So tight, so cramped… Couldn't the person who built these starting gates have made them a little wider?
That was exactly what Platinum was feeling inside the stall.
To think she was really about to run any moment now… She felt strangely lightheaded… Her chest heaved violently, her whole body felt hot, and her palms were clenched tightly.
The dark, dense crowd of spectators outside felt like heavy stones pressing down on her heart.
"Nervous?" Just then, Platinum heard a voice from beside her. She glanced over and saw the Uma Musume in the next stall gently pursing her lips into a smile as she looked at her.
"Um… Hi? Can you understand me?"
"I understand the local language," Platinum replied, looking at the girl next to her.
The Uma Musume opposite her was tall and slender, a full half-head taller than Platinum, with long, jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall.
"I'm Leap of Faith. Just call me Faith." Leap of Faith pointed a thumb at herself. "I'm not a local either, you know. I came from Hong Kong. The one on my other side is Fuji Kyoji—that girl's a complete local."
Leap of Faith gestured toward Fuji Kyoji on her other side.
That girl had warm, short, chestnut-brown hair, her eyes were tightly closed, and she wasn't saying a word.
"What luck, huh? The three most eye-catching Uma Musume just happen to be numbered consecutively on the outermost lanes. Haha."
"Oh, oh…" Platinum looked at Leap of Faith with wariness and confusion. The race was about to start—what did she want to say now?
"Nothing, really. Just saw you breathing unevenly," Leap of Faith said, squinting with a soft laugh.
"It's a bit embarrassing to say, but I've already been through one debut race. You could say I'm your senior, in a way."
"Don't worry. From my experience, once you start racing on this track… all those distracting thoughts just vanish. Your mind ends up focused on just one thing."
"Alright, it seems all the Uma Musume have entered the gates…" The broadcast voice began to echo through the air.
"Think of this debut race as your way of saying hello to this land," Leap of Faith gave Platinum a gentle smile, then turned forward, slowly crouching into position, her muscles tensing slightly.
It wasn't just Leap of Faith—Fuji Kyoji beside her, and the other Uma Musume further down the line, were all ready, imagining themselves as cannonballs about to be launched.
This is… a fully trained lineup of racers…
Platinum mimicked the others and settled into her stance. The venue grew quiet, so quiet she could almost hear the powerful thumping of her own heart.
Think of this debut race… as my way of saying hello to this land? Platinum silently turned Leap of Faith's words over in her mind.
Ahh, whatever. She'd already come this far—
Did she even have any way back now?
In any case, all she had to do was dash out in one go, right? Sprint all the way to the finish line. No matter how the others ran, even if she ended up in last place, she had to run it through properly—
Because this was her greeting to this world.
"And they're off!"
Almost simultaneously, all the Uma Musume burst out of the starting gates.
But even the slightest difference is still a difference. Among the Uma Musume, some were faster, some slower.
Even a tiny lag at the start could lay the foundation for victory or defeat in the race.
Leap of Faith shot into the lead, her supple legs coiling like compressed springs, her calves pressing tight against her thighs before uncoiling in the opposite direction, digging deep footprints into the soft turf.
Those slender legs held unimaginable power, propelling Leap of Faith forward as if launched from a catapult, almost transforming into a streak of light as she charged to the front of the pack.
A gust of air burst from between Leap of Faith's teeth as she accelerated like a female leopard… no, like she was sprinting for her life.
She increased her speed in a way that defied imagination, reaching a velocity ordinary minds could hardly comprehend.
Even a car needs time to warm up and shift gears. But Leap of Faith accomplished all of that in mere seconds, her body growing scorching hot. She had become like a predator, a cheetah on the hunt… no, something even more terrifying!
Leap of Faith was the type born to run at the very front. In her pride, she refused to share the view ahead with anyone, even for a single second.
She would be the leader, holding onto first place all the way to the end!
Sorry, but that's just how races are. Whether it's Fuji Kyoji or Platinum, she wouldn't hand victory over to anyone.
This was her second debut race—in other words, she had suffered a crushing defeat once before. But that didn't mean Leap of Faith was weak… quite the opposite.
For a strong runner like her to have lost in that debut race, one could only imagine how fierce the competition had been, what kind of monsters she had faced.
So this time, she had no way back! She would definitely claim the laurels of this debut race!
The chestnut-haired Fuji Kyoji hung back, trailing Leap of Faith by a small distance, leading the pack of Uma Musume behind her.
Fuji Kyoji didn't possess the same aggressive, explosive long legs as Leap of Faith, but she was exceedingly calm and knew how to use her strengths to her advantage.
Her eyes were locked on Leap of Faith's figure ahead, not even blinking, etching her rival's form deeply into her retina.
It's only the start… let her lead for now… After all, what matters in a race isn't the process, but the outcome.
The moment you show even a hint of weakness… I'll seize the chance, surge past, and leave you far behind.
Remember, even a cheetah… can't maintain such a pace over two thousand meters!
As for the others, Fuji Kyoji didn't consider them rivals at all. Her eyes only needed to be on Leap of Faith. As long as she surpassed Leap of Faith, victory would undoubtedly be hers.
Both Leap of Faith and Fuji Kyoji thought this way… believing that in this race, the only one worthy of being called a rival was the other.
As for Platinum… It wasn't that either of them looked down on her, but she simply didn't seem professionally trained.
She came across more like a kid forced into the spotlight against her will.
For a girl like that, simply finishing the race would be an achievement worthy of praise, wouldn't it?
—And that was their fatal mistake.
Their judgment was correct, because Platinum was indeed a rookie among rookies. Forget running—she had only just regained the ability to walk.
Their judgment was also wrong.
They shouldn't have overlooked Platinum's presence.
In fact, they should have teamed up to block her, leaving her no opening.
Only then would the two of them have had a hope of victory.
After all, the outer lane is perfect for overtaking.
Leap of Faith's pupils contracted violently, shrinking to pinpricks. Fuji Kyoji gritted her teeth, staring in disbelief at what was happening ahead and to the side.
It was a flash of platinum-gold light.
How… is this possible? For a moment, Leap of Faith's thoughts spun into chaos.
Who?
What?
What just overtook me?
It can't be. How could anything in this world accelerate faster than a cheetah? Even an off-road vehicle couldn't…
Leap of Faith felt a lump in her throat. No. It does exist. Something faster than a cheetah does exist.
—Light, for example.
If it's light… then accelerating to top speed in an instant wouldn't be strange at all.
In that moment, Leap of Faith felt a wave of heat brush against her cheeks. Her own body had already grown scalding hot from the sudden acceleration—if someone touched her face now, they'd think she had a fever.
And yet, she could feel an even hotter wave of heat!
Without a doubt, it was the intense heat generated by Platinum's explosive launch. This scorching wave of air even made Leap of Faith doubt herself.
Is this really something a person can achieve?
Fuji Kyoji ground her teeth, almost hard enough to shatter them. Fury threatened to consume her mind.
What a joke—what a complete joke!
Fuji Kyoji wasn't angry about being overtaken, nor was she angry that a rival besides Leap of Faith had appeared.
She was rational, good at using her head. Even if a new opponent appeared, she just needed to figure out their strength and then defeat them.
The reason for Fuji Kyoji's anger was… she saw it! She saw it! The moment Platinum overtook her, she caught a glimpse of her face.
That Platinum—she was closing her eyes!
She was actually running with her eyes tightly shut, fists clenched, not adjusting her breathing at all, stomping heavily on the ground as she charged forward!
"Oh my god… Platinum has burst ahead! To dash out like this right after the start—is this her strategy?"
"This looks bad. Although Platinum is in first place now, she can't possibly maintain this acceleration for long. Perhaps she should consider pacing herself more steadily."
Platinum heard the broadcast voices like that. Two commentators were discussing.
Are they… talking about me? What are they saying? First place? Me?
Platinum cautiously cracked one eye open, then opened both wide. Next, she blinked in disbelief.
Without her even realizing it, there was no one left in front of her.
She… was in first place now?
It felt unreal to Platinum.
Platinum stared blankly, exhaling, feeling the solid sensation of her soles pressing into the grass, the ache of her calves contracting and expanding.
She felt the fierce wind rushing toward her face, and how she, like an aircraft wing, split that gale in two, sending it streaming past her sides.
She felt her lungs pumping like the massive bellows of a pipe organ, every artery, vein, and even capillary in her body burning with heat.
This is… the feeling of running.
This is… the feeling of breathing normally.
This is… the feeling of being alive.
In this moment, Platinum became more aware of her own existence than ever before. She was living so vividly, so violently proclaiming her presence to this world—
She is Centaurea. She is Platinum. She is a spirit of the wind, she is light, she is the gathering of millions upon millions of spirits.
She is first!
"Hah…"
Even though this is a race, such an important moment.
"Haha…"
Even though I'm in first now, the rivals behind will catch up soon, right? It's not time to relax yet.
"Ha, haha…"
But, why… why…
The corners of Platinum's mouth lifted involuntarily. She threw her head back and laughed heartily.
Why was she laughing uncontrollably now?
"Still in first, still leading! After the first turn, neither Leap of Faith nor Fuji Kyoji has managed to overtake Platinum! Not only that… the gap between Leap of Faith, Fuji Kyoji, and Platinum is widening, still widening! Are the two saving their strength for a final sprint?"
"No, it's not that Fuji Kyoji and Leap of Faith aren't accelerating… In fact, the entire field's time to clear the first turn has been pushed earlier. The pace on the track has been accelerated by Platinum, forcing everyone into a dash! At this rate, those with weaker stamina will soon lose speed!"
"And under these conditions, the gap between Platinum and the other runners is still widening… It's not that the others aren't accelerating, but that Platinum is still getting faster!"
Even the commentators were stunned—Platinum, who had entered a sprint right from the start, wasn't slowing down… she was actually speeding up?
This kind of situation could only happen with Platinum. Because she used to be a patient who couldn't even get out of bed.
She lacked a proper understanding of racing.
In most people's eyes, running isn't about blasting out with everything from the start, right? Normal runners would stay with the pack, calculating their remaining stamina, maneuvering cleverly.
But Platinum didn't know any of that. Because even walking used to be a distant hope for her, let alone running. So she could only go all-in: from the very beginning, pour out everything she had.
And it was precisely this that created such a terrifying spectacle.
"Another turn cleared… ahead is a straight, flat stretch. The race is entering its final stage…"The commentator's voice trembled as he swallowed.
"Platinum is still accelerating! Is she some kind of perpetual motion machine?"
"This terrifying endurance and stamina reminds me of that fearsome Emperor… no, it's like that true monarch who dominated an entire era in American History—it's almost like Secretariat herself!"
"Leap of Faith has been caught by the pursuing pack! Her speed is dropping—did she burn out her stamina too early under Platinum's influence? Fuji Kyoji is now side-by-side with Leap of Faith!"
"But… Platinum, Platinum, Platinum! Platinum is too fast! She's left all the other runners far behind! How is she doing this?"
Sound began to emerge from the stunned, silent spectator stands. At first, they had been petrified by Platinum's performance, but now they were coming back to themselves, emitting faint noises.
The noise grew louder and more widespread, finally merging into a torrent.
It was the sound of voices from the stands, the shouts of all the spectators, the mountain-like roar of tens of thousands of people converging.
"Platinum! Platinum! Platinum!"
That's what they chanted.
"Platinum! Platinum! Platinum!"
That's what they cried.
Hahahahaha— Platinum ran with her head thrown back, laughing heartily, tears of laughter forming at the corners of her eyes and streaming back into the wind beside her ears.
Though she was laughing, her laughter sounded almost like the mournful cry of a cuckoo.
So, everyone… is cheering for me? My existence, at this moment, is so vivid?
It's really wonderful… to be able to run.
It's really wonderful… to be an Uma Musume.
It's really wonderful… to have come to this world.
The mountain-like roar of the crowd and Platinum's almost tearful laughter spread through electronic devices to every corner of the nation, appearing on phones, computers, and televisions.
Platinum's laughter, tinged with tears, mingled with the cries of all the newborns born in this world on this day.
It was a true chorus brimming with the breath of life, the wails of millions of new-born children blending together into the most magnificent and grand symphony this world could offer—
Because it was the symbol of new beginnings.
"Platinum, across the finish line! An undisputed champion, leaving the other runners far behind! Not a shred of doubt—in the face of such a vast gap in ability, everything else is meaningless!"
The commentator stood up excitedly, waving his arms.
"Let us cheer for her birth! The dazzling Princess Platinum from Europa, shining like the sun! At this moment, she wildly declares her existence on this soil! Do you hear her? She is greeting us, using her heaven-gifted legs to say hello! She is telling us—"
"Welcome my arrival, for I shall defeat all rivals with this radiant light!"
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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.