Tonight, Hong Kong was a true city of miracles, a genuine city of night.
Drifting starlight, wandering songs, floating city lights.
The echoes of a bygone era, the dawn of a new age.
Even the seagulls paused to watch, even the clouds leaned in to listen.
"Forgive me for this life of unrestrained freedom and love for liberty—"
Platinum's voice, Sham's voice, Urban Sea's voice, Agnes Digital's voice, Golden Sixty's voice. And thousands upon thousands more voices merged into a tidal wave.
"—Though I fear one day I might fall—"
Platinum didn't know if she was singing well or not. Her previous winner's stage appearances had all followed set routines—singing and dancing the same old tracks until it was over.
Hardly anyone watched, and the audience had grown tired of the same old spectacle.
Probably no one except die-hard fans like Agnes Digital would bother to dig up the recordings to rewatch.
Even if she hit a few slightly off-notes or her voice cracked now and then, the audience would just smile indulgently and let it pass.
But today was different. Right now, Platinum couldn't even hear her own voice; she was utterly submerged in that tidal wave of harmony.
The sound coming through her earpiece was just a blurry noise, and she could only tell she was still singing by the vibration in her vocal cords.
"—Abandoning your ideals, anyone can do that—"
At this point, whether she sang well or poorly no longer mattered.
This wasn't a song sung with the throat, but with the soul.
Tens of thousands of souls were singing as one.
"—Who's afraid of a day when it's just you and me—"
Souls who were present, souls who were not.
Vibrant souls, souls long departed.
Souls still dormant, souls erupting like molten lava.
Souls transcending time and space.
A grand melody, stretching from the 1970s all the way to today.
"———Forgive me for this life of unrestrained freedom and love for liberty—"
Sham sang at the top of her lungs, as if melting into the moment.
Born in the best of times, yet somehow born in the wrong era.
She had encountered the most terrifying opponent, ending up with achievements that didn't match her true capabilities.
Even every breakthrough, every time she pushed past her limits, felt meaningless. So what if she broke records? Secretariat was already there, waiting ahead of her.
Was it stubbornness that kept Sham from holding her retirement ceremony even now? Did she still cling to some fantasy—that one day she might meet Secretariat on the track again, that she might still have a chance to defeat her?
———Regardless, she had no regrets. She never regretted being born in the same era as Secretariat.
Having Secretariat as a peak to strive for—that was a wonderful thing.
"———Though I fear one day I might fall—"
Urban Sea pursed her lips, her pupils seeming to hold a sky full of stars.
Love—love had been the central theme of Urban Sea's entire life.
The love of family, the love of a partner, the love for racing.
Family love was like a gentle stream, clear and warm. A partner's love burned like a torch, like a whirlpool, utterly captivating. And her love for racing was like the sun hanging high in the sky, like a universal constant.
It was this will, tempered by love, that allowed Urban Sea to run that stunning, jaw-dropping race at Longchamp on a rainy day, under extremely unfavorable weather and track conditions.
And now, that very love could still be passed down.
"———Abandoning your ideals, anyone can do that—"
Agnes Digital showed a satisfied smile. The scene tonight would be etched in her memory forever.
The collision of thousands upon thousands of souls, right here on this special winner's stage.
What could be more dreamlike than this?
Who could be closer than she was now to the very essence of what it meant to be an Uma Musume?
Agnes Digital, she—always, always, always—had loved the Uma Musume the most.
Simply because the running of the Uma Musume moved her from the depths of her heart. This feeling had nothing to do with the importance of the race, nor with the Uma Musume's ability.
Before dreams, everyone is equal.
"———Who's afraid of a day when it's just you and me—"
Golden Sixty sang with fiery passion, her waterfall-like hair dancing in the wind.
Every era must eventually take its final bow.
Being overly sentimental about the passage of time—that just wasn't like her.
To doubt herself over a minor setback...
That would truly be a farewell to the Golden Sixty of old.
The real Golden Sixty ought to be both audacious and dazzling, like a sparkling diamond, forever stealing everyone's attention.
She was Golden Sixty—
———She was the King of Kings!
"Forgive me for this life of unrestrained freedom and love for liberty—"
Finally, the song flowed back to Platinum's side.
"Though I fear one day I might fall—"
This was the curtain call for the old era, and the overture for the new.
"Abandoning your ideals, anyone can do that—"
From now on, carrying the torch passed down from those who came before—
"Who's afraid of a day when it's just you and me—"
Run forward.
A reporter standing below the stage climbed onto the railing. In the instant before security pulled him down, he raised his camera high and captured a single, radiant photo from the closest possible position to the stage.
In the picture, the stage was brilliantly lit. The drummer swinging her arms, the soulful keyboardist, the mellow bassist, the lively guitarist.
Four veterans stood scattered around the stage, leaving the center spot for the young champion who had won the race.
Platinum stood right in the middle of the stage, her right hand gripping the microphone in front of her, her left leg stepping forward, her hair swept back, and her shiny silver earring gleaming brightly.
The photo was so sharp that the gaze and expression of every person on stage looked vivid and alive, as if time itself had frozen in that moment.
Perhaps time would keep rolling relentlessly forward, but the scene before them was definitely not just a fleeting dream. What was captured in that photo was the ultimate proof of this old era's final carnival.
This was the point of era transition. From here on out, the Uma Musume who once stood at the peak would eventually step off the stage, leaving behind only a faint lingering resonance.
But the stage is never empty. Before people could even finish mourning the departure of the old era, the dawn of the new one arrived right on schedule.
"Abandoning your ideals, anyone can do that—"
On Platinum's face, beads of sweat clung to her skin. She passionately grasped at the fading light of this era.
"Who's afraid of a day when it's just you and me—"
Golden Sixty stood behind Platinum, softly singing along. The music on stage gradually faded away, leaving only the endless cheers of the audience.
And so, an era came to a close.
Perhaps this is the iron law, the ultimate truth of the world, that no one can defy.
———But there are still those willing to swim against the current.
In the tidal wave of the era, to swim against the current.
Two months later, in the Hong Kong Mile, Golden Sixty stood alone at the top, claiming the laurel.
The following year, in the Hong Kong Gold Cup, Golden Sixty overpowered her opponents and took the crown.
Perhaps one day, Golden Sixty would be defeated by someone else.
Perhaps one day, Golden Sixty too would retire from the track, yielding the stage to others.
But, at least for now, in this moment. Golden Sixty would keep running—until she found her very limits.
Golden Sixty, the King of Kings!
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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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.