"Focus, focus..."
The arrow left Kagura's bowstring with a sharp whistle, embedding itself firmly into the second ring of the distant target.
Lowering her bow, Kagura let out a gentle breath, mentally assessing her results and nodding in satisfaction.
——Your improvement's pretty quick, huh? When your Ojou-sama first taught you archery, you wobbled all over the place. Now, even though you only practice occasionally, you can consistently hit the target.
Eclipse-san's words surfaced briefly on Kagura's phone screen, then vanished just as quickly.
It was currently nine in the morning—one of the few daily free periods Kagura had. To overcome her chronic concentration issues, particularly her habit of consistently late starts, Kagura had recently started spending these quiet hours alone at the Kyudo Club, practicing archery.
"If there's a problem, fix it… heave-ho—"
As she spoke softly, Kagura adjusted her chest guard and steadily drew her bow once more, carefully aiming at the distant target.
As for why she trained alone, the reason was simple: Rudolf-ojousama's weight had ballooned, prompting a dramatic increase in her daily training workload. This left Rudolf with barely any free time, which naturally meant Kagura couldn't always accompany her on runs. Thus, Kagura ended up training alone more often than not.
Speaking of which… if I changed outfits, could I pull off a low-budget Kikyo cosplay? But my black miko clothes wouldn't match her colors at all...
Surprisingly, Kagura found practicing alone quite enjoyable now that her skill had improved. Occasionally, she'd even mutter some anime-like lines, embracing a touch of childishness.
She genuinely wondered whether it was really possible to shoot three or even five arrows simultaneously—though that was definitely beyond her current abilities. Forget multiple arrows; right now, it took her forever to aim even one arrow properly.
After firing a few more arrows in succession, Kagura put down her bow to rest her arms for a moment. Just then, she heard faint footsteps outside the Kyudo Club room and turned her head toward the door.
"Oh my~ I thought Rudolf would be here when I heard noises, but it's just you, little missy."
Maruzensky poked her head through the doorway, visibly surprised upon seeing Kagura inside.
"Yep, I'm here doing concentration training. You know how I'm always late off the line, Maruzensky-senpai. I definitely can't stay like that if I plan to race in the future, so I'm trying to fix this problem early."
"Oh, I see~ You're really so disciplined and motivated, little missy… By the way, where's your Rudolf?"
"Ojou-sama's gained a ton of weight lately, so she's frantically training. Senpai, if you want her, you'd probably have better luck at the training grounds."
"Nah... it's nothing urgent anyway. Besides, I haven't seen you all vacation~ Come here, let your big sister hug you!"
Saying that, Maruzensky stepped up to Kagura, gently rubbed her head, and then suddenly pulled her face-first into her chest. Kagura struggled in panic for a moment before finally managing to pull free.
"Senpai!! I couldn't breathe! If you're going to hug me, at least choose a normal posture!"
After escaping, Kagura placed her hands on her hips, puffed her cheeks indignantly, and pouted up at Maruzensky.
"Hehe~ Sorry, sorry. I'll be more careful next time~ Anyway, since you're training seriously like this, are you planning to race sometime soon?"
"Sort of… not a formal race yet, though. For now, I'm thinking of doing the school selection race first, finding a trainer who's suitable, and then racing properly after I reach honkaku..."
That was all Kagura had planned out for herself this year, mostly because honkaku had no real signs or indications, making precise planning nearly impossible.
"Still, I hope honkaku comes quickly. The sooner it happens, the sooner I can start making concrete plans and maybe enter some actual races."
"That sounds wonderful…"
Maruzensky sighed softly with envy. She'd also once eagerly looked forward to racing, back when she was younger and hadn't yet debuted.
Kagura had noticed Maruzensky's expression as well. Actually, she'd realized some time ago that Maruzensky's attitude toward races wasn't exactly normal. Not only did she rarely seem serious about competing, but even though she occasionally came to train, Kagura had never seen her prepare seriously for any particular race. It felt more like Maruzensky simply enjoyed running for its own sake.
I noticed it before, but never thought too deeply about it. Maybe I should ask Trainer Tojo about it when I have the chance.
Previously, Kagura hadn't deliberately pursued the matter and forgot soon afterward. But Maruzensky's expression had now reminded her, making her resolve to find time later and ask Trainer Tojo exactly what Maruzensky's situation was.
"By the way, little missy, if you're already thinking along these lines, have you decided on which trainer's team you'll join?"
"Not yet… Maruzensky-senpai, do you have any recommendations?"
"Recommendations, huh…? I think Trainer Tojo would be great. Trainer Minamizaka, who you recommended to your friend before, is also pretty good. But honestly, little missy, I feel like you don't really depend much on trainers anyway, so even one who doesn't micromanage you would be fine, right?"
"That's probably a little too irresponsible…"
...
After chatting with Maruzensky about future plans for a while at the Kyudo Club, Kagura decided she'd practiced enough for today, packed up her gear, and left the clubroom.
Maruzensky said she'd continue looking for Rudolf, heading toward the track. Kagura glanced at the clock, figuring it was about time to start preparing lunch, and headed toward the cafeteria.
"Isn't that…?"
Passing through the school's courtyard, Kagura spotted a familiar chestnut-haired Uma Musume alongside her trainer—it was Bizen Nishiki and Narumiya Akimitsu. It looked like they'd just finished training; Bizen Nishiki's forehead was still glistening with sweat.
Bizen Nishiki-san looks like she's in great condition… she seems really energetic. Is it because she's been constantly competing?
After months of observation and learning about Uma Musume, Kagura had developed the ability to gauge a competitor's condition through subtle external cues. Bizen Nishiki's physique appeared perfectly normal—no unusual weight gain or loss. Her condition seemed excellent, and she was bouncing around cheerfully, practically bursting with energy.
——Your assessment is way too generous. Nicely put, this kid is energetic; more bluntly, she's reckless. How is she even the same age as your Ojou-sama? Rudolf is calm and mature, practically like a high school or even university student. Meanwhile, this one acts like she's barely in middle school. And she's supposed to be Rudolf's biggest threat?
As always, Eclipse-san's commentary was cutting and sharp.
Eh… Eclipse-san, but I really thought Bizen Nishiki-san's condition was good…
——She's clearly too reckless. You'll understand once she's on the track. Even if Rudolf stayed at her current weight without losing a single gram, this kid would lose purely because of poor decisions or hesitation. For most Uma, brute strength alone isn't enough—mature tactical thinking and wisdom matter just as much.
Is...is that so? Can you really observe all of that? Eclipse-san, were you actually a trainer before…?
——No. You don't need to be a trainer to see this. I've crushed countless opponents on the track. I know exactly how different opponents behave and perform. Even if I lack a trainer's strategic mind, I can still tell when someone simply can't surpass a certain limit—when they pose no threat at all. Once you start racing yourself, you'll soon discover that you only need a single glance to see right through certain opponents.
Eh…