Umamusume's days are numbered

Rudolf Symbolically grasped the East Sea Emperor's hand. Even after being soaked by the rain and changing into dry clothes, her fingertips remained icy cold. Rudolf Symbolically's hand, however, was warm. In that instant of touch, the East Sea Emperor even felt a fleeting, illusory warmth emanating from her fingers.

The Emperor of the East Sea subconsciously tried to pull his finger out, but Rudolf's symbol gripped it so tightly that the Emperor of the East Sea could not pull it out.

"Let's take this opportunity to start over."

"Not a follower as a symbol of Rudolf, not an imitator of the chairman."

"Instead, it would be as the Emperor of the East Sea. If you were the Emperor of the East Sea, what would you do in this situation?"

"If you were the emperor of the East Sea, what kind of achievements would you hope to accomplish?"

The dream of an undefeated treble has been shattered, and the East Sea Emperor's illusion of being the pursuer of Rudolph's symbol has also been broken.

But the phoenix can be reborn from the ashes. In these ruins, will the Emperor of the East Sea be able to see his truest self?

Rudolf symbolically held onto the Emperor of the East Sea. She stood up, facing the Emperor of the East Sea, but did not let go. So the Emperor of the East Sea also stood up.

“Raise your head again, Emperor of the East Sea. This is just the beginning.”

"This time, let's continue as the Emperor of the East Sea."

"Not the successor to Rudolf's symbol, not the rival of Platinum, but merely the quintessential self of the Eastern Sea Emperor, how would you proceed?"

The sky was still covered with dark clouds, but behind those clouds lay countless stars.

One of them, sparkling, fell from the sky and landed in the eyes of the Emperor of the East Sea.

"I...the Emperor of the East Sea..."

The Emperor of the East Sea trembled.

"Whether or not I achieve an undefeated treble, I... want to continue racing on the track as a female horse racer."

Even if I've lost, even if it's a crushing defeat... I still want to win.

Episode 195 to the beginning

The light rain that had been falling for almost the entire day finally stopped near dusk, leaving only a slightly chilly wind blowing in the air, but it could not dampen the audience's fiery enthusiasm.

The moment we've all been waiting for is almost here. After fierce competition, the winner of the Satsuki Sho will step onto her own stage and, at the very last moment of the day, unleash her brilliance upon everyone present.

Fuji Koji felt his legs getting sore and numb from standing. After all, he had been waiting from before sunset until nightfall; even a racehorse girl would feel tired.

Unlike her, Koi Leaping Over the Dragon Gate seemed very excited and even bought two glow sticks from a vendor selling them, forcibly giving one to Fuji Koji.

"...Is it really necessary to be this fanatical?" Fuji Koji muttered incoherently, looking at the profile of the carp leaping over the dragon gate.

With her body warmed up, the East Sea Emperor, supported by Rudolf, stepped out of the lounge. As soon as they left the building, they heard the clamor of the audience. Unlike during the competition, this was the first time the East Sea Emperor had been so close to the audience.

Although I had watched the games from the stands with my teammates before, being a player felt completely different.

I should have been the one standing there... It's shameful to still have such thoughts now.

The Emperor of the East Sea stopped abruptly in the distance. The stage was still dark; the main play had not yet begun.

"Would you like to see the winner's stage?" Rudolf symbolized that he did not stop the East Sea Emperor, but instead let go of his hand and stood quietly beside him.

"Trainer, cheer up!" Yamato Akaki poked Nishizaki Ryu's waist furiously from the front of the stage. "Our team members are standing on the stage too, isn't that something to be happy about?"

“You’re right, but… sigh…” Nishizaki Ryu’s face looked like he was about to laugh and cry at the same time, which was quite comical. “I… I feel terrible.”

"Seriously! Aren't you the trainer? Why am I the one comforting you at a time like this?"

Yamato Akaki raised his arm, about to continue poking Nishizaki Ryu, when the stage lights flickered.

"Ah, it's about to begin." Alice leaned against the railing, looking at the uninvited figure sitting to one side. "You seem to be having a good time too?"

“Of course, admiring my junior’s singing voice on stage, I’ll have to give it a good listen.” Maru Zenki stroked his cheek, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

The stage lights up for a few seconds, then dim again. Only one bright light remains, illuminating the stage as if to remind the audience.

The sound of the piano began, exuding a cold and mechanical aura. Unstable notes climbed, as if trying to lift something high.

Before the audience could even process the sudden sound of the notes, a deep chorus followed.

Like a prayer, like a chant, like a hymn, like a lost language, ethereal and beautiful.

Three voices intertwined, and a grand heroic epic began.

This is···

Alice touched the aromatic earrings by her ears. Not those iconic songs that were played on repeat.

But in Alice's memory, Platinum had never practiced singing for even a second longer than necessary. Nor had she ever made any demands of Platinum in this regard.

Even training is proving difficult, so let's put singing on hold for now.

Originally, according to Alice, Platinum was supposed to sing two classic songs that she often practiced... How did she suddenly have the courage to try something else?

The sound of the violin then began, and the real melody started to emerge. In an instant, the stage was completely illuminated by lights, as bright as day.

The three people standing on the stage were Platinum, Leodeban, and New Universe. They had all changed out of their soaking wet finale outfits, but hadn't changed into their performance costumes.

Leodban and the new universe stand beside Platinum, who stands in the center of the stage as the true protagonist.

Leo Deban wore a navy blue dress with the hem reaching her calves; New Universe wore a navy blue gown with bare legs; Platinum was dressed in pure white, a grand outfit only worn at a ball, with one hem reaching her feet and her hands covered in light white gloves.

【EPOQUE Sub-brand - Selected Masterpieces from the Passe Collection】

The magnificent skirt, with its red trim, looked as if it were stained with wine or blood, creating a striking crimson effect.

Platinum himself never imagined that he would one day need to use the Tier 2 store.

Little did she know that none of the gowns the staff could provide fit properly—which shouldn't be the case, but no one could have imagined that a concert that was supposed to be all about singing and dancing would require such heavy and cumbersome gowns.

Actually, this situation was anticipated on set; otherwise, where would the clothes for the new universe and Leodban have come from? But Platinum isn't quite right; her figure... is a bit tricky.

With nothing to lose, Platinum ordered a meal on the spot, expecting a scene where a character wearing skin, Zao Lu, would walk in and immediately start taking off her clothes without saying a word. But then, a travel bag appeared out of nowhere and solved everything.

While the music was still in its intro, Platinum twitched the top of her head, her headphones making her a little uncomfortable, causing her to unconsciously twitch her ears.

The new universe subtly touched Platinum's fingertips from behind. Unexpectedly, this time the new universe didn't speak, but Platinum, for the first time ever, understood what she meant.

Just as agreed before going on stage, Platinum only needed to keep singing.

As for the backing vocals and harmonies, let's leave that to the new universe and Leo Deban.

Platinum raised the microphone, and her trembling voice echoed throughout the venue.

"あとOnce a miracleはriseこるだろう"

"The best sound and the best description of the future"

"——-Wai んだ future"

Although Platinum was still a little nervous, both New Universe and Leodeban had undergone systematic training and easily kept up with Platinum's pace, leaving soft harmonies after her last notes.

"This song..." The East Sea Emperor stared blankly at the stage. From her perspective, she couldn't see the specific scene on the stage, but she could still hear the singing coming from it.

"This doesn't seem like a song the winner should sing," Zhou said, scratching his head. "You see, shouldn't the winner's stage feature some upbeat songs? But this one..."

Just listening to the lyrics and the intro evokes a sense of unease and profound sadness.

It's almost like a final ode to this hopeless world.

Episode 196: Towards the End and Beyond

Platinum still uses her natural voice; she hasn't had professional training, so she's finding it a bit difficult to handle this song.

She tried to lower her voice as much as possible, wanting to sing out the feeling she wanted, and exerted herself to control the music.

"もうWho is crying in the world?"

While New Universe and Leo Deban usually have delicate voices, they become surprisingly powerful when they sing, producing remarkably clear and resonant sounds even without a microphone. As they sang together, Platinum gradually found its rhythm.

"Red, dirty, empty"

Can a miracle happen? In that future where singing is the only hope—

In a daze, Bai Jin couldn't help but think.

Why did New Universe choose this song?

And why did I agree to it?

"Where is the にも session かず eliminate え る is called び と pray り"

The shouts and prayers vanished into the rainy night, leaving no trace.

A sound that vanishes before it can be heard can save no one and nothing.

"Soothing house and comfortable travel"

Platinum understands.

New Universe, in fact, has always been seen as a person with profound insight. Her thoughts are so delicate, yet so unfathomable.

What did you see in your prophetic eyes?

The new universe and Leodeban each stretched out their arms, standing beside Platinum, pointing their fingers towards the sky.

Senior sister... Dad... Grandpa... Can you see that? Leo Deban's throat was moving; she was engrossed in showcasing her singing voice.

Those things... all of them... New Universe seemed to be thinking about something, and his expression changed slightly.

So he abandoned all prayers and went on alone—

Platinum stepped down to the audience, where the light did not reach, and spread his arms, raising his hands as if to lift the moon hanging in the air.

The music paused for a moment, and all eyes were fixed on Platinum. Bathed in the enchanting moonlight, every strand of her hair seemed to be imbued with a cold yet tender blessing.

"Qiliyue no light————"

"——-starting the journey"

"————Nakata"

We drove without hesitation toward the place where the sun sets, toward the destination and beyond.

"Close the eyes"

He withdrew his right hand and covered his eyes with platinum.

"まだ远くへ"

But his left hand, instead of supporting the moon, reached forward, demanding from each audience member, as if trying to grasp something that didn't exist.

"Jun no sigh no letter no"

"Who am I supposed to save?"

New Universe and Leo Deban knelt beside Platinum, the three of them slowly kneeling back to back on the stage, only their mouths still murmuring songs.

"—Down to zero, we go."

Since things have come to this, let's overturn everything and go back to where we started.

To the end, and to the beginning————

From here we embark on our journey to the end and the other side.

The audience was completely silent. Both the competitors and the spectators seemed to have been struck by a tremendous force, staring blankly at everything that was happening on stage.

Returning to the starting point here is also the end point here.

Alice gripped her earring tightly.

Satsuki Shō is the end of my journey.

But for Platinum, it's where it all begins.

Platinum, I understand what you're trying to say.

Next, I will pass the baton to you—

Facing the stage, Alice also stretched out her palm from afar.

You'll take over.

"Let everything start anew..." Carp leaping over the dragon gate clenched his hands tightly in front of his forehead, his head bowed.