Inside the Tracen Academy cafeteria:
"Hahaha! Oguri Cap, did you see that? I'm the first Uma to achieve the Tenno Sho sweep! Watch and learn, this is what strength looks like! I must have been in great form that year. I wonder which year it was— when she writes about me, I'm going to watch closely."
Tamamo Cross was small in stature but spoke with big confidence. She was practically glowing with pride.
"Mmm... Tama, what am I supposed to learn?" Oguri Cap was reading slowly. Mostly because the log was blocked by the mountain of fried rice in front of her.
How much she could see depended on how much she ate. She had only eaten half of her "hill" of rice. Her appetite was average today, so it had taken her three whole minutes just to get halfway.
She hadn't reached the end yet. She rubbed her head, wondering if there was a new homework assignment.
"You dummy, all you know is eat, eat, eat. I wonder why Agnes Tachyon doesn't study why you can eat so much?" Tamamo Cross stood with hands on hips, speaking in her classic Kansai dialect.
She and Inari One were known as the ""Tiny Terrors of Kanto and Kansai." They had small bodies, but massive power.
Especially Tamamo Cross, her real-horse counterpart had a notoriously violent temper.
He was known for biting strangers' fingers on sight!
"I think she did invite me to the lab once. But when I got there, I accidentally ate the sushi breakfast she had painstakingly ordered. She hasn't really called me back since," Oguri Cap recalled. She tilted her head, a grain of rice still on her lip.
She remembered Agnes Tachyon inviting her, and being hungry, she saw the rice balls on the table and assumed they were for her.
When Tachyon walked in and saw her "munching," her expression looked like she was about to cry. Oguri felt a bit bad, but she thought Tachyon was a fun person, always spinning around in those long clothes.
Actually, Tachyon wore oversized clothes because she was a total klutz at life. When she bought clothes online, she always forgot her size and just picked one. If they were too small, she couldn't wear them, if they were big, the sleeves naturally hung past her hands.
To hide the awkwardness of the long sleeves, she just started spinning them around, becoming her classic "Tachyon spin."
"That..." Tamamo Cross took a step back.
If anyone else said this, she wouldn't believe it— who would dare eat anything in Tachyon's lab? You'd probably pass out.
But if Oguri said it, she believed it. This girl would probably eat the first thing she saw, pass out, wake up, see another thing, and keep eating.
"And after that? Did she make you eat anything weird?"
"I did. It tasted a bit strange, but nothing happened." Oguri recalled.
In reality, Tachyon had given her a harmless potion meant to induce a short sleep, but Oguri likely just digested it with her powerful stomach. Tachyon had become very interested in Oguri's durability after that, but given how much Oguri could eat, she stopped inviting her frequently.
Ordering breakfast was hard enough, Tachyon had to prioritize her own stomach.
"Ah, Tama, I see it! You were the first Uma Musume to get the Tenno Sho sweep. That's really amazing," Oguri Cap said, finally reaching the end of the log with a look of genuine joy and congratulation.
"That's good! I need to work hard too. Tama, this time at Tracen, I won't lose to you. And I'm very curious... what will our era be called?" Oguri Cap smiled faintly.
She wondered, 'If Special Week's time was the "Golden Generation," what would ours be?'
She didn't know that her era was simply called: The Oguri Cap Era.
Inside Spica:
"Seriously... the curse that the 1st favorite can't win the Autumn Tenno Sho. If I recall, that was broken by T.M. Opera O. Clearly, I couldn't handle being the favorite this time," Seiun Sky sighed.
The "waters" in the Autumn Tenno Sho was too deep, shewouldn't have taken the favorite spot if she'd known.
She was joking, of course. With enough strength, there are no curses.
"I really want to try. If it's me, I'll definitely break the curse!" Satono Diamond's eyes sparkled at the mention of a challenge.
Her tail started wagging, making Kitasan Black worried. Whenever Dia-chan made that face, Kitasan feared she'd do something bold and dangerous.
As for Special Week, she was overjoyed. She had won the Japan Derby, the Spring Tenno Sho, and now the Autumn Tenno Sho, with her other races all in the top three.
It was a spectacular record.
She was also a bit nervous, wondering if she could be as gifted as her real-horse counterpart. She feared letting down the expectations of her namesake.
In the Tracen Lab:
"I know that after the Golden Generation, it's T.M. Opera O's stage, and then it's ours. Maybe we'll see our story soon," Agnes Tachyon said with a smile.
With the appearance of the logs, more and more people caught her interest— Frankel, Sea The Stars, Equinox... and of course, the Golden Generation and the ancient "true gods of the JRA."
To be honest, she really wanted to study St. Lite and Sunday Silence. But her intuition told her it would be dangerous.
She had a strange, special feeling toward Sunday Silence that she wanted to understand.
She would soon find out that she is, in fact, the child of Sunday Silence.
As for St. Lite, she was fascinated by the ancient JRA rules. Back then, if you won a major race, your weight handicap for the next race would skyrocket.
Japan's first Triple Crown winner was retired early simply because her owner took pity on the massive weight the horse had to carry.
Yet St. Lite managed to win five out of the six major races under those ridiculous weights. It wasn't until the G1 system changed that Symboli Rudolf surpassed him.
"By the way, Manhattan Cafe, why don't you be my assistant? Just ten or so hours of work a day. Buy me breakfast, pick out my clothes, and test my medicines. I'll provide comprehensive service and a good salary. What do you say?" Tachyon said sincerely.
Manhattan Cafe was speechless. Ten-plus hours of work, preparing meals, and testing drugs? Even a cutthroat capitalist wouldn't be that blunt.
Usually, they give you a little sweetness first, but Tachyon went straight to the drug testing. Cafe felt the sheer malice of society.
"I refuse." Cafe shook her head. Setting aside the pay, the thought of drinking Tachyon's tea every day was unacceptable.
"Even those honey-covered words didn't work..." Tachyon felt a bit dejected.
She really thought those were enticing terms. But she wouldn't give up.
She was sure Cafe would join the "Black Tea Party" eventually.
Back at Spica:
King Halo had hoped that maybe this time she would win. But the cruel reality was laid bare again.
She felt... well, maybe she shouldn't have held out hope. The 2000m Autumn Tenno Sho... had she overestimated herself once more?
She was indeed unwilling to settle, but after a brief moment of disappointment, she quickly returned to her usual self, loudly proclaiming the fact that she was a first-class Uma Musume.
She firmly believed that her resolve would eventually bear fruit.
At that moment, King Halo's phone buzzed with a message. It was from the person in charge of a fashion design platform called "Halo." It turned out he was reaching out to get on her good side because her mother was the chief designer of this very Signature Race suit exhibition hall.
The centerpiece of their collection was a masterpiece crafted by her mother's own hands. Seeing her mother's achievements, a ripple of emotion stirred within King Halo, and she resolved then and there to surpass the records her mother had set.
Meanwhile, Mizuki's log continued to appear, and everyone resumed reading.
Mizuki's Log continues:
[In this G1 Tenno Sho Autumn, King Halo's performance was mediocre, finishing 7th behind Special Week.]
[Although Seiun Sky managed a 5th-place finish, he was suspended for a month due to the gate conflict that delayed the race. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with tendonitis.]
[Nishiyama Farm announced that Seiun Sky would officially go on hiatus for recovery. His peak form from early 1999 was like a meteor, brilliant but fleeting.]
[At that time, the urban legend around the Tenno Sho Autumn's curse reached its absolute peak. It seemed that being the 1st favorite was a death sentence, not only would you lose, but you'd be plagued by injuries. It was truly eerie.]
[At the same time, the Montjeu camp, fresh off their victory at the Arc de Triomphe, announced they would participate in the Japan Cup held on November 28, 1999.]
[This decision set the Japanese racing world on fire.]
[Because El Condor Pasa had lost to Montjeu at the Arc on October 3rd by such a hair's breadth, a sense of profound regret had spread through Japan. Consequently, the entire nation was determined to see Montjeu defeated on Japanese soil during this Japan Cup.]
[Looking at the timeline at this point:]
[El Condor Pasa had retired due to the camp's dissatisfaction with the JRA system.]
[Seiun Sky was sidelined for recovery until 2000 due to injury.]
[Grass Wonder's team had hoped for a rematch with Special Week, but injury forced him to withdraw as well.]
[King Halo, facing heavy criticism, decided to pivot to Mile races to seek a breakthrough.]
[The spotlight now fell entirely on Special Week.]
[After winning the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn, Special Week announced his entry into the Japan Cup. The JRA appointed him the "Supreme General of Japan." He carried the hopes of the entire nation.]
[Facing the formidable Arc winner Montjeu, the weight of this battle and the public expectation were unprecedented. It was arguably the most pivotal race in modern Japanese history.]
[Japan's strongest horse, El Condor Pasa, had fallen at Longchamp, just one step from the world.]
[The once-in-a-century genius, Montjeu, having cut down El, now came to Japan to take a Japanese trophy on Japanese soil.]
[With El retired, King Halo pivoting, and Grass and Sky injured, who was left to fight for the JRA?]
[In that moment, Special Week became the sole hope of the JRA. During a time of internal crisis and external threat, he was the pillar. Every day leading up to the race was filled with tension for the fans.]
[Can he win?]
[If he loses, the entire JRA will be trampled under the feet of the French genius, Montjeu.]
[It would prove that the "Golden Generation" was nothing more than a fluke. It'd prove that they weren't anything special compared to actual world-class horses.]
[Amidst this anxious waiting, the day of the Japan Cup arrived.]
Within Tracen Academy, a thick atmosphere of tension gripped everyone's hearts.
Inside Spica:
"Uuu, I'm so nervous, I can't look!" Buena Vista covered her eyes with her hands, only peeking through the gaps between her fingers.
Her heart was pounding. She hadn't realized that Special Week-senpai had faced such immense pressure back then.
If it were her, she probably would have died of nerves from such a heavy burden.
"What's there to be scared of? I want to see blood in the water! Hurry up, hurry up!" Gold Ship was already shouting. She even wanted to grab a banner and head to the scene, the race felt incredibly intense.
In the Uma Musume anime, Gold Ship actually did show up in the stands. She was dancing around with excitement, cheering for Spe-chan.
Truly, when everyone else is "safe," she is the most "dangerous" one.
"Stop being so dramatic," Mejiro McQueen muttered, showing a look of disdain as she looked at Gold Ship. She felt embarrassed even admitting she knew her.
Contrail found it quite amusing. Whether it was Gold Ship or the likes of Winning Ticket, none of these Uma Musume followed a script.
Gold Ship's occasional "brain farts" were top-tier entertainment. Contrail felt she'd get along well with someone as eccentric as Gold Ship.
'Going crazy feels good!'
Duramente watched Gold Ship and sank into deep thought. She considered herself a wielder of "Royal Blood" seeking to tread the King's Road, but she couldn't quite wrap her head around Gold Ship's lineage.
The "Gold Family" was truly terrifying.
Seiun Sky watched Gold Ship too. This was indeed a member of the Gold Family. After all, she knew Stay Gold. If those two stood together, they'd produce eight different comedy skits in ten seconds.
It made sense. Stay Gold was the "Papa," the creator of the Gold lineage.
At that moment, No Reason was also present. She loved a good spectacle. Though she usually appeared steady, she was prone to pulling off big stunts.
No Reason's most famous moment was the 2002 Kikuka Sho— the most chaotic in JRA history.
As the 1st favorite, he bucked jockey Yutaka Take off his back the moment the gates opened, instantly voiding 11 billion yen in betting tickets.
He then proceeded to wander elegantly around Kyoto Racecourse, admiring the scenery.
That race didn't just start with a bang, the eventual winner, Hishi Miracle, pulled off the greatest upset in JRA history with odds of 36.6.
The 2002 Kikuka Sho commentary is legendary:
"Disaster has struck! No Reason— Yutaka Take has fallen! Disaster at the Kikuka Sho!!!"
No Reason was eager to see what happened next. Naturally, she wanted Special Week to win. She wanted to see a "bloodbath", and she was also looking forward to seeing her own scenes in the diary.
She would surely be amazing too! Whether it was the Satsuki Sho, Japan Derby, or Kikuka Sho, she was determined to perform well.