Mejiro McQueen walked silently along the path back home.
As always, Phantom Twilight Song floated alongside her, occasionally making odd noises to disrupt her “little sister’s” deep thoughts.
“So, Phantom, you definitely felt something in that direction, didn’t you? Yet in the end, you sensed nothing at all?”
“Ah, there wasn’t anything I could do! The feeling was completely blocked—vanishing without a trace. That alone suggests we’ve encountered a worthy opponent, doesn’t it?”
Though Mejiro McQueen had publicly announced she would not participate in the Kikuka Sho, in reality, she’d seriously watched every single Kikuka Sho since that day. Each time, the same question haunted her thoughts:
How would Ruka-nee react if she faced this race herself?
That was, fundamentally, why Mejiro McQueen refused to run in the Kikuka Sho.
In her heart, Twilight Song could only be described in one word:
Invincible.
Utterly peerless—someone without any rival on the racetrack. Ruka-nee was the first Uma Musume who allowed ordinary humans to clearly see and confirm the existence of Domains!
That alone solidified Twilight Song’s unshakeable global status.
Before Twilight Song, Domains were merely considered special skills seen exclusively through the eyes of Uma Musume.
No matter how deeply humans believed Domains existed, no matter how trainers incorporated them into racing tactics—
Humans simply couldn’t perceive them.
Domains had always been regarded by human researchers as something “likely real, yet impossible to concretely verify.”
But Twilight Song, with her terrifying accomplishments, had undeniably changed that. She had elevated the entire Uma Musume racing industry.
Thus, the weight of such monumental achievements—winning nearly every prestigious classic-year title in the world—was enormous in Mejiro McQueen’s heart.
So enormous that whenever McQueen imagined competing against the sister she had idealized for years at the Kikuka Sho, she found herself completely devoid of courage.
And perhaps… there was something else.
Mejiro McQueen wanted to protect the perfect Twilight Song she held in her heart. If she somehow managed to defeat that image of her sister, wouldn’t that mean Twilight Song wasn’t truly invincible, after all?
It was a mixture of complicated reasons like these that ultimately made Mejiro McQueen choose to abandon the Kikuka Sho. Yet ultimately, every reason returned to Twilight Song.
Definitely not you—the Phantom Twilight Song before me. You aren’t the sister I knew. Don’t waver, McQueen.
“Oh? So we’ve truly met our match, then. What do you plan to do about it?”
“Since I initially sensed something, it means they probably aren’t maintaining that level of defense all the time. Or perhaps, they’re in a similar situation to ours.”
Phantom Twilight Song spoke nonchalantly, her petite figure cheerfully bouncing beside Mejiro McQueen. Clearly, she wasn’t concerned about the earlier incident at all.
“And besides, wouldn’t refusing to confront me be a sign of weakness or lack of confidence?”
Someone who turns and runs certainly can’t be stronger. In other words—
Has my reincarnated self become this cowardly?
It appeared that without the constant threat of death, even “I” would degenerate into a pitiful weakling.
Secretly, Phantom Twilight Song clenched her fist tightly. She desperately longed for a race—a final escape where only one could survive—against the real, physically living Twilight Song.
Because only then could she push both of them to their limits and discover the answer she’d sought since her birth:
Which one of us is truly Twilight Song? Is it her, or is it me?
Phantom Twilight Song had awakened as a ghost at a rainy funeral. As a fragile, newborn spirit, she curled into a ball, instinctively grabbing hold of “her elder sister’s” hand at the very moment Mejiro Ramonu began to withdraw. Carefully clinging to Ramonu’s sleeve, Phantom eventually drifted back to the hotel—and due to various coincidences, attached herself to Mejiro McQueen.
Yet from that moment onward—from the instant she opened her eyes in her damaged, ghostly form—a massive question had haunted Phantom Twilight Song:
Why do I even exist? For whom did I appear in this world?
Phantom Twilight Song knew she possessed Twilight Song’s memories, but those images flashed by rapidly, like slides in a projector.
To her, they were merely fleeting fragments!
There was no texture, no emotion, no sense of having experienced them herself. They held nothing meaningful to her.
Born without genuine memories, Phantom Twilight Song felt an unprecedented emptiness.
She desperately wanted to find the person who caused her existence—to confront and question her:
Why? Why abandon me—a “newborn child”—like this?!
Twilight Song, we never should have missed each other. I desperately want your acknowledgment—I need it so much…
At first, Phantom Twilight Song truly believed this.
She earnestly attempted to act as Twilight Song would, striving to earn Mejiro McQueen’s trust and acknowledgment as a true older sister.
She yearned to be more than merely “Phantom Twilight Song,” wishing instead for a direct, fitting name to anchor her existence.
But ultimately, Phantom Twilight Song failed.
Mejiro McQueen’s wary distance over an entire year made Phantom painfully realize that she could only ever remain Phantom Twilight Song. In the eyes of others—especially those she longed to connect with—she would never be who she wished to become.
At best, she was just a phantom lingering after someone had long departed.
When she finally understood that, Phantom Twilight Song abandoned all pretense of mimicry and gentleness. She gave in completely to her innate desires. Her yearning for acknowledgment twisted into something darker.
No longer content merely to be acknowledged—she wanted to seize it by force.
And now, what exactly did Phantom Twilight Song want?
She wanted to crush the real Twilight Song beneath her feet. Then, afterward… gain recognition.
“If it truly was Ruka-nee, she wouldn’t shy away from a challenge. You’ve got the wrong person, Phantom.”
“Maybe. But either way, she won’t be able to run forever.”
Phantom Twilight Song casually replied, recalling clearly the very “familiar-looking” little filly she’d just seen.
But after a bit more thought, perhaps it was merely an astounding coincidence. Her face was similar, true—but surely nothing more.
Hmm… How should I put it?
If Manhattan Cafe’s little cousin truly turned out to be Twilight Song, then I’d laugh myself silly.
She appeared timid, completely lacking in presence or ambition. If that was truly Twilight Song—did it mean she reincarnated into a worthless weakling?
No… I prefer her proud, cold, and powerful. Only then would conquering her truly satisfy me…
Only then could Phantom Twilight Song fill the void in her empty heart.
—
This is a fan translation of 只能活一年了才更要成为传奇赛马娘! by 大渚教 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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