Flightline hadn't lost. At least, she refused to acknowledge that she had definitely lost.
Alright—perhaps she was aware, but she simply refused to admit it. Even though it was impossible to close the distance with Gotham Song no matter how desperately she ran, Flightline continued racing forward, desperately hoping to create a miracle, as if she could become Twilight Song, the one living within her own world.
Deep down, Flightline subconsciously felt that as long as she kept running, perhaps her own Arc de Triomphe was right now.
And if she collapsed lifelessly at the finish line, would that matter?
Flightline didn't care one bit!
Right now, there was only one thing she wanted to achieve—one single thing she absolutely had to achieve. No matter what, she couldn't accept what was destined to happen.
Anyone but you—anyone but the one running ahead of me—cannot accept… I refuse to lose to Gotham Song—!!!
But unfortunately, do miracles actually exist?
Perhaps miracles do exist, but maybe expecting one was just a bit unrealistic. Even though Flightline's heart burned fiercely with the color of a hopeful miracle, reality was harsh. Gotham Song could've ended this training race several seconds earlier, but she had deliberately slowed herself down, forcibly stopping just before the finish line. She even had the leisure to glance back at Flightline, who was chasing her madly, like someone possessed.
Yet from another observer's perspective, the scene appeared completely different.
Right now, Mejiro McQueen stood by the side, holding the stopwatch and staring at her sister, who had effectively stopped running right before the finish line, responding to Flightline's challenge with a comically slow, passive pace. McQueen momentarily had no idea what expression she should make.
Why did it feel like her older sister had awakened some rather sadistic tendencies after returning?
Or maybe this was some lingering side-effect from casually destroying Japan's international racing ambitions?
Mejiro McQueen was genuinely surprised, after all. Because in her memories, the Twilight Song who would always race seriously—even in a training race, thoroughly leaving her elder sisters far behind—would never do something like this.
Right now, she didn't even care about Flightline's steady approach. Gotham Song simply waited with calm composure, completely indifferent.
Well, maybe only Gotham Song-neesan could pull off such calmness and poise, right?
To be honest, it was pretty wonderful. Even though Song-nee-san seemed to have become slightly mischievous lately, Mejiro McQueen didn't dislike it at all.
In fact, if the target was Flightline, McQueen felt it was absolutely justified.
After all, even as an outsider to their rivalry, Mejiro McQueen could clearly sense Flightline's inexplicable, deeply rooted hostility toward Gotham Song. They clearly hadn't interacted much before today, had they?
Yet Flightline somehow disliked her older sister without reason—just a baseless, unexplainable dislike.
How could anyone dislike Song-nee-san? If you dislike Song-nee-san, then you deserve to be humiliated!
Mejiro McQueen fully supported this reasoning. But at the same time, she was once again stunned by Gotham Song's sheer strength.
Should she say, as expected of Gotham Song? To deal with an opponent of this caliber so effortlessly—?
Was Flightline weak?
Absolutely not!
Even ignoring grass and dirt track adaptability, if McQueen herself raced Flightline right now, she still believed she could win. However… however!
That was a comparison between the current Mejiro McQueen and the current Flightline.
But what exactly was their status right now?
Mejiro McQueen: winner of two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown, practically at the peak of her form at the end of her first senior year.
Flightline: an un-debuted Uma Musume with no achievements whatsoever.
Yet the fact that Flightline had no honors yet made the situation even more frightening!
This comparison was between an already successful older-generation racer and a horse girl who hadn't even debuted yet!
Could McQueen herself have calmly handled Flightline's challenge the way Gotham Song had…? No—could she even secure a clear victory?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
When Mejiro McQueen finally realized she might genuinely lose to a horse girl who hadn't even debuted yet, she truly understood what it meant to feel shock.
She broke into a cold sweat.
How should she even describe her current emotions? Probably as something very strange—filled with disbelief, confusion, and even the exhilarating sensation of seeing her unbeatable older sister utterly crush an opponent she herself might not defeat.
Truly, a strange feeling.
On one hand, she started doubting herself. Yet, at the very moment those doubts began to surface, her beloved older sister crudely snatched them away—
Who dares bully our little McQueen? Take this—one punch!
Thinking this way, a strange sense of happiness began bubbling up inside her.
Mejiro McQueen stayed silent, feeling like she might be broken.
But this race inevitably had to come to an end. Just when Gotham Song's behavior could almost be described as openly mocking, Flightline managed to approach close enough behind her.
Then, in a moment of wide-eyed disbelief, Gotham Song took a few casual steps forward and effortlessly crossed the finish line, leaving Flightline with nothing but a crushing defeat.
So, would what followed next be the scene of a reliable senpai comforting the utterly defeated kouhai, a warm, inspiring story filled with youthful passion?
Of course not!
After achieving her overwhelming victory, Gotham Song didn't even turn around. Instead, she took off her jacket, letting it flutter around her knees, and casually waved to Mejiro McQueen, preparing to head home.
Have a nice chat with Flightline? Chat, my ass!
Gotham Song had already seen clearly through Flightline's true nature. Though she didn't fully understand why, if the other side had already shown open hostility, then comforting words certainly weren't appropriate.
The correct thing to do with such an arrogant, stubborn brat was to punch her straight to the ground—hard. Afterward, if Flightline could get back up and still dare to seek her out again, maybe then she could talk it out.
Hehe.
Besides, if Gotham Song approached her now, should she enforce the promise made before the race, or let it slide?
Hmm, a two-meter-tall giantess crying her eyes out does sound rather entertaining, but fine, I'll be generous this time. Next time, though, if this brat hasn't learned her lesson—
I'll thoroughly bully her until all she can do is cry.
Gotham Song's lips curved into a sinister smile. Even Mejiro McQueen was startled by this rarely-seen expression. How should she describe it?
Mejiro McQueen couldn't quite say, but she deeply understood one thing clearly:
Someone was about to get really unlucky.
Who exactly was unlucky? Who cares, as long as it isn't me! Whatever Song-nee-san wants to do, she'll do!
And so, the two of them mercilessly left the track. Flightline watched the departing figures, her eyes locked on Gotham Song's receding back, and fell into total silence.
But even then, her running didn't stop. She kept sprinting, continuing to race forward long after crossing the original finish line.
How could this happen? Why did things turn out this way? How could it become such an unacceptable outcome?
Wasn't running supposed to be something pure, something noble? Then why had she been so brutally humiliated by this devil who stole the honor of a horse girl pursuing true limits, who toyed so casually with races and speed?
Flightline couldn't accept this reality, but the truth stood firmly before her:
She was no match for Gotham Song. Certainly not right now.
That devil had deliberately stopped right before the finish, clearly waiting. And this was just a mere 1800-meter race!
As a soon-to-debut Uma Musume, Flightline naturally kept up with the latest racing magazines and information. And being someone who "deeply loved" Gotham Song, she'd especially prioritized reading about her.
What shocked Flightline most was that Gotham Song's rating for short-distance racing vastly exceeded everyone's expectations.
In those magazines, the ratings ranged from SS at the top down to E at the bottom. In every distance category—especially in middle-distance—Gotham Song's rating was the absolute highest, a peak-breaking, out-of-category SS rank, judged as among the most exceptional of historical legends.
But in short-distance racing alone, although still rated SS, she was classified as merely mid-tier among historical legends.
The reason was simple. Gotham Song's recorded performances in short-distance events were very limited, and even though she had excelled, her dominance wasn't as overwhelming as in middle-distance races. Especially given her short-distance opponents had relatively lower ratings, she simply couldn't earn a higher assessment.
So now, Flightline genuinely didn't know what she should think.
After all…
If she couldn't defeat Gotham Song even in a short-distance race, then how could she ever crush that damned devil at middle or long distances? How could she prove once and for all that chasing the ultimate speed was the true path that Uma Musume should follow?
Silence was Flightline's only choice. She had no idea how long she'd been running—so long that even with her monstrous endurance, exhaustion finally forced her to slow. Only after slamming her fist against the rail in response to a sharp burst of pain did this giant Uma Musume finally close her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.
How can I destroy that arrogant devil?
Twilight Song-san, if it were you…what would you do?
...
"So…you just hung that child up, whipped her thoroughly, and then left her alone at the racetrack…?"
"Correct. I thought that approach would be most effective. I didn't make a mistake, did I, Secretariat-san?"
Secretariat had an expression of clear resignation. It was easy to tell that she was genuinely troubled by Flightline's issues as well.
"No, there's no problem. It's just that being a little rough with that child might actually be more interesting… Still, to choose this kind of method really surprised me."
Secretariat, seated at her own desk, lightly sipped from her tea while softly speaking these words. Only without seeing those shark-like sharp teeth could Gotham Song feel any hint of resignation from her—
"That child doesn't really harbor much true malice. Well, at least not toward you personally, Gotham Song-san. Would you like me to explain a bit more?"
"Please, go ahead…Secretariat-san."
Clearly, Secretariat had quite a good understanding of Flightline. Gotham Song gently poked the puffed-up, adorable cheeks of Vernal-chan while listening to Secretariat's explanation.
Wait a second—why does it feel like Vernal-chan has gotten bigger compared to when she left a couple of days ago? Am I imagining things?
"That child was actually pretty normal when she was young. But after watching a certain Uma Musume's live broadcast of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she became gradually obsessed with something..."
Secretariat's tone betrayed a slight loss of composure. In fact, she'd known Flightline for a very, very long time—though only casually—and so could know such secret details.
But that wasn't important. The real question was: just whose Arc de Triomphe, exactly which Uma Musume, could have been so electrifying as to change another Uma Musume's—no, many Uma Musume's—entire lives?
So mysterious! I really can't guess! And there's absolutely no way the Uma Musume in question could be the Gotham Song-san standing right here!
Cough cough cough…! "Um…you're saying Flightline dislikes me purely because I look a lot like that Twilight Song, and many media outlets love comparing the two of us, right?"
Gotham Song deliberately emphasized "a lot like," pretending it might not really be herself—merely an uncanny coincidence. After all, she'd never confirmed it openly with Secretariat. Even if you suspect, if I never admit it, it's definitely not true, absolutely not!
Help! Why does it feel like, since my resurrection, so many Uma Musume have been completely changed by the things I once did?
Could it be that I've become some kind of legendary inspiration for the next generation of Uma Musume?
Isn't that way too embarrassing!?
"Indeed. Flightline-san believes Twilight Song ran like that even in her final moments because she was pursuing the ultimate speed—or at least, that's the most fitting reason she could imagine. You could say..."
"In a certain sense, it's just selfishness, really."
Secretariat's tone was somewhat helpless; she truly found Flightline's case awkward to discuss.
A rare sight indeed—Old Ghhost #2 actually feels awkward!
"In fact, she's simply projecting her own ideal onto reality. In other words, she's chasing an imaginary Twilight Song that exists only in her mind…"
"That's precisely why I wanted you to give her a severe beating."
Secretariat's smile became a bit ferocious, filled with an unmistakable sense of schadenfreude. It was quite clear that if Secretariat herself had better physical condition and less to manage, she might even consider handling it personally.
"That child definitely needs some strong guidance."