I'm in Teresin, dedicated to playing badly

Although the gap isn't large, it's enough to determine the outcome in this top-level competition.

Less than two seconds after she slowed down, the pink figure passed her and rushed straight to the front.

In the instant she was overtaken, she was momentarily lost in thought, as if she saw her past self, who had also overtaken the former champion and ultimately achieved victory.

She wanted to catch up, but the heaviness in her feet and legs, and the burning pain in her throat reminded her that she had reached her limit and could no longer sprint like she used to.

The flame in his eyes gradually died down, and the heaviness in his steps became more and more obvious.

Is this the end? Did we ultimately succumb to time?

She thought this, and then—

"What a joke!"

With a roar, the flames that had been extinguished reignited.

Pride, resentment, and the promise to the trainer...

Everything was thrown into the flames, completely igniting the flames that were about to go out, along with herself.

Moreover, this time, not only her pupils, but also the area around her was engulfed in flames that could not be captured by a camera.

She seemed to be burning up, each step she took bursting with flames, as if she were walking on fire, step by step marching into hell.

As the flames ignited, the body, which had already reached its limit, was driven once again.

A power exceeding her past limits erupted, instantly boosting her speed to an astonishing level as she chased after the shadow in front of her.

But in the end, she was unable to catch up with that shadow.

Because after surpassing her, the shadow's speed increased significantly again, even bursting forth, completely matching her speed.

In fact, due to the unique nature of Aili Digital itself, when Shinji Kitahara devised the running strategy for her, he did not intend for her to gain any significant advantage in the early stages.

After all, her energy and recovery ability are what they are, and unlike Alice, she can't instantly grab the best position through precise calculations.

It's better to play it safe in the early stages and then unleash your power when everyone else is exhausted in the final stretch.

Therefore, in reality, the very end of the competition is when Aili Digital shines the brightest.

Moreover, it's not just about running style.

After surpassing the original first place, there was no one in front of him.

Aili Digital once again felt as if it were standing on a stage that belonged only to itself, and its steps became more and more firm.

This time, it wasn't just her physical strength that was restored; under the influence of that strange sensation, her already impressive explosive power and speed were further enhanced.

With the running strategy designed for her by Shinji Kitahara, her speed increased to a terrifying level in the final leg of the race.

The dazzling light and the burning flames intertwined, then separated, and finally reunited before the finish line.

Four horses.

This is the final distance between Aili Digital and the second-place team.

Seven horses.

This is the final distance between the second-place team and the third-place team.

After the competition ended, as the flames died down, the second-place horse girl suddenly felt a tearing pain all over her body.

But instead of immediately asking for help, she forced herself to walk up to Aili Digital, and then, under the other person's bewildered gaze, reached out and gently punched her shoulder with a smile.

"Not bad, little girl."

After saying that, she closed her eyes and promptly fell into a coma.

Although they didn't know what had happened, Aili Digital immediately helped her up and called for medical staff nearby.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stands, a trainer dressed in formal attire simply jumped over the platform and rushed down. After thanking Aili Digital, he followed the medical staff with an anxious expression.

After watching them leave, Alice Digital returned to the passageway and saw the figure waiting for her, its tail swaying gently behind it.

"senior......"

"Congratulations, a wonderful victory."

Shinji Kitahara walked over, took her into his arms, and started rubbing her head as he spoke.

Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?

"...No, I'm just a little sleepy."

"Okay, then I'll take you back to the activity room to rest for a bit."

As he spoke, he simply picked her up.

Although she didn't lose her mobility like Alice had, Alice Digital didn't resist Shinji Kitahara's embrace and obediently let him carry her back to the temporary activity room.

Back in the activity room, Shinji Kitahara placed her in the resting area, then took off his coat and covered her with it. He then gently rubbed her head and whispered something.

"Alright, it's bound to be a bit tiring to open a new domain for the first time. There's still the winner's stage later, so let's take a break now."

"As for the rewards, I'm not going to run away anyway. Let's talk about it after your winner's stage is over, okay?"

"......Um."

After giving a soft "hmm," Alice Digital pulled up Kitahara Shinji's clothes to cover her flushed face. While gently inhaling the rich scent on the clothes, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

But after falling asleep, she seemed to be dreaming about something, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Senior, I like it so much..."

Chapter 162: That's Enough

Alice Digital was woken up by Shinji Kitahara.

Moreover, because the domain is recovery-related, and its own recovery ability is exceptionally strong.

Unlike Alice, she didn't lose her mobility after the domain ended, and after some rest...

Although I still felt a bit tired, I had basically recovered and finished my run in the winner's stage smoothly.

And after the stage performance, she accompanied the other horse girls to visit the second place winner who had been unable to participate in the winner's stage due to injury.

Fortunately, although the opponent had previously been provoked by Aili Digital and accelerated at the last moment by overexerting his body, even fainting on the spot after the game, the situation was still manageable.

However, after the hospital examination, it was found that her body had indeed suffered considerable damage due to overexertion.

However, the situation was not serious. He should recover in about half a month. He had already woken up when Aili Digital visited him.

While she was slumped over there listening to the trainer's lecture, her eyes lit up the moment she saw Alice Digital and the others approach.

I immediately took this opportunity to temporarily escape the lecture and chatted with them about what happened on the field.

After the conversation, although the second-place Ma Niang seemed very enthusiastic, it was Alice Digital who looked somewhat disappointed.

It wasn't that she felt guilty for causing the horse girl's injury because of her.

After all, it's not just the other side; everyone carries the burden of wanting to win.

Moreover, the other party did not blame her at all, and even repeatedly said that if it weren't for her stimulation, she might not have achieved such results.

Having her as an opponent is very fortunate, and I look forward to her future performance, not to mention that she hasn't actually had any major problems.

So if it's not because they feel guilty about the other person's injury, why isn't Aili Digital in a good mood?

The answer is because they couldn't see how the other party rekindled their domain.

Because the other party rekindled their competitive spirit after being surpassed by her, and there was a gap between them afterwards, Ali Digital was unable to witness the other party's rekindled competitive spirit firsthand.

Even without witnessing it firsthand, just from the descriptions of other opponents, she could feel their fierce fighting spirit at that time, and felt even more regretful that she hadn't been able to see it happen.

Furthermore, because regular recordings cannot capture the unusual phenomena that occur when the horse girl activates her domain, even through playback of the recordings, Ali Digital cannot fully witness what the other party looks like when activating their domain.

Amidst this sense of loss, the visit ended, the competition came to a close, and Aili Digital returned to the temporary activity room.

After returning to the temporary activity room, Alice Digital, whose emotions had gradually calmed down, suddenly realized a problem.

That's because she was so focused on being upset that she seemed to have forgotten to ask for their autographs...

The problem is that the match is already over, and even the injured horse girl has been sent to a hospital under Treson's name, so it's too late for her to go and ask for an autograph.

Just as her ears began to fold up because of this discovery, Shinji Kitahara suddenly appeared as if by magic, producing a large number of support items signed by the female fans and handing them to her.

"Because you seemed to be in a bad mood today, I went to their place and got a copy for you while you were resting. I don't know if it will suit your taste."

"senior......"

After accepting the autographed support items, Ali Digital's ears gradually perked up, and its gaze towards Shinji Kitahara held a strange gleam.

Shinji Kitahara noticed her unusual behavior but didn't pay it any mind, assuming it was just a sign of her happiness, and then spoke again.

"Have you decided what you want for those two rewards? If not, you can put them aside for now... is that okay?"

Before she could finish speaking, Kitahara Shinji was pinned down on the small bed where she had been resting by Ali Digital.

She looked at him, her support items scattered all over the floor, her pink hair falling down gently, obscuring her expression, her eyes shimmering with a dreamy light.

Even so, she did not bow her head directly, but after a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

"Senior, could we do that again?"

Upon hearing this, Shinji Kitahara sighed, a helpless expression gradually appearing on his face.

"Then let me go first."

"......Um."

As soon as he finished speaking, although he didn't actually use much force, Aili Digital obediently let go of his hand.

After Alice Digital released him, Shinji Kitahara sat up, looked at the exquisite face so close to his, and sighed deeply.

Seeing Kitahara Shinji sigh, Ali Digital finally regained some clarity. Looking at the helplessness on his face, it subconsciously spoke up.

"Um, senior, if you don't want to, just hugging me is enough, or patting my head is fine too, I'm already very satisfied..."

The words stopped abruptly.

Feeling the familiar sensation on her lips, Alice's mind went blank for a moment.

Then, after realizing what was happening, she reached out and hugged him back, awkwardly trying to respond.

For a moment, the lips parted.

This time, Alice's consciousness did not go blank, but her face was flushed and burning. Her mind was filled with a huge sense of happiness, and she felt like she was melting in his arms.

After a while, seeing that she had calmed down a bit, Shinji Kitahara patted her on the back and asked softly.

"And what about the second reward?"

The second reward...

Alice Digital paused slightly, then wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest.

"I don't need a second reward, senior. I've already received enough."

"As for more, just as you are willing to respect my wishes, I don't want to trouble you because of this. I will obediently wait until the competition is over and until you can accept me."

"Until then, I just want to be by your side as the horse girl you are in charge of, senior."

"That's enough."

......

The competition for Aili Digital has ended.

Apart from those present at the time, no one knew what was happening outside of the competition.

However, they noticed that after the competition, something seemed to have changed about Alice Digital.

Although she is still largely the same perverted person, she still keeps saying that she is just an ordinary horse girl.

But his words and actions exuded a newfound confidence, and his steps were more firm than ever before.

The female members of Shinji Kitahara's team speculated that this change might be due to her winning the match or unlocking a new domain.

Some people wondered if something had happened between her and Shinji Kitahara.

The problem is that after returning, the way Ali Digital and Shinji Kitahara interacted reverted to their old ways, and her twisted image became deeply ingrained in people's minds.

So even if such a thought arises, no one investigates it in detail, and any suspicion is only superficial.

As for Alien Digital itself, the previous victory at the Emperor's Autumn Appreciation event, coupled with the confidence gained from Shinji Kitahara's actions, gave it confidence.