Umamusume's days are numbered

Why are you able to lock me up here so firmly?

Why... am I not the one being pursued?

The greedy and gluttonous flames ignited Platinum's soul, as if trying to set her body ablaze as well.

It was an inextinguishable fire; once ignited, it spread along ditches and forests, burning everything to ashes.

All these emotions can ultimately be reduced to one thing—

That's human nature.

It is a parasite that has been lurking in our blood since the beginning of evolution, since the birth of the concept of running.

Those were blessings and curses bestowed by the three goddesses.

That was the fire that Prometheus stole.

The long-cherished wish that had never existed in the soul, in the deepest part of the genes, and had always lurked in the deepest part of the consciousness, finally surfaced.

Only on the racetrack can a racehorse truly be considered alive.

This is what Aili Digital had said to himself that afternoon at the racetrack.

Yes, Aili Digital. I feel it now, without a doubt. At this moment, on the field—

I truly exist here!

Please strive to fulfill your promise, so that next time the audience will come specifically for you.

These are the words that the noisy, incessantly chattering opera singer said to himself in the butler's café during the Thanksgiving Festival.

Yes, a great opera. You're right.

I want to be center stage! Not next time, but this time!

[Eclipse First, the Rest Nowhere]

This is a plaque that has always hung in the student council hall, and it's also Rudolf's favorite proverb. Platinum has also ridiculed Rudolf for hanging a printed copy of something on white paper, saying it looks like a cheat sheet made at the last minute before an exam.

At this moment, Platinum wholeheartedly agrees with the proverb advocated by Rudolf.

Yes, one horse leads the way, and all others pale in comparison.

Therefore, second place is not enough!

Nobody remembers second place... unless she becomes first!

What Platinum wants is—

Finally, the word that Alice had always hoped Platinum would utter came from her trembling lips.

win!

"150 meters left? Is there no way to turn the tide? Will the final winner still be Golden Gun Sixty?"

Platinum opened her eyes. Even though her vision was blurred by the sticky strands of hair and sweat in front of her, she felt that her vision was brighter than ever before.

She could see it. The difference of a horse's length was deliberately left by Jin Qiang Liushi; the gap between her and him was an insurmountable chasm.

This is really... annoying.

Despite possessing overwhelming power, he still clings to some illusions.

When they finally caught up with them, the seemingly insignificant chasm suddenly swelled up and turned into a bottomless abyss.

This can be seen as the wealth of the strong, or it can be seen as face left by the predecessors.

Of course... it can also be interpreted as blatant mockery.

I admit you've done very well. But if you want to surpass me, you'll have to wait a few more years.

This is the meaning of the Golden Spear Sixty. Just like the previous symbol of Rudolf, it is a complete demonstration of power, laying bare the gap between the two sides and making oneself hesitate.

Faced with this unfathomable gap of one horse's length, Platinum was naturally afraid.

Her legs were trembling, and she was almost collapsing to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She could feel gusts of wind rolling over her head, and if she were caught in them, she would shatter into pieces like glass.

She could even imagine the possible consequences of taking that step. She might fall to the ground like a leaf, making a soft "crack" sound, and then her legs would break cleanly.

They might also, like the con artist, almost lose consciousness, run headfirst across the finish line, then crash into the fence and pass out.

If this step is taken, it will be like stepping into an abyss.

But even with such fear, even with an abyss right in front of them...

Platinum's Adam's apple bobbed as if he were about to swallow his tongue, and he managed to squeeze out a few sounds from his lungs with all his might.

"I---"

"—Want to win!"

The embers, which were almost extinguished, finally began to burn fiercely in the inert gas, igniting everything in an instant.

Then... a violent, spectacular explosion occurred.

Facing the abyss, Platinum slowly exhaled, closed her eyes, and took two steps back. Then she leaped up. The hurricane above her head seemed to explode all at once, and blue, red, black, white... all the colors she could think of and had ever seen appeared before Platinum's eyes at that moment.

The leap was so light, yet the chasm seemed to widen infinitely, stretching endlessly into the distance. Platinum's body hovered briefly above the abyss before being pulled downwards by gravity.

It plunged straight into the abyss—and was shattered to pieces.

"platinum!"

Rudolph, who was in the student council, couldn't control his expression and jumped up from his seat, crying out in panic.

Have you forgotten your own instructions? Trying something so rashly...

"It's all over, it's all over, it's all over..." Nishizaki Ryu clutched his head, so frustrated he almost collapsed to the ground. "It's all over!"

"How could I have let Alice go with me? She didn't listen to a word I said!"

"platinum---"

"sixty---"

Upon witnessing this scene, Alice and Uncle He, who were present, were shocked and cried out in alarm.

Episode 116 The End

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no...

Platinum regretted it after taking that step.

I was so overwhelmed by emotions that I did something like this!

She could even see a future where her two legs would leave her.

No way! If I did that, wouldn't my legs be like a free trial card?

We just brought them back not long ago!

But when his foot actually touched the ground, the thing that Platinum feared did not happen.

Silently, the insurmountable barrier between himself and Golden Spear Sixty seemed to vanish in an instant. The hurricane that had always stood between him and Golden Spear Sixty, threatening to engulf him, also disappeared without a trace.

Platinum blinked, almost thinking he'd just witnessed a hallucination after eating the mushrooms. After all, thinking about it, it made sense; getting protected by lightning and hurricanes while running was just too absurd...

In the very next instant, Platinum's slightly relaxed mind tensed up again.

The cheers of the audience reached her ears again, along with the sound of jeep wheels rolling over the ground.

The camera was practically filming right in front of Platinum and Golden Gun Sixty.

The 100-meter marker flashed by beneath his feet, and Platinum knew that the final battle had begun!

Only 100 meters!

Moreover, the seemingly insurmountable gap between himself and Golden Gun Sixty had disappeared. He was catching up with Golden Gun Sixty!

Can it work?

"Golden Spear Sixty...is it to take care of the younger generation...?" Rudolf felt relieved after seeing this and sat back down in his chair.

"When we get back, we must give Platinum a good talking-to. He fought so hard in a special race. Next time, we must keep this little devil by our side and not let him out at all."

Nishizaki Ryu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness Jinqiang Liushi wouldn't actually get serious with a child..." Standing there, Alice slumped into a chair as if her spine had been removed, a relieved smile actually appearing on her lips.

Uncle He didn't sit down. He stood by the railing throughout the entire match, watching the whole thing meticulously.

No... given Jinqiang's temperament, a match is a match, especially since his opponent is already giving it his all. To hold back at this point would be disrespectful...

If it were a normal sixty-point shot, it would at least teach Platinum a lesson. Even if it didn't cause a fracture, it might have stopped before Platinum strained a muscle.

Golden Gun Sixty stopped playing early, and not because of Platinum, but because...

Uncle He's gaze swept towards the back of the track. A black figure's speed noticeably slowed down. Although it was still running, its running posture was strange, and it was limping, constantly being overtaken by the racehorses beside it.

"...Carp leaping over the dragon gate!"

When the carp leaping over the dragon gate heard the crisp sound coming from its left leg, it even felt a sense of relief.

Really? It still doesn't work. As expected, what you can't do, you just can't do. Forcing yourself to do it... that's the result.

But for some reason, looking at the track ahead, seeing the Golden Gun Sixty and Platinum vying for the finish line, I didn't feel distressed, nor did I feel the envy or jealousy I always had.

She simply sighed softly, with a sense of detachment, as if saying, "It's finally over."

My legs are about to break from running, I must have done my best, right?

Since even with all my strength, I can't get close to Golden Spear Sixty-One, it means that Golden Spear Sixty-One is not an opponent I can catch up to by working hard.

Although I've always firmly believed that I can do better than Golden Gun Sixty, and that I must have advantages over Golden Gun Sixty in some aspects...

It seems there isn't one.

However, Li Yuelongmen did not regret participating in this race. She didn't stop there; instead, she continued running forward, step by step, slower than walking, ignoring the figures constantly overtaking her, and raising her fist towards the front.

"—Go for it, Platinum!"

"Only fifty meters to the finish line! Why does Golden Spear Sixty seem a little distracted, even slowing down his pace? Has he reached his physical limit?"

"Platinum is finally starting to close the gap with Gold Gun Sixty, but with only fifty meters left on the final straight, is it too late?"

Can you make it?

Even if it's too late, it's still not too late!

Platinum could already see the finish line waving towards her! She also saw Golden Gun Sixty right beside her, almost touching her!

There was no time to think about anything else. The tempting finish line was like a delicious meal, emitting an enticing aroma, while Platinum was like a starving ghost who hadn't eaten for three days, with absolutely no other thoughts in his mind.

The grass beneath her feet felt so dry and fragile; it was the first time Platinum had ever experienced such a feeling of being completely drained.

Surpass her, surpass her, surpass her!

"Who could it be? Is it Golden Gun Sixty? Is it Platinum? Golden Gun Sixty? Is it Platinum?"

Please, it has to be —

Before the final finish line, before the finish line that Platinum had finally reached after all her hardships, she straightened her almost non-existent chest, just so she could touch the finish line a second earlier.

"They crossed the finish line almost simultaneously! It's unbelievable!"

"It's a tie? Now, we'll start using the finish line timer to determine who is the undisputed winner."

The moment she crossed the finish line, Platinum's legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees on the grass, gasping for breath as if she were lying face down. A wave of nausea and dizziness washed over her at the same time. She forced herself to get up again, stumbled a few steps across the grass, and then unconsciously clutched her stomach and squatted down, looking extremely unwell.

After crossing the finish line, Jinqiang Liushi did not stop or say anything to the camera as usual. Instead, he kept looking back, jumped over the fence, stepped next to the jeep, and ran back across the entire racecourse.

"Ah Li, Ah Li, are you alright?"

Jinqiang Liushi shouted anxiously. No one had ever seen her so restless before, not even when she first stepped onto the track.

The voice calling out even carried a hint of a sob.

For a moment, neither of the two men, positioned right in the middle of the finish line, was thinking about who would ultimately win the race.

After a brief silence, the photo of the person crossing the finish line was displayed on the screen for public voting.

"After the finish line timer confirms the winner, the final winner is..."

For a moment, the entire audience held their breath. The Spica team members, watching on television overseas, also slowed their breathing, their eyes glued to the screen.