"Gotham Song’s destined rival—Miss Tokai Teio!"
Destined rival? Mine? You scheming producers—you set up!
Gotham Song felt her world collapse around her yet again.
How to describe her current mood?
Simply put—
Tokai Teio, don’t co any closer!
Yet, under Gotham Song’s despairing gaze, Tokai Teio stepped into view. She wore a cute, casual outfit that accentuated her slender legs and soft, round shoulders. With a cheerful grin, she approached intimately, ignoring the plentiful seating and deliberately settling right beside Gotham Song, their thighs nearly touching.
Why here?! There’s plenty of space over there!
Flas roared furiously in Gotham Song’s heart, though she maintained a carefully controlled, polite smile outwardly.
How could she put this feeling into words?
I want to die. I want to go back to the Afterlife already.
Thankfully, Tokai Teio rely sat next to her and didn’t do anything more embarrassing. Perhaps she just wanted to be near soone she knew.
"Let’s warmly welco Miss Tokai Teio! My, you two seem to have quite a good relationship!"
Clearly, this hadn’t been scripted in advance. Even the host briefly froze before smoothly recovering her composure.
"Eh... How should I put it? Song and I knew each other before this! We even train together every morning, isn’t that right, Song?"
"Y-Yes, that’s right... Teio is very good at making friends."
So you were planning this from the start—weren’t you, Tokai Teio?!
"So, what kind of bond brought you two together today—or rather, made you destined rivals?"
Why does it feel like she’s talking about sothing much weirder than being rivals?
"Brought us together today?" Isn’t that phrasing more suitable for successfully holding hands or sothing? Isn’t this getting weird?
"Hmm... the reason Song and I beca rivals... Should Teio-sama explain?"
Yes, please do. What exactly led to this anyway?
"Actually, we first t thanks to Prez—I an, President Rudolf! At that ti, Song was also an Uma Musu highly praised by Prez."
Tokai Teio smiled brilliantly, her expression innocent and sweet. Yet, strangely, Gotham Song felt sothing dangerously unsettling beneath that bright surface.
Why does she feel so intimidating suddenly?
"At that ti, Teio-sama was extrely curious. I wanted to know how strong this other Uma Musu praised by Prez could be."
And also, I was jealous that Prez had noticed soone other than ... Teehee.
"So naturally, Teio-sama challenged Song! And during our competitions, our relationship gradually deepened, until—"
Suddenly, Tokai Teio rose from her seat, staring seriously at the cara, declaring with absolute conviction:
"And then, through our bond, Teio-sama confird one thing for certain—Gotham Song is the most important person in my life, and she will be Teio-sama’s lifelong rival."
Gotham Song had no idea what expression she was currently wearing. Surely, it had to be spectacularly complex?
But it seed the best was yet to co.
Tokai Teio turned again, looking earnestly into Gotham Song’s eyes, making her ultimate declaration:
"I won’t let you escape from my sight, Song. So—beco my rival."
Beco the most important person in my life.
Eh...? Eh?! Is—Is this even right?
Sweat began streaming down Gotham Song’s back. She felt the place she stood in shouldn’t be a TV studio, nor should they both be dressed casually like this—
How to say it?
[Bride, do you take her as your beloved...?]
Absolutely not, you old ghost! Don’t scare out of nowhere like that!
Gotham Song desperately wanted to refuse. No one, at least no one sane, should casually promise a lifeti commitnt to anyone. Such words carried trendous weight and required utmost seriousness.
But—but could she really refuse now? Could anyone, anyone at all, turn down Tokai Teio when she wore such an earnest expression?
Absolutely no one.
Only now did Gotham Song realize sothing absurd—the world’s collapse wasn’t limited to just jiro Manor. Perhaps Tokai Teio truly was dangerously possessive, genuinely fixated on her as a goal.
Ugh... Is it too late to retreat back to the Afterlife? But—I promised Neo Universe...
Neo Universe, you definitely saw this coming, didn’t you?!
[Isn’t this actually fine? There’s no harm in accepting—after all, that little filly could never catch up to you anyway.]
But...
Facing Tokai Teio’s glittering eyes, Gotham Song simply couldn’t muster any words of refusal.
Yes, Sunday Silence was right. It would be wrong to reject her. Becoming rivals wasn’t such a terrible thing after all...
[Didn’t that golden-haired filly say it too? Your rivals aren’t limited to just her. In other words, is what you’re afraid of really that frightening?]
Sunday Silence’s arms gently wrapped around Gotham Song from behind, whispering softly, unusually tender:
[You only need to run faster than anyone else. You just have to stay out of everyone’s reach. Have you forgotten, Song? You’re the Caesar who once stood tall in the pouring rain.]
[Or would Caesar choose to run away?]
Of course not.
Gotham Song took a deep breath, steadying herself. How could she possibly say no now?
Even if she could, she would never accept herself like that.
"Fine. But you’d better watch yourself, Tokai Teio."
"Can you really keep up with my pace?"
Rising from her seat, Gotham Song suddenly flashed a sharp, confident grin.
Since cowardly rejecting this rivalry was impossible, she’d settle it another way.
Tokai Teio, can you truly defeat ? If you have the resolve, then by all ans, try.
If you dare, let’s fight until the bitter end.
A familiar fire surged through her veins. Gotham Song clenched her fists, turning confidently to face the host.
"It seems Teio has spoken plenty today, so let just say one thing clearly."
Indeed, just one phrase to declare what Gotham Song intended to do from here onward.
Her Classic year was just around the corner.
"Crossing the ocean to Tokyo, I honestly ca here for only one thing."
At least for now, she had just one goal in sight.
There are many who slandered , right?
Many who look down on , right?
Countless who refuse to acknowledge the na Twilight Song?
That’s fine. I’ve co to find you.
"I ca to Japan to win, to seize victory—"
And to crush anyone who dares stand against beneath my feet.
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