Pegasus? Actually, I'm a doctor!

"Allow me to explain."

"First is condition. Although Agnes Tachyon has only recently finished the Satsuki Sho, she still has a longer recovery period than you, whose race ended just two or three days ago."

Symboli Rudolf smiled lightly, looking toward the petite Platinum who had finally arrived at Tracen Academy, and took the lead in offering an explanation.

"Second, regarding the comparison of strength between Uma Musume, besides condition, one must look at physique, technique, and aura—also known as 'Heart, Skill, Body'."

"'Body' refers to physique, physical fitness, and comprehensive explosive power, strength, speed, and stamina. In this regard, Agnes Tachyon might not be much stronger than you, and perhaps even slightly inferior."

"'Skill' refers to the comprehensive technique derived from experience, footwork, and awareness. For veteran horses, the gap across the field is negligible, but at this moment, you are far too green."

"'Heart' is the most important, and the one where the gap is the greatest: aura!"

"As everyone knows, all Uma Musume possess a specific 'Full Bloom', which is equivalent to compressing the several years of human puberty into just a few short months."

"Beyond growth and physical improvement, it also unlocks a brand new possibility for an Uma Musume—'Aura'!"

Following Symboli Rudolf's explanation, Platinum pricked up her ears and listened intently.

"Usually, after an Uma Musume has completed most of her Full Bloom, through grueling training and unyielding struggle in races, her aura will be gradually honed, eventually allowing her to utilize specific skills to gallop across the track and slightly expand her own advantage."

"Those who master aura to the extreme can even command the legendary... 'Domain'! The number of skills that can be manipulated while a Domain is active increases exponentially; it is an absolutely overwhelming advantage."

"Uma Musume who possess a Domain are often extremely close to world-class, or have even reached that height. In all of Japan, over the past few decades, the number of Uma Musume who have mastered a Domain can be counted on one's fingers."

"For example, God Praise, myself, Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, El Condor Pasa, and so on..."

"And Agnes Tachyon has mastered it as well, and her speed in doing so was even faster than us seniors. That is what makes her so terrifying."

Symboli Rudolf stopped there, finally pausing to observe Platinum's expression.

But to her relief, this Miss Heavenly Horse showed no signs of being intimidated at all.

Heart, Skill, Body—it really just boils down to physique, experience, and aura. Yet, only in terms of physique could Platinum, as a super rookie, hold her own.

So, on the surface, it was a comparison between a stat-monster and an all-rounder who possessed both stats and mechanics!

Could Platinum really defeat the all-powerful Agnes Tachyon by relying solely on her advantage in physique?!

But a certain Miss Heavenly Horse was currently staring at her system panel.

[Current Full Bloom Progress: 5%]

26. Then bring it on, little heavenly horse!

A certain Miss Heavenly Horse was lost in thought.

So that was it...

When running on the track, she had felt as if there was something she could release slightly.

And after the race, she had reviewed the route repeatedly, noticing that at the moment she released it, the speed of all the other Uma Musume on the track had slowed down slightly...

Was that 'Aura'?

If used over a long period, it would be quite a drain on her spirit and stamina; using it at the most critical moment of a race was the key. Using it the way she did in her last race was a bit of a waste, wasn't it?

Whatever, she won anyway.

Although lazy, the quick-witted Platinum immediately realized that her level of Full Bloom was too low, so her current level of aura was indeed insufficient; it hadn't reached the height of the Domain possessed by Agnes Tachyon or Symboli Rudolf.

Right in front of them, she immediately looked at her personal panel.

[True Name: Hintleia]

[Codename: Platinum]

[Race: Kulantta]

[Current Full Bloom Progress: 5%]

[Turf Adaptability: Turf (A), Dirt (B)]

[Distance Adaptability: Short (B), Mile (A), Medium (A), Long (B)]

[Strategy Adaptability: Escape Horse (B), Leader (A), Mid-runner (A), Late-runner (A)]

[Inherent Skill: ??]

Platinum's gaze immediately locked onto those two lines of information.

Full Bloom and Inherent Skill—these were what she was focused on.

Since Symboli Rudolf said that once the degree of Full Bloom is higher, the upper limit of aura will increase, and one will gradually master skills...

So, did her Inherent Skill still need to wait a while before it could be activated?

Was it sealed, waiting to be unlocked directly after Full Bloom, like an Elite 1 or Elite 2 promotion in a game?

Or did it need to be self-taught and trained from scratch?

As someone who wasn't a conventional Uma Musume, being of the Kulantta race, what kind of Inherent Skill and 'Domain' would she be able to master?

Platinum was rarely piqued by interest, but the current situation didn't allow her to dwell on it for long.

Because the two heavyweights of Tracen Academy, Symboli Rudolf and Agnes Tachyon, were both still watching her.

"Now that we've reached this point, you understand completely, don't you? It's not that you're lacking in any particular area; it's simply that... your time since debut has been far too short."

"In a few months, once your Full Bloom gradually reaches its peak and you step further into your prime, you will certainly have the qualifications to face Agnes Tachyon, and perhaps even the possibility of victory. For now... it is best not to be overly hasty."

For some reason, Symboli Rudolf was always exceptionally tolerant and attentive when facing a Grey Uma Musume.

And the Platinum before her was clearly a Grey, wasn't she? That "Miss Heavenly Horse" title was just a nickname earned from her dominant performance on the track, right?

Symboli Rudolf offered her earnest advice, hinting subtly, hoping that this adorable little pony—who should count as a "Grey"—would come to her senses and abandon the completely unreasonable, hell-difficulty Triple Crown of Transformation.

Immediately—

Platinum gave a slight nod, signaling that she understood.

"Since there won't be a practice race, let's leave it at that."

"Teio, where shall we head next?"

Miss Heavenly Horse signaled that they could leave and continue their tour elsewhere.

Tokai Teio, standing to the side, snapped back to reality and nodded repeatedly.

"Oh, oh! Let's go then."

Since the Student Council President had already met with Platinum, they probably didn't need to pass by the student council room anymore and could change direction to continue their walk.

The clever Tokai Teio, immediately filled with a sense of dedication to her current task, prepared to lead Platinum on the rest of their tour.

Seeing Tokai Teio and Platinum turn to leave, Symboli Rudolf raised her voice slightly, delivering one final, explicit warning.

"Platinum. Have you truly steeled your resolve regarding your race schedule?"

"Do you think—"

"That you will win?"

The silver-haired Miss Heavenly Horse walked with an unhurried pace, finally turning her head after a few seconds, her exquisite, icy face devoid of the slightest ripple.

The strongest versus the strongest!

Platinum versus Agnes Tachyon!

Aiming for the Triple Crown of Transformation versus challenging the Undefeated Triple Crown!

Even if this wasn't a clash between the greatest of history and the greatest of the modern era, it was destined to leave a vibrant, heavy mark on Japan's century-long history of Triple Crown races.

Platinum responded in a nonchalant tone.

"I will win!"

That was her response.

That was the choice made by the Heavenly Horse, Platinum.

"This..."

On the other side, as Symboli Rudolf headed back toward the student council office, she could no longer maintain her previous composure.

The waves stirred within her heart refused to settle.

Symboli Rudolf had not used her authority and majesty as the Emperor to forcibly forbid Platinum from participating in this year's Triple Crown races; in the end, she had accepted the situation.

Perhaps—

A miracle might actually unfold, might it not?

"This is truly an unprecedented year for the classic races!"

"When the time comes, Tachyon and Platinum will clash like two tigers... and once they have decided a winner between them, they will come to seize the throne held by their seniors."

"When that happens, it will be Teio and Mejiro McQueen's turn to feel the pressure and the impact! Who, in the end, will become the strongest in Japan?!"

On the training track.

The mad scientist Uma Musume, Agnes Tachyon, sat on a bench outside the track, her expression unreadable and shifting.

For the first time in a long while, Agnes Tachyon felt a sense of mystery and uncertainty regarding an Uma Musume she thought she had already investigated and understood.

This incredibly intelligent monster pierced through the truth with just those few words from Symboli Rudolf.

"Being repeatedly warned by the President about the race schedule..."

"A mere [Baby Cup], with several months still to go, could never be enough to make the President warn Platinum."

A moment later, Agnes Tachyon crossed her legs, her expression becoming relaxed and leisurely as she muttered to herself.

"That means—this girl wants to challenge me?! So the President rushed over not just to stop our practice race, but also to make Platinum abandon the Classic Triple Crown?"

The next moment, Agnes Tachyon opened her eyes again, and within her scarlet pupils, which faintly revealed a touch of madness, a rare fighting spirit was ignited.

Although her leg had been a bit uncomfortable during training these past two days, it certainly wouldn't have much of an impact!

Because she still had three weeks; she had plenty of time to recover her condition.

Facing Platinum, who only excelled in the "Body" aspect of Heart, Skill, and Body, the well-rounded Agnes Tachyon had plenty of confidence that she could find a flaw and strike her down!

If Platinum really intended to enter the Japanese Derby, then she would teach Platinum the most brutal lesson of her life!

"Then bring it on, little Miss Heavenly Horse!"

Secretariat has debuted! You've got to be kidding me!

Two hours later!

As a tour guide, Tokai Teio was incredibly competent. After taking Platinum on a grand tour, she even walked her all the way to the gate.

"Thanks, the visit was actually quite pleasant."

At the entrance, Platinum wore a satisfied smile as she thanked her petite former benefactor, Tokai Teio.

They had spent two full hours walking around, yet they still hadn't finished exploring the entirety of Tracen Academy; after all, this was a top-tier Asian institution with a foot traffic of over ten thousand people.

However, it had been an enjoyable experience for Platinum. It was relaxing, and since it didn't count as part of her work, it felt just like a casual stroll after clocking out or a vacation trip.

But... even though she had a good impression of Tracen Academy and could vaguely sense that Symboli Rudolf and the others were interested in inviting her to join, Platinum felt no urge to do so.

After all, visiting occasionally was like a vacation, but if she were to enroll and have to attend school every single day, wouldn't that be no different from [unpaid overtime]?

When it came to overtime, Miss Heavenly Horse had always loathed it with a passion, not to mention that this would essentially be unpaid overtime—and if she were to join some trainer's team, even a small portion of her prize money would be taken away!