3. The Legendary Triple Crown of Transformation
The next day, at a racecourse.
For a mere Debut Race, there was a surprisingly large crowd in the stands.
Race fans knew it was unusual to see so many spectators at a Debut Race, unless... a highly anticipated newcomer was making her debut.
Excited discussion rang out without pause.
"Daiwa Scarlet? The promising junior Agnes Tachyon, who recently won the Satsuki Sho, has her eye on?"
"I hear she's incredibly strong. She has a great shot at the Fillies' Triple Crown next year."
"There's no suspense in this Debut Race. Let's see how many lengths this famous honor student wins by."
"If Agnes Tachyon, who's sure to win the Triple Crown, thinks so highly of her, then Daiwa Scarlet must be in for a brilliant victory."
As she listened to the chatter around her, a white-haired girl with a lazy gait suddenly stopped in her tracks. Even her tail abruptly stopped swaying.
It seemed the young Kulantta girl, who had been heading toward the backstage area, had realized something was wrong.
Her platinum-colored eyes narrowed sharply, and her ears twitched.
"Huh? The first leg of the Classic Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho..."
"Was just won by Agnes Tachyon—"
"Not long ago?!!"
Then...
What about the Triple Crown??
How was she supposed to win it now?! The Satsuki Sho was already over, leaving only the Japanese Derby and Kikuka Sho in the Classic Triple Crown!
Even if she won both, she could only manage two crowns. She couldn't exactly wait until next year to run the Japanese Triple Crown races, could she? That would mean delaying things by another year.
How much money would she lose by waiting a year?
In an instant, Platinum understood what it meant to die before the campaign had even begun. Her eyes went blank, and her whole body seemed to turn to ash.
But Platinum quickly forced herself to stay calm. She reopened her system mission panel and read it again.
Mission: Win a Triple Crown race Transformation available Reward: Permanently improve intermediate injury treatment ability; two uses of advanced injury treatment
Reading it again, Platinum seemed to notice a detail she hadn't seen before.
Wait!!
The mission required her to win a Triple Crown, not to win any specific, complete Classic Triple Crown!
The races available during the Classic Year weren't limited to the Classic Triple Crown! The Fillies' Triple Crown... wasn't that a Triple Crown too?
The first leg of the Fillies' Triple Crown was already over as well, but in theory, she could win a combined Triple Crown by taking the remaining races from both the Classic Triple Crown and the Fillies' Triple Crown.
To claim the combined Triple Crown of Transformation, she would have to win one race in the Fillies' Triple Crown, then face a fresh group of Uma Musume in the Classic Triple Crown just one week later, already worn out from Experienced Battles.
Winning consecutive races on that unprecedented nightmare schedule was utterly impossible, as far as Uma Musume around the world were concerned!
And since Platinum had missed the first race, she had only two options: challenge the legendary Triple Crown of Transformation, or wait another year to attempt a complete, conventional Triple Crown!
"Wait another year? No way!"
A look of resistance flashed across the girl Platinum's delicate, languid face.
Since she had to finish the job anyway, Platinum thought it was better to get it over with quickly.
What if she dragged things out for another year, then lost next year... Wouldn't that be awful?
If she started competing in one race after another now and challenged the Triple Crown of Transformation, hailed as a feat never to be repeated, then even losing wouldn't be shameful. And if she lost, she could just slack off!
Besides, waiting a year to improve her treatment ability... How much money would that cost her?
No matter what, time was money! She absolutely couldn't put it off until next year.
So, should she choose the Triple Crown of Transformation? Take on a miracle that was supposedly impossible to achieve?
A sharp aura appeared on the languid face of the white-haired girl. At last, her fighting spirit had been roused.
The Classic Triple Crown was no longer an option. Then she would take a path that no one had ever walked before!
"Then it has to be—the Triple Crown of Transformation?!"
After making her debut, a newcomer Uma Musume could choose to challenge the classic races in either her first or second year. She would have only one chance in her entire life.
The Classic Triple Crown and the Fillies' Triple Crown were separated by only a week, so eligible Uma Musume usually chose one or the other.
As for the Triple Crown of Transformation, it wouldn't appear on any Uma Musume's list of challenges. Winning that nightmare schedule was even harder than achieving the Undefeated Triple Crown! In the eyes of countless people, the Triple Crown of Transformation was an honor found only in the history books—a legend already deemed impossible to bring to life again.
The petite white-haired girl's languid expression took on a hint of composure.
But in truth, Miss Platinum couldn't help wondering if she had any chance at all of winning the Triple Crown of Transformation, which was even harder than the Undefeated Triple Crown.
In nearly a century of Uma Musume racing in Japan, the Triple Crown of Transformation had been achieved only once. It was famous as a feat that would never be repeated.
Why was this legendary achievement thought impossible to recreate? Because... the race schedule had changed!
The senior Uma Musume who had won the only Triple Crown of Transformation was named Kurifuji. In her era, the schedule was different from today's. The Japanese Derby she won had been held in June, while the Oaks had been held in October, four months later.
But now, the races in front of this young Kulantta were also the Japanese Derby and the Oaks, and they were only a week apart!
That was why even the first Uma Musume to achieve the Triple Crown of Transformation would have been powerless in this era! The times had sealed away this miracle. It was absolutely impossible to see it happen again!
But Miss Platinum was different. She had little interest in honors, whether before or after transforming.
So—win everything, or get nothing!!
Because she was lazy and wanted to make a fortune sooner rather than later, Platinum had no intention of putting things off until next year.
And so, Miss Heavenly Horse prepared to compete for the Triple Crown of Transformation, a feat destined never to be repeated. Without another moment's hesitation, she stepped into the racecourse.
Before she could take on the Triple Crown of Transformation, she first had to finish this Debut Race!
"Let's go~"
The languid Miss Heavenly Horse picked up her pace.
In the stands, a black-haired Uma Musume named Vodka sat in the front row, watching the race.
She was a rival of the favorite, Daiwa Scarlet, and had raced against her in practice more than once back at school.
The results had been evenly matched, so Vodka was eager to see how her rival Daiwa Scarlet would perform in her debut.
One thing caught Vodka's attention: a familiar senior had shown up here.
That senior was Tokai Teio!
Tokai Teio got along well with them, so it wasn't unusual for her to come watch a race.
But the thing was... Tokai Teio had fractured a bone again not long ago!
Shouldn't she be seeing a doctor or resting in bed? Why had she come here? And why had she taken the bandages off her leg?
"Senior Teio, did you come to watch Scarlet too?"
"Are you feeling okay? Why aren't you resting?"
When Vodka couldn't help asking, Tokai Teio smiled and flashed a victory sign.
"I met a really good doctor. The treatment worked right away, and now I can walk around just fine."
"Don't worry. Lady Teio will be back to full health in no time! Now let's enjoy Scarlet's race together~"
Then Vodka and Tokai Teio both turned their eyes toward the same starting gate.
Inside, Daiwa Scarlet, a young girl with flowing red hair and a figure far more developed than those of her peers, stretched her body and waited earnestly for the race to begin.
Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, a white-haired girl with hair cascading like a waterfall showed no hint of nerves on her youthful face. Step by step, she entered gate number eight, which would be hers.
It seemed the young Kulantta girl was merely here to go through the motions. She didn't seem particularly eager to win.
At last—
The race entered its final countdown.
"Huh? Is that... D-Daiwa Scarlet?"
The girl Platinum entered the gate, appearing calm and collected. But she had noticed that nearly the entire crowd was watching one particular gate—and inside it was Daiwa Scarlet, someone she recognized!
Until now, she had been focused on the Triple Crown races. Only then did she remember that the spectators had mentioned Daiwa Scarlet too.
She was a super-genius from the Uma Musume anime, talented enough to join the protagonist's team—the top of her generation!
The many spectators in the stands had probably all come for Daiwa Scarlet. That alone was proof of her potential and extraordinary ability.
Miss Heavenly Horse, who seemed unruffled, couldn't help but feel a little uncertain.
"Wait, I'm racing Daiwa Scarlet? Seriously?"
"Can I win?"
4. The Honor Student's Absolute Confidence!
Can she win?
After freezing up, Platinum couldn't help feeling doubtful.
Before crossing over, she had played Arknights, sure—but she'd only played it casually. She wasn't exactly an expert.
She didn't know much about the characters' specific strengths or backstories. Her style was basically to play whatever she felt like.
So she only knew that she had transformed into a girl from the Kulantta, a race on the world of Arknights known for being good runners. She had originally been an Idol Knight, but after "choosing the wrong major," she'd switched careers and become Platinum David, an assassin in the Mugyuu Alliance.
She was also the one who had delivered the hilarious line, "Go ahead and laugh if you want." She was a pitiful, weak, helpless little heavenly horse.
No doubt about it: compared to working diligently at some ordinary job or becoming an assassin, being an Uma Musume was much more carefree and fun.
But the problem was, she didn't look like a strong, sturdy warrior at all. She'd even been holding a bow when she transformed. As a ranged fighter, she was practically a fragile ADC in a MOBA game!
And now a pitiful, weak, helpless ADC with no training in running was supposed to race against someone as formidable as Daiwa Scarlet, who could join the protagonist's team in the anime!
Her body might not be that of a battle-hardened warrior, but the Kulantta were apparently like Uma Musume in that they were naturally good at running. Surely she wouldn't lose by too much?
As she pondered this, Platinum raised her chances of winning from zero to... a question mark.
(Maybe I do have a shot at winning.)
But she had no idea what her actual odds were.
Before Platinum had time to react, the race was about to begin. The countdown started.
3!
Nearly every Uma Musume in the gates stared straight ahead, waiting for the moment they would burst out.
Platinum came back to herself and stopped thinking about it. Positioned toward the outside of gate number eight, she had to focus now.
(Looks like it's finally time to clock in...)
(I'll win this race, collect the prize money, and get off work.)
For some reason, Miss Platinum was oddly fixated on the idea of "going to work." She always wanted to finish her tasks as soon as possible and clock out early.
Making money was important, but getting off work mattered too!
So...
It was better to settle things quickly and win the race as soon as possible!
2!
1!
The race began!
All the gates opened at once.
Before you continue