Uma Musume can't register for races themselves. If Trainer Narumiya signed Bizen Nishiki up, then it must've been Nishiki forcing him...
On the way to the old school building, Kagura carefully sorted through what she knew about Bizen Nishiki. She couldn't afford to wait until she found Nishiki to think things through—if Nishiki was emotionally unstable, Kagura probably wouldn't get a chance to calmly consider anything once they met.
She's being pressured by her parents. Last time, it seemed clear that Nishiki cared deeply for Trainer Narumiya and wouldn't want him taking all the heat from her family.
With some deduction, Kagura could roughly guess Nishiki's reason for forcing Narumiya to enter her in the Derby. Even if her guess wasn't completely accurate, at least it gave her a starting point for their conversation.
[Narumiya Akimitsu]: Kagura-san, have you found anything yet?
[Inari Kagura]: Nothing so far. The old school building is huge. Searching floor by floor is going to take time.
[Narumiya Akimitsu]: Thank you so much, Kagura-san. When all this is settled, I promise I'll properly thank you.
[Inari Kagura]: It's still too early to talk about that. Let's wait until everything's resolved.
After sending the last message, Kagura pocketed her phone and continued deeper into the old building.
Tracen's old school building wasn't particularly old—it was just named that because it had been built earlier. Clubs still regularly used it, and students often came around. However, maintenance and cleaning were less frequent, giving it a somewhat desolate appearance. Kagura had even heard a fair share of campus ghost stories about the place.
Why does Bizen Nishiki like to come somewhere like this?
Though Kagura respected people's differing tastes, frequently hanging out in such an isolated place was definitely a bit strange. Perhaps that sunny, cheerful girl wasn't really as carefree as she appeared.
Kagura's phone vibrated in her pocket. Checking it, she confirmed Narumiya still hadn't found Nishiki yet—not surprising since a shopping district could be even more chaotic than a school building, making it much harder to locate one specific Uma Musume.
"…"
Walking quietly along the corridors, Kagura could only hear her own faint breathing in the silence.
Eclipse-san, can you sense other Uma Musume nearby?
——Within a certain range, yes. But the distance is limited and unclear. Currently, there's no one within my perception. Wait a bit—I'll try sharing my vision with you.
After Eclipse-san's message vanished, Kagura felt a slight heat in her eyes. Her vision seemed to widen, and astonishingly, she found herself able to see through certain walls, likely Eclipse-san's enhanced sight.
What a powerful ability!!
The expansive vision gave Kagura a sudden urge to shout, "I can see you all!" But realizing how embarrassing it'd be if someone actually heard her, she wisely suppressed that impulse.
——I'll only lend it to you for important occasions like this. Don't think about using it to cheat during races, okay?
I understand~ I wouldn't do anything against the spirit of sportsmanship.
Even without Eclipse-san's warning, Kagura never planned to rely on external powers during races. As Eclipse-san had said, every professional competitor had their own honor. Competing fairly and openly was every athlete's baseline and principle.
After wandering through the corridors for a while without seeing anyone, Kagura concluded Nishiki wasn't on this floor. Standing at the corridor's end, she paused to reconsider her strategy. The sun was already setting; if night fell completely, finding Nishiki would become significantly harder.
——I feel movement coming from the equipment storage room. Maybe check there first?
Eclipse-san's tip once again flashed across Kagura's phone screen. Trusting Eclipse-san's abilities and having no better lead herself, Kagura decisively headed toward the storage room.
Approaching soundlessly, almost ghost-like, Kagura stood just outside the storage room. Through Eclipse-san's augmented vision, she saw what caused the sound inside: Bizen Nishiki sat huddled beneath a pile of vaulting boxes, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the ceiling. Completely unaware of Kagura's presence outside, Nishiki's helpless, sorrowful expression caused a pang of pain in Kagura's heart.
For some reason, the storage room's door wasn't closed—if Kagura wanted to enter, she could do so at any time.
——Be careful. Think this through carefully. If you go in now and she's unstable, it might turn dangerous!
Noticing Kagura about to step straight inside, Eclipse-san quickly issued a warning. She supported Kagura's decision to help others in pain, but personal safety always came first.
I understand. But right now, I must do this. Just like a teacher and student—if the teacher isn't willing to trust the student, then nothing will ever begin.
Kagura saw Eclipse-san's warning clearly, but the current situation wasn't something she could slowly ponder. Without much hesitation, she gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"!"
Inside, Bizen Nishiki immediately noticed the movement at the doorway and snapped her head around. A ray of sunset pierced the darkness of the equipment room, illuminating a person Nishiki never expected—her greatest rival Rudolf's Support Uma, Inari Kagura.
"Inari Kagura…? Why are you here… at a time like this…"
Nishiki's voice was low and heavy. Kagura felt Nishiki's eyes lock onto her, releasing an invisible pressure that triggered her instincts—Bizen Nishiki was hostile toward her!
But in the next moment, that strange pressure vanished entirely. Nishiki turned away, audibly taking deep breaths, clearly struggling to calm herself down.
"Kagura… please… hurry and lea—"
Nishiki's voice trembled as if suppressing something dangerous.
"May I come in, Bizen Nishiki?"
Before Nishiki could finish, Kagura spoke first, preemptively.
"No… just leave me alone… I… don't need your concern…"
"But you clearly need help! A Support Uma can't ignore that!"
Kagura's urgent tone wasn't loud, but her voice carried clearly through the storage room.
The moment Kagura finished speaking, the oppressive atmosphere returned even stronger. Nishiki whipped around fiercely, glaring at Kagura. In the darkness, Kagura could have sworn she saw Nishiki's eyes flash with a sinister red light, causing her body to involuntarily shiver.
The next instant—perhaps an illusion brought by the shadows—Nishiki moved like surging darkness itself, appearing right in front of Kagura in a blink. Her hand shot out, aiming straight at Kagura's throat, accompanied by a guttural growl:
"I… don't need help!! Especially not from you… Kagura…"
---
T/N: WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!! FIGHT?
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