The Preakness Stakes has concluded!
Margaret Nearl, the Radiant Knight, achieves her Undefeated Second Crown!
"I am—your Final Destination!"
Not long after the post-race interviews wrapped up…
Unnoticed by most, a calm yet imposing young Uma Musume, whose aura and dignity were no less than that of the legendary Big Red Monster seated in the stands earlier, quietly left the racecourse.
"Magnificent, truly magnificent."
That was her assessment of the just-concluded Preakness Stakes, and of Nearl's performance.
Her hair was a vivid, fiery red, like a blazing flame. Her legs were long and elegantly sculpted, every movement radiating both grace and power.
Though young in age, she carried herself with the maturity of someone far older.
She was none other than the acknowledged strongest active dirt racer of her generation, a monster ranked among the top two in history—the second-generation Big Red Monster: Secretariat!
This extraordinary crimson-haired girl let her long locks cascade over her shoulders, a stark contrast against her fair skin that added an air of mystery to her presence. Just after stepping out of the venue, she suddenly glanced back toward the familiar track behind her.
Just a year ago, it was Secretariat who had conquered this very track, this very event, earning praise for a record that might stand for half a century.
But now, barely over three hundred days later, before even the next Triple Crown season could conclude…
Both her records—in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes—had been broken, one after another?
"Now, all that's left is the final leg—the Belmont Stakes."
Secretariat was like a gourmet eagerly awaiting a long-anticipated feast.
Since last year, she had already marked that young filly named Margaret Nearl—Dr. Lin's little niece—as a rival she must defeat.
Not for any complicated reason, but simply… because she wanted to surpass Man o' War, to fulfill her promise and rise to become the Greatest of All Time!
But sadly, Sham had already been thoroughly crushed by her. Even if Sham returned, beating her a fourth time wouldn't make much of an impact—fans were probably tired of seeing it.
Right now, there was no other heavyweight Uma Musume whose defeat would instantly propel Secretariat past Man o' War, so Nearl naturally became the best choice.
Secretariat had been waiting months for Nearl to become a Triple Crown winner and face her in competition!
Of course, in Secretariat's eyes, Nearl was the primary target, but not the only one.
Besides Nearl, there were other super-talents like Ruffian and Flightline!
Ruffian was from the same generation as Nearl, challenging the Filly Triple Crown on the other side. Waiting for Nearl meant waiting for Ruffian as well.
As for Flightline—her strength and talent were impeccable, but her physique was too fragile. Secretariat had no idea when Flightline would even race again…
Given this, the second-generation Big Red Miss naturally saw the battle-hardened, combat-ready Radiant Knight as her primary focus.
"No… after the American Triple Crown concludes, Nearl will likely race at least one more time."
In Secretariat's mind, another familiar, tall, cold, and domineering young figure came to thought.
That was the little—no, big foreign filly named Ruffian, a prodigious talent despite her youth.
She was also Secretariat's backup plan.
"Ruffian's chance of winning the Triple Tiara is 100%."
"She plans to challenge the winner of the Classic Triple Crown right after securing her own triple."
"If Nearl wins the Belmont Stakes, then it'll be Classic Triple Crown vs. Classic Triple Tiara—a one-on-one showdown between two rare, unbeaten Triple Crown winners!"
If possible, Secretariat would love to join that showdown as the reigning Triple Crown champion from the previous year.
If that could happen, it would mean three Triple Crown winners in one race.
But obviously, a showdown between Classic-year Uma Musume, a battle to decide the strongest of their generation, had nothing to do with an "old-timer" like her from the previous generation.
"Then I'll just have to wait a little longer…"
"I've already waited over half a year; a few more months won't hurt."
"When the time comes, whichever of them proves stronger—Ruffian or Nearl—I'll defeat her!"
That was the confidence of Secretariat, the strongest of her era and one of the top two in history.
It was a conviction born of absolute strength.
Even though… her senior, her idol, the original Big Red Monster—the dirt GOAT Man o' War, whom Secretariat desperately wanted to surpass but found immensely difficult to—had openly stated from the commentary booth during the Preakness Stakes:
'Nearl is a talent who might surpass both me and Secretariat.'
"Surpassing Miss Man o' War is indeed possible. Both Nearl and I have the potential to do it."
In response, Secretariat tossed her cascading crimson hair. Her tall, imposing figure radiated an intimidating aura.
"But surpassing me—that's absolutely impossible!"
--+--
Meanwhile.
Margaret Nearl, the golden-haired knight, had returned home.
After setting down her lance, she began removing her armor.
"The Belmont Stakes in two weeks will be the longest race I've ever run."
"2400 meters—on turf, that's a classic, highly prestigious distance. But on dirt, it feels considerably longer."
"And for this longer distance to be set as the final leg of the Triple Crown… no wonder the Belmont Stakes has become the 'Wall of Sighs' that shatters the dreams of many dual-crown winners."
Nearl's sharp intuition, coupled with the knowledge she'd absorbed from countless hours spent in the clinic—originally to earn more coins and prize money—allowed the golden-haired knight to understand the situation clearly.
Even though most of her opponents in the Belmont Stakes would likely be ones she'd already defeated, like Sunday Silence and the surely-returning third-generation Big Red, Easy Goer…
No matter what, she couldn't afford to let her guard down just because she'd beaten them once or twice.
In Uma Musume racing history, there were countless examples of racers winning once or twice only to be avenged later.
The Radiant Knight was powerful yet cautious, serious and never careless—she would never be arrogant enough to underestimate already skilled opponents.
So…
Time to reward herself with a training session!
Even after just finishing a G1 race like the Preakness Stakes, Nearl still had energy to spare and wanted to head to the training grounds for more work.
She was both earnest and steady, yet never shied away from training. After all, on race days, she'd even hang a notice at the clinic saying it would be closed for a day or half a day.
In Nearl's view, since she had free time and nothing else to do, she might as well train properly to become stronger.
Getting stronger meant better maintaining her condition to win races and earn more prize money. When it came to prize money, even that scheming young doctor couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Not one to laze around, Miss Nearl had just finished removing her armor and was about to change into training clothes when…
From the nightstand, the scheming young doctor's phone began ringing.
Instantly, it caught Nearl's attention. She turned and picked up the phone.
The caller ID showed a name she didn't know well but recognized from the races.
It wasn't Sunday Silence or Easy Goer—both of them had already recovered from their injuries.
It was an Uma Musume who'd participated in the Preakness Stakes but wasn't particularly high in popularity. She'd previously had check-ups at Dr. Lin Anran's clinic and had been full of praise, so she'd added his contact info.
Now, barely any time after getting home post-race, she was already calling?
A flicker of surprise crossed Nearl's sharp amber eyes before she quickly realized what was happening.
Drawing on her keen instincts and the medical knowledge she'd inherited from her original self, the Radiant Knight quickly assessed the situation.
"Between the interviews and the winner's ceremony, I took over an hour longer than those who left early."
"That's enough time to get home and undergo a check-up with a family doctor."
"If it were just a routine physical, there'd be no need to schedule anything—just come to the clinic as usual."
"So… this must mean she's confirmed an injury, and a serious one at that, which is why she's reaching out to me immediately!"
To confirm her suspicion, she checked the phone and found another call record from a different Uma Musume.
That call had come in a few minutes earlier, while Nearl was still on her way home, and it was also from a young foreign filly who'd just run the Preakness Stakes.
Multiple Uma Musume calling within minutes, all from the same race?
Clearly, this wasn't a coincidence!
The answer was obvious: there was more than one [Pegasus Victim] this time.
"This…"
A trace of regret flashed across the refined, heroic features of the young girl. She felt a pang of sympathy, her expression tinged with a sigh.
Truth be told, performances so dominant that they left other Uma Musume injured or even with broken legs had always been hailed as testament to the winner's greatness—anecdotes worth celebrating and passing down.
Classic examples included Secretariat's Belmont Stakes, which left the talented Sham seriously injured, and Japan's Mayano Top Gun's Spring Tenno Sho, where several Uma Musume were hurt—a race the URA hailed as a "legendary moment."
Many fans praised their idols' strength with lines like, "In that race, she pushed another racer to a broken leg—could any other Uma Musume do that?!"
After all, this was racing—a sport with only one winner.
The losers were like lone wolves failing a hunt, left to lick their wounds in the shadows. Whether those wounds were life-threatening mattered to no one but themselves.
Perhaps only that Uma Musume's fans, friends, family, and trainer would truly worry.
But trainers had other Uma Musume to coach and accompany to races—they couldn't focus solely on one injured racer whose value had plummeted.
Because—the world of adults was cruel.
If a trainer only handled one Uma Musume, an injury could mean financial struggle, since a significant portion of a trainer's income came from [race prize money splits]. Naturally, they formed teams to manage multiple racers.
As for fans, most would eventually be drawn to new-generation prodigies, or even the shining winner who'd injured their "former idol." There was always a time when new stars replaced the old.
Those who devoted themselves to just one Uma Musume were actually quite rare.
So, in a way, aside from friends, family, and the doctor treating her, everyone else would leave or drastically reduce their attention and care.
This was the dark side of the glittering world of Uma Musume racing—a reality many racers deeply feared.
That was also why several Uma Musume had suddenly withdrawn from Nearl's Preakness Stakes, why some had chosen to avoid the race.
And both of Dr. Lin Anran's Pegasus forms—Platinum and Nearl—understood that choice to avoid.
Sometimes, entering a race with minuscule chances of victory, risking your entire career in the process, was indeed a reckless choice.
And Miss Platinum had once famously said something that spread throughout the racing world:
"Walk away now, and no one gets hurt!"
Though it sounded like a declaration of war, it was also a genuine warning.
And the dignified, golden-haired Nearl… she felt regret.
She knew well how much effort these young girls, capable of competing in prestigious races, had poured into their training.
For one race to jeopardize an entire career… was truly unfortunate.
As the upright [Radiant Knight], she preferred to face and defeat opponents who were healthy and performing at their best, not ones who were weakened or injured.
When the gap in ability was too wide, and other Uma Musume stubbornly pushed themselves beyond their limits to chase victory, the risk of injury skyrocketed.
But a fierce competitive spirit had always been an absolute virtue in Uma Musume.
Those without that drive rarely made it to the stage where Nearl competed.
So, it was inevitable that things would turn out this way.
Under normal circumstances, as long as other Uma Musume kept challenging her, as long as races continued, injuries would happen—it was unavoidable.
But deliberately holding back to protect others would be disrespectful to the race, dismissive of her opponents, the audience, and herself. Such "protection" would likely be seen as the ultimate insult.
"Then… aren't there only three possible outcomes from here?"
Nearl murmured, immediately thinking of three different paths.
The first: continue as is, becoming a "demon" or "killer" in the eyes of other Uma Musume.
The second: Replicate Platinum's [Takarazuka Kinen]! The deterrence displayed by the Pegasus Platinum in that race had turned what should have been a twenty-plus competitor G1 event into a three-horse race.
And the other two challengers were renowned powerhouses like Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon—worthy opponents who wouldn't easily lose or get injured.
The third: a miracle.
Naturally, the most likely outcomes were the first and second possibilities.
The first was the most probable—that was certain.
The second… although [her other self, Platinum] had managed it once before…
But—she'd only succeeded that one time!
Reducing the field to just three competitors was largely possible because it happened in Japan!
From her debut to the Takarazuka Kinen, Platinum had swept victory after victory there, becoming the undisputed strongest in Japanese Uma Musume racing, which made most local fillies avoid facing her.
Even after Pegasus Platinum began her European campaigns, overcoming Team Coolmore's traps, defeating Harbinger's full-force challenge, and winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe…
In Europe, where talents emerged constantly and competition was cutthroat, there were always young geniuses who refused to acknowledge superiority or fear stronger opponents.
And the American Uma Musume scene was every bit as competitive as Europe's!
Ever since the Big Red Monster Secretariat had forced even Sham into a career-threatening injury and claimed her legendary status, every subsequent race still attracted five or more opponents.
If even the strongest of her era, one of history's top two, couldn't achieve the same deterrence Platinum had in Japan's Takarazuka Kinen…
Perhaps only the [Greatest of All Time], the GOAT, could make the majority of talents across the entire Uma Musume world hesitate and withdraw. Even Secretariat, who'd injured many pursuers, hadn't managed it.
So Nearl knew that achieving the second outcome—projecting enough deterrence to make proud, elite young ladies collectively avoid her—was impossible in the short term.
But the first outcome, becoming an "Uma Musume Killer," wasn't something Nearl wanted either.
"Then…"
The last possibility—a miracle?
But was that even possible?
Frowning slightly, the Radiant Knight who disliked seeing opponents suffer career-ending injuries seemed to recall something suddenly.
Her Zone?
Her own Zone?
The golden-haired girl suddenly remembered that her mysterious, powerful domain hadn't been fully revealed yet.
One of its key traits was…
[Will activate one of three unique domains most suited to the current situation. Current zone selection is—]
A zone! And not just one, but three different domains!
Until now, Nearl had only used [Night-Scouring Gleam] and [Flaming Edge] in her races.
The versatile, powerful Night-Scouring Gleam, which could mitigate the effects of other zones, was one of Nearl's signature skills.
Flaming Edge was a persistent, formidable domain—the very one she'd used to give Sunday Silence a big surprise in the Preakness Stakes.
As for the third domain, Nearl herself had no idea what it was; she'd never activated it!
"Could this third domain be one that prevents serious injuries to other Uma Musume?"
"At any rate… it's worth a try."
But to test and use a zone effectively, she needed other Uma Musume as references, as partners for practice races.
It was like testing a new drug—you needed volunteers.
But currently, she hadn't raced against any seniors except for Holy Bull.
Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were her upcoming opponents, and they certainly wouldn't have the energy for training sessions before the Belmont Stakes.
As the Radiant Knight, her network wasn't extensive enough yet to call upon suitable, talented fillies to test her mysterious final zone.
So then…
Time to switch accounts and call for backup!
Sham!
Ask her for help!
Having made her decision, Nearl uttered her final whisper.
"Original self, activate!"
--+--
A short while later—
The scheming young doctor answered the phone, scheduling treatment times for the two injured foreign fillies the next day.
Then, for the first time in a while… he dialed Sham's number.
This was the first time since Dr. Lin Anran had stayed at Sham's place, in the room next door.
The call was answered instantly.
"Hello, this is Lin Anran."
"Can you do me a favor?"
Lin Anran got straight to the point.
A voice tinged with both delight and faint complaint came through, as if wondering why it had taken so long to hear from him again.
"Then… will there be [compensation]?"
"Dr. Lin, you know what I want, don't you?"
--+--
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.