Umamusume's days are numbered

"At this point, it's a test of endurance. Platinum's pace has slowed down. Is it because the long series of battles has taken a toll on her energy? After all, just three days ago, Platinum won the Sakura Award."

The sound of galloping hooves and heavy breathing reached my ears; it was the voice of the Emperor of the East Sea.

Ahead of him was Platinum, leading by about three horse lengths, but the distance was steadily decreasing. Was it that physical endurance couldn't last forever?

The feeling of your feet sinking into the grass was unpleasant, like being stuck in mud. Although it was just a light drizzle, the changes to the grassland were very real.

Shigemachi is a place I'm not very comfortable in. The East Sea Emperor beside me and the Platinum in front of me are both far superior to me.

but---

Victory is firmly in our grasp.

This is because, this is because—

"…Incredible! The new universe has made a sprint, achieving a breakthrough from the inside of platinum in an extremely tricky way!"

"This...this is simply...unprecedented...how did she do that?"

Of course I can do it. Because I've faced the same situation countless, countless, countless times—

A new universe has opened its eyes. A gray sky, tiny raindrops drifting in the air, slightly damp grass. Everything has returned to its starting point.

He glanced down and saw that he was wearing that oversized final suit.

"Now entering is the highly anticipated new universe! Although she is ranked third in popularity, her current strength is hard to ignore. She always manages to exceed everyone's expectations in the competition and win the game in the most beautiful way."

"He's a formidable opponent, one of the contenders for the championship."

Zhongshan, Gaoyue viewing. Chongmachang, two kilometers of grassland.

The first straight section is about 400 meters long, with a slight incline of about 2 degrees in the middle, extending to the first bend. Around 600 meters, there's a downhill section leading to the second straight. The final straight section is about 300 meters long, with a significant uphill section in the middle.

It's second nature to me. It's not that I did a detailed investigation before the New Universe competition, but that I've run this track countless times, to the point that I can recall the exact moment each foot lands.

Waving to the audience, the new universe automatically entered its gate. Gate number five—it was indeed different from last time. Was this also due to the butterfly effect?

But it doesn't matter, all the gates have already been tested in countless experiments.

The new universe saw the contestant in gate six staring intently at him, her fiery red final outfit making her look like a burning phoenix. Ah, he remembered, her name was Ibuki Maikaku.

If it weren't for her and Platinum's presence, she would have been the second most popular player in this competition.

"Now entering is the Emperor of the East Sea, stepping in with his signature gait, second in popularity!"

"Tokai Teio, who won the Wakaba Stakes with an undisputed and beautiful victory, remains undefeated to this day. Can she follow in the emperor's footsteps and become the new undefeated Triple Crown female horse?"

The narrator's voice interrupted New Universe's thoughts.

The Emperor of the East Sea stepped onto the damp grass in his pristine white boots, his crimson silk shawl, soaked by the rain, appearing even more vibrant.

"Hello everyone!"

Although it was her first time wearing the final outfit, the East Sea Empress showed no stage fright and seemed very comfortable. She proudly raised her nimble ankles, waving to the audience as if in a show of defiance, and then spun around with her unique steps before turning back onto the arena.

"It's as if he's already won, how impressive." Leo Deban looked at the Emperor of the East Sea and sighed, half with admiration and half with envy.

In comparison, Leo Deban felt very uncertain, and the decisive outfit he was wearing made him feel uneasy.

"Hmph, it's not certain who will win yet." Ibuki Maikaku snorted coldly, crossing her arms.

Even before the official match began, the atmosphere on the field was already incredibly tense.

Putting aside the fact that Ibuki Mai and Kagura still have doubts about whether the Emperor of the East Blue is stronger than themselves, even if she really is strong...

Today's most popular person is someone else entirely.

"And finally... let's welcome Platinum, the most popular player, into the arena!"

There was no life, no other sound. Even the new universe didn't know when she arrived at the arena.

Platinum was wearing a black raincoat, and because it was dark, no one realized she had appeared until she stood in front of the gate.

Without making any other moves or the usual greeting to the audience, Platinum ripped off her black raincoat and tossed it behind her. The pristine white final outfit and her white hair created a striking contrast before everyone present.

This isn't the first time Platinum has worn the final outfit in a competition. Compared to the others, Platinum has far more experience.

Most importantly, today's platinum...

“…I remember now.” Ibuki Maki Kagura looked at Platinum, then shrank back, whether because of the weather or Platinum herself, it was unclear.

That's the feeling, and that's why I firmly believe she will win...

That blazing flame, which cannot be extinguished even in a downpour, is the determination to win!

If racing at this moment on the Shigeojo track is like carrying a tiny candle with a tiny flame, then platinum is like a blazing solar prominence.

That determination cannot be influenced by external factors.

If you can't win, you'll die.

Platinum slowly exhaled.

Although a slight mistake occurred in the chaos—I accidentally brought the raincoat along…

But I must win the Satsuki Prize.

Unlike other competitions... this isn't a competition for glory for me...

It's not a competition that determines one's life or death.

What I have staked is fundamentally different from what you have staked.

Platinum clenched her fists. She could feel her fingertips trembling. Was she afraid?

Yes, Platinum was terrified; she was terrified she would lose the match. If she lost... unlocking the level three shop would become a pipe dream. Her hope of healing her Soul Dissolution Syndrome would also almost vanish.

But this time it's a little different from the Yayoi Appreciation.

She was scared, but she was also excited.

After winning the Yayoi Prize, she went through a period of confusion. She had originally thought the Yayoi Prize would be a fierce competition.

Episode 178 Solar Eclipse

But that's not how it turned out. During the post-match review, Platinum realized just how serious her mistakes were, yet she still won.

Although it might be unfair to Ibuki, Maikaku, and their excellent qualities to say this... Platinum's reaction at the time wasn't about showing off.

She felt she had become quite strong. She could even easily win a tournament like the Yayoi Sho.

The competition shouldn't be like this; the competition I was looking forward to shouldn't have been like this from the very beginning.

—This is precisely why Platinum doesn't take the competition seriously.

She couldn't find joy in the competition.

So far, only twice. Only twice have I found joy in the game.

One was the debut competition. The other was the Hong Kong special competition.

In both of these races, the debut race was a complete mystery to me, as I had no idea how to run or what kind of opponents I was facing; the Hong Kong Special Race was against some of the world's top athletes.

Only matches filled with uncertainty and formidable opponents can bring joy. Otherwise, the competition is merely a routine.

Today, with Platinum, I experienced that feeling again.

Standing before him were the top competitors from all of Japan, and he had to take first place. What spurred him on wasn't Alice, but the stark threat of death.

I was scared, but also excited and... happy.

Since we can't resist it, we might as well accept it!

It's just the classic treble...

I'll show you how I win!

As she was drenched in a light drizzle, Bai Jin felt the raindrops crawling all over her body like icy leeches. The chilling sensation jolted her awake.

"The Yayoi Prize's grand escape was a feast for the eyes, what surprises will the Platinum player bring us today?"

"Her duel with the Emperor of the East Sea is also highly anticipated. Both of them are promising successors of Emperor Rudolf and are players on whom great hopes are placed. Perhaps this duel is the perfect opportunity for the two of them to prove themselves."

Platinum didn't listen to the live commentary or the introductions. Right now, all she could see was the match in front of her. Even before the match started, Platinum was already brimming with fighting spirit… this was a first!

She clenched her fists and stepped tremblingly toward the gate.

"On one side is Rudolph's symbolic successor, a peerless genius with a leaping dance-like gait, who covets the Undefeated Triple Crown! — The Emperor of the East Sea!"

The Eastern Sea Emperor seemed to sense something. A smile played on her lips as she looked behind her. Though they were far apart, she saw Bai Jin striding towards them. She was certain Bai Jin had also seen her gaze.

"On one side is Rudolph's personally trained steed, the Light Speed ​​Escaper, who defeated the foreign princess with the Golden Spear Sixty—Platinum!"

Bai Jin certainly felt the gaze of the East Sea Emperor. That gaze, so tangible it seemed to pierce through him, how could Bai Jin not notice it?

Great... although I was hoping for an easy victory...

Platinum boots pounded into the grass, stomping out horseshoe shapes from the soft earth.

—But it's definitely more exciting this way!

Platinum felt like she was going crazy, inexplicably excited at this moment. But she was surprisingly feeling good. Her black cloak fluttered behind her, and Platinum even had a strange feeling—that she could break through anything in front of her, even if it were the symbol of Rudolf, the Secretariat, or the Eclipse!

Come on, come on, come on—

Platinum's momentum surged, attracting the attention of not only the Emperor of the East Sea and Ibuki Kagura, but also other strategists.

"Are you kidding me...?" Leo Deban rubbed his arms.

To be honest, she was still a little complacent—because being able to wear this final outfit, participate in the Satsuki Sho, and become a G1 player already proved her strength, right?

This proves that she was among the top few in her class.

But the eye contact between Bai Jin and the Emperor of the East Sea, and the almost burning aura between them, made her realize that she had only just obtained the ticket.

The real monster... is over there.

Then···

chapped.

Oh no, this is terrible.

As Platinum lifted his foot, this thought caused his momentum to falter, and he fell straight down onto the grass, face down.

"What happened?" came the commentator's surprised voice over the loudspeaker. "Is Platinum not adapting well to today's race at Shigemuro Stadium?"

The stadium staff were startled and rushed over. How could there be an injury before the competition even started?

The staff ran to Platinum, who was lying on the ground, and were about to pat her body to see if she was still conscious when they saw Platinum, covered in dust, wave her hand and get up from the ground, indicating that she was alright.

She lifted her left foot and looked at the sole of her boot. The horseshoe, which had been there, was gone, stuck to the indentation she had made in the grass.

...No, huh?

Damn it, why do I have to embarrass myself every time I get a chance to look cool? How many cameras captured me falling down?

How many people across Japan watched the live broadcast of the Satsuki Prize? And how many people watched the recording of the competition online?

Platinum wiped the mud off her face. She was originally all white, her clothes were white, but now she was all black in the front and white in the back.

How could something like this happen... the horseshoe actually fell off completely? It was nailed on quite securely, wasn't it?

This doesn't seem like a good omen at all; the horseshoe in the pit seems to be hinting at Platinum's troubled fate.

"How is the situation?" Megumi McQueen asked, tugging at Nishizaki Ryu's sleeve.

"Let's postpone the match until Platinum's horseshoes are on." A hint of worry flashed across Nishizaki Ryu's face. "Of all times..."

Not only the Spica players who came to watch the game, but the entire audience began to whisper and discuss something. An unease hung over the stadium.

Only the carefree Zhou shook his head: "But if you think about it from another perspective, it's better to have problems before the competition than during the competition, right?"

"...Now that you mention it, you're right."

"What's going on?" Quietly sitting in the audience, with bandages still wrapped around his legs, a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Well... although I couldn't attend the Satsuki Sho event because of illness...

But even watching from the audience, I felt embarrassed for Platinum.

After a brief commotion, the platinum jacket, its horseshoes re-stamped, slunk away into the gate.

Ugh... So unlucky, so unlucky, so unlucky...