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

When Twilight Song heard Mejiro Ardan say, "Congratulations, Ruka. But make sure you get a physical check-up after the Kentucky Derby," on their way back to the U.S. from Britain after winning the 2000 Guineas, she felt like her whole world was collapsing.

Why get a physical check-up now, of all times? Especially after a G1 race.

Twilight Song wanted to smile, but she knew she was probably making a face like she was at a funeral.

Her win at the 2000 Guineas had been easy, even smoother than her victory at the Satsuki Sho.

This wasn't because British racing was weaker compared to Japan, but simply because there had been no troublesome opponents for her in this particular race.

In fact, Yaeno Muteki's sudden awakening of her [Skill] during the Satsuki Sho had been an unexpected shock for Twilight Song.

But [Skills] were unpredictable things—one couldn't count on encountering such special tactics in every G1 race.

In essence, the 2000 Guineas had unfolded exactly as the Satsuki Sho should have.

Simply put:

Twilight Song had once again obliterated the competition under everyone's astonished gaze.

Due to the lower intensity and lack of strong resistance, this time her lifespan hadn't shortened much at all.

In any case, Twilight Song was now undeniably a strong Uma Musume with a G1 victory under her belt.

But that wasn't enough. Immediately after the 2000 Guineas, Twilight Song didn't even participate in the usual post-race interviews; instead, she bolted from the athlete's corridor to meet Ardan and caught an overnight flight straight to New York.

Of course, she'd publicly announced her schedule to compete in the Kentucky Derby. If this were the modern era with widespread internet, wouldn't the online discussions have exploded by now?

But to Twilight Song on the plane, none of that mattered. She timidly shrank into herself and hesitantly raised a hand.

"Um… do I really have to?"

Mejiro Ardan, rarely forceful, smiled faintly, her lips gently curving upwards.

"What do you think?"

Obviously, it was non-negotiable. A physical examination was essential. But Twilight Song's reaction had only strengthened Ardan's suspicion—

Ruka's secret probably had something to do with her health, right?

What exactly could it be?

As Ardan pondered, she silently thanked herself for making some extra preparations.

If something really was wrong, they absolutely couldn't let Ramonu find out... Because Ramonu would undoubtedly force Ruka to halt her racing schedule.

So, she couldn't tell Ramonu—but if Ardan herself found out first, it would naturally be fine, wouldn't it?

Quick out of the gate, Mejiro Ardan!

"So, Ruka… just what have you been hiding from us?"

This wasn't Ardan denying Ramonu the chance; rather, Ramonu herself hadn't taken the opportunity to ask that night.

"N-nothing at all, Ardan-nee…"

Uh-oh. If she's asking like this, she definitely knows something, doesn't she? Just where did I slip up?

Twilight Song couldn't pinpoint the exact moment, but she knew if she kept getting pressed like this, her Uma Musume career was as good as finished.

Thus, the little filly chose a very brilliant and practical tactic.

"Anyway, Ardan-nee, who should I watch out for in the Kentucky Derby?"

Mejiro Ardan fixed the filly before her with a rarely seen, piercing gaze. Only after a long pause did she return to her usual self, carefully explaining each opponent.

But the little filly didn't absorb a single word; instead, she was stuck thinking:

Ardan-nee was really scary just now!

After disembarking the plane and spending a sleepy night, they quickly drove off to the site of the Kentucky Derby.

...

To be honest, the first time Twilight Song heard that the racetrack was named Churchill Downs, she nearly lost her composure. But thinking about it carefully, it did seem appropriate enough.

An old aristocratic name—totally normal.

2000 meters, dirt track, left-handed turn, excellent weather conditions.

By the time Twilight Song and Ardan got out of the car, it was almost race time. With no time to delay, they immediately entered the racecourse and began preparations.

But unlike her previous U.S. race, the Gotham Stakes, Twilight Song was now indisputably the crowd favorite.

The reason? Gotham Stakes, Satsuki Sho, 2000 Guineas—all her races had ended with her leaving opponents utterly crushed. This had rapidly earned her a massive fanbase.

Twilight Song's combined margin of victory across her four races had already surpassed the lifetime total of many Legendary Uma Musume by their retirement!

She was even wild enough to be the first to complete back-to-back weekend G1 races.

Sometimes sheer insanity combined with incredible talent brought extra attention, though the price for failure was equally steep.

Yet until the result came out, everyone cheered for Twilight Song—everyone expected this Uma Musume to deliver a miraculous coronation.

In the name of "Caesar," to shake the entirety of Churchill Downs!

Naturally, this was clearly demonstrated by how only Twilight Song's cheers, support, and applause echoed around her. All the other Uma Musume were squeezed off to the side, almost invisible.

Incidentally, the second-most popular Uma Musume in this race was a familiar face:

Festival Glory.

It was only now that Twilight Song truly understood what kind of opponent she'd so casually defeated last time.

Simply put, Festival Glory was an American giantess—a towering, golden-haired Uma Musume that Twilight Song literally had to look up at.

Yet right now, this towering figure wore an odd expression.

Festival Glory had initially geared up to demonstrate her full strength in this race. But after watching Twilight Song's televised 2000 Guineas victory yesterday, she'd gained a whole new perspective on her rival.

Was that truly a speed and form any Uma Musume could achieve?

When chasing behind on the same track, it hadn't been so clear. But once seen as a streamlined silhouette on screen, the reality became starkly apparent.

Festival Glory realized she couldn't match that level.

Yet now, she was undeniably angry.

Because the Twilight Song currently standing before her wasn't in great shape at all.

That petite yet usually confident figure was currently slumped against a wall, slowly pressing and massaging her thighs and arms, clearly trying to ease muscle fatigue.

This wasn't pre-race warm-up—it was fatigue from racing in a G1 and enduring a transatlantic flight, wasn't it?

Wasn't winning on the opposite side of the planet enough? Did she really have to cross time zones just to chase another victory? How arrogant—how disrespectful!

Festival Glory gritted her teeth, stepping forward aggressively. Her shadow swallowed up the little filly in front of her.

"This time… you're definitely going to lose."

I will win!