[[Domain]: Activate!!]
[[Mileage Supreme]: In mile-length races, slightly increases domain intensity, enhances all domain skill effects, and provides minor resistance to opponent-imposed debuffs.]
[[Supreme Glory]: When in the first half of the race, slightly increases Power and Acceleration; when in the second half, slightly recovers Stamina and increases Burst.]
[[Sea Bloodline]: When in a 'European G1 Race,' moderately increases Fighting Spirit and slightly increases Speed, while slightly suppressing the domains of Uma Musume who lack the 'Sea Bloodline.']
[[Eternal Majesty]: Judges the average strength of all Uma Musume on the field. The stronger the opponents, the greater the increase to Fighting Spirit, Stamina recovery, and Speed.]
--+--
Frankel didn't hesitate in the slightest. She immediately expanded her domain, unleashing half of her proud domain skills.
That's right, just half! Only half!
As an absolute stat monster, even when Frankel wasn't going all out or freely employing various running styles, the strength and effect of her half-powered domain skills surpassed those of world-class Uma Musume, easily eclipsing so-called geniuses.
Frankel had seen many geniuses, and those geniuses all called her a genius!
After her Maturation, Frankel would follow trainer Henry's race strategies, operating under the premise of stable, safe victories.
But this time was different. It was as if Frankel had returned to her debut days—powerful, utterly disregarding so-called rationality, following her instincts, and running with all her might!
She possessed the wisdom and planning to activate her domain yet use only half its skills, coupled with the wildness of an unrestrained sprint.
This dashing, incredibly refreshing young girl was completely different from the elegance and gentleness of your typical, refined elite daughter. She was brimming with heroic spirit, her sword pointed directly at the Pegasus!
"A second acceleration? I can do that too!"
"Thinking you can overtake me won't be so easy."
A latent, sharp killing intent began to spread relentlessly from her body.
And in the very next moment—!!
The aura radiating from Frankel's entire being intensified to an extreme, effortlessly blanketing the vast Coliseum of Kazimierz, a display worthy of her legendary name.
Her re-acceleration, even in this scenario of a fierce front-running pace, was still possible. Under the astonished gaze of Winx, who had also initiated a hard chase from the front, Frankel managed to pull away from Winx by a small margin once again.
Thus, she maintained a position nearly level with the leading Platinum, who was running alongside the silver-white girl with jet-black wings spread, practically flying just above the ground.
The two legends, their one-on-one duel continued, seeming to create a completely different level, a different world, separating them from the rest of the field—including Winx!
Despite being an international race gathering six G1 champion Uma Musume, right from the first half of the race's start, the silver-white Pegasus girl and that mile-length legend completely dominated.
The brilliance emanating from these two effortlessly overshadowed all other Uma Musume, transforming this gathering of superstars into their very own [One-on-One Duel]?!
In an instant!
This scene caused the sense of crisis in the hearts of the many G1 champion genius girls further back to surge completely!!
"Th-that's such a fast acceleration!"
"No way, they're both setting a fierce pace, maintaining such a fast rhythm is one thing, but to actually…"
"This can't be—a second acceleration? Both the Pegasus and Frankel have activated a re-acceleration after their hard front-running pace?!"
"We have to make a decision, do we follow their rhythm or not…"
Having the courage to enter this Queen Anne Stakes, these challenging Uma Musume were naturally no ordinary individuals.
If placed in a regular generation, one without once-in-a-century legendary freaks or once-in-a-decade historic geniuses, any of them could potentially compete for the title of World Horse of the Year.
Take Winx, for example, or Cirrus des Aigles, who had faced and lost to Frankel before.
Each of them had been defeated by one of the two legends at the very front. In a way, their experience with defeat had granted them a keen sense of smell.
Winx and Cirrus des Aigles wouldn't apply the common sense used against conventional world-class Uma Musume to Frankel and Platinum.
The first to grow anxious in the rear was Cirrus des Aigles.
"The pace… it's a bit too fast."
The leading Platinum and Frankel had just reached the first corner.
It seemed the race hadn't been going on for long, but by now, all of them felt their hearts in their throats, completely filled with a sense of crisis.
After all, unlike Winx, who had decided early on to accelerate and chase the front-runners hard, staying back in the pack and witnessing herself fall behind by nearly a "large margin" in an extremely short time made it inevitably difficult to maintain calm composure.
"I have to accelerate earlier. I can't rely on my final kick to close a large margin, let alone a super large margin, that Platinum and Frankel might build up by the end."
"Besides believing in myself, I have no other choice."
Until a certain moment…
A flash of icy silver-white light.
No, it was an arrow!
From the Hall of Pegasus near the finish line, the phantom of a young goddess seated high on a throne loosed an arrow, her whisper devoid of any emotional fluctuation, uttering words of a hunt.
"One."
The first to be pierced by this transcendent special effect… was a certain young Uma Musume in the outermost gate.
"Ugh!!"
"Huh, have I already… been shot?"
"So, so fast!"
The Pegasus declaring the hunt was only pulling further and further away from them!
This scene seemed to thoroughly become the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Instantly, the Uma Musume in the rear who hadn't initially adopted the hard front-running style were all forced, under the influence of the extremely fast pace, to likewise begin accelerating.
--+--
In the spectator stands.
Countless spectators were utterly transfixed, their gazes locked firmly on the two sprinting figures at the very front.
Behind the silver light of Platinum and the black light of Frankel, as many as four world-renowned top-tier mile-length Uma Musume were in relentless pursuit, yet the gap kept widening.
Even as they accelerated, the degree of their effort compared to the legends who had accelerated early, expanded their domains, and the Pegasus who had spread her wings, still resulted in a visibly wide gap.
This scene thoroughly shocked the innumerable spectators in the stands.
The expressions of many had turned into stunned gaping, unable to tear their eyes away for a second from the sight of Platinum and Frankel still leading and accelerating unrestrainedly at the front.
"Winx in third place is now behind by… four lengths!"
"Four and a half lengths! It's almost five lengths! It's approaching the gap Daiwa Scarlet faced!"
"It's truly unbelievable, and she's using a hard front-running style too. I've never heard of a front-running Uma Musume being opened up on by two other front-runners to such a massive degree."
"Never mind the gap, just having three Uma Musume simultaneously employing a hard front-running pace is a scene that happens maybe once in a hundred years, right?"
Even among Frankel's many loyal, fervent fans, their eyes were filled with astonishment.
Because, in their memory, only the Frankel of her classic year would run with such a lack of tactical nuance, crushing all opponents with her blindingly obvious talent, winning no matter how she ran.
And as time passed and she went through Maturation, Frankel had supposedly found her comfort zone, able to win easily and safely.
But now… Frankel, at her peak, possessing perfection in talent, strength, and even running style, had returned to her former arrogant, indulgent self, accelerating with absolute confidence in her own abilities?
No specific running style, only the act of surpassing every other Uma Musume! Accelerating to victory! This was… the Frankel of this moment!
"Truly, truly unexpected! To see the mature, peak Frankel displaying an acceleration as domineering and solitary as Platinum's!"
"Do they both believe so utterly in their own victory, refusing to cede even an inch of the view from the front?!"
"Faced with such a terrifying degree of acceleration, no wonder Cirrus des Aigles and the others further back can't stay seated. If they don't pick up the pace, they'd probably be left with a super large margin even before the final straight, right?"
"Marvelous, truly marvelous. Being able to get a ticket is the greatest luck I've had this year."
Amidst the many exclamations, the conversation centered entirely on the two sole legends at the front.
Even in the front rows, even Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black, who had grown from little girls into young ladies, from ordinary Uma Musume into full-fledged competitors.
"Platinum-sama, so amazing! She's already opened up five lengths on that super empress from Australia in such a short time!"
Kitasan Black excitedly clenched her fists.
Perhaps many local European spectators around them didn't feel much about it, maybe not understanding what this meant, only having impressions of local mile-length Uma Musume like Frankel or Cirrus des Aigles.
But Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, they were Japanese Uma Musume. They hadn't just watched the match between Platinum and Winx.
They had also, during that memorial race held for Platinum at the [Pegasus Kinen], witnessed the fearsome strength of that Australian empress, Winx.
Satono Diamond took a deep breath. She wouldn't consider Winx weak just because her idol, the Pegasus, had blown her out.
"You have to understand, even the Golden Tyrant, Orfevre, who had the potential to surpass the Emperor, lost to Winx by two or three lengths in the 2000-meter [Pegasus Kinen]."
"And Daiwa Scarlet in third place was also opened up to five lengths by Winx!"
"And 2000 meters, that exceeds the upper limit of a mile, reaching the [Middle Distance] category. Furthermore, it was Winx-sama's first expedition abroad, so she must have suffered some degree of travel fatigue…"
Being able to achieve a significant victory under such unfavorable conditions was enough to prove how exceptional Winx was.
And in this [Queen Anne Stakes], Winx's condition was absolutely only better! Because this was… her second expedition, and the race distance was [1600 meters]!
This was the real deal, a genuine, bona fide mile-length race, not something like 1800 meters which is close to the 2000-meter middle distance, but a distance with a very clear distinction.
A Winx who was stronger than during the Pegasus Kinen, and who was also running a full-on hard front-running pace, had only just passed the first corner, the race not even halfway through, and was already being left behind by five or six lengths, heading towards a large margin deficit?!
"Such a strong, all-out Winx, she can't possibly be holding back in her hard front-running style."
"But even she can't catch up to Platinum-sama and Frankel in their second acceleration. That's enough to prove the power of legends, right?"
As Satono Diamond sighed in admiration, a rare ripple of emotion stirred in her eyes, and she looked at Platinum with a trace of worry.
In any other race, whether against Black Caviar, Winx, or Harbinger, she had absolute confidence in her idol.
But Frankel alone… she was the strongest monster Platinum-sama had ever faced.
"I'm afraid even if a [Dream Cup] were held on turf, as long as the distance was set to a mile, Frankel-senpai would have the qualifications to be the strongest of the past century, a top contender for the number one spot, a favorite to win the Dream Cup, just like Man o' War, right?"
"And Platinum-sama, even now, still leads her by a slight neck, hasn't fallen behind by a single bit."
"As expected of the Pegasus!!"
It wasn't just these Japanese Uma Musume who were discussing this.
[The death struggle between the two legends, the Pegasus and Frankel, has not let up from the moment the gates opened until now!]
[It's truly incredible. Even with Winx pushing the pace hard, even with the entire field accelerating to this extent, they can only watch as the gap to the leading Platinum widens.]
[The Pegasus's hard front-running pace has already stretched the gap over Winx, the third front-runner, to the point of nearing a large margin, and her footsteps are still accelerating?!]
[In this Queen Anne Stakes, a mere 1600 meters, the legends are showing what strength a legend ought to possess!]
As the announcer's voice rang out, the spectator stands reached a fever pitch.
And in a certain location.
A pale, elderly man was gazing intently at the very front, at the figure of the young girl just slightly behind, running beside Platinum.
Trainer Henry—no one believed in his charge, Frankel, more than he did.
"I knew it. Everything in the past wasn't your limit."
"Without the strongest opponent, how can the strongest legend be forced out?"
"Charge, Frankel! Burn everything you have to shoot down the Pegasus!!"
--+--
After the second corner.
Before the final straight, the curved portion of the track was already more than half over.
The silver-white girl's amber eyes, besides the long-since ignited fighting spirit, now held a rising sense of excitement.
For the first time in so long!
Platinum could feel the formidable strength of her opponent.
This was the first Uma Musume, since Platinum began her hard front-running acceleration, who hadn't been left behind without Platinum needing to use her full strength!
As expected, this was the strongest Uma Musume.
"Good. You're an opponent worth fighting."
"So, can you keep up with this?"
A faint smile played on Platinum's exquisite, composed face.
Now, this incredibly dashing silver-white girl had made some important decision.
In the next instant, from her petite form with its spread jet-black wings erupted an aura so intense it seemed to cover everything.
In a flash, it transformed into a domain.
--+--
[[Pegasian Sight]: Activate]
[[Will activate at least three exclusive domain skills most suited to the current situation, greatly increasing aura suppression pressure, causing additional Stamina consumption for all Uma Musume on the field, and slightly lowering their Speed.]]
[[Passive (Auto-sustain): Will slightly lower own Speed, moderately increase Power and enhance Stride Frequency…]]
--+--
"If you have the skill, then keep following me, Frankel."
--+--
[[Giant Killer]: The more Uma Musume surpassed cumulatively, the faster Speed increases. When no Uma Musume are ahead, slightly recovers own Stamina.]
[[Unexpended Wrath?]: Slightly drains aura…]
[[Unyielding Before Hardship and Darkness]: …]
[[The Grudge of Yesterday, a Thorn in the Flesh!]: …]
--+--
The surging domain, no less powerful than Frankel's, and coupled with an acceleration that now surpassed Frankel's, belonged to the Pegasus girl. She leaned her body forward, adopting the signature posture of an Uma Musume skilled in a powerful final kick!
In the next moment, Platinum's sprint displayed astonishing explosive force and power, as she leaped without hesitation towards the next corner.
The figure of that continuously accelerating, receding silver-white light raced on! Frankel, who had been clinging on for the entire first half of the race, now had her expression tighten, feeling the terror of the Pegasus's acceleration beside her.
"This…"
"Platinum was already this fierce even before activating her domain?"
Frankel, her head held high in pride, her exquisite profile, showed not a trace of fear after processing this.
Suddenly, she let out a soft laugh. The large heart pounding in her chest seemed stimulated to its limit.
"That's right. Just like this."
"This is the feeling, a sense of crisis not even Sea the Stars-senpai could bring me in training races."
This world truly has countless heroes!
As excellent as Sea the Stars was, she was ultimately a monster focused on the middle-distance, kingly courses.
Even if Sea the Stars might possess talent for the mile, that could only remain a theoretical possibility, lacking the extensive time and energy for specialized training and races at that distance.
But for a Pegasus like Platinum, whose training time probably amounted to just a few short months, to successively surpass the strongest short-distance Uma Musume, the strongest long-distance Uma Musume, and now face her in a mile-length battle…
Such a monster not only had no predecessors, in Frankel's view, she would absolutely have no successors!
"In that case, I, Frankel, shall also fight with my full strength!"
—If I cannot go faster, then I cannot fight!!
—If I cannot become stronger, then I cannot surpass!!
Under the gallop of that passionate, proud fighting spirit, Frankel displayed her peak, full power for the very first time!
She would prove to the Pegasus, who claimed it was victory or death, that her own fighting spirit was no less intense!
—And finally, if I cannot live up to those expectations, then I cannot win!!
--+--
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.