The day of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe had arrived.
More than twenty of the world's top Uma Musume had gathered, all preparing to head out together.
The chestnut-haired girl known as Sea the Stars stood draped in her yellow star-patterned racing outfit, ready to leave home for the racetrack.
By her side stood her mother, Urban Sea, elegant and mature as a noble lady.
"Aren't we leaving now?"
Urban Sea, car keys twirling in her hand, turned back slightly surprised. She stood by the open front door, gazing at her eldest daughter, Galileo.
After all, Galileo had earned quite a bit in race prizes by now and enjoyed considerable popularity—she could be considered a young wealthy lady among Uma Musume.
Yet, undeniable was the fact that Galileo was still just a teenager, too young to have a driver's license.
So ordinarily, Galileo would always ride in her mother's car to arrive at the venue early.
Was something making her break routine this time?
Unusually, Galileo shook her head, smiling as she signaled that she wouldn't be getting in the car.
"I'll watch the race with a friend later. It's not starting soon—you and Little Star go on ahead."
Urban Sea didn't dwell on it long and soon put the matter out of her mind.
Sea the Stars didn't pay it much attention either; her fighting spirit was already burning. Right now, all she wanted was to set foot on the track as soon as possible and face off against that legendary Pegasus.
'Dr. Lin will definitely be watching the livestream, or maybe even be there in person.'
'For his expectations, and to become the strongest, I must win!'
The fired-up chestnut-haired girl turned around.
"Let's go then, Mom."
And then…
Just a few minutes later.
After watching Sea the Stars and Urban Sea drive off, the black-haired girl stretched her graceful body languidly, yawning like a lazy cat preparing for the hunt.
"Finally… I get to see Dr. Lin again!"
"Little Star, your big sister is going to make the most of this race. Let's both do our best, okay?"
Little sister competing in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
Big sister taking on the [Dr. Lin Anran Cup]—sounded perfectly reasonable, right?
--+--
A short while later.
The black-haired Galileo arrived at the spot she'd agreed to meet a certain scheming young doctor.
After stepping out of the taxi onto the street near Longchamp Racecourse…
Galileo's lively eyes immediately locked onto the familiar figure of the young doctor, Lin Anran.
"Dr. Lin, long time no see!"
Galileo was the first to call out, offering a bright, gentle smile. Her elegant demeanor truly lived up to the title of the eldest daughter of the Sea family.
As the so-called [Monarch of Charm], her natural affinity with Uma Musume didn't seem to work on Lin Anran at all.
In fact, it was quite the opposite—Galileo found herself drawn to the black-haired young doctor, whose presence was almost like that of a [King of Stallions].
That familiar scent, which made Galileo's breath catch slightly, drew her closer almost involuntarily.
"Yeah, it's been a while."
Lin Anran responded right away. He had rather fond impressions of this wealthy young filly.
They'd crossed paths even before the Dubai World Cup.
And this time, it was Galileo who had invited him to watch the race together.
On a personal level, Galileo was also the older sister of Sea the Stars—whom he knew well but hadn't seen in some time.
"Dr. Lin, these are the tickets I bought… well, my friend bought but couldn't use!"
Galileo reached into her pocket, pulled out the tickets, and handed them to Lin Anran.
She'd specifically bought two seats right next to each other! No chance of anyone interrupting!
In high spirits, Galileo was already thinking about how to continue her date with Dr. Lin after the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
"Hmm… Huh?!"
The next moment, just after handing the tickets to Lin Anran, Galileo blinked. Her beautiful eyes seemed to fill with question marks as an unbelievable figure entered her field of vision.
It was… a girl with silver-white hair that seemed to gleam with a cold light! She appeared behind Lin Anran, stepping into view.
"P-Platinum?!"
Astonishment surged in Galileo's heart.
What made it even more unbelievable was the outfit the Silver Maiden was wearing—it made Galileo's pupils contract, staring intently.
It was… light armor in a knightly style, gleaming coldly. The high-quality, stunningly designed armor extended over Platinum's arms, covering them completely, as though she were a true knight ready to step onto the battlefield.
And on her back, instead of the usual carrying case for her bow that she would take out backstage, she already had it strapped on now.
Even the famed "Pegasus Bow," known for "shooting down" countless Uma Musume when overtaking rivals or leading in breakaway runs, seemed more solemn, dignified, and almost sacred.
After double-checking that she wasn't seeing things—that it really was the Silver Pegasus Platinum who had defeated her three times—Galileo finally reacted.
"Wh-what's going on?"
Galileo was utterly bewildered and shocked by the knightly armor Platinum was wearing.
After all, Platinum's white robe racing outfit was already famous. Her image—bearing a longbow and wearing that outfit—had been featured on posters, chibi figures, and other merchandise, selling well in Japan, Asia, and even worldwide, earning her significant commercial royalties.
Anyone familiar with Platinum knew her classic white robe racing outfit well.
But now, at the time of the [World's Premier Turf Race - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe], why wasn't Platinum wearing her racing outfit, but instead this unfamiliar, handsome set of knight armor?
"That's her second racing outfit."
Lin Anran's calm, gentle voice sounded, answering Galileo's question.
The confusion vanished with his reply, replaced by even greater shock and… intense envy!
Galileo's gaze returned to the cold, gleaming, high-quality knight armor on the silver-white girl.
As she looked more closely at Platinum's brand-new, never-before-seen racing outfit, Galileo suddenly seemed to remember something extremely important and deeply impressionable!
Namely—after the last highly anticipated King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, where the Pegasus Platinum decisively defeated Harbinger, she stated in a post-race interview that she would never forget Harbinger for the rest of her life!
'But… she said that to me first!'
'Why did she say it again for Harbinger? It's not like she's that much better than me…'
'Well, maybe a tiny bit better?'
Not justified, but still bold!
After all, she was the first! The first to lose!
And not just once! There were already two statues of her in the Pegasus Hall of Fame!
Unable to hold back, Galileo called out to the silver-white girl.
"Platinum, just how… how many Uma Musume do you plan to remember in this lifetime?!"
But the question didn't receive the expected or imagined response immediately.
In the eyes of the Silver Maiden, this question was no different from… asking how many slices of bread she had eaten in her life!
How could Platinum possibly remember that?
The white-haired girl carrying a bow and wearing knight armor turned to look at her calmly.
The shake of her head was the answer.
She didn't know!
After running so many races and surpassing so many fillies, the only one Platinum truly remembered was Harbinger.
As for the others… the Pegasus Hall of Fame would remember them all.
A moment later, Platinum waved to the black-haired young doctor, greeting him.
"Dr. Lin, you're here."
"I am."
What Galileo didn't know was that, on the surface, this was actually the first time Platinum and Lin Anran had truly met!
Before this, Lin Anran hadn't activated his [One Soul, Two Bodies] ability.
And after activating it, he'd been constantly on the move—heading to the US while Platinum raced on turf in Europe and Nearl on dirt in the US. When would they have had time to meet?
Of course, in front of others now, they had to maintain the appearance of a friendly [Former・Exclusive Contract] relationship.
"I hope something interesting happens in this [World's Premier Race]~"
"Otherwise, wouldn't Dr. Lin have come all this way for nothing?"
The silver-white girl paused slightly. Her voice wasn't the cold, detached tone she used when hunting down opponents on the track; instead, it was calm, almost soft.
When Platinum's sighing words came out, Galileo's expression, which had just stiffened and not yet fully processed everything, turned somewhat unpleasant.
In Galileo's view, hoping for something interesting to happen…
Didn't that mean she didn't consider Sea the Stars a fearsome rival?
That she thought victory was assured without any surprises, making it boring?
So… not wanting Dr. Lin to have come to Europe in vain, she wanted to see some unexpected turn of events?
This was practically looking down on all the Uma Musume in the race from a superior stance, passing judgment on the world's premier race before it had even begun!
'Damn little Pegasus, don't look down on us Sea sisters like that!'
Galileo puffed out her cheeks but couldn't find any words to refute.
At least, as someone who'd lost three times, she couldn't say "I'll get you next time."
If there really was a next time, the only difference would probably be going from three losses to four.
Then suddenly, Galileo seemed to feel something—drops of liquid falling from above, wetting her forehead and hair.
In an instant, Galileo felt a surge of delight—she had found her retort.
Galileo raised her finger, pointing skyward, and let out a triumphant hum.
"Sorry, Platinum, but fate isn't on your side."
"The Three Goddesses… are on Little Star's side!"
Where her finger pointed, the sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds.
And rain was beginning to fall. In just a few seconds, it went from a few drops to a scattered drizzle.
This current drizzle, by the time the race started, would be enough to turn the Longchamp Racecourse for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe into a truly heavy ground, not just yielding!
Moreover, this rain was just starting; it was far from its peak and would only get heavier.
Heavy ground? No, there was only a very low chance it would stop at heavy.
The rain was almost certain to intensify, highly likely to worsen the conditions beyond yielding or heavy ground!
The nightmare-level soft ground in the eyes of most Uma Musume… was descending!!
In Galileo's understanding, the original, soft turf of Longchamp Racecourse ranked among the best in the world. Once rain fell a few days before the race, it became difficult to dry out and return to good ground.
Let alone… rain starting less than an hour before the race, growing heavier by the minute! The pouring rain would be a headache even for conventional world-class Uma Musume!
Long ago, her mother, Urban Sea, on such terrible soft ground as an ordinary Uma Musume who had never won a G1 race, surpassed a host of world-class Uma Musume to win that year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, shocking the world!
Now, her sister, Sea the Stars, was widely acknowledged as surpassing her mother by far!
Back then, Urban Sea, somewhat distant from world-class, defeated world-class competitors on soft ground. Now, Sea the Stars, not far from legendary status, defeating the legendary Pegasus on soft ground… wasn't that the perfect script?!
So, unable to contain her joy, Galileo declared confidently that fate and the Three Goddesses were on Sea the Stars' side.
'Not just me—even Little Frankel, who's qualified to challenge for the title of Mile GOAT, said Little Star has a better chance on heavy ground!'
'Anyway, the advantage is with Little Star!'
As Galileo spoke…
Before her, the Silver Maiden in knight armor found her new racing outfit gradually getting wetter from the falling rain.
Platinum's expression remained calm, as if the rain didn't bother her at all.
Heavy ground? Or even soft ground?
Whether for an assassin or a knight, this was just a minor factor in completing a mission or on the battlefield.
"Fate favors some, but…"
The Longchamp swimming pool? Demon of heavy ground?
The perfect star inheriting the bloodline of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heavy ground champion?
Under Galileo's gaze, Platinum reached out and gently stroked the bow on her back. Her cherry lips finally parted slightly, offering a proud reply with a faint smile.
"—Where I am, there is no fate."
The next moment, Platinum's booted feet stepped forward again, moving with a firm, metallic sound amid the falling rain, advancing resolutely toward the nearby racetrack.
The rain curtain seemed to wash over Platinum's bow and arrow, as if cleansing the traces of the hunt before she stepped onto the battlefield.
Instantly, Galileo, still standing in place, felt her pupils contract, shaken by Platinum's absolute confidence.
'Gulp…'
'Little Star, p-please don't lose!'
It reminded her inexplicably of Daiwa Scarlet, whom she'd easily defeated in a training race—by a huge margin of five lengths.
And Daiwa Scarlet was famously known as the "Uma Musume closest to the Pegasus" for having lost to the Pegasus Platinum by only five lengths!
'At the very least, she has to surpass Daiwa Scarlet's record, beat those five lengths!'
When the silver-white girl's figure disappeared at the end of the street, her sonorous footsteps fading in the rain, Galileo finally snapped back to reality.
She turned to look at the black-haired young doctor beside her, took a deep breath, and recomposed her smile.
"Dr. Lin, let's go too."
"It's time to enjoy this world-renowned battle on soft ground!"
--+--
Inside a car heading to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in this small space…
Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black, that pair of passionate fan fillies, were here once again.
"Ms. Platinum, you have to win!"
"Yeah, even though she's already surpassed Harbinger and solidified her status as a legend and the current strongest, some people are still stubborn because she hasn't beaten Sea the Stars yet."
"If she defeats Sea the Stars… then she'll undoubtedly be the strongest, beyond any doubt!"
Unlike Uma Musume like Daiwa Scarlet or Tokai Teio, who were in their classic years or older and couldn't spare the time, they weren't completely tied up.
In high spirits, their excitement froze as the heavy rain suddenly poured down.
After all, they knew just how terrifying Europe's soft turf could be—especially Uma Musume from Japan, and particularly those from Tracen Academy.
In the foreign racing textbook, which had been greatly expanded due to Platinum's overseas campaigns, Longchamp Racecourse's fearsome reputation was especially emphasized, particularly how deadly it became after rain.
Perhaps some exceptionally talented Japanese Uma Musume had the strength and adaptability to handle Europe's good turf.
But heavy ground… was a completely different concept from Europe's usual good turf!!
"Rain starting less than an hour before the race? It's over—it's definitely worse than yielding, and if it stops at heavy, that'd be lucky!"
"At this rate, it's probably—soft ground, right?"
Satono Diamond's eyes widened, slow to react. Her voice was full of unease.
Both she and Kitasan Black beside her felt anxious.
After all, history had seen a super dark horse win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the rain, and that dark horse's most outstanding descendant, who inherited and even surpassed everything—Sea the Stars—was the super favorite in this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
In the eyes of audiences and Uma Musume worldwide, Sea the Stars was a monster whose "upper limit was unknown, perfect in every way"!
However, Sea the Stars often won easily without going all out and hadn't encountered heavy ground much, but no one doubted her hidden full potential and adaptability!
Now, with this continuous heavy rain, it was almost announcing the arrival of [Sea the Stars], the [Demon of Heavy Ground]!!
"At best, it's heavy ground now; at worst, it's limitless soft ground ."
"This heavy rain might even surpass previous years, becoming one of the most terrifying swimming pools in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe history!!"
Kitasan Black clenched her pink fists, growing increasingly uneasy.
After all, the Sea family's iconic adaptability to heavy ground was well-deserved, and Sea the Stars was the strongest by a landslide!
And Europe's heavy ground was infinitely more terrifying than good turf; soft ground… was beyond comparison—it was a swimming pool!
This level of adverse conditions was far worse than anything Platinum had faced before, right?
"If it had rained two or three days before the race, the turf might not have dried completely, leading to yielding ground."
"If it drizzled half a day or a day before, it would be yielding or heavy ground."
"But now… with rain starting and intensifying less than an hour before the race, it's way too scary. Soft ground becoming a swimming pool is a nightmare that's hard to avoid."
Right now, this Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was guaranteed to be at least severely heavy ground!
If this rain continued, even during the race… then it would be truly hell-level difficulty !
In Satono Diamond's view, aside from Platinum, no Japanese Uma Musume could handle heavy ground of this caliber.
Maybe only the golden tyrant, Ovfevre, who was aiming for the triple crown this year, had some hope—and even that wasn't very high?
This wasn't just tough for Japanese Uma Musume; how many monsters in the European Uma Musume world could handle it either?
"The greatest hope that the Japanese Uma Musume world has seen in so long… can the Pegasus hold up half the sky?"
Satono Diamond was filled with frustration, and her anxiety was skyrocketing.
The greater their earlier hopes, the stronger their worry now.
After all, Sea the Stars was already close to legendary status—in the public's eyes, not far behind the Pegasus, just slightly less.
And now, not only did Sea the Stars have the home advantage, but she also had the advantage of soft ground!
Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black both closed their eyes, instinctively bringing their hands together slightly, praying in their hearts.
'Japan has waited decades for the birth of its most promising Pegasus.'
'Please let the rain stop quickly; if it continues, Japan's hope might…'
'Japan's hopes and fears rest on Ms. Platinum's shoulders; please don't let her fail!!'
Little did they know, a certain Silver Maiden was stepping into Longchamp Racecourse with a commanding presence, instead growing interested in the rain.
Pray for rain?
Or pray for it to stop?
Yet, at this moment, Platinum only wanted to pierce through everything—including Sea the Stars and all other fillies!
--+--
Nearly an hour later.
Inside the vast, bustling Longchamp Racecourse.
Under the curtain of rain, the silver-white girl, wearing her second racing outfit, stepped onto the track.
—Before a crowd of over a hundred thousand fans and hundreds of millions watching via live broadcast, she appeared on the soft ground, clad in that shining set of knight armor!
--+--
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.