Only One Year Left—I’ll Become a Legendary Uma Musume! 2 [78]

“Hahahahaha—ahaha!”

“You’re still laughing? Stop laughing already!”

Gotham Song, flustered beyond belief, leaped up, desperately trying to land a punch on Dancing Brave.

Why?

Because of something that damned prankster had set up before boarding the plane, combined with the unbelievable sight Gotham Song had just witnessed.

Actually, that person was still right here beside her.

It was only now Gotham Song realized that the Uma Musume she’d seen earlier was exactly who Dancing Brave had mentioned before:

The runaway frontrunner competing in this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—Silic.

Or rather, she could now appropriately be called “Silic: Twilight Song Edition.”

To summarize: Silic had long struggled with insecurity despite being a dedicated front-runner, lacking confidence until she saw the overwhelming strength of Twilight Song. Only then did she find her life’s purpose.

She swore to chase Twilight Song’s shadow forever!

Over time, however, that admiration gradually became distorted.

Silic began dressing up as Twilight Song in her daily life—not for attention, but purely because it gave her a sense of strength and protection, as if Twilight Song was watching over her even outside the racecourse.

And on the track?

On the racetrack, Silic still ran as herself, because “Only on the track can I clearly see Twilight Song’s back, and chase her with all my might!”

This was so ridiculously bizarre that Gotham Song, having learned the full situation, honestly had no idea what expression to wear.

Silic?

A genuine Twilight Song fangirl! A total obsessive!

It was to the extent that she wore Twilight Song’s outfits daily to seek the feeling of being “watched,” running not to beat her competitors but to chase an illusionary figure.

Sis, did you accidentally eat some strange mushrooms?

Gotham Song couldn’t even form a coherent opinion, opting instead to keep her mouth firmly shut.

But wait, was my reaction just now too obvious?

Gotham Song quickly became self-conscious. Thankfully, Dancing Brave didn’t seem to care at all, so perhaps it was… safe?

What Gotham Song didn’t know was that Dancing Brave hadn’t reacted not because she wasn’t interested, but because she physically couldn’t. She had laughed herself breathless, to the point that even when she wanted to tease Gotham Song’s flustered, puffed-up state, she couldn’t stop laughing. By the time she’d recovered, the moment had already passed.

Damn it, Gotham Song! How did you adjust your mood so quickly?

She’d completely missed the adorable expression of shock and bewilderment Twilight Song showed upon meeting Silic for the first time.

Ah, forget it. There’ll be plenty of chances to tease her later.

After all—

This was Paris, the great city where Uma Musume gathered, and a place thoroughly conquered once before by Twilight Song herself.

Or so said Dancing Brave, who had served as the background scenery at the time.

Given that everyone was an Uma Musume, and considering that Dancing Brave’s villa wasn’t far from the Paris International Airport, they unanimously decided to stroll leisurely along the street toward their temporary home.

But—

When Gotham Song finally reconnected to the internet and opened her phone, she once again saw a message from a certain someone.

Only this time, her reaction was completely different…

Utter delight.

Astronomer, I’m no longer in Japan! Have fun waiting for me over there!

There’s no way I’m returning until you come back to Europe.

Yep, the day you return, I’ll conveniently head back.

Hehe~

Turning into the courtyard, Dancing Brave’s home perfectly matched the image Gotham Song had envisioned.

In short, a traditional, slightly luxurious French-style residence befitting a legendary Uma Musume.

A touch of extravagance, but mainly understated, steeped in tradition.

Just as Gotham Song was about to praise Dancing Brave, however, the owner of the house waved dismissively, looking utterly uninterested.

“I really need to change the interior decoration sooner or later.”

Huh?

Gotham Song blinked in confusion. Silic discreetly leaned closer and whispered an explanation:

“Brave-san bought this house—the decor wasn’t chosen by her at all.”

Oh… is that so?

Gotham Song was momentarily speechless, but noticing Silic’s earnest proximity, she still gave a sincere nod of thanks.

Hmm… was it just her imagination, or did Silic seem genuinely delighted after receiving praise? Gotham Song became somewhat curious about this cheerful reaction.

Moreover, this girl looked remarkably similar to “herself,” just slightly taller—almost like an adult version of Twilight Song.

Such a surreal feeling…

Was this obvious affection from Silic simply because of their resemblance?

“Hm? Oh, her affection toward you isn’t that superficial, you know.”

As if possessing psychic powers, Dancing Brave spoke suddenly from beside Gotham Song, startling her badly. When Gotham Song spun around, she found the legendary Uma Musume had returned to her mysterious, unreadable demeanor.

“Mind if I explain, Silic?”

“Of—of course, Brave-senpai!”

Before Gotham Song could even get used to hearing her “adult-sized self” shyly address Dancing Brave as “Brave-senpai,” Dancing Brave revealed an even more bewildering truth.

“The reason Silic likes you so much is due to your recent performances in Japan.”

Indeed, the reason behind Silic’s immense admiration was completely unexpected—or rather, unimaginable.

Because Gotham Song had single-handedly sabotaged the internationalization plans for the Yasuda Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen, severely humiliating the URA, she had thoroughly avenged the frustrations of hardcore fans like Silic.

Gotham Song honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who would’ve guessed she’d win over her fans by unintentionally striking such a blow against the URA?

Isn’t this just a bit too weird?

But Dancing Brave didn’t stop there. She briefly explained her full relationship with Silic.

Their first encounter had actually been by chance, during a previous Arc when another ambitious frontrunner attempted a reckless escape.

Driven by nostalgia, Brave had attended that race and met a young, debuting Silic.

And the result of that race?

Well, not every front-runner was Twilight Song, and practically every Arc featured notoriously heavy, muddy conditions.

For an inexperienced frontrunner, such heavy terrain was far too daunting to maintain the lead.

From then onward, Brave and Silic had stayed connected.

Of course, it was likely because Brave saw tremendous potential in the young runaway racer.

Though Silic mimicked Twilight Song daily, her style on the track was distinctively her own.

Brave had no interest in mere imitators. That’s why, despite spending so long in Japan, Brave had deliberately chosen never to meet Mejiro McQueen, winner of the Ruka Stakes and currently known as “the most Twilight Song-like racer.”

In Brave’s eyes, McQueen’s runaway style was merely imitation—lacking the soul, unmatched speed, and true spirit of Twilight Song.

Brave refused to acknowledge such a pale imitation; it was an insult to Twilight Song’s legacy.

Still, I’d love to see that breathtaking pace again someday. Wouldn’t you agree, Gotham Song?

Come on, don’t pretend to ignore me.

Brave’s gaze sharpened again—but sensing danger, Gotham Song had already bolted!

Isn’t this exactly the front-running you longed for, Dancing Brave?!

After swiftly vanishing from sight once more, Gotham Song hurried through the hallway, finally encountering Neo Universe waiting silently ahead.

Truthfully, Neo Universe often appeared suddenly, as though teleporting. But Gotham Song could never fear her—this was the friend who’d accompanied her faithfully through this second life, after all.

“It’s the first time you faced something like Astronomer.”

Neo Universe sounded slightly frustrated. Gotham Song didn’t attempt false reassurances; doing so might only heighten Neo Universe’s self-blame.

Instead, Gotham Song gently took Neo Universe’s hand.

“Well, then, why not tell me a bit more about Silic?”

Neo Universe accepted this distraction readily, softly sharing details she knew—though it wasn’t much, as even Neo Universe rarely encountered this Uma Musume.

In parallel worlds, Silic tended to show up during the Japan Cup, specifically challenging Mejiro McQueen for the honor of frontrunner status.

Nonetheless, Neo Universe was certain Silic posed no danger. After all, she was utterly devoted to Twilight Song. Indeed, chasing Twilight Song’s shadow was practically her entire life.

Neo Universe even suggested that, should Gotham Song’s identity ever become exposed, Silic might prove to be a valuable ally.

Before parting, Neo Universe reminded Gotham Song to check carefully for strands of hair or other suspicious items near her pillow each morning.

Gotham Song nodded seriously before returning to her room. Knocking lightly, she called out:

“Ruby? You inside?”

“I’m here, Song. Give me a moment.”

After quiet footsteps approached, Daiichi Ruby opened the door, dressed comfortably in casual wear and tying up her hair in a neat ponytail.

“How’s everything here?”

“Perfectly fine, Song. I’m not so delicate as to get tired from a simple journey. Besides, this place is wonderful.”

Gotham Song gently poked Ruby’s cheek affectionately. Before they could speak further, Silic hurried over.

“Song-san? And Ruby-san. Brave-senpai asked me to pass along a request.”

“Hm? Sure, what is it?”

“A guest is arriving soon. Brave-senpai hoped you could join me in welcoming them.”

Guests of Dancing Brave?

Must be someone important to Brave.

Gotham Song felt curious and agreed readily. Holding hands, she and Ruby descended the stairs.

Yet despite preparing herself mentally, Gotham Song was still utterly stunned upon seeing who the guests actually were.

Legendary Uma Musume…

One was from a legendary European family appearing in the anime, but the other—

The Demon of the Arc. Alarm-Clock Destroyer. The adorable yet fearsome foreign filly. Crusher of trainers’ dreams.

Two-time Arc champion.

Treve.

—

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!