The Debut Race for Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka was set at 1800 meters. They were assigned to Gate 3 and Gate 5.
Between the two, Daiwa Scarlet was the first to surge out. Her style was to lead from the front. Her powerful explosive force allowed her to sprint ahead of all the other Uma Musume instantly, taking the lead position.
However, she wasn't running a Great Escape like Twin Turbo, she was leading with a plan, intending to maintain her pace all the way to the finish line.
Behind her, Vodka settled into the Pace Chaser pack. She was currently trailing Scarlet by at least three horse lengths.
She wasn't in a rush yet, she kept her eyes fixed on Daiwa Scarlet. She planned to exert her power from the middle and then battle Scarlet on the final 200-meter straight.
One could say that while they were nervous before the race, once it began, both cooled down and threw themselves entirely into the victory.
The spectators at Tokyo Racecourse initially had normal expressions, mostly focusing on Daiwa Scarlet since eyes always follow the leader.
They noticed her explosive power was good, but the real test was whether she could hold that lead to the end. Losing speed halfway would make everything meaningless.
As for Vodka, she was just biting onto Scarlet's heels, not attracting much attention yet.
However, as the race reached 1200, 1400, and 1600 meters, many people began to notice something was off. The expressions of the crowd shifted. Some straightened their posture, showing shocked expressions.
They realized it. After entering the final straight, Daiwa Scarlet was still leading the way without losing any speed.
By the 1800-meter mark, she had pulled away from the other girls by three lengths. But even more shocking was Vodka behind her. With a devastating, crushing momentum, Vodka swung to the outside and accelerated violently, reaching a point where they were running neck and neck.
In an instant, this thrilling scene made spectators sit bolt upright. They never expected to see such a high-stakes, head-to-head duel in a mere Debut Race. Not only were they fighting tooth and nail, but their times were incredibly fast, and their closing speed was blistering.
A wild thought crossed some people's minds: 'Are we witnessing the birth of two legendary Racers today?!'
They didn't have time to think, they could only watch. In the final sprint phase, Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka were locked in a clash where neither would give an inch. It was spectacular and shocking.
"Hyaaah!!!"
"Hyaaah!!!"
A chilling aura emanated from both of them. Their sheer determination to win allowed them to explode with their full power simultaneously, crossing the finish line almost at the exact same moment.
The stands erupted in cheers. Everyone discussed heatedly: Who won in the end?
In history, when Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka faced off, Scarlet won slightly more often. But their most classic battle— the 2008 Tenno Sho Autumn— was taken by Vodka.
In that race, they fought until the very last moment. After JRA officials spent over ten minutes on a frame-by-frame analysis, it was determined that Vodka won by a mere 2cm.
That Tenno Sho Autumn is considered one of the greatest showdowns in JRA history.
Vodka's final time reached 1:57.2, breaking the record set by Special Week and Symboli Kris S in 1999 by 0.8 seconds. In the Cygames project, Vodka is exactly 2cm taller than Daiwa Scarlet, a detail taken directly from that race.
(T/N: That's such a cool detail. Learning stuff like this is one of my favorite parts about this fic.)
Of course, the Tenno Sho Autumn record has since been shattered. Tosen Jordan pushed it by 1.1 seconds in 2011 to a terrifying 1:56.1. Many thought that record would never be broken.
But on October 29, 2023, the world champion horse Equinox appeared and, in an almost impossible display, clocked a staggering 1:55.2. He was the first horse in JRA history to break the 1:55 mark— unprecedented and likely never to be repeated.
...
Soon, the results of the debut race were announced. Daiwa Scarlet won by a tiny margin. It wasn't surprising, between these two, either one could win.
Daiwa Scarlet was overjoyed— she could now claim her training reward!
At the same time, Vodka was utterly dejected, fuming at the result. She knew she lacked experience in her first run, her acceleration was a bit slow, and the victory that was within her reach had slipped away.
Soon, everyone started the walk back to Spica.
"Dammit... how did this happen?! You guys must think I'm so lame... losing the win like that feels awful..." Vodka grit her teeth, her heart heavy with frustration.
Her reaction, in fact, was exactly like that of her real-horse counterpart. The real Vodka had a fierce competitive spirit; whenever she lost a race, her mood would sour, and she'd need either horses or humans to comfort her.
She'd lift her hoof and give an indignant little stomp— a huff of pure frustration.
'How did I lose?! This is infuriating!'
"It's okay, Vodka. Even though you lost, Daiwa Scarlet won..."
That one sentence from Mizuki was enough to "warm" Vodka's heart for the rest of the day.
Vodka nearly coughed up blood. Every word out of Mizuki's mouth felt like a sharp dagger twisting in her chest. She was so livid she nearly fainted, now she was even more depressed than before.
"Trainer... you..."
Even Daiwa Scarlet couldn't listen anymore. She had been feeling smug and ready to brag, but hearing Trainer Mizuki say that... it was just too cruel.
'Thank the Goddesses I won', she thought. If she had been the one to lose and Mizuki had said, "It's okay, Scarlet, even though you lost, Vodka won," she would have stood there crying for an hour.
Wait, why would she cry? She'd just give Trainer Mizuki a body slam and end her right then and there with tears in her eyes!
However, Vodka soon realized she had still completed her Training Reward, as her goal wasn't to debut in first place, but merely in the top three.
Her reward was a bunch of exquisite carrots and a cool motorcycle magazine. Since she didn't take first, the rewards were relatively modest— one for her, one for the real horse.
In her heart, she really wanted that cool motorcycle magazine because she loved "cool" things like bikes. When she was little, she used to sit on the back of her dad's motorcycle as he leaned into corners, it was a total rush.
But being the kind soul she is, Vodka decided to send her beloved magazine to the real horse and keep the carrots for herself.
Daiwa Scarlet wasn't in a hurry to claim her reward, she decided to wait until she got back to the dorm.
In the Real-Horse World. Tanino Farm.
"Vodka, you have a gift from an anonymous fan!"
The groom said happily, placing a beautifully printed motorcycle magazine in front of Vodka, who was currently munching on a carrot.
"?"
Vodka shifted her hooves, a giant question mark practically appearing over her head.
'What is this?'
Tracen Academy.
Mizuki led all the girls of Spica back to the gym. Although it was Saturday, training had to continue— except for Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka. Having just finished a race, rest was the priority.
But Vodka simply wouldn't listen, so Mizuki settled for letting her do some endurance training, which Scarlet promptly joined. After they finished, they all showered, changed into their casual clothes, and returned to the Spica room.
"Trainer Mizuki, is this the 'Mahjong' you mentioned? Can it really train intelligence?" McQueen, the hefty horse, asked curiously.
"I don't know how to play," Daiwa Scarlet admitted.
However, after studying it together for a while and listening to Mizuki's explanation of the rules, they quickly got the hang of it. Since they had nothing else to do that evening, McQueen, Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka, and Gold Ship sat down and started a game.
Spe-chan understood the rules but chose to watch, as did Suzuka.
After a while, Gold Ship remarked, "This feels pretty fun! At least it's better than training."
McQueen soon countered, "Honestly, a little entertainment is fine, but we must still prioritize running!"
The other girls were quick to join in the banter...
Inside Spica, the Umas were now fully immersed in Mahjong, it was becoming quite addictive.
Meanwhile, Mizuki started writing in her diary. Since Scarlet and Vodka had finished their training goals, she was naturally concerned for her "beloved horses" and immediately checked on their real-horse information again.
[Hahaha, I saw the news for my real horses today— Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka. I have to say, they truly are the beloved horses of Spica.]
[Just like at Tracen.]
[The real-horse versions of these two were eternal rivals from the very beginning.]
[In the era they raced together, they were known to everyone as the Twin Empresses!]
[In 2007, when Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka first met, they didn't know each other at all. But on the racetrack, Scarlet took the initiative to rear up on her hind legs, essentially provoking Vodka.]
[You could tell that even then, Scarlet had identified Vodka as her strongest opponent.]
[However, some people interpreted it differently back then. They said Scarlet rearing up wasn't necessarily a provocation, but rather that she liked Vodka so much she just wanted to "snuggle." After all, snuggling between mares is quite common.]
[Actually, that's pretty normal. At Tracen, the two of them are quite close, even if they've "ended their friendship" three times this week, fought a dozen times, and sent over a hundred insulting memes to each other in the group chat. I'm dying of laughter just thinking about it.]
[Special Week was completely stunned. Being from the countryside, she'd never seen so many memes, she couldn't even add them to her collection fast enough.]
[I wonder when their next fight will be. I bet it's tonight. If they fight, I'll record it directly in the diary.]
[I am the Spica Historian, dedicated to recording dark histories, hahaha.]
[Let me keep looking, their story is quite fascinating.]
As Mizuki wrote this, her log appeared before everyone once again.
Inside Spica.
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka were initially shocked. Forget the Mahjong— they were called "Twin Empresses"? Were they really that strong?
'Is that really me...?' Scarlet felt she was impressive, but an "Empress" was someone on the level of Air Groove-senpai.
However, seeing that Vodka shared the title made her wonder if there was a mistake.
But when Scarlet read the part about her "rearing up to snuggle" with Vodka, she lost it. She grit her teeth in fury.
'Trainer Mizuki, you jerk, stop talking nonsense! My real-horse counterpart was definitely telling Vodka: "So you're the one they call Vodka, huh? Just you wait, I'm gonna take you down today."
'There was no way she would ever take the initiative to snuggle with Vodka!'
'Not in a million years!!!'
Vodka was also a bit confused. She hadn't realized the real Scarlet had been the one to start the provocation— that was interesting. But she cared more about who won. Also, she paused...
'Have we really fought that many times this week?'
'Hmph, well, it's Scarlet's fault for being so arrogant!'
Elsewhere, another Uma was reacting.
"Oh my god, 'Twin Empresses'... let me just offer a prayer, Goddesses. Please protect me!"
Hishi Miracle was playing it safe as always, making a worshiping gesture. She was an Uma Musume who worked hard within her limits, and now she was getting a head start on divine intervention.
"Hehe, I'm a total rookie. I've lost eight races in a row since my debut, I don't know when I'll ever win. If I win someday, I'll pray to you guys again. It'll all be thanks to you!"
After saying that, Hishi Miracle fell into thought.
'Should I go for another run now? I should try a bit harder. If I lose nine in a row, I might as well go back home and become a farmer...'
She was joking, of course— life is best lived with optimism. However, she didn't know that she truly would lose nine times before finally winning her debut.
Don't go home to farm! You have to run one more race!
One could say Hishi Miracle's path at Tracen was full of obstacles. It was the same in the real-horse world. No one expected much of Hishi Miracle at the start.
After all, it took ten attempts just to win a debut race. Such a horse is rarely thought to have a bright future.
However, after debuting, he performed excellently in condition races. In OP races, he took a second and a first, becoming a "5-million-and-under" class horse, and in just three races, he reached the "10-million" class.
Since the farm had bought Hishi Miracle for 6.5 million, he had at least broken even in prize money.
Later, Hishi Miracle's team decided to try for the Kobe Shimbun Hai to see if they could get a spot in the Kikuka Sho. Unfortunately, he finished sixth, which meant he had no chance.
Hishi Miracle's owner felt he couldn't make the Kikuka Sho, and even if they paid the 2-million yen supplementary entry fee, they'd still face a 3/8 lottery for a spot. So, he gave up.
But the trainer, Masaru Sayama, stood up. He was convinced Hishi Miracle had a talent for long distances, so he went behind the owner's back, registered him for the Kikuka Sho, and paid the 2-million yen entry fee himself.
Hishi Miracle entered the lottery for horses with equal prize money and was ultimately blessed by the goddess of luck, winning a starting spot.
However, Hishi Miracle didn't know he was about to participate in one of the most entertaining Kikuka Shos in history.
This 2002 race was perhaps the most chaotic in Japanese history. First, right out of the gate, the super-jockey Yutaka Take was mysteriously bucked off, causing 11 billion yen worth of betting tickets to turn into scrap paper instantly.
While Yutaka Take was rolling on the grass, the crowd was in an uproar. But Hishi Miracle seized the opportunity. He charged forth, using the slopes of Kyoto's third turn to close the distance on the lead and escape horses.
In the final straight, he entered a sprinting battle with the 16th-favorite closer, Fast Tateyama. Ultimately, Hishi Miracle won by a nose, achieving an upset victory unprecedented in Japanese history.
This was the first "miracle" of Hishi Miracle's career. The commentators were stunned, shouting: "It's Hishi Miracle! This year is going to be another uproar!"
When the race ended, the commentator added: "The race is over! The winner is Hishi Miracle— and yet, on the back of No Reason, there is no sign of Yutaka!"
At that time, the horse No Reason was just wandering the track, head held high, observing the "two-legged beasts" around him.
Inside the Student Council Office.
"Twin Empresses?"
Air Groove smiled with relief. She was once called the "Empress," and now Tracen had worthy successors. She looked into the distance like a witness, watching Tracen march toward prosperity.
She also noticed that Trainer Mizuki seemed to distinguish between "Mares" and "Stallions". She didn't realize this was a gender classification, she simply wondered if it referred to the "Triple Tiara" versus the "Classic Triple Crown."
Her logic made sense, but she would later learn it literally meant gender.
In Uma Musume, the mares wear their ear ornament on the left, and stallions on the right. Only Fine Motion— that "silly goose"— has ornaments on both ears.
She was brought in from Ireland as a mare, but it was later discovered she had a chromosomal abnormality, and sadly, she could have no offspring.
If Fine Motion ever realized the ear ornaments represented gender, she'd probably look at her own two ears and fall into deep thought.
'Am I a boy or a girl?'
Mizuki's diary continued.
[As the saying goes, when women fight, it's at its fiercest.]
[Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka fought with incredible intensity.]
[You could say they traded wins back and forth.]
[But who would have thought? The real Vodka was actually very lonely and often went to snuggle with other horses.]
[I can see the picture in my head.]
[Vodka approaches another horse and starts snuggling.]
[She says: "Good sister, don't look back, it's me, Vodka."]
[However, Vodka is not sensitive at all, she's quite casual and cool— like me.]
[Scarlet, on the other hand, was extremely sensitive since she was a foal— totally fearful. Any movement behind her would make her jump, her hooves flailing everywhere. Look at you— can't you be a bit more steady, like your Trainer Mizuki?]
[I can almost imagine Scarlet's reaction back then.]
["Holy crap! My stable moved! I'm not running anymore!"]
[Hahaha, this girl... who knew her real-horse counterpart was such a total ditz when she was a foal?]
[It reminds me of her and Vodka's great-granddaughter, Mame-chan.]
[Mame-chan has already become a total stable bully. She specializes in picking on other foals, she's bossy and domineering. If the other foals won't listen to reason, she uses her "fists" to teach them reason.]
(T/N: Mame-chan is the childhood nickname of Still I Rise.)
At this moment, inside Tracen.
Vodka literally spat out her water.
What was going on? Daiwa Scarlet and her... already had a great-granddaughter? And who the hell was "Mame-chan"?
The CPUs of both girls were overheating. But Daiwa Scarlet, possessing a strong maternal streak, suddenly felt an urge to go hug her great-granddaughter.
'This bratty child, with a temper like that... she's going to be a handful.'
Furthermore, Daiwa Scarlet had reached her limit. This Trainer Mizuki— how could she just blabber about everything?
But to think she was actually exactly like the real horse as a foal, scared of every little rustle in the grass.
"Aaaah! I have to take her out today!" Daiwa Scarlet felt like "arranging" a meeting with this narcissist.
"Calm down, calm down!" Vodka held her back.
[However, I didn't expect Vodka to be quite popular, she even has her own fangirl.]
[That would be Dubai's Red Desire.]
[During the Dubai expedition, because Vodka had to leave due to injury, Red Desire became irritable and lost her appetite. She had zero form in practice races. The team tried everything but couldn't fix it. Finally, they printed out a photo of Vodka and taped it up across from her, only then did she marginally improve, though her race form remained poor.]
[Remember to give her some comfort when the time comes, Vodka.]
[But her true love is still Daiwa Scarlet.]
[However, there is one thing that makes me sad.]
[Less than nine years after Vodka retired, she passed away.]
[Only Daiwa Scarlet remained alive.]
[An entry in the real-horse records would go like this:]
[Vodka in Heaven: "It Looks like I crossed the finish line first, so don't be in such a hurry!"
[Daiwa Scarlet (crying): "What are you so proud of?! I'm absolutely not going anytime soon!"]
[I'm in tears just thinking about it. I hope both of my girls can live a long life in this world...]
At this moment, inside Spica.
"Eh?!?!"
Daiwa Scarlet had been reading intently, but seeing the news of Vodka's death left her stunned.
To tell the truth, though she was usually fuming at Vodka's antics, the thought of Vodka truly being gone made her mind go blank.
She looked at Vodka, and inexplicably, a wave of deep heartache washed over her. Daiwa Scarlet was a sentimental soul, the thought of Vodka dying made her eyes well up.
She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Hey, are you a dummy? I'm right here, I'm alive! Don't worry, I'll save 'Vodka' myself," Vodka said, quickly changing the subject. She couldn't stand seeing others cry, it was too much of a hassle.
But she scratched her head, looking at that dialogue, it really was Daiwa Scarlet's style.
"Honestly, 'what are you so proud of?' I can't believe I was worried about you! I'm never worrying about you again!"
Daiwa Scarlet turned her head away, but a few "little pearls" had already dropped.
For a moment, they both fell silent.
"Alright, I'll live for a long time," Vodka coughed awkwardly.
"Oh? How long?" Scarlet asked flatly.
"About... this long?" Vodka, being a bit of a dork, gestured wildly with her arms. Her flailing antics made Daiwa Scarlet let out a laugh, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
Truly, these two were meant to discipline Mame-chan together. That brat was getting more lawless by the day.
However, right then, Mizuki dropped another bombshell.
[My god, I drew Admire Vega today.]
[I didn't expect her real-horse history to be so tragic.]
[Her mother was originally pregnant with twins, but in the end, she was the only one who survived.]