[Pegasian Sight]!!!
Within Miss Pegasus's, Platinum's, amber-glowing eyes, an unbelievable radiance suddenly burst forth!
And there, under the curtain of drizzling rain—
The once heavy and gloomy rain-soaked turf began to glow, as if dyed in a dazzling, sacred white, gradually being overwritten by illusory structures.
The entire 2,400-meter course transformed in an instant into a solemn, imposing arena!
It was a sight that would stun any horse girl, yet no matter how shocked, curious, or thoughtful they might be, none could possibly discern the true origin of this arena.
Only Platinum, the first of her kind in this world, could recognize it—
It was the Coliseum of the Kazimierz Major!
Kazimierz, a holy land that had nurtured countless knights. In Arknights, it was on this very Arena stage that the idol knight, Nearl the Radiant Knight, once performed in combat.
Though, if we're being honest, Platinum wasn't exactly fond of that job. She eventually chose to switch careers.
Just like that, she went from Knight… to Assassin—becoming the high-ranking assassin known as "Platinum" within the Armorless Union.
Anyway, when it came to the Knight Coliseum, even if she hadn't paid much attention to the story back before transmigrating, she could never possibly be unfamiliar with it!
Even Miss Pegasus herself, now transformed, was utterly astonished!
If it weren't for the other horse girls still around and ahead of her, she might've thought she'd been transported straight into the world of Arknights.
'You've got to be kidding me… This counts as a skill!?'
Platinum never expected that the first time she felt motivated to unleash her aura, just to see what would happen or what skill might activate…
What she'd actually unleashed was [Pegasian Sight]! Something that could envelop the entire course and even make the scenery appear to change?
'Wait a sec, this doesn't feel like just an aura anymore. This is…'
Then it hit her—since when did skills ever look like this?
In Arknights, [Pegasian Sight] was indeed just a skill, but that didn't mean it would be the same in a horse girl race!
'After pushing my aura to a pretty intense degree… did I accidentally open a [Domain]?'
In her mind, she instantly sensed the current domain and the skills now active.
[[Pegasian Sight]: Activated]
[Unlocks at least three exclusive domain skills best suited to the current situation. Greatly enhances aura suppression, inflicts additional stamina drain on all horse girls, and slightly reduces their speed.]
[Passive (Auto-Sustain): Slightly reduces own speed, moderately increases power and stride frequency, slightly improves insight and reaction speed. Slightly steals skill acceleration effects from all horse girls and absorbs their stamina at a minimal rate.]
[(Pegasus Not of This World): Activatable when the track condition is "Firm," "Heavy," or "Soft." Restores stamina based on severity of track conditions, reduces stamina consumption, and slightly increases speed.]
[(Swift Shooter): The closer you are to horse girls ahead, the faster your speed increases. When no horse girls are ahead, slightly reduces subsequent stamina consumption.]
[(Knight Killer): The more horse girls you overtake, the faster your speed increases. When no horse girls are ahead, slightly restores your own stamina.]
After clearly understanding her domain's effects and these exclusive, unique skills, even Miss Pegasus herself was caught off guard.
These unheard-of skills… they really were perfectly suited to the situation!
Not only were there skills to overcome and master track conditions, but there were also skills ideal for a closer-style runner like her to overtake opponents, recover stamina, and reduce consumption!
The only problem might be… she'd activated her domain a bit too late, hadn't she?
They were already entering the third corner, with only a short stretch left before the final sprint straight. If she weren't a stamina genius, she might even worry that activating the domain now was too early.
This unique domain, Pegasian Sight, had a passive that automatically sustained itself while draining other horse girls' acceleration and stamina. In other words…
This domain was basically a perpetual skill straight out of Arknights, best activated as early as possible in a race!
Activating it at this moment might not push Pegasian Sight to its limits, but for this Japanese Derby… it was more than enough.
"Domain: Pegasian Sight. The field has turned into the Knight Coliseum. Well then…"
She was here to end this race!
Or rather, to kill this race. The remaining arrows in her quiver had to be spent!
'Not winning this… just wouldn't do.'
"Let's see how long you can keep running away!"
In the next instant, those cold, silver eyes of hers glinted with… the killing intent of an Assassin!
Platinum's galloping strides, already beyond ordinary comprehension, quickened even further. The acceleration she displayed racing along the inner path was terrifying to behold.
Pegasus Platinum had activated her domain for the first time. Even if the timing was off and it wasn't the complete form…
Her pace seemed to exist on an entirely different level compared to the other horse girls. The two other popular favorites ahead were already within two lengths of her—a dangerously close distance!
"Commencing eradication."
Behind Platinum, that dazzling, goddess-like silhouette reappeared, drawing her bow once more.
"Count one: Shatter Ankles."
--+--
"Huh?! W-What in the world is this?"
"The racecourse… it's turning into some kind of arena?"
"Even if it's a top-tier horse girl's aura, it might only slightly alter parts of the field, right? This is…"
"Something beyond aura… a [Domain]?!"
"This coliseum… it's not suggesting I have to fight Platinum to the death, is it? Gwah, I don't want that!"
Up in the leading positions, several horse girls were staring in shock. Those who hadn't witnessed Platinum's overtaking effects yet were now treated to the domain's spectacle first.
It was the Coliseum of Kazimierz, instantly weighing down on the galloping horse girls with pressure. Not only that, their already dwindling stamina was rapidly draining away…
Even among them, some of the best possessed strong auras of their own, but once activated, not only could they not resist—they couldn't even lessen the domain's suppression!
It was an absolute gap, as vast and insurmountable as a chasm!
The foreign horse girl known as Kurofune gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her speed.
"You've got to be kidding me! A heavy track was already hard enough to run on, and now a classic-era horse girl can wield a domain?!"
"Even in the most famous Triple Crowns on dirt and turf in the U.S. and U.K., usually no more than three to five horse girls ever master a domain!"
"Weren't we all saying Japan was full of small fries? That even the strongest older Uma Musume might not have domains? So how did I end up facing a monster who could contend for victory in the U.S. or U.K. Triple Crowns?!"
"With skills like this, why even bother running the Japanese Triple Crown!?"
What kind of horse girl could possibly command a domain like this, manifesting such an astonishing Knight Coliseum?!
Kurofune, who'd come to Japan to conquer, was experiencing firsthand what it meant to be "the hunter becoming the hunted."
Races of 2000m-2400m were middle-distance, while anything beyond 2400m was long-distance.
Many horse girls could handle short middle-distance races like the Satsuki Sho, but struggled with the Japanese Derby—the longest middle-distance race, bordering on long-distance.
Kurofune was the type who had difficulty with 2400m. Combined with the heavy track, which drained stamina faster than expected, she was already feeling the strain.
And now, with this vast Coliseum Domain imposing suppression and stamina drain, Kurofune's anxious heart sank completely.
'I knew it… I should've switched to mile races or dirt races instead…'
But switching was something for after this race—right now, she had to focus on how to win, or at least how to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
As Kurofune raced through her thoughts, in her peripheral vision, she spotted a familiar and worrisome rival.
It was—Jungle Pocket!
Jungle Pocket, who had already begun accelerating early, gradually drew up beside Kurofune, entering the top five positions, yet her expression remained tense.
Seeing this, Kurofune's heart leaped into her throat. Sensitive to shifts, she immediately sensed something was wrong.
'What's going on? With her usual rhythm, Jungle Pocket shouldn't be accelerating this hard before the final straight.'
'Did she change tactics?… Doesn't feel like it.'
And then, from the inner path—a position no one dared challenge—a dazzling silver-white figure burst through!
In that instant, Kurofune understood everything.
Was the beast accelerating toward the finish line? No!
This was clearly…
'Clearly the beast has encountered a hunter! An assassin she can't escape!'
'Pegasus Platinum, this bow-wielding huntress, has begun chasing her prey!!'
'That's right—this domain absolutely belongs to Platinum!'
So this wasn't a duel between horse girls after all, but a chase between hunter and prey?
Kurofune didn't hesitate any longer. She immediately chose to quicken her pace, not wanting to be overtaken this early by the monster on the inner track.
Even if she couldn't win, she had to make Platinum work for it.
'I'll make sure Platinum knows… American Uma Musume aren't to be underestimated!'
From Kurofune to Jungle Pocket, the last of the strong contenders all began sprinting at full power even before the final straight!
With Platinum accelerating along the inner track and her unimaginable domain, Pegasian Sight, now active, she openly manipulated the race's rhythm. None of the horse girls ahead dared hold back or wait for Platinum to lose steam!
The final fever-pitch stage of the Japanese Derby had begun.
--+--
[Come! Who will emerge as the ultimate winner, fulfilling everyone's expectations?]
[Will it be Platinum, aiming for an unconventional triple crown? Or the fierce and powerful Jungle Pocket? Or perhaps the outstanding foreign horse girl, Kurofune?]
[Jungle Pocket and Kurofune are accelerating, approaching the final corner, but… Platinum's speed is visibly faster!]
[The Pegasus on the inner track seems to declare herself the swiftest. In mere moments, she has caught up to the leading group.]
[Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes! Platinum has drawn completely even with Jungle Pocket and Kurofune! The true top three have finally met for their ultimate showdown!]
As the announcer called out this critical moment, the entire stadium—over 100,000 spectators—erupted in excited, anticipatory cheers.
"Seeing fighters of this caliber up close is worth dying for!"
"Platinum! Platinum! Platinum!"
"Pokke, you have to win! Prove that you are the strongest of this generation!"
"Kurofune, you trained in American tracks—don't embarrass yourself against Platinum!"
And out on the turf…
Having only just reached the leading positions, Platinum effortlessly overtook more than half of the front runners.
As a result, her overtaking effect triggered once more.
That sacred, imposing maidenly silhouette drew her bow and shot arrows toward the several horse girls.
"W-What is that…?"
"Gasp!!"
"Is that… a goddess?!"
Amid their stunned cries, several more galloping horse girls were symbolically "shot down" by Platinum's overtake!
Ahead of Platinum, the path was now clear! Even the front-runner had been caught and surpassed without anyone realizing.
Now, only Kurofune and Jungle Pocket remained beside Miss Pegasus, forming a three-way battle for supremacy.
Throughout Japanese horse girl racing history, three-way showdowns had occurred multiple times—the top three favorites battling it out at the front, etching themselves into history as legendary, fiercely contested races.
In the eyes of countless spectators now, this was clearly another historic three-way showdown!
But what they didn't know was…
Kurofune and Jungle Pocket were sweating buckets!
These two "top three" contenders were stretched to their limits, stressed to the extreme by that silver-white figure on the inner track. Not daring to hold back any stamina, they pushed their final sprints to the absolute limit, their rhythms forcibly accelerated.
"The final straight… aren't we there yet?!"
"Why is my stamina draining so much faster than I expected?"
"Even my aura is completely suppressed."
Kurofune, her stamina clearly faltering, stared ahead at the last corner.
If she lost steam and was easily overtaken before even reaching the final straight, it would be too humiliating…
Jungle Pocket was in the same boat, gritting her silver teeth, hoping to hold out until the final straight to confront Platinum one last time.
But…
Being fast on the corners—that's true speed!
Platinum glanced toward the final corner they'd finally reached. The white sleeves of her victory outfit fluttered wildly as she charged onto that last bend.
There, on the inner corner—a stretch that should heavily test power and drain stamina—
Among the so-called top three, the silver-white girl in white stockings was the first to step onto it, immediately showcasing a pace that surpassed the other two geniuses beside her!
The silver-white Pegasus seized the lead on the corner itself, entering the final straight with a terrifying, explosive final kick!
And slightly behind Platinum, to her sides…
Kurofune and Jungle Pocket were simultaneously left in the dust. Their reactions were almost identical—staring dumbfounded as Platinum opened up a huge gap right on the corner!
They didn't even have time to react before witnessing, behind Platinum, the appearance of a pure, sacred goddess silhouette!
Jungle Pocket and Kurofune—the two considered most likely to defeat Platinum—both considered geniuses, had never seen anything like it!
But unlike the previous manifestation, this time the target wasn't just one horse girl. In that moment, nearly a dozen horse girls in the chasing group all became targets of the hunt.
That goddess silhouette, almost identical to Platinum's form, shot another sacred, gleaming golden arrow in the next instant!
"Guh…!"
"Did I come to Japan just… to broaden my horizons?"
"I was wrong. Platinum isn't just some hunter… She's practically the Goddess of the Hunt!"
In Jungle Pocket's field of vision, after that goddess silhouette faded and the Pegasus stepped onto the final straight, that silver-white figure grew farther and farther away!
What was going on?
Her own pace hadn't slowed; she could still barely maintain momentum. So how could Platinum… still get faster?
"This… is the true full power of the Pegasus?!"
Full of frustration and unwillingness, Jungle Pocket desperately tried to catch up, but could only watch as the gap widened.
Two lengths!
Three lengths!
Four lengths!
Before even halfway down the straight, the lead was expanding with thunderous momentum.
In Jungle Pocket's memory, she suddenly recalled what she'd confidently told Agnes Tachyon before the race:
"If the opponent is Platinum, it might be tricky…"
"But I'll win!"
Ugh…
Now… it's over!!
--+--
On the large screen in the spectator stands.
The view switched instantly, now focused solely on the silver-white Pegasus leading the pack.
By the halfway point of the final straight, Platinum held a massive lead of six, seven lengths! The screen showed only Jungle Pocket's figure struggling desperately not to be left behind, while third-place Kurofune had already been completely left off-screen.
The entire stadium fell silent, as if witnessing something utterly unbelievable.
As the straight passed the halfway mark!
[Without a doubt, she is flying!!]
[Eight lengths! Nine lengths! Ten lengths!]
[Come on, this isn't a three-way battle anymore—this is the Pegasus dancing solo! Platinum is declaring that no one is qualified to dance beside her!]
[There's still a short distance left to the finish line, and she's still widening the gap!]
[Twelve lengths! Thirteen lengths! Finally…]
Even zoomed out, the large screen could no longer clearly show the second-place runner.
In the Japanese Derby, a race the entire nation anticipated! That silver-white figure crossed the finish line alone, in an absolute monarch's style!!
Platinum, her quiver now empty, crossed the line first!
[A victory by fourteen lengths! An absolute, overwhelming win! Platinum crosses the line and claims the crown!]
[She trampled all doubts and impossibilities, becoming the monarch of this era!]
[In the supreme dance of the Japanese Derby, she performed the greatest dance of all! She is the Pegasus! She is Platinum!]
--+--
In the spectator stands, the dark-haired horse girl Manhattan Cafe sat up straight, her expression serious and focused.
"Cafe, next up… it's your turn to take on Platinum."
Manhattan Cafe blinked, pointing a finger at herself.
"...Huh? Me?"
"...Really...? I have to face Platinum?"
--+--
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.