Only One Year Left—I'll Become a Legendary Uma Musume!

Symboli Rudolf always moved swiftly and decisively. Naturally, the efficient "Scumbag Emperor" hadn't crossed oceans merely to deliver a simple invitation.

She'd even brought along a Tracen Academy uniform and accompanying enrollment documents.

Twilight Song herself was indifferent. She casually agreed to join Tracen Academy—though whether she'd even be alive by then was another matter entirely.

Her relaxed acceptance was exactly because of this; it made no difference if she said yes or no.

Why bother rejecting Rudolf?

Emperor Rudolf had clearly hoped Twilight Song would sign immediately, but she ultimately failed to achieve that as Mejiro Ramonu bluntly shoved her childhood acquaintance out of the room.

Still, the Emperor struggled mightily to get in one last word, fixing her gaze firmly on Twilight Song:

"You're entering the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, aren't you? You must win."

Twilight Song was currently the idol of countless fans. A single defeat might not mean much internationally, but back in Japan, the backlash would surely become a massive tidal wave.

Such a scenario would certainly become unbearable for Twilight Song—just as extreme as the praise she now enjoyed. If an undefeated, invincible legend faltered, criticism and insults would come flooding in equally intensely.

Even if defeat wasn't something any Uma Musume deserved to be criticized for.

Originally, Rudolf's second purpose in coming was precisely to provide psychological preparation for Twilight Song. As the Emperor, it was her duty to safeguard promising young Uma Musume, especially those with the talent to represent Japan internationally.

But being quickly chased off by Ramonu, she only managed to give this brief warning:

You must win the Arc with your current invincible reputation, or risk facing severe public backlash in Japan.

If you're really going to enroll in Japan's Central Tracen Academy, it's better not to let such a scenario happen.

Twilight Song calmly understood Rudolf's intentions. After a thoughtful moment, she nodded firmly.

"I'll win. Absolutely."

Though, based on her remaining lifespan, winning the Arc might really be her final act.

Telling Mejiro Ardan she had a year left had obviously been a lie.

Twilight Song suddenly had an absurd thought:

I'm not really going to die on the track, am I?

She'd mentioned it offhandedly before, but she definitely didn't want that to come true!

"Ruka? Wake up. Snap out of it."

"Oh—I'm here, Ramonu-nee. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just that we should get going. We'll miss our flight if we wait any longer."

This time, it was Mejiro Ramonu accompanying Twilight Song to the next race. Ardan was unable to join due to medical reasons, needing another routine checkup.

Their destination?

Under Symboli Rudolf's silent gaze from outside, Twilight Song was gently guided into the car by Ramonu, and they drove off toward New York's airport.

...

July 16th, New York International Airport.

And what race awaited Twilight Song?

July 20th: the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

This race held significant prestige. Alongside the Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, it formed part of what the Japanese especially revered as the "European Triple Crown."

Even more notably, a unique privilege came with victory in the King George VI: exclusive naming rights. If Twilight Song secured the victory, "Twilight Song" would no longer be just another name—it would become a protected, special designation. No future Uma Musume would be allowed to use it.

Twilight Song would become a unique, exclusive title belonging only to her.

Incidentally, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe also granted this privilege, though it tended to be more famously celebrated in Japan.

The King George VI and the Arc actually held similar international prestige; the difference wasn't significant.

Of course, the undisputed favorite remained Twilight Song, who'd finally had a brief respite from racing and was returning fresh.

No one expected Twilight Song to lose. Nobody imagined this Demon King—this Caesar—could taste defeat. She was fated to symbolize this era, crushing any opponent daring to challenge her as long as she lived.

Her every charge brought the same inevitable outcome:

Rivals? Unable to keep up. Gaps? Overwhelmingly wide.

What did it mean to consistently finish more than ten seconds ahead of second place?

It was like an adult effortlessly crushing children—no competitor had any chance to fight back.

Could anything obstruct this invincible genius? Perhaps only past legends might offer some competition. Without realizing it, people had begun comparing Twilight Song to names revered by every Uma Musume fan.

And among these legendary figures, who was the most likely name?

...

Twilight Song and Mejiro Ramonu landed in London on the evening of the 18th. After resting through the night, the two arrived at a brightly sunlit Ascot Racecourse the following day.

Unlike previous races, thanks to advice from her fellow Uma Musume, Twilight Song had developed the habit of briefly familiarizing herself with the track before race day.

Naturally, this drew additional attention—but that wasn't much of an issue. Occasionally, however, she felt certain eyes were particularly piercing.

Especially from the Uma Musume in the stands wearing a distinctive hat.

But Twilight Song had no intention of engaging before the race. She simply completed her routine check, confirmed everything necessary, then returned to the hotel to rest.

Still, the little filly couldn't shake a vague feeling—like fate would inevitably link her with that distant figure.

July 19th had been a perfectly clear day, but the following night dramatically altered conditions.

When Twilight Song entered the track on race day, dark clouds hung overhead. By the time she stepped out for her introduction, conditions had worsened drastically.

A torrential downpour drenched the track. Still, the stubborn filly faced her cheering supporters with unshakable determination, raising her hand to signify how many G1 victories she'd already secured:

Seven.

Today, she would claim her eighth.

Amid roaring cheers, she entered the gate. With her perfect condition, there would naturally be no surprises—though, once the race concluded, some inevitably noticed something curious:

For a Demon King who regularly crushed competitors by over ten seconds, today's results were unusually close.

July 20th, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, 2410 meters. Heavy rain, poor track conditions.

Twilight Song triumphed—but her lead over second place?

A mere four seconds.