"Niijinsky—I don't see you this frantic very often. Let me think… last time we met was half a year ago, wasn't it? What wind blew you over here?"
At a small table in the garden, an Umamusume already showing signs of age poured a cup of black tea for the chestnut-haired Umamusume who'd just walked in.
"A while back, I heard you went over to Japan to see your daughter. I also heard you had some unpleasantness with the folks over there. So? Is little Maruzensky doing okay?"
"Pretty well. In a little while, I'm planning to bring her back here. Those blind old fossils in Japan were scared of her talent, so they used some despicable, shameless tricks. Though it doesn't matter. There are plenty of places in this world where she can shine."
The chestnut-haired Umamusume—who'd rushed over in a hurry—sat down, lifted her teacup, and took a sip. Then, as if she owned the place, she grabbed a muffin from the tiered stand and tossed it into her mouth.
Seeing how tense Niijinsky looked, the older Umamusume—hair already going gray—reached out and patted her lightly on the back, smiling gently as she reminded her:
"Slow down. No one's going to steal it from you. Don't choke."
"Gulp."
After swallowing the muffin, Niijinsky took two big gulps of tea, then let out a satisfied breath of steam.
Only once Niijinsky finally eased out of her frantic state and calmed down did the older Umamusume speak again.
"So—what is it? What had you in such a rush to come running over?"
"Heh, Your Majesty, take a guess. What do you think I saw in Japan this time—it's something really fun."
"Fun? What's over there that you'd call fun? They barely even have any pro-level Umamusume worth naming, do they?"
The older Umamusume narrowed her eyes at Niijinsky. She knew this young woman quite well. As far as she was aware, that out-of-the-way little place had nothing that could possibly draw her in.
Niijinsky took out her phone, smiled in a conspiratorial way, and scooted closer. She slung an arm over the older Umamusume's shoulder and pushed the phone into the space between them.
"What's this?"
"Just watch—it's some good stuff!"
In response to the older woman's question, Niijinsky didn't bother explaining. She simply pulled her closer.
"This is…"
The older Umamusume adjusted her glasses, squinted, and leaned in, only just managing to make out what was on the screen.
[...Inari Kagura has blown up the entire race's tempo! She's thrown everyone's pacing into chaos!]
[No one has any spare gas left to close the gap!! Inari Kagura!! All alone at the front!!]
[Inari Kagura shows overwhelming strength! With a massive gap—she reaches the finish line!]
It was a race. Judging from the venue, it seemed to be at Tracen in Japan. The older Umamusume remembered the place—it was one of the few schools Japan could actually brag about, with any so-called fighting power at all. She'd even been there a few times herself. Japan had a race named after her, too.
"Oh…"
She wasn't usually interested in student races, but this footage really did make her want to replay it a couple more times. The reason was simple: a race with a fifty-length gap was just plain entertaining. It had been a long time since she'd seen a race won by that kind of margin.
"It really is an interesting recording. Ah—this is an In-school Selection Race, right? That kid in first has real talent. So that little place finally produced someone you can honestly call a gifted runner after all these years?"
"No, I mean, Your Majesty—you've watched it three times already. Do you really have nothing else to say besides that?"
Watching the older Umamusume miss the point for so long, Niijinsky couldn't help but prompt her.
"Hm? I… what else should I say? This kid… really is impressive."
"No—look at her face properly! Stop skipping to the end!"
"Hm?"
The older Umamusume lowered her head, squinting as she carefully studied the black-haired little Umamusume in the video—the one waving at the camera after crossing the finish line.
She looked like a child who hadn't even hit honkaku yet, but that face… the older Umamusume felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"Yeah… she does look kind of familiar…"
"Right? Think harder. Isn't there a face like that in one of the portraits hanging in the palace?"
"Hiss…"
As she forced herself to remember, deep in her memory—within that pitch-black fog—a black shadow turned around. A terrifying red gleam flashed through its eyes.
The older Umamusume's body trembled on instinct. She nearly spilled her tea all over the table.
"Eclipse…! Eclipse!! This kid… aside from the eye color, her face is exactly the same as Eclipse's!!"
"I told you, Your Majesty—you'd be interested in this video."
"And that running style… it's way too similar. That unreasonable stamina and speed, not contesting the track at all, running her own line out wide, breaking the tape alone…"
Looking at that black shadow, the older Umamusume felt as if a lifetime had passed.
"It's like… that pitch-black nightmare from back then has come back…"
The words almost slipped out—this was Eclipse herself. But she knew Eclipse had been dead for centuries. The dead didn't come back. This child couldn't be Eclipse. Those bright blue eyes—so clear, so sunny, without even a trace of murderous malice—already proved how different she was.
"So? Your Majesty—do you have any ideas now?"
"How about this, Niijinsky. Let your kid—let little Maruzensky… stay over there a bit longer."
"Oh ho. I knew you'd say that, Your Majesty. That's why I didn't bring Maruzensky back with me this time."
Niijinsky smiled. She'd known the older woman would react like this, so she hadn't brought Maruzensky straight home.
"Good. And little Maruzensky… how's her relationship with that child?"
"They're on the same team. That kid's a Support Uma—she usually takes care of Maruzensky and the other girls on their team."
"Oh… wait. Support? Tracen calls someone who can gap the field by fifty lengths a Support Uma?"
The older Umamusume wondered if she'd misheard. She still remembered the sight of Inari Kagura mercilessly crushing every opponent on that track. Just watching the footage, she could practically feel the despair and powerlessness in the other Umamusume behind her. And Tracen called that "support"?
Your Support Uma has issues!!
A huge complaint lodged in her throat, and for a moment, the older Umamusume didn't even know what to say.
"Maruzensky's been saying lately that their team is going out for summer training camp or something… going to the beach for a few months to train while they have fun. That little one will be going along too."
"Oh? That's a perfect opportunity. Tell little Maruzensky—since it's her first time going out to play, have her take lots of photos of that little one as souvenirs. And while she's at it… share some with you."
"Hehe~ Your Majesty, you've got such a wicked little plan…"
"What, Niijinsky—are you really going to pat your chest and tell me you're not interested?"
"I can't do that… heh. Then it's settled, Your Majesty."
...
Eclipse-san!! Look! Bizen Nishiki has such an amazing figure too! Why am I built like this!?
——I seriously don't know!! Also, why is she buying a swimsuit too!?
Isn't it obvious? She's going to summer training camp too!! Ah… thinking about everyone playing in the water then—a bunch of slim, shapely big sisters, and then a flat, short runway stuck in the middle… I… I…
I-I have to face my uniqueness! The strong are always lonely! Don't follow the crowd!!
I wish I could be lonely in some other way…
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T/N: poor kaghura...