Before long, outside the lakeside path around Lake Okutama.
Whether the Association and the academy had coordinated beforehand, or whether it was for landscaping purposes, the path was a flat concrete surface, with equally level grass on both sides.
The hard concrete surface naturally allowed for faster running, but the grass was certainly closer to actual track conditions.
And so, on the grass outside the path, two figures were racing one behind the other.
In front was a girl with short black hair, dressed in Central Treisen Academy training clothes—Kitasan Black.
Behind her was the petite Horse Girl with long black hair, also dressed in training clothes—Rice Shower.
From where they stood at the temporary starting point, it was obvious that Kitasan Black cared greatly about the senior following behind her. Every few dozen meters, or perhaps every hundred meters, she would glance back.
Rice Shower, behind her, was completely focused. Her purple eyes remained fixed on the figure ahead from beginning to end, as though glued there.
Watching the pair run, Anjing Zhen nodded slightly and scribbled notes on the tablet in his hand.
"Rice Shower's ability to mark someone closely... really is impressive," he murmured unconsciously as he wrote.
Silent Suzuka, standing beside him and watching the grassy course, nodded as well.
"Mm. Rice Shower's running style... is defined by extreme focus.
"This... is actually rare. The race environment is so complicated that it's easy to lose concentration if you aren't careful. To stay locked on to that extent...
"Probably only Rice Shower can do it... Ah, I mean among the Horse Girls I know."
At that, Anjing Zhen fell into thought.
Just as Silent Suzuka had said, during an actual race, an opponent's movements, the feel of the track, the lighting, the spectators' cheers...
There were many