Leading the pack, Dream Weaver suddenly felt an immense wave of energy surging from behind—like a real tidal wave, growing stronger with each pulse. This wave, forged from what seemed like molten gold, carried a scorching heat aimed straight at her!
"Aura?!"
"No, that's not it—the pressure is still intensifying. Orfevre's aura hasn't fully awakened yet!"
Dream Weaver's initial shock was quickly overridden by her heightened Intuition—now a Purple-Grade Skill—which instantly grasped Orfevre's true condition. It was similar to the state she and T.M. Opera O had been in before the Satsuki Shō.
That golden wave was terrifying, no doubt, but its power wasn't fully concentrated within Orfevre yet. It was precisely because the aura's energy was spilling into the air that the other Uma Musume on the track felt as though the sun itself had descended upon them.
But from relying purely on physical ability at the start, to being suppressed by Dream Weaver's aura just before the final stretch, Orfevre's aura had awakened from nothing in just a few hundred meters.
Is this what they call a genius? No—Orfevre was far more than that. This was only the Classic Triple Crown races, yet her physical prowess, amplified by her aura, was already approaching world-class levels. Such terrifying talent couldn't simply be called genius!
No wonder everyone had such high hopes for her. Even rival elite stables had to concede defeat for this generation. Finally, Dream Weaver understood what Chizuru Haibara had experienced back in the day with the Gold family.
With Orfevre's frightening rate of improvement, just a little more training, and breaking the curse of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe wouldn't be just a dream!
As these thoughts raced through Dream Weaver's mind, the golden wave drew closer and closer.
Outside the track, the commentator was nearly losing his mind. This Satsuki Shō had too many twists and turns—first, Dream Weaver's breathtaking front-running dash, then Orfevre bursting out from the pack. Just when everyone thought Orfevre would overtake Dream Weaver in the final few hundred meters, she suddenly slowed.
But that wasn't the end. With only a short distance left, just as everyone believed the outcome was decided, Orfevre—the Golden Tyrant—came charging back, wrapped in a wave of gold.
"Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"
Sugimoto Kentaro exclaimed instinctively. His eyes, glancing through the commentary box window, caught a faint glint—a small golden crown pinned in Dream Weaver's hair. Inspiration struck, and he launched into his signature rapid-fire commentary:
"Orfevre? Or Dream Weaver?! No matter who wins this race, the other Uma Musume is no loser! That's right—this isn't a battle between winner and loser, but two monarchs showing us their brilliance together!"
"Who says there can only be one monarch in a generation? Who says there can only be one sun in the sky? When the Golden Blazing Sun and the Crimson Dawn rise together, every other Uma Musume's light is dimmed. Only those two are allowed on this stage!"
Just as he said, under the pressure of Dream Weaver's aura and Orfevre' radiance, the other Uma Musume fell far behind, like firewood consumed in a great blaze. The outcome of this race had nothing to do with them anymore.
All eyes were on the track. Dream Weaver narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing the changes within her body.
There was none of the oppressive feeling like from T.M. Opera O, nor was it like her own aura that burned through others' stamina. Orfevre's aura seemed to drastically enhance her own speed—fitting for someone who saw herself as the one true monarch of this generation.
Beside her, Orfevre seemed to notice Dream Weaver's distraction and actually spoke up mid-race:
"Still got mind to spare for other things? Have you been so dazzled by my glory that you've given up already?"
Hearing this, Dream Weaver pushed her Murasame to its limits. Scorching waves of energy washed over Orfevre, making her feel as if she were in a molten hell. Her stamina burned rapidly in such conditions, and even with her awakening aura, Orfevre couldn't help but slow slightly.
But Orfevre remained fearless. Pushing against Dream Weaver's aura, she forced out her words:
"Even if your aura can slow me down, so what? I've already seen it—your base speed is far weaker than mine. Even weakened, I can still surpass you!"
Dream Weaver glanced sideways at Orfevre, just half a length behind. To still have breath to speak while running at this speed—Orfevre's physical prowess was truly terrifying.
Enhanced by her own aura, she seemed able to withstand the effects of Dream Weaver's Zone. If this same situation had happened a few hundred meters earlier, if Dream Weaver and Orfevre had entered the final straight in this condition, Dream Weaver would have been the one to lose.
But—
No matter how unparalleled Orfevre's talent was, she still needed time to improve!
And unfortunately for her, she had awakened her aura too late!
Dream Weaver didn't have Orfevre's monstrous physical gifts. Silently, she mouthed two words:
"It's—"
"over."
The moment the words formed, Dream Weaver slowed abruptly. Before Orfevre's eyes could widen in shock, she shot past Dream Weaver at their incredible speed.
But it was already meaningless. The crowd's cheers swelled like a tidal wave, so loud even Orfevre on the track could hear them clearly.
She had poured all her focus into Dream Weaver, completely unaware of how close they were to the finish line. There was no time or distance left to accelerate. As their exchange ended, so did the race.
The winner of the Satsuki Shō was—
"Number 18, Dream Weaver! This Uma Musume from the countryside came to the central circuit, not only reached the Satsuki Shō, but defeated Orfevre with a breathtaking Great Escape that left everyone in awe!"
"Let us celebrate! Not just for Dream Weaver, but for our future! In this generation, we have Uma Musume like Orfevre and Dream Weaver appearing together!"
"Beyond this Satsuki Shō victory, what excites me more is their future! Orfevre with her peerless final kick, Dream Weaver with her extreme speed—together, they will surely turn Japanese racing upside down! So cheer now, right here, right now—let us crown these two monarchs in advance, to celebrate the shattering of the curse!"
"The Satsuki Shō is not the end—our goal is—"
"The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!"
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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.