Tch, isn't this supposed to be class time for the Uma Musume? Why do I hear noise from next door?
In a pitch-black room devoid of light, a suspicious figure was fiddling with a complex instrument in her hands.
The faint vibrations coming through the wall were grating on her nerves.
"Dammit, my experiment requires absolute stability. The slightest error could lead to irreversible consequences. I specifically waited until all the Uma Musume had left before starting. What's this truant brat doing here now?"
A delicate hand slipped from her sleeve and viciously scratched at her already disheveled hair, as if venting her frustration. Her dull, brown eyes emitted a fierce, cold gleam.
"I have to stop. I can't continue measuring the doses properly in this environment. This entire batch of precious medicinal ingredients is going to be wasted."
"Damn it all! Don't let me find out who you are! Otherwise, I, Agnes Tachyon, have plenty of ways to make you volunteer to be my little guinea pig!"
That's right, this character, currently gnawing angrily on her fingernails, was last year's Satsuki Sho champion, an Uma Musume forced into retirement by a leg injury.
Undefeated throughout her career, yet her own excessive genius cut her future short.
Her life as an Uma Musume could be called tragic, and even now, people occasionally talk about her.
They speak of her as the "Phantom Triple Crown Horse."
This isn't a title just any Uma Musume can claim. Even some who have won both the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby aren't necessarily called the "Phantom Triple Crown."
This title is reserved only for those Uma Musume whom people believe were utterly unbeatable, certain to sweep the Triple Crown, but were unable to compete for various reasons.
It signifies absolute recognition of her ability, a mark of immense honor that showcases her sheer talent.
But Agnes Tachyon scoffs at it.
"Stupid. No amount of pretty words can change reality. If I can't run, I can't run. The title 'Phantom Triple Crown' is utterly useless!"
"If I could just run again, I'd trade anything for it."
But it was impossible. Current science couldn't cure her fragile legs.
Both her trainer and the student council had found numerous treatment options for her, but the result was always the same.
"We're sorry. There's nothing we can do."
Damn it! Damn it! It's so frustrating! How could she ever accept this?
"The world is full of mediocrities. Just because they can't do something doesn't mean I can't."
She abandoned caring for her appearance, letting her beautiful hair become tangled and greasy.
She gave up pretty clothes and accessories, wearing only a simple white lab coat year-round. She cut off communication with the outside world, pouring all her energy into research.
"A mere incurable disease? I'll crush it right before your eyes!"
After that, Agnes Tachyon threw herself into endless research. With her abnormally intelligent mind, she achieved significant results in just a year.
Today's experiment was her first attempt at healing her own leg injury. For this purpose, she had specifically hidden herself away in her dorm room.
"The production process for this reagent requires avoiding sunlight. Furthermore, the formula demands extremely precise measurements of the ingredients. I need an absolutely quiet environment to have any confidence. And now this? The noise from next door just won't stop. How can I possibly focus completely?"
Pacing around the room, Agnes Tachyon's tail began lashing back and forth like a whip in her agitation.
"Damn it, I'm already out of funds. This batch of materials is the last one. The experiment is halfway done. If I don't continue now, the already mixed reagents will be wasted. I can't afford to buy another set."
Gritting her teeth, she weighed her options for a long time.
Ultimately, her desire for the potion's success overpowered her usual rigor. With a sharp flick of her sleeve, she turned and sat back down in front of the chair.
"Calm. Stay calm. Steady my hands. I can control the dosage."
Holding a test tube containing an unknown powder in her right hand, she tilted it, sprinkling the contents bit by bit into the beaker below.
"Almost there. Just the last bit."
Time lost all meaning in her world. Her eyes were fixed solely on the slowly descending powder.
"Good, right there!"
Her eyes sharpened. Judging the amount to be sufficient, she let out a long sigh and began to move the test tube away.
But at that very moment, a tremendous BANG came from next door, like a bed frame slamming onto the floor.
The sudden noise shocked Agnes Tachyon, whose nerves were already stretched taut.
Being startled wasn't usually a big deal. But Agnes Tachyon was still holding the test tube!
It was too late to correct it.
She could only watch helplessly as a large amount of the extra powder fell into her carefully prepared mixture.
Now, even she couldn't predict the outcome.
Instantly, in less than half a second, the reagent in the beaker began to fume. A pale blue mist rose right before Agnes Tachyon's eyes, giving her no time to evade.
As she inevitably inhaled the unknown gas, Agnes Tachyon remained strangely composed. She merely uttered a single, calm curse.
"Shit."
Then, her consciousness began to slowly fade. In the final moment before blacking out, only one thought filled her mind.
'You next door, just you wait!'
Meanwhile, Nearl was staring ruefully at her collapsed bed frame, feeling rather troubled.
"This is troublesome. Why was that piece of wood so brittle? Snapping clean in two, really?"
After a moment's thought, Nearl sighed.
"Fine, it's broken. At least the other slats are okay. It'll have to do for now."
Having decided that, she stopped dwelling on it. She spent a few more minutes arranging her suitcase, then neatly placed it against the wall.
"Alright, that should do it."
Surveying the dorm room that now clearly housed two people, Nearl clapped her hands together and prepared to leave.
But as her hand grasped the doorknob, a faint knocking sound reached her ears, making them twitch.
"That's strange. According to the schedule, no Uma Musume should be in the dorms right now?"
Puzzled, Nearl pulled the door open. The scene that met her eyes, however, made her frown deeply.
There, on the cold tiles of the hallway, lay a childlike Uma Musume, draped in a giant white lab coat so large it could have served as a bedsheet for her.
She was curled into a tight ball, eyes firmly shut, clearly shivering from the cold.
"How did a child get here?"
Without a second thought, Nearl immediately knelt down and gathered the little one into her arms, pulling her away from the chilly floor.
"Wait, this feeling? Is this child wearing nothing under this?!"
Sensing something was wrong, Nearl opened the lab coat. A expanse of pale skin was frankly exposed to the world.
"Just what is the situation with this child..."
Nearl fell deep into thought.
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T/N: Ok this timeline is cooked, how is Agnes Tachyon a phantom triple crown when she's like way after oguri?
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.