Pegasus? I'm actually a doctor!

"And! The changes to the Winning Live Costume aren't just a little bit; they're quite significant!"

"Not only that, but the weapons aren't common small daggers or pistols, nor are they rare medium-sized swords. They're actually... unheard-of bows and quivers?! Are these large weapons?!"

"By the Three Goddesses, could such a blessing truly exist?!"

It seemed the greatly shocked craftsman wouldn't be able to react for quite some time, as if he had just experienced the biggest shock of his professional career.

What kind of luck was this?

It was as if she had been blessed by the Three Goddesses... no, she was more like a chosen one!

As the small foals beside her, and even the professional craftsman, were collectively stunned into inaction.

Platinum's gaze shifted slightly. She turned from the familiar bow to look at the plain, empty quiver.

The moment she looked at the quiver, the now-calm Assassin Girl froze.

Because on the quiver, which seemed so ordinary compared to the bow, there was actually... a system panel description?

[Quiver (Winning Live Costume - Platinum Exclusive)]

[Description: Will automatically fill when appearing on the race, injecting the same number of arrows as the number of Uma Musume on the field.]

[Each time an Uma Musume is surpassed, one arrow will automatically be reduced.]

Huh!

So... this was an accessory with special effects? An empty quiver could automatically provide arrows during a race?

Cool! That's exactly what I wanted!

I wonder if there are any "defeat effects" or "overtake effects"? That would be even better.

Satisfied, Platinum took a step closer. She completely ignored the white Winning Live Costume that combined her elite form with a swimsuit, and picked up the bow and arrow with great interest.

It really was the bow she brought herself! It felt the same!

Even Platinum, who had no interest in "going to work," felt a slight anticipation for the Japanese Derby at this moment.

She kind of wanted to try out the feeling of running in this ethereal and cool Winning Live Costume, with the quiver and bow and arrow on her back!

"Okay! I'll take this one!"

To make a certain little Heavenly Horse want to go to work for the first time, the Three Goddesses' painstaking efforts were evident!

A short while later—

After completing the registration and payment, Platinum even specifically found a long, thin case in a nearby shop to store and carry her bow and arrow, slinging it over her back.

Originally, Platinum would have worried that such a large bow and arrow would be too conspicuous, with no real reason to bring it out.

She couldn't possibly come to this world of pure and innocent Uma Musume and go back to her old ways, establishing the Mugyuu Alliance and becoming an assassin again, could she?

Therefore, from the moment she transformed, Platinum had chosen to seal away the bow and arrow and put them under her bed, never taking them out.

But now, it was different. Since she had received the blessing of the Three Goddesses, it was equivalent to getting "official certification"!

And this official was truly of the highest caliber, the kind that could point to the sky...

Therefore, the current Winning Live Costume as a whole... represented the granting of permission for Platinum to carry it openly, making her perfectly content!

Meanwhile, Mejiro Dober and Tokai Teio finally snapped back to reality and prepared to say goodbye to Platinum.

"Platinum..."

"Are you really going to challenge the Japanese Derby in four or five days?"

After getting her bank card back from Platinum, Mejiro Dober gazed at her with her clear eyes, as if she could no longer hold back, and asked the question she desperately wanted to know.

"Why are you challenging the Triple Crown of Transformation?"

From any angle, challenging the Triple Crown of Transformation... seemed far too risky.

She had just finished the 2400m Oaks, and only had a week of rest before tackling the extremely intense, and also 2400m, Japanese Derby again.

The difficulty was unprecedented.

She could have challenged the undefeated Triple Crown next year!

Or she could have given up the Derby and fully prepared for the Kikuka Sho, completing a stable and safe Triple Crown of Transformation.

Across Japan, no Uma Musume had ever achieved the current hellish Triple Crown of Transformation; in the minds of countless people, this challenge was impossible!

Where did this Heavenly Horse get her confidence from?

The next moment, Platinum stopped in her tracks.

In front of the top active Japanese Uma Musume, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, her ethereal and sharp eyes looked back at Mejiro Dober, and she said faintly, "No Uma Musume from Japan has ever stood on the world stage. It's the same for Agnes Tachyon or Shunkawa Tazuna, even for the Emperor."

"But this vacancy on the world stage is about to end. I will stand in the heavens!"

Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and even Mejiro Dober were once again stunned speechless. They hadn't expected Platinum to possess such absolute dominance and confidence!

"Before that, I'll win the Triple Crown of Transformation, which is said to be impossible."

Half an hour later!

Returning to her room, Heavenly Horse excitedly took off the box she had been carrying on her back.

Platinum, who was looking forward to the Japanese Derby, saw a system panel pop up in front of her for the first time in a while.

[System Reward (Claimable)]

[Note: The more races a horse girl wins, and the greater the advantage, the greater the reward for the host before transformation.]

Upon seeing this, Platinum was stunned for a moment, then reacted and nodded.

"As a doctor, I get rewards that enhance horse girls after treating them."

"As a horse girl, winning races means getting rewards for before my transformation?"

[Note: Rewards will be determined based on what the host's original body lacks.]

[Claim Reward? YES/NO]

Huh? Does the system reward whatever it judges I'm missing?

But I don't seem to be missing anything... Could it be that it's going to give me a jackpot!!

"It's money, right?!"

"YES! Claim it!!"

53. Who is the strongest horse girl in the Derby? Reward: Manner's...?

Tracen Academy, in the student council room.

Tokai Teio excitedly reported her observations to Symboli Rudolf, her admired senior.

"Such a big bow! Heavenly Horse was carrying it on her back, so imposing!"

Even though Tokai Teio was the senior, she had to admit that when Platinum wore her Winning Live Costume and carried the Bow and Arrow, she would definitely have more presence and look cooler than her!

"It felt like when Platinum walked down the street with the Bow and Arrow and a blank expression, she looked like an assassin or a killer from a TV drama, so cool!"

"It's just a shame her Quiver was empty. If there were real arrows, it would have been perfect."

But what Tokai Teio found slightly regrettable was that the Quiver was completely empty.

It's not like Heavenly Horse would bring her own arrows, right? That kind of thing just wouldn't work.

Bringing extra arrows for the sake of presence or atmosphere, let alone whether it would pass the URA race official review...

Even if it passed the review and was brought to the race, those self-provided arrows wouldn't have the blessing of the Three Goddesses. They wouldn't be as light and unaffected as that Bow and Arrow, but would instead act as a burden.

Therefore, Tokai Teio felt a little regretful.

In front of her, Symboli Rudolf, sitting behind the desk, couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Even Air Groove, the vice president and horse girl who was quietly handling official business beside her, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Symboli Rudolf chuckled lightly and nodded, indicating she understood.

"Is Heavenly Horse... that lucky?"

That child is indeed very likable.

Not only did her Winning Live Costume have significant changes, but even her weapon was an extremely rare, large weapon that could be counted on one hand worldwide.

It seems the Three Goddesses also favor that little Heavenly Horse!

"In that case, the Japanese Derby will be worth looking forward to."

"Jungle Pocket, the highly popular genius girl once thought to be the only one who could defeat Agnes Tachyon!"

"Black Ship from abroad, a monster with astonishing talent!"

"And finally, the mysterious Heavenly Horse Platinum, aiming for the Triple Crown of Transformation!"

Throughout history, among the classic races, the Japanese Derby has always been the most watched and influential king of races in the Classic Triple Crown and Fillies' Triple Crown, the six GI races.

Becoming the Derby champion would instantly elevate one to household-name, superstar status, with popularity potentially rivaling that of horse girls who have won multiple other GIs!

There's even a saying about the Classic Triple Crown: "The horse girl with the fastest finishing speed wins the Satsuki Sho! The luckiest horse girl wins the Derby! The strongest horse girl wins the Kikuka Sho!"

The 2000m Satsuki Sho is usually won by the horse girl with the most terrifying finishing speed.

The 3000m Kikuka Sho has a very high success rate in developing talent. Horse girls who can win it can usually continue to display formidable strength and excellent stamina. Their overall performance is often among the best in their generation, hence the saying "strongest."

Then why is the Derby said to be for the "luckiest"?

The answer is simple, cruel, and the complete opposite of that seemingly sweet and easy notion of luck!

Desperation! Burning oneself out! Running with the determination to bet everything on oneself! This is precisely why the Japanese Derby is won by the horse girl described as the luckiest.

This is because too many horse girls dream of the Japanese Derby, and they will spare no expense to win this Derby, which is watched by the entire nation of Japan and has the greatest influence and popularity.

For example, they will continuously increase their training volume, even if it leaves sequelae, increases the risk of fractures, injuries, or severe health problems, they will not hesitate. All for the sake of... being the most outstanding on Derby day.

Too many Derby-winning Uma Musume put their careers and lives on the line for the Derby, only to be unable to recover after one race. Their subsequent performances were unsatisfactory, leading them to be considered "lucky."

This is the brutality of the Japanese Derby. Therefore, even a powerful Uma Musume like Heavenly Horse Platinum, despite possessing unparalleled speed, might be constrained by the madness of having competed in and survived the Japanese Derby...

Symboli Rudolf sketched a smile of anticipation. She turned her head to look at Air Groove beside her and asked her opinion with a smile.

"Air Groove, what do you think..."

"Who is the strongest Uma Musume in the Japanese Derby?"

The calm Air Groove thought for a moment before stating her opinion.

"Platinum, but if we include foreign Uma Musume, it's a different story."

"After all, that Black Ship's talent is also quite good, and Jungle Pocket's strength is also astonishing. It will be a battle of the top three."

"If it's a two-horse race, it purely comes down to individual strength, but with three, the situation becomes chaotic and anything can happen!"

"Besides, Platinum just finished the 2400-meter Oaks. Her body, her legs... how much strength can she show in the Derby?"

Therefore, the suspense of the Derby champion still remains!

Meanwhile, Tokai Teio beside them smiled and sighed.

"But Platinum... her Winning Live Costume and Bow and Arrow are so cool!"

"She can definitely aim for second place and fight for first!"

In conclusion, the upcoming Japanese Derby is absolutely not to be missed!!

Could it be... that they're going to give me a jackpot!!