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

On October 8th, Twilight Song arrived in her beloved France.

Traveling alongside her was everyone from the Mejiro Estate.

But to Twilight Song's surprise, as soon as she stepped off the plane, she spotted numerous Asian faces eagerly awaiting her arrival. Some of them even greeted her enthusiastically.

A few especially passionate fans immediately pulled out support banners.

It was only then that Twilight Song realized she'd underestimated her current influence.

Not too long ago, she'd still had the leisure to browse the forums—but now, everyone was unanimously hoping she'd claim this ultimate victory.

Or perhaps, what people were anticipating wasn't Twilight Song herself, but rather the dawn of a new Eclipse era.

To them, she represented a deity-like figure they'd always envisioned, though those truly close to her probably still saw her simply as Twilight Song.

Eventually, the little white filly responded warmly to her fans' greetings before getting into the vehicle provided by the race organizers, who'd arrived to escort her.

Naturally, the Mejiro family had no shortage of wealth—and even Twilight Song herself was frighteningly rich these days. Thus, they had selected the finest hotel, conveniently close to the racecourse.

Along the way, Twilight Song saw banners and posters all over Paris promoting the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. There were images announcing Dancing Brave's challenge and news about Twilight Song's imminent arrival.

In short… the entire city of Paris was eagerly awaiting her arrival!

A strangely embarrassing feeling.

Twilight Song leaned her head onto Mejiro Ardan's shoulder, drawing a curious glance from Mejiro Ramonu. Even more openly affectionate was Mejiro McQueen, who immediately snuggled into Twilight Song's embrace.

McQueen had grown increasingly attached to her recently, but Twilight Song didn't mind it. Surprisingly, the adorable, noisy energy of a child could effectively distract her from the fears of the uncertain future.

In moments like these, she allowed herself a selfish indulgence, gently cuddling the little one in her arms.

After reaching the hotel, everyone split up according to their usual arrangements at the Mejiro Estate. They unpacked and then decided whether or not to rest for a bit.

An overnight flight was certainly exhausting, but…

Twilight Song didn't really mind it. She'd gotten used to such discomforts by now, so the very first thing she did after entering her room was…

To cough up blood.

And then she calmly cleaned herself up.

Such uncontrollable episodes had grown increasingly frequent—now becoming a daily occurrence. But what could she say?

Humans truly were terrifying creatures. Something that should have inspired fear no longer did after repeated encounters.

Specifically, she'd become… numb to it.

There's nothing left to fear!

With that thought, Twilight Song rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out her diary.

This poor little companion had followed her everywhere, enduring occasional bloody raindrops. It had truly suffered much.

Twilight Song gently touched the specks of blood staining the diary's cover before picking up her pen.

Those stains were left from a time when she couldn't stop herself from coughing up blood—a mark she'd never managed to erase, no matter how hard she'd tried.

Beneath the droplets, she wrote a single line of text:

I will become… a shooting star.

Then she turned the page and began recording what might be among her final diary entries.

...

October 8th.

Cloudy.

Afternoon.

It seems Paris is entering its rainy season. Yet, surprisingly, the temperature is rather comfortable. It must be wonderful if the city could always stay like this.

The Arc is just ahead. Honestly, I still feel nervous and unsettled about this final challenge—especially with such a powerful opponent openly challenging me. Of course, it's impossible to even imagine myself losing, but still…

My body… is getting worse and worse.

At first, I tried to convince myself that the dizziness after coughing blood was due to exhaustion or some other reason.

But it's probably time I faced reality. It's not only dizziness after coughing blood—these episodes have become increasingly frequent. To be honest, it's not purely blood; the blood itself is just a small portion.

Haha, initially, I was terrified. But now, I can calmly observe what's happening even as I cough up blood. Isn't this…

"Getting used to it"... a miraculous thing?

Though clearly, it's probably not a good sign.

I keep feeling uneasy, worrying something might happen on the track. These anxieties are growing, but I can't burden anyone with these thoughts. All I can do is comfort myself as much as possible.

I'm sorry. Not being able to share my true feelings with you might be the biggest regret of my life. But if I told you, you'd worry more… Accidents on the track are common enough, right?

Sorry again—I don't even know when you'll see these pages or how you'll feel when you do. But the time spent with all of you is genuinely the happiest of my life. Truly. If souls really do exist, I wouldn't ever want to leave the Mejiro Estate.

If I really became a ghost, I'd just quietly follow you around, occasionally giving you a little scare. Haha.

I'm sorry again, but I truly love you all—and I love how much you love me.

What's with all this apologizing lately!?

Next chance I get, I'll stop saying sorry, I promise.

I just wish I still had the opportunity and time left to do so.

...

Closing her diary, Twilight Song heaved a deep sigh. She'd long since abandoned any negative intentions when writing these entries, including just now.

Maybe serious people didn't typically keep diaries, but Twilight Song found it a way to soothe herself, eventually forming a comforting habit.

At the same time, writing allowed her to reflect clearly on her inner feelings.

After writing the words "I truly love you all," she realized, surprised, how deeply she meant them. How to put it…

Thankfully, it was just a diary entry. She wouldn't have dared express such sentiments openly otherwise. Somehow, without realizing it, she'd found people who genuinely cared for her in this short life.

And they'd all be watching from the stands—this scene alone provided an entirely new and deeper reason why she absolutely had to win, aside from simply wanting to be remembered by everyone.

Twilight Song glanced out the window. The Parisian sky was heavy and gloomy, as if a suffocating lid had descended over the world, signaling the approach of a decisive battle. Yet, the little filly felt newfound courage toward the path ahead.

Even if that path was painfully short—

[Remaining Time: 15 days, 10 hours, exactly 21 seconds.]

But Twilight Song now felt somewhat more prepared to face her impending end.

She still had some time left. After the race was over, she might still be able to go home and tell everyone in person:

"I love you."