"Platinum, is she really that strong?"
10. Daiwa Scarlet's Absolute Confidence, the Strongest Enemy!
"Platinum really is stronger than I expected."
"But... this year's competition is ridiculously tough."
After marveling at Platinum, the form he had transformed into, Lin Anran immediately began thinking about the challenges ahead.
The Triple Crown of Transformation! It was a legend widely believed to be impossible for any Uma Musume to achieve. It was definitely even harder than the Undefeated Triple Crown!
Yet in the decades of Uma Musume racing in Japan, only Symboli Rudolf had ever accomplished it. She was truly one in a million. And the Triple Crown of Transformation was countless times harder than the Undefeated Triple Crown!
So even though Platinum wasn't an ordinary Uma Musume, she still needed to be thoroughly prepared.
If Platinum were challenging for the Triple Crown of Transformation in an ordinary generation, she would have a decent chance.
But this year's Triple Crown races featured an unparalleled monster who had captivated the entire country of Japan. That monster was... Agnes Tachyon!
Not long ago, Agnes Tachyon had won the Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Classic Triple Crown, in an overwhelming victory! She was hailed as the sole runaway favorite for this year's Triple Crown races!
What's more, most of the Uma Musume challenging for the Classic Triple Crown this year had already been casually crushed by Agnes Tachyon, either in the Satsuki Sho or in earlier races. Their abilities were on completely different levels.
So even though only the first leg of the Classic Triple Crown had just ended, the whole country was already looking forward to Agnes Tachyon achieving the feat of an Undefeated Triple Crown, just like Emperor Symboli Rudolf!
Hardly anyone thought there was a Dark Horse who could threaten Agnes Tachyon's Triple Crown. Unless something went wrong, she would undoubtedly become the second to achieve the Undefeated Triple Crown!
And Platinum, who was aiming for the Triple Crown of Transformation, would have to face this generation's strongest—a super monster with a chance to become Japan's Strongest in History: Agnes Tachyon!
That was why, even after learning that Platinum had extraordinary potential and formidable strength, Lin Anran still felt a little concerned about challenging for the Triple Crown of Transformation.
But there was one piece of good news: the next race in the Triple Crown series she could challenge was the second race of the Fillies' Triple Crown—the Oaks!
"If I remember right, the opponent in the Oaks is... that Mejiro family genius, Mejiro Dober?"
She would face Mejiro Dober in the Oaks first, then Agnes Tachyon in the Japanese Derby. That would give her some time to prepare!
After breathing a sigh of relief, Lin Anran looked toward the computer on his desk and turned it on, ready to check the post-race reviews of Platinum's Debut Race the day before.
He opened the official racing website and started searching.
As soon as the page loaded, he saw a news story that left him a little surprised.
—"Shocking! Daiwa Scarlet, a G1-level contender, defeated by a mysterious Dark Horse?"
—"A monster named Platinum bursts onto the scene, coming from behind to win by five lengths!"
—"Unbelievable! A genius who could become the next-generation ruler after Agnes Tachyon has appeared!"
—"Tokai Teio's injury has healed? Photos show her walking freely around campus without her bandages!"
—"Tokai Teio gives an interview, saying she received treatment from a young, handsome, and excellent doctor at Tracen Academy and may compete in the Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho!"
Among the top trending news stories, every single one... had something to do with Lin Anran?
Some stories were about him as a doctor, while others covered the race in which he had transformed into Platinum.
Though they were about him before and after transforming, there was no doubt that they were all about this unscrupulous young man!
Curiously, Lin Anran clicked on the stories and discovered that the Debut Race between Platinum and Daiwa Scarlet, which had only just ended, had already attracted extraordinary attention.
The flood of news articles and highlight-filled race videos had racked up over a million views in a very short time, with tens of thousands of shares.
The level of attention surprised Lin Anran, but he soon understood why.
Daiwa Scarlet was a promising junior whom Agnes Tachyon had taken an interest in. She had also repeatedly achieved excellent results in Training Races at Tracen Academy, always coming in first or second. She was already well-known, with a popularity far beyond that of an ordinary rookie Uma Musume or a typical graded-stakes contender.
Most people already saw Daiwa Scarlet as a future GI champion.
But even her defeat alone wouldn't have drawn so many viewers. The race had also made for unusually compelling entertainment.
The most popular Escape Horse Uma Musume, Daiwa Scarlet, with a perfect start, versus the least popular Late-runner Uma Musume, Platinum, who had stumbled out of the gate!
First and last, the Escape Horse at the front and the Late-runner at the very back! That huge contrast, combined with Platinum's stunning victory, had pushed the race to such heights.
All those factors together had turned a mere Debut Race into an event more popular than many G3 and G2 races, rivaling a G1 event.
As a result, Platinum, the race's star and ultimate winner, had become an overnight sensation!
Faced with this, Lin Anran's face lit up with delight!
Platinum becoming popular as an Uma Musume meant that more and more fans would bring in money in the future.
And Tokai Teio had promoted him as a doctor... no wonder some Uma Musume had come to see him on his very first day.
The young doctor, a natural-born wage slave, was thoroughly pleased. It really was a double stroke of good luck!
Elsewhere, at the training grounds.
A red-eyed girl with short brown hair and a long, loose white coat stood off to one side, watching Daiwa Scarlet train with a sharp, composed gaze.
The girl was Agnes Tachyon, an Uma Musume of immense stature—a peerless monster at the height of her fame!
Daiwa Scarlet soon noticed Agnes Tachyon. She slowed her pace and headed over to her.
"Senior Tachyon, may I ask what you need?"
Daiwa Scarlet asked with a hint of confusion, showing the respect due to her senior.
Agnes Tachyon's expression remained calm as she parted her lips and offered a word of warning.
"I saw the news and the race footage from yesterday's Debut Race."
"After running such an intense race, you should rest properly. Overtraining can easily lead to injury."
That short remark made the fiercely competitive Daiwa Scarlet's face flush slightly with embarrassment and frustration.
"I... I understand. I'll never lose to Platinum again!"
Agnes Tachyon continued in an even tone.
"You ran very well. It's just that the Uma Musume named Platinum was too strong."
"That one could even win the Fillies' Triple Crown if she debuted this year."
"What an interesting little thing. I wonder where she came from."
After speaking, she reached into the wide sleeve of her coat and took out a bottle of medicine, holding it out to Daiwa Scarlet as a gesture for her to drink it.
Agnes Tachyon was exceptionally gifted, and her greatest interest wasn't running or racing, but... research!
She had developed all sorts of mysterious, unusual medicines with special effects. Simple things like restoring stamina and easing muscle strain were no problem for her, though she usually didn't give them to other Uma Musume.
But Daiwa Scarlet was one of the few Uma Musume she had taken an interest in.
After Daiwa Scarlet accepted the medicine, the brown-haired, red-eyed senior tucked her hands into her pockets and walked away.
Daiwa Scarlet remained where she was, stunned for a moment, her mind filled with Agnes Tachyon's last two remarks.
Was that... her way of comforting her?
And what did she think of Platinum?
"Guh... she could win the Fillies' Triple Crown even if she debuted this year?"
"But... she didn't say a word about the Classic Triple Crown?"
"Does that mean Senior Tachyon is still absolutely confident she can defeat someone as exceptional as Platinum?!"
11. The Triple Crown of Transformation Is Within Reach
"But... she didn't say a word about the Classic Triple Crown?"
"Of course. Senior Tachyon is the strongest. It won't be long before she wins the Triple Crown!"
"Even if what Platinum said is true, even if she really does challenge in this year's classic races, she has no chance against Senior Tachyon!"
Daiwa Scarlet had absolute faith in Agnes Tachyon's strength.
She probably wouldn't worry about losing unless Agnes Tachyon were compared to Symboli Rudolf, Japan's Strongest in History.
But in the eyes of countless people, Platinum, who had only just won a single Debut Race, was still leagues behind Agnes Tachyon and Symboli Rudolf.
"Besides, Platinum can't possibly be foolish enough to challenge for this year's Triple Crown races, right?"
Inside the student council at Tracen Academy.
A voice of surprise rang out amid the discussion.
"Huh? Platinum's race entry fee was paid by..."
"Lin Anran, the new Tracen doctor who was reported on the day before yesterday and only officially started today?"
President Symboli Rudolf, composed and dignified, looked with some surprise at the information she had just gathered.
That mysterious Dark Horse who had suddenly appeared!
The dazzling Platinum, whom so many post-race commentators had dubbed a "Pegasus"!
Was she actually connected to Lin Anran, the new school doctor who had only arrived in Japan two days ago?
"A mysterious Dark Horse who crushed a superstar rookie in her Debut Race, and yet she isn't an Uma Musume from Tracen Academy!"
"That must be a first in all of history."
On the desk in front of Symboli Rudolf, the video paused on the moment Platinum crossed the finish line by five lengths!
Symboli Rudolf had dedicated herself to nurturing younger Uma Musume. She knew Tracen Academy's promising talents inside and out, and understood just how much potential those gifted juniors had.
Among the next generation, Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka stood out the most!
Yet Daiwa Scarlet had now been defeated by a mysterious Uma Musume from outside Tracen Academy. How could Symboli Rudolf not take notice?
Deeply interested in Platinum, Symboli Rudolf had launched an investigation, hoping to invite her to join Tracen Academy.
She hadn't expected the information to arrive so quickly—or to reveal that the mysterious little newcomer's entry fee had been paid by the young school doctor.
Symboli Rudolf didn't consider Lin Anran an ordinary employee. How could an ordinary school doctor easily treat Tokai Teio, a top Uma Musume who had suffered a fracture?
A level of medical skill like that would be among the best even overseas, internationally!
So Symboli Rudolf had already grown interested in him the day before, when she learned that he had treated Tokai Teio. She hadn't expected Platinum to be connected to him as well.
"From that mysterious Dark Horse—or rather, that Pegasus girl—to Doctor Lin, they're all valuable, rare individuals."
After her surprise subsided, Symboli Rudolf turned to the other student council members and asked Air Groove, whose personality was mature and steady:
"Air Groove, now that you've watched the race video, what do you think of Platinum?"
Air Groove answered earnestly.
"She's strong. There's no doubt about it—she's strong both in ability and potential."
"But judging from her late start, her running form, and her sense of timing, she probably hasn't had much professional training."
"So either she doesn't have a trainer, or her trainer is an inexperienced rookie."
"In short, she has the potential to become the next-generation ruler after the president, Teio, and Tachyon, but she'll need to turn that potential into real strength."
That was exactly what Symboli Rudolf had thought.
"His contact with those American monsters, and now Platinum—it can't be a coincidence. Doctor Lin must be extraordinary."
Symboli Rudolf, hailed as the Emperor, had achieved the highest honor in Japanese Uma Musume racing and was considered the strongest of all time.
That was precisely why she had become the student council president with tremendous authority at Tracen Academy, a place filled with countless outstanding Uma Musume.
In terms of strength, status, and judgment, she stood at the pinnacle of Uma Musume. Air Groove had no reason to doubt her words.
"Perhaps Japan's decades-long dream—the Arc de Triomphe!"
"Agnes Tachyon and Platinum might have a chance to win it!"
"So, is there some way to... get Platinum to join Tracen Academy?"
Before you continue