The Next Day, at a Racecourse
For a mere debut race, there was an unusually large crowd in the stands.
Those familiar with the sport knew it was rare for so many spectators to show up for a newcomer's first race—unless… there was a highly anticipated rookie making their debut.
And the lively chatter just wouldn't stop.
"Daiwa Scarlet? That's the junior that Agnes Tachyon—the one who just won the Satsuki Sho—has high hopes for, right?"
"I heard she's crazy strong. She's got a real shot at next year's Filly Triple Crown."
"This debut race is a foregone conclusion. The only question is how many lengths this 'elite student' will win by."
"If Agnes Tachyon, who's practically guaranteed the Triple Crown, thinks highly of her, then Daiwa Scarlet's gotta be the real deal."
Amidst the surrounding buzz, a white-haired girl with a loose, unhurried gait suddenly froze in place, her tail stopping mid-sway.
It seemed this young Kuranta girl, who had been heading toward the backstage area, had just realized something was off.
Her platinum eyes narrowed sharply, ears twitching slightly.
'Huh? The first leg of the Classic Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho…'
'Was just won by Agnes Tachyon?! Not long ago?!'
Then…
What about her Triple Crown??
How was she supposed to win it now?! The Satsuki Sho was already over—only the Japanese Derby and the Kikuka Sho remained!
Even if she won both, she'd only get two crowns. She couldn't just wait until next year to go for the full Triple Crown, right? That'd mean wasting a whole extra year.
And how much money would she lose out on in that time?!
In an instant, Platinum felt the crushing weight of defeat before even stepping onto the battlefield. Her eyes went blank, her whole body seeming to gray out.
But quickly, she forced herself to stay calm. She reopened her system's mission panel and took another look.
[Mission: Win a Triple Crown series]
[Transformation Available]
[Reward: Permanent upgrade to Intermediate Injury Treatment, plus two uses of Advanced Injury Treatment]
After rereading it, Platinum felt like she'd glimpsed some hidden detail.
Wait a second!!
The mission just said win a Triple Crown—not specifically the Classic Triple Crown!
There were other Triple Crowns besides the Classic one! The Filly Triple Crown… wasn't that also a Triple Crown?!
Sure, the first leg of that was already over too, but in theory, she could still mix and match the remaining races from both series to form her own Irregular Triple Crown.
But going for that hybrid version would mean winning one of the Filly Triple Crown races, then—just a week later—facing a fresh batch of well-rested horse girls in the next Classic Triple Crown race while she was exhausted from back-to-back battles.
To win under that nightmare schedule would be considered impossible by horse girls worldwide!
But since Platinum had already missed the first crown, her only options were to attempt the legendary Irregular Triple Crown… or wait a whole year to challenge the standard one!
'Wait another year? Hell no!'
A look of defiance flashed across the delicate, lazy features of the girl named Platinum.
If this was just business to her, then she'd rather get it over with quickly.
What if she waited a year… and still lost? That'd be the worst.
But if she went all-out now, aiming for the Irregular Triple Crown—a feat they said would never be repeated—then even if she failed, it wouldn't be shameful. Plus, if she lost, she could just slack off afterward!
And if she had to wait a whole year to upgrade her healing skills… how much money would she miss out on?!
No matter what, time was money! She couldn't afford to drag this out until next year.
So… the Irregular Triple Crown? Taking on a miracle that was theoretically impossible?
The lazy expression on the white-haired girl's face sharpened, a fierce fighting spirit finally igniting in her eyes.
If the Classic Triple Crown was out of reach, then she'd carve her own path—one that no one would ever follow!
'Then it's gotta be—the Irregular Triple Crown?!'
After their debut, rookie horse girls could choose to challenge the Classic races in their first or second year—but only once in their lifetime.
The Classic Triple Crown and Filly Triple Crown were scheduled just one week apart, so most competitors would only pick one to focus on.
As for the Irregular Triple Crown? It wasn't on anyone's list. Winning under that hellish schedule was considered harder than an Undefeated Triple Crown! So to most, the Irregular Triple Crown was just a relic of history—a legend they believed would never happen again!
The petite, white-haired girl's lazy demeanor flickered with a hint of calm.
But deep down, Miss Platinum couldn't help but wonder—was it even possible?
In the century since Japanese horse girl racing began, the Irregular Triple Crown had only been achieved once—and was famous for being "unrepeatable."
Why was it considered an impossible legend? Because of schedule changes!
The only horse girl to ever pull it off was a Uma Musume from the old days named Kurifuji. Back then, the Japanese Derby was in June and the Oaks in October—a four-month gap.
But now? The Derby and Oaks were just one week apart!
Even Kurifuji herself wouldn't stand a chance in this era! It was a miracle locked away by time itself—one that could never be recreated!
But! Miss Platinum was different. She didn't care much for glory, whether before or after transforming.
So—[Win everything, or lose it all!!]
Because she was lazy and wanted to make big money fast, Hakushiki refused to wait until next year.
And so, the Pegasus girl steeled herself to take on the Irregular Triple Crown—a feat destined to have no successors. Without hesitation, she stepped into the racecourse.
But before she could even think about that, she had to get through her debut race first!
"Well, let's go~"
The lazy Pegasus girl quickened her pace.
--+--
In the stands, a black-haired horse girl named Vodka sat in the front row, watching intently.
She and the race's top favorite, Daiwa Scarlet, were rivals—they'd faced off in multiple practice races back at school.
Their record was roughly even, so Vodka was very interested in how her rival would perform in her official debut.
But what caught Vodka's attention was the presence of a certain senior in the crowd.
That senior was none other than Tokai Teio!
Normally, Teio showing up to watch wouldn't be strange—she got along well with them.
But the problem was… Teio had just fractured her leg again!
Shouldn't she be at the doctor's or resting? Why was she here? And why were the bandages already off?!
"Teio-senpai, are you here to watch Scarlet too?"
"Are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting?"
Vodka couldn't help but ask, prompting Teio to flash a bright smile and a peace sign.
"Met a crazy good doctor. Fixed me up right away—I can already move around fine!"
"Don't worry, Teio-sama's almost back at full power! Let's just enjoy Scarlet's race for now~"
Then, both Vodka and Teio turned their attention to one of the starting gates.
Inside it, a stunning young woman with vibrant red hair and a figure far more developed than her peers—Daiwa Scarlet—was stretching, fully focused on the race ahead.
Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, a snow-white-haired girl with a youthful face stepped into Gate 8, her expression completely relaxed—as if she were just here to go through the motions.
Finally—
The countdown to the race began.
…
'Huh? That's… D-Daiwa Scarlet??'
Though she appeared calm on the outside, Platinum's gaze locked onto the girl in the other gate—the one everyone was watching.
She'd been so fixated on the Triple Crown earlier that she'd barely registered the audience's chatter about Daiwa Scarlet.
But this was the same Daiwa Scarlet from the Uma Musume Anime—a super-genius who'd been part of the main cast!
No wonder the stands were packed. They were all here for her!
The seemingly unfazed Pegasus girl couldn't help but doubt herself.
'Seriously? I'm up against Daiwa Scarlet? For real?'
'…Can I even win?'