Umamusume's days are numbered

Although the road ahead is still long, we've finally taken a step. The day we unlock the Tier 3 shop is getting closer.

But I didn't feel that happy. It wasn't what I expected.

because···

Platinum's gaze shifted again.

The Emperor of the East Sea stood upright on the grass, his face tilted back, wailing loudly; his cries could be heard throughout the area.

Just as I initially thought, the competition wasn't a happy one; for every winner, there was a loser.

The East Sea Emperor suffered a particularly crushing defeat. Not only did they fail to win the championship, they didn't even qualify.

Compared to that, the failure of Ibuki Mai Kagura was nothing; the Emperor of the East Sea was truly condemned to hell.

You can imagine how she feels right now.

In other competitions and against other opponents, Platinum could stand tall and gesture with his hands, saying, "If you're bad, practice more; if you can't handle losing, don't compete." But he couldn't think that way when facing the Emperor of the East Sea.

Because without my consent, the Satsuki Prize should have rightfully belonged to the Emperor of the East Sea.

Not only the Satsuki Sho, but also the subsequent Japanese derby, followed the original trajectory and was also a victory for the Tokai Emperor.

He himself had now stolen the fruit.

Of course, Platinum had no choice; it was a matter of life and death, and he couldn't let any of the classic three crowns slip by. But this did nothing to lessen Platinum's guilt.

Especially the act of shattering someone else's dreams with your own hands. Come on, I'm not a fantasy destroyer; such a cruel thing is torture for everyone...

Even the sense of relief vanished, and Platinum stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. They tasted bitter and astringent.

What should I do in this situation?

Should he rush up to the Emperor of the East Sea and apologize, saying, "I'm sorry I stole your championship"? That would only be seen as provocation and mockery. Although he usually speaks with a sharp tongue, he simply couldn't bring himself to say it at this moment.

To encourage the Emperor of the East Sea by saying, "There are other matches to come, we can't keep losing, look forward," is somewhat like pointing fingers from a high place. Moreover, in the upcoming matches, he will still take away the crown that rightfully belongs to the Emperor of the East Sea.

Either the Emperor of the East Sea loses, or I die.

...I couldn't bring myself to speak.

The only one I can't face is the Emperor of the East Sea.

Because even Platinum himself thinks so —

Compared to myself, who only finally decided to start extra training right before the competition, the East Sea Emperor, who has been striving for this one goal since childhood, is more suited to be the champion.

With a sigh, Platinum shrugged and walked off the track.

Ignoring the camera flashes and the cheers from the stands, Platinum walked off the track step by step.

Neither the camera flashes nor the cheers of the audience belonged to them.

Cheers and applause do not belong to me.

Episode 191: On the Other Side of the Earth

Huddled on the sofa in the lounge, the first thing Bai Jin did wasn't to take off her sticky clothes, but to check her phone for any new messages.

This is a common problem among modern people.

She didn't frantically search online for herself or anything. Platinum was quite self-aware—as she said before, ever since she walked around the streets with her head held high after winning the match and no one recognized her, she vowed never to search for herself again.

Bai Jin was checking messages. Unsurprisingly, her phone kept beeping.

[Golden Koi Spinning Spin]: Platinum won the Satsuki Prize! Congratulations!

[Golden Koi Spin Spin Spin] tapped [File Transfer Assistant]: Waaah, it's a pity I'm not a professional logistics staff member, so I can't go to the break room.

That's normal. Even Alice couldn't get into Satsuki Sho's training room. Only the trainers were qualified to go backstage.

G1's rules are quite strict. There are various medical examinations before the competition, and if any problems are found, the participant will be disqualified.

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?]: Wow, did we win? Not bad, not bad. That's G1's first championship.

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?]: But she's still a long way from catching up with me. She's still nine G1 levels away! Keep it up!

【Golden Koi Spinning】: Huh? How dare you say that? Do you really want to compare yourself to a rising star who has only been in the industry for a year, old man?

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?]: Why can't we compete? She's already beaten me. Besides, you haven't even debuted yet, but you're already competing with me every day. I think you lack basic respect for your older sister.

【Golden Koi Spinning Around】: Then go and complain to Ni Agong.

Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate and Golden Spear Sixty are as at odds as ever, constantly hurling insults at each other even during conversations. Golden Spear Sixty, having recently won ten G1 titles, is currently in a state of rampant arrogance, practically wanting to put up a sign that reads "G1 Ten-Time Winner Here," showing none of the composure expected of a world-renowned horse.

【Sea Star is the Best】: You two sisters are always arguing.

[The scammer]: Congratulations.

[Hello everyone, this is Jianghe Risheng]: G1 matches, that's great, I also want to participate in G1 matches.

【Zhaoyeyu (not green) Lion】: It's so troublesome to use foreign software in China... I finally got on.

【Zhaoyeyu (not green) Lion】: Congratulations! There are no G1 teams in mainland China. Provincial teams have to go to the national team if they want to compete abroad.

Jinqiang Liushi still has that nose that's practically pointing to the sky, and he and Li Yuelongmen still argue the moment they meet; the swindler is still the most taciturn one; Jianghe Risheng... Jianghe Risheng's nickname hasn't been changed yet.

Like a con artist, Zhaoye Yushizi disappears at any time and rarely shows up. I heard that he is now preparing to join the national team and his dream is to participate in the Olympics.

Platinum had only habitually taken out his phone to check, but he was surprised to see everyone in the group chat congratulating him on his victory... It felt like a surprise from his friends who had secretly thrown him a birthday party.

Platinum pursed her lips, then her mood brightened again. That's right, winning the race is winning. She didn't fly to the finish line with a rocket pack; she ran step by step, and she competed just as much.

I was already number one in the popularity vote, and I also won the Hong Kong special. It would be unfair if I didn't win.

The defeat of the Emperor of the East Sea is painful, but as the victor, there's no need to feel guilty about enjoying the afterglow of victory.

If all else fails, I can wait until I unlock the level 3 shop and then let the Emperor of the East Sea win it back myself.

...Thinking like that is a bit frivolous. Platinum then shook his head, banishing all those thoughts.

[File Transfer Assistant]: Thank you everyone. Although there were some twists and turns in the middle, we finally won without any major incidents.

[Scammer]: Remember to keep warm and get some rest. Is it raining where you are? Competing in the rain is not only troublesome during the race, but you also need to be extra careful afterward.

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?]: Wow, what a sweet guy.

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?] tapped [Today I'm Going to Die Here]: Madam, we have ready-made material, can we produce content today?

[Today I will die here]: I'm currently recovering from an injury... I can't give birth...

[Where is the Reed-haired Horse Girl?]: Injured? What kind of injury?

【Today I will die here】: Heartbreak.

[Where is Lu Mao Ma Niang?]: Then I'll have to write it myself.

[The conman]: Bored.

【Starfish is the best in the world】: Oh dear, oh dear...

As soon as they showed up, they started chatting amongst themselves, quickly forgetting about Platinum. Thinking about it, it makes sense. For the older guys in the group, winning a G1 match was just the beginning; with Platinum's future, he wouldn't be content with just one Satsuki Sho.

Platinum stretched and prepared to peel off his clothes, which were now dry and somewhat wrinkled, when another message popped up.

【Sea City Star】: Congratulations on your Satsuki Prize!

I almost forgot about this child. Entrusted by Haidu City, for the past six months, Bai Jin has been spending her free time chatting with Haidu Star, practicing her English, and working as a kindergarten teacher.

Although it's unclear whether Haidu Star has successfully made any friends, her typing speed has improved remarkably in the past six months, while Bai Jin's English level has not improved at all.

Platinum was planning to say something modest to Ocean Star, like, "Oh, you ran very well too," or "There were some dangers along the way," but Ocean Star sent a message first.

【Sea Star】: Although the middle part of the race was not very good, the last three waves were very good.

This honest kid… Platinum’s cheek twitched. He really speaks his mind.

After spending time together, Platinum knew that Haidu Star's words were not malicious. Although they sounded like a provocation, that was truly what she meant.

Well, given their abilities, they have the right to say that.

[File Transfer Assistant]: Hmm, from what you're saying, did you watch the Satsuki Sho competition?

Platinum counted on his fingers and realized that while the match was happening in Japan, it was still early morning in Western Europe, and Irish television stations wouldn't broadcast Marseille in Japan, so if you wanted to watch it, you'd have to wait in front of your computer for the live stream.

If you don't prepare in advance, it's quite difficult to watch the live stream.

【Haidu Star】: Hmm. I came back from my morning exercise, and the timing was perfect, so I watched it.

Bai Jin's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that she was quite important to this child. After all, even if the time for morning exercise was just right, it was impossible for her to turn on the computer and immediately start watching Satsuki Sho. So, it was probably a time that had been set in advance.

Well, it seems I'm quite successful as a kindergarten teacher!

Episode 192 It seems we've come at the wrong time.

Just as Platinum was feeling smug, on the other side of the world, Hai Du City and Hai Du Star were lying on their beds, both heads staring at small phone screens. Hai Du City was whispering in Hai Du Star's ear, and Hai Du Star was typing with one finger.

"Yes, that's it... Perfect. She may seem indifferent on the surface, but if you think about it for a moment, you can see how much you care about her."

"In this way, in her heart, you will definitely be a clumsy but lovable girl, and you can take another big step forward."

While teaching her step by step, Hai Du looked at Hai Du Zhi Xing with satisfaction. She discovered that her younger sister had a kind of innate... no, cuteness.

Haidu Star's chatting skills are constantly reaching new heights. If this continues, the day I attend a wedding is just around the corner!

Nodding in satisfaction, Hai Dudu thought of that brat astronomer who wasn't focused on dating and instead was running around everywhere with his strange light. He called it a world tour to improve his relationship with her, and he even booked hotels with double beds. Hai Dudu was so angry that he wanted to teleport right in front of them, hold a gun to their heads, and force them to stay at a love hotel.

So Haidu picked up the phone and bombarded the astronomer with messages, feeling much better.

Haidu Star tilted its head and looked at Haidu City, frowned in confusion, then slowly turned back to type on its phone.

Haidu Star was dazed; she really didn't feel that what she had done had made any difference.

Isn't it normal to sit in front of the computer all night just to watch a live game for a good friend?

After all, they are good friends.

That's how good friends should act, right?

After chatting with Haidu Star for a few more minutes, during which she received congratulations from all the members of Spica and was bombarded with messages from Alice. Once she was sure there were no more messages coming in, Platinum tossed her phone aside.

Platinum lay on the sofa, head tilted back, arms wrapped around herself.

Thinking about it this way... something's still missing.

One more person's blessing message is missing.

Rudolph symbolizes, "President, what are you doing? Why haven't you sent me a message? You always did after every match."

The Saudi Arabian Royal Cup, the Hong Kong Special, and the Yayoi Prize are all examples of this.

Especially this time, Rudolf personally came to the scene as a symbol.

And now Rudolf Symbol also has the status of a trainer, right? Although it's just in name, he's nominally being trained by the chairman. With this status, Rudolf Symbol should be able to enter without any obstacles.

...So, what about the greeting? You didn't forget the Valentine's Day chocolates, how could you forget today?

It's not that I'm expecting Rudolph's symbolic congratulations or anything; her absence won't make a difference, right...? But, well, that...

He's my trainer, after all. I even gave him chocolates for Valentine's Day. Surely he shouldn't leave me with nothing at all?

Otherwise, being a trainer would be terrible. Even though Ocean Star is all the way from Europe, they can still send me messages. Don't you think so, President?

Thinking about it this way, Platinum suddenly felt a sense of loss and started to get restless.

What has that damned emperor been up to?

—Go find Rudolf's symbol. Since she won't come to me, I'll go to her myself.

Without changing her clothes or taking a shower, Bai Jin jumped off the sofa, only to hear the sound of the doorknob turning.

Who could it be?

Unless there are unexpected circumstances, the staff will not disturb the contestants.

Just as Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and Alice couldn't get backstage, Spica and the other students were in the same boat.

Needless to say, the security at the racetrack is no joke.

To reiterate, only trainers and other support staff who have close relationships with the contestants can access the contestants' lounge backstage at the Satsuki Sho.