright, time to head out."
Platinum wasn't one for excessive sentimentality.
After all, this was only her last race on European turf for now—it wasn't like she'd be retiring after this run.
In her plans, after this race ended, she could leave Europe and head to America!
In America, Platinum could still challenge other races!
Before the silver-haired girl, a system window floated, displaying her final race schedule:
--+--
[The Everest 'Sprint' 'Victory Achieved']
[One-on-One 'Any Distance' 'Victory Achieved']
[Pacific Classic 'Dirt, Middle Distance' 'Victory Achieved']
[Goodwood Cup 'Turf, Long Distance' 'Victory Achieved']
[Queen Anne Stakes 'Turf, Mile' 'Not Challenged']
[Breeders' Cup Turf 'Turf, Middle Distance' 'Not Challenged']
[Breeders' Cup Classic 'Dirt, Middle Distance' 'Not Challenged']
[Dream Cup '???' 'Not Challenged']
--+--
Unconsciously, she was already more than halfway through.
Although it seemed like she had only won half the races, in reality...
Once today's [Queen Anne Stakes] concluded, the two Breeders' Cup races that followed would be completed in a single day, much like the Dubai World Cup of old.
Soon after that, it would be time for the final [Dream Cup].
It wasn't distant—it was practically right before her eyes.
But before that, she had to win this incredibly stacked Queen Anne Stakes!
"Alright, let's go!"
The girl Platinum, clad in her white race uniform, had already put on her long boots and was rising to her feet, taking light, brisk steps!
--+--
The Sea Family residence.
Numerous young Uma Musume girls, along with an elegant and mature noblewoman, all turned their gazes toward the dashing Uma Musume clad in her race uniform.
From Galileo, Sea the Stars, Stradivarius, and several other Sea Family Uma Musume who had won major graded stakes, to the family head, Urban Sea—all of them were paying close attention to this [Queen Anne Stakes].
The prestigious Uma Musume who had been relentlessly hunted and crushed by Platinum weren't limited to the [Coolmore Group].
To some extent, the Sea Family could also be considered indirect victims.
After all, the Sea Family had currently produced too many talented Uma Musume, present in various major race circuits.
And Platinum, who transcended and dominated across all race circuits, fighting in numerous races, inevitably encountered and had already defeated many Sea Family Uma Musume.
Among the sculptures enshrined in the Pegasus Hall, several were from the Sea Family.
Frankel... had become the last hope to defeat Platinum!
"Little Fran, you have to get revenge for me!"
"I don't want to see you end up next to her in the Pegasus Hall..."
"Go for it. If anyone can do it, it's you. You have a real chance of defeating the Pegasus."
"You're the most powerful Uma Musume in the entire Sea Family, even in all of Britain! The only one on turf who can possibly defeat Platinum. Don't let us down!"
"That's right, show some spirit!"
"Good on you!"
Frankel's dashing figure, her silent yet imposing demeanor, all revealed her determination to defeat any and all powerful rivals.
Facing the encouragement from her companions and sisters, Frankel gave a slight nod.
Bearing the title of the Strongest, she absolutely could not lose!
--+--
Racecourse, entrance.
This highly anticipated race, awaited by turf racing enthusiasts worldwide, poised to potentially birth a legend surpassing Eclipse...
Had now reached gate entry time!
Outside, the number of spectators lining up to enter was beyond count.
And it wasn't just the countless spectators—even reporters from all over the world had arrived and were broadcasting.
"This is the Uma Musume special issue of the 'Bunbun Daily'. This reporter, Natsuki Aya, will be reporting on Platinum..."
"This station's reporter, Yu Wenbo, reporting for you..."
Then, in the racecourse stands.
Spectators from various countries around the world were present in an incredibly exaggerated number.
There were Pegasus fans from Japan and other Asian countries; fans who had come from Australia to cheer for Winx and Platinum; and also local European fans of Frankel and Platinum.
In short, the fanbase was enormous and diverse.
But the majority were Platinum fans, followed by Frankel fans. The fans of other world-famous top-tier Uma Musume lagged significantly behind.
And currently, topics surrounding the popular Uma Musume were constantly being brought up and discussed by the spectators.
"Miss Platinum's achievements are already enough to rival Eclipse! With just this one race, she could dominate every turf race distance!"
"Go, Pegasus! You can't fall at the final hurdle!!"
"Wah, Miss Frankel, you mustn't lose! Your undefeated record can't be ended by the Pegasus."
"Winx, you're the face of Australian Uma Musumes. You have to perform well on the true international stage!"
"This is so exciting! To think we get to witness such a legendary showdown!"
--+--
And amidst the bustling, noisy crowd...
In one particular section, quite a few young Japanese fillies from Japan's Tracen Academy had gathered.
Daiwa Scarlet, Satono Diamond, Kitasan Black, and even those retired 'old-timers' from the student council—all had actually come!
"Dia, do you think Miss Platinum... can win? Her opponent is Frankel, the legendary mile history number one who surpassed Brigadier Gerard!"
Kitasan Black was feeling somewhat apprehensive, turning to look at the elegant girl, Satono Diamond, beside her.
Satono Diamond was burying her head, holding a pen, writing on a support sign she held in her arms.
When Kitasan Black leaned over to look, what she saw was...
[Platinum > Daiwa Scarlet > Frankel]
"?!!"
"Huh? Wh-what does this mean..."
Soon, after thinking for a few seconds, Kitasan Black arrived at an answer.
Daiwa Scarlet was famous for losing to Platinum by five lengths in her debut race.
Nowadays, on all major platforms worldwide, fervent Platinum fans were listing data, compiling race recordings, and documenting the winning margin in every one of Platinum's races.
Every race after her debut had been won by a large margin, even a super large margin.
Only Daiwa Scarlet—after that race with Platinum, the Crimson Queen was the only loser to ascend the Winner's Stage, the only one qualified to perform a victory dance alongside the Pegasus Platinum.
And for Satono Diamond to write such a formula on her support sign, [Platinum > Daiwa Scarlet > Frankel], didn't that mean...
Platinum would absolutely crush Frankel, guaranteed to win by more than five lengths!
Such intense, unwavering confidence in Platinum made Kitasan Black feel almost ashamed.
While she herself was in the "somewhat worried" stage, Diamond had already reached this level of certainty, even predicting a victory by more than five lengths!
And sitting right behind the two young fillies was Daiwa Scarlet herself.
But when Daiwa Scarlet looked over and saw the words on the support sign, her exquisite face showed a momentary stunned expression, followed by a touch of embarrassment.
However, it seemed she was already accustomed to such things, quickly regaining her composure.
"Platinum's opponent this time is Frankel!"
"Who will win or lose is unknown."
"How can you talk about winning by more than five lengths?"
The Crimson Queen shook her head; she did not agree with Satono Diamond's view.
In Daiwa Scarlet's eyes, that giant of mile races was simply beyond strong, probably ranking near the top even among the legendary Hall of Fame.
Plus, this was truly Frankel's home turf.
In contrast, not only was this Platinum's first attempt at this specific race distance, she had also just completed a grueling 3000-meter long-distance race not long ago!
Not only was she engaged in a tough campaign, but in terms of rest time, training time, and adaptation period, Platinum was clearly at a disadvantage.
Not her home turf, first mile race, fatigue from a tough campaign, insufficient adaptation time... If she could win under these circumstances, even by a tiny margin like a 'nose' or a 'neck,' it would be shocking enough!
After all, Platinum's opponent in this race was the legendary Frankel, and Platinum was undertaking such a rapid, challenging campaign! Pushing herself to the absolute limit!
Therefore, Daiwa Scarlet had already concluded—
Her own [five-length] myth would be thoroughly shattered in this race.
Whether Platinum won or Frankel won, the winning margin would most likely be within one or two lengths, with only a very small chance of reaching three lengths.
Either Frankel would win a narrow victory, birthing a super legend who defeated the Pegasus Platinum.
Or, Platinum would win a narrow victory, completely surpassing the Eclipse myth, and Frankel would replace her as the 'Uma Musume closest to the Pegasus.'
Thus, that story of her five-length loss... was finally going to end here!
To some extent, having her loss record surpassed was a kind of relief for Daiwa Scarlet, a feeling of letting go.
But... it wasn't just that. There was also an indescribable, inexplicable feeling of regret and reluctance.
Amidst these tangled emotions, Daiwa Scarlet ultimately chose... to support Platinum!
Thinking this, Daiwa Scarlet then shifted her gaze, looking down at the track below.
This world-renowned Crimson Queen, here and now, just like a regular Pegasus fan, began her own cheers.
"Platinum, do your best!!"
All around the world, countless people were simultaneously tuning in to watch the live broadcast.
--+--
Japan, URA headquarters.
The top officials of Japan's racing authority were gathered together, their eyes fixed on the large screen showing the [Queen Anne Stakes].
It's worth noting that nearly half the seats were empty.
There was still some time before the race started. The current live broadcast content, besides showing the spectacular scene of the massive crowds at the entrance, mainly focused on the Uma Musume commentators in the commentary box.
"Such a huge crowd... I'm so envious."
"I've seen the spectator numbers for Frankel's previous races; they were nowhere near this level. It's definitely because of Platinum."
"What a shame. It would be so great if a race like this happened in Japan."
Some of the higher-ups spoke up first, unable to hide their regret.
They remembered clearly: ever since the news broke that Platinum had challenged the alternative Triple Crown and won the Epsom Derby overseas, she had completely become Japan's most popular Uma Musume.
From then on, every Japanese G1 race that the Pegasus Platinum challenged drew massive crowds, with the entire nation discussing it.
Even more exaggerated, starting with the Arima Kinen, Platinum displayed the world's first publicly visible 'field effect,' instantly elevating her influence from covering all of Japan to expanding overseas, to the world.
Simply put, whenever Platinum participated in a Japanese race, it would cause the event's popularity to skyrocket.
Later, based on data, the URA concluded that the impact of a single Platinum race was greater than that of eight or ten carefully planned regular G1 races.
And these ten or eight [regular] races referred to the classic Japanese middle-distance and long-distance G1 races. As for the less popular sprints, miles, or filly races, those G1s weren't even considered 'regular.'
It's important to note that the Japanese Uma Musume world wasn't like Australia or the US, where hundreds of G1 races are held each year.
All of Japan's G1 races combined, counting strictly, only number just over twenty, and half of those are relatively niche or non-standard!
This shows just how exaggerated Platinum's value was; she was truly the [half of the empire] for Japanese Uma Musume racing.
But... they couldn't keep her! A Pegasus of that caliber would only have her wings clipped if she stayed in Japan.
So now, they could only look on with envy, intense envy!
"If Miss Platinum could just race in Japan again, I'd be willing to serve her hand and foot."
"Wishful thinking. There are countless crazy Pegasus fans willing to pay to serve her."
"By the way, why are half the seats empty? Are that many people late?"
"No, it's not that. They managed to get tickets."
"D*mn!"
--+--
Amidst the various discussions and sighs, the time for the [Queen Anne Stakes] drew closer.
'Finally... finally I get to see Miss Platinum again!'
'This time, it's not just Frankel who's on home turf; I am too.'
'I need to show my full power, make Miss Platinum see me in a new light.'
'Compared to a fan, surely a rival, a strong opponent, leaves a more lasting impression.'
In the Uma Musume preparation area, the snow-white, socially anxious empress Winx was gazing intently at the silver-haired girl who had just arrived and was taking her bow and arrows out of the case.
Right now, Winx was filled with an incredibly high fighting spirit.
Not far from her, the extremely cold Frankel stood up, crossed her arms, and also looked toward Platinum.
The [Jewel] of the Sea Family and all of Great Britain, the mile's number one legendary girl Frankel, had finally... come face to face with the Pegasus.
Frankel took in Platinum's appearance from head to toe, committing it to memory.
'Like Big Sister Stars, she doesn't seem outwardly domineering.'
'She doesn't have the same forceful, imposing aura as those two dirt legends, Nearl and Secretariat.'
Frankel wasn't too surprised; she wouldn't let her guard down around Platinum in the slightest.
Platinum, ranked number one in the world, established as Eclipse's equal... possibly even surpassing Eclipse after this race—this [Lunar Eclipse], [Pegasus]—how could she possibly be weaker than an ordinary Uma Musume who merely exudes presence?
If anything... wasn't that the composure of the sky above the sky?
Or perhaps, it was the final mercy of an assassin before the hunt?
Frankel stopped overthinking. She spoke her piece to Platinum.
"Senior Platinum, have you ever imagined... what it's like to lose?"
As these words rang out, Platinum didn't respond immediately. Instead, after slinging her bow, she turned to face the absolute monarch of the mile, undefeated in her domain.
"For me, it's Victory or Death."
"Losing? I've never considered it."
Platinum's cold, calm, and distant response immediately made Frankel's expression freeze.
She... hadn't just asked that question idly. Even if she were asking, she wouldn't ask something so pointless and dull.
She had expected Platinum to simply shake her head and say she'd never thought about it.
Then, Frankel would have followed up with the same statement—both of them undefeated, declaring war here and now.
But what Frankel hadn't expected was...
Platinum's first words were—[Victory or Death]?
Wait, for Platinum, was winning and losing really that heavy?
"Give it your all, Frankel."
"There is no Dream Cup on the turf."
After the silver-haired girl uttered those final cold words, she stepped forward, carrying the demeanor of the top-ranked Uma Musume, and was the first to stride towards the entrance.
As her silver cape fluttered and then disappeared from view, Frankel finally processed it.
No Dream Cup!
Meaning... no second chance. If you lose, there's no possibility of revenge.
Absolutely no room for error. The ultimate battle on turf... was here!
"You'll regret this, Platinum!"
--+--
A short while later.
Position, starting gate.
The silver-haired girl was positioned in gate three.
Usually plagued by bad luck, this time she had drawn a pretty good position.
"This spot is good."
Listening to the roaring cheers from the stands on both sides, Platinum revealed a faint smile.
Once, a certain black-hearted young doctor thought he was just lucky to transform into the stats monster Platinum and win.
When he drew his second transformation character [Margaret Nearl] and still kept winning!
He finally realized... maybe he was the strong one!
And now, this was the final race on European turf. Time to run happily!
--+--
[10!]
[9!]
[8!]
Platinum VS Frankel! Here we go!
--+--
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.