Back at the dorm.
Only after Gotham Song heard Manhattan Cafe's footsteps fade down the hall did she let herself relax and turn to dive onto her bed.
But the second she clearly saw her room, her expression twisted as if she'd seen a ghost.
The window—the dorm room's only window—was wide open. That alone wouldn't have been strange, but—
What normal room had a window opening onto a swirling mass of multicolored, luminous patterns instead of an outdoor view?
Did I transmigrate into the Uma Musume universe, or is this some weird Lovecraftian dimension?
Is this really my dorm, or a nest of Color Out of Space?
Maybe escaping the Afterlife was just an illusion, and now I've jumped from the frying pan into the fire?
Gotham Song felt her mental state was fantastic at the moment.
"Song, every single version of you always freezes up when you see something like this."
As expected of the experienced time traveler—Neo Universe suddenly leaped gracefully from the glowing window and landed neatly on the floor.
Oh, it's just Neo Universe. Well, that explains everything…
Actually, a Lovecraftian horror might've made more sense than Neo Universe's sudden entrance. Now Song was even more doubtful about her current reality.
After quickly gathering her thoughts and adjusting her mindset, Gotham Song reluctantly accepted this bizarre reality.
Looks like easy days aren't in the cards, huh? Thanks a lot, intuition—you always tell me exactly what I don't want to hear.
Finally recovering herself, Song noticed Neo Universe standing in front of her, ears drooping slightly after her earlier comment. Seeing this, Song softened a bit.
"Um, so Neo Universe... Were you looking into other parallel worlds just now?"
"Yes. They were all about you—and they all end in Mejiro Manor…"
What do you mean 'again'? Could it be that in many parallel worlds, she always suffered the same fate?
"Then... can I ask something? Is there even a single parallel world where I didn't end up trapped?"
Neo Universe blinked, her ears flattening further as a sad expression crossed her face.
"All of them...ended with you disappearing completely."
Every single one ended with disappearance…?
Ha! I knew it—this isn't the Uma Musume universe at all!
Haha, it's straight-up Lovecraft. We're doomed.
Gotham Song inhaled sharply, shutting her eyes tight as she processed the shocking revelation.
No, it's okay. There's still time. If I'm careful—extra careful—I can fix Mejiro Manor…
"Um, Song?"
Neo Universe's hesitant voice drifted softly toward her. While Gotham Song was still deep in thought, the taller Uma Musume quietly reached out, gently gripping Song's sleeve.
"What is it…?"
"My cosmic energy reserves are depleted. May I recharge?"
...What? Completely bewildered, Song didn't quite know what to do, but seeing Neo Universe drawing closer, she had a sudden idea.
"You mean...like this?"
Gotham Song opened her arms and wrapped the Uma Musume—who was much taller than her—in a gentle embrace.
"Connection established. Recharging energy."
So that really was it, huh? Well, that's quite adorable. She wasn't sure exactly why Neo Universe behaved this way, but if she'd exhausted herself searching for a safe ending for Song across so many worlds…
Then she must be really tired.
I'm sorry. I have no idea why you're working this hard, but if it helps even a little, I really don't mind doing this.
Gotham Song gently stroked Neo Universe's hair, unaware that the Uma Musume buried in her embrace was overwhelmed with nostalgic longing.
I'll never let Mejiro Manor take you, Song. I'll save you this time.
And I definitely won't lock you away again—I won't make the same mistake twice.
Song watched the ears of the Uma Musume in her arms gradually perk up until Neo Universe finally appeared genuinely happy. She sighed inwardly with relief.
Helping out was good enough for now—but, back to business.
"Oh, by the way, Neo Universe—can you tell me what exactly happened in the first parallel world we met?"
What happened indeed…?
After a brief silence, Neo Universe finally answered.
"In that parallel world, when we first met, your name was still Ruka, and you had nothing to do with the Mejiro family."
Cough. Well, that's definitely... interesting.
"So, Song—you're preparing for revenge, aren't you?"
Neo Universe proactively changed the topic, and before receiving a firm response, she reached behind herself, pulling out a somewhat worn notebook and handing it over.
Neo Universe never doubted Gotham Song would pursue this path—every single rebirth led Ruka to the same decision.
And inevitably revealed her to Mejiro Manor.
Gotham Song flipped through the worn notebook, her eyes widening in shock at the contents.
It was a detailed guide on how to utterly destroy Japan's horse racing scene.
And yet, it wouldn't even damage the local Uma Musume ecosystem. Instead, it precisely targeted the nation's weakest spot like a surgical strike.
Internationalization.
Japanese people had always desperately pursued recognition in international competitions, driven by their extreme pride—which was why overseas expeditions drew such attention.
Thus, revenge was surprisingly straightforward:
All she had to do was completely sabotage Japan's international racing ambitions.
And the method?
International Uma Musume races had a specific regulation:
If a G1 race had a winner who finished more than a hundred lengths ahead of second place, the race's G1 status would be re-evaluated internationally.
Too complicated?
Simply put:
If Gotham Song won a Japanese international race by more than a hundred lengths, she could downgrade it from an international G1 to a mere international G2.
Prestige?
Gone completely!
If this really happened, Japanese horse racing would become nothing more than a joke on the global stage.
More importantly—if she strategically targeted only international races, the rest of Japan's domestic Uma Musume races wouldn't even be affected.
In other words, ordinary Uma Musume could still race as usual without suffering any harm.
Reading through this carefully, Gotham Song sucked in a sharp breath.
This plan is brutal.
Neo Universe's notebook even provided a plan to contact Secretariat to help facilitate the emigration of elite Japanese Uma Musume overseas—further diminishing the quality and competitiveness of races domestically.
Honestly, when Gotham Song finally closed the notebook, she felt anyone who could come up with such a meticulous plan must be utterly insane.
But...
Since those people online loved tarnishing her reputation, why shouldn't she do something like this?
After all, her name now was literally Gotham's song—an anthem echoing throughout Gotham.
This time, she wouldn't be racing to make a name for herself, but rather to trample this land beneath her feet.
Determined, she flipped to the final page:
[Japan's largest international event—the only one officially certified.]
[The Japan Cup.]