Umamusume's days are numbered

Noticing the gloom returning to her brow, Ibuki Kagura shook her head, desperately trying to dispel her unease.

She opened the door to the lounge, intending to wander around the corridor for a while to clear her head. Staying in the lounge wouldn't improve her mood no matter what.

The corridor was empty; no one was there. Staff and trainers avoided disturbing the competitors to allow them to fully prepare. Therefore, only the sound of Ibuki Mai Kagura's own footsteps could be heard in the corridor.

...Strange, it wasn't just her own footsteps. Ibuki Maikaku twitched her ears and immediately realized something was wrong.

However, she wasn't startled. This was a public place, and today was the day of the Yayoi Prize competition; it was perfectly normal for people to be there—they could be staff, or they could be contestants…

Contestants...

Ibuki Mai Kagura suddenly froze on the spot. Her own footsteps disappeared, while the sound of another person's footsteps became clearer in her ears.

Tick, tick, tick.

Light yet steady, Ibuki Kagura could imagine the visitor's gait: it must be proud and elegant, like a haughty swan, with every step and stride perfectly measured, the gait of someone who had practiced for a long time.

His trainer was skilled at listening to the footsteps of racehorses. He had once told himself that.

—The sound of footsteps is just as important to racehorse girls as their heartbeats. You can tell what level of racehorse a girl is by listening to her footsteps.

—If there is only a crisp sound but the steps are scattered, it means that there is only strength but no time to control it; if the steps are unsteady and the sound is hesitant, it means that the racehorse not only lacks confidence in her legs, but may also be somewhat inferior.

—Your steps are beautiful; they're the best I've ever seen. But your steps aren't perfect yet.

Ibuki Kagura knew she had heard the so-called perfect steps. Her breathing suddenly became heavy, her body remained motionless, and cold sweat covered her body.

It's definitely her; those steps could only have come from that person!

That terrifying opponent that even the female horse racers present avoided like the plague!

What is she doing here? Shouldn't she have waited patiently until she was allowed to enter?

Click, click, click.

The footsteps behind her grew closer, maintaining their unhurried pace. Ibuki Kagura stiffly moved her eyes, trying to turn around, but felt as if her body had been paralyzed and wouldn't obey her commands.

...What a joke, are you scared out of your wits? Ibuki Kagura only felt absurd and ridiculous. Was she now like a puppet being manipulated at will?

You've already shown your cowardice here. What's the point of running? You might as well just go home!

Clenching her fists tightly, Ibuki Kagura turned around, stubbornly looking at the visitors behind her.

As Ibuki Kagura moved, the footsteps behind her stopped in front of her. Sure enough, it was that dazzling, pure white figure. The corridor was dimly lit, and Shirogane stood in the light. Ibuki Kagura could only feel the flickering light before her eyes, unable to see Shirogane's face clearly.

But covering your eyes with your hands at this moment is tantamount to admitting defeat. So Ibuki Kagura stubbornly straightened her chest, letting the flashing lights make her eyes water.

The two gazed at each other for an unknown amount of time, perhaps only a few seconds, but to Ibuki Kagura, it felt like several minutes. She heard the figure in pure white let out a satisfied sigh.

"Looking forward to meeting you on the field." With these words uttered lightly, the white figure turned and left.

To Ibuki Maikaku's astonishment, Shirogane actually left without looking back.

...What...what is this all for? A bead of cold sweat dripped down Ibuki Kagura's cheek.

Is that it? The one where you screen your opponents before the competition?

Only those players who still have the will to fight against her are qualified to compete against her on the same stage.

That's really... domineering. It's practically like... like the symbol of Rudolf in action.

Looking at the empty corridor, Ibuki Kagura clutched her chest, her heart still pounding. And amidst the shock... a strange sense of pride welled up within her.

Having earned Platinum's recognition, he felt he was a worthy opponent to compete with her!

(Yes, this person appeared in the anime.)

She was the winner of the Yayoi Prize in 1991. Incidentally, she came in second in the Chrysanthemum Prize. That was Ibuki Mai Kagura's only appearance in the Chrysanthemum Prize competition.

Hmm. By the way, Ms. Necha was originally going to compete in the Wakaba Tournament, the same tournament as the Tokai Emperor.

Episode 146 Platinum's Perspective

"Ouch!"

"Hey!"

In the lounge, Bai Jin began practicing military boxing.

Alice covered her head, looked at Platinum with loving eyes, and said gently, "We're about to go on stage, let's take a break."

Alice is a compromiser.

When you say that Platinum does nothing but eat and sleep all day, then Alice will have to pick up a whip and whip Platinum hard to get her moving.

However, when Platinum trains extra on his own, running on the field late at night and not letting himself rest until the last second before the competition, then Alice will have to persuade Platinum to rest more.

She feared that Platinum might have developed some kind of mental illness because of her actions. To this day, it remains uncertain whether racehorses suffering from mental illness can continue racing.

Although Alice knew that Platinum was nervous before the match, she really didn't know what Platinum was nervous about.

No, you've already won the Golden Spear Sixty, how come you're still acting so pathetic when you come back to participate in the Yayoi Prize?

Can these competitors put as much pressure on you as a Golden Gun Sixty?

Making such a fuss over participating in a competition shows he needs to practice more.

"call!"

Bai Jin performed a set of military boxing exercises. After finishing, he was covered in a light sweat, and his face was flushed, indicating that he had warmed up sufficiently.

"I'm ready." Platinum exhaled slowly, opened his eyes, and a cold glint flashed in them.

We are fully prepared!

The New Universe is gone, the East Sea Emperor is gone, and I've seen the roster for this competition. Although I don't know why there are only eight people, I remember only those with excellent qualities... It seems that the only obstacle to my winning the championship is Ms. Necha.

Poor Ibuki Maikaku... she was completely ignored by Platinum because of her extremely low appearance rate.

I'm at my peak right now!

Today, Rudolph is a symbol on the field, and he's determined to bite her to death.

Watching Bai Jin start practicing a new set of military boxing, Alice hesitated, unsure whether to offer advice or not.

"By the way, didn't you just go out for a walk? What did you find?"

"Ugh... Hah!" Platinum threw a jab. "I've seen my own horse, but I haven't seen any outstanding qualities. This place is too big, I'm lost."

"So I thought I'd ask the horse girls I met in the corridor how to get around, and also find a well-mannered rest room to gather some information."

"Haha!" Platinum took a step forward. "But for some reason, when I talk to them, they don't respond at all; they just keep shaking their heads."

"There was another one who kept glaring at me as soon as I came over, and I didn't even say a word to her. The horse breeders in Zhongshan are so xenophobic."

"In the end, I could only sheepishly say, 'I look forward to meeting you on the field,' and then I ran away." Platinum pouted, still feeling a little aggrieved.

I didn't do anything wrong, so why is everyone treating me so badly?

Have you found yourself being isolated by others without even realizing it...?

This is school bullying!

"..." Alice squinted at Platinum, realizing that she really didn't realize it. "Oh."

This guy... is so oblivious... he didn't even think about why there were only eight contestants in this year's Yayoi Prize!

Alice had previously suspected that Platinum's mind was filled with nothing but playing, eating, and sleeping, and now it seemed that was indeed the case.

Those guys... are afraid of you.

However, after thinking about it, Alice did not remind Platinum.

The main reason I found it so funny was seeing Platinum looking so pathetic despite being the most popular person.

Anyway, all Eliseko needs to do is get first place in Platinum... Aside from that, Eliseko has a rather wicked sense of humor.

"Stop talking so much." Alice patted Platinum on the shoulder. "Get ready to go on stage."

Platinum clenched his fist, patted the number plate hanging on his chest, and raised his arms, waving them around.

"oh---"

With an unintelligible shout, Platinum rushed out of the lounge and ran towards the racetrack.

As the field of vision gradually widened, the tiny spots of light gradually expanded in front of him—Platinum rushed into the green field, saw the azure sky, and heard the roaring crowd.

"Now entering the stage is—the most popular Platinum player!"

The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium.

"A hero who marched to Hong Kong and returned in triumph! Known as the Radiant Princess, she dominated her opponents on the track with absolute superiority, an unparalleled true runner from another dimension!"

"Is there really anyone who can stop her march to victory?"

Of course there are! There definitely are!

Hearing the announcer's voice, Ibuki Maikaku thought to herself.

Because I am an opponent recognized by the Platinum level, I will definitely deliver a wonderful match for everyone!

Ibuki Mai Kagura took a deep breath and stepped onto the green field.

"Currently, the contestant who is second in popularity is Ibuki Mai Kagura."

"Ibuki Maikaku is also a very strong racehorse girl, and she has no rivals in previous races. She is a rising star."

"Are you a little dissatisfied with being ranked second in popularity? Ibuki Maikaku is full of fighting spirit, and we look forward to her bringing us a wonderful competition."

Sigh, so everyone else wisely avoided the fight, why am I still stuck here...?

With excellent qualities, he stepped onto the horse riding field, rubbing his forehead.

Ah, I really regret it. I should have just followed the original plan and participated in the Wakaba Championship.

However...

"The third most popular contestant is a strong player with consistently solid skills. Although she's often unlucky, who knows, she might bring us an unexpected miracle today."

Head held high, they stride forward with outstanding qualities.

There are always times when I want to challenge my limits.

"Go, go, take first place!" In the audience, the little blue guy jumped and shouted, not caring whether the audience could hear him or not.

"Excellent qualities?" Upon hearing the announcer's voice, Bai Jin twitched his ears and looked behind him.

Past Ibuki Mai Kagura with her chestnut-brown short hair, Shirokin saw that head of fiery red hair.

It was Ms. Necha, whom I had been longing for.

Seeing Platinum's gaze fall upon her, Ibuki Kagura's eyes immediately lit up. She touched her cheek and puffed out her chest.

As Platinum's footsteps drew ever closer, Ibuki Kagura, hands on her hips, pouted and snorted, "Hmph, I'm not really looking forward to competing against you—"

"Excuse me, may I pass?" Platinum bypassed Ibuki Maikaku and stood before the girl of excellent manners under the incredulous gaze of the chestnut-haired girl.

She had assumed that Platinum was going to find Ibuki Maikaku, but when Platinum stood in front of her, she was a little taken aback.

"Hey, Platinum..." Excellent quality tried to strike up a conversation while fiddling with his sideburns, but Platinum just gave him a thumbs up.

Immediately afterwards, Platinum took a deep breath and, mimicking how Alice had threatened him earlier, made a horizontal stroke with her thumb in front of her neck.

"...Eh...Eh!?" That was Ibuki Maki Kagura's voice as she looked at Platinum with teary eyes.

"...Eh?!" This was the lament of someone with excellent manners who didn't know what they had done to offend Platinum and ended up being targeted by her.

Episode 147: Open the floodgates!

no?

Looking at the platinum rushing towards him, the excellent quality felt extremely uncomfortable.

Although we're in the same cohort, I haven't had any prior contact or conflict with Platinum, have I?

I am quite familiar with the Emperor of the East Sea, but those geniuses are too far away from me, so I rarely have the opportunity to come into contact with them.

I've always lived a quiet and ordinary life... how did I get involved with platinum?