Umamusume's days are numbered

Are you planning to participate in this special competition?

The conman glanced up at Golden Gun Sixty. The guy was leaning against the steps, wearing a sun hat, looking quite carefree, showing no signs of his previous injuries.

Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate understood what the swindler meant. This was his last chance to have a fair fight with Golden Spear Sixty. If he avoided the battle this time, he would live in the shadow of Golden Spear Sixty for the rest of his life.

"I don't know... there's nothing I can do." The carp leaping over the dragon gate lowered its head. "Even if I go to the arena, the result will still be the same."

"She's a genius, and I'm a fool. Maybe that's just fate. What can't be done is simply impossible."

Episode 93: Alice the Digital Coach

Platinum, panting heavily, knelt on the ground, his hands supporting him on the grass, his body covered in sweat.

This is not the Hong Kong trip I imagined!

In his own mind, he was just a Platinum member who came to Hong Kong to make a brief appearance. After arriving in Hong Kong, he could say goodbye to Alice from afar. He would spend his days sleeping and eating, and take a tour of Hong Kong. When he had nothing to do, he could write a travelogue or something. He lived a wonderful life.

Then, after strolling around the track and collecting 150 carrots for free, I leisurely flew back to Japan, treating it as a short break after just finishing a Game 3.

As a result, from the very beginning, the trip veered off in a direction beyond its control.

First, Alice arrived in Hong Kong, and then the sisters, Golden Gun Sixty and Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, became entangled in an endless struggle.

Now, Airi is acting like she's having a fit again, insisting on winning the championship...

Platinum lay on the ground, his face contorted in a grotesque expression.

If this continues, we'll definitely die!

He was either whipped to death by Alice on the training field, or his legs were sawed off after he failed to win first place!

"Platinum, are you alright?" Alice Digital squatted down and patted Platinum's back with concern.

"Suko, take a rest. Platinum looks a little unwell." Then, Ali Digital waved to Ali Suko in the distance.

Alice glanced at the clock and waved to the two of them: "Go on, be back in half an hour."

After receiving permission, Ali Digital helped Platinum sit down in the audience seats. As soon as Platinum touched the seats, she slumped into the chair like liquid.

"I'm...I'm going to die..."

Platinum gasped for breath, gritting her teeth: "That Alice, she's definitely trying to get revenge on me, to get back at me for outrunning her once, and then she's been eyeing my legs like a hawk—"

Aili Digital didn't know whether to respond or not, so she could only sit awkwardly with a smile next to Platinum.

"Aili Digital, aren't you tired? Our training is exactly the same." Platinum's eyes suddenly darted around, trying to pull Ali Digital into her camp.

"Hehe, how could I feel tired when I can run alongside other racehorse girls..." Alice Digital murmured sweetly in a low voice.

"But since Soko treats you this way, it means she has high expectations for you, right? She hasn't been this attentive to Yamato Akaki and Manhattan Coffee."

As she said this, Alice Digital recalled the white pills she had seen in Platinum's arms earlier. Those things must have been given to her by Suzuko.

Is it one of those medicines that makes you "run very fast" after taking it?

Regardless of the nature of their relationship or the reason, Aili Digital feels it's their duty to offer a reminder.

Not to mention, for them, this was like their idol's career collapsing. They couldn't rest easy until they got to the bottom of it.

“That… Platinum… is…” Aili Digital racked its brains for a long time, but still didn’t know how to start the conversation.

"You don't seem to care much about winning or losing. Why did you come to Hong Kong to participate in this level of competition? Winning won't get you an extra trophy, but losing will be very upsetting, right?"

Alice Digital subtly probed. Those who use that kind of drug are generally driven by an intense competitive spirit and lack real skill. After the race, Alice Digital still felt that Platinum had great potential.

Platinum placed her hands behind her head and looked at the boundless blue sky.

You can't just say you want the guaranteed 150 carrot plus a two-week trip to Hong Kong, can you?

"I don't really care about winning or losing. The main point is to participate. Anyway, the school will reimburse me for the trip if I lose, so it's not a loss."

After thinking it over, Platinum finally decided to tell the truth. Showing off is showing off, there's nothing shameful about it.

The only person who always called her "curled" was Alice.

"Speaking of which, I get angry." Bai Jin jumped up and punched his thigh hard when he thought of Alice. "She just wanted me to win first place."

"Faced with so many opponents, I can only promise to do my best. Rudolf and Nishizaki Ryuya both told me not to be competitive, and that I would be happy to learn something."

"Only Alice insists on making me do things I can't do. If I can't do it, I can't do it. No matter how many grand principles she talks about, I still can't do it."

Aili Digital chuckled as he watched Platinum criticize Aili Suzuko.

"I really wanted to run properly, but seeing the swindler's footsteps today made me realize that the gap between us can't be closed by just a month of special training. Even I know this, how could Alice not know? I think she's obsessed..." Platinum rambled on, finally having an audience member to listen to her complain about Alice.

Is that why Alice gave you "that medicine"?

Alice Digital listened quietly to Platinum's words.

Do you want to give you the power of choice?

If you absolutely had to get first place, what method would you use to achieve it?

Is it a futile attempt, or a despicable tactic?

Suddenly, Alice had an epiphany. She completely understood. She finally grasped the meaning behind Alice's insistence that she and Platinum train together!

I see! Alice, as your roommate of many years, I completely understand what you mean!

Although you didn't tell me anything... this really shows how much you trust me, right?

Don't worry, I understand, I completely get it.

Corporal Alice from Digital, mission accomplished!

Aili Digital saluted in the direction of Aili Suzuko.

Alice, in truth, never really hoped that Platinum could actually beat Golden Gun Sixty. She knew better than Platinum how difficult it was.

As Nishizaki Ryu and Rudolf symbolically said, the more important thing about this trip to Hong Kong is for Platinum to learn something.

What will I learn? How to run on Hong Kong's grass? Or how to run the Golden Sixty?

Alice thought none of these were true. She could adapt to the grass later, and she could learn anyone's running style. The only thing she could learn right now was to maintain a high level of fighting spirit in the face of an impossible race.

This was the first lesson Alice taught Platinum.

And so, even though both the question and the process were completely wrong, Aili Digital and Aili Suzuko actually reached the same conclusion.

That's exactly what Alice thought—this was the first lesson Alice taught Platinum.

She once said that she was not joking about starting to hone platinum from the spirit.

Since I'm going to play the bad cop, then Aili Digital is naturally the most suitable person to play the good cop.

As for why she didn't tell Alice Digital... it wasn't because Alice trusted her.

It's just that Alice has forgotten.

Episode 94 I want to win!

"Platinum, what are you running for?" Ali Digital sat down next to Platinum. The warm sea breeze enveloped the two of them. After the sweat dried, they no longer felt damp and stuffy, but rather warm.

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Platinum stopped her incessant chatter and looked at Alice Digital with a puzzled expression.

"It's just casual conversation, so I'll just say a few words."

Aili Digital encouraged Platinum.

"Because, if it weren't for some special reason, if it weren't for some special purpose, you wouldn't have come to Treson Academy, right?"

Alice Digital counted on her fingers: "Think about it, although thousands of female mascots at Treson Academy clamor for those few debut spots every year, the actual number of female mascots far exceeds several thousand, right?"

"Although thousands of people seem like a lot, they represent a very small percentage of all the horse girls."

"Most of the female horse riders also have ordinary names, work in different professions, and lead different lives."

“Some people become journalists, some pursue further education, and there are many, many more options. Life offers many choices, right? So I think it's a miracle that we met at Treson College.”

"Not just us, but everyone around us, miracles happen every moment."

"And what makes miracles happen is that some kind of inertia pushes us together, isn't it?"

"Really? I hadn't thought that much about it," Platinum said lazily. She didn't really have a choice in her first debut race; if she didn't run, she'd be sleeping under a bridge, and if she did, she could continue to survive. "Although it feels a bit embarrassing, I don't really have a competitive spirit...that seems rather rare in Uma Musume, right?"

What happened next was partly due to letting things take their course, and partly due to the Yayoi Prize for unlocking the level 2 shop.

Bai Jin is actually quite lazy and vulgar. Although the people around her always try to push her forward, sometimes she doesn't want to move.

She still wouldn't tell herself—it seems her favorability rating isn't high enough! Alice Digital sighed inwardly. She had already inquired about Platinum's situation from Ms. Surugawa Tsuna. Although Ms. Surugawa's words were vague, her special trip from Poland to Japan to participate in the debut battle was undoubtedly to fulfill her lifelong wish.

“Then let me tell you about myself.” Alice Digital shook the bow on her head. “I became a Uma Musume because I love Uma Musume.”

"Then your wish has come true, right? You're a very famous racehorse girl now."

“We’re not talking about the same thing.” Alice Digital waved her hands repeatedly. “How should I put it… I don’t like being a racehorse girl, I like seeing racehorse girls sparkle.”

"You understand, right? It's that feeling of seeing girls with their hair flying as they race on the track, watching the thrilling competition, and then seeing them singing sweetly on stage afterward. You can't help but feel: Ah, this is what I came into this world for." Once the topic was brought up, Alice Digital immediately launched into a rapid-fire explanation, "And then, naturally, you want to get to know these adorable girls, follow their accounts on social media, carefully read every tweet they post, and observe their unintentional little gestures on TV shows—that might be the beginning of a friendship… Just thinking about such stories makes me feel like my heart has been elevated, and I have inexhaustible energy. I wish I could just run ten laps, cheer a couple of times, and then write it down to share with my fellow enthusiasts…"

"Ahem, sorry, but I hope you understand what I mean." Seeing Platinum's increasingly interesting expression, Alice Digital, realizing her lapse in composure, quickly coughed twice.

"So, I didn't actually step onto the track because I wanted to win or anything. It doesn't matter who wins. When I first started, I just wanted to be able to watch my favorite kids up close from the VIP seats."

Aili Digital chuckled and covered her face: "When I first stepped onto the track, my brain almost shut down. I was thinking, 'Is this the start of a race? I'm not ready yet. At least let me get an autograph first!'"

"I understand, I understand, I'm really nervous." Platinum immediately agreed when she heard what Aili Digital said.

Platinum can still remember the nervousness she felt when she first stepped onto the racetrack. Everyone around her was a well-trained racehorse girl; Koi Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and Fuji Koji were the most watched competitors, while she herself had only just learned to walk.

That feeling of my heart almost jumping out of my chest is now deeply etched in my mind.

“But Platinum, do you know?” Alice Digital said softly, “the inertia that pushed us together had its purpose.”

"It is precisely because we are the same kind of people that we have come together. If anyone has guided the miracle to happen, it is none other than ourselves."

“No matter what, I’ve completed my professional career as a Uma Musume, and some fans have even organized events for me, which makes me feel a little embarrassed…” Ali Digital dusted himself off and stood up. “But that doesn’t conflict with the fact that I also like other Uma Musume and am a loyal fan of them.”

"What I want to say is—Platinum, do you remember your first match? Do you remember when you won your first championship?"

"No matter what the outward appearance is, or what the reason for running is, there are always some things that are the same."

"Just being able to run is enough to make you happy, isn't it?"

"So... cherish every run. The track is a track, but it's more than just a track. You could even say that only on the track do the racehorses truly come alive."

"For you, for me, for everyone."

Alice Digital, with her back to the sunlight, smiled broadly. While she usually appeared timid and withdrawn, Alice Digital actually possessed a cheerful and outgoing side. She wasn't just the oddly small girl that other racehorse girls might imagine; her slightly flushed face blended seamlessly with her sideburns, like a rosy sunset peeking out, making her incredibly endearing.

A first victory? Platinum dusted himself off and stood up unsteadily.

I think I was quite happy back then.

Well, I shouldn't say I'm very happy. I'm extremely, extremely, extremely happy—the happiest I've ever been in my life.

The Saudi Arabian Royal Cup was enjoyable, but not overwhelmingly so. It was a tournament that Nishizaki Ryu and the others had decided for themselves.

However, he decided to run his debut race himself, persevered and finished the race, and won the championship on his own.

Just like this special match...

"I still don't quite understand, and I don't know what Alice wants me to do." Platinum pouted.

"It doesn't matter, I also think Suko went a bit too far..." Ali Digital didn't expect to change Platinum's mind with just a few words.

“However, you’re right. If we continue to be this lazy, it seems… a bit disrespectful to our opponents.” Platinum stretched, stood on tiptoe, and jumped down onto the audience seats.

"Hey—Ari Soko—" Platinum cupped his hands into a megaphone shape and shouted at Soko's back, who was standing far away in the stands, "Help me, is there any way to win the championship?"

"Since you're so eager for me to get first place, you can't be making baseless accusations—stop hiding your true intentions—"

Sometimes, it's good to give it a try.

Anyway, if we win the championship, we'll get an extra 150 carrots, right? It's not a loss.

Moreover, so many formidable opponents, and a completely new track...

It reminded Platinum of the first time he stood on the track.

Consider this competition as a greeting between yourself and this land.