Pegasus? I'm actually a doctor!

(I can't let Platinum pass me here. If she does, I might not be able to catch up.)

With incredibly swift reactions, the dark bay Uma Musume, relying on her instincts like a wild beast, gritted her silver teeth and abruptly kicked off, recklessly choosing to accelerate early.

To avoid being overtaken by the silver-white Heavenly Horse Platinum, who was running rampant on the inner track, Forest Jungle Pocket, caught off guard, had her rhythm disrupted and was forced to accelerate ahead of schedule!

On the inner track, the silver-white girl instantly perceived Forest Jungle Pocket's actions.

Not just Forest Jungle Pocket, but the other Uma Musume in front were also in danger, and some of them also began to accelerate.

Platinum remained calm and unchanged, without feeling regret or tension. Having finally had her fighting spirit ignited, she didn't want to just overtake those slow horses who were conserving their stamina.

She was going to overtake all the Uma Musume!

(Only half the Uma Musume are left. If I don't use my skills now, it might end like the Oaks, where I didn't get to use them at all...)

Platinum was familiar with many of the skills from the Uma Musume mobile game, and she was curious to see what she would unlock this time.

(Then, let's activate it!)

The indolent assassin girl, having made her decision, had a seemingly infinite, majestic light bloom in her cold eyes.

What she activated was...

It was—[Heavenly Horse Vision]!!

57. The Greatest Dance! Derby Victory! This is Heavenly Horse Platinum!

[Heavenly Horse Vision]!!

In Miss Heavenly Horse Platinum's amber-like, dazzling eyes, an incredible, brilliant light bloomed!

And beneath the pattering rain—

The originally heavy and dim rainy grass field seemed to be dyed with a dazzling, sacred white, and gradually covered by illusory architecture.

The vast 2400-meter racecourse was instantly transformed into a solemn and majestic arena!

It was an arena appearance that would shock any Uma Musume, but no matter how shocked they were, how interested they were, or how much they pondered, they would never be able to discern the true origin of this arena.

It was none other than the Knight Arena of Casimir, which only the world's first Heavenly Horse Platinum could recognize!

Casimir, a sacred place that had nurtured countless knights, was where Hintleia of Arknights had performed as an idol knight in the arena.

However, Hintleia didn't particularly like this job, so she chose to change careers and get a new one.

Thus, she went from being a knight to an assassin... becoming the Platinum Grand Seat, a high-ranking assassin in the Mugyuu Alliance.

In any case, even before transmigrating, she hadn't paid much attention to the story, but she would never feel unfamiliar with the Knight Arena!

Even the Heavenly Horse Miss, who had transformed, was filled with amazement at this moment!

If there weren't other Uma Musume around and in front of her, she would have thought she had transmigrated to the continent of Arknights.

(Wait, this... this counts as a skill??)

Platinum herself didn't expect that when she activated her aura for the first time out of interest, wanting to see what would happen and what skills would be triggered!

What she had used was [Heavenly Horse Vision]! It could cover the entire field at once, and even the scenery seemed to have changed?

(Hold on, it seems like I activated more than just aura. This is...)

Then, Platinum realized, what skill looked like this?

In the Arknights game, "Heavenly Horse Vision" was indeed just a skill, but that didn't mean it was in Uma Musume duels!

(After using a relatively strong aura, I activated a [Domain]?)

In her mind, she immediately sensed the current Domain and the skills being used.

[Heavenly Horse Vision: Activated]

[Will activate at least three exclusive Domain skills that best suit the current situation, greatly increase aura suppression, cause additional stamina consumption to all Uma Musume on the field, and slightly reduce speed.]

[Passive (Automatically Continuous): Will slightly reduce own speed, moderately increase strength and enhance stride frequency, slightly increase insight and reaction, will slightly plunder the skill acceleration effects of all Uma Musume on the field, and absorb the stamina of all Uma Musume on the field to a very small extent.]

[(Heavenly Horse Not of This World): Can be activated when the racecourse is "Slightly Heavy," "Heavy," or "Very Heavy." Will restore stamina depending on the severity of the track conditions, and reduce stamina consumption, slightly increase speed.]

[(Gunslinger): The closer you get to the Uma Musume in front, the faster your speed increases. When there are no Uma Musume in front, slightly reduces subsequent stamina consumption.]

[(Knight Killer): The more Uma Musume you overtake, the faster your speed increases. When there are no Uma Musume in front, slightly restores your own stamina.]

After understanding her Domain effects and these exclusive, unique skill effects, the Heavenly Horse Miss was momentarily surprised.

These unheard-of skills... they really did suit the current situation!

There were skills to overcome and master harsh environments, as well as skills suitable for a chaser to overtake opponents, restore stamina, and reduce consumption!

The only problem was probably... she seemed to have activated her Domain too late?

She had already entered the third turn, and there was only a short distance left to the final straight. If she were a genius with low stamina, she might think it was too early to activate her Domain now.

This special Domain, Heavenly Horse Vision, had a passive that automatically continued and absorbed the acceleration and stamina of other Uma Musume. In other words...

This Domain was simply a perpetual skill from the Arknights game, most suitable for activating early in a race!

The start at this moment wasn't using Heavenly Horse Vision to its limit, but for this Japanese Derby... it was enough for now.

"Domain Heavenly Horse Vision, the course has transformed into a Knight Arena, so..."

She was here to end this race!

Or rather, to kill the race, using up the remaining half of the arrows in her quiver!

"It wouldn't do to not win."

"Let's see how long you can run!"

In the very next instant, the silver-white girl's cold eyes flashed with... the killing intent of an assassin!

Platinum's galloping strides, her stride frequency beyond ordinary comprehension, increased even further, and the acceleration she displayed as she flew along the inner lane reached an extremely terrifying level.

Heavenly Horse Platinum, had opened her Domain for the first time, even if the timing was off and it wasn't a complete form!

But her strides seemed to be on a completely different level from the other Uma Musume, and the other two popular Uma Musume who were favorites to win were already being chased down by Platinum to a very close distance of less than two horse lengths!

"Eradication commencing."

Behind Platinum, the radiant goddess phantom reappeared, drawing her bow once more.

"Count one, shatter legs."

"Eh?!?"

"W-wait a minute, what is this?"

"The racetrack, how did it turn into some kind of arena?"

"Even the aura of a top-tier Uma Musume might only slightly alter the appearance of the course, right? Could this be..."

"Something beyond aura... a [Domain]!?"

"This arena, it isn't going to make me fight Platinum to the death, is it? No way, I don't want that!"

In the leading positions, several Uma Musume were dumbfounded. Those who hadn't yet witnessed Platinum's effects that transcended special effects were fortunate enough to be the first to see the Domain's effects.

It was the Knight Arena of Casimir, instantly filling these running Uma Musume with pressure. Moreover, their already limited stamina was rapidly depleting...

Even those among them who were outstanding, possessing considerable aura, couldn't even reduce the suppression of the Domain, let alone resist it, even after activating their own auras!

It was an insurmountable, absolute gap!

The foreign girl named Black Ship was gritting her teeth to maintain her speed.

"Are you kidding me? A heavy track is already hard enough to run on, and a Classic-year Uma Musume can master a Domain?"

"Even on the American Triple Crown and British Triple Crown, which are most famous for dirt and grass, the number of Uma Musume who can master a Domain usually doesn't exceed three to five."

"I heard Japan was full of weaklings, and even the strongest Uma Musume in the older generation might not have a Domain? How did I run into a monster who would be qualified to compete for the championship in the American Triple Crown and British Triple Crown?"

"With that kind of strength, why bother running the Japanese Triple Crown?"

What kind of Uma Musume could control such an amazing Knight Arena!

Black Ship, who had come to Japan to compete, was experiencing for the first time what it meant to "fish for small fry and get blown up instead."

2000-2400 meters is considered middle distance, and anything over 2400 meters is considered long distance.

Many Uma Musume can handle races like the Satsuki Sho, which is the "shortest of the middle distances," but they can't handle races like the Japanese Derby, which is the "longest of the middle distances" and "closest to long distance."

Black Ship was the type who had difficulty handling 2400 meters, and the fact that it was also a heavy track would consume even more stamina than she imagined, making her feel deeply strained.

And the vast Knight Arena that had formed, with its powerful Domain suppression and stamina drain, finally made Black Ship's heart sink completely.

(If only I had switched to mile races or dirt races of around 1000 meters...)

But switching races was something for after the race was over; right now, she needed to consider how to win or how to lose without looking too bad.

As Black Ship was constantly thinking, she caught sight of a familiar and wary opponent in the corner of her eye.

It was—Forest Jungle Pocket!

Forest Jungle Pocket, who had already accelerated early, was gradually reaching Black Ship's side, entering the top five, but still looked extremely nervous.

Seeing this, Black Ship's heart suddenly leaped into her throat, and her sensitive senses immediately realized that something was wrong.

(What's going on? Forest Jungle Pocket, with her preferred rhythm, should never accelerate to the front so early before the final stretch.)

(Did she change her tactics...? It doesn't feel like it.)

And then, in the inner lane where no one should dare to challenge, a silver-white, dazzling figure burst in!

In an instant, Black Ship understood everything.

A beast was accelerating to reach the finish line? No!

That was clearly...

(Clearly a beast encountering a hunter who was hunting her! Encountering an inescapable assassin!)

(Heavenly Horse Platinum, this archer hunter, had begun to chase her prey!!)

(That's right, this Domain must be controlled by Platinum!)

So this isn't a duel between Uma Musume at all, but a chase between hunter and prey?

Black Ship didn't hesitate either, immediately choosing to pick up the pace, not wanting to be overtaken so early by that monster on the inner track.

Even if she can't win, she'll make Platinum suffer!

(Platinum needs to know that American Uma Musume... are not so simple!)

From Black Ship to Forest Jungle Pocket, the last formidable rivals began their full-speed dash before the final straight!

With Platinum accelerating along the inner track, and the Domain Heavenly Horse Vision, exceeding everyone's imagination, activating, she blatantly took control of the entire race's rhythm. None of the Uma Musume in front dared to hold back or wait for Platinum to lose speed!

The final, most intense stage of the Japanese Derby unfolded.

[Come on! Who will be the ultimate victor, meeting everyone's expectations?]

[Will it be Platinum, aiming for the Triple Crown of Transformation, or the powerful and ferocious Forest Jungle Pocket? Or perhaps the outstanding foreign Uma Musume, Black Ship?]

[Forest Jungle Pocket and Black Ship are accelerating, moving towards the final turn, but... Platinum's speed is visibly faster!]

[The Heavenly Horse on the inner track seems to be proclaiming that she is the fastest, catching up to the leading group in an extremely short time.]

[Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes! Platinum has completely reached the side of Forest Jungle Pocket and Black Ship. The true top three have begun their final meeting!]

As the commentator announced the crucial moment, the entire stadium, with its hundreds of thousands of spectators, erupted in an excited, expectant roar.

"Seeing such powerful people fight up close is worth the price of admission, even if I die!"

"Platinum! Platinum! Platinum!"

"Jungle Pocket must win! That will prove that Tachyon is the strongest of her generation!!"