Neo Universe felt a twisted sense of satisfaction upon seeing Gotham Song—who, upon returning, immediately buried herself in Neo Universe's embrace, visibly shaken and speechless.
I'm sorry, Song-chan. I shouldn't enjoy this so much. I really shouldn't. But…I just can't help it. Sorry, Song-chan. Seriously, forgive me…
It took quite a while for Gotham Song to recover enough to recount everything that had happened.
She finished her tale with a heartfelt conclusion:
"Neo Universe, you were absolutely right—Satono Diamond is terrifying."
If Diamond was already this terrifying as a filly, Gotham Song shuddered to imagine what kind of Uma Musume she'd become when fully grown.
This wasn't someone to handle lightly. Only overwhelming force would suffice.
What? You want to have an eternal rivalry with Satono Diamond?
Ahaha, good luck! Don't mind me, I'll cheer you on from very far away.
Whether Gotham Song liked Satono Diamond in her past life or not, her current stance was crystal clear:
There's absolutely no way I'll ever like Satono Diamond!
Not even a little, not under any circumstances.
It was hard to believe a filly had caused this level of trauma to an Uma Musume she called "Onee-san."
Meanwhile, Neo Universe quietly sank into thought.
The time when Phantom Twilight Song appeared had come far earlier than in any other parallel world—even earlier than the last world by almost a full year.
Satono Diamond's early appearance was also notable, though not unprecedented.
In one particularly chaotic parallel world, Diamond had inexplicably appeared right at the dorm entrance immediately after Gotham Song's enrollment, plunging that timeline into an endless nightmare of conflict:
Mejiro Manor, the Student Council, the Satono family, Sunday Silence, and even Secretariat and Dancing Brave had joined a desperate scramble for Gotham Song.
Still, after countless parallel lives, these developments were entirely new to Neo Universe.
The future had become far more unpredictable. Thus, Neo Universe naturally concluded she had a responsibility here:
From this moment onward, never leave Song-chan's side for even a second!
Key points: protection, inseparable, and—above all—intimate proximity.
After quickly finishing her contemplations, Neo Universe initiated a brainstorming session with Gotham Song, as usual.
Ultimately, both reached the same conclusion:
Perhaps accepting Mejiro Bright's offer now might be the best option.
Doing so would grant Gotham Song a legitimate reason to enter Mejiro Manor, gain Bright's protection and trust, and give her a chance to gently pull Mejiro McQueen back onto a healthier path.
Of course, there was always the risk of interference from Mejiro Ramonu, but that was still far better than standing around uncertainly like an outsider.
However, the final decision was left unresolved for now.
Because, practically speaking, it wasn't something they could execute immediately.
Even if Gotham Song agreed to Mejiro Bright's plan, it couldn't be implemented overnight.
According to Neo Universe's experiences across multiple timelines, Mejiro McQueen was incredibly stubborn. Even in parallel worlds where "Twilight Song" had openly revealed herself, the outcome had rarely been positive.
McQueen simply refused to believe in reincarnation.
The correct strategy would be to wait until McQueen suffered a total defeat—shattering her pride and obsession with chasing Twilight Song—then carefully step in to support her afterward.
Admittedly, it was slightly ruthless—but undeniably effective.
Thus, Gotham Song and Neo Universe decided to shelve the topic for now, turning their discussion toward someone else:
Symboli Rudolf—whom Mejiro Bright had either intentionally or unintentionally exposed as having leaked information.
Neo Universe expressed genuine surprise. Soon, both came to the same furious conclusion:
How could you, Rudolf? Even someone as reliable-looking as you betrayed us?
Consequently, Gotham Song resolved to never discuss sensitive matters in Rudolf's presence again.
"Though…I suppose I can understand her a bit. After all, it's Symboli and Mejiro we're talking about."
Gotham Song understood the circumstances behind Rudolf's behavior, yet still considered her a problematic factor going forward.
Next, they carefully plotted their future course of action:
Now that the Japanese Derby had concluded, Kikuka Sho was next, followed closely by the New Year—
Which meant…
Gotham Song was finally exiting her debut year, entering her classic year—and could finally put their plans into motion.
Honestly, she'd been waiting eagerly for this moment.
Ever since discovering the Twilight Song Fan Club, Gotham Song had obsessively monitored its forums—much like her intense lurking of fan forums in her previous life—carefully noting every new message posted.
In doing so, she discovered something amusing yet genuinely touching.
On the Twilight Song Fan Club website, the second-most prominent sub-forum was devoted to discussing plans to clear Twilight Song's reputation.
Granted, due to Uma Musume's natural spontaneity and a large proportion of frontrunners who openly wore their chaotic, unruly personalities on their sleeves…
This sub-forum hadn't produced many practical results, despite existing for a very long time.
Yet, the members stubbornly refused to give up, continually proposing new ideas every day with undying passion.
Their hearts were truly earnest.
Reading these discussions genuinely moved Gotham Song. She clearly realized something vital:
After winning glory and then deliberately leaving this world, she'd expected only ridicule and criticism to define Twilight Song's legacy.
Indeed, influential voices dominating public discourse loudly proclaimed Twilight Song was overrated—nothing but an overhyped star benefiting from weak international competition during her year.
Twilight Song was merely a legend forged by sheer luck—right place, right time, nothing more!
Yet despite these arrogant declarations during the day, hidden beneath the surface—and especially at night—increasing numbers of Uma Musume quietly gathered, passionately discussing how best to restore the reputation of their invincible idol.
In truth, most of these fillies had probably never even met Twilight Song, right?
They likely watched her races only through video footage, recordings, or perhaps as spectators at live events—but genuine interaction was probably rare or nonexistent.
Yet their fervor and dedication were undeniable. They even disciplined each other strictly, forbidding careless discussions outside the group:
"We must protect Twilight-sama's honor at all costs!"
How could Gotham Song express the joy she felt upon realizing this?
In her previous life, she'd faced death's terrifying shadow with only the Mejiro family standing behind her.
But this time—after outrunning death completely and discovering this legion of supporters—how should Gotham Song respond?
Her heart swelled with courage and determination.
It's nearly time. Keep barking while you can…
Let's see if you'll still be smiling so happily at the Japan Cup.