Rain fell steadily during the Kikuka Sho, as if the Three Goddesses themselves were quietly watching over the race.
Sixteen gates, each with an owner—yet everyone's eyes lingered on gate number six. Empty, it would remain that way for this year's Kikuka Sho.
In truth, this race would have no real champion—or rather, everyone already knew who the champion was supposed to be.
After all, this was the Year of Ruka.
Just how legendary had her career been?
The Gotham Stakes—no, the newly renamed Ruka Stakes—an overwhelming victory.
The American Triple Crown—three dominating wins, a combined margin exceeding three hundred lengths.
The British Triple Crown—another clean sweep, by more than two hundred and fifty lengths.
The Japanese Triple Crown—two decisive victories, over two hundred lengths total.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—resounding triumph.
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes—another spectacular win.
In merely one year, Twilight Song had accomplished feats even the greatest legends could scarcely dream of. Calling her a legend among legends was entirely justified.
She was, without question, a historical Uma Musume.
In truth, anyone other than Twilight Song claiming the Kikuka Sho or the Japanese Triple Crown would feel like an insult to the prestige of these races.
The Kikuka Sho had no right to crown Twilight Song.
Yet Twilight Song was the very embodiment of the Triple Crown's prestige.
But no one would ever see that final coronation.
Thus, the Kikuka Sho witnessed an unprecedented scene:
At the sound of the gates opening, every one of the fifteen competing Uma Musume burst forward at full strength, all choosing to run a desperate front-runner strategy.
Was it a fight for honor?
No—they were racing against a ghost, one who was absent from the track.
If Twilight Song were here—what would the race look like?
A perfect start! Incredible, Yaeno Muteki charges ahead from the first second, maintaining her speed through the first turn! Can the others behind her rise to the challenge? Can they even hope to catch up?
Every competitor is racing at full throttle, a mass breakaway! What kind of outcome could such a Kikuka Sho produce?
Are these Uma Musume truly racing for personal glory?
No, the competitors at the Kikuka Sho are making a final stand against the legend. Their opponent is not each other—but the presence echoing in the wind, the rival who should have been here.
This was their tribute—their farewell—to the young queen who had shattered every genius of this era.
...
"So, are you satisfied now, Ardan?"
Standing near the track, Ramonu's voice was hoarse, her eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights. Despite her awful state, she'd insisted on attending the Kikuka Sho.
If these unfamiliar Uma Musume could find their own way to challenge the ghost of Twilight Song, how could Ramonu herself not be here?
This was supposed to be Twilight Song's greatest stage.
"Yes, I'm satisfied... I truly am."
An immense gulf had formed between Ramonu and Ardan, but today, only the two of them had come here together. Ardan's pale-blue hair framed a face etched with exhaustion, though occasionally, mixed expressions of pain and quiet satisfaction slipped through.
"I can't accept it. If she had given up—even just competed only in Japan—Ruka might still be alive."
If she'd survived, there would still be hope.
Even if she needed to race—couldn't she have become a shooting star just here, in Japan? Wouldn't that have been enough?
Ramonu wanted to scream, yet she forced those words back down.
That was wrong. Twilight Song wouldn't have been satisfied like that, she…
"Would that really have been enough? You know it wouldn't have, Ramonu-nee. Ruka was born for the track—she lived for racing."
Ardan's words were sharp blades, cutting through Ramonu's final shred of hesitation. But beneath that cold, sharp edge wasn't just sincerity—it drew blood, raw and bitter.
"I've begun to hate you, Mejiro Ardan."
I hate your empathy. I hate that you reached Twilight Song's heart first. I hate that she confided in you and leaned on you. I hate how you understood her feelings so early.
Why wasn't it me?
Why couldn't it have been me?
Why could it never have been me?
Why were you her accomplice?
Why, why?
Ramonu's spiraling thoughts drowned beneath the crowd's cheers. The race had ended—though everyone knew who the real victor should have been, and every competitor knew exactly who had left them far behind.
But—
She wasn't here anymore.
The Kikuka Sho's winner, left hollow and confused by her victory, was Yaeno Muteki.
Mejiro Ardan didn't dare meet Ramonu's eyes. She'd foreseen this—Twilight Song herself had even guessed such bitterness might unfold.
Yet Ardan had reassured her:
"It'll be alright, Ruka. Ramonu-nee will understand. If I explain clearly, she'll support you. Don't worry—just chase your dream."
Truthfully, Ardan had invested considerable effort reassuring Twilight Song. But deep inside, she'd always known how her older sister would react.
Still…
Even if she was hated, some things were simply greater than the cost. Once, lying bedridden and gazing out at the clear blue sky, Ardan had envied the Uma Musume running freely, had longed for the breeze of the track.
Precisely because of this, she knew one thing above all else:
Twilight Song wasn't fragile porcelain. She would never accept weakness. Inside that child's heart hid a beast—a tireless beast clawing at her nerves, compelling her forward relentlessly.
She feared death more deeply than anyone—thus, more fiercely than anyone, she wanted to shine brilliantly before it caught her.
Twilight Song needed to tell everyone that she had truly lived.
It was precisely because Ardan understood these feelings intimately that she willingly became an accomplice—choosing to carry the weight of future hatred.
This was her responsibility as a sister.
This was…
The heavy burden she'd willingly accepted.
"I know, Ramonu-nee. But I won't apologize. Not ever."
An apology would mean betraying Twilight Song's burning determination and resolve. She could never allow that—never.
Even if it meant severing their bond as sisters.
No matter what, Mejiro Ardan would never shatter Twilight Song's resolve.
Not for anyone.