Saturday, March 26.
On this day, the festive atmosphere reached its peak.
From early morning onward, Dubai had already turned into a sea of celebration. Locals poured into the streets and celebrated in their own ways. To them, the UAE Derby was not a traditional holiday, but it might as well have been one. They welcomed every guest who came to Dubai in good faith.
Of course, there was one more condition:
They had to respect local traditions, culture, and faith.
The girls changed into the white robes distributed by the organizers, dressed themselves properly from head to toe, and merged into the crowds. As an oil-exporting nation, the UAE truly was wealthy and prosperous at this time. The girls were even treated to free fruit and sweets.
Though, to be precise, that food was only provided to the participating horse girls and their accompanying teams.
Xingyun Liuge saw an immense motorcade, and she also saw Latifa riding in the parade with her family. This was a standard part of UAE Derby day, a symbol of the royal family lowering themselves to celebrate with the people.
Yet for some reason, Xingyun Liuge felt that Latifa's smile was too polite, too perfectly measured, like a mask she had put on.
Was she like this when they first met?
It did not seem so.
Then… did Latifa simply dislike this kind of performative display?
Maybe. Though the rest of her family certainly looked delighted.
If Latifa knew what Xingyun Liuge was wondering, she would have answered with absolute seriousness:
A person who intends to win does not smile.
The UAE Derby was the race of the Emiratis themselves, and because of that, they had established rules most favorable to themselves. Every emirate was guaranteed at least one slot, unless the candidate herself chose not to participate.
Take this year, for example. The UAE Derby had eighteen stalls. Ten belonged to the UAE, meaning that on average each emirate had sent more than one horse girl. Five were taken by British horse girls, two by Irish horse girls, and the last one belonged to Xingyun Liuge.
Even with the Emirati horse girls enjoying overwhelming numbers and home-ground advantage, winning the championship was still difficult for them. The clearest example was the Japan Cup in its early internationally integrated years—it was often conquered by foreign horse girls.
Latifa wanted to win the UAE Derby. She wanted to prove to all the people of the UAE, and to the world, that Emirati horse girls were not pushovers, and that they too could win an international race.
But the other entrants did not think that way.
To them, the racetrack was more of a stage, and the UAE Derby more of a spectacle. Winning or losing did not matter. The important thing was to enjoy the process.
If they had merely meant enjoying the act of running, Latifa would have said nothing. But this year was different. What the Emirati horse girls wanted to enjoy was not the race itself, but the experience of standing in the spotlight before a crowd.
That made things especially painful for Latifa.
How was she supposed to win the UAE Derby with girls like that beside her?
Could they not at least follow in the footsteps of their seniors—enjoy the joy of running, and then think about winning afterward?
That was the direct reason she could not show a sincere smile on race day. In her mind, only the one who claimed final victory had the right to smile from the heart.
No one knew what she was truly thinking—or if they did sense it, they simply did not care. After all, in their view, the most important thing in life was happiness. Since they were already members of the royal family, why bother over victory and defeat? So long as they were enjoying themselves, that was enough.
Once the parade ended, the United Arab Emirates delegation scattered like startled birds. Some went to have their nails done, some rushed off to indulge in fine food, others prepared to go yachting…
Only a pitiful handful remained behind to seriously prepare for the UAE Derby.
Well, to be exact, there were five of them.
The awkward part was that four of those five knew full well they were not strong enough. They only wanted to savor the joy of running, to see "the scenery that can only be discovered by stepping onto the track."
The only one among them who truly wanted to fight for the crown was Latifa.
Even so, she patiently offered advice, hoping they could better appreciate the joy of running—and from there, perhaps develop the desire to win.
Soon, the time came to six in the evening.
The sun slanted toward the horizon. The opening ceremony of the UAE Derby officially began. The massive red disk of the setting sun had already touched the edge of the earth, and the temperature was steadily falling. Quite a few horse girls had put on outerwear, which conveniently also let them show off a little during their introductions.
The host and the two commentators were already in place, diligently delivering their opening remarks.
"The first favorite is Latifa Dubai of Dubai. Since her debut, this princess has won again and again, already claiming victory in two G1 races…"
"The second favorite is Seabird from Britain, hailed as one of the strongest British dirt horse girls of the new era. However, Meydan's dirt is closer to sand than ordinary dirt. Can she conquer this track?"
"And then the third favorite—the foreign challenger who dominated regional racing in crushing fashion, won the Hong Kong Gold Cup, and then journeyed onward to the UAE—Xingyun Liuge. Just what is it that she sees in her eyes?"
…
At the same moment the horse girls entered their stalls, the sun vanished completely from sight. A dim silver moon slowly climbed into the sky, while powerful artificial lights flooded the entire Meydan Racecourse.
The arrival of night did nothing to diminish the crowd's passion. If anything, it ignited it further. After all, they possessed the power to conquer the dark. At this moment, Meydan shone as brightly as day.
The British horse girls who had drawn stalls six and ten exchanged glances across the distance, dangerous smiles curling at their lips.
As the second hand reached twelve, the time struck 6:35 p.m.
The gates flew open.
Seizing that instant, the two British horse girls simultaneously unleashed their pressure.
"Oh! Have some of the girls been swept up in the crowd's enthusiasm?" the commentator cried. "The runners in stalls five, seven, nine, ten, and eleven have all broken late! They've fallen to the back!"
Damn it, what is Asset doing?! Why did she botch the break too?! Dongzhisen in stall six screamed inwardly. What kind of gate skill user manages to gate herself as well?
Asset Xiliu in stall ten was suffering in silence.
Stall nine was Xingyun Liuge.
Asset had originally thought she had drawn a perfect position, so she had glared viciously toward her and even adopted a threatening, kicking posture, intending to force Xingyun Liuge into a poor start.
But she had never imagined—
That terrifying gaze instantly shattered her own momentum and caused her to break late instead.
The moment she remembered that look, a chill ran through Asset Xiliu's heart, and her legs nearly went weak.
What was that?
Some kind of special gate skill?
Yes. That had to be it. Otherwise, how could she have been frightened stiff by a single glance?
What had been standing there was not a horse girl at all, but… something far more terrifying.
What lurked in those eyes was the hottest thirst for destruction and the coldest, most savage violence imaginable.
The instant her gaze met Xingyun Liuge's, Asset Xiliu felt as if her heart had stopped, as if all the blood in her body were flowing backward, as if every cell in her body were screaming in agony.
As though invisible claws were about to close around her throat—
And then strip her flesh and tear apart her bones.
She thought she could hear thunderous roars, the very sound of wrath itself.
Decisive Smash:
Once per race, Xingyun Liuge gains an additional 25% acceleration and becomes immune to unit collision for four seconds. When moving toward an opponent, the effect is doubled. During the effect, Xingyun Liuge may target the nearest enemy, stunning them for one second.
If she is subjected to a control effect before stunning an opponent, she becomes enraged, stunning that opponent for one second and resetting the skill's cooldown.
Stun:
Does not affect the target's basic movement, but seals all skills and acceleration during its duration while also causing severe stamina loss. If the target is in the middle of channeling a domain, that domain will be sealed until the end of the race.
Xingyun Liuge thought to herself, If you're going to activate a skill, then activate it. Why put it all over your face? Isn't that just forcing me to strike back?
A small electric arc flashed across the tips of her hair with a sharp crackle.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
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Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
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Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
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I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
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