My sister, jiro Ramonu.
Honestly, when Gotham Song heard that na, she felt genuinely shocked.
After everything Neo Universe had said, she inevitably wondered what might happen when she finally t jiro Ramonu.
And just as inevitably, her dayti thoughts turned into nightti dreams.
Though she was pretty sure most of those dreams wouldn’t co true—after all, she still didn’t know what jiro Ramonu was actually like now.
But none of this stopped Gotham Song from feeling a subtle sense of... well, anxiety?
Maybe even fear.
"Can I ask why you chose specifically?"
Why Gotham Song? Ardan herself wasn’t entirely sure. Perhaps because Gotham Song resembled Twilight Song so closely?
But the bigger reason was probably intuition.
Ardan felt she should keep Gotham Song close, ensuring history wouldn’t repeat itself as it had with Twilight Song.
Driven by that thought, she had even quietly requested Gotham Song’s dical records from enrollnt exams and post-race checkups.
Thankfully, Gotham Song was healthy—so healthy that it was reassuring.
Of course, intuition wasn’t her only reason.
The resemblance between Gotham Song and Twilight Song was too striking. If Gotham suddenly appeared in jiro Ramonu’s line of sight, who knows if her currently fragile sister might lose control?
But if Ardan herself introduced Gotham Song to her sister, the situation might remain more manageable.
Simply put, Ardan believed that introducing Gotham Song under controlled circumstances now was far safer than a chance encounter later on.
"I suppose... I just felt you’d be the best company, Song. It’s been a long ti since I’ve t with Ramonu-neesan."
Inviting a stranger because you haven’t seen your sister in a while? Ardan-san, when did we get so close?
Gotham Song’s thoughts raced quickly. She stayed calm, carefully considering whether agreeing to this was a wise idea.
But the more she thought about it, the less dangerous it seed.
Aside from Ardan-san being with her, the most important factor was—
Neo Universe hadn’t warned her to refuse.
Neo Universe had even reminded her about trivial things like her hair before the morning jog. If today’s invitation was truly dangerous, Neo Universe surely would have said sothing already.
That was the main reason Gotham Song felt confident enough to make her next decision.
It’s great to have a veteran player guiding .
"Alright, Ardan-san. It should be fine. Send the address, and we’ll et there."
Ardan smiled gently, relieved, reaching out to softly stroke the younger girl’s hair.
Just as cute and gentle as Twilight Song—and they look so similar, too.
Ardan wore a strange, bittersweet smile she herself wasn’t even aware of, unnoticed by Gotham Song, who had lowered her head slightly.
"I’ll text you the location. Don’t be too nervous—it’s just accompanying , nothing more."
Gotham Song nodded, then suddenly rembered another important detail:
"Wait, it’s not at jiro Manor, right?"
...
"You an...you actually agreed to et jiro Ramonu together with jiro Ardan?"
Neo Universe returned to their dorm, stunned by the words she heard from Gotham Song, who was calmly reading in her chair.
Sothing had definitely gone terribly wrong here...
"Yes... Was I not supposed to?"
Turning around, Gotham Song, for the first ti, saw confusion and uncertainty flicker across Neo Universe’s normally composed face.
"I... I don’t know."
Wait, Neo Universe doesn’t know...? Gotham Song felt a chill run down her spine. But before she could think further, Neo Universe leaned weakly against the wall, pressing her hand against her temple, a pained look crossing her face.
"Neo Universe?! Are you alright?"
Quickly, Gotham Song embraced the blonde-haired Uma Musu, gently soothing her.
"I’m sorry, Song... I—I can’t give you an answer for this one."
Can’t give an answer...
Gotham Song imdiately realized what Neo Universe ant.
All of Neo Universe’s vast knowledge ca from experiences across countless parallel worlds. In other words, she wasn’t omniscient—she’d simply lived through nurous possibilities.
But—could a single existence truly exhaust all infinite possibilities?
Gotham Song had already pondered this before, and now she had her answer.
Neo Universe’s inability to respond told her all she needed to know.
This invitation was sothing Neo Universe was encountering for the very first ti among countless parallel worlds.
In other words, Neo Universe couldn’t step ahead this ti and provide Gotham Song with certain guidance.
Previously, this had only been a theoretical thought—but now, seeing Neo Universe curled up in frustration, uncertainty, and a hint of fear, Gotham Song found herself becoming surprisingly calm.
Blaming Neo Universe? Only a total scumbag would think like that. Instead, Gotham Song gently comforted the Uma Musu in her arms, patiently waiting until she relaxed again.
"I’m sorry, Song... The universe is too vast, after all. I still haven’t seen every possibility. This ti, I may not be able to help you."
"It’s alright, Neo Universe. You’ve already helped so much. But can you at least tell if there are any common patterns from when you’ve encountered jiro Ramonu in other worlds?"
Neo Universe nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts.
"Usually, there are two possibilities for jiro Ramonu. One is that she’s suffered trauma and amnesia, forgetting everything. That’s the most dangerous version, because when she ets you, her mories suddenly awaken, and she imdiately tries to drag you back to jiro Manor."
"The other possibility is that Ramonu becos cold and withdrawn, burying all her emotions deep within. Twilight Song’s existence becos a forbidden subject locked away in her heart. Yet despite this, she remains convinced that Twilight Song has reincarnated, and searches constantly for this hypothetical rebirth."
"In other worlds, if you et the first kind of jiro Ramonu, nearly every ti, you’re forcibly taken to jiro Manor. The second type is gentler—she attempts persuasion first, and resorts to force only after repeated failures."
Hearing all of this, Gotham Song’s mouth twitched slightly.
Ramonu-neesan... It’s not that I don’t want to see you—I really do—but you’re genuinely scary right now...
"So, Song... What will you do?"
What will I do...? Truthfully, Gotham Song already had an excellent idea. Though things were urgent, she realized sothing important—
jiro Ardan never said Gotham Song couldn’t bring soone else along.
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