Gotham Song had no way of knowing how that little filly overseas was feeling—after all, she'd simply replied to Van Gogh's message after waking up the next day.
Of course, she'd been closely following Van Gogh, Haya of Stars, and Treve's races all along. Even though she couldn't personally attend—
She had far too many responsibilities that required her direct involvement. Still, whenever she had a chance, she'd watch their races live; if not, she'd always check the results as soon as she could.
Incidentally, both Haya of Stars and Treve had hinted at wanting to join Eternal Beat at one point.
However!
Treve was ruthlessly shut down by Found, who'd said something along the lines of, "Do you really think I'm inferior to Gotham Song when it comes to coaching?"
With an argument like that, Treve had absolutely no room to refuse.
As for Haya of Stars… Gotham Song chose to play dumb and pretend she didn't catch the implication.
Well, that wasn't exactly by choice…
After all, Gotham Song already had a particularly troublesome Umamusume stationed far away.
Normally, Gotham Song preferred hands-on coaching—keeping her team close by. Early on, she'd seriously considered having Flightline stay in Japan and manage her career locally. Maybe she could've treated her as another overseas expedition member attached to her team?
But that experiment had ended in total failure.
Flightline was certainly competitive on turf, but compared to the dominant legacy she could build on dirt tracks, her grass-running potential paled in comparison.
With such incredible talent and limitless possibilities awaiting her in America, staying on Japan's humble turf circuit felt like a pointless punishment. Gotham Song had probably thought along those lines when she decided to send Flightline to America, trusting the young filly's disciplined self-control.
Flightline hadn't disappointed her, but even that had been a stretch against Gotham Song's usual preferences.
So, it wasn't as if Gotham Song thought Haya of Stars couldn't fit into her team, it was simply that…
Star-chan, you came too late!
Had Haya of Stars joined earlier, it might've been Flightline who'd lost her chance to join.
Still, Haya of Stars was hardly lacking in top-tier resources. Gotham Song might've considered herself the strongest Umamusume alive, but she never claimed to be the best Trainer. At most, she thought herself exceptionally skilled, not the absolute pinnacle.
Especially in Europe, where trainers had fostered talents like Dancing Brave and even experienced tactical breakthroughs thanks to her influence. The tactical scene there had always been strong and was now flourishing, propelled by Gotham Song's fame.
Her intuitive approach felt insignificant when weighed against the collective strategic genius of Europe's best minds.
Realistically, Gotham Song had never once thought her tactical prowess alone could rival the combined insights of so many experts.
She'd simply recognized this earlier than most, and her Umamusume were sharper and more disciplined in execution.
When more trainers adopted these strategies and Umamusume approached racing more analytically, perhaps her own tactical edge would vanish completely?
But that didn't bother her at all.
After all, strategy only existed to defeat opponents stronger than yourself. If your sheer strength allowed you to crush the field without relying on strategy, then wasn't it enough just to sprint forward with pure determination?
That was precisely why Gotham Song wouldn't have prepared so many elaborate strategies for Gentildonna if Almond Eye hadn't appeared. In this current era—the era Gentildonna raced in—the rivals she'd face on the road to the Triple Tiara simply weren't strong enough to warrant serious attention.
As a stamina monster, Gentildonna's only flaw was being slightly slower compared to the likes of Almond Eye.
Slightly slower than Almond Eye—but did that mean she was slower than other Umamusume?
What a joke. Did people really think fillies of Almond Eye's caliber grew on trees?
At that thought, Gotham Song heaved a long, helpless sigh.
Talent. For an Umamusume, it was a cruel yet inescapable word…
Those gifted fillies—like Almond Eye, Gentildonna, and maybe, at a stretch, Verxina at the Oaks—once they set foot on the track, the outcome was almost predetermined. Meanwhile, those without talent…
Years later, when people recalled this year's Oaks, only Almond Eye and Gentildonna would be remembered. The rest would simply fade into obscurity.
Such cruelty and helplessness.
Gotham Song recalled her experiences in America, the stories Seabiscuit and Secretariat had shared about the ordinary American Umamusume—those who pushed themselves to borderline self-harm, desperately chasing after fillies who were simply born more gifted.
There were those who refused to give more and instead sought shortcuts, but far more were those poor, stubborn girls who refused to bow to reality…
Gotham Song's American chapter had long since closed, yet only her own involvement had ended. She still closely followed news from there.
As expected, she frequently came across inconspicuous headlines buried deep in obscure corners:
"An Umamusume, owing to lingering injuries from her youth, passed away."
How could Umamusume sustain injuries so severe they'd threaten their lives later on? Under the gaze of the Three Goddesses, that was impossible—unless, perhaps, it was something exclusive to America?
Surely, it wasn't that the Goddesses simply turned a blind eye to America?
Gotham Song understood perfectly well the true reason behind these deaths.
Those fillies had sacrificed their future chasing after unreachable talent. Now, their past decisions caught up to them like arrows shot through time, striking fatally when least expected.
The path they chose really was cruel…
Thinking this, Gotham Song sank into a deep melancholy. If one aspired to be stronger, faster, and better than everyone else, the world of racing was equally—no, perhaps even more—merciless.
She lightly slapped her cheeks, pushing these troubled thoughts away as she got up from sitting on Neo Universe.
She'd wrestled with these thoughts countless times before—Seabiscuit, Secretariat, even Symboli Rudolf all felt the same helplessness.
No matter how influential or powerful you were, flesh and blood were helpless before the iron laws of talent. Perhaps only the Three Goddesses could solve such problems.
But then, why would they?
If they'd wanted it solved, perhaps the issue would never have existed in the first place.
Having composed herself, Gotham Song finally stood up from Neo Universe's waist, washed briefly, replied to Van Gogh's message, and began heading downstairs.
But as her footsteps reached the staircase, she noticed someone unexpected waiting anxiously by the door—someone who'd clearly been there for quite a while.
Was that…Vivlos?
Vivlos—the little filly she'd met at the Dubai World Cup. She was Verxina's younger sister, and aside from Almond Eye, probably Gentildonna's greatest rival on the track.
Come to think of it, they hadn't seen each other since Dubai. They'd exchanged occasional messages, but the last had been ages ago.
For Vivlos to suddenly appear like this…was something wrong?
Although puzzled, Gotham Song approached, meeting the filly's deeply worried gaze.
"What's wrong, Vivlos?"
"Oh—Song-neesan… Please, can you help my sister? I'll do anything, anything!"
Help Vivlos's sister?
Gotham Song blinked, momentarily confused. The sudden plea caught her completely off guard.
Vivlos's sister…
Vivlos was actually the third daughter, meaning she had two older sisters. The sister needing help at this point must be…
Gotham Song suddenly had a bad feeling. Why did this scenario feel suspiciously familiar?
Last time, it had been Haya City begging her to assist Haya of Stars, and now Vivlos was pleading for her to help Verxina?
Hmm… this was certainly a situation worth pausing over. What exactly was going on?
"Vivlos? Calm down, let's sit first. I'll help you, promise. So, tell me clearly, what's happening?"
"Ah, right. It's just…after the Oaks, my sister hasn't been herself."
Actually, Verxina had seemed down ever since the Oka Sho, but she'd grown particularly despondent since the Oaks ended, remaining depressed for days.
Vivlos could sense her sister's pain but didn't know how to help. Desperate, she'd turned to Gotham Song—her reliable senior—for advice.
She had no choice. Although their family wasn't lacking in resources, Halwa Sweet hadn't exactly been a successful Umamusume herself. Verxina's running had always depended on other trainers and Umamusume; she never even had a dedicated Trainer.
Vivlos had quietly watched her sister struggle.
She might've been young, but she wasn't naïve—she knew Verxina had already reached her limits trying to run alone. She couldn't let her sister suffer like this anymore!
Offering and accepting help was the elegance of nobility; recognizing when family needed assistance was noble wisdom. Driven by this belief, Vivlos had boldly come to school, determinedly seeking Gotham Song's aid.
Listening carefully, Gotham Song quickly grasped Verxina's situation.
It was simple: hadn't Almond Eye needed help to overcome her slump after the Oaks? And now, naturally, it was Verxina's turn.
Almond Eye's self-doubt stemmed from her shattered pride as a genius. Verxina, meanwhile, had been dealt crushing blow after blow, destroying her confidence.
Entirely understandable…
Really, ever since Gentildonna's debut, every rival sharing the stage with her seemed destined for despair.
Gotham Song's protégée was just that overwhelmingly strong.
Shaking her head, Gotham Song made up her mind easily. She had to intervene—for Verxina's sake, as a senior, a Trainer, and as Vivlos's trusted mentor.
"All right, Vivlos. Don't worry. Let's go right now—and bring Verxina back to herself!"