From the moment Gotham Song opened her eyes the following morning, she clearly understood that her life would never again know peace.
True, she'd always had many people around her, but no matter how crowded things had been before, it was nothing compared to the chaos now.
Exactly what kind of situation was she facing right now?
Perhaps something akin to being overwhelmed by a loud, bustling mob?
Gotham Song glanced around herself.
Mejiro Ramonu was silently staring at her; the moment their eyes met, she caught a gentle, warm smile from her eldest sister.
On Ramonu's left and right were Mejiro Ardan and Manhattan Cafe, as though they'd silently reached an agreement to flank the tall Uma Musume, ready to suppress her if she showed any sign of going out of control.
Secretariat and Dancing Brave were relaxed, casually chatting from the far side, scribbling notes on a tablet—Old Ghosts Number Two and Three indeed.
Then there was the duo of Daiichi Ruby and Neo Universe, neatly seated on Gotham Song's other side.
Um, how to even describe this scenario?
Hey, come on, I only coughed up a bit of blood—it's not like I was dying.
Wait… Could she actually say that aloud?
To Gotham Song, coughing up blood had long since ceased to matter. After all, she'd done it so often in her previous life that her sense of danger around it had long since blurred.
Still, she clearly knew that if she dared utter such words now, she'd never peacefully lie in bed again.
Instead, she'd probably be carried off to Mejiro Manor—and everyone present would agree wholeheartedly!
Come to think of it, had she watched yesterday's race from across the ocean? Even if she'd only caught a replay, she'd surely worry.
Mm, I should give her a call later.
Ah, but better pick a good time zone for it.
Gotham Song glanced first at Ramonu, then at Manhattan Cafe, and ultimately said nothing. Instead, she obediently opened her mouth, eating the apple slice Ruby offered her.
Of course, being hand-fed was embarrassing, but Gotham Song currently lacked the strength to feed herself.
Yesterday, the moment she'd set down Tokai Teio and deactivated her [Zone], she'd realized just how severe her own condition was.
As someone with unfortunate experience in the matter of dying, she could safely say that her present physical state felt similar to the last time she'd been seriously injured—
At least in terms of being unable to move freely.
She was probably in a state where all her muscles needed a thorough recovery, hence why she could safely remain in the hospital for now.
Ugh, Teio, you absolute idiot…!
Gotham Song somewhat wanted to complain, but after a moment of confusion, she couldn't find the right target. After all, she herself had willingly approached Teio, and truthfully—even given another chance—wouldn't she do the exact same thing?
Whether it was Tokai Teio or Gotham Song, both were such fools.
Laughing helplessly at herself, Gotham Song pushed these thoughts aside, turning her gaze toward Symboli Rudolf, who'd just entered the room.
The Student Council President, always brimming with dignity and charisma, seemed to have collapsed overnight. The commanding aura of the Emperor had vanished entirely from her demeanor.
All Gotham Song saw now was a fragile, exhausted Uma Musume.
Who made you like this, Rudolf? Was it Tokai Teio?
Gotham Song couldn't understand, yet at this moment, she deeply felt that—
She missed that familiar, majestic presence.
"Ahem, President... how's Teio doing?"
"Song, rest assured. Her condition is stable now. And also... thank you. On behalf of Teio and myself."
Symboli Rudolf bowed deeply, offering heartfelt gratitude, startling Gotham Song.
Suppressing the urge to immediately refuse, she forced herself to wait a few seconds before speaking.
"It's… it's nothing, President. It's what anyone would've done—Teio's my dear friend, after all."
"No, you're mistaken. It was I who once asked you to look after Teio, so the blame lies entirely with me... but don't worry, I'll take responsibility and do whatever it takes."
Whatever it takes…? Hey, wait, this was genuinely my own choice, Rudolf! Why won't you listen to me…?!
Just as Gotham Song was about to protest, she caught a warning blink from Mejiro Ramonu.
Without saying much, the young mistress of Mejiro Manor simply raised a finger for silence, quietly watching Symboli Rudolf, who seemed ready to march onto some battlefield. Rudolf offered another earnest thanks before leaving the room decisively.
Seriously, what exactly is going on?!
Mejiro Ramonu, however, wasn't the secretive type. She took out her phone and presented it directly to Gotham Song.
"You probably haven't seen this yet. As of yesterday, your public image has completely turned around throughout Japan."
"My image… huh?"
Distracted by curiosity at Ramonu's words, Gotham Song looked at the screen, finding the Kikuka Sho trending at the top!
And even the second, third, and fourth trending searches were about Gotham Song and Tokai Teio!
Wait… wasn't this too much?!
Curious, Gotham Song stared wide-eyed as Ramonu tapped into the comments.
[Hey, Gotham Song is actually a cute Uma Musume. Her past races were just straightforward gaps in strength, but people heckled her anyway? Shameful.]
[Exactly! Isn't this just like what happened to Twilight Song before? Trying to repeat history, huh? URA, explain yourselves!]
Most of the comments were along these lines—either speaking up against Gotham Song's previous poor treatment or recalling Twilight Song's past experiences.
Yet both types inevitably reached the same conclusion: condemnation of the URA.
Gotham Song twitched the corner of her mouth. She knew why this was happening.
Was it solely because of her popularity?
No.
In truth, a significant portion came from Tokai Teio's immense popularity!
If she'd merely completed the Kikuka Sho normally instead of heroically carrying Tokai Teio, she wouldn't have gained nearly this much acclaim.
Yet that very act of carrying Teio across the finish line had ignited her latent popularity explosively.
Did Gotham Song lack fans? Absolutely not—she actually had plenty!
Otherwise, how could she consistently rank among the favorites in nearly every race, only occasionally losing out to superstars like Teio?
Then why had no one cheered for her until now?
Because attacking Gotham Song had become the twisted public consensus, carefully orchestrated by URA and its crazed supporters! They'd deliberately withheld her official cheering merchandise, forcing Manhattan Cafe to hand-draw banners for her races—so Gotham Song could finally experience what real support felt like!
But yesterday, that oppressive atmosphere had finally shattered under the weight of an unforgettable legendary run.
When Gotham Song's suppressed fans realized how numerous their hidden allies were, their courage ignited.
The artificial restrictions and oppressive silence collapsed instantly.
After all, who knew who was who online? When everyone simultaneously saw how many allies they truly had, they reached one clear consensus:
URA, just hurry up and die already!
Thus, an internet uprising—a massive reckoning—had begun.
And why had so many Twilight Song fans suddenly emerged?
Simple. Gotham Song and Twilight Song's fanbases heavily overlapped, due to their striking resemblance. Twilight Song fans had always opposed URA fiercely, too.
Now, three separate factions had united.
Three factions?
Haha—Tokai Teio's fans had joined in as well!
In short, the URA was doomed… again.
Wait, why "again?"
Gotham Song didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this revelation. But as she returned to the trending list, she saw one final entry:
Trending fourth…
"Is Gotham Song actually Twilight Song?"
Um… er, well… anyway, as long as I don't admit it, I'm not. Even if we look identical, how is Twilight Song's whereabouts my responsibility?!
What a mess.
Sighing internally, Gotham Song lay stiffly in bed, feeling Ramonu's heated gaze still burning on her.
"Oh, Song, after the Japan Cup ends, would you like to visit America with me?"
But at this precise moment, Manhattan Cafe sounded like she'd issued a declaration of war, causing Gotham Song's heart to skip a beat.
She puzzled silently—her cousin normally wouldn't make such bold statements right now… Old Ghost Number One, did you put her up to this?!
Yet before she could react:
"Oh? Live in America? But Miss Gotham Song's next plans were to stay at our place, weren't they, Ardan?"
"Indeed… that's exactly right."
Ardan-san, you too?!
Gotham Song stared in shock, catching Ardan's gentle smile.
Sorry, Song—but yesterday terrified me. Just humor me, alright?
"I want to stay with Song. Wherever she goes, I'll follow," Neo Universe declared.
"Deciding for others isn't very polite, Mejiro family. For Song's safety, I'll accompany her everywhere. This is not negotiable—I swear on Daiichi Ruby's pride."
And finally, Manhattan Cafe stood firm:
"What makes the Mejiro family think you have the right?"
After all, Manhattan Cafe was Gotham Song's only official relative!
A heavy tension filled the air. Gotham Song could clearly see Ramonu's darkening expression.
The young lady of Mejiro Manor thought firmly:
Mejiro Song does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Yet surprisingly, Mejiro Manor's position had become unexpectedly weak.
The key point was... Mejiro Ramonu suddenly realized: aside from being unreasonably stubborn, she had no other cards left to play.
Fine. Fiiine... You all forced my hand! If I can't win with reason—
Then I won't lose my family a second time. I don't care who comes. Even if the Three Goddesses stood before me, I'd still say no!
"Ahem, I did promise Ardan-neesan, after all..."
Did she promise?
No. But… yes.
Gotham Song's words cooled the tension in the room, if only momentarily. Manhattan Cafe looked at her little cousin lying in bed, then glanced at the two Uma Musume standing firmly on her side. At last, she made her decision.
Well, if Song really has agreed… then letting a few more Mejiro folk stay here isn't much of a problem, is it?
Manhattan Cafe turned to Mejiro Ramonu. She didn't say it aloud, but the message was clear.
And Ramonu, having gotten the outcome she wanted, said nothing more. She looked at Gotham Song—at that face so completely identical to another's—and saw the days of the past reflected there.
So it really is you, Ruka... Thank goodness. You've come back. If only you'd never leave again...
But there was still one question that had to be asked.
"Ahem? But Song... I don't think you've ever told us—what's your goal? Your finish line?"
Goal? Finish line?
Gotham Song blinked at Ramonu, not quite grasping the point.
"I mean—how long do you plan to keep running?"
When you stop... that's when we'll finally catch up to you. And at that point—you'll have no more excuses. No more reasons to leave my side again, right?
We'll be family again—forever this time. Mejiro Manor will be your home, always…
How long do I plan to keep running...?
For a moment, Gotham Song was genuinely thrown by the question.
When she thought about it… why was she still running?
She'd entered the Japan Cup to spit in URA's face, and to face off against McQueen. But beyond that… what else was there?
The Dream Cup?
And after that...
Retirement?