Pegasus? I'm actually a doctor!

The ice-cold Jungle Pocket maintained her position, awaiting Platinum's arrival.

"If I can't be faster, I can't compete!"

"If I can't be stronger, I can't surpass!"

"And finally, if I can't respond to this fervent cheering, I don't deserve to win!"

She knew that this kind of boxing-in, using the gate and environment to force the issue, wasn't glorious. It wasn't a display of pure strength.

But Jungle Pocket didn't regret it. Her eyes were only on surpassing Platinum and winning the Japanese Derby, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The luckiest Uma Musume wins the Derby?

Then let's see who the luckiest Uma Musume will be!

"Don't blame me for being underhanded!"

"The Derby championship is always like this!"

But a moment later, Jungle Pocket was surprised...

Why hadn't she seen that Heavenly Horse yet?

No, where was Platinum?

If she was going to lead from the front, she should already be at her side.

If she was choosing to stay back, she wasn't that far ahead of the trailing group. She should be able to see Platinum in the corner of her eye.

But why hadn't that Heavenly Horse appeared yet?

(Could it be that Platinum saw through my tactics instantly?)

(Then how will she retaliate now?!)

Jungle Pocket bit her silver teeth, feeling an incredible sense of shock.

As expected of the Heavenly Horse Tachyon praised, her strategy was outstanding, able to react in such a short time and from a non-audience perspective!

(As expected of the legendary Heavenly Horse!!)

Contrary to Jungle Pocket's thoughts, Platinum wasn't using her brain much or thinking about tactics.

The Jungle Pocket in front only needed to devote herself to the race and devise strategies against Platinum.

But Platinum in the back had a lot to consider, like what her quiver's special effect looked like, and how cool it was!

The Heavenly Horse was currently looking at the Uma Musume gathered in a large group ahead, collectively staying in the middle lanes without vying for the inner track, filled with interest in overtaking.

Her Winning Live Costume, which she was wearing for the first time, didn't feel cumbersome or heavy at all. The bow on her back and the nearly 20 arrows felt weightless.

This was the Winning Live Costume blessed by the Three Goddesses. Even if it was complex and heavy, it wouldn't affect her running during the race!

Platinum was in a great mood, not affected by the relentless rain. Feeling the magic of the Winning Live Costume and her interest in the quiver, she felt a surge of fighting spirit for the first time.

But this time—

Platinum didn't want to replicate her previous running style of gradually accelerating from the outside lane to the lead.

Because...

Wasn't that inner lane quite spacious?!

Even if going to the inner lane meant falling behind as a pursuer, it didn't matter!

(Accelerating diagonally on the outside lane like before will slow down the speed of overtaking the Uma Musume due to the diagonal movement.)

(Since this Winning Live Costume's quiver has an overtaking effect, I won't accelerate diagonally.)

(First, I'll cut to the empty inner lane at the very back, and then, as a pursuer who overtakes the entire field, I'll accelerate and overtake fairly and squarely beside and behind the other Uma Musume!)

The free-spirited Heavenly Horse was changing her running style this time. She didn't want to gradually overtake diagonally, but wanted to try going to the inner lane and starting to accelerate as a pursuer!

Therefore, she didn't choose to accelerate at all after the start.

Instead, Platinum calmly stayed at the very back, cutting diagonally towards the empty inner lane!

Platinum, who moved from the far outside to the inner lane, became the most lagging pursuer in the entire field after a smooth start!

Not only that, but she also became the only Uma Musume in the entire field running in the inner lane, turning into a silver-white light dashing through the drizzling rain!

This time, it was the Heavenly Horse, clad in a pure white Winning Live Costume and carrying arrows, walking alone in the inner lane.

In front of her, there was no one, as if no one dared to imitate her actions.

But Platinum, who didn't choose to accelerate and instead leisurely cut to the inner lane, was currently seemingly quite far behind.

That was... a huge gap of five or six horse lengths behind the trailing horses!

At this moment, the leading horse had already passed the first turn and was heading towards the second turn of the halfway point.

"Isn't the inner lane quite spacious!"

"Then now, it's time to start accelerating."

"I can't forget to activate the skill I forgot to use last time."

The composed Platinum didn't hesitate, and in the next moment, her speed suddenly increased!

Keep in mind, she was in the section of the heavy track that other Uma Musume avoided like the plague, a section that tested their strength the most.

She had only just started accelerating, but her rate of acceleration was almost as fast as the runaway horse leading at the front!

Platinum even activated her aura here, a pressure even heavier and more powerful than during the last Oaks!

Even in the pouring rain, the aura covering the entire field didn't diminish at all, unaffected by the downpour! This was the aura that Platinum controlled!

Three horse lengths!

Two horse lengths!

One horse length!

In a very short time, a late-running Uma Musume, unaccustomed to the track and suppressed by Platinum's aura, was the first to clearly see the silver-white figure beside her.

This late-running Uma Musume's pupils shrank instantly, as if she had seen a ghost.

Moreover, Platinum's once-empty quiver... now contained a full dozen arrows?

"N-No way!"

"This is... a late runner? Accelerating on the inside?!"

"And those arrows, weren't there none before?"

She didn't even have a chance to grit her teeth and accelerate to resist. In the next moment, the silver-white figure reached her side and instantly overtook her!

At the moment she was overtaken—

In the pupils of this late-running girl, she vaguely saw a holy and radiant golden light, a female figure almost identical to Platinum, drawing her bow and aiming an arrow at her!

That arrow was released!!

It was as if... a Hunting Goddess was inspecting her territory, hunting prey!

"Is that really a Heavenly Horse, or... a goddess??"

56. This is the Hunting Goddess! Heavenly Horse Vision?!

What she saw... was it really an Uma Musume?

Or was she seeing a goddess in charge of hunting?

This late-running Uma Musume, who was at the very back and had been overtaken by Platinum first due to her inability to adapt to the heavy track, was witnessing the goddess's phantom drawing her bow and shooting an arrow at her!!

Shock! Fear!

It was as if a sharp, holy arrow was piercing her body?!

Many indescribable emotions instantly flooded this Uma Musume's heart.

Although her body was not actually pierced, it didn't mean her state of mind wasn't affected.

In fact, nothing external other than the weather and environment could affect the race itself!

That goddess phantom, with its seemingly infinite power, was enough as a special effect to intimidate the entire field and showcase the Heavenly Horse's form!

Perhaps some young foals who hadn't seen much of the world would be greatly shocked just by seeing this scene, witnessing the special effect of being overtaken by Platinum.

Faced with the Heavenly Horse that surpassed her, the arrow shot by the phantom of the Hunting Goddess, this Uma Musume was unable to muster even her fighting spirit, her mind so flustered that her will to fight dissipated.

Her already weak steps were now filled with awe for the Platinum in front, and she had no intention of chasing or fighting back.

"N-No way!!!"

Beneath that faint cry, the late-running Platinum at the very back began her journey of pursuit and overtaking!

(This special effect... is more awesome than I imagined!)

(I want this! I want this!!)

The Heavenly Horse, speeding along, didn't even expect that this "overtaking effect" would be so outstanding and amazing, making Platinum very satisfied.

And this... was just the first victim.

For Platinum, only one arrow had been used.

Weren't there still many arrows in the quiver?

She should continue to empty the quiver until the finish line!

In the next moment, Platinum, who had entered the late-running group, was still accelerating with her swift dance steps.

And now, in the vast late-running group, as many as seven or eight Uma Musume had clearly seen and noticed the silver-white figure on the inside track.

On this muddy and heavy grass, in this drizzling black rain!

That silver-white radiance, as if it could tear through everything, instantly caught the eyes of these Uma Musume who were her opponents!

"H-How is this possible?"

"Platinum actually... broke into the inner track?"

"Is it really worth spending so much stamina for that little bit of early speed advantage!"

"Such terrifying pressure... Jungle Pocket is definitely not usually this strong... Is it Black Ship, or Platinum?"

"This monster, is she not even afraid of a heavy track Japanese Derby?!"

"Wait, Platinum's quiver was empty, how does she have so many arrows now?"

But the reaction time granted to them by the assassin was only a moment. Before this group of late-running Uma Musume even chose to accelerate...

Without even giving them a chance to shout "Oyster," Platinum arrived at their side in the next moment, and overtook this dense group of late-running girls in one fell swoop!

This time, the pure and holy goddess phantom appeared again!

And the bow held by the goddess phantom was exactly the same as the bow on Platinum's back. She drew the bowstring and shot again!

But unlike the previous appearance, the Uma Musume being targeted were not just one. At this moment, nearly ten Uma Musume in the late-running group had all become the targets of the Hunting Goddess.

The goddess phantom, almost identical to Platinum's body, shot out another arrow of holy, shining golden light in the next instant!

In the eyes of those Uma Musume, widened to the extreme in stunned disbelief, the arrow was as dazzling and swift as a flash of light, piercing through their running forms!

"Guh... w-what is this?!"

"Is it my hallucination? Was that a goddess just now?"

"The Three Goddesses can't possibly appear on the racetrack, that was just my hallucination, right? But there aren't any goddesses other than the Three Goddesses, are there!"

"Oyster!!"

"Ribbit, this heavy rain ruined my Derby dream, it's made me so delirious I'm seeing hallucinations!"