Kagura didn't quite understand what Eclipse meant, but at least she understood that a Uma Musume's nature was to love running—even Eclipse was no exception.
Compared to the other Uma Musume, I seem kind of unmotivated. Will I look like a misfit?
—Silly child, why worry about that? Human personalities come in all kinds, and there are Uma Musume who don't like running. No one will think you're strange because of that.
After Eclipse's words disappeared from the phone screen, Kagura felt someone gently patting her head. It seemed Eclipse really enjoyed the process of petting a child.
"Hey! Kagura, you're up early! I was about to call you, but I couldn't find you in your room."
Just as Kagura began warming up, Sirius Symbol arrived at the Symbol family's training grounds.
"You're already warming up? Wait for me! I'll join you!"
"It's fine. I only just started too. Young Miss, are you sure it's okay to run without eating anything? What if you get hypoglycemia or something?"
"Don't worry, my body's in perfect condition! I've been looking forward to this all night. I was excited as soon as I woke up. I didn't expect you to get up so early too. Great!"
Watching Sirius Symbol perform broad, energetic stretches beside her, Kagura scratched her hair. They had both come from the Symbol family, so why did Rudolph Symbol and Sirius Symbol feel like complete opposites?
Could it be because she spent so long abroad?
68. Sirius Symbol Followed You.jpg
At the starting line, Kagura could feel that Sirius Symbol had a more vigorous fighting spirit and a stronger pressure to win than Rudolph Symbol. But after running against Rudolph Symbol so many times, Kagura had already grown used to that kind of pressure, so she didn't find it especially troublesome.
"Lately, whenever I contacted Rudolph, she kept praising this amazing supporter she'd recently acquired. After watching your race against that little girl from the Mejiro family, I finally understood why she thought so highly of you."
"Er... Young Miss described me that way to you?"
"Of course! She looked so pleased with herself, almost like she was showing off! It made me eager to see you too. There happened to be a banquet at the Mejiro family's place, so I took the opportunity to return home and meet you."
Sirius Symbol stretched as she answered Kagura.
Kagura had originally wanted to carry over the starting gate from the grass, but Sirius Symbol said she hated entering gates, so they ultimately decided to start without one.
"By the way, which of you two young misses is older?"
"She's a little older than me. If you want to call me something, just call me Sirius. Don't add those strange honorifics. I'm not the sort of person who cares about that."
"Even so, I can't just call you whatever I want. I understand, Second Young Miss. I'll address you that way from now on?"
"Hah! Call me whatever you like! Warm up properly. Don't disappoint me!"
Sirius Symbol's warm, boisterous voice was completely different from Rudolph Symbol's usual gentleness. It was so passionate and uninhibited that it reminded Kagura of several northern classmates she had known at school. The feeling was very similar—passionate, unrestrained, and unconventional.
"Morning, Kagura. And Sirius. I heard you two were going to race?"
Just as the two were preparing, Speed Symbol appeared on the training ground. Kagura didn't know when she had gotten up, but several maids were cautiously following behind her to watch.
Kagura stared at Sirius Symbol in shock. This early in the morning, no trainer would naturally be at the training grounds. Sirius Symbol had said she wanted a referee, and somehow she had summoned Speed Symbol. Kagura had no idea how she had managed to get the older woman out of bed.
"I don't want to miss a single race involving my children, so naturally I came."
Speed Symbol's reason was as simple as ever. Of course, the children she mentioned included Kagura. Although Kagura wasn't a member of the Symbol family, Speed Symbol had long since treated her as one of her own.
"Are you two warmed up?"
"Of course! I'm dying to start!"
Sirius Symbol looked full of fighting spirit, while Kagura, who had already finished warming up, answered calmly.
"Good... Sirius, are you really sure you don't want to use the gates?"
"No need! A start is a start. What difference does it make where we begin? Why start in such a ridiculously narrow space?"
"All right..."
Speed Symbol helplessly shook her head. She knew all about Sirius Symbol's old habit. Even now, she still refused to start from the gates. The trainer who had trained her abroad had nearly gone insane over it. What would happen after her debut? Speed Symbol had hoped she might race overseas someday, but how could she do that if she couldn't even enter a gate?
Why does my family always produce so many problem children? It's not as if I have a bad temper.
Ever since Inari Kagura had joined the household, Speed Symbol had asked herself that question more than once. She envied Old Mejiro, whose young misses were all gentle and quiet. The girls in her own family were all hot-tempered troublemakers. Rudolph Symbol and Sirius were each more headache-inducing than the last. The only even-tempered one, Kagura, wasn't related to her by blood.
"The weather is clear. Two thousand meters. Track condition: good. Clockwise course..."
Seeing that both runners were ready, Speed Symbol walked to the edge of the track and began announcing the race conditions.
More and more maids gathered around to watch. Speed Symbol's notice had attracted plenty of curious spectators. After all, one runner was the maids' beloved Inari Kagura, while the other was Second Young Miss Sirius Symbol. Whatever else could be said about the race, it was guaranteed to be entertaining.
Kagura leaned forward slightly and took her starting stance. She couldn't tell what tactic Sirius Symbol intended to use, and she knew nothing about her habits. That made her choice simple—she would lead from the start. Over two thousand meters, if Sirius Symbol could catch her while she ran all-out, then Kagura wouldn't have any chance of winning by running from behind.
"Ready—go!"
At Speed Symbol's command, Sirius Symbol shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. Kagura was still half a beat slow as usual, but compared to before, her delayed starts had improved tremendously. Speed Symbol could tell that Kagura was working hard to correct the problem.
Kagura had already faced experts many times over two thousand meters. She had never beaten Maruzensky or Rudolph Symbol, always losing by one or two lengths, but those races had taught her more clearly how to run faster.
—You can't run using human common sense. Humans instinctively conserve their strength, but a race isn't the time to hold back. You have to gradually discard the athletic instincts you learned as a human before your speed can improve further.
Those were Eclipse's words during training, and Kagura had always remembered them. She couldn't change all at once, but as she gained more practical experience, her speed really had begun to increase little by little.
This child is even faster than before... and she hasn't even fully developed yet. Tsk, what a monstrous genius.
Speed Symbol could naturally see Kagura's improvement. Within seconds, Kagura had reclaimed the lead. Sirius Symbol, meanwhile, followed the running style she used in daily training: she stayed behind to observe and conserve her stamina while controlling her speed to avoid falling too far back.
But she soon realized that tactic wasn't practical in this race. Kagura's speed was simply too abnormal. If Sirius Symbol ran at a pace designed to conserve stamina, she would be left far behind before long. She now understood why the stamina-focused little Uma Musume from the Mejiro family had ultimately been dragged to exhaustion by Kagura.
"Interesting... This maid is really interesting!"
Sirius Symbol immediately decided to accelerate. Her past experience told her that two thousand meters was already a somewhat dangerous distance for her. If she accelerated recklessly now, she might lose speed on the final straight. But Kagura had no such concern. Her stamina was genuinely sufficient to carry her through two thousand meters with such a brutal strategy.
"Wow... Little Kagura is so fast! Wearing a maid outfit doesn't seem to affect her running at all... It makes me want to run too!"
"Forget it. You're so clumsy that I'm afraid you'd fall if you went out there."
The Head Maid lightly tapped the chattering maid beside her. As she watched Kagura race across the track, she too felt the urge to run, but quickly suppressed it. She couldn't help sighing with emotion. Kagura had changed so much over the past few months that it felt almost unreal.
Kagura, racing ahead, had no intention of worrying about any of that. She noticed the distance between herself and Sirius Symbol shrinking, but she still had no intention of accelerating into a sprint yet.
The race was now more than halfway over, and she had just come out of the second turn. With her stamina, she could increase her speed and charge all the way to the finish, but she chose to play it safe instead of rushing.
"This is really fun, Inari Kagura..."
Sirius Symbol's desire to compete had been completely ignited. She no longer cared much about managing her stamina. She continued gradually increasing her speed and closing the distance, with only one voice repeating in her mind—
—Catch her! Pass her!
The distance between Sirius Symbol and Inari Kagura had shrunk to two lengths. Kagura looked close enough to touch. As Sirius Symbol watched Kagura's back while she ran, her interest in the little Uma Musume grew stronger and stronger.
Speed Symbol had already reached the finish line. Watching the distance between the two runners grow shorter as they approached the final turn and prepared to enter the final straight, she silently applauded Sirius Symbol while looking forward to seeing whether Kagura would surprise her again.
"Second Young Miss... pardon me!"
As she ran, Sirius Symbol suddenly heard Kagura say something softly ahead of her. Before she could react, Kagura lowered her stance and sharply increased her speed again. Only then did Sirius Symbol realize that after the next turn came the final straight. Kagura had apparently chosen this moment to begin her final sprint.
Determined to catch Kagura, Sirius Symbol decisively released the rest of her stamina and accelerated with all her might until she reached Kagura's rear. Kagura was only slightly faster than her. The difference between them was tiny, but Kagura remained in the lead.
Her burst speed has improved too. Kagura's stamina is still terrifying... If she had started sprinting earlier, would Sirius have been left even farther behind?
There was very little distance left. Speed Symbol could already tell how the race would end. Sirius Symbol no longer had the strength to close the gap, even though she was only two lengths behind Kagura.
"Across the finish line! Kagura wins by a narrow margin!"
The instant Kagura crossed the finish line, Speed Symbol declared the race over. Although the lead had been small, Kagura had truly defeated the talented Sirius Symbol.
"Huff... huff... Kagura! You really are interesting!"
Sirius Symbol walked over and patted Kagura on the shoulder. She showed no sign of disappointment at losing. Instead, she looked completely exhilarated.
"You were amazing, Second Young Miss. I could feel your heat chasing me from behind."
"Haha! A loss is a loss. There's no need to explain it. No wonder Rudolph is so interested in you! You really do have strength worthy of praise!"
"Sirius, Kagura, you can chat later. You both pushed yourselves so hard. Come back and get a massage!"
Speed Symbol's voice interrupted their conversation. Sirius Symbol glanced toward Speed Symbol, then turned back to Kagura with a smile and raised a clenched fist toward her.
"I'm glad I got to run alongside you, Kagura. It's been a long time since I've run that exhilaratingly!"
"Likewise. I'm glad I could run alongside you, Second Young Miss."
Kagura understood and raised her own fist, lightly bumping it against Sirius Symbol's.
69. The Gate to a New World
Sirius Symbol's whereabouts remained impossible to predict. After running alongside Kagura and getting a massage that morning, she went out alone as usual, and no one in the household knew where she had gone.
So Kagura spent the entire day wandering aimlessly around the Symbol family's home. Speed Symbol, who had always opposed children lazing around, surprisingly said nothing this time and even looked delighted. Every so often, she would sneak to a corner where she thought Kagura couldn't see her and watch Kagura resting from afar before returning to her work. The household maids were amazed by the sight.
As for Kagura, she had noticed Speed Symbol's clumsy peeking long ago. She had no intention of exposing her. It wasn't a bad thing, after all. What concerned her more was the schedule she had received that day for Rudolph Symbol's next race.
As expected, Toujou Hana, who always put her student's health first, had chosen a public race later this month. She was now asking Kagura for her final opinion. Once Kagura agreed, Rudolph Symbol's schedule would be confirmed, and Toujou Hana would publish it.
—If it were me, I'd take down that Asahi-whatever race and the Hopeful Stakes afterward too. That's what a powerhouse ruling her era should do!
Miss Eclipse, races aren't child's play... She only debuted this year, and she'd be running two G1 races so close together. Even with Young Miss's talent, that would be a heavy burden!
—Heh heh... Maybe she can't do it, but my expectations for you are at least that high. Remember that.
What!? How can you say that? If even Young Miss can't do it, then I... I can't either!
—I never say things carelessly, silly child. You have this potential, which is why I'm willing to guarantee it to you. If you're worried, then don't slack off in your training. Your talent is unrivaled. As long as you're willing to invest the time and effort, it will definitely answer you.
Kagura felt Eclipse stroke her head. It seemed Eclipse had tremendous confidence in her.
So far, Kagura showed no signs of fully developing, and she had no intention of debuting in such a hurry. Although Eclipse had given her the task of winning races, Eclipse herself wasn't rushing her onto the track. Kagura hadn't considered the matter for now. She felt it was best to let nature take its course.
After Rudolph Symbol's schedule was published, many Uma Musume who had heard about her terrifying strength chose to avoid the race. The mainstream opinion online had been that Rudolph Symbol would compete for the championship at the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. The Uma Musume who entered public races had done so precisely because they didn't want to encounter Rudolph Symbol. Now that Rudolph Symbol had followed them there, they naturally chose to avoid a hopeless contest.
To be honest, in a sense, I kind of hated Rudolph Symbol. The Uma Musume in her generation were destined to come away empty-handed.
Aside from the Uma Musume's complaints, Kagura also saw similar remarks on the anonymous Tracen Academy forum Toujou Hana had sent her that day. Most of the people who truly understood how terrifying Rudolph Symbol was were concentrated among trainers and within Tracen Academy. Their evaluations were all extremely high.
The strongest Uma Musume, backed by the Central area's finest Logistics Uma Musume, with one of Tracen Academy's top trainers as well—just looking at that was enough to make people despair!
"The finest..."
Kagura now understood where Nanban's nickname for her had come from. This forum was responsible for at least eighty percent of it.
After digging deeper into the strange forum, Kagura discovered a section that required a student account to log in. She used her student ID to register and entered.
It looks pretty normal...
After entering, Kagura skimmed through the posts. Unlike the public section above, the posts here were clearly made by students. There didn't seem to be anything outrageous, and it appeared to be a proper mutual-help forum.
Urgent! My trainer never understands my hints. Is there a senior who can teach me what to do?
"?"
*—?*
A question mark appeared above Kagura and Eclipse's heads at the same time. Kagura had just thought this was a serious mutual-help forum.
Because the section also allowed anonymous posts, strange-looking messages like this were usually posted anonymously. Kagura had no way of knowing who had written it, but she could see other Uma Musume seriously offering advice on how to win over their own dense trainers.
You trainers are only doing what's best for you! Don't think about this sort of thing during a race!
Kagura grumbled inwardly with a face full of black lines. The trainers worked overtime every day to handle competitions for these little tyrants, while the Uma Musume were thinking about how to push their trainers down...
—Isn't that great, though?
What do you mean, "great"!?
Kagura closed the post and scrolled down again. She found another post from several days ago that caught her attention.
Help! Does anyone in the Logistics department have Inari Kagura's contact information?
This post was anonymous too, but the title still made Kagura click into it.
My midterms are coming up. I haven't paid attention in class at all, and I'm terrified I'll fail! I want to ask Kagura for tutoring. Students in the Logistics department, please save me! If I fail again, I'll have failed three subjects in a row! I don't want to retake every class!
...I don't guarantee passing.
The post's detailed content radiated desperation. It was clear the original poster was extremely eager to find Kagura and get her help with studying.
I suggest you start reviewing seriously now. Inari Kagura is a top student who's allowed to skip lectures. She also has work to do, so she's rarely seen in class and doesn't talk much. It's even harder to find her. She seems difficult to approach.
Kagura isn't that difficult to approach, is she? I asked her for help before, and she gave me a complete set of notes! I spent half a day reading them and easily scored over eighty on the midterm!
Could the person above photocopy those notes for me? Please! I'll do anything!
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