The cloudy skies broke apart for the Stellar Descent—and there was Margaret Nearl, her own [Light Wings] unfurled at last!
In all the long history of Uma Musume, only one other had ever shown the legendary twin wings of a Pegasus: Platinum.
She was always a vision in pure white, flawless as new snow, yet her wings were the deepest black—a stark, famous contrast, radiating a domineering and icy coolness.
But what the Radiant Knight revealed now wasn't feathers... it was light.
Dazzling, brilliant wings of shining white touched with gold, the polar opposite of Platinum's dark pair.
There was none of that gloomy, cold pressure. Instead, they blazed with a blinding brightness, washing over the fans who saw them with an alternative, sun-like warmth.
This was the first time this world's Nearl had shown her Pegasus-worthy Light Wings. And a heartbeat later…
The crowd simply boiled over.
That golden-haired knight, her figure slicing forward, the hem of her white coat fluttering—all of it moved in perfect sync with the brilliant wings of light behind her.
She had barely left the starting gate, yet this visible proof of Nearl's power sent a jolt of pure shock through everyone watching.
The scene of the Stellar Descent!
The Radiant Knight's Wings of Light!
Even the blazing sun above seemed to bend its rays, laying down a luminous path for the Pegasus herself.
And as these incredible scenes played out, the endless rows of spectators on both sides erupted. A torrent of shouts raged.
"Nearl!! Nearl!! That's our Radiant Knight!"
"Coming here was worth it! To start with something this amazing!"
"I can't believe we're seeing a special effect like this right from the beginning!"
And at the same time, rising through all that noise from the stands…
The one who started it all, the golden maiden who pierced the sky with her lance, found another gear, her speeding footsteps accelerating again!
--+--
On the dirt track at the very front, in the inner lane.
That seemingly delicate, slightly tall and bookish-looking maiden moved with a hunter's grace, overtaking one leading Uma Musume after another.
With so few participants, in just a moment, only one "Great Escape" runner was left holding the lead.
Flightline. She intended to seize the front, to replace the original pace-setter. This monster, famous for widening her winning margin in every race, had a rapid charge for the lead that was her specialty.
And the other Uma Musume skilled in this running style…
Was none other than the Radiant Knight, Nearl!
Both were dominant winners who liked to run from the front, but a massive difference still existed.
'My 'Escape' and hers are completely different concepts,' Flightline thought.
'But fortunately, the start gives me a slight advantage.'
The super-luxury lineup had scared off most competitors, leaving a mere six participants.
That made the starting gate positions almost negligible. Unless, of course, you were comparing the innermost and outermost gates—that offered a slight edge, but not much.
And Flightline was in gate number one.
"And more important than the gate is experience dealing with a 'Great Escape.' You can hardly find anyone in the whole world with more experience than me! Being bullied for so long in training matches by Secretariat wasn't for nothing."
She was acutely aware of the difference between herself and Nearl, and where her own advantages lay.
She excelled at controlling the pace from the front and possessed a fearsome, extra-long late kick.
Besides that… was her hard-earned familiarity with the Great Escape style.
Everyone knew that while there was only one word's difference between "Escape" and "Great Escape," they were completely different concepts.
Plenty of G1-level Uma Musume had won on dirt with a conventional Escape style; over a century, they numbered in the hundreds, even thousands.
But the number of "Great Escape" Uma Musume who could achieve G1 victories? It was questionable if it even broke one hundred.
Most Uma Musume simply lacked experience facing a true Great Escape opponent. It was an extreme, all-or-nothing style that was hard on the body, so few ever chose it.
How could anyone go all-out with it in a mere training match?
But Flightline was different. For years, her chosen training partner had been—[The Big Red Monster: Secretariat]!!
That living legend, the strongest dirt Uma Musume, was a monster on par with Nearl and Platinum, capable of dominating in any running style.
Though famously a closer in actual races, Secretariat's early acceleration was remarkably swift.
Just like the Pegasus Platinum, she was known for a slow start followed by a devastating early surge, often taking the lead before the race was half over.
And in one-on-one training matches, Secretariat would employ the Great Escape. The supposed physical toll seemed to have no effect on monsters of her and Nearl's caliber.
'Thanks to her,' Flightline thought, her gaze sharpening, 'you can hardly find any Uma Musume in all of America with more experience facing the Great Escape than me.'
It's worth mentioning that Flightline had never actually beaten Secretariat in a training match! But Secretariat never looked down on her, considering Flightline the most likely to pose a real threat.
The reason was simple: Flightline's issue wasn't a lack of skill, but her own mentality.
She was so obsessed with decisive, perfect victories that she would rather extend her rest periods than risk a less-than-dominant win in a practice run.
She was a sheathed sword, only drawn for the one ultimate moment.
But now, at her peak, the spirit Flightline was about to display was a state even Secretariat had never seen! She would use it to decide the outcome against the Radiant Knight.
Having made her decision, Flightline's breathing grew slow and controlled, her speed already eclipsing the original front-runner. In her peripheral vision, she saw the golden maiden from gate six speeding into view.
'She's coming?! So fast!'
'Worthy of a genius on the same level as Secretariat!'
"I originally wanted to save this move for an official race, to get revenge on Secretariat," Flightline murmured.
"But if I don't use it, if I don't burn away everything I have, there's simply no way I can defeat Margaret Nearl! Facing a super-genius like her… it's worth it."
In the next instant, as Flightline cast aside all restraint, an immensely powerful aura erupted from her body—a pressure that weighed on the entire field and daunted every other Uma Musume.
"What Secretariat can do, I can do too! I will become… the legend who defeats the legend!!"
The phrase [Kings shall not meet] had been a recurring theme in Uma Musume history, only broken this year.
As for past legends like the turf specialist Eclipse… that was a hundred years ago, a myth from a different era of racing, hardly comparable to the modern day.
So, with Platinum's precedent of legendary achievement, how could an ambitious Uma Musume like Flightline not want to replicate that magnificent feat? To surpass both Nearl and Secretariat?!
It didn't matter if it was Nearl approaching; even if it were Secretariat herself, Man o' War, Platinum, or Eclipse, none could stop Flightline's ambition now.
With her outstanding stamina and powerful burst, Flightline finally got serious, entering a state of full power.
That aura, capable of swallowing mountains and rivers, stood in stark contrast to her soft, literary appearance, transforming her into a terrifying presence that shocked the entire venue.
It was a supreme domain, strong enough to shake everything! A legendary domain that could be called the strongest under the gods!
Domain, activate!!
--+--
[Passive: The longer the domain is active, the recovery period afterward is doubled, placing a great load on the body. While active, domain strength is moderately increased, and skill effects are improved moderately.]
[(Unyielding Resolve): Affects domains weaker than her own. Seals domain skills of opponents based on her aura strength, from slight to significant degree. The greater the impact on the entire field, the more her own stamina recovers.]
[(Leap at the Extreme): When in the first half of the race, her own stamina recovers slightly, and her aura strength increases. She gains slight resistance to effects from other domains.]
[(Robust Spirit): The longer the time since the previous race, her acceleration and burst power receive a tiny to small increase based on the duration, and her stamina consumption is slightly reduced.]
--+--
Both her domain skills and her passive were exceedingly powerful.
For so long, this was the first time Flightline had activated her [Passive Skill], something she had never even used in past training matches.
A runner who already required long rest periods would never activate a passive that doubled her recovery time—until the final moment. This was what she had saved for Secretariat!
It was like Might Guy, the Green Beast of Konoha, finally opening the Eighth Gate against Madara.
For Flightline, the Radiant Knight Nearl was the powerful enemy worth that ultimate price.
And the moment this domain activated, most of the Uma Musume on the field stared in astonishment.
"Huh? Activating her domain… already?"
"Such terrifying intensity! What kind of monster is this?"
"Gulp, so this is a legendary Uma Musume?"
"Wasn't Flightline's pace control always precise? Why now, at the start?"
"Her aura wasn't this frightening when she beat me last time!"
Some were shocked by the domain itself; others, who had faced her before, were even more astonished.
They felt the absolute gap in rank and level. This was true suppression, the pressure of a legend!
And the other legend capable of opposing her was right on Flightline's outside.
The golden-haired knight, lance in hand, Light Wings unfurled, saw her charging momentum not decrease, but increase. She began her pursuit of the domain-activated Flightline!
'Worthy of the opponent I've long awaited,' Nearl thought, her spirit soaring.
'Such acceleration and aura are truly legendary. Then, I shall respond in kind!'
Nearl's unique [Pegasus Form] activated, the exclusive skill independent of her domain.
--+--
[Pegasus Form (Passive): Moderately increases aptitude for short distance, mile, middle distance, and long distance races. Moderately increases power and acceleration. Greatly enhances aura. Moderately strengthens all of her subsequent skills.]
[Pegasus Form (Light Wings): Sets sail with Light Wings unfolded. Moderately increases aptitude for turf and dirt. Slightly increases stamina consumption. Judges the average strength of all Uma Musume in the race. The stronger the average strength, the greater the increase to her own fighting spirit, the more stamina she recovers, and the faster her speed increases.]
--+--
Even their Pegasus skills were different. Nearl's were all-encompassing, boosting her on all surfaces and all race distances.
Nearl raised her fair neck, her eyes fixed ahead, her shining Light Wings brilliantly dazzling!
The two legends, both accelerating early, both employing the Great Escape.
A white-hot battle to the death was imminent.
Pegasus's Flight VS Flightline's Launch!
Light Wings VS Gate of Death!
"Come on!!"
--+--
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.