[Pacific Classic Stakes]!
Flightline was brimming with anticipation for the upcoming G1 race!
For this seemingly delicate girl, the Pacific Classic was a race she felt she absolutely had to conquer, filled with unwavering resolve and fighting spirit!
In Flightline's own plans, she currently saw a gap between herself and Secretariat.
So, her thinking was actually quite similar to Ruffian's; both were striving to become the strongest, doing their utmost to surpass Secretariat.
But the harsh reality facing Flightline was that her physique simply couldn't compare to Secretariat's. This meant she lacked the durability for a long campaign!
"Margaret Nearl, she's my shortcut! That is, if I can win..."
Actually, Flightline and Ruffian had an excellent relationship. Though senior and junior in name, their bond was closer to "sisters" and "best friends."
Both of them possessed remarkable talent, but compared to the terrifyingly perfect Big Red Monster, Secretariat – who seemed like a "daughter of the Three Goddesses" – each had their own awkward flaws.
For instance, Flightline's body was relatively frail, only allowing her to run three or four races a year. This significantly limited her.
As for Ruffian, while she could handle a tough campaign, she'd already been injured twice in her classic year alone. Furthermore, the Triple Tiara she primarily targeted was naturally considered a step below the open Classic Triple Crown.
So, one couldn't endure a long season, the other could but risked injury; between the two sisters, their combined number of races might just barely match Secretariat's...
In such a situation, how could they ever catch up?
Therefore, way back when Ruffian was deciding to issue her [challenge], she had already explained the dilemma they both faced to Flightline.
Thus, unwilling to give up, they had no choice but to... [find another path], or rather, [take a shortcut]!
But now, Ruffian had already failed. She hadn't managed to defeat Nearl. Instead, she became the super stepping stone for Nearl, who replicated and even surpassed the legendary solo showdown feats of Man o' War and Seabiscuit!
And Flightline knew she too faced the possibility of replicating her fiercely competitive best friend Ruffian's outcome.
After all, her opponent was Dr. Lin's niece, the Pegasus known as The Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl!
"Since there's no way back, and no second path..."
"Then I have no choice but to challenge her!"
Flightline had no intention of giving up easily. Even if the risks were high, in her eyes, the potential rewards were equally great.
She might, through this very race, surpass Nearl, close in on Secretariat, and also fulfill her promise with Dr. Lin ahead of schedule.
Or she might... completely replicate the defeat of her fellow maiden Ruffian in that solo showdown, leading to both best friends lying defeated together!
Weighing the high risks and high rewards, Flightline made her choice and had already entered the race yesterday.
After all—
She had no second option. There was no conservative choice that would yield decent returns.
'If I can win... the chances of Dr. Lin being mine would increase dramatically.'
'And then...'
'—Sorry, Ruffian.'
The girl, who appeared delicate and refined, her image was even more deceptive than that of an elegant, high-society young lady.
In a way, [kindred spirits] attract one another.
Before the previous showdown in [Ruffian VS Margaret], Ruffian had also presented such an elegant and gentle facade. Unlike the other Uma Musume The Radiant Knight had faced, who issued immediate challenges, Ruffian stood up and smilingly extended her hand.
Back then, Margaret Nearl was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected this girl, famous for her solitary pride and intense will to win on the track, who even named herself [Ruffian], to act this way before a race...
'Are you surprised by my gentle attitude and elegant manners?'
'No, that's merely the courtesy before engaging and defeating an opponent!'
That was Ruffian's competitive spirit, and her unique contrast.
And as a kindred spirit, a best friend, and the one who played the slightly more dominant 'older sister' role between them, Flightline! Compared to Ruffian, this aspect was completely undiminished, in fact, it was heightened!
The legendary Uma Musume Seabiscuit, as a senior, had once witnessed Flightline in training and official races—a stark contrast to her appearance, almost like a lethal predator—and couldn't help but voice her evaluation.
She was practically... a monster who revered the law of the jungle to the extreme! If the Three Goddesses had blessed her with a physique as supremely healthy as Secretariat's or Platinum's, she would almost certainly have surpassed Man o' War to become the strongest of the strong!
'If I can defeat that Radiant Knight, then I can commence my [hunt] for Dr. Lin...'
'And defeating strong rivals is something I just happen to love most.'
'This Pacific Classic, killing two birds with one stone, I absolutely cannot miss it!'
And now, this seemingly refined, somewhat delicate bookworm girl was fully unleashing the fighting spirit that had peaked within her, setting her sights on Margaret Nearl as her prey!
'As for Ruffian... sorry.'
'Little Ruffian, having lost to Margaret, you are merely a loser, weak.'
Despite their extremely close, best-friend-level relationship, the girl's eyes were filled with a cold gleam, not a trace of warmth to be seen.
Even among beasts, hierarchies exist, superiors and subordinates.
For example, the top-tier tiger, solitary, has almost every creature on its menu.
In comparison, the wolf is a step below.
When a wolf pack succeeds in a hunt, typically only the alpha, along with its key members who demonstrated value in the hunt, are allowed to eat first.
As for the other wolves, lacking in strength or value, they can only rely on the alpha's mood and their own luck to taste the scraps.
Furthermore, nature documentaries have recorded numerous instances of different species cooperating to hunt and share the meal.
Even creatures living by 'survival of the fittest,' when sensing a sufficient threat or judging a solo hunt difficult, might seek suitable, qualified allies to eliminate other powerful foes and assist in the hunt.
If Ruffian were full of strength and value, then Flightline wouldn't mind... teaming up with her! But the prerequisite was that Ruffian had to be a worthy ally, one worth paying a great cost to jointly hunt with!
After forming an alliance, they could eliminate external threats together.
As for the dear Dr. Lin, the "prize"... how would they split it then? Share? Or decide it with another fight?
That would be a matter for later; it was too early to think about now.
After all, the enemies watching covetously from the outside weren't just one or two; it was a situation Flightline found extremely troublesome.
And she herself was inherently at a disadvantage, her constitution a notch below that of a regular Uma Musume, her energy and spirit somewhat lacking.
So, Flightline had genuinely considered the possibility of finding a suitable ally. But the condition was that she would have to lose first, making it a last-resort fallback in her eyes.
And having judged the defeated Ruffian, Flightline saw no need to hastily form an alliance with her to share the [prey].
"I refuse to ally with the weak, let alone [share]."
With Ruffian's defeat, if she could win against Nearl and achieve victory, why would she need to form an alliance? She might just manage on her own.
Whether on the track or off, Flightline's reactions and judgments were decisively sharp, even ruthless, perfectly matching the stunned, awe-struck evaluation from Seabiscuit!
"Ruffian has already lost. So, if I can defeat Margaret Nearl..."
"I can test whether I alone have what it takes to win Dr. Lin from the likes of Secretariat and Sea the Stars."
"But if I replicate Ruffian, fail like her, lose to Nearl and completely lose any chance of surpassing Secretariat or Man o' War..."
"Then it would prove—that I'm just not good enough, that I overestimated myself."
In that case...
Wouldn't it be only natural for her, now also a loser, also weak, to ally with Ruffian again?
After all, shouldn't weaker beasts, unwilling to give up the hunt, be even more inclined to "flock together"?
--+--
A certain tyrant on the track, a girl who was a bit of a klutz off it, thinking of supporting Flightline, would never imagine...
Her best friend, her potential alliance partner, was still pondering whether or not to team up with her, considering it merely a fallback option in case of defeat!
"Go for it, Flightline!"
Ruffian couldn't fathom that the Flightline she supported would only be willing to join forces with her if she lost!
--+--
In a house.
A pink-haired Uma Musume, having finished her training and returned home from Dr. Lin's clinic, was looking down, inputting something on her phone.
Treve was about to contact her best friend, Sea the Stars, and was diligently typing away.
[Treve: Little Star, I saw Secretariat at Dr. Lin's clinic today! She was unexpectedly gentle...]
Halfway through typing.
The clever little foreign pink-haired filly suddenly froze, her pupils contracting. Her pretty brows furrowed, as if she had finally noticed something quite off.
Why?
Why would Secretariat... not only converse with her but even seem to pay her extra attention?
"I'm a turf Uma Musume, and I haven't even debuted yet. I have very little connection to the American racing scene Secretariat belongs to."
"And she was actually this friendly to me? Why?"
A super Uma Musume reigning at the top of the dirt world, facing a yet-to-debut filly unrelated to her family—why would she be so exceedingly friendly and initiate conversation?
Especially when Secretariat's beloved Dr. Lin was right there!
No matter how you looked at it, this seemed somewhat peculiar, like she herself had missed something crucial.
Had her identity as a "spy" been discovered?
Or was there another reason?
Treve stopped typing the message and closed her eyes to think.
"The self-introduction I gave Secretariat was..."
After a few seconds, she began recalling her initial words, using them as a starting point for investigation.
'I'm Treve, the Uma Musume in a [guidance training relationship] with Dr. Lin recently.'
'Senior Secretariat, I'm your fan!'
First, rule out the latter sentence. The flaw must lie in the former sentence.
It was just a disguise. As the number one legendary dirt runner, Secretariat's fame spreading to European turf wasn't strange; that Big Red senior probably heard phrases like that at least a few times every day.
Although in some sports, there are stories of athletes who shouted "I'm your fan" successfully defeating their idols.
But how could that situation possibly happen to Treve, who, for one, hadn't debuted, and two, wasn't a dirt runner? Let alone the fact that Secretariat would have no reason to fear such an outcome.
So the problem must be...
"[Guidance training relationship]? Did this make Senior Secretariat wary of me?"
The little pink foreign filly narrowed her eyes slightly, growing intrigued.
Going down the list, this was the only possible reason!
This meant...
Either some Uma Musume had already been in such a relationship with Dr. Lin and successfully deepened their bond considerably.
Or Secretariat herself had benefited from it.
Or... both of the above had happened!
That's why just that one key phrase would make Senior Secretariat so cautious as to initiate a gentle conversation.
"It seems I underestimated the significance of this identity Little Star carefully prepared for me!"
No, not just Treve, even Sea the Stars herself who provided it probably didn't anticipate this.
"Then I must make good use of it, can't let Little Star's good intentions go to waste!"
"Thank you, Little Star!"
--+--
A few days later, drawing steadily closer.
The eve of the Pacific Classic...
In a room, a small blackboard hung on the back of the door.
Chalk marks recorded several names on it.
--+--
Secretariat (√) (×)
Riva Ridge (√)
Flightline (?)
Margaret Nearl (?)
--+--
Just like...
A hitman's list of targets.
These individuals were all colossi who shook the dirt world in their time!
In terms of ability, status, and influence, they were at least of historic caliber, universally acknowledged as powerful, guaranteed immediate entry into the [American Hall of Fame] upon retirement!
And half of them seemed to have been successfully "taken out" by the assassin who compiled this list.
Already hailed as proof of being a [Hall of Fame Killer], [Giant Killer], this seemingly ordinary girl lifted her head to gaze at the small blackboard on the door.
"Next up, the battle against Nearl and Flightline."
"This is a chance to take down two Hall of Fame Uma Musume in one race. How could I miss it?"
Prove Out, having already defeated two or three Hall of Fame-level Uma Musume, she too possessed the qualifications for the Hall.
Whether she, or The Radiant Knight Nearl, or Flightline—whoever won among them—it would count as defeating two Hall of Fame Uma Musume in one race.
What the assassin miss didn't know was... one of her targets was someone even the assassins of the Armorless Union, had been helpless against when it came to the Nearl family's knights!
And now, Prove Out wanted to accomplish what even the Armorless Union couldn't!
A certain anonymous Platinum-level operative gives her a thumbs up!
"Alright, just waiting for the race to start!"
--+--
A few days later.
[Pacific Classic Stakes] - Race Day.
The golden-haired maiden knight was pulling on her long boots, already clad in her iconic racing silks.
As for her signature weapon, the lance-sword from her silks, it had been removed and was now resting on the ground.
The [additional] second set of knightly racing silk armor, capable of being swapped, still hung in the wardrobe, gleaming with a cold light.
She looked every bit the shining knight ready to tear through any defensive line on the battlefield.
"Alright, the Pacific Classic is finally here."
"There aren't many more dirt races scheduled after this in the task list. Need to cherish them."
The golden-haired girl named Margaret Nearl, her clear orange eyes filled with seriousness and appreciation for the race.
How could The Radiant Knight not enjoy the running duels with different Uma Musume, witnessing everyone's efforts and brilliance, in matches free of any black curtains?
This race also featured powerful names like Prove Out and Flightline, making it a clash worth anticipating!
--+--
[Pacific Classic Stakes]
[Breeders' Cup Classic]
[Dream Cup]
--+--
After this one, only a mere two races remained.
"Even if I add the Breeders' Cup Turf, it's only three."
"Will the other me come to the Breeders' Cup?"
Would one Pegasus achieve the more difficult, higher-intensity Breeders' Cup Double—winning two races in one day?
Or would the world's only two Pegasus appear in the same race, like twin suns dominating the sky?
"Alright, matters stand as they are. For now, the race."
The golden-haired girl, fully dressed in her silks, hoisted her lance-sword and set forth on the path to the Pacific Classic!
The time had finally come to showcase Nearl's upgraded [Pegasus Light Wings] and the BGM that accompanied her domain's activation!
--+--
T/N: Treve is lowkey smart
--+--
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.