How could she describe it?
Standing once again on this racetrack, Gotham Song found her memories of that rainy day surprisingly blurred.
All she remembered clearly was desperately fighting to claim victory, burning every ounce of herself with each stride, falling, and roaring furiously as she stood back up.
Then came the leap through agony, the sudden collapse, skidding and carving a deep trail into the earth.
Finally, someone hurriedly caught up, lifting her gently onto their lap. But who was it that held her at that moment, and what had Gotham Song said?
Well, even though she’d reincarnated now, the truth was she had genuinely died back then—so those memories were completely lost.
Only afterward, driven by curiosity, had she watched footage of her final moments. That’s when she discovered she’d been lying in Mejiro Ramonu’s lap, smiling faintly as she closed her eyes for the last time.
Hmm… Somehow, it felt slightly off compared to her vague, personal impressions of that day.
But that wasn’t important right now. The real issue was—how should she face Mejiro Ardan in this moment?
They’d already walked silently most of the way to the track. Now, as they stepped onto the turf and approached the Arc’s finish line marker, Mejiro Ardan’s silence only grew heavier with every step.
Gotham Song could clearly sense it. The mood of the person beside her sank lower and lower as they drew closer. But right now…
She was powerless to change anything. All she could do was keep moving forward, step by step…
In truth, contrary to popular belief, Twilight Song wasn’t buried exactly at the finish line of the Arc.
The actual spot was a bit further back, at the exact place she’d finally come to a stop after skidding along the turf.
Because it wasn’t aligned with the finish line, a small plaque had been erected there, close to the track.
What did it say?
[“Here rests a great Uma Musume. May the world forever remember the miracle brought by that rainy day.”]
“Storming Through the Rain”—this was how people remembered what happened that fateful day at the Arc.
As one of the world’s most prestigious events, the Arc naturally carried immense honor. Yet, there had always been one profound regret:
A runaway Uma Musume had never before claimed victory there.
There were countless reasons for this, and back then people joked, “If a runaway ever wins the Arc, she’ll surely become the most dazzling goddess of her era.”
Some even claimed that an Uma Musume capable of securing the Arc through runaway tactics would be a dominant force in any other race.
Simply put: “The Uma Musume who wins the Arc as a runaway will usher in a new era.”
Sadly, no one ever witnessed that future; everyone mourned the ending instead.
Ultimately, Twilight Song became, in some sense, the greatest “Phantom Uma Musume” of all time.
She’d conquered two of Europe’s highest honors with ease, yet so many other events—even premier races beyond the Classic year—remained forever beyond her reach.
Twilight Song had long proven her strength. But what the world truly regretted was never witnessing the even brighter glory that might have followed.
Thus, starting from the very next Arc, an additional ceremony was added to the event’s opening:
“Paying respects to the great Uma Musume who came before us.”
Yet the actual gravesite before Gotham Song was entirely different from the packed museum they’d visited earlier.
That museum, displaying a mere autograph, had been as crowded as a church on a holy day, bustling with pilgrims.
But here, at the actual grave of the Uma Musume herself, the scene was startlingly clean and simple.
There was only a lonely plaque behind the track railing, a small burial mound, and a modest black tombstone.
Nothing else.
Yet this made sense. After all, this was Longchamp Racecourse, a venue for competitions—not a tourist attraction.
If entry had been unrestricted, the site would surely be flooded with offerings and crowded admirers.
Perhaps it was best this way.
Still, actually seeing her own grave felt incredibly surreal—especially given she was currently clutching flowers meant as a memorial offering for herself.
Hello there, Twilight Song. Nice to meet you. My name is, uh… Gotham Song? Anyway, here I am, visiting your grave.
Not funny at all, friend.
Mejiro Ardan remained silent. She gently knelt down, softly placing the violets she’d brought onto the grave. She stayed like that, head bowed, lost in her own thoughts.
How did Gotham Song feel seeing Ardan like this?
It was as though her own heart had been pierced.
After all, she herself was the ultimate source of all this sadness—Twilight Song, Gotham Song, one and the same.
Yet the heavier the moment became, the calmer Gotham Song grew. She took deep breaths, trying to steady herself, and finally…
She bent down and placed her own bouquet of lavender carefully beside Ardan’s violets.
“Could you… tell me about your story with her, Ardan-neesan?”
“If you wish to hear it? Our time together was both so long and yet terribly short.”
Mejiro Ardan remained partly immersed in her private memories, yet as always, her innate kindness prevented her from neglecting the person beside her.
She began softly recounting their past—from the initial cautious encounters and misunderstandings, to the first tentative connection after Twilight Song’s debut, then their shared daily life…
Gotham Song could sense Ardan struggling to keep her tone light despite her confusion and pain.
She was trying to frame these memories as happy ones, filled with warmth and gentle nostalgia, not as tragic recollections that brought only tears.
Except for the ending, wasn’t it truly beautiful?
Gotham Song even noticed Ardan proudly mentioning the special bond they had shared:
They had been family—and “partners in crime.”
Ardan kept speaking quietly, as though she’d finally found an outlet to share details she’d kept hidden for so long.
For instance, Ardan had suspected something was wrong very early on. Or why, exactly, she’d ultimately left Mejiro Manor.
The conflict between Ardan and Ramonu was simple: one supported Twilight Song’s resolve to burn herself brightly, while the other desperately wanted to protect and save her family member at any cost.
The sisters, once so close, had completely fractured after the Arc. Everything was openly laid bare.
Ardan unwaveringly supported Twilight Song’s resolve, refusing to yield—even though apologizing then would’ve allowed reconciliation with Ramonu…
Yet she would never bow her head!
She firmly believed she’d done nothing wrong—not even a little. Because how could she ever consider Twilight Song’s determined, passionate choice wrong?
Ardan seemed both relieved and sorrowful, filled with nostalgia and a quiet acceptance.
She’d never regretted her choice then—not then, not now, not ever.
“I feel sorry toward Ramonu-neesan for saying this, but you know, Song-chan… In those final moments, when Twilight Song was lifted from the ground, barely conscious…”
Gotham Song clearly saw pride shining in Ardan’s eyes.
She was purposefully bringing forth something beautiful to spare Gotham Song from sadness.
“In her final moments, Twilight Song first called out my name.”
As Ardan said this, a gentle smile blossomed on her lips.
She genuinely cherished this memory, even though it might hurt Ramonu. But just watching, Gotham Song understood clearly—Ardan treasured this memory above all else.
And yet, the more clearly Ardan expressed these emotions, the deeper Gotham Song’s guilt and sorrow grew.
“I should apologize to you as well, Song-chan. Though I kept telling myself she was gone, the resemblance between you two is just so strong.”
It was precisely that strong resemblance that allowed their bond to grow quickly at first—not because of some sudden, miraculous closeness.
These words had obviously been buried deep in Ardan’s heart for a very long time—so long that it was the first thing she shared upon arriving in Paris.
Gotham Song quietly shook her head, showing she didn’t mind.
How could she ever care about something like that?
“It’s alright. I really don’t mind.”
Gotham Song said softly, desperately trying to think of words that could pull Ardan out of this sadness. But without revealing her true identity, wasn’t comforting Ardan simply impossible?
Should she really just give up here, watching Ardan drown in grief, trapped in memories of a rainy day and her departure?
Could she possibly live with herself?
Gotham Song!
Absolutely not.
“I don’t know if it’s right for me to say this, but… wouldn’t Twilight Song-san herself hate seeing you trapped in this sorrow?”
How could she possibly sit by and do nothing at all…?
If she could do that, why would she have returned to Japan at all after reincarnating?
“I’ve heard many say the same, Song-chan. I know…”
“Or rather, wouldn’t she demand you never be this sad?!”
Gotham Song’s sudden outburst jolted Mejiro Ardan out of her sorrow, lifting her gaze to the figure beside her.
Under sunlight so different from that rainy day, Gotham Song stood silhouetted against the sky. Small as she was, right now she seemed towering and radiant.
Ardan felt a faint glimmer of hope rise inside her, wondering…
What sort of comforting words would you offer me, Song-chan?
The feeling was complicated. Comfort might be useless, yet someone drowning in grief, desperately gasping for air, always reached hopefully for the hand extending toward them.
That was simply the instinctive struggle to survive.
“After all, didn’t you and Twilight Song both firmly believe you were doing the right thing?!”
“Yes…”
Then why… Why did sorrow matter here…?
“In that case, would Twilight Song ever want the people she loved to suffer like this because of her—because of something she couldn’t control?!”
Words like these depended greatly on who spoke them. Especially standing here at Longchamp, silhouetted by the sun, with the exact same face and mannerisms as someone dearly loved—
Ardan stared dazedly as Gotham Song’s black-and-white figure gradually overlapped with another beloved figure from her memories.
“If she saw you hurting yourself like this, she’d blame herself too! She’d cry for you…! Absolutely not! Don’t! Please, stop!”
Stop tormenting yourself because of me!
Gotham Song’s voice echoed powerfully across the empty racetrack, no rain drowning out her words this time. Though she’d started intending to hide her true identity, now Gotham Song found it impossible.
Watching someone important to her suffer like this and doing nothing?
If things reached that point, she’d rather reveal herself entirely—
If openly confronting Mejiro Manor could bring back smiles to those she cherished, she’d do it ten, a hundred, a thousand times more!
Gotham Song would never retreat.
Speechless, Ardan suddenly understood something.
Right now, the tears of grief streaming down Gotham Song’s face…
Just who exactly were they falling for?
—
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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