Umamusume's days are numbered

Forget about any sense of momentum; Platinum wished she hadn't even shown up at the arena today. She couldn't even imagine how her image would be after this flat-ground wrestling incident was broadcast.

Episode 179 Comet Tail

"They're such a worry... I told them beforehand to watch out for any problems with the horseshoes and shoes..." Alice stood in the stands, rubbing her temples with a headache.

"...Never mind, it's because I've been slacking off lately. There's nothing to complain about now."

Alice quickly stopped herself from thinking about it. Now that the accident had already happened, the focus should be on the impact of the falling iron.

Putting everything else aside, this is a huge blow to Platinum's morale. Similar situations have occurred before... of course, none have been as exaggerated as this, with the entire bird falling off... even if it's discovered before the competition, they will be noticeably out of form after returning to the arena.

So Platinum must have forgotten to check the horseshoes for this absurd accident to happen! I really can't trust her!

It can be said that from the very beginning, the situation was going in a direction unfavorable to Platinum.

"Platinum... Is that kid alright?" Maru Zenki sat in a VIP box backstage, with a panoramic view of the entire arena, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

Although her main purpose in coming to watch the match today was to cheer on her adorable junior, Leodban, she also had a good impression of Platinum.

"What do you think, Rudolf Symbol?" Maruzensky glanced sideways at the figure standing in front of him.

Today, Rudolph symbolically came to the stadium to watch the match.

The opening match of the classic three-crown tournament featured East Sea Emperor and Platinum, and Rudolph symbolized that there was no reason for him not to participate.

"There are no surprises on the field. A guy who complains about difficulties will never win a championship." Rudolf said, arms crossed, his expression completely unchanged.

Rudolf symbolizes the current gentleness and tolerance, often making people forget the origin of the title "Emperor".

As long as someone is on the track, Rudolph will show no mercy, no matter who it is.

"If she's a born champion, a little setback won't be able to stop her."

On the field, Platinum covered her face, on the verge of tears.

"Waaah... I don't want to run anymore... I want to go back..."

It was completely thwarted by setbacks!

When Ibuki Kagura saw that Shirokin had a mournful face, she quickly leaned halfway out of the gate and frantically called out to comfort Shirokin.

"No...it's okay! Even when you fall, you fall in a cool way!"

"You can praise this?" Leo Deban, who was about to lose his temper, reached out and pulled Ibuki Maikaku back.

Isn't the idol filter a bit too strong?

...Well, at this point, let's just accept the embarrassment!

Platinum patted her cheeks, finally regaining her composure. Although her cheeks still felt like they were on fire when she thought about what had just happened, now was not the time to dwell on those things.

Anyway, I'm not famous to begin with. If I walk around the school gate, no one will recognize me. At worst, I can switch to a comedic route in the future.

"So, after a short rest, the Platinum player stepped back onto the field."

"All athletes have entered the gate."

The moment the commentator began to speak, all sound vanished. The players' casual chatter on the field ceased, and even the stands fell silent.

This is a battle where lives are at stake—

Platinum clenched his fist.

This is a battle for glory—

The Emperor of the East Sea stared intently at the racetrack in front of him, his jewel-like pupils fixed on it.

This is a fight to prove oneself—

Ibuki Mai and Kagura stepped into the damp grass.

This is the first step on my path to the peak.

Leo Deban's pupils trembled, and he pursed his lips.

This is---

Only the new universe remained silent, making no move to prepare for the competition. She stood inside the gate, wearing her oversized clothes, head held high, looking over the gate at the gray sky.

Today, we can see neither the sun nor the stars.

"—Open the floodgates!"

It doesn't matter.

In mythology, stars themselves are the transformations of great heroes who ascended into the sky.

Although this is just a beautiful wish, but...

Each of these blessed elves is an incomparably dazzling star.

The stars drifted in the sandy sea of ​​the Milky Way, raising their unique comet tails.

"They've exited the gate. The athletes performed well, and no one was affected by the unexpected events before the competition."

"Unsurprisingly, Platinum is ranked first, a classic example of her escape strategy. It seems she still maintains her high fighting spirit."

"The other contestants were not far behind. Following closely behind the Platinum contestant were Ibuki Maikaku and Tokai Teio, and behind the two contestants was the entire Vanguard Group."

"No player is willing to lag behind; everyone is striving to seize the position that is most advantageous to them."

———Such a sticky feel!

Contrary to what was said in the game, Platinum's situation is not as good as it seems.

She frowned. Although she had been exposed to Shigebaba during training... it felt completely different from the feeling during a race. This sticky texture was like stepping on mud.

This was only a slightly heavier riding course, and it already made Platinum feel uncomfortable. Thinking about it now, what kind of hellish battlefield was the race in Haidu City back then...?

Quickly shaking off her wandering thoughts, Platinum realized she was still affected by the falling horseshoes; otherwise, she should only be thinking about the competition. She tilted her head back and listened, hearing the continuous sound of horseshoes trampling the grass.

...Was it due to issues with the competition venue or was it because I was careless? The other competitors behind me seemed to be keeping up very well, and I wasn't falling behind.

This is not good news for Platinum.

—I can keep up!

Ibuki Maikaku looked at the pure white figure in front of her.

It's tough, but I can keep up!

Just like that, closely following behind Platinum.

Although she lost the Yayoi Sho, Ibuki Mai Kagura is not one to give up easily.

She certainly felt honored to be on the same stage as Platinum, but she also wondered if she still had a chance to beat her.

Moreover… Ibuki Maikaru glanced sideways. The sound of her rapid, nasal breathing reached Ibuki Maikaru's ears.

Some are their own, and some are those of people around them.

The blue and white skirt, the bright red cape, and the distinctive footsteps.

Emperor of the East China Sea!

This is the opponent I've always wanted to test my skills against.

I've always had a slight doubt about who's stronger between the two of us...

Ibuki Mai and Kagura withdrew their gaze. This was the moment to prove themselves.

Prove that I am qualified, capable, and able to be number one!

Episode 180: Was he cursed?

"The platinum player is in the lead, but hasn't been able to pull away as much as he usually does!"

"Ibuki Mai Kagura is relentlessly pursuing Platinum, is she trying to avenge her previous defeat at the Yayoi Prize?"

Ugh...we've been caught!

Platinum gritted his teeth, feeling like he couldn't muster any strength in his legs.

Aren't we all running on the same track? How come you guys aren't affected by this rotten grass?

Speed ​​up right here! The race has only just begun, and Platinum has barely run a few dozen meters, but he can't wait to accelerate.

She knows herself very well. Was it Platinum who wanted to escape and that's why she ran away?

If you can run, you'll be the first to flee; otherwise, you still won't be able to compete with others.

Yes—the issue of platinum status has been troubling us since our debut, and it hasn't been resolved yet.

Platinum has always been at a disadvantage in terms of breaking through, changing course, and catching up.

Thanks to the rote learning and cramming of Nishizaki Ryu and Alice Soko, Platinum finally managed to run without veering off course, at least preventing her from slanting on straightaways. Nishizaki Ryu had indeed kept his promise—this aspect was no longer a disadvantage for her.

The problem is that this is their advantage, so why are we still getting beaten up?

That's why, apart from the Hong Kong Special, Platinum always managed to escape to the very end of the other tournaments—if she dared to venture into the group of advanced players, she would definitely never get out.

Not to mention the more than a dozen female racehorses in the Satsuki Sho race, which is more than the number of participants in the Hong Kong Special Race.

In other words, for a Platinum player at this stage, once they are surpassed on the field, they have little chance of winning the championship.

This is the place where we must speed things up!

Although she wasn't sure if she had enough stamina... Platinum was confident in her endurance. Apart from the match against Golden Gun Sixty, which left her exhausted, she still had energy left for the other races. She believed she could finish the entire race.

Besides, even if they lost speed at the end, they still had a chance to win. Now that they've been overtaken, there's really no chance.

Do we really have to do it? Now? Here?

Bertholdt, it's time to go!

"call---"

Her steady breathing suddenly became rapid, and then, in the next second, whether it was an illusion or not, Platinum even felt her heart beating faster.

Just like that, take a step forward —

The long-lost electric shock sensation returned. Platinum felt the surge of bioelectricity in its nerves.

Her vision went back to black and white, and although Platinum knew it was just an illusion... she was completely absorbed in the feeling.

At this moment, Platinum felt... that he could do anything!

The footsteps touched the grass, the horseshoes imprinted downwards, and explosive power was about to be transmitted from the torso to the thighs, from the thighs to the ankles, and then from the ankles to the ground.

Then Platinum leaned forward, almost stumbling and falling flat on his face.

I fucking... Platinum had no words to express his suffering, and didn't even have time to swear during the match.

Forget about feeling in control; even the fighting spirit that had just rekindled within him was suppressed. Platinum felt as if he had been hit over the head with a blunt object. He was completely stunned.

What happened? Platinum looked down at her feet in confusion, then realized what had happened.

In the middle of the first straight section, there is an uphill slope of about 100 meters. It is a very slight slope, only two degrees. While it is not so much that you can't notice it while walking, it is at least so that you can't see it clearly from a distance.

Even such a gentle slope presents a challenge for the racehorses. In a race, the physical exertion required to climb such a slope can determine the outcome.

Today is still rainy, so it's a slightly heavier day at the horse farm.

Thanks to it, the grass in the meadow became sticky and slippery.

You can think of it as a piece of graphite-structured clay: once you step into the surface, it's hard to pull your foot out, and applying force from the side will cause the layers of turf to slide.

Bai Jin almost slipped and fell because he didn't pay attention and accelerated recklessly while going uphill.

Damn it... Has he been cursed? Why is he having such bad luck today...? Platinum looked miserable as he heard footsteps behind him growing clearer.

Alice stood in the stands, her brows furrowed, her face as dark as the clouds in the sky.

Is he having trouble adapting to the horse riding arena...? No, it's not that he's having trouble adapting, since he's been doing well in training...

Ultimately... it's still too much reliance on talent.

What I should have noticed earlier was that the problem was masked by her excellent physical condition, and therefore I overlooked it.

Platinum is a complete idiot. This isn't an insult, it's the truth.