Umamusume, But I Have a Danmaku Loan System! [2]

The year 2011 was hailed as a golden age of Japanese racing.

That year, Orfevre claimed the Classic Triple Crown. From then on, one formidable racer after another emerged.

Lord Kanaloa, Just a Way, Gold Ship.

Strong contenders were everywhere, but even among them, Gentildonna stood out.

She not only won the Triple Tiara but went on to claim two consecutive Japan Cups. She also achieved outstanding results overseas, finishing second and then first in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

She was terrifyingly dominant at home, and her international record was rock-solid.

How could a racer like that possibly be unpopular?

[Whoa, it’s Gentildonna-sama! I’m scared to tears!]

[She has to face Gentildonna right at the start? This is basically Sukuna going to Yuji’s high school to spawn-camp him in episode one. This is way too rough for an injured Blizzard.]

[Not necessarily. Didn’t Gentildonna lose her debut race? Maybe Blizzard can body-check her way to victory!]

[This may not be 2012, when Gentildonna made her name, but Gentildonna is still Gentildonna! Her stats speak for themselves. Blizzard’s about to get crushed!]

[I want to see Blizzard’s defeat CG, hehehe…]

The moment Gentildonna’s name appeared on the entry list for Silver Blizzard’s debut race, the danmaku began roiling like boiling water. From their scattered, fragmented comments, Silver Blizzard managed to piece together a general idea of the situation she faced.

In tomorrow’s debut race, she would be up against an extremely powerful opponent.

She had no idea what the danmaku meant by “Sukuna,” but her instincts told her that anyone praised so highly in those mysterious comments could not be ordinary.

But what did they mean by 2012…?

Wasn’t it only 2011?

Could the world the danmaku came from be on a different timeline from her own?

If that were true, their comments would be incredibly valuable. Silver Blizzard could use them to gauge the strength of opponents she had yet to encounter.

Unfortunately, the System forbade her from asking the danmaku questions directly. Otherwise, she would have loved to ask what sort of accomplishments Orfevre would achieve in the future…

Suppressing the trace of anxiety rising within her, Silver Blizzard decided to focus on the immediate concern: her debut race.

To the danmaku, Gentildonna was an acknowledged powerhouse, while Silver Blizzard was merely an ordinary Umamusume with injured legs.

The outcome of their confrontation seemed predetermined from the start.

But that assumption only held true if Silver Blizzard really was an ordinary Umamusume.

Silver Blizzard gazed at Gentildonna’s name on the entry list displayed on her phone and blinked. A smile the danmaku could not understand appeared on her doll-like face.

She seemed certain of victory.

…

The next day arrived.

The debut race was scheduled for that afternoon at Kyoto Racecourse. It would be run over a distance of 1,600 meters.

Since the race was taking place on a weekend, a sizable crowd had gathered at Kyoto Racecourse to watch.

Their gazes were fixed on the track, where a girl was performing her pre-race warm-up.

Her name was Gentildonna.

Her long, reddish-brown hair was arranged in a low braided loop that swayed with every movement. Her small, oval face wore a serious, focused expression, while her burgundy eyes shone with determination. Her well-proportioned figure, honed through years of training, was snugly clad in her racewear, and her athletic shorts left her smooth, pale thighs boldly exposed.

Even among Umamusume, Gentildonna was exceptionally beautiful. But her appearance was not the only reason she drew so much attention.

There was also the lineage she represented.

She was the daughter of Deep Impact, Japan’s legendary Triple Crown Umamusume.

In terms of pedigree alone, Gentildonna unquestionably belonged to one of the most illustrious bloodlines in Japanese racing. She was a true aristocrat.

To the spectators, Gentildonna was a highly promising dark horse, a supernova on the verge of rising. Of everyone who had come to watch this debut race, at least three-quarters were there for her.

They crowded the stands, directing fervent gazes toward Gentildonna.

Despite all that attention, Gentildonna remained perfectly composed as she warmed up.

This was hardly the first time her bloodline had made her the center of attention. She had long since grown accustomed to being watched.

The spectators’ inconsequential attention mattered far less to her than the chance to face a worthy opponent in the race.

“Why are they all small fry?”

Having completed her warm-up, Gentildonna casually swept her gaze across the other competitors nearby. She sighed, unable to conceal her disappointment.

She yearned to race someone like Orfevre. Crushing weaklings was not her idea of fun.

The aura these girls projected was far too feeble to stir even the slightest interest in her.

“Looks like this will be another boring race.”

Just then, a clear voice reached her ears.

“Excuse me. You’re blocking the way.”

“…?!”

Gentildonna jolted and retreated two steps. The horse tail hanging behind her fluffed up at once, and surprise filled her face.

A petite, poised girl stood not far from where Gentildonna had been.

She had cute, pink, jellyfish-like hair. The ahoge bouncing atop her head made one want to reach out and touch it, and the presence she gave off was as harmless as a small animal.

But…

It was not that simple.

A sharp light flashed through Gentildonna’s burgundy eyes.

The girl before her was no ordinary opponent.

Until she spoke, Gentildonna had not noticed her approach.

This was the first time Gentildonna had ever encountered someone capable of concealing their presence so completely.

“Did I startle you?”

Seeing Gentildonna’s exaggerated reaction, the pink-haired girl blinked. Gentildonna could see the confusion in her crystalline, pink-diamond eyes.

Gentildonna shook her head, stepped aside, and replied, “It’s nothing. I just feel a little more motivated now.”

“Thank you.”

Once Gentildonna moved out of the way, the jellyfish-haired girl thanked her and headed toward the starting gates.

As Gentildonna watched her leave, she noticed that the girl’s legs were completely wrapped in bandages.

Was this some kind of performance art…?

Could she really run properly with her legs wrapped like that?

Naturally, Gentildonna received no answer to her questions. The race was about to begin, and she needed to prepare to enter the gate herself.

…

[Umamusume are the best. Everyone’s a beautiful girl~ I’d gladly live in a world like this, even if it meant someone sending me fifty every Thursday!]

[Gentildonna’s legs look so healthy… I want to lick them~]

[Why is everyone acting deranged? Doesn’t anyone want to see Blizzard beat the hell out of Gentildonna? I’m literally shaking. What will become of us Blizzard fans?]

[The smart ones are already waiting for Blizzard’s defeat CG. Beating Gentildonna? That’s not happening~]

Inside the starting gate, all kinds of danmaku flashed before Silver Blizzard’s eyes, leaving her with mixed feelings.

They really had no faith in her. Of all those comments, hardly any were cheering her on.

Seriously. I was the one who met all of you first, so why is everyone’s attention fixed on Gentildonna?

She was getting a little annoyed.

But that was fine. This was merely a little fickleness on their part, and she would graciously tolerate it.

In the race ahead, she would make sure their attention returned to her.

After all, she still had a secret move up her sleeve~

Inside the gate, Silver Blizzard raised her head slightly and fixed her gaze on the track ahead.

The power granted by the loan flowed through her body. Her heart raced like an engine, and her focus sharpened as the start of the race drew near.

Three.

Two.

One.

“AND THEY’RE OFF!”

The announcer’s resounding cry pierced the air above the racecourse. The starting gates opened simultaneously, and the Umamusume burst out one after another, surging down the track.

Gentildonna got off to a clean start, securing a position near the front of the pack with almost no effort.

More accurately, Gentildonna was simply far superior to the other competitors. From the moment she decided on a move to the moment she carried it out, almost no one could interfere with her effectively.

The 1,600-meter distance suited Gentildonna extremely well. With her current ability, she was fully capable of leading from start to finish.

And that was precisely what she did.

After effortlessly seizing the lead, she began steadily increasing her speed, as though determined to demonstrate her exceptional strength to the spectators.

Gentildonna’s running form was nothing remarkable, but her physical capabilities could only be described as absurd.

Her power in particular was exceptional even among Umamusume. Every time her racing shoes struck the ground, they left a small depression in the turf.

She was a pure stat monster.

At the level of a debut race, there should not have been another Umamusume capable of matching her strength.

But there were always exceptions, weren’t there?

“GENTILDONNA LEADS! BUT SILVER BLIZZARD IS RIGHT BEHIND HER! SILVER BLIZZARD IS RIGHT ON HER HEELS!”

Behind Gentildonna, a pink figure clung to her like a ghost. No matter how much Gentildonna accelerated, she could not shake her off completely.

The Loan System had given Silver Blizzard the stats necessary to win her debut race.

With buffs to both straight-line and cornering speed, even Gentildonna could not leave Silver Blizzard behind!

If anything, having someone cling to her so relentlessly was beginning to make even Gentildonna uneasy. The presence of the Umamusume behind her was gradually becoming dangerous.

That clammy pressure felt like an invisible python coiling around her body. Her movements lost their smoothness, and her breathing fell out of rhythm.

Something was wrong.

There was something wrong with the girl behind her!

She could not afford to keep tangling with her. She had to shake her off immediately!

Gentildonna focused her mind entirely on Silver Blizzard behind her and prepared to accelerate away.

The moment she did, Silver Blizzard sensed her intention.

That won’t do…

Silver Blizzard’s expression tightened as she felt Gentildonna picking up speed.

The System’s support allowed her to run normally despite her damaged legs, but the wound was still there. Every footfall brought pain, and that extra agony steadily consumed her mental stamina.

The faster she ran, the worse the pain in her knee became.

In other words, if Gentildonna continued accelerating, Silver Blizzard’s mind might give out before her body did.

Silver Blizzard would never allow that to happen!

“Looks like I’ll have to use that move…”

Silver Blizzard murmured under her breath, then suddenly accelerated and surged alongside Gentildonna!

The highly focused Gentildonna had no idea what Silver Blizzard intended to do. But her instincts warned her that something was about to go terribly wrong.

Gentildonna’s instincts were correct.

Her response was simply too slow.

The instant Silver Blizzard drew level with her—

CLAP!

Silver Blizzard brought her hands together sharply right beside Gentildonna’s ear. The sudden burst of sound struck her at point-blank range!

The unexpected noise slammed into Gentildonna’s highly focused mind, and for a split second, her thoughts went completely blank.

She could not think at all. It was as though someone had suddenly yanked the plug from a television in the middle of a broadcast.

In that instant, Gentildonna’s brain shut down.

The forced interruption lasted less than two seconds. But by the time Gentildonna’s mind rebooted and her focus returned to the racetrack, Silver Blizzard had already overtaken her and was racing toward the finish line!

Gentildonna stared at Silver Blizzard’s retreating back, her burgundy eyes filled with utter bewilderment.

What in the world had just happened?!

The danmaku watching the race were every bit as shocked as Gentildonna.

[What the hell do you mean you can use Unlimited Void?!]

[So Gentildonna really is Sukuna, but you’re literally Gojo Satoru, Silver Blizzard?!]

[Where the hell am I? Is this still an Umamusume race?]

The shocked danmaku flooded Silver Blizzard’s vision as she ran, but she was not surprised in the slightest.

This was her signature technique.

It was also a skill she had trained relentlessly even before obtaining the Loan System—a trump card she had prepared for the day she met Orfevre on the highest stage and defeated her!

Sorry. I was originally saving that move for Orfevre…

As though sensing Gentildonna’s searing gaze on her back, Silver Blizzard sighed inwardly and accelerated.

Silver Blizzard crossed the finish line!

“ACROSS THE LINE!”

“THE WINNER OF THIS RACE IS—”

“SILVER BLIZZARD—!!”

T/N: UNLIMITED VOID~!!!!!!!!!

This is a fan translation of 赛马娘，但我有弹幕贷款系统！by 整活的猫 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!