Umamusume's days are numbered

Then, Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate rubbed his eyes again and continued, "But after you said that... sure enough, it's better to let her bother me whenever she has nothing to do than to let her disappear from my world."

"Then..." Platinum tilted her head and stretched out her hand towards the carp leaping over the dragon gate, "Want to go together?"

"It's still possible to catch up now."

"Oh no, let's forget about participating in the competition." Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate waved his hand.

Platinum stared at her hand that had been pushed back, blinking in disbelief.

No, didn't you say you'd make up after the verbal sparring?

Why is all my talking completely ineffective? I thought I was doing a great job.

For a moment, Platinum was questioning the meaning of life.

"Platinum, you're back to get your final outfit, right? Then hurry up, or you'll be late for the competition." Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate composed himself and returned to his usual smiling demeanor.

"I'll be there to cheer you on. Please don't worry about me."

"Uh, it's just...that..." Platinum scratched his head, wondering where his persuasion had gone wrong. "Hmm, really not running away? Are you really, really sure? Don't you want to reconsider?"

"I can't run away even if I want to." Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate shook its head. "I don't have a winning outfit, and I've never prepared one."

"You all wore your final outfits to the track, right? Then I, without my final outfit, am not qualified to step onto the track."

In other words, it is considered a forfeit or automatic withdrawal from the competition.

This is why the scammers didn't try to help the carp leap over the dragon gate again. Because it's too late now.

Without the final victory, nothing else matters.

Platinum was dumbfounded. So... there was this part to it!

"—So, if there were a final match outfit, would you be willing to step onto the field?"

A man's voice suddenly rang out at the door. Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate turned around in surprise and saw Uncle He, wearing round-framed sunglasses, standing at the door.

He was none other than Golden Spear Sixty's trainer. At this moment, instead of waiting for the start of the competition with Golden Spear Sixty, he stood in front of Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.

"...Uncle He?" Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate blinked, wondering what Uncle He meant.

"Uncle He brought me back," Bai Jin explained. This time, she didn't feel any pressure calling him "uncle." At her age, she could easily call him "uncle" even if her two lifetimes were combined.

Uncle He simply stood at the door, holding a briefcase on the ground, gesturing for Li Yuelongmen to take it.

“You two sisters are both incredibly stubborn, like two oxen.”

Hesitantly, Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate walked over, opened the briefcase, and unfolded its contents.

The thick yet soft fabric, its jet-black color resembling the cascading hair of a carp leaping over the dragon gate, was striking. While the hem was black, the cuffs and collar boldly featured bright red fabric, making it quite eye-catching. As the carp leaped over the dragon gate, it unfolded further, revealing the entire garment before it.

"...This is...the final battle outfit?"

"Little Sixty has been preparing this for you from the very beginning," Uncle He said with a sigh. "Not from the beginning of this competition, but from the first time she ordered the final outfit."

—So you're making the final outfit? Great! I'll design it myself. I'll make two, one for myself and one for Ah Li!

—Ah Li is still young. Putting aside whether the clothes fit or not, she may not become a racehorse girl like you in the future.

In my memory, Jinqiang Liushi, whose face still had a touch of childishness, smiled cheerfully, revealing his pearly white teeth.

"We definitely will! One day, we will definitely be able to stand on a racetrack!"

"At that time, I will proudly tell everyone that she is my sister, and she has achieved great success!"

As the carp leaps over the dragon gate, she covers her lips and sees a photograph pressed at the very bottom of the box.

It was a family photo. I was standing to one side with Jinqiang Liushi, pouting, and in the middle was my grandfather in a wheelchair. Behind my grandfather were my father and mother.

Jinqiang Liushi hugged a clingy Ragdoll cat, with a tabby cat that didn't look particularly valuable perched on his head, and smiled cheerfully.

Come to think of it, my memory is really too hazy.

What happened to the cat that I brought home?

The carp leaping over the dragon gate stretched out its fingers and stroked the face of the man with the golden spear in the photo again and again.

Episode 102 Entrance

Sha Tin Racecourse is a world-class racecourse, hosting numerous top-level international races every year. As the sun gradually sets, it's the most exciting time of day, making Sha Tin Racecourse bustling with activity.

With the audience watching live and the television broadcasts, it's impossible to know how many eyes were focused on this match.

They all came for today's race—for today's Citibank Shatin Special Race.

This will be a clash of the best, bringing together the world's finest female racehorses and the youngest prodigies, drawing the attention of the entire world.

Every female racehorse participating will be filled with passion, like a burst of fireworks, staging a brief but dazzling carnival on the 2000-meter track.

"Get out of here!"

"Can I withdraw from the competition?"

...To correct you, not everyone is full of enthusiasm.

Platinum gripped the chair, trembling, wishing she could disappear into the ground: "How many audience members do you think there are?"

Alice grabbed Platinum's arm, trying to pull her away, but Platinum was much stronger than she had imagined, and she couldn't move her at all. Instead, Alice was left panting heavily.

"Sha Tin Racecourse, it can probably hold over 80,000 people. It looks quite full outside."

Bai Jin's voice trembled: "Eighty thousand people? I've never seen so many people in my life."

Like I said, I've never seen him in my past life.

Eighty thousand people, if each one spat on her, would have drowned her.

Stage fright at the last minute... Alice clicked her tongue. After saying so much, she chickened out at the last second.

But then again, it makes sense. Without accumulating enough experience, stepping into this arena rashly, so such a reaction is probably normal, isn't it?

The participants in this special race weren't just those retired veterans. Although they were the focus of the race, there were also several young racehorse girls who, like Platinum, had traveled a long way to be brutally beaten. Presumably, their current condition was similar to Platinum's.

Thinking of this, Alice comforted herself again, forcing a smile and saying, "What are you afraid of?"

"Anyway, nobody here knows you. Everyone's here for Golden Gun Sixty and those guys. Just go ahead and run. If the commentator even glances at you, you're lucky."

"Is this really meant to comfort you? Are you serious?"

"Enough with the nonsense, just run." Alice had run out of patience. She grabbed the chair and threw Platinum out of the lounge, closing the door behind her.

Platinum sat outside the door, holding a chair, unsure whether to leave or stay.

There was nothing I could do; my legs gave way.

Platinum knocked tentatively on the door, but seeing that Alice was determined not to open it, she could only sigh and lean against the wall, reluctantly walking towards the arena.

You have to finish the boast you made, even if you have to do it upside down.

This short passage felt incredibly long to Bai Jin, but she finally reached it. She furtively peeked out like a thief, then immediately withdrew.

It's too dazzling, too eye-catching.

It doesn't refer to the young female horse riders already standing on the racetrack, ready to compete, but rather to the spectator stands.

This is a sea of ​​people! It's a massive crowd! For the first time, Platinum realized that "massive crowd" wasn't just a figure of speech.

"Now on the track is a young horse from the mainland—Zhaoye Yushizi. Although she has not yet participated in international races, she has participated in and completed the Mongolian Derby, which covers a distance of about 1,000 kilometers. She is a racehorse with excellent endurance."

Standing on the track was the horse girl who had just walked past Platinum into the racetrack. Like Platinum, she was pure white, but had curly hair that looked like it had been permed, making her resemble an adorable little lion with a tiger-like face. She waved to the stands, then stomped her boots on the ground as if unaccustomed to her winning outfit.

"I wonder if the Jade Lion can bring out her strengths and achieve good results this time."

Well, she's not nervous at all. No wonder she's a racehorse who's run the Mongolian Derby.

Platinum watched silently from behind, while the Jade Lion waved from the arena. As he waved, his smile became a little stiff, and he kept glancing at Platinum and winking at her.

Why isn't this girl coming over yet? Zhao Ye Yu Shi Zi's smile was almost frozen on her face. If the audience could hear her, she would have loved to tell a comedy routine to ease the tension.

It's your turn to go on stage!

Finally noticing the embarrassment on Shinobi's face, Platinum pursed his lips, patted his cheeks twice, raised his head and straightened his chest, and walked towards the arena.

Let me show you the sunny form of a dark-themed character!

I'm not one of those guys in Gintama who have no special skills and can only slash around with a sword!

It's coming! Keep breathing, I'm going to use Ripple Dash!

Lost in thought, Platinum stepped onto the racetrack.

She was currently wearing that decisive outfit—almost exactly as she remembered it. A wide, plain white cloak draped over her back, fluttering in the breeze like the light wings of a moth. Beneath the cloak, a slender waist could be vaguely seen. Further down, a pair of plain-colored high-heeled boots covered almost her entire legs, reaching her thighs.

Although she wasn't carrying the exquisite large bow, Bai Jin still wore semi-transparent black gloves, like thin gauze. Her right hand also wore a thumb ring that was more decorative than practical.

The overall design is predominantly white, resembling an elegant swan, yet accented with black details on the lining, collar, cuffs, and gloves. The black and white interplay of the entire outfit is striking and immediately apparent.

Bai Jin didn't find it attractive. She just felt a chill in her stomach.

Although saying this will sadden the tailor who worked so hard to finish the garment... it's shortchanged. The top doesn't have a bottom half.

Looking around, Platinum was actually the one who showed the most skin among all the racehorse girls present!

"The Japanese racehorse Shirokin participated in the Saudi Arabian Royal Cup a month ago, maintained a lead throughout and won, ultimately closing the gap to ten lengths. She's a very strong newcomer overall."

"With exceptional speed and outstanding stamina, Platinum has all the qualities to become an excellent racehorse girl. Let's look forward to her performance today."

Platinum maintained a smile that looked like it was painted on, while in his mind he was thinking that the people standing on the stage weren't human, but a bunch of radishes, and he'd treat it like a single-player game.

Use it on yourself, hypnosis!

Standing to the side, the Jade Lion of the Night saw that Platinum's face was full of strange colors, as if it had been filled with orange juice.

Episode 103 Fuck you

The attention and admiration didn't linger on Platinum for long. The main focus of the match wasn't on Shiki, the Jade Lion beside him, Platinum, or any of the other rookies.

According to Alice, they were all challengers who had traveled a long way to be beaten.

The real highlight is yet to come.

"Now entering is Hai Du City, the former winner of the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix. Meeting their other opponents seems to have boosted Hai Du City's fighting spirit."

With gentle steps, Hai Dushi walked gracefully into the racetrack.

Contrary to Bai Jin's expectations, the final outfit in Hai Du City was not as simple and elegant as her usual attire, which was mainly monochromatic.

She swept her bangs to the sides with a diamond-encrusted headband, revealing a wide forehead that made her appear much more mature. She wore a colorful long-sleeved garment—truly colorful. Red, black, blue, and white stripes of different colors divided Hai Du's body into sections, also breaking up the yellow and purple base of the long robe.

The entire outfit made her look like she stepped out of a painting, full of instability and dynamism, like fragile glass that could shatter at the slightest touch. Yet, Hai Dushi's expression was so gentle, and this incongruity was precisely what made her so irresistibly charming.

Only someone like Hai Du City could pull off this decisive outfit.

"Good afternoon." Hai Dudu quietly reached out and waved to Bai Jin, greeting her. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, just have some fun."

Platinum awkwardly turned her head away, wondering if she had seen her embarrassing moment.

Given how cunning this person is, it's quite possible.

"Next up is our old friend from Japan, Aili Digital, a talented racehorse that won the Hong Kong Cup."

Stepping into the racetrack amidst the tense shreds of fabric, with a faint, almost imperceptible chuckle, and waving to the audience, Aili Digital also entered the racetrack.

Now Platinum isn't the only racer girl behaving strangely. Yeah, the one in the crop top too.

Compared to Haidu City, Ali Digital's final outfit is even more flamboyant. The bow on her head has not only been changed to a striking bright yellow, but it's also noticeably larger. It's as if Ali Digital is trying to shower every bright character with attention; this is the style of her final outfit.

However, the final outfits are the most suitable for racehorse girls, and are specially tailored for each racehorse girl, so they are indeed a perfect fit for Ali Digital.

"Thank you everyone~ Thank you so much~ Ah, I came here just for this moment, so I could run with you all!"

"Known as the Secretariat's biggest adversary, his deadly pace is gripping everyone's attention. Will this fraudster stage a miraculous resurrection for us today?"

His feet sank into the grass, the thorns on his heels clanging loudly, making him look quite imposing. He reached down and removed his wide-brimmed, high-crowned felt hat, the conman's cold gaze slowly sweeping over everyone on the field, his grin revealing shark-like teeth engraved with the word "VICTORY".

The cowboy boots are engraved with flame patterns on the side, and these flames extend to the conman's body as well. The leather trousers, which should have reached his ankles, are torn to just the thighs, and a fiery red phoenix perches on the conman's right leg, extending upwards to his waist.

The addition of the red scarf around his neck made the conman look like a torch burning brightly.

"Looks like something's missing... oh, a revolver." Platinum muttered.