When you've claimed victory, when you've taken the spotlight and won glorious first place before everyone's eyes—what's the very first thing you should do?
For Gotham Song, apparently, it was wrapping her arm around Mejiro McQueen's waist and gently guiding her from the presentation platform toward the athlete's exit tunnel.
Hmm, seems like my silly little sister really overexerted herself. She can't even walk straight anymore? If that's the case, Gotham Song would simply have to help her out.
Honestly, this scene felt strangely familiar, almost as if…
As if, after winning the Satsuki Sho back then, little McQueen had leaped into her arms exactly like this.
Only at that time, McQueen was still tiny. Now, she'd grown enough that wrapping an arm around Gotham Song's shoulder felt completely natural.
Even though Gotham Song herself had grown taller compared to back then!
Her long, silver hair flowed openly and brilliantly, cascading in front of everyone's eyes. The entire world clearly saw it:
So Gotham Song's hair wasn't always pitch-black—it had transformed into that brilliant, familiar silver-white!
"Can you still walk, McQueen? Don't push yourself, okay?"
"I…I'm fine, really! Ruka-nee, you're teasing me again!"
Ahaha…
McQueen was probably referring to her earlier playful promise—"If you beat me, I'll tell you a clue about myself."
Except it hadn't been a lie at all. She really did show herself, didn't she? Just…
"I didn't lie, you know?"
McQueen didn't respond verbally. She simply tightened the arm she'd wrapped around Gotham Song's shoulder, silently communicating with her body:
Please, don't leave me again.
The two continued walking at the very front of the pathway, slowly progressing forward.
Fans completely crowded the railings at this point, and Gotham Song even caught some rather loud and peculiar questions:
"Miss Gotham Song really is Miss Twilight Song, right?"
Ahaha…sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about! Let's just pretend I didn't hear that at all!
"Miss Gotham Song, I'm your—waaaghh!"
The poor guy didn't even get to finish before being dragged away by other fans covering his mouth… Hopefully he's okay?
"Big sister! Can little Bun also shine as brightly as you someday?!"
"Ah, if it's Spring or Autumn Bun-chan, definitely!" Gotham Song thought warmly, lightly poking the child's cheek with the tip of her scepter.
With these small, affectionate interactions complete, Gotham Song continued onward in her victory parade. As she walked, she clearly sensed Mejiro McQueen's heated gaze fixed continuously on her face.
"Ruka-nee… before I realized it, you've ended up with so many other Uma Musume by your side."
"Ahem! I-is there a problem with that?"
What a strange tone… almost as if she was jealous? Well, perhaps she was envying companionship she'd either lacked or was only just now obtaining… huh?
Was that really it?
"It's fine, McQueen. From now on, I'll always be right by your side. This time, it's a real promise."
"You're so unfair…!"
Gotham Song knew she was on thin ice, so she took advantage of the fact that McQueen definitely wouldn't press further in this situation, instead focusing earnestly on the parade procedures.
Only after reaching the far side of the exit tunnel did she suddenly regain her playful mood and lean close, whispering mysteriously into McQueen's ear.
"Alright, McQueen. If I recall correctly, you've always wanted to see something very particular from me, haven't you?"
Before McQueen could react, Gotham Song gave her a sudden push into the arms of Mejiro Ardan and Mejiro Ramonu. She then lightly skipped a few steps toward the athlete's tunnel, preparing to exit.
"Shh, a surprise is a surprise, so don't say anything right now, McQueen. I'll see you later on the stage—no, rather, just wait and watch for me to appear on stage."
"Think of it as… a Winner's Concert performed especially for you."
With a playful wink, Gotham Song jogged lightly away, leaving McQueen staring after her with complex feelings welling up.
Didn't you just promise you'd never leave me again…? How am I supposed to refuse when you say something like that?
A Winner's Concert performed especially for me…
You're far too unfair, Ruka-nee.
Mejiro McQueen didn't even know how to describe what she felt at this moment. All she knew for sure was…
Her heart was racing wildly, pounding so loudly she could clearly hear it in her ears. Even on the racetrack, she'd never felt this exhilarated!
So unfair, so unfair, so unfair!
Yet… she couldn't help feeling excited and expectant.
What will Ruka-nee's Winner's Concert look like? Which song will she sing?
No matter which song, McQueen eagerly anticipated it—especially since this was hers alone, a performance dedicated specifically to her. Even the other Uma Musume currently around Twilight Song never got this kind of special treatment, right?
On this front, I've definitely won. I've gotten more of Ruka-nee's…"love."
Meanwhile, Gotham Song remained utterly oblivious to her little sister's dangerous and strange thoughts. She cheerfully skipped along the athlete's tunnel, moving in a lively manner that perfectly suited her current appearance.
Normally, after a race concluded, there'd be customary interviews, followed by waiting and preparations for the Winner's Concert.
But Gotham Song's races had never followed that pattern.
After all, she'd never even attended a Winner's Concert until now.
Previously, nobody had dared openly express expectations of Gotham Song performing, right?
Even during the Kikukasho, the race that had redeemed her public reputation, she'd ended up hospitalized with another contestant afterward, completely missing the Winner's Concert opportunity.
You could say that since the start of her Classics year until now, while plenty of people might've secretly been curious about Gotham Song's potential Winner's Concert, no one had actually dared to voice it aloud—"I'd love to see little Gotham dancing and jumping on stage."
After all, Gotham Song was the one who'd notoriously skipped every Winner's Concert during her entire debut year and had always struggled with public perception!
Yet precisely because of those past sentiments, Gotham Song felt she had to do it—at least once, just this once, as a dazzling surprise.
A gift for McQueen. A gift for everyone. Mm…
But I'm sorry, okay? It'll be just this once.
Hehe~
Having gathered her thoughts, Gotham Song turned the corner of the athlete's tunnel, stepping into a very familiar interview hall.
She'd visited here frequently after previous races—but back then, all her answers had been routine, formal responses. Moreover, the media had hesitated to publish anything positive about Gotham Song, whether due to controversy or pressure, resulting in little enthusiasm from either side.
Today, however, everything was different—indeed, things had changed completely since her victory at the Kikukasho.
The tables had completely turned!
Now, it was URA on the defensive, the ones scorned and mocked by the public—not Gotham Song. And furthermore…
While Gotham Song herself might not have been particularly popular—or at least, visibly popular—what about Gotham Song with silver hair?
Hmm, how should they call her now?
Gotham Song? Twilight Song?
Either way, in this scenario, even if URA desperately tried to muzzle the media, it was far too late. They simply couldn't hold the reporters back anymore.
URA? Who were they, anyway? They weren't important enough to stop the press now!
Thus, Gotham Song found herself facing reporters who were no longer ordinary journalists.
Each of them seemed determined to monopolize every second of the upcoming interview, eager to dig out every detail they wanted from her.
Honestly, despite having just achieved a magnificent victory, Gotham Song suddenly felt somewhat nervous. However, she was an experienced veteran of post-race interviews. After quickly adjusting her mood, she calmly stepped into the spotlight.
"I know you have many questions for me, but shouldn't we follow the proper procedure? Let's start with the reporter on the far left."
Her words were gentle, but that soft voice instantly ignited the entire hall. Right now, standing at the front, Gotham Song clearly realized one thing:
She had truly become the darling of these reporters' eyes.
"Well, I'll get straight to the point. Miss Gotham Song, may I ask about the current color of your hair—what caused this change?"
"The cause? It's actually quite simple. Of course, I understand what everyone is thinking, but that's a complete misunderstanding. It's absolutely not what you imagine."
There it was! Gotham Song had long predicted today's biggest headline would be her completely transformed appearance, identical to her past self. She'd even mentally rehearsed this exact scenario—but what was the final conclusion she'd reached?
Well, as long as she refused to acknowledge it, no one could ever fully confirm it, right?
As for why she wouldn't admit it? If she acknowledged it openly, endless trouble would surely follow. It was easier to deny everything outright from the start.
After all, Gotham Song genuinely felt she shouldn't equate herself fully with her past self—she simply didn't want to.
She was Gotham Song, enjoying her miraculous second chance at life—not the Twilight who'd burned herself away completely on that rainy night.
"In fact, I've been undergoing my maturation phase for quite some time. Today… well, when activating my [Zone], it seems to have fully catalyzed the process. Yes, that's the entire explanation. No more questions. There's no hidden meaning behind it."
Gotham Song directly blocked any follow-up to this topic.
Still, she couldn't help but wonder if anyone firmly believed she was truly Twilight Song reborn. Well, surely some people would think so, but not the majority, right?
Resurrection was too far-fetched to seriously consider. Wouldn't it make more sense to assume she simply resembled Twilight Song?
Right? It was logical, wasn't it?
Gotham Song hesitated to think further, reassuring herself it was logical enough.
Next came the prolonged dance of probing and counter-probing, careful questions met by careful evasions, as the reporters tried persistently to make Gotham Song admit the truth, almost as if they were completely convinced already.
But Gotham Song resolutely held firm, not giving an inch. She defended herself flawlessly to the very end, eventually leaving the scene as the reporters displayed an oddly satisfied yet frustrated expression.
Strange—what they clearly wanted most was for Gotham Song to outright confirm she was Twilight Song herself, right? Why were they so oddly happy without receiving concrete evidence?
It was baffling…!
Gotham Song couldn't understand, but she vaguely felt something strange might happen afterward. However, having left the interview hall, she no longer dwelled on that.
There was no point worrying anyway. She had something far more important to do right away.
Breaking into a light jog, Gotham Song hurried through the athlete's tunnel, quickly climbing the staircase and pushing open the door to the broadcasting room.
Outside, it seemed the final Uma Musume had just crossed the finish line, and the commentators were concluding their summary of the day's events.
At that exact moment, Gotham Song's sudden entrance startled one of the commentators into practically jumping out of her seat.
Oh, actually there were two commentators—a human woman and an Uma Musume who'd retired long ago.
"I know it's sudden, but may I borrow your microphone for a moment?"
"Y-y-yes! Of course! Of course, no problem at all!"
Just like that, Gotham Song successfully, even surprisingly smoothly, gained the authority to address the entire stadium.
"Testing, testing? Mic check—ah, sorry, force of habit. Seems the mic is fine."
Leaning casually against the commentator's desk, Gotham Song brought the microphone close to her lips, took a deep breath, and announced clearly what she wanted all her fans to know:
"Ah, this news is a bit sudden…but don't worry, it's not about retirement! It's just that I've never appeared in a Winner's Concert before—"
Before Gotham Song could finish her sentence, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from outside.
Everyone knew Gotham Song never performed Winner's Concerts—it was practically her trademark habit to skip them. Given her consistent style of winning by massive leads, races involving her usually ended with fans heading home right after the finish.
To hear she planned to finally perform—after a long wait—was enough to electrify the entire audience. Their excitement made sense, didn't it? After all, this was the very first Winner's Concert from the Uma Musume they supported, a long-awaited spectacle that had always been conspicuously absent.
But…weren't they a bit too excited?!
Regardless, Gotham Song continued her announcement clearly:
"So, everyone, if you leave now, you'll miss out! Tonight, let's meet again at the stage!"
"Perhaps the only chance you'll ever have—to see Gotham Song's Winner's Concert."