"So, little miss, you mentioned nobody here dares to run with you. What's that all about?"
As she watched Tokai Teio warming up, Kagura casually asked the question that had been nagging her.
"I don't really know… Seems like after running with me once, they never want to race me again."
"Oh… have you ever lost, little miss?"
"No way! Teio-sama would never lose!"
Seeing the little girl's confident and proud expression, Kagura didn't doubt her boasting. She could already guess why no one here was willing to race Teio. Nice Nature had mentioned this little prodigy recently—seemed her evaluation wasn't wrong.
——Be careful when racing against kids. Rein it in a bit; don't get too carried away like last time when you made the Mejiro family's Ojou-sama cry. Did you bring snacks this time?
Who'd bring snacks for a morning jog…?
——Exactly. There's no kitchen here either, so if you make this kid cry, you won't be able to cheer her up. Anyway, it's not a real race, so just hold back.
It seemed the previous incident with Mejiro McQueen had given Eclipse-san a strange sense of vigilance; she, who'd never previously held back against anyone, was now reminding Kagura to control herself.
Kagura put her phone away and saw Tokai Teio had finished warming up, now pestering her mother to act as referee. The young-looking mother responded patiently, occasionally casting apologetic smiles Kagura's way. Kagura simply returned the smile, indicating she didn't mind running with the child at all.
"Goodness… this child really… Kagura-chan, are you ready?"
"Anytime."
"Then… one lap around the park path should be about 2000 meters? Kagura-chan, is that fine with you?"
"Sure, as long as Teio-chan's alright."
Kagura nodded. For her, 2000 meters was trivial. If not for the need to hold back, she could easily execute a daitō (runaway), but once she started that, she'd inevitably lose control of her speed—who knows what trouble that might cause. After all, this was just a friendly run against a child younger than herself; Kagura had no intention of losing.
She ultimately chose to race from behind. According to Gold Ship's advice, racing from behind was perfect for slacking off—speeding up whenever you wanted to pass, or staying leisurely behind. It was the ideal position.
After confirming the details, Tokai Shizen stepped onto the path as well, apparently intending to run alongside her daughter.
"The finish line will be the bench over there with the bags on it, okay? Track condition… concrete pavement? Distance 2000 meters, weather clear, track condition good… clockwise or counter-clockwise… doesn't really matter. Teio, Kagura-chan, are you both ready?"
Tokai Shizen spoke softly and leisurely. Her voice was gentle and pleasant; Kagura felt like she was listening to someone singing. Judging by appearance, Shizen seemed at most around 25-30—still very young.
So young, yet she already has such a big child…
Kagura's thoughts suddenly wandered off-topic. Maybe she'd seen too many strange cases back in the hospital, but instead of picturing a happy family scene, a bizarre image surfaced in her mind—some unknown person dragging a helpless young girl through hours of grueling, endless dancing until she passed out.
No, no, why am I even thinking of weird stuff like that? Don't be curious about others' family matters! Shizen-onee-san must just look young for her age! Yeah, that must be it!
Shaking off her bizarre imagination, Kagura regained focus, but just then heard Shizen call out the start. Caught off-guard, she naturally started a beat too late.
That girl started late?
Already running beside Teio at the front, Tokai Shizen instantly noticed Kagura's delayed start. Even though she'd long left professional racing behind, Shizen still knew exactly what this meant.
But Kagura, already planning a late run anyway, didn't mind at all. She casually accelerated slightly to keep pace behind Tokai Teio, maintaining a moderate distance.
Tokai Teio… This child's natural talent is impressive—her legs seem especially flexible, probably great for dancing.
Since Kagura deliberately kept her speed in check, she had spare attention to observe the two ahead carefully. Compared to Teio, who was running purely by feel, Tokai Shizen clearly had a professional racer's stride, precise as if in competition.
Around them, spectators slowly began gathering along the park path. Kagura could vaguely overhear conversations mentioning Tokai Teio, though their expressions were all resigned amusement—as if this were a common sight here.
"Oh dear, Tokai Teio-chan is racing someone again… which kid's gonna have a bad day this time?"
"See? It's the Uma Musume behind her, that dark-haired maid… whoa, that girl's really cute…"
Not just elderly people and children walking in the park, but even several Uma Musume started curiously gathering along the roadside.
"That Teio kid is seriously amazing. Even I, who's much older, barely beat her last time… I wonder who's gonna get depressed today?"
"Hey, isn't that Kagura-san from the Support Department?"
Since the park was near Tracen Academy, Kagura wasn't hard to recognize. After the recent commendation by Director Akikawa, naturally some passing students quickly identified her.
"No way? That kid's a prodigy even experienced racers have trouble with. Kagura-san's just a Support Uma—why would she accept such a challenge?"
"Who knows…"
Voices of discussion echoed along the sides of the path. Some morning joggers even stepped aside, now watching this informal race with keen interest.
This path wasn't ideal for racing. Kagura preferred grass over concrete, though concrete was better for sudden bursts of speed.
Is this girl… deliberately holding back?? Is she going easy on Teio?
Tokai Shizen, running alongside her daughter, noticed clearly: Teio was maintaining the pace she'd taught her, fully concentrated. But Kagura behind them was different—years on the racetrack made Shizen immediately recognize someone who wasn't using their full strength. Kagura's subtlety couldn't fool an experienced professional.
This girl… she's no ordinary Support Uma, is she? How can a Support Uma possess this kind of strength?!
As a former racer herself, Shizen deeply believed in her daughter's talent. She refused to believe an ordinary, undeveloped Support Uma could outpace Teio. Perhaps Kagura only appeared young but had already debuted? But if someone as gifted as Kagura had debuted recently, she'd never remain unknown—Shizen, closely following racing news, would surely know her.
I'll ask Director Akikawa later…
Shizen's curiosity about this mysterious Uma Musume grew stronger. Although she might learn nothing now, surely Director Akikawa, a good acquaintance, could help her later.
Ahead, Teio had no such complicated thoughts—focused solely on running. Normally, she could easily leave her opponents behind, yet even after running so long, she still clearly heard Kagura's steady footsteps behind her.
The sound of her footsteps hasn't changed?! I haven't pulled away from Kagura-onee-san at all!?
Teio realized she was being closely shadowed. As a front-runner, she needed to widen the gap, but she'd never encountered someone who stuck to her so relentlessly. Instinctively she accelerated, but Shizen could tell her daughter was exerting herself too recklessly.
Teio's still lacking race experience… Kagura-chan's so calm and composed—she hasn't even debuted yet, has she?
In contrast, Kagura behind them kept an unwavering three-length distance, imposing constant psychological pressure. Shizen increasingly felt Kagura was an unreadable mystery. Teio couldn't tell Kagura was holding back, but Shizen could—the race had already lost its meaning.
"That little girl suddenly sped up! Kagura-san hasn't closed the distance—will she be alright?"
"No… Kagura-san hasn't closed in, but she isn't losing ground either. She's controlling the gap…"
The gathered rookies watched closely; now the race approached the final 100 meters.
"Oh! It's the final sprint! To keep up with Tokai Teio—that girl's really impressive!"
"With just that tiny distance left, probably no way she'll catch Teio, but she's done well!"
Kagura, hearing these voices, finally moved outward slightly, unleashing her pent-up speed. If it were up to her, she'd have sprinted far earlier; waiting until now wasn't her style.
"Sorry, little miss—!"
"Huh!?"
Teio exclaimed in disbelief as Kagura suddenly appeared beside her. Just moments ago, Kagura had already accelerated—yet now she'd somehow surged again!
The spectators burst into surprised cheers. Teio tried desperately to speed up further, but already at her limit, she could only helplessly watch Kagura's figure rocket forward.
"No way! Kagura-san… wasn't Kagura-san already sprinting? How can she accelerate again?!"
"She passed Teio-chan!"
"So fast—so incredibly fast!!"
Shizen, following behind, watched Kagura reach the finish and silently marveled:
Such terrifying speed… even in my prime, I couldn't match that closing speed. To be the Support Uma for Rudolf-san… does she need to be just as ridiculously strong as Rudolf herself?
"Wow, Kagura-onee-san's so fast! You suddenly zoomed right past me!"
Teio cheerfully bounced toward Kagura, seemingly unfazed by losing. Kagura, relieved, gently patted Teio's head:
"Hehe… I'm older than you, little miss—it's normal I run faster. Besides, you only lost by a tiny bit. You're really amazing too."
Teio happily narrowed her eyes, clearly enjoying Kagura's affectionate pats.
As Tokai Shizen slowly crossed the finish line, watching Kagura thoughtfully, she resolved firmly:
I need to investigate this Uma Musume named Inari Kagura… just who exactly is this child?