The rain in Paris fell incessantly for a week, flooding the city like an endless deluge.
On the first sunny afternoon after the storm passed, the stands at Longchamp Racecourse were filled, everyone standing silently in solemn mourning.
They were bearing witness to the final rest of the Uma Musu who had just forged a legend—no, who had ushered in a new era.
Longchamp Racecourse had a tradition—indeed, many racetracks did—that victorious visiting Uma Musu could choose to be laid to rest near the finish line.
jiro Ramonu, looking utterly drained, finally agreed to this.
After all, wasn’t this what Ruka had fought so desperately for?
Nothing else mattered now. What mattered was that they were sending Ruka off on her final journey.
Everything else—all reckonings—would wait until afterward.
Ramonu thought this quietly as her fingertips gently brushed Twilight Song’s cheek, as though the fading warmth might still linger on her skin.
Yet beneath that gentle pressure, she felt only fragile bones.
Twilight Song had always seed delicate and soft—why had she never noticed this clearly before?
When had her feelings changed? Or rather, what had she felt when first eting Twilight Song?
Ramonu first encountered this little filly at the airport. As the eldest sister and heir apparent, naturally, she had been tasked with the pick-up.
She vividly rembered seeing that small figure struggling with a suitcase far too large for her. Ramonu had stepped forward imdiately, only receiving a grateful nod and a nervous tightening of fabric in response—not a single word spoken.
Back then, Ramonu had thought it was simply the unease and pain of adjusting to a new environnt. She could be patient.
But a week later at jiro Manor, despite her best efforts, she hadn’t managed to lt through her new sister’s barriers.
By the afternoon of the debut race, she had nearly resigned herself, even as she prepared for one last attempt.
Truthfully, if the filly had been gentle and accommodating from the start, Ramonu might have quickly lost interest.
But sohow, the stubborn little filly who could resist her charms for an entire week sparked an irresistible challenge.
That day, she’d finally succeeded—even if it was only for a fleeting mont.
From then on, Ramonu had kept trying, relentlessly chasing every tiny breakthrough...until today. Or rather, until a week ago, during that rainy afternoon when she had finally succeeded for real.
This final victory... Ramonu would have gladly traded away.
Stop deceiving yourself. You didn’t only watch over her out of duty as her elder sister, jiro Ramonu. From the very beginning, you had already liked her—the slender, silent filly filled with uncertainty and fear. That’s the true reason your heart aches so deeply now.
Stop lying to yourself—isn’t that what you’ve always told your sisters?
Stop lying to yourself!
Ramonu closed her eyes painfully, recalling again her final thoughts on that tragic day.
If there had been another chance, she would have kept Twilight Song safely at her side, far from any harm. But unfortunately, no such chance would ever co.
Thinking this, Ramonu looked at Twilight Song one last ti. The filly rested peacefully in her coffin, serene, as if at any mont she might sit up and ask, "I really did win the Arc, didn’t I?"
Ah, you really did. But you’re leaving us forever. I never taught you to be so selfish...
Ramonu clenched her fists helplessly, only to relax them again weakly. Finally, she gently placed her own coat over Twilight Song’s small body.
Ramonu-nee, I’m so cold...
Ah, soon Paris will have good weather. I’ll co visit you. Every year.
...
This year beca known as the "Year of Ruka." Everyone unanimously recognized that Twilight Song would occupy a unique place in Uma Musu history, a legend standing alone on her own page.
Longchamp Racecourse gained more than just a new grave mound—at the final corner of the straight stood a plaque:
[Twilight’s Swift Run in Rain and Mist.]
The day after Twilight Song’s burial, Arica’s Gotham Stakes announced they would upgrade to a G1 race and rena it the "Ruka Stakes," commorating this historic Uma Musu.
On the sa day, the Japanese URA Uma Musu Association announced official Twilight Song rchandise.
Unsurprisingly, this move sparked worldwide outrage from Uma Musu and fans alike, severely damaging URA’s international reputation.
That sa night, URA held a press conference, directly responding to the controversy.
They claid they could legally release official Twilight Song rchandise because they had concrete proof that Twilight Song had already decided to join Japan’s Tokyo Central Tracen Academy. She simply hadn’t publicly announced it yet.
Effectively, Twilight Song had declared herself a Japanese national.
Amid global controversy and disappointnt from international fans, the press conference proceeded as planned.
URA executives smugly filled Tokyo TV’s studio, with nearly all their top brass attending.
Even more painfully for fans and supporters, jiro Ramonu and jiro Ardan also appeared.
And Symboli Rudolf, though seemingly peripheral, sat conspicuously in the front row.
Of course, for a press conference, proof was necessary to confirm their claims—and that proof was...
Symboli Rudolf stepped onto the stage.
But before she could speak, jiro Ardan rose silently, staring sharply at Rudolf.
"I’m here today because URA invited to present evidence that Twilight Song belonged to Japan."
Rudolf took a deep breath. Indeed, the evidence existed. But...
To announce official rchandise just one day after the burial... Wasn’t that going too far?
Symboli Rudolf turned, facing away from the reporters, and leveled a cold, imperial glare at the self-righteous URA executives.
"Don’t expect the Emperor to help you cover up your hypocrisy. You are utterly despicable."
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