The current honor student, Daiwa Scarlet, stood utterly frozen, completely dumbstruck.
Because on the screen before her, Platinum's final sprint to the finish line was playing in full glory.
After finishing her training and settling in for a break, Scarlet had stumbled upon the news—Platinum had entered a GIII stakes race!
At first, Scarlet rubbed her eyes, convinced she must've misread.
After all, it had only been a week since Platinum had defeated her.
But once she confirmed it was indeed Platinum—and not just some low-tier OP race like the Akano Lake Special, but a proper G3 stakes with veteran horse girls—Scarlet could only watch in stunned silence.
And then she saw it—Platinum's flawless break from the gate, the sharp cut to the inside, the overwhelming runaway lead—
Her shock slowly twisted into something else: doubt.
Not doubt about the strength of Platinum's opponents, but doubt about—
'Did Platinum… not even go all out against me?'
"Kuh… 16 lengths!"
"A full sixteen lengths ahead!!"
Daiwa Scarlet, hailed as a supernova destined to claim G1 glory in the future, was confident she could've won a G3 stakes of this caliber too.
But in her estimations, even at her absolute peak, the most she could've managed was a win by a few lengths—maybe.
Yet here was Platinum, starting from the worst outside gate, fresh off a mere week's rest, dominating by sixteen lengths!
That was a true, undisputed "Ōsa"—a crushing victory!
A win by more than ten lengths was rare in the history of Japanese horse girl racing. And most of those overwhelming victories? They were just cases of "fishing with dynamite"—where a far superior racer stomped a field of weaker opponents.
But Platinum?
Before this race, nobody would've even dreamed of calling her the "dynamite fisher." If anything, people would've assumed she was the fish, stumbling into a high-stakes race by mistake.
Yet this youngest of fillies had reversed the script—dominating seasoned veterans while still fatigued from her previous race! And not just by the bare minimum for an ōsa (10-11 lengths), but by a staggering sixteen lengths!
The sheer weight of this victory was undeniable—far beyond any ordinary "dynamite fishing" match.
Faced with this, even the ever-confident honor student, Daiwa Scarlet, couldn't convince herself that Platinum had gone all out in their last race.
'I'm sorry… for not even making Platinum use her full strength.'
She had to admit it—Platinum hadn't been serious when they raced.
And that was the greatest humiliation of all!
To lose so decisively… to an opponent who wasn't even trying!
'Just because I'm weaker now doesn't mean I'll stay that way.'
The crimson-haired girl, blessed (or cursed) with an exceptionally voluptuous figure, clenched her fists in frustration.
"Next time…"
"In next year's Classics—I will have my revenge!"
--+--
Meanwhile, back at the racetrack—
The crowd had long since erupted into a roaring sea of cheers the moment Platinum crossed the finish line with her ōsa victory.
"PLATINUM! PLATINUM! PLATINUM!"
"This is what a real 'Pegasus' looks like! I've loved Platinum since the day I was born!"
"The Triple Crown! With skills like this, she's definitely winning next year's Filly Triple Crown—no, even the Classic Triple Crown !"
"The strongest! The absolute strongest!"
The stands, packed with thousands of spectators, were filled with nothing but jubilant shouts and applause.
It was easy to imagine—after this race alone, Platinum's title as the "Pegasus" would sweep through Japan's horse girl racing world!
And yet, the star of the show—the radiant silver-white girl who had seized this glorious victory—stood slightly uncomfortable amidst the adoration.
Compared to being an idol, she seemed far more at home as an assassin on the racetrack.
But given Platinum's frightening adaptability, it was only a matter of time before she adjusted.
After all… back in Terra, before becoming a high-class corporate assassin, Platinum had once been an Idol Knight.
No matter the profession, Platinum had a talent for "part-time work."
With the poise of a natural-born labor saint, the Pegasus girl gave a graceful bow to the crowd before coolly—yet elegantly—turning toward the Winner's Stage.
But behind that icy, stylish, and utterly unique demeanor, the thoughts running through her mind were—
'Prize money! A stakes race's payout has to be huge, right?'
'If I had a trainer or some fancy doctor, they'd probably take a cut…'
'Yeah, sticking to solo gigs is definitely better!!'
--+--
A short while later.
At the entrance to the Winner's Stage backroom.
Just as Platinum was about to step inside, she spotted a Uma Musume she'd never seen on the racetrack before.
Her silver eyes narrowed instantly—she immediately recognized who this was.
After all, she'd seen her in anime before.
This was none other than the legendary long-distance racer—the young lady of the Mejiro family!
Not long ago, Tokai Teio had suffered a fracture after losing to this monster of endurance. That alone spoke volumes about Mejiro McQueen's strength.
McQueen stood there, leisurely savoring some unknown dessert she'd bought, waiting patiently.
But the moment she spotted Platinum, she reluctantly set the sweet aside and spoke with deliberate focus.
"Hello, Platinum."
"I am Mejiro McQueen. I'm not sure if you've heard of me."
"I'm here on behalf of Tracen's student council president, Symboli Rudolf—to ask if you'd be interested in joining Tracen Academy."
Elegant and composed, McQueen relayed the message from Rudolf's phone call:
An invitation for the limitlessly talented Pegasus, Platinum, to enroll in Tracen—the pinnacle of Japanese horse girl education!
'Hmm… a calm and collected junior. She'll definitely accept, right?'
Most would be flustered meeting a top-tier racer like McQueen. Yet Platinum remained unfazed—proof of her unshakable composure.
That also meant she was smart, rational, and calculating.
Logically, the smarter a horse girl was, the more they'd recognize the value of top-tier training facilities, strong rivals to spar with, and experienced trainers.
…Well, except for that airheaded Oguri Cap senior, maybe.
"Platinum, what's your answer?"
And then, with all the cool detachment of a seasoned professional, the Pegasus girl delivered her reply—
"No."
McQueen nodded with a faint smile.
"Mhm, the benefits of joining are—"
"…Hah?!"
Her dessert slipped from her fingers—clattering to the floor.
--+--
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!
p@treon.com/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.