Inside the Student Council Room.
The conversation between Tokai Teio and Symboli Rudolf had begun.
"Hah? She's only been racing for a week, and she's already entering another competition?"
Faced with the information Tokai Teio had just relayed, the Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf, set down her phone, her expression shifting to one of stunned disbelief.
Only a week after her debut—shouldn't she be focusing on training, preparing for the year-end Hopeful Stakes or Future Stakes?
Or was it that Platinum wasn't afraid of the risks of consecutive battles, planning to "grow through combat"—using constant races to sharpen herself into something stronger?
"What kind of race is she challenging? An easy one?"
"No, a G3 stakes race!"
Tokai Teio's answer came with a tone of sheer astonishment.
If it were after a month or two of rest, challenging a G3 wouldn't be surprising. After all, Platinum—who had already defeated Daiwa Scarlet—possessed the skill and potential for it.
But shortening that timeframe to just one week? That was a whole different story!
That was the most extreme, most physically demanding kind of consecutive racing. Forget going all out—just being able to perform at half her usual strength while avoiding injury would already be impressive.
Even veteran race mares capable of winning G1 races, who could theoretically dominate G3-level competitions, wouldn't dare take on such a brutal schedule.
And yet Platinum, fresh out of debut and still at the peak of her youth, had the audacity to attempt this insane consecutive racing?
"Mejiro McQueen told me about the race—she's already at the venue watching."
"I just got cleared to start training again, so after hesitating, I decided not to go and kept training instead."
"By now… the race should've already started, right?"
Tokai Teio sighed in admiration.
Most race Uma Musume could be described as "grind-lords." And elite champions like Tokai Teio? They were the kings of grind-lords.
So, after being charged an exorbitant treatment fee by that black-hearted young doctor, she was actually overjoyed to return to training, endlessly grateful that Dr. Lin had managed to treat her. Now, she couldn't even spare time to watch a race.
"I see…"
Symboli Rudolf gave a light nod, immediately picking up her phone to dial Mejiro McQueen's number.
If she couldn't make it to the stands herself, then she'd have to rely on Mejiro McQueen to relay updates and ask questions for her.
Back in her prime, the "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf had been infamous for her domineering, ruthless, and no-holds-barred approach.
She had once been so unyielding that she believed Oguri Cap, with her exceptional talent, should abandon local races and immediately transfer to Tracen Academy to compete in the central circuit.
She had even once arrogantly told Oguri Cap—"Don't you dare disrespect the Central Races!"
Looking back now, it was a cringey memory Rudolf desperately wanted to sever from her past.
But after retiring for so long, Symboli Rudolf had mellowed out considerably. Now, she watched promising newcomers like Tokai Teio and Platinum with nothing but warmth and anticipation.
"This mysterious little one… I just can't figure her out."
"I hope she can join the student council alongside Teio, supporting the future of Japan's racing world!"
--+--
On the Racetrack!
Her first time leading a "runaway escape" didn't bring even a hint of nervousness to the white-haired girl.
Because she didn't even realize she was running away.
At first, Platinum just felt like her "Front-Running" pace was a little too fast—slightly quicker than the other Front-Running seniors around her.
Compared to the two True Escape racers far ahead, she was still lagging behind a bit, so that had to mean she was just front-running, right?
And since front-runners were supposed to eventually overtake and replace the leading escape runners, accelerating past those two escape racers…
Made perfect sense, didn't it?
It was worth noting that Platinum wasn't just pulling this logic out of thin air.
Some of the fillies she'd met in America ran like this!
Take that poor, weak, and helpless Big Red—she loved running like this!
Besides, that black-hearted young doctor had also treated a seemingly frail, sickly-looking girl named Seabiscuit a few times back in the States, and her running style was similar to Big Red's.
Since the clueless Pegasus girl wanted to change her racing style, of course she'd mimic the running styles of the two she was familiar with—Big Red and Seabiscuit.
If they could do it, she could too!
So, front-running, then accelerating to overtake the escape racers… totally reasonable!
And so—!
"Wh-what kind of monster is this?!"
"Wasn't she supposed to be bad at starts? And wasn't she stuck in the outermost gate?!"
The two escape racers at the front finally caught sight of the silver-white figure in their peripheral vision—and were shocked.
Thanks to their favorable inner-gate positions, they had easily secured the inside track as escape runners, taking the lead.
Because of this, they had completely missed Platinum's flawless start, still smugly thinking, "She must've had a bad break, right?"
But their joy was short-lived.
Before they knew it, Platinum was already right beside them, the gap closing to almost nothing!
"Sh-should we accelerate to keep the lead…?"
But hesitation wasn't something the dazzling silver-white figure was willing to grant them.
In the next instant, Platinum drew fully even with them—right on the first turn!
"Muuuuh!!"
Ignoring the quiet wails of despair, Platinum found herself with no racers left in front of her—and the race wasn't even halfway over.
The cold, expressionless Assassin of the track only seemed to be warming up, her galloping strides growing even more powerful!
She could feel it—she was nowhere near her limit. There was something else… something she could use!
Abandoning all hesitation, discarding all thought—!!
The petite, feather-light Pegasus radiated an aura that grew even stronger.
In an instant, she had transformed into a monster forged from sheer momentum. Not just that—the vast racetrack itself seemed to warp into a bottomless swamp, threatening to drag down everything around her.
Every other racer on the field—all of them—suddenly felt their strides stutter, their collective momentum visibly slowing.
It was as if the sovereign of the track was freely galloping ahead, while her opponents had been shackled, forced into an insurmountable gap!
The sharper-eyed racers widened their eyes, gritting their teeth.
"Is that… presence?! It's not at the level of a [Zone], but the pressure is insane!"
"She can already overwhelm others with sheer aura? What kind of freak is she? She just debuted!"
"No good… if we try to chase her down now, we'll burn out before the finish…"
They—all of them, veteran racers—were being suppressed as a group!
Was Platinum not some Napoleon at Waterloo, but instead… "Symboli Rudolf Reborn", a "Second Coming of the Emperor" who stood above all?!
In the blink of an eye, Platinum widened the gap, beginning her first runaway lead with terrifying ease.
The racers behind, unable to resist the pressure of her aura, didn't dare accelerate too soon.
Four lengths!
Five lengths!
Six lengths!
Before the race even reached its midpoint, she was already pulling ahead with an insane lead.
This Pegasus had effortlessly surpassed the five-length dominance of her debut race—!!
--+--
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.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
p@treon.com/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.