The Look Back!
A dominant victory by a huge margin in the top-tier G1 race!
A world record for the fastest time to become a G1 champion!
Any one of these achievements would undoubtedly have made headlines across Japan's major newspapers.
But now, they were all accomplished in this very Oaks race by the underestimated newcomer, Pegasus Platinum!
As Platinum crossed the finish line in dazzling fashion, the entire venue erupted—"shock" wasn't even enough to describe it!
[Dominant victory by a huge margin! Undeniable power!]
[Looking back at the moon—absolute confidence and strength.]
[Let us celebrate! The classic circuit has finally produced a talent rivaling even that "Tachyon, Agnes Tachyon"!]
[Platinum truly lives up to her name as a Pegasus—she was practically flying!]
Tens of thousands of spectators filled the venue. Even though many had come to cheer for Mejiro Dober and Kyoei March before the race, they couldn't help but join in chanting Platinum's name, shouting excited, exhilarated congratulations.
"Platinum!! Platinum!!"
"The strongest!! The strongest!! The strongest!!"
"This is the strongest Pegasus! It's a shame she didn't run in the Japan Derby."
"Even the elite geniuses couldn't stop the Pegasus's stride. She'll definitely win the Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Fillies' Triple Crown, and achieve the Fillies' Double Crown!"
"What a pity she arrived so late. She clearly had the potential to compete for an undefeated Fillies' Triple Crown, or even… the Classic Triple Crown. Yet now, she'll only manage the modest Fillies' Double Crown."
"I'm Mejiro—no, I'm Miss Platinum's dog!!"
Cheers, congratulations, and sighs of amazement were too numerous to count. It was easy to imagine just how emotionally charged the crowd had become.
After all, this was Pegasus Platinum—the fastest horse girl in history to become a G1 champion!
Meanwhile, near the spectator stands…
A horse girl scientist clad in a white coat couldn't hide the astonishment in her eyes. She had already left her seat and was preparing to depart after watching the race.
But before turning away, Agnes Tachyon couldn't help but murmur words of admiration.
"What a terrifying body."
Even Tachyon—hailed as the "Phantom Triple Crown" winner, her talent recognized as rivaling that of the Emperor, Tokai Teio—could only describe Platinum's physical prowess as monstrous!
For a horse girl, talent is one thing, but the body is another. The two have always been inseparable—one determines the theoretical ceiling, the other is the bridge that supports the journey to that ceiling.
If the bridge isn't sturdy enough, if it cracks or collapses too early, no amount of talent can ever reach the destined peak.
Tachyon herself was a case in point: immensely gifted, yet let down by a body that couldn't keep up, injured to the verge of retirement long before she ever reached her prime.
When the body falls short, innate talent remains unfulfilled, leading to an early, regretful exit.
But this Platinum… she seemed terrifying in every aspect! Even before fully maturing, she was already precociously fierce, mastering presence, and dominating race after race!
She had talent, and her physicality was astonishing—so resilient she'd rarely suffer injuries. How enviable.
She was precisely the kind of genius horse girl worthy of standing alongside Dr. Lin as a top-tier research subject!
No need to painstakingly gather data on overseas monsters anymore—this Pegasus was every bit their equal!
Although, for some reason, Platinum still hadn't joined Tracen Academy, and her whereabouts remained shrouded in mystery…
But as long as she was in Japan, she had to be easier to track down and observe than those foreign monster Uma Musume, right?
"From talent to physique, even presence—flawless in every way."
"She's practically… a darling of the Three Goddesses!"
Just before leaving, a thought suddenly struck Tachyon:
'With a body that exceptional… she probably never even needs to visit Dr. Lin at the infirmary, does she?'
After all, an injury would be the last thing to slow down that Pegasus.
--+--
On the other side of the spectator stands…
Two young horse girls remained in their seats, their petite faces lit up with amazement, as if they'd never imagined witnessing such an incredible race.
"Th-that was… A Look Back?!"
"To think we'd see something like that in a horse girl G1 race…"
"Even the great Ms. McQueen has never pulled that off!"
Both the lively Kitasan Black and the elegant Satono Diamond were buzzing with excitement.
The petite Kitasan Black's eyes were practically sparkling, her small fists clenched tight.
"That was… so cool!"
In her eyes, Platinum was absolute perfection—the epitome of cool!
If she had to nitpick, the only flaw might be… that final Look Back.
During a race, even slowing down for an instant at such high speeds could allow others to close the gap.
"If she hadn't looked back, if she hadn't slowed down at the very end, Ms. Platinum could've won by an even greater margin."
"Plus, she changed her running style mid-race—she didn't commit to leading from the start, which cost her some time."
If Platinum had run with absolute seriousness, winning by twelve, thirteen lengths, or even more wouldn't have been impossible.
But a dominant victory was a dominant victory—winning by a few more lengths wouldn't have made much difference.
Even if some critics might call her "talented but disrespectful," "lacking competitive drive," or "not taking races seriously"…
But being cool? That lasts a lifetime!
That was a Look Back for the history books!
And Kitasan Black was utterly captivated by that stylish, dominant victory.
She wasn't the only one left in awe.
Beside her, Satono Diamond had even forgotten she'd come to watch her idol, Mejiro McQueen's sister, Dober.
None of that mattered now, because…
—Diamond had a new idol!
The next moment, Diamond looked down and decided to modify the cheer sign she'd been holding—originally reading [Mejiro Dober must win!].
She changed it to—[Pegasus Platinum!]
--+--
At the finish line…
Mejiro Dober, who finished second, stood dazed and stupefied, her delicate face frozen in disbelief.
Her mind kept replaying the moment the Pegasus, leading by a huge margin, glanced back at her just before the finish line—a Look Back, gazing down at her from above!!
Without a doubt, that scene was worthy of being named the year's top moment in Japanese Uma Musume racing—an instant entry into the history books!
Humiliation! Unprecedented humiliation!
It was because she was too weak that her opponent could afford to be so casual, so whimsical—to look back, almost as if going easy on her.
After what felt like an eternity, Dober finally snapped out of it. Gritting her teeth, she fixed her gaze on that silver-white figure ahead.
"I'm sorry… I couldn't make you use your full strength."
The silver-white Pegasus girl turned back calmly, a faint, subtle smile gracing her lips.
"It was a wonderful race."
"I don't think I'll ever forget you."
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.