In the evening, after dragging Rudolph Symbol out of the office and back to the dormitory, Kagura returned to her own dormitory to take a shower and prepare to rest.
[Kagura, I discussed it with Rudolph tonight, and Rudolph's next race has been decided. It will be at the Ichou Tokubetsu in three months. You need to keep an eye on her during this time and don't let her stay up late]
While blow-drying her hair, Kagura saw a message from Tojo Hana, informing her of Rudolph Symbol's upcoming race schedule. They decided to officially start preparing for the next race tomorrow, and officially assigned Kagura her task. As a Support Musume, what she needs to pay attention to is ensuring Rudolph Symbol's balanced diet and physical condition.
—That's good, it seems they trust you quite a bit. They actually entrusted such an important and crucial task to you.
"That's why I feel pressured..."
Cooking for athletes is not the same as doing whatever you want. Kagura also has to pay attention to starting to make a menu. Fortunately, Kagura had a certain foundation in nutrition before, but it was only theoretical knowledge. This is the first time she has really applied this knowledge to reality.
—It's okay, young people always have a first time. Try it, and if you don't know, learn and catch up.
"Ms. Eclipse, you really sound like an old mother... When I went to the hospital for my first internship, my mom said the same thing to me."
—I am indeed a senior! What's wrong with encouraging young people?
Eclipse was as confident as ever, and Kagura seemed to be able to see her puffing out her chest and putting her hands on her hips.
—By the way, take off your clothes, right now, and put on that miko outfit.
"Ms. Eclipse... It's bedtime now, and it's the middle of summer..."
—I want you to sleep in the miko outfit. You should be using it often in the future, and you need to learn to adapt to its feel.
Although Kagura didn't know what Eclipse wanted, she still chose to comply, finding the slightly troublesome miko outfit from her wardrobe. After changing into it, Kagura returned to the mirror, wondering if Eclipse had any further instructions.
—Turn off the lights and go to sleep!
Eclipse always erased her writing immediately. The fact that this line of text remained here and hadn't moved indicated that this was Eclipse's next instruction.
Completely bewildered, Kagura tilted her head in confusion. Despite her bewilderment, she obediently turned off the lights, then lay down on the bed in her miko outfit and pulled the covers over herself.
Just like every other night, shortly after she lay down, she felt a chill follow her into the covers and then wrap around her waist. She knew it was Eclipse, but for some reason tonight, unlike usual where she only felt a faint chill enveloping her, she could distinctly feel what seemed like fingers tracing her abdomen and waist, as if Eclipse was hugging her from behind.
"Miss Eclipse... that tickles..."
After she spoke, she immediately felt the sensation shift, and the tickling feeling from before was gone.
If this had been two months ago, Kagura, who was afraid of ghosts, would have fainted by now. But after two months of being messed with by Eclipse like this every day, she had built up a resistance.
Closing her eyes, Kagura relaxed her body and quickly let her consciousness sink into darkness... Kagura felt a slightly cold breeze blow across her face, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Thinking she had kicked off her blanket again, the instinct to find her blanket and cover herself made her open her eyes.
"..."
Opening her eyes, Kagura's gaze immediately met a pair of dark red eyes, and she was instantly startled awake.
"Mi... Miss Eclipse!?"
"It's me~"
The black-haired Uma Musume girl smiled at Kagura, who was still lying down. Only then did Kagura realize she was currently lying on Eclipse's lap.
This was the second time Kagura had met Eclipse directly like this. Today's Eclipse was not the same mature, older woman Kagura had seen before; this time, she looked like just a slightly older girl.
Having had this experience once before, Kagura knew she was currently in her dream. This was also the only way Eclipse could manifest her true form before her, and Eclipse apparently couldn't use this method to communicate often. Most of the time, when Eclipse had something to say, she would wait until Kagura woke up and then write or draw it for her.
Kagura understood why Eclipse wanted her to wear that miko outfit tonight: because both times she had met Eclipse, she had been wearing it. It seemed this outfit really did have some special function.
"I came to find you tonight mainly to let you get used to this feeling. Also, there are some things I need to guide you on. It's best to ask all your questions at once, as I don't get many opportunities to communicate with you like this. If you have any questions about Uma Musume, you can ask me now. I can use my body to demonstrate and explain to you."
It seemed Eclipse had come to give her a private lesson tonight, seeing that she was about to start work. Kagura also had many questions about Uma Musume for Eclipse. Communicating by writing and drawing usually wasn't very efficient; a direct, face-to-face demonstration like this was much better.
After thinking about what she wanted to ask, Kagura remained silent for a moment before speaking:
"Hmm... I'll probably be massaging the young lady's legs often in the future. Are there any taboos or things I need to pay attention to?"
"You're asking about that... Not many, just don't use your nails to scratch hard. If you want to know how to massage to make it more comfortable, the comfortable spots vary for each person, so it depends on the individual. The best way is to massage several times. But since they are mostly similar, there are a few general spots you can usually massage. If you're unsure, you can start by trying those spots."
As she spoke, Eclipse lifted the hem of her miko outfit to reveal her thighs, then reached out and pointed to several spots on her thigh for Kagura. She even had Kagura touch and press a few times herself. Kagura nodded, remembering those spots.
"Then next..."
...I have to say, Eclipse's little lesson was indeed much more efficient than her usual self-study. And for any physical questions, Eclipse could even use her own body as a demonstration, so Kagura got answers to many of her questions today.
It didn't take much time for Kagura to ask all the questions she had accumulated during this period. Generally, she asked about Uma Musume and race-related matters in broad strokes. Any additional questions could be asked later.
"You have surprisingly few questions, actually. I thought it would take at least half an hour to explain everything to you."
Seeing that Kagura quickly ran out of questions, Eclipse rubbed her hands, and Kagura felt that Eclipse seemed to have something else in mind.
"After all, I've tried a lot on myself, and I've solved many problems on my own... Speaking of which, Miss Eclipse, is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"
"Of course there is, but it's not about your work. Now that your professional questions are resolved, it's time for the next segment."
"Huh?"
Seeing Eclipse point at her feet, Kagura looked in the direction she was pointing with confusion, but no matter how she looked, it was just an ordinary Track.
"Doesn't it look familiar?"
"Uh... I'm sorry, Miss Eclipse, I don't understand..."
"Oh dear... Kagura, you can't be like this. For the Uma Musume you support, you can't even remember the Racecourse information she's run on? This is one of the pieces of information you should collect before a race starts."
Reminded by Eclipse, Kagura finally remembered. No wonder the place looked familiar; this was the Racecourse where Rudolph Symbol's debut race was held.
"Never mind, just remember that this is part of your job. Don't forget it in the future. Putting that aside, right here, using your best running style, referencing Rudolph Symbol's 1000-meter race, run a race."
"Eh?!"
"Don't be shocked! Get into the Starting Gate!"
Half-coaxed, half-pushed, Kagura, still in surprise, was thus ushered by Eclipse into the Starting Gate on the Track that originally belonged to Rudolph Symbol.
"Miss Eclipse... I'm here to train, right?!"
"Yes, you are. Otherwise, why would I go to such great lengths to pull you into my dream tonight just to talk to you about some physical matters?"
"Then... then why are you also in the Starting Gate?!"
Seeing Eclipse, who had already entered the Starting Gate on her right, Kagura felt like she was sweating profusely even in her dream.
"Track conditions, poor, weather..."
She looked up at the pitch-black night sky, then Eclipse paused before continuing to announce:
"...Weather, overcast, grass, 1000 meters, counter-clockwise."
"Um... Miss Eclipse..."
"You must remember, Kagura, nothing tells you more about the ground conditions than running on it yourself. This should also be done before a race. If possible, walk the original Track; if not, find a similar Track and run on it to try it out. This is very necessary for both you and the child you are supporting."
Eclipse bent slightly, getting into a starting position, waiting for the Starting Gate in front of her to open.
Kagura also focused intently on the Starting Gate in front of her, not daring to be distracted. She knew she had a tendency to be slow out of the gate. Now, Eclipse clearly wanted to run a race with her personally, and she didn't know what would happen if she didn't run well.
"Click!!"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of the Starting Gate opening, Eclipse executed a beautiful start. Kagura, fully concentrated, was still slightly slow out of the gate this time. Although not as absurd as before, in the short time she had just emerged, she had already been left a body length behind by Eclipse!
'No... I have to catch up...'
This race was 1000 meters, so there was no doubt she wouldn't reach her physical limit, meaning she didn't need to worry about stamina. Therefore, after falling behind at the start, she had been accelerating at full power.
But Eclipse was clearly not the kind of Uma Musume she could catch up to with just mindless acceleration. Her full-power acceleration couldn't close the distance with Eclipse at all; in fact, the gap was widening at an incredible speed.
'Miss Eclipse... is even more terrifying than the young lady!! Much, much more terrifying!!'
Watching the distance rapidly increase, Kagura couldn't help but let out a desperate exclamation in her heart.
Even when running with Rudolph Symbol, she had never felt such despair from her, Kagura had pushed herself to her limits, squeezing every last bit of strength from her body. Given her current condition, and the fact that it was her first time running on an unfamiliar muddy Track, she had taken some time to fully adapt to the rhythm of running on the muddy ground, but this also meant she couldn't accelerate at full speed to catch up earlier.
A thousand meters was such a short distance; the five or six seconds she spent adapting had already consumed a significant portion of the Racecourse. The gap between her and Eclipse had widened to a point where catching up was simply impossible!
'A thousand meters... is it such a difficult distance to run...?'
This distance, barely even a warm-up, was an incredibly torturous run for Kagura this time. It wasn't physical pain, but mental. No matter what she did, she couldn't catch up to Eclipse ahead. Eclipse was as fast as a flickering shadow, showing no intention of going easy on her.
"It's simply... impossible to catch up..."
Kagura's heart already understood the insurmountable gap between herself and Eclipse, but Kagura didn't intend to give up. Even if the disparity was so despairing that it couldn't be changed, she still planned to persevere and complete this race.
As Eclipse had said before the race, even as a loser, she could experience what it felt like for an Uma Musume to run on this Racecourse, which would also be helpful for her support work.
A few seconds after Eclipse crossed the finish line, Kagura followed, crossing the finish.
"16 lengths, not bad... You persevered and finished. Your willpower is satisfactory."
Eclipse nodded in satisfaction, watching Kagura run over and adjust her breathing.
"Miss Eclipse... you're so fast! You really didn't hold back at all!"
"Of course ~ I gave it my all. Do you really expect your opponent to go easy on you once you're on the Track? You yourself wouldn't even think of doing that, would you?"
Eclipse asked with a smile.
Of course, she hadn't said everything just now. While she did exert her usual full strength, it was only her full strength in her normal state. Because Kagura hadn't yet reached a higher realm, she didn't intend to use stronger power to contend with Kagura.
'I think I understand what Miss Eclipse said before...'
Leading the charge, overshadowing all others.
When Eclipse appears, who can contend with her?
Kagura understood where the ancients' evaluation of Eclipse came from, and why Eclipse said she never met an opponent who could contend with her until the very end. She was truly too strong, reaching a height that other Uma Musume could never achieve in their entire lives.
"Well... you only left me behind by 16 lengths, that's not bad... Work hard, and when you grow up, you might have a chance to catch me."
"I... can I really?"
"Oh my! You silly girl, why can't you be a little more confident?"
As she spoke, Eclipse leaned in, seemingly helpless, and reached out to pinch Kagura's cheek, rubbing it a few times. However, in the dream, Kagura felt no pain at all. This clear awareness of being in a dream yet being able to move freely was quite subtle.
"Alright, alright, today's guidance ends here. You can summarize your insights and gains when you wake up tomorrow ~ Don't stay here too long. You should rest well, so you don't oversleep tomorrow. Your young lady won't have anything to eat then."
Eclipse released Kagura's cheek and snapped her fingers. Kagura's vision began to darken, and the entire surrounding Racecourse gradually disappeared, turning back into a black void.
"Good night, child, have sweet dreams."