Twilight Song’s expression didn’t waver at all. Or rather, it would’ve been stranger if she had been surprised to see Gotham Song acting without the slightest disguise.
Of course, she knew exactly what kind of Uma Musu "she" was, what sort of existence she had beco, and just how many deep, heavy grudges were compressed inside that heart...
Actually, maybe after reincarnating and walking through this world again, those grudges had perhaps lessened a bit, hadn’t they?
No matter whether it was her life before or after transmigrating—at least from the perspective of all the mories Twilight Song retained—none of it had been easy.
Ironically, the happiest she’d ever felt was after she’d died, when the only thing she had to think about each carefree day was running, running, and racing others.
There was still joy to be found as an Uma Musu—if your running wasn’t burdened by the pressure of results...
In short, Twilight Song stared at Gotham Song without even the slightest trace of panic. She even leaned casually back against the wall, folding her arms across her chest with a leisurely air.
"I bet you’ve been waiting for this a long ti, haven’t you? Our eting. No need to answer—I know already. After all, I can guess pretty clearly how you think."
Really, nothing’s changed at all. It was only now that Twilight Song fully understood why everyone around her had so confidently insisted on one thing:
Gotham Song was absolutely Twilight Song—!
This had initially annoyed Twilight Song—a horse-girl who possessed little more than that famous na—but after eting face-to-face, even if she was unhappy about it, Twilight Song had to admit: they were right.
Their similarity went far beyond re appearance; it extended into their expressions, behaviors, even the logic behind their actions... Fine, fine. You win this round, alright?
"Yeah, I did look forward to this for a long ti. Wondering what your reaction would be, what you’d say—and yeah, I was pretty nervous about it."
"But you realized, didn’t you?" Twilight Song’s lips curled upward slightly.
"That once you actually saw , all those feelings vanished, and your heart strangely cald down instead? Don’t give that look—of course, I know."
"Alright, alright, let’s skip past the boring part, Song. Ah, Gotham Song. Actually, that na’s not bad."
"Anyway, you’re curious about why exactly I appeared here, right? Well, actually, the real reason I wanted to et you..."
"—Is to declare war."
Gotham Song’s expression remained blank. In fact, it was as if she’d expected this all along, showing nothing but contempt.
Declare war? I thought it’d be sothing more interesting. That’s it? So, why exactly do you have such a weird idea?
"Obviously, it’s because I question your existence as my future self. Isn’t it irritating? Why is it you who returned to the real world, while I, the one who died, have to stay trapped in hell?"
Even though those carefree days in Afterlife had made Twilight Song genuinely happy... but still—still—!
It was only happiness. She couldn’t call it true fulfillnt, not even close. Twilight Song had left behind countless attachnts when she died. Being unable to see those familiar faces, to never again et the people she desperately longed for—those were painful things. Especially after enduring long loneliness, opening up her heart, and then losing it all over again.
Maybe declaring war wouldn’t change any of that. But couldn’t she at least vent so of the frustration in her heart? In short, Twilight Song desperately wanted to punch her real-world self right in the face—even if just to shatter that undefeated myth she’d built. That would at least be amusing, right?
Heh heh. I, Twilight Song, can absolutely do that easily, okay?
"I know, you’ll say that my actions are selfish, arrogant, everything you hate. Say whatever you want—I simply can’t stand you. Let’s race at the Dream Cup. I’ll make you taste defeat."
Twilight Song’s words were bold and blatantly selfish. Such a contradiction mixed to the extre, yet Gotham Song understood her aning perfectly clearly:
I can’t stand you, I’m jealous of you—so I want to kick your ass.
That’s all it was, right?
How should she put this? She was a bit like a sore loser, weirdly cute. Heh heh. So that’s what you were thinking?
Honestly, if Twilight Song had tried to present so noble-sounding, grand reason that Gotham Song couldn’t possibly refuse, Gotham Song might have beco furious and rejected her challenge with all her might.
But Twilight Song’s current behavior couldn’t be called righteous or noble at all. Instead, it resembled a child throwing a temper tantrum—exactly the kind of silly provocation that had now changed Gotham Song’s mind completely.
Is that really how you feel? If so, I guess I’ll have to accompany you all the way. You want to make taste defeat?
Heh... Hahahaha! Even my past self dares dream about sothing like that?
Who gave you the right to be so ridiculously arrogant!?
"Fine. But rember one thing: this isn’t you—a dead person from the past—declaring war on . It’s graciously giving you a grand and unforgettable defeat, just to show you how weak and foolish you really are."
Twilight Song’s undefeated legend will shatter right here, in her own dead future. The Dream Cup... will be the final end of your legend!
...
Gotham Song had no intention of wasting any more words with Twilight Song. After giving her reply, she strode out of their secluded corner, and with cheerful hops, regained her usual self as she returned to the company of those familiar to her.
jiro Ardan glanced briefly in Twilight Song’s direction—but only briefly. anwhile, Manhattan Cafe was utterly indifferent, not sparing even a glance, as if Twilight Song were just a random stranger.
Even Sunday Silence appeared faintly, gently wrapping arms around Gotham Song from behind. Thus, the three Uma Musu and one ghost began their journey ho together.
Twilight Song, watching their backs fade away, sank deeply into bitter longing. Ah... So this—this was why she envied Gotham Song enough to start a childish war—!
How incredibly enviable...
As the silhouettes gradually receded from her vision, Twilight Song finally shook off her daze. Instead of standing there alone, she quietly returned to join the other Uma Musu who, like her, had co from the past.
Oh well. These old fools around now... they weren’t actually so bad.
On the road ho, Gotham Song casually explained to her two sisters—and one Old Bastard—just what had happened earlier. After hearing the explanation, jiro Ardan let out a soft sigh:
"Sure enough, Ruka really is quite childish, isn’t she?"
No matter how Gotham Song thought about it, sothing about Ardan-nee-san’s words sounded wrong. After wracking her brain to no avail, she eventually gave up trying to figure it out.
Anyway, her Ardan-nee-san was definitely implying sothing weird. In that case...
Don’t think giving up on understanding ans I won’t do anything about it!
Gotham Song wrapped her arms tightly around jiro Ardan’s arm, fiercely but gently sinking her teeth into it.
Awoooo—! I’ll bite you to death—!!
jiro Ardan gave no response at all—or rather, she gave no particular reaction to being bitten. At most, she rely raised her hand to gently stroke her younger sister’s soft hair, as she always did whenever Gotham Song bit her.
Sigh. Her younger sister truly was impossibly adorable. But if Song ever found out about what had happened earlier at the convention, sothing far more shocking, how would she react then?
jiro Ardan’s heart softened with guilt. Although Gotham Song would find out eventually, since she was in such a wonderful mood right now... wouldn’t it be better to keep her happy just a little longer?
Now, at last, jiro Ardan began to understand the ntality of those older figures she’d t before. This sudden realization filled her with gentle emotion.
But while humans could be thoughtful about feelings, a certain ghost didn’t have such tact.
Sunday Silence sneakily sidled up in front of Gotham Song, flashing a grin so bright it was chilling.
It was always better when Sunday Silence didn’t smile—not because the Old Bastard had a bad smile, but because whenever she did, soone was surely about to suffer...!
And right now, she was smiling very happily indeed!
Gotham Song stopped biting. She was now seriously considering whether a flying leap could pin Sunday Silence to the floor, allowing her to administer so fierce preemptive revenge.
But even setting aside whether she could succeed at this, if she actually tried it here, in full view of everyone on the subway, floating mid-air and snapping at Sunday Silence like so crazed puppy...
No matter how Gotham Song imagined it, Sunday Silence probably wouldn’t care. In fact, she’d definitely think herself the winner...
You damned chaos gremlin, you’re invincible, aren’t you?!
What was that saying again?
The mont I discard my moral bottom line, I beco invincible!
Sunday Silence!
Ahh, forget it. So—what terrible hardship and tornt awaited her this ti?
"Gotham Song! Look into my eyes! Do you have any idea what incredibly terrible thing happened earlier? That’s right—just now, at the convention?"
Just now... at the convention... an incredibly terrible thing?
Gotham Song sank into absolute bewildernt. She couldn’t grasp what Sunday Silence was getting at.
What sort of thing could possibly have happened at such a casual event?
It couldn’t be that soone had snuck in to bully so young filly, got discovered, and was promptly flung out by the whole crowd... but even if that happened, what would it have to do with this Old Bastard Sunday Silence?
No. Sothing was definitely wrong... terribly, terribly wrong!
"No, no, it’s nothing as distant from you as you think. Actually, you were one of the main stars of what happened just now—Miss jiro Ardan~"
I was one of the main stars...? Ardan-nee...? No, wait—not Ardan-neesan herself...!
Which "Ardan-neesan" did she an here?! It wasn’t the real jiro Ardan sitting right next to her. Rather, it was referring to Gotham Song herself, who’d been cosplaying as her own older sister at the convention and was now sitting here, dumbfounded!
Calm down. Calm down. What could’ve possibly happened back then?
And at precisely this mont of confusion, Sunday Silence instead fell into utter silence. She said nothing, only grinning brilliantly.
Because at this point, there was no need to say anything further...
Gotham Song was an extrely clever girl. Clever to what degree?
If you just gave her half the scenario, her sharp brain would automatically deduce the rest of what must have occurred.
In a sense, this intelligence was actually a plus for a chaos gremlin like Sunday Silence—at least from the perspective of soone playing with her toys. Because how boring would it be if a chaos-seeker simply spelled everything out plainly?
Watching the realization dawn on the person being toyed with was a special joy of its own.
Sunday Silence licked the corner of her lips, her face brimming with anticipation. She genuinely wanted to know—just how Gotham Song would react when she realized what had really happened back there at the convention.
Unfortunately for Sunday Silence, she’d never get to see the fruits of her scheming. Because right as she smiled sinisterly, a large, punishing hand struck from behind: Manhattan Cafe, unable to watch any longer, grabbed Sunday Silence by the collar and flung her straight down onto the subway floor, out of Gotham Song’s view.
And how did Sunday Silence react?
With a pitiful, agonized wail—!
"Gwaaaah! Cafe! You can’t! You absolutely can’t! You’ve never treated this roughly before—!!!"
You can’t—absolutely not—!!
And Manhattan Cafe’s response?
A look of calm, composed disdain, so icy it turned Sunday Silence’s face pale as death.
That’s the look you give a dead person... Wait, I actually am dead, aren’t I? Heh, heh... ha... hahaha—Gwah!!
jiro Ardan didn’t even know what expression to make. Helplessly, she simply hugged Gotham Song tighter, quietly waiting for her little sister’s senses to return.
She could only hope Song hadn’t been shocked speechless...
"You’re saying... that scene of those fillies screaming earlier... and of dragging Ruka out of the convention... was recorded? And now the whole world knows about it... right?"
After taking a deep breath, Gotham Song managed to regain her composure—just enough to ask jiro Ardan this, in a voice still thick with disbelief.
This was the very first ti jiro Ardan had seen such outright panic—an utterly overwheld, panicked expression with no solutions available—appear on her little sister’s face.
And what could she possibly say in reply?
The only answer possible was—
An affirmative, silent, firm, and decisive nod.
How could jiro Ardan ever lie?
"It’s even worse, actually," jiro Ardan added softly. "Many bystanders imdiately recognized exactly who the ’jiro Ardan’ at the convention really was... and now your social dia accounts have been completely exposed and are being shared like crazy."
In other words—
Haha, Gotham Song, congratulations.
Your real identity is now officially online.
---
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